Welcome Back

Dear Holliston Public Schools Parents, Guardians, Staff, and Students:

As we continue to embark upon our journey (“Personal. Local. Global.”) beginning another exciting school year, I am thrilled to welcome all of you back to our vibrant school community. The 2024-2025 school year marks year three of our HPS 2022-2027 Strategic Plan, and we will continue to do all that we can to improve educational outcomes for students by aligning all of our work and directly tying it to our mission, vision, core beliefs, and strategic initiatives. Whether you are returning or joining us for the first time, I am confident that this year will be filled with growth, learning, and memorable experiences.

Our amazing, dedicated team of educators and staff have worked tirelessly over the summer to prepare for your return. Classrooms have been organized, lesson plans have been developed, and we are eager to welcome students back to an environment “that empowers all learners, through innovative teaching and learning, to be lifelong, active, global citizens.”

Focus on Student Success-Arch #3: Teaching & Learning

This year, we will continue our commitment to providing a high-quality education that meets the needs of every student. We are thrilled to be able to share new math curricular resources for teachers and students at all levels, and to provide enhanced professional development in all content areas to help support the diverse learning needs of students at HPS. Last spring, Dr. Menard outlined many of the Teaching and Learning Updates that we have been working on to grow as a school community. We will also be forming a math study group this year to determine any Math Curricular Changes we may want to identify as we prepare for the future of HPS. I am very excited by our new model for the Curriculum & Instruction Team. We have been able to restructure our previous model to now have both a Humanities Curriculum & Intervention Specialist and a STEM Curriculum & Intervention Specialist full time at each building and still maintain the PreK-12+ Unified Arts Curriculum Coordinator role in this new model. HPS is also getting ready to release a data dashboard district-wide which will help us better identify and provide tier 2 and 3 interventions more effectively at all levels. Our goal is to ensure that each student is equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Safe and Supportive Schools-Arch #2: Social & Emotional Well-Being & Arch #4: Talent & Resources

The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our top priority. In order to enhance and improve safety, we have had a number of building projects we have been working on this summer. The high school exterior wall that had caused leaking inside for many years has finally been successfully repaired with the use of long-awaited capital funds. Just recently, we have had additional internal cameras installed at all levels to enhance recent safety efforts. We were also able to allocate one-time funds to improve all three playgrounds at Placentino and Miller by resurfacing, refurbishing, or replacing outdated components. Once complete, all three playgrounds will provide years of fun for the SEL needs of our students. We will continue to implement and adhere to health guidelines and protocols to ensure a safe learning environment for everyone.

Additionally, last spring Mr. Vergne (Director of SEL & Equity) presented the work that he has been facilitating with the Equity Steering Committee to review recommendations from the equity audit that was completed at HPS. We will continue to focus our work this year being mindful that, “An Equitable - Safe and Supportive School District - is a purposeful and intentional action of integrating ‘Belonging is an Outcome’ & ‘Equitable Access to resources and supports’. J Vergne”

Your cooperation and support of these efforts are greatly appreciated as we navigate these challenging times together.

Community and Collaboration-Arch #1: Communication Practices

We believe in the power of community and the importance of collaboration between home and school. “It takes a village to raise a child,” and we need to be that community village together. We have been working to enhance communication and family engagement in as many ways as possible, through the use of SMORE, Bright Arrow, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Most importantly, we have made concerted efforts to ensure that, whenever possible, documents sent home and on the website are translatable, in order to communicate more effectively with our increasingly diverse population of learners and their families. I encourage you to stay involved in your child's education and to communicate regularly with their teachers. Together, we can create a supportive and nurturing environment that enables every student to reach their full potential.

Upcoming Events

Please mark your calendars for our upcoming events which will be shared by each school building's administration. We have various new student orientation events beginning on August 21st and open house visits at Placentino and Miller on August 26th, after we welcome our amazing staff back earlier that day. These and other events provide a wonderful opportunity to meet teachers, tour the school, and learn about the exciting programs and initiatives we have planned for the year. The first day of school for most students is August 27th and will be a half day this year. We are so excited to see all of our amazing students and staff return to our Holliston Public Schools Community.

As we begin this new chapter of our journey in 2024-25, I am filled with optimism and excitement for what lies ahead. I am honored to serve as your superintendent and to lead a district that is committed to excellence in education. Thank you for your continued support and trust in our schools.

Wishing everyone a successful and enriching school year!

Warm regards,

Susan Kustka, Ed.D.