Salem Public Schools
SPS families,
Tonight at 6 p.m. the Salem Public Schools will graduate 220 students from Salem High School! This is Salem High's highest number of graduates since 2015. It will be a beautiful night on the Salem Common where we will celebrate and honor a talented group of young people who have distinguished themselves as scholars, musicians, leaders, athletes, and ambassadors for our great city. Despite the impacts of the pandemic during the first half of their high school careers, they have thrived, earning countless competitive scholarships, awards, Seals of Biliteracy, career and technical certificates, National Honor Society recognitions, etc. We are so proud of them!
Next week, on Wednesday, we will graduate a record number of students from New Liberty Innovation School at the Peabody Essex Museum. We look forward to what is always a moving, personalized and uplifting ceremony.
As a reminder, the year concludes for Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten students this coming week. The last day for Carlton Pre-K/K students is Thursday, June 13th (full day) and the last day for all other Pre-K/K students is Friday, June 14th (full day). It has been a privilege to work with your child and family this year!
As we approach the start of the summer, I want to point families to our summer learning page on the SPS website (https://salemk12.org/summer/). This page will be updated over the next few weeks with additional resources to utilize with your children. More information is forthcoming, but the school-based grand prize for summer reading this year is a ride to school with the lovable and extremely popular Derby, the Salem Police Department's Community Resource dog. Each school will have a lucky student win this award. Stay tuned!
Have a terrific 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.
This week's rockstar award goes to retiring WHES grade 3 teacher, Ms. Patricia Barton. For the last 34 years, she has been working in the Salem Public Schools as a dedicated and student-centered educator. Her love of teaching, her strong commitment to adopting the most updated instructional practices, her efforts to integrate technology and her passion for Salem are positive attributes that she has brought to our community. We wish Ms. Barton the best in retirement - she will be missed!
- WATCH: Culture Before Content Podcast with SPS Music Educator Jabari Tovar ’12 | June 6, 2024
- The Salem News: Collins Middle School shows off pilot program on experiential learning | June 4, 2024
- ‘Never Stop Learning’: Salem Career Technical Institute Graduates 30 Automotive, Building and Property Maintenance Students | June 4, 2024
- WATCH: First Annual Salem High School Class of 2024 Senior Solstice | June 3, 2024
- VIEW GALLERY: State, Local Leaders See Collins Middle School ‘Studio Learning’ Program on Full Display | June 1, 2024
The Summer 2024 learning activities and requirements are available featuring an array of works suggested by the American Library Association, Salem Public Library, Massachusetts Book Awards, popular series as well as the Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA) Summer Challenge for children and adults.
NOTE: Mathematics summer learning resources will be announced soon.
Beginnings and endings bring a mix of emotions for everyone, and that's especially true for our children. Counselors help students understand that it's okay to feel more than one emotion at a time. By simply naming these feelings, we can better manage them and support our youth effectively.
As the school year comes to an end and we prepare for new beginnings, it's important to acknowledge and discuss the range of feelings your child might be experiencing. They might feel sad about leaving friends and teachers behind, nervous about what lies ahead, and excited about new opportunities—all at the same time. Embracing this mix of emotions helps build their ability to handle varying feelings.
Here are a couple of ways to support your child during this transition:
- Discuss their feelings: Ask your child what they're feeling about the changes. Highlight the "and" in their responses to acknowledge multiple emotions. For example, "You might feel sad AND excited AND a little nervous, and that's okay!"
- Reflect on achievements and set new goals: Ask your child, "What is one thing you are proud of from this past year?" This helps them recognize their accomplishments. Then, encourage them to think about new ways they’d like to grow in the upcoming year. This practice promotes self-acceptance and sets a positive tone for personal development.
By talking about and validating their feelings, we can help our children navigate these transitions with confidence and resilience. Remember, all feelings matter, and they guide us towards reflection and growth. Let's embrace this journey together!
Congratulations to Brooks Workman, a current Salem High School sophomore whose recipe was chosen to be taste tested during lunch at SHS on Thursday, June 13. His recipe titled “Banana Bread Scottish Oatmeal Bake” is a sweet-flavored baked bread that is both high in protein and fiber. Please stop by the first-floor cafeteria on Thursday, June 13 to try Brook’s recipe:
Banana Bread Scottish Oatmeal Bake
Description: This recipe is enough for an 8x8 inch baking pan, and serves 6. It can easily be sized up for a larger baking pan.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Scottish steel-cut oats
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- Olive oil spray (for greasing pan), butter can be used instead
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup ground flaxmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cup milk or milk substitute
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 banana, sliced, for topping
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees f.
Spray an 8x8 inch baking pan with olive oil spray, or grease it with butter.
In a large bowl, add the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, and flax meal. Mix well to combine.
In a medium bowl, add the melted butter, maple syrup, mashed banana, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until mixed.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Pour batter into baking pan and slowly shake pan until batter is even. Add the banana slices on top of the batter, pushing them slightly in.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until set in the middle. Let cool on rack. Slice into 6 portions, and serve.
This is a part of a new recipe sourcing initiative from the Food & Nutrition Services department (FNS). We are inviting students and members of the school community to share their favorite recipes with the FNS staff by emailing: recipes@salemk12.org.
Want to Taste Test Your Recipe at Your School?
Guidelines for Recipe Submission:
Students should talk to their family and be comfortable with sharing the recipe.
Recipes should reflect student/family identities and cultural heritage.
The recipe can be a main dish or a side dish.
Recipes should be as specific as possible with steps and ingredient amounts.
Recipe submissions should include 1-2 sentences about its significance to the student or their family.
Remember to include student name, grade level, and email on the submission.
Registration is open for the Salem Career Technical Institute's free 12-week course for certification in Building & Property Maintenance, beginning Monday, June 24 through Wednesday, July 31.
The course is open to recent graduates, unemployed/under employed, and those seeking a career change towards building and property maintenance. Students will learn from BPM professionals in the areas of carpentry, insulation, green energy along with hands-on tool training, safety protocols and building automation.
Students will also receive certification in OSHA 30 standards, first aid, CPR and AED; Hotworks and HBI Pre-apprenticeship standards; and preparation for LEED Green Associate credentials.
Spaces are limited. To register:
- Visit tinyurl.com/SalemTech
- Telephone (978) 854-3885
- E-Mail Salem CTI Outreach Specialist John St. Onge: jstonge@salemk12.org
On May 31, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved Massachusetts’s application to provide Summer EBT (S-EBT) food benefits to income eligible households during summer 2024 (See press release).
More information about Summer EBT is available on the state Department of Transitional Assistance’s (DTA) website and in this memo from DESE’s Office for Food and Nutrition Services. The memo outlines eligibility, highlights ways in which Summer EBT is different from Pandemic EBT, provides guidance on districts’ responsibilities, and provides resources for districts and families.
The memo was sent to school nutrition directors, business officials, and school wellness chairs this morning. Please note that DTA’s online S-EBT application will not be available until June 15. Families who are automatically eligible for S-EBT without district or family action will be notified of their eligibility by DTA during the first week of July.
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:
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.