SPS District Newsletter

Dear SPS Families, Students, and Staff:

I recently sent out a message emphasizing our deep commitment to supporting all of our students and families, including our immigrant and LGBTQ+ community members. This commitment is rooted in our longstanding belief that every child has the right to access high-quality education in an inclusive and safe environment, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or immigration status.

I recognize that there may be a lot of questions and concerns related to the recent policy changes and how they may impact our community. I am working with my team to navigate these changes and share resources as they become available. I am also working with my Interim Chief Financial Officer, and our city and state partners to monitor potential changes in federal education funding.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s school-based counselors and/or social workers should your child need additional social or emotional support during this time of uncertainty. If your child, or your family, need resources, our school-based family liaisons are also available to support.

I am proud to be part of a district that provides opportunities for all our students and meets students' needs through so many avenues of support and academic models.

Please read through this newsletter to find some wonderful stories about students and our schools.

Congratulations to the East Somerville Community School Debate Team for earning First Place Overall Team at the Boston Debate League Tournament in January. A team of 29 students participated in over 6 hours of competition for grades 3 to 8. Over the past two years, the ESCS team has competed in seven tournaments and finished in first place five times. This year, two students, Cosmos and Wes, won individual speaker awards and took Third Place Overall Team in the Junior Varsity category. Students Jonathan and Isham took Ninth Place Overall Team in the Varsity division. Student Hazel was named Top Overall Debater and won Overall Varsity team with Team Captain Elana. Great job team and thank you to Coach Gouvea and Coach Weaver.

Congratulations to the five Somerville High School students who won Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in the Massachusetts Region. Gold Key Winners were Tad M. for 'Chasing Time' (ceramic stoneware and mahogany) and Simon W. for 'Self Portrait' (graphite). Gold Key Winners advance to the National Competition. Ultraviolet G. was a Silver Key Winner for 'Lady MacBeth Sleepwalking' (comic art). The two Honorable Mentions were Jack G. for 'Southwest Dinner Set' (ceramic stoneware) and Rayven C. for 'The Crows Call' (comic art)." Thank you to our educators and students for your work. View the award-winning art work and learn more here.

Every second grader in SPS got an invitation to attend an exciting musical theater performance in January at the Calderwood Pavilion, Boston. Students watched the adaptation of the well-loved book, “Library Lion,” performed by Adam Theater, who produce plays for children and young adults. The field trip was a wonderful way for our students to experience storytelling through the magic of live theater and they had a fantastic time engaging with the performance. We want to extend our thanks to Shalom Somerville for funding the performance tickets for the entire second grade and to our PTAs for funding transportation to the event. (Please note, Argenziano students had, coincidentally, already seen the play during an earlier field trip and the ESCS had a scheduling conflict.)

Argenziano 2nd grader Corey was named the Harvard Women’s Hockey Super Fan of the year! In celebration, members of the team visited AFAS to talk to the entire second grade. The hockey players spoke about setting goals and answered questions about how they learned to skate and what got them interested in hockey. The athletes then lead second graders in a short workout. In honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, every second grader got a free ticket to the Harvard vs. Cornell women's hockey game and pregame clinic. Pictured is Corey asking team members a question.

Somerville High School senior Nic was inspired by a family visit to Portugal to recreate the Portuguese Croissant Simples he ate in cafés there. Luckily, he's in the Career and Technical Education Department’s Culinary Arts Program and has the skills to make pastry himself. He successfully duplicated the taste and experience, then the Culinary kitchen offered them for sale to staff in their dining room. Deliciosa!

There are wonderful winter concerts available to watch on the City of Somerville's EdTV online channel. Take a few minutes to listen to the Somerville High School Jazz Band performance at the Burren, linked below.

The Food and Nutrition Services Department served up a wildly popular new meal in January. The plate included kale dumplings, egg roll, fresh steamed vegetables and a fortune cookie. Students were invited to add a milk to make it a complete meal. The kids loved it! Check out school meal menus here.

Thank you to the Somerville Times for awarding us the Best Idea in 2024: Free Food Market for Somerville Public Schools Families. Congratulations to our staff and volunteers who make this event happen every month and the the SPS families who benefit. Read about it on page 19.

One of our photos made Picture of the Week in the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner's Weekly Update, which goes out to educators and administrators state-wide. They wrote, "In December, Somerville Public Schools had its third annual Family Creative Computing and Robotics Night for K-8 students and their families. With help from the Somerville Public Schools robotics team and community partners, students and families explored computing tools and robotics."

Learn about middle grades teams and high school teams, then sign your child up on the Register My Athlete webpage.

Depending on the receipt of a league waiver, 8th graders may have the opportunity to try out for SHS softball and baseball this spring. Please contact the teams' coaches for details or the Athletics Department.

The Athletics Department honored Jerry Knight as the first inductee to the Somerville High School Athletics Ring of Honor. He was chosen for his amazing contributions to the Somerville High School athletic community. Watch the video.

Any activities listed below are free, unless otherwise indicated.

Spaces are limited for the site-based SPS-run Community Schools afterschool program. You can apply for a space for your child during the March 18 to 28 registration period. Visit the afterschool website for details. Families can also choose from several high-quality aftercare providers in Somerville, which are listed on the SomervilleHub Connect website.

If your family has concerns or questions, we encourage you to reach out to our family engagement department, who work closely with partners in the city and with community organizations. We also have a network of school-based counselors and social workers who can provide emotional and social support to students.

Dates and times for school committee meetings are listed on the SPS district website calendar. Visit the School Committee website for information and meeting details.

March 9, 1:00–4:00 p.m., at the Joyce Cummings Center at Tufts University, 177 College Ave. Save-the-date for the annual Read by the River K–5 Literacy Carnival run by Tufts Hillel. More information coming soon.

Fridays and Sundays. Somerville High School students, with SHS IDs, are invited to the Somerville YMCA on Fridays from 7 to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. for free activities. Visit the YMCA website to learn more and register. The program is open to students aged 14 to 17 years old. Any changes to the schedule or program will be posted on their website.

Cost associated. February 8, March 8, April 12, May 17 from 1:00–3:30 p.m. Learn about Mayan culture in a bilingual setting. $10.00 per workshop. Learn more: Teen Saturdays at the Museum / ¡Sábados de Jóvenes en el Museo!

Somerville Public Schools received its third year of funding through the Proficiency Based Outcomes in Languages Other Than English grant. The World Languages Department will use these funds to purchase the STAMP proficiency tests. These tests assess students' proficiency in grades 8–12 in world languages. SPS staff use the resulting data to guide placement in language classes according to student skill and knowledge level. In some cases, a rising 9th grader may skip ahead a grade for Spanish class, when they reach Somerville High School. Additionally, students may be able to use the test results to earn a Certificate of Biliteracy in grade eight and to earn the prestigious Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy in 12th grade. The Seal of Biliteracy benefits students when they apply to college and to jobs. Supervisor Dr. Lisa DaCunha has made Somerville a state-wide leader in proficiency work. Proficiency information gives us a fuller picture of how classroom learning impacts our students. Students in Somerville Public Schools start Spanish in 7th grade. Students at Somerville High School can choose between Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian classes, including heritage and literacy classes for native speakers and Advanced Placement classes.

In Kindergarten classrooms throughout SPS, students of all English language proficiency levels learn alongside one another. Newcomer students, who are beginning their English learning journey, benefit from interactions with fluent peers. These interactions lead to great results in literacy and oral language development. All learners benefit from a classroom filled with diverse skills and experiences. Learning and socializing with peers from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds enables our youngest learners to develop cognitive flexibility and a greater awareness of the multi-lingualism and multi-culturalism that strengthens our community. Learn more about the Multilingual Learner Education Department here. Kindergarteners at the Arthur D. Healey School are pictured below reading together at choice time.