MERSD Newsletter

I am pleased to announce that in January, MERSD will participate in a district review conducted by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. I am proud of the great work being done by our teachers, staff, and students, and I look forward to showcasing their efforts. I am also hopeful this process will help us in identifying opportunities for growth, thus, supporting our ongoing efforts to achieve the goals outlined in our district’s Strategic Plan.

The district review is an evidence-based assessment conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) with support from the American Institutes for Research (AIR). The goal of this review is to assess the systems, policies, and practices that drive our daily work, focusing on District Standards and Indicators. For more details, the DESE Frequently Asked Questions about District Reviews offers additional information.

The onsite portion of the review will take place from January 27th to January 31st and will be conducted by the American Institutes for Research (AIR). The onsite portion of the review, as well as the final report, will be based on the District Standards and Indicators, which outline what effective school district systems should look like. We expect to gain valuable feedback on our practices, allowing us to reflect on our progress and enhance staff and student performance.

As part of this review, AIR will be conducting stakeholder focus groups to gather perspectives on communication with families, opportunities for family involvement and leadership, opportunities for students within the district, and more. Your input is important to this process, and I hope you will consider participating. The virtual parent/guardian focus group will be on Wednesday, 1/29/25 from 6:00-7:00pm EST If you are interested in joining, please register ahead of time at https://air-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYqf-Ggqj8iEtDiXbNQUqPt5ZX6ovs6YCFt.

Session #2: A Deep Dive Into the Most Used Tech Tools

Facilitated by Kerry Gallagher, JD, Education Director of ConnectSafely.org and St. John’s Prep

Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning.

January 9th, 6:00pm

MS/HS Learning Commons

Appropriate for families at all levels

Please RSVP to help us plan for space needs: bit.ly/MERSDwellness (You do not have to have attended session 1 to join us - all are welcome!)

During the Winter months, we may experience severe weather conditions that impact our ability to maintain regular school hours. When necessary a delay, early release, or cancellation of school may be decided. The Superintendent is responsible for the decision to either cancel, delay, or dismiss early when inclement weather conditions arise. A delay or cancellation is decided as early in the morning as possible, usually by 5:00am.

The MERSD School community is notified of snow days, delays, and cancellations through the following:

• Connect-Ed call to all families
• District Social Media Channels; Follow us on Facebook & Instagram
• Boston Television Stations: WHDH, WCVB, WBZ, Fox25 & NECN
• District/School Websites

Rockport Music: Throughout the 2023-24 school year, students in Rockport, Gloucester, Manchester Essex Regional School District and Beverly High Schools got a unique opportunity to create a song about a place in their town that is meaningful to them. Funded by a grant from Essex County Community Foundation’s Creative County Initiative as well as support from Applied Materials, budding songwriters, singers and musicians worked with teaching artist Alexandra Grace Music to create lyrics and harmonies and to learn in-depth details about the song writing process from start to finish.

The Open Door Food Truck will visit Essex Elementary School and Manchester Memorial Elementary School. This resource is available for anyone in the Community. For more information about The Open Door please visit their website.

36 Lincoln St.

Manchester, MA 01944

https://www.mersd.org/

Phone 978.526.4919

Fax 978.526.7585