Superintendent's Newsletter

Dear School Community,

With spring upon us, we are ready to say goodbye to the winter weather. I'm looking forward to the final months of the 2024-2025 school year. Our schools host many incredible school events in the spring that foster family engagement and community building.

Last month, I shared in my monthly message that the school department was in the midst of the budget development work for the 2025-2026 school year. This past month, the school committees (Marion, Mattapoisett, Old Rochester, and Rochester) all held their public budget hearings and approved budgets for Fiscal Year 2026. The approved school committee budgets will be voted on at the annual town meetings in May of 2025. For more information please visit our Business and Finance webpage: https://www.oldrochester.org/departments/business-finance.

It is my hope that the information and highlights in the Superintendent's Newsletter this month are both informative and helpful.

As always - thank you for being such a strong and supportive school community.

Respectfully,

Michael S. Nelson

Superintendent of Schools

Talented Students in FORM Concerts:

The FORM Choral and Instrumental Concerts this month showcased the talent and creativity of our students. It was clear that our students gave their all during their performances at both concerts. The effort they put into rehearsals paid off. A special thanks goes to the teachers and administrators who worked tirelessly to guide and support the students throughout this process. Their dedication is what made these performances so successful. We also appreciate the FORM organization for their continued support, helping to provide the resources needed to make these concerts possible. The concerts were wonderful reminders of the incredible talent of our students and how the community comes together to support our music programs.

Old Hammondtown and Center School Art Show

Old Hammondtown and Center Schools recently held a K-6 Student Art Show, highlighting the creativity and hard work of our young artists. The show featured an incredible variety of drawings, sculptures, and imaginative animal creations, each one showcasing the students’ unique talents and artistic expression. It was wonderful to see how much pride and excitement the students had in sharing their work with family and friends. A huge thank you to our amazing art teacher, whose dedication and encouragement help bring out the best in our students. Their artwork was a true reflection of the creativity that makes our schools so special!

Sincerely,

Shari Fedorowicz

Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning

Curriculum Information Night

Fly Five: The Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum

We are excited to introduce Responsive Classroom's Fly Five: The Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum. It is a standards-aligned curriculum for kindergarten through eighth grade. Fly Five supports the development of academic and behavioral outcomes through the teaching of developmentally appropriate skills. These skills overarchingly develop a students’ interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies aligned to C.A.R.E.S. (cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control). Fly five provides developmentally appropriate standards and skills that illuminate what a socially and emotionally competent learner should know and be able to do. Interactive lessons make Fly Five a remarkable resource for prioritizing social and emotional learning that meets each and every classroom’s unique needs. This year, the curriculum will be piloted in several classrooms in each elementary school and at the junior high. If your child’s classroom will be part of the pilot, you will receive a copy of the Family Guide that will provide you with more information. There will be an informational night for parents on April 14th in the ORR Junior High School Media Center at 6pm.

If you have any questions, please contact Jaime Curley at jaimecurley@oldrochester.org or 508-758-2772, ext 1942.

The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board) met on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 and voted to solicit public comment on the proposed amendments to the Regulations on Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System and Standards for Competency Determination, 603 CMR 30.00, as presented by the Commissioner, including an amendment to solicit public comment on the idea discussed during the Board meeting. The process for providing public comment on the two sets of regulations is posted on DESE’s website.

The Old Rochester Regional School District & Massachusetts Superintendency Union #55, has recently updated their Bullying and Harassment Prevention and Intervention Plan. This important initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all students.

We would like to extend our gratitude to parents, guardians, local law enforcement, and community members for their invaluable contributions throughout this process. Your insights and perspectives shared during School Council meetings, the Open Forum, and through the dedicated feedback link provided in newsletters and on the District website played a crucial role in shaping our updated Plan.

Every piece of feedback was thoughtfully considered as we finalized the document, ensuring that it not only addresses the specific needs of our students and staff but also aligns with best practices in bullying prevention and intervention. We recognize that the partnership between the school district and the community is vital to the success of our initiatives, and we appreciate your ongoing support in creating a positive and inclusive school climate.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) will conduct an Integrated Monitoring Review of Old Rochester Regional School District & Massachusetts Superintendency Union #55 during the week of May 12, 2025. Each school district, charter school, vocational school, and virtual school undergoes an Integrated Monitoring Review every three years. This review addresses special education teacher and related service personnel licensure and professional development; parent, student, and community engagement, including compliance with Child Find requirements; facilities and classroom observations; implementation and oversight of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs); time and learning, and equal access. Please read this letter for more information.

Kindergarten registration is currently available for next school year! All Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester children who will reach the age of 5 before Sept. 1, 2025, are eligible to register to attend kindergarten at the elementary school in the town they reside in for the 2025-2026 school year. Still need to register? Click here to learn more.

All schools across the district are accepting Project GROW applications for the 2025-2026 school year. Project GROW offers high quality preschool education to Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester children ages 3-5 years old, including children with special needs. If you are interested in learning more about Project GROW, please refer to the Early Childhood Website. The link to the Project GROW application is here.

Thank you to the companies that have already supported ORR Athletics! The signs are up, but a few spots are still available. This opportunity allows businesses to advertise in visible locations on our campus while directly supporting our Bulldog Athletic Program. Please contact Athletic Director, Chris Carrig at chriscarrig@oldrochester.org or 508-758-3745 ext. 1825 to advertise.

Our school community is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students regardless of their immigration status, the status of their family members, or any other measurable demographic. We are here to inspire all students to think, to learn, and to care.

Our school-system is fully compliant and supports Chapter 622 of the 1971 Massachusetts Legislative Acts, which prohibits discrimination in public school admissions and programs. The law reads as follows:

“No child shall be excluded from or discriminated against in admission to a public school of any town, or in obtaining the advantages, privileges and course of study of such public school on account of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, disability, pregnancy or a related condition, veteran status, age, or homelessness.”

The Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General has provided specific guidance and an informational flyer on ensuring equal access to education, ICE agent activity at schools and requests for information, protecting students and their information, and what to do if a student’s parents or guardians are detained. Our administrative team has received training on how to follow this guidance.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Superintendent's Office.

A space within Rochester Memorial School has been designated as a Rochester Police satellite office, in which on-duty Rochester Police officers will be able to use as a secondary space for administrative police duties. Read more.

Recent FORM concerts were well attended by our school community! It's great to see students from across all of our districts performing together. Congratulations to Mrs. Vaughn on her upcoming retirement! Read more.

Lauren Millette has been chosen as the high school's new assistant principal. Ms. Millette started serving as Interim Assistant Principal on Monday, Oct. 28, replacing former Assistant Principal Vanessa Harvey. Read more.

Recently, our school committees have been working on the FY2026 budget proposals for each town. They have approved FY2026 Proposed Budgets and the information is being shared with each town for their upcoming Town Meetings. Click here for the complete schedule, meeting resources and minutes. Upcoming meetings (subject to change):

April 10th - Mattapoisett School Committtee

May 1st - Rochester School Committee

May 8th - Marion School Committee

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