Dear SPS Families:
Believe it or not, it has been a month since we went mask optional. During that time, we continue to see a low incidence of COVID-19 among both students and staff. Now that spring has arrived you’ll start to see more classrooms with windows open to allow for fresh air as well as recess and some classes outdoors during the school day.
MCAS Testing: Please watch for updates from your building principals for the detailed testing schedules. If you have more than one student in a school, the testing schedule will vary by grade level. Below is a snapshot of the upcoming testing timeframes:
- Grades 3-8 English Language Arts MCAS is scheduled to begin on April 11.
- Grades 3-10 Math and Science MCAS is scheduled for May & June.
Spring Sports: Our Black Knights hit the fields this week! As you drive by our sports complex, you will begin to see lots of games on our turf and soccer fields, tennis courts, students running on the track and hear the crack of the baseball and softball bats.
The District recognizes that students are active in many areas of daily life such as extracurricular offerings, athletics, artistic and cultural endeavors, and participation in family routines and events. These pursuits help to develop students with strong social-emotional skills and will further instill a love of learning about topics of personal interest. It is my hope that in the upcoming years, we will be able to offer more extracurricular opportunities that will peak the interest of our students as we continue to focus on their social-emotional well being coming out of the pandemic.
South School Building Project: On March 2, the MSBA invited the SPS into the Feasibility Study phase. This phase can take up to a year and a half. We will start to look at all of the options for a new or renovated building. As part of the study we will take a look at going from five elementary schools to four and redistricting. Larger schools are more energy efficient providing more classroom and specialty spaces consistent with today’s educational needs.
- The Building Committee is currently in the process of hiring an Owners Project Manager to oversee the project and a Designer to help us plan.
Please know of my best wishes for a peaceful and happy spring.
Sincerely,
Thomas R. Raab, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools