Salem Public Schools
SPS community,
I hope that everyone had a safe and memorable Halloween holiday (if you celebrate). As we turn the page to November, I want to remind families of our District’s homework guidance. Please find our guidance here. At all levels, homework should be used to provide additional practice and extension of content and skills that have already been introduced in class. It is not intended to introduce new or unfamiliar material. It is intended to provide students with multiple opportunities to practice what they have learned and is a recommended standards-based practice.
Please note the recommendations for the amount of time, the types of tasks and when homework should be assigned. If you have any questions about these practices you should reach out to your child’s teacher or an administrator at your child’s school. It is also a topic that can be discussed during your child’s Fall parent conferences. Ultimately, we believe that homework can be an important tool to reinforce critical learning so that your child can perform at grade level or higher.
This coming Tuesday, Nov. 5, is Election Day and there is no school for students as we have a staff professional day. Many of our schools serve as voting locations and with the crowds expected for a presidential election, it is best not to interfere with the school day. We urge you to vote on Tuesday and to bring your children with you so that they can familiarize themselves with the process. It is an amazing learning experience for our youth as they better understand how a democracy works -- local, state and national races, ballot questions and the electoral college vs. the popular vote. It is important for them to hear how, as an informed citizen, you form your opinion about a particular topic or candidate.
As a reminder, polls in Salem are open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. and information about voting in the election can be found at www.salemma.gov/vote2024. If you have questions, complaints, or other issues regarding voting, please contact the City Clerk (978-619-5611).
Thank you as always for your partnership. Enjoy the weekend!
Steve
Dry conditions and gusty winds across Massachusetts are creating ideal conditions for wildfires, which have been occurring statewide, with a particular concentration in eastern Massachusetts. All of southern New England is under a red flag warning, alerting firefighters and the public to heightened wildfire risks due to weather conditions that could lead to rapid and dangerous wildfire growth. All of Massachusetts communities are at elevated risk of brush fires. Check out the links below for more information and tips for staying healthy.
Resources and media links:
Masslive: Wildfires spread across Massachusetts amid dry, windy weather
Masslive: As wildfires continue, Mass. residents might be able to smell smoke
What you can do:
Follow local news and alerts for real-time updates and information.
Visit Healthyairnetwork.org for up-to-date air quality information.
If the air quality is bad, use an air purifier/air cleaner in your home. If you don't have one you can make your own using a box fan and MERV 13 air filter.
Health Recommendations:
Limit outdoor activities, especially sensitive groups, including those with lung or heart issues, older adults, and children
Keep windows and doors closed to prevent smoke from getting inside.
Use an air purifier/air cleaner.
If you have to be outside, where an N95 mask or P100 respirator.
Watch for symptoms of coughing or shortness of breath and consult your physician.
On Monday, Nov. 11 (Veterans Day -- no school), we will be testing our emergency alert system at 4 p.m. All Salem Public Schools' families and staff who are subscribed to the ParentSquare messaging platform will receive a message by text, e-mail and telephone (in their chosen language) indicating it is only a test of our emergency alert system. We reiterate it is only a test.
Families who don’t receive the Nov. 11 message should contact their school as soon as possible so that we can make the proper adjustments to their settings.
We chose Nov. 11 to test our emergency alert system since each of our schools will be closed, thus mitigating any reaction or worry. We will also send reminders via ParentSquare and our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
There are still a small number of SPS families who have not subscribed to the ParentSquare app and we encourage everyone to do so. It is a free download via the app store.
With our new stop-arm cameras, bus and student tracking systems newly installed this year, Salem Public Schools and the City of Salem have gone to great lengths in prioritizing the safety of our students.
The City is seeking feedback from both parents and students to complete a survey to help provide insight on the future of Salem streets and how it can make our streets safer. The survey is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and closes Nov. 12, 2024. To access the survey, click the link below in the comments section.
On Tuesday, Oct. 22 Salem Food and Nutrition Services Program Director, Michaela Short, was invited by CORE Foodservice to visit a cranberry bog with Ocean Spray in Lakeville, Mass. This was an event for food service directors and was a great way to wrap up National Farm to School Month. Attendees spent the day learning about the harvesting, receiving, and manufacturing.
A cranberry bog is a special kind of wetland where cranberries grow. These bogs are like big, wet gardens with layers of peat, sand, gravel, and clay. Cranberries need this unique mix to grow well. Here’s some cool stuff about cranberry bogs:
We are pleased to offer juniors and seniors the opportunity to participate in the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy for the 2024-25 School Year. The Seal of Biliteracy is offered to juniors or seniors who demonstrate proficiency in English and any other language, whether they speak or sign the language other than English at home, learned it at school, or in the community.
This is a terrific opportunity with so many benefits for students, not the least of which for building your resume for college or a career, and simply having the ability to communicate with people from different cultures and backgrounds. This is something that each of our multilingual students should pursue.
Seal of Biliteracy proficiency testing is scheduled for Tuesday-Wednesday, March 4-5, 2025. Informational sessions will be given during class time to all students in grades 11 and 12 to encourage them to sign up to take the exam. We look forward to honoring the language expertise and diversity in our district through this initiative.
For any further questions, please contact André Fonseca, Director of Multilingual Learner Education, at afonseca@salemk12.org:
The Clothing Connections operates clothing and toiletries closets in all of Salem's schools, from the ECC up through the district's three high schools. Through Thursday, Nov. 7, the Clothing Connections is holding its Seasonal Stock-Up, readying for the cold weather. They are gathering money as well as new and gently used clothing.
For information on how to donate money or clothing, visit www.clothingconnection.org or email
info@clothingconnection.org. The Seasonal Stock Up ends Nov. 7 with a pizza fundraiser at Flying Saucer Pizza Company, which is open to the public.
From Clockers to Blue Bombardiers to Red Rocketeers, meet the best high school mascots in Massachusetts.
Over the next couple of months, SBLive/SI will be featuring the best high school mascots in every state, giving readers a chance to vote for No. 1 in all 50. The winners and highest vote-getters will make up the field for our NCAA Tournament-style March Mascot Madness bracket in 2025. The Coalinga Horned Toads (California) are the defending national champions.
Two other U.S. high schools use the Witches as their mascot, but no one can pull it off with such historical authenticity like Salem, Massachusetts.
ParentSquare is the communication platform for Salem Public Schools. Families receive communication from the district, school, and their student's classroom all in one space. Families can communicate 1-to-1 with teachers, register for parent-teacher conferences, and more.
If you are not receiving messages from ParentSquare or if you are having trouble, contact your school's front office. You can visit www.parentsquare.com for more information.