SPS Weekly Newsletter

We are excited to share the final edition of the SPS Weekly Newsletter for this school year! Published each Friday when school is in session, this newsletter has shared updates, previewed upcoming events, and showcased the amazing work being done in our schools each week. Thank you for reading all school year! In this edition, we feature Dr. Baeta's weekly message, end of the year celebrations, and more!

We will have a monthly newsletter over the summer, one in July and one in August. In the meantime, be sure to follow the Stoughton Public Schools Facebook page for the latest happenings around the district.

This week's header photo features third grade students from the South and Hansen schools. They continued a tradition of being pen pals, writing to each other during the school year. The pen pals were able to meet in person earlier this week when third graders from the Hansen came to the South.

As you read this, we have just completed the 179th day of the 2023-2024 school year…one more day to go. It has been my sincere pleasure to serve as your Superintendent of Schools since July 2023. It’s been awesome.

This year has been full of many positives and yet recent decisions may lead you to believe differently. I believe SPS provides an excellent public education and the facts speak for themselves. An increase in college placement is just one data point. If you read this newsletter each week, you see all of the wonderful work being done in our classrooms and what our students accomplish. Let’s not allow misinformation spreading on social media and local cable shows paint a different picture.

In last week’s newsletter message, I shared a story about self value. As your superintendent, I value each and every one of our students and the education they receive, and I know my colleagues do as well. I also see the dedication of our teachers, administrators, and staff on a daily basis and value their amazing work. And despite the negative results of the new elementary school building project vote from earlier this week, I still believe this community as a whole values education in Stoughton, even if there are some increasingly vocal opponents who do not.

We will be working hard in the days ahead to determine the next steps in the new elementary school project and will keep you posted along the way with facts. I took the high road during the recent election as an appointed official and resident. I came to SPS to help to stabilize our future. But I will be unrelenting to the lies that misinform you about our students, professionals, and needs.

As the school year concludes, I hope our students, families, and staff have a safe and relaxing summer. Thank you, especially to our families, for all of your support this school year.

And finally, let’s take a moment to recognize the many wonderful fathers in our Stoughton Public Schools community this weekend.

Sincerely,

Joseph F. Baeta, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Stoughton Public Schools

It is hard to believe that this was the last full week of the school year! This Monday, June 17 is the last day of the 2023-2024 school year (except for the South School). The last day of school is also an early release day.

The last day for the South School is Tuesday, June 18. Both June 17 and June 18 will be early release days for the South School.

As a reminder, here are the school hours for early release days:

• SHS & OMS - 7:35am - 11:32am
• Elementary Schools - 8:30am - 12:20pm
• Preschool - 8:30am - 11:00am (No afternoon preschool session)

As is the case with other early release days, lunch will be served.

Starting Tuesday, June 18, the district office and all school offices will be on summer hours, open 8am - 3pm, Monday through Friday, until school is back in session in September.

Please also note that the district office and all school offices are closed Wednesday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth. (Learn more about Stoughton's Juneteenth celebration further down in this newsletter.)

After celebrating the Stoughton High Class of 2024 last week, there were many moving up/moving on end of the year ceremonies this week for preschool, kindergarten, and grade 5. The O'Donnell Middle School also has its Grade 8 Class Day on Friday. And, Stoughton Academy had its graduation ceremony on Tuesday. Here are some pictures from these celebrations. We will be sharing many more photos soon on the Stoughton Public Schools Facebook page.

Stoughton Academy graduates and staff

The Stoughton Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) appreciates the dedication of SPS educational staff and all they do for students with unique learning needs. Parents with children with an Individualized Education Plan or 504 are invited to nominate one staff member who has built a special bond with their child and has been instrumental in helping them achieve their full potential, enjoy school, and access the curriculum.

Nominations are due at the end of the school year by completing the Google form briefly stating why you wish to nominate the staff member. The Stoughton SEPAC will publicly recognize the staff members who win this award by inviting them to a SEPAC meeting in the fall.

The SEPAC may use an excerpt from the nomination at the awards night. Only ONE staff member per person can be nominated. Only TWO staff members per school can be awarded each year as a Bright Knight, Leading the Way to Excellence.

Click on the button below to make a nomination:

We are already starting to think about the fall sports season! Registration for the 2024 fall sports season at Stoughton High is now open! Click here for more information and to register.

The athletics department is also offering weight room training and turf conditioning for students entering grades 9-12 in the fall. These programs will run July 8 - August 2 and the cost is $10. Click here for more information and to register.

The athletics department is also offering a summer volleyball clinic at the SHS gymnasium for rising 6th through 12th graders. This is a perfect opportunity to learn the game or brush up on skills before the high school season starts. This program runs Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9am-11am from Tuesday, July 9 - Thursday, August 1. The cost is $10. Click here for more information and to register.

Bus Registration for the 2024-2025 school year opened on May 20 and goes through Friday, June 28. This year the bus application is located in the PowerSchool Parent Portal under Forms. Please click on the button below for more information and instructions on how to register:

If you have questions about logging into the parent portal, please contact your child's school.

If you have any other questions, please send them to transportation@stoughtonschools.org.

We want to make sure we have accurate and updated emergency contact information and health information for your child. Please log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal account, click on the forms link in the left navigation menu and update any information that is not accurate in the two forms - Current Student Information/Emergency Form and Current Student Health Information. When you have updated the information, please click on submit at the bottom of each of the forms. If your child's information is accurate, please click on submit at the bottom of each form to indicate that you have reviewed the data and it is accurate.

For updates throughout the week, be sure to follow Stoughton Public Schools on social media: