Salem Public Schools
SPS families,
Happy Mother's Day weekend to all the Salem Public Schools mothers and grandmothers (official and unofficial). Thank you for the care, dedication and guidance that you provide our youth. Enjoy your special day! I also want to thank all the community members who have taken the time this week to write inspiring and tear-inducing messages to our educators. These notes are incredibly meaningful and inspiring, helping to make this educator appreciation week so special for our staff.
I want to share a few important logistical items for families. I want to confirm the last day of school for Salem Public School students now that the chance for inclement weather is over (hopefully!). We had one snow day this year– Tuesday, February 13th. Thus, the final day of the 2023-24 school year for students is as follows:
- Grade 1-11 students at (all schools except Carlton): Tuesday, June 18th (early release)
- PreK/K students (all schools except Carlton): Friday, June 14th (full day)
- Carlton P2+ students: Monday, June 17th (early release)
- Carlton P1 students: Thursday, June 13th (full day)
- Grade 12 students who have completed graduation requirements: Friday, May 31st
Additionally, please note that transportation applications are now available for the upcoming school year (see below). All students who wish to ride the bus for the 2024-2025 school year must submit an application, even if the student currently rides the bus or is considered a mandatory rider. A completed application must be submitted by Monday, July 1, 2024. Applications received after July 1, 2024, will not be accepted except in extenuating circumstances to allow proper time for processing and routing. Finally, next week we will be confirming school start and end times for next year. Please note that there will be limited changes to our school schedules for the upcoming school year.
Have a great weekend!
Steve
At Salem Public Schools, we are recognizing one staff member a week who exemplifies our core values of celebrating differences, facilitating collaboration, fostering innovation, creating equity and access, growing all students, and upholding high standards for all. We are surprising a deserving SPS team member with a rock star trophy.
The rockstar award this week goes to all of our educators during educator appreciation week! It is impossible to convey how challenging -- a million decisions, constant motion, limited time to use the bathroom, countless interactions, paperwork, etc,-- and rewarding -- transforming the future, building lasting relationships, teaching life long skills, creating memories, etc. -- your jobs are. As a community, we applaud your efforts and recognize the inedible mark you make on the next generation. Thank you!
- VIEW GALLERY: Explore-Connect-Pursue 2024 Career Fair | May 8, 2024
- The Salem News: Driscoll recognizes Witchcraft Heights educator for Teacher Appreciation Week, sits down for interview for student-run newspaper | May 8, 2024
- VIEW GALLERY: Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll Visits Witchcraft Heights Elementary School | May 7, 2024
- Graduation, Attendance Rates Up, Dropouts Down at Salem Public Schools | May 6, 2024
Transportation Applications for the 2024-25 school year are now OPEN in the Aspen Family Portal.
All students who wish to ride the bus for the 2024-25 school year must submit an application, even if the student currently rides the bus or is considered a mandatory rider. A completed application must be submitted by Monday, July 1, 2024. Applications received after July 1, 2024, will not be accepted except in extenuating circumstances to allow proper time for processing and routing.
Note: If you have a student that attends Salem Academy Charter School, you will not be able to submit an application for your student in Aspen. Salem Academy will send a separate application form to families. Please click below for information about Salem Academy Bus Applications:
Exciting news from the Food and Nutrition Services Department:
Would your student like to fuel up on fluffy, made-to-order, pancakes to fuel their day of learning? The Food Services Department will begin serving scratch-made pancakes in the third-floor cafeteria on Wednesdays and Fridays, beginning Wednesday, May 15.
Our new pancake breakfast will include:
- Whole Grain Pancakes
- Options of: Blueberries, Strawberries, or Sliced Cinnamon Apples
- with Assorted Fruit
- Options of: 1% Milk, Skim, or Lactaid
Breakfast sandwiches will continue to be served in the third floor cafeteria on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
To facilitate this menu addition; Salem High School Breakfast will be moving from the first floor cafeteria to the third floor cafeteria beginning Monday, May 13. Tell your Salem High School student to join us from 7:15-7:41 in the third floor cafeteria and enjoy a nutritious breakfast to start your day of learning off right.
The May Harvest of the Month is Seafood. The Harvest of The Month program celebrates local abundance and has a goal of encouraging healthy food choices by increasing students’ exposure to:
- Seasonal foods
- Supporting local farmers
- Building excitement about school meals
In honor of the Harvest of the Month, Salem Public Schools will be partnering with Red’s Best to serve locally sourced Fish Sticks. These fish sticks will be served for the first time Tuesday, May 14 during school lunch throughout the district.
At Salem Public Schools, we understand that mental health matters. We want to highlight the impact of small things in supporting mental health.
One of the best things we can do to promote positive mental health is to talk to and listen to our young people. It may seem obvious, but in the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, we may miss opportunities to really connect with and understand what might be happening with our children.
When we can “change the channel” in our busy brains and shift our attention to truly hearing whatever they may want to tell us, we create important opportunities for kids to feel heard and known. With this strong foundation established, we are better equipped to discern the nature of mental health concerns along the way.
A few other small things that can go a long way in supporting young people’s mental health include (but are not limited to):
Adequate nutritional choices
Hydration
Exercise
Healthy sleep
Balance and limits with technology use
Developing hobbies/interests
We are here to support all of our students with developing habits that lead to positive mental health. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your school adjustment counselor or City Connects coordinator if you are concerned about your child’s mental health.
Need help getting into the Aspen Family Portal?
You can now set up password self recovery if a password is lost and you will be able to access your Aspen account using this procedure. We hope this will make it easier for you to access their Aspen portal for various tasks like accessing report cards, student grades and attendance, back to school forms and more. If you are unable to reset your password using this method, you can still use the tech ticket system by clicking here and someone from the IT Department will help get you access.
We're incredibly proud to see our educators as sought-after experts. This week, Salem Public Schools was well represented at the Essex County Learning Community’s 2023-24 Spring Showcase of Learning at the palatial Peabody Essex Museum.
Chelsea Banks, Dean of Innovation, alongside Rachel Adams of our partner WPS Institute, spoke on Reimagining Middle School; Lissa Levine of the Carlton Innovation School spoke on Researching Culturally Responsive Anti-Racist Practices; and Elly Berke and Amber Magin of Bentley Academy Innovation School held court on Investigating Student Independence.
Recently, Alexandra Fortich, our Coordinator of Translation and Interpreter Services, was a featured speaker at the 28th annual New England Translators Association (NETA) Conference Apr. 27 at UMass Boston.
There is still time for college-bound students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and apply to colleges for the fall. This year's new FAFSA has been challenging for many people, but, with a historic amount of financial aid on the table, the form is worth the effort. Recently, the Department of Higher Education extended the priority deadline for MASSGrant applications until July 1 in recognition of this year’s challenges.
The Clothing Connection of Salem will be receiving donations and delivering short-sleeved tees and shorts in a range of sizes to each school as gathered until Friday, May 31 (followed by restocking June 7), with the exception of emergencies.
The Clothing Connection is hoping to identify parent volunteers (1-2 per school) who can take over closets in the fall so we can continue to operate.
For emergencies, donations and volunteers, contact The Clothing Connection:
Salem Public Schools is pleased to announce the availability of COVID test kits at all our schools' main offices and health offices. If you require a test kit, kindly contact your school nurse or main office to coordinate pickup. It is important to note that we do not have an in-school testing program. In the event of illness, students will be sent home, and families have the option to conduct COVID testing at home. Please refer to our sick-day guidelines on the district website or consult your school nurse before deciding whether to send your child to school. Your cooperation in maintaining a safe environment for all is greatly appreciated.
A reminder that ParentSquare is the district platform for communication. You will receive communication from the district, your school, and your student's classroom all in one space. You can communicate 1-to-1 with teachers, sign up for parent-teacher conferences, and more.
This is the primary communication platform for all Salem Public Schools. All messages and alerts come through ParentSquare and the app makes 1-to-1 communication with your student's teachers and signing up for guardian/student conferences a breeze. If you are not receiving messages from ParentSquare or if you are having trouble, contact your school's front office. You can visit www.parentsquare.com for more information.