SPS District Newsletter

Dear SPS Community,

This has been a thrilling start to June, watching so many of our students graduate. During this time, we have the opportunity to recognize and celebrate students who have achieved remarkable accomplishments throughout their high school careers. We also congratulate our many students who are moving up to first grade and eighth grade. I’m so proud to be in a District that creates an environment where our students can learn, grow, and achieve at the very highest levels.

The end of the school year and the start of the summer are an exciting time. We have several large projects in the works right now. Keep on the lookout for an email from me in your inbox that provides you with important details. In the meantime, please enjoy this newsletter full of stories, accomplishments, and summer resources.

With gratitude,

Dr. Rubén Carmona

Superintendent

Congratulations to our graduating Class of 2025 seniors. We are so proud of their hard work, dedication, and creativity. Watch a video of the Somerville High School graduation ceremony.

Congratulations to the 21 Full Circle seniors who put in the hard work to graduate this year. They held their ceremony at the Somerville Theatre on June 4. Watch a video of the Full Circle graduation ceremony.

Local community members, businesses, and organizations donated an amazing $389,425 in scholarships for our Somerville High School seniors. 166 seniors walked away with scholarship money at the annual Somerville Scholarship Night. Congratulations seniors and thank you to the community for your donations! Watch the event video.

127 Career and Technical Education (CTE) seniors enjoyed a night of awards and scholarships at the annual CTE Awards Banquet. Our graduates learned technical skills, earned over 250 industry-recognized credentials, and completed their academic classes alongside challenging CTE curriculum. 29 students qualified for the National Technical Honor Society. Congratulations CTE Class of 2025 graduates! You can watch the banquet video.

Somerville High School held it's 114th annual Class Day. During the ceremony, each senior's name is read aloud, along with their proudest memories of high school. You can watch this unique, longstanding Somerville celebration in the video.

Families and students gathered in the Centennial Auditorium for the National Honor Society’s annual induction ceremony. New class of 2026 members were welcomed into the Society and graduating seniors enjoyed a celebratory send off. A festive reception was held after the event. We are proud of our students!

Congratulations to all our Adult Education students who graduate today! SPS is proud to provide a wide breadth of programming through our SCALE Adult Education Department. If you are interested in learning about adult education in Somerville, please visit the SCALE website.

Congratulations to SHS Personal Finance Team 1 for taking third place in the Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge in Boston. They earned a whopping 14.0796% return on their fictional portfolio through stock trades. SHS Personal Finance Team 2 came in 10th. Great work! Pictured are Team#1: Josue, Charles, Mase, and Mohammedabubakker.

Our Somerville Public Schools students borrowed over 65,000 books through our school libraries this year! Shout out to the East Somerville Community School students who took out 13,618 books this year and thank you to our entire staff of school librarians.

Capuano students had a special visit from Curious Creatures recently. Students met reptiles and small mammals in-person in the gym. The visit sparked curiosity and excitement as well as many thoughtful questions.

30 Healey fourth graders spent three days on an overnight trip to Redgate Farm. Students fed and cared for livestock, worked in the garden, helped to manage forest grounds, and experienced the joy of being away from digital devices. Great job and what an adventure!

Students performed a variety of pieces — from ballet to Bollywood — at the SHS Dance Concert in a celebration of diverse dance traditions. Congratulations to the SHS Dancers for their hard work towards this event! You can watch the performance video.

SPS middle grade school teams presented work at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. They worked in teams to identify challenges for students, like homework or relationships with peers, then developed solutions for positive change. Students were guided by Equity and Excellence Director Caeli Gallitano in collaboration with Harvard School of Education.

Congratulations to SHS Social Studies teacher Beatriz Thomas, named a 2026 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Finalist, for "making a positive impact on student learning and well-being; using student-centered, innovative approaches to teaching and learning; and demonstrating leadership within and beyond the classroom." The winner will be announced in the fall.

Massachusetts Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw kicked off a “Universal Pre-K Road Show” right here in Somerville in May! Her visit recognizes the incredible and innovative work the Somerville Partnership for Young Children is doing in our community to strengthen quality, to support inclusion, and to expand access to preschool. The Commissioner said “Somerville has been a leader in aligning preschool experiences with public education, and we’re excited to start here and take these stories across the state.” Thank you for the visit and to our Director of Early Education and Care Kathleen Bailer for working tirelessly to continue this important work. Read more.

31 seniors and 14 juniors qualified for the prestigious Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy this year. The Seal of Biliteracy is awarded by the district and the State of Massachusetts to students who can prove language fluency, in both English and a world language, through exams. One student even qualified in three languages. Well done students!

Congratulations to all our spring season athletes!

Boys Tennis and Boys Outdoor Track and Field

• Boys Outdoor Track and Field: Kerby Luxama

• Boys Tennis: DJ Freeman

• Baseball: Colin Born, Preston Ardolino
• Softball: Kaily McWeeny, Lillian Fucile
• Girls Lacrosse: Julia Rafkind, Camila Plata, Rowan Buckley, Ava Davis
• Boys Lacrosse: Zach Gordon, Sheamus Foley, Timmy Jones, Pasquale Candelino
• Girls Tennis: Carmen Wheeler, Xinyi Zhu
• Boys Tennis: Ethan Cross, Nitish Kaushal, Milo Kochansky, DJ Freeman
• Boys Volleyball: Adam Hill, Ozzy Marks
• Boys Outdoor Track and Field: Kerby Luxama, Jackson Love, Thano Frantzis, Robert Leoni, Lucca Lauers

• Girls Outdoor Track and Field: Marissa Luxama, Olivia Scamman, Maggie Cotter, Eva Meli

Any activities listed below are free, unless otherwise indicated.

Last day of school for all students in grades prekindergarten to grade 11.

June 16. Monday, 12–1:00 p.m., City Hall Concourse. City of Somerville hosts its third annual Juneteenth flag raising. Ice cream will be served. Rain date, more activities, and details.

June 25. Wednesday, 9:00 p.m., Trum Field. Join Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville Arts Council for the City of Somerville's annual fireworks display. Find rain date and other information about the evening's events.

June 28. Saturday, 1–4:00 p.m., Conway Park, 550 Somerville Ave. Celebrate the start of summer and join the City of Somerville Parks and Recreation Department for the annual Family Fun Day event. There will be fun for kids of all ages including bounce houses, face painting, games, music, arts and crafts, and more. In the event of inclement weather, activities will move indoors to Founders Memorial Rink, 8 Garden Court.

August 5. 5:00 p.m. Save the date. Celebrate public safety with bounce houses, music, games, and more. Visit the Somerville website for more details.

The Somerville High School library and the English Department are running a Summer Reading Challenge for students in grade 8 to 11. Fliers: English | Spanish | Portuguese | Haitian Creole

If you are looking for activities for your children or teens, you can find:

• activities organized by age on the SomervilleHub website
• local activities, daycare, basic needs and more on the SomervilleHubConnect website
• and local providers in the Summer Activities Fair 2025 Summer Guide

The Somerville Recreation Department released a 2025 Spring / Summer Guide about their programming. Be sure to check it out or visit their website to learn about programs.

School concerts, graduation ceremonies, and athletic events are all available to watch online through the City Cable Department's https://www.youtube.com/@SomervilleEdTV channel. Coming soon: 8th Grade Moving On Ceremonies.

Check out the Family Resource Guide with helpful information about resources and supports available to Somerville Families. Additionally, our Family Engagement Department (SFLC) is open year-round. Please feel free to reach out with questions by emailing families@k12.somerville.ma.us for additional support or advice.

There are several ways to access free food this summer, either through local pantries or shared meals. Find out more on the SFLC summer food fliers, which you can find in multiple languages in this folder.

Dates and times for school committee meetings are listed on the SPS district website calendar. Visit the School Committee website for information and find meeting details on the City of Somerville Events page.

Check out these great ways to get students ready for the fall.

August 20, 4–6:00 p.m. Last year, over 1000 people attended this event, which included representatives from all our schools and departments and featured 25 community partners. You are invited to enjoy this popular event to learn about our schools, participate in fun activities and win swag. This event is for families and their students from preschool through grade 12!

August 20, 6–8:00 p.m. Directly after the Fair, rising 9th graders, new high school students, and their families are invited to learn more about attending Somerville High School.

Visit our Getting Ready for School page for helpful tips on preparing for kindergarten (and preschool), including school-specific social stories.

• August 27 is the first day of school for students in grades 1–12.
• September 2 is the first day of school for students in prekindergarten and kindergarten.
• Important dates are on the SY25-26 Calendar.