Superintendent's Message

February 5, 2025

Dear Newport Schools Parents, Families, and Staff:

February officially started our second semester. RHS report cards for first semester grades were to be distributed today to all students in CREW. Time is certainly flying by quickly and just like the awards show in Hollywood, the school calendars have been filled with concerts, art shows, awards and special recognition for our students, sporting events, and much more. Two such recognitions belong to RHS student Grace Rochelle and RHS teacher Brian Colahan. Grace was presented with a Citation from the RI House of Representatives, to recognize her first place essay in the RI VFW District 2 Voice of Democracy Competition.

Additionally, Before President Biden left office he recognized recipients of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teacher (PAEMST) for 2021, 2022 and 2023. One of those teachers is our very own RHS science teacher Brian Colahan (a 2021 awardee for 7-12 Science). What an amazing honor! Thank you for all that you do for our students.

In other news, this past weekend we had a wonderful time with our state legislators. It is so important that our elected officials are aware of what our schools need. We thank them for their time and dedication. You can watch a video recording of the meeting here. On a local level, supporting our schools our Newport Public Education Foundation will be meeting tonight at Salve Regina University. The agenda is available HERE. Even if you are not able to attend the meetings, please remember to support their activities and initiatives. All funds help to support Newport Public Schools and our teachers in the classroom. Their annual spring run is one of their biggest fundraisers for our schools . Sign up here.

As a reminder given the current events nationally and locally, I want to strongly repeat something I shared last week: There have been no sightings of immigration officials at any of our schools and we have no reason to believe that our schools will be targeted. Students are only dismissed to people authorized by their parents/guardians in writing. Our schools are open, safe, and we want to see all our students in class every day, learning, and growing together. I want to encourage and remind everyone that all of us are here for our students and families. Students need to be in school to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. So let’s get to school on time every day and be successful now and for our futures- Go Newport Public Schools!

Finances - budget and more; new schedules for high school students; middle school students finalizing their schedules for next year; and hot breakfast for all our elementary students every day! There is a lot going on and much more to come in the future months. Now though, let's take this moment as we begin a new semester as a time of celebration, continuing to focus on our classroom instruction- teaching and learning- preparing our students for academic success and improving our outcomes. We have a lot of work to do to improve- and we need your help emphasizing the importance of reading, writing, and math every day. Let’s work together to raise our student achievement while supporting our teachers as they implement the curriculum and grade level standards.

Finally, February is Career & Technical Education Month and we have so many amazing things happening at Newport Area Career & Technical Center and Rogers where over 75% of our students participate in a CTE program. All this month we’ll be highlighting the innovative CTE programs and partnerships our students are participating in, like our culinary students preparing for the ProStart Culinary competition on February 25th at the Crown Plaza in Warwick. Our students have partnered with Chef Basil from Yagi Noodles and are working on a ramen themed menu. What an amazing and delicious real world learning opportunity for our students!🍜

Wrapping up all the exciting happenings is this month’s Administrator Spotlight focusing on our superhero HR Director Ms. Tracy Jacques, who oversees all personnel matters and concerns while trying to keep all of us healthy and happy. Thank you Tracy for your work to make sure Newport Public Schools has talented and supported teachers and staff.

Have a great week of learning everyone!

Colleen Burns Jermain, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Upcoming Events and Things to Do…Check out our Art, Music and Theatre Events

Jan/Feb Art, Music, Theatre events

Athletics and School Committee Schedules:

Resources

Newport Public Schools Administrator Spotlight: Tracy Jacques, Director of Human Resources

Tracy Jacques is the Director of Human Resources for Newport Public Schools, where she oversees HR operations and supports the district’s staffing needs. Tracy holds a Bachelor's degree in Film and Photography and a Master’s in Education. She also holds certifications from the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) and has completed ATIXA training and certification, specializing in Title IX compliance and policies.

As the Director of Human Resources at Newport Public Schools, Tracy oversees and supports all HR operations within the district. Tracy and the HR team manage the employee wellness program and employee safety program. They lead the efforts to recruit and retain top talent to Newport Public Schools. Additionally, the HR team oversees workers' compensation cases, handling claims and ensuring compliance with both state and federal regulations. As part of the team's day-to-day responsibilities, HR manages the administration of leaves of absence, payroll, the district’s employee benefits program, and supporting retirees from Newport Public Schools.

ATTENDANCE

The second semester is now underway and it’s a great opportunity to refocus on Attendance Matters, Every Day, improving student engagement, and improving grades and academic success. Our entire school community deserves a shoutout as attendance is up and chronic absenteeism is down compared to this time last school year. Great job! But I know we can do better. So let’s keep the momentum going. ALL of our students belong in class every school day learning the literacy, math, social/emotional, and other skills they need to succeed academically and in life. RIDE Attendance Leaderboard

Rogers High School Winter Concert

Our talented Rogers High School musicians did a great job at last Thursday evening’s winter concert. Winter Concert Program Thanks to all the parents, family and friends who came out for a fun evening of musical performances! See our new inductees to the Tri-M Honor Society pictured below.

February 3-7 Is National School Counseling Week

This week is National School Counseling Week and an opportunity to thank our school counselors for all their hard work helping Newport students achieve success in school and planning for college and career opportunities. Thank you!

Rogers Track Records Broken Again, Yes Again!

Congratulations to our Rogers High School girls track team who competed in the Class C Championships held this past weekend. Our amazing athletes broke school and personal records yet again!

Laura Hoag broke her school record set last year in the 600 with a time of 1:40.72 with a 2nd place finish. She is currently ranked 3rd in the state.
Design Robles broke her school record for the 3rd time this season in the 55m Hurdles with a time 9.24 and a second place finish. She is currently ranked 11th in the state.
The 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams of Hannah Conroy, Amelia Wallace, Charlotte Rochelle, and Laura Hoag placed 6th and 3rd place respectively, both relay teams running a season PRs.
Noelia Ramirez had a season PR in the shot put and a 7th place finish.

Video: Superintendent’s Town Hall

In case you missed it, you can watch the full video of Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain’s recent Town Hall meeting.

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