SPS District Newsletter

Dear SPS Families, Students, and Staff:

I feel a deep gratitude to work in a district that truly supports all of our students and families and strives for a transparent, equitable budget process in alignment with our strategic priorities. As we enter budget season, I want to assure families that I will continue to work with the City and our Interim Finance Director to address any changes in federal funding that affect our students' education. For the next several months, you can visit the Finance website to find working budget materials, as we prepare and publish them. There is also information below about attending School Committee meetings.

Our educators, administrators and staff are committed to academic excellence through innovative curriculum, hands-on learning, and wrap-around supports that ensure our students have their best opportunities to learn.

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

FRC6201 Highlanders Robotics Team took second place last weekend at the 2025 Greater Boston FIRST Robotics Tournament and placed 8th, and won the Judge's Award, at the Granite State Tournament the previous weekend. Currently the number one team in New England, they are very likely to receive an invitation to the New England District Championships in Springfield. Thank you to Coach Laura Peters, Innovation Specialist Jason Behrens, educator Sylvain Lebrun and other CTE educators, and to the tireless work of volunteers who mentored and supported the team, as well as the sponsors. Watch the SHS robot reveal or check out videos from last weekend's competition. Great job FRC6201! Go #SHSHighlanders!

Congratulations Somerville High School Quiz Team! They defeated Milton Academy 380 to 260 and now advance to the Quarterfinals. Watch the entire match against Milton Academy here. And don't forget to watch the next match, which airs on April 12. Go #SHSHighlanders! Photo credit: © Elizabeth Friar/GBH

Congratulations to Benjamin G. Brown School third grader Anna for winning first place in the elementary school category in the 2024–2025 Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) poster project. Anna's poster is called My Community. Congratulations to Anna and to her faculty advisor, Art Educator Ms. Julia Austein.

Congratulations to Sam R.! The Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA) named Sam, a senior Graphic Communications CTE student at Somerville High School, as the winner of this year’s Connecting for Success (CFS) conference graphic design contest. His design was selected as the top choice from over 80 submissions through a rigorous three-round, double-blind selection process. In addition to seeing his logo used professionally, MAVA presented him with a monetary prize. Photo credit - Allison Cammarata, MAVA

Career and Technical Education (CTE) students competed virtually against 10 schools in the SkillsUSA regional competition, testing their Shop Knowledge as well as their Employability Skills and OSHA Knowledge. 27 students won medals and 16 students have been invited to the Massachusetts State Competition. Students competed in Advertising Design, Architectural Drafting, Carpentry, CNC 3 Axis Milling Programmer, Graphic Communications, Graphic Imaging Sublimation, Industrial Motor Control, Cosmetology, Technical Drafting, Telecommunications Cabling, Architectural Drafting, and Automated Manufacturing. Congratulations to our CTE students and to their educators!

7th and 8th grade students in Mr. Sharp’s Science classes showed off the final products of their annual hands-on STEM project. This year, teams of students designed and built catapults out of raw materials, then competed against each other to see which machine shoots a projectile (bean bag) the farthest distance. Catapults took the form of trebuchet, mangonel, onager, or ballista designs. Every Kennedy School student came to watch the event. Congratulations to winning team — Alden, Tennyson, and Michael — whose bean bag shot clear across the gymnasium and hit the far wall.

Author (and actor) Patrick Renna came to the Argenziano to talk to second and third graders about his book, Little Sluggers’ Guide to the Unwritten Rules of Baseball and Life. Students were captivated as he walked them through the writing, editing, design, and publishing process while also sharing stories of his childhood in Boston. His book is an inspiring and fun take on the lessons that baseball—and life—teach us. Thanks to Porter Square Books, each student received a copy of Mr. Renna's book! Shout out to K-12 Library and Media Arts Supervisor Tania Connor for organizing this event, and other author visits around the district.

Somerville High School 9th graders listened to a talk by local artist and Jewish Holocaust survivor, Jack Trompetter. Mr. Trompetter spoke about how he and his parents were separated for the first three years of his life. He was a hidden child and was sent to live with the DeGroot family, who were Christian farmers in rural Netherlands to escape Nazi persecution. 9th grade students prepared ahead of time for Mr. Trompetter's visit and lined up to ask interesting questions about his experiences. Many students stayed after the event and asked more questions and had their photos taken with him. Thank you to the Somerville Foundation for funding this event and allowing the Social Studies Department to collaborate with Facing History and Ourselves to bring Mr. Trompetter to SHS. Shout out to educator Ms. Beatriz Thomas and Department Chair David DiPietro for organizing the event. Photo: Mr. Trompetter answers student questions after the talk.

In spite of the pouring rain, over 300 participants had a chance to meet with 24 community partners to learn about summer opportunities and enjoy fun activities at our recent 2025 Summer Camp and Activities Fair! There are still lots of ways to access information that you may need for summer planning. Check out the following resources, which describe a mix of free and tuition-based programs:

• 2025 Summer Guide for Somerville Families. The 2025 Summer Guide has local programs in Somerville and from nearby towns. Many programs listed in the guide can offer financial help to families. If you have questions or would like support with applying to a program, please reach out to your family liaison. Your family liaison can also give you a printed copy of the summer guide upon request. Many programs in the Guide have a cost associated with them.
• Somerville Public Schools Summer Programs. This page includes programs that are open to all students, along with programs that are only available to students through referral by an educator or administrator. All programs are free for students in the Somerville Public Schools, except for the Community Schools program. Summer registration for SPS summer programs will begin on Monday, March 24th.
• SomervilleHubConnect. This website includes activities, camps, daycare providers, and more. Some programs have a cost associated with them.

Congratulations to our Girls Basketball team who fought and won to earn the title of Greater Boston League (GBL) Champions!

Congratulations to our student athletes, honored by Greater Boston League!

• Two students were named GBL MVPs: Julian Zielinski (Swim) and Kerby Luxama (Track)
• 32 SHS Student-athletes were named GBL All-Stars!

Great job and thank you to our wonderful Athletics Department staff! Read the complete story about the Winter Sports season in the Somerville Times, page 13.

There is still time to register student-athletes for Spring Sports teams until March 31. Learn about middle grades teams and high school teams, then sign your child up on the Register My Athlete webpage. 8th grade students interested in playing for high school softball or baseball teams are invited to try out. Learn more by emailing the team coach.

Any activities listed below are free, unless otherwise indicated.

Thursday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. | Friday, March 14 at 5 p.m. | Saturday, March 15, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Watch the Somerville High School production of Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare and directed by Elizabeth Hunter. The play follows the tangled affairs of Benedick and Beatrice, two fiercely independent souls engaged in a battle of wits, and the sweet courtship of Claudio and Hero, whose young love is threatened by jealousy and deception. Buy tickets on the Highlander Theatre Company webpage.

March 12, 3:00 p.m., Somerville High School field house. View the informational flier to read the menu of events. Students can register and select their events at the meet. Events include mile, hurdles, dash, relay, shot put, and high jump. Contact Coach Dickerson with any questions.

April 5, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Somerville High School. Students and their families are invited to participate in workshops with topics around the college application process, financing a college degree, as well as a workshop about heading straight into a career after high school. Visit the College and Career Day 2025 webpage to learn more. This program is presented by the Somerville High School Counseling Department.

Starting in March. There are still spaces for Spanish-speakers available in the popular and FREE Power of Parenting™ Program. In its third year with Somerville Public Schools, this program is for English- or Spanish-speaking parents and guardians of children ages 3 to 8. The program is a series of virtual workshops about child developmental stages and an opportunity to connect with other parents to share experiences and more. Register by contacting Arpan at 617-294-9322 or Laura at 617-625-6600 x6990.

March 13, 5:00 – 7:00. Somerville High School. Choose a handmade ceramic bowl made by SHS student ceramic artists and fill it with delicious soups from local restaurants, then take the bowl home to keep. Funds raised will benefit Project Soup through the Somerville Homeless Coalition. The event is open to the public. Costs are as follows: adult tickets $25, student tickets $20, children under 10 years $15. Purchase tickets.

March 27 or 28, April 10. We are excited to share information about our new math curriculum, part of our push for academic excellence in math learning! Families with children in grades 3 to 5 will want to save-the-date to attend one of three upcoming meet ups. This will be an opportunity to get familiar with the new Illustrative Math Curriculum, learn strategies that parents and guardians can use to support their children at home, and connect with staff and other parents. These events are for adults, but one of the events will provide childcare and pizza. Look out for registration information in the next few weeks.

• Thursday, March 27th, 5:30–7:30 p.m., East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross Street. Childcare & Pizza will be provided. Advanced Registration Encouraged.
• Friday, March 28th, 8–9:30 a.m., Kennedy School, 5 Cherry Street. No childcare provided. No registration necessary.
• Thursday, April 10th, 7–7:45 p.m. on Zoom. Registration required.

Get a sneak peek of the Illustrative Math curriculum by scrolling to the Academics section of the December 2024 District Newsletter.

April 30. The Somerville Public Schools conducts preschool screenings for children 3 to 5 years old who live in Somerville. These screenings check a child’s development and help identify children who may need further evaluation for special education services. Participation in the screening process is free and optional for parents.

📅 Next Date: April 30, 2025
⏰ Time: 8:30 AM – 11:30 a.m.
📍 Location: Capuano Early Childhood Center, 150 Glen Street, Somerville, MA

✔ Assess your child’s development in key areas.
✔ Identify potential learning needs early.
✔ Connect with educational professionals for guidance.

Screenings are by appointment only. If you are a Somerville resident and have concerns about your child's development, please fill out our Screening Intake Form https://forms.gle/wBDGVxziMH5ZQdua9, and someone will follow up with you. The form should take 2 to 5 minutes to complete. To register by phone, please call Courtney O'Connell at (617) 629-5670 ext. 3657.

March 5 – April 9, Wednesdays from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Goofs Comedy Club, 432 McGrath Highway. Students will craft their own stories, poetry, and scripts. Snacks and materials provided in this free, pilot program. Learn more and register here.

The City of Somerville's Recreation Department is looking for feedback from community members of all ages. Let them know what type of programming you would like to see by filling out their survey. The survey is open until the end of March.

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 14 to 17 years old. Any changes to the schedule or program will be posted on their website.

April 9, 12:00 p.m., online. Families (and educators) are invited to monthly workshops about parenting and child development. The next workshop is called Connection, Co-Regulation, and Coping Skills: Helping kids and teens navigate big feelings and is available through one of our mental health partner providers. Find the complete list of workshops here or register here.

The finalized School Year Calendar for 2025–2026 is available on the SPS website.

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.

Did you know that students at Somerville High School can take Dance or Yoga as part of the Physical Education curriculum? Additionally, students can access dance through extracurricular opportunities organized by dance educator Ms. Ava Untermeyer. In the next month, students can participate in the SHS Dance Company, which is an afterschool group focused on performance and choreography. Local dance company Jean Appolon Expressions is also offering SHS students an all-levels Haitian dance workshop. Both workshop programs will perform at the SHS Dance Concert in May. Pictured is the 2025 SHS Dance Company.

In November, 2024, Massachusetts voters passed Question 2: Elimination of MCAS as a High School Graduation Requirement. MCAS stands for Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. MCAS exams test students on mathematics, science and technology, and English.

Starting with the Class of 2025, students no longer need to pass MCAS exams in order to graduate high school. However, federal and state laws require that the district continues to administer MCAS exams to students. MCAS results provide a number of benefits. Somerville Public Schools values the data provided by MCAS as an assessment tool. The prestigious Seal of Biliteracy, earned by many of our students, requires MCAS exam results to show proficiency in English. There are also two Massachusetts scholarships that students can win only after showing achievement on the MCAS.

District leadership presented the current requirements for high school graduation in Somerville to the school committee at the February 2, 2025 Regular School Committee Meeting. Class of 2025 students must obtain a passing grade in English 1 and 2, Algebra 1 and Geometry, Biology or Physics or Chemistry or Technology / Engineering (or equivalent courses), in addition to the full Somerville High School or Full Circle High School requirements. Students must earn 105 academic credits with at least 20 credits earned in their senior year.

Community members can learn more about specific credit requirements, exceptions for Career and Technical Education students, and more details by reading the full memo submitted to the school committee here.