NPS Engage News

Wednesday, March 12: Early Release Day for all students

School dismissal times are listed online. Please update your dismissal plans as needed.

Dear NPS Families and Caregivers,

As we move into March, I’m excited to share updates and important news from across our district.

In case you missed it, this week our School Committee reached a tentative three-year agreement with the Education Association of Natick. It was a pleasure to be a part of such a collaborative, dedicated, and forward-thinking team. You can read more about it below.

I’d like to remind you that the final FY26 Budget Override Public Forum will be on March 12th at the Morse Institute Library. This provides you an opportunity to be informed prior to the vote later this month. Also, as promised, my Entry Plan is now online for you to review. Please read on for event notices to add to your calendar and celebrations of student achievement.

Have a great weekend! Don’t forget to spring your clocks ahead on Sunday!

-Dr. Melissa Spash

News Release From Natick Public Schools - March 4, 2025

NATICK, Mass. – Natick Public Schools and the Education Association of Natick (EAN) are pleased to announce the successful completion of contract negotiations. The tentative agreement for a new three-year contract prioritizes student learning, competitive compensation aligned with educators’ expertise, the district's commitment to financial responsibility, and the long-term success of the district.

On Monday, March 3, the School Committee voted unanimously to approve the EAN Units A and B contract as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding between the School Committee and the EAN.

The relationships between district leaders and the EAN were strengthened throughout the interest-based bargaining process, which began in early September 2024. This agreement reflects shared commitments to fostering a supportive environment for educators while ensuring that students remain at the heart of educational priorities and decision-making.

"This contract represents a true joint effort. It demonstrates our support for our hard-working Natick educators. At the same time, consideration was given to the district’s current financial landscape," said Dr. Shai Fuxman, Chair of the Natick School Committee.

The new contract establishes working groups focused on revamping the educator evaluation system, with a renewed focus on supporting professional growth and improving instructional practices. Additionally, the agreement lays the foundation for access to professional learning opportunities that equip educators with strategies to effectively use student data to enhance instruction and learning outcomes.

Kristen McEnaney and Jefferson Wood, Co-Presidents of the EAN, said that they were proud to have come to an agreement that recognizes the dedication of their members. “Coming to this agreement is a step forward for our educators and the school community as a whole. We heard from our members that they appreciated having a voice in the district’s future. The EAN deeply appreciates the ongoing open dialogue with the School Committee and district leaders.”

Read more

Dr. Spash's Entry Plan is available on the Natick Public Schools website.

The forum will be held at the Morse Library in the Lebowitz Meeting Hall (lower level) from 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Go to https://www.natickma.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=11446 for more information.

Visit the FY26 Budget Override dedicated webpage to keep up to date and to stay informed today and throughout the weeks ahead. Don't forget! A Public Forum will be held on March 12th.

Sign-up for alerts and receive updates on meeting notices, financial documents & more.

• Go to: https://www.natickma.gov/list.aspx?ListID=550 to receive regular updates. (Scroll down to the bottom of the webpage.)

Submit "Q&A Tool" questions & receive official responses from Town & NPS staff. (Responses will be published regularly, see the FY26 Budget Override dedicated webpage for details.)

The Week Ahead in Music

March 7th and 8th, the MMEA Eastern Junior District Festival will be happening. The event features a significant number of students from Natick Public Schools. Wish them well!

Friday, March 7 at 7 p.m., the NHS A Cappella groups present Redhawkappella. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Instrument showcases will be held March 11th at Kennedy Middle School and March 13th at Wilson Middle School, starting at 6 p.m.

Bravo!

On Tuesday, the Natick High School Jazz Ensemble (under the direction of Craig Chisholm} performed at the MAJE Central District festival at Algonquin RHS. They received a Gold Medal, with 74 out of 75 possible points. Outstanding musician awards were given to Thiago Antunes, Tenor Sax, Alex Rendall, flute, and Erik Broberg, Trombone. They have received an invitation to the MAJE State finals in Norwood on March 22nd.

Please join us for a Neurodiversity Fair, sponsored by the NPS Office of Student Services, on March 26th at 6:30 p.m. at Kennedy Middle School!

The event will feature a panel led by professionals and in-the-know parents, followed by a vendor fair staffed by providers and local agency contacts. Many organizations will be represented.

If you are interested in participating in the panel discussion, please contact emiller@natickps.org or naticksepac@gmail.com.
www.sepacnatick.org

Kennedy Middle School Theatre proudly presents The Little Mermaid Jr. March 21st-23rd. Based on the original animated film (and the Broadway show), this adaptation brings the classic characters and songs to life onstage. This beautiful story is full of heart and imagination--inviting each of us to think about what it means to find love and acceptance.

Tickets are $10, available in the Kennedy front office the week before the performance, and at the door.

Join us on

March 21st at 7 p.m.

March 22nd at 7 p.m.

March 23rd at 2 p.m.

Natick High Wrestling Coach Robert Anniballi and his staff were recognized as the MA Wrestling Officials Association Sportsmanship Award Winners for the 2024-25 Season. Congrats as well to the team--the 2024-2025 Division 1 Central/West Sectional Champions!

Natick Girls Basketball just completed their 2024-2025 season finishing 6th in the state with a 17-6 record. Sophomore, Denai Williams played a key role on this team with her energy, shot creation, and defense. Her best game came against Framingham with a season high of 14 points. Being only a sophomore, Denai's basketball future is very bright. Congratulations on a great season!

Denai Williams pictured in foreground. Photo by Faisal Betti.

Thanks to a grant of $71,400 for the City of Boston Department of Youth Employment and Engagement, HQ has employed students in various school districts. They support various departments, while gaining valuable skills and earning a paycheck. Asia Brun, a junior at Natick High School, serves as an administrative assistant to the school's front office staff, a role she has embraced with enthusiasm. She appreciates the balance of responsibility, finding the workload engaging yet manageable. In her position, Asia oversees space use requests for the school and processes work permits for Natick students. She shared that this experience has fostered both academic and personal growth, as it encourages her to stay after school for additional support from teachers. Moreover, the role has strengthened her time management and organizational skills, equipping her with valuable abilities that extend beyond the classroom. (Information provided by the METCO program.)

Students who participate in the METCO program are thriving from the elementary to high school grade levels. Natick became a partner METCO district in 1969. Learn about METCO's history.

Registration for the ASAP After School and Early Risers Before School programs began on March 3rd. Registration is online only at ezchildtrack.com/natickasap/parent.* If registrations exceed capacity, we assign spots using a lottery. Enrollment is not first-come, first-served. Register anytime between 3/3 and 3/31/25. SPACE IS LIMITED. We highly recommend families consider other options in case space is not available at Early Risers and/or After School. Learn more at natickps.org/programs/asap or email asap@natickps.org.

The final, approved Natick Public Schools 2024-2025 school improvement plans are now available online for all NPS community members to review.

The latest NPS school report cards are also available online.

We will update submissions for consideration in our community notices pages on a periodic basis. Due to space and other considerations, NPS will not always be including community partner updates in our newsletters, so please look at our community notices page periodically. Contact communitynotices@natickps.org to request publication. NPS Communications reserves the right to approve final publication.

The Redhawk Foundation has partnered with Natick High School to host the inaugural Redhawk Mini-Cup! This family-friendly event will take place on Saturday, March 29, 2025, from 1:00 PM – 5:45 PM at the Natick High Gym. All proceeds will support the Redhawk Foundation Community mini-grant program and the annual Redhawk Fest during finals week for students in grades 9-11.

What to Expect:

• The gym will be transformed into an 18-hole mini golf course.

• You must purchase tickets in advance (link). Tickets are available on our website (www.redhawkfoundation.org). Cost per family $40 for Golf and admission to the showcase area (max of 6 players per team). Tickets will be sold by time slot. All teams (per hour) will start at the same time. For example, 18 family tickets will be sold for 1:00 PM. The group will start at 1:15 PM - each of the 18 families will be assigned a designated hole. All groups will start at the same time and will take roughly an hour to complete all 18 holes.
• Admission (NO GOLF) to our Youth Program area is available for adults (suggested donation of $10 per adult) and free for Natick Students & Educators. Again, you must purchase a ticket to play golf.
• A youth program showcase area, where organizations can set up tables to share program details, distribute giveaways, and promote upcoming events.
• High School Clubs and sports teams are welcome to join us at no additional cost to the program. You must provide your table and no selling of food, beverage, and/or candy will be permitted.
• No outside food or beverage permitted. Limited (Nut-free) snacks and water will be available for purchase at the door. This is NOT a drop-off event. All children must be present with an adult.

For more information and to contribute a door prize, please contact info@redhawkfoundation.org or Keri Clark (keri@redhawkfoundation.org).

NPS is pleased to be partnering with Framingham Public Schools for the Personal Pathways to Success Career Training Fair, to be held on March 18.

Know Someone Trying to Figure Out What's Next?

We encourage all career changers, soon-to-be high school graduates and recent graduates to check out this event! All MetroWest community members are invited to explore the diverse postsecondary pathways at the career fair. Connect with employers, training programs, and colleges to learn about opportunities beyond the traditional four-year college experience.

Mass Bay Community College, City Year, NE Dental Academy, Franklin Cummings Technical School, Quincy College, Porter & Chester Institute, Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy, Lincoln Tech, and many other organizations will be in attendance.

For more details, go to https://bit.ly/3F7y9eC.

SMASH Volleyball starts March 24. Visit their website for more information.

• FlashVote is a survey tool that makes it easy to give input directly to Town of Natick staff (as fast as 1min surveys!), ensure scalable results (via a registered panel that builds over time), and enables a representative sample (showing results by key demographics). This tool will absolutely provide key input to make key decisions in Natick! Sign Up. Learn more.

Is someone in your household not receiving the Engage biweekly district newsletter or important notices related to bus transportation? Direct them to communications@natickps.org to let us know.

Smore.com newsletter HYPERLINK + FILE & ATTACHMENT notice

Natick Public Schools does not discriminate in employment nor its educational programs, services, and activities based on race, creed, color, age, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Please be aware all electronic communication to and from Natick Public Schools is public record and subject to public disclosure per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66, Section 10.

• Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
• MGL, Ch.76, Section 5: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 76, Section 5