Superintendent's Friday Message
April 17, 2025
Dear MPS Families and Caregivers,
This week's Friday Message is being shared one day earlier than normal, as MPS will be closed tomorrow in observance of Good Friday. To all those celebrating Easter, the end of Passover, or other holidays this weekend , I hope you use these upcoming days cherishing time with friends and family.
Our schools will also be closed for all students next week for April Vacation Week! Whether you're traveling, relaxing at home, or just enjoying some spring sunshine, I hope you have a chance to recharge and make some great memories. Students and staff will return from the April break on Monday, April 28.
Looking ahead to next school year, during Monday's Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee, the district calendar was finalized for the 2025-26 school year. As communicated last week, the first day of school for students in Grades 1-12 will be Wednesday, August 27. The first day of Kindergarten will be on Wednesday, September 3. The last day of school, pending snow days, will be June 17, 2026. Visit Here for the 2025-26 academic calendar.
Yesterday morning I had the pleasure of celebrating all students, including 13 of our own from Medford High School, who submitted entries into this year's "Teen Perspective Contest" through from the the Immigrant Learning Center!
The annual contest highlights the voices of the latest generation of American high schoolers. Students from Medford HS, Malden HS, and Everett HS submitted works of art, recorded videos, and wrote pieces for awards consideration. School and city leaders from Medford, Malden, and Everett were also in attendance at the awards ceremony.
Special congratulations to our four students from Medford who received recognition for their work in the art and video spaces. Well done!
I'd like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to my dear friend Marie Cassidy, who last night announced her decision to retire in the upcoming year as Director of the Medford Family Network.
Marie has been a long-time staple of our Medford community, serving as leader of the MFN for 31 years. Generations of Medford students, parents, and grandparents have turned to the MFN for classes, resources and as a way to meet new people. When speaking to Marie earlier this week, we both marveled about how many students walking through the halls as a high schoolers came into the building for the first time through her organization.
As part of Marie's message to the community, she announced that Irina Shumway, current MFN Program Manager of Family and Community Engagement, will be the new Director of the organization following this period of transition. Having known Irina throughout her time at the MFN, I look forward to continuing our wonderful partnership between the MFN and Medford Public Schools to support young children, students, and families.
Late last week, our middle school students were excited to listen to a short presentation from United States District Court Honorable Judge Angel Kelley!
Students came prepared to the presentation with questions about the legal system and how it relates to their own lives. Judge Angel Kelley and several members of her team masterfully fielded the students’ questions and inspired them to take advantage of their education opportunities to pursue their own careers that can make a difference in the future.
Thank you to Judge Kelley for taking time out of your busy day to engage with our students here in Medford!
Thank you for your feedback, perspectives, and insights to all those who responded to our surveys sent out earlier this month regarding the the search processes for our new Assistant Superintendent for Academics & Instruction and our new Director for English Learners. The response to both surveys sent across our school community reflects a strong commitment to our students and their education.
We had over 50 respondents combined to both our surveys, and the final selections for each search committee will ensure that the process is inclusive of wide-ranging and diverse perspectives of the Medford Public Schools.
Visit Here to see the search committees for the two administrative positions. As a reminder, the role of each search committee is to interview a qualified pool of candidates, and each committee will provide our central leadership team a subset of candidates who would be the best fit for the position. We will continue to inform the community with appropriate updates as each search process proceeds.
We are hopeful that these April showers will bring May flowers, which will lead to an even more enjoyable morning next month during Massachusetts Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day! Join our school communities on Wednesday, May 7 as we give a spring spotlight to an active way of getting to school. To find our where your school communities will be joining up on their way to school, please contact safewalkmedford@gmail.com.
Later in May, Safe Routes to School and WalkMedford will be hosting a Bike Safety Day and a Family Bike clinic at the Medford Public Library on Saturday, May 10, during the afternoon. The Family Bike Safety workshop, held from 1:30-2:30 p.m., is aimed at families with students in Grades 4-7 to teach them the ABC's of biking, hand signals, where to bike, and more. Visit Here to register.
From 2:30-4:30 p.m. the Medford Bicycle Advisory Committee and local volunteers are welcoming individuals who may need their bike inspected or improved! They will recommend maintenance tips for bikes of all sizes. This event will be held in the parking lot of the Medford library.
Thank you to everyone who came to our MPS job fair this afternoon at Bistro 489! We had lots of visitors ranging from expected college graduates to highly experienced professionals. Our MPS staff and district partners look forward to connecting further with you in the coming weeks.
Visit Here to browse all current available jobs across the district.