Superintendent’s Report to the School Committee, 10/11/23

National Merit Scholarship Commended Students

Principal Katie DiNardo announced last week that Nora Achille, John Mroczek, Jenna Lindsay, Allison Hoag, Daniel Spofford, Gwedolyn Moon, and Caroline Troake were named Commended Students in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. Commended Students place among the top 50,000 students in the nation that took the 2022 Preliminary PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test). “Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”

High School Drama Production: The Miracle Worker

This year’s dramatic presentation is based on the true story of a young deaf and blind girl, Helen Keller, and her dedicated teacher Annie Sullivan, who struggles to reach into Helen’s isolation and bring her into contact with the outside world. Tickets will be sold at the door for $10.

Turf Field Task Force Update

Our team met with the designers from Stantec on October 5^th. At this meeting, we reviewed the latest schematic design for the project, including two turf fields, a concession/restroom building, press box and seating for Field #1, and seating for Field #2. The next step in the process is for the designers to create “design to build” documents. We will be meeting again in November.

High School French Exchange

From Monday, October 16^th to Friday, October 27^th, a group of 18 students and 2 teachers from Rennes, France, will be visiting the Tri-Town. The students are paired with juniors and seniors from Masco. We have many activities planned for them, including field trips, lectures, and presentations in various English and Social Studies classes. Thanks to World Language Teachers Deidra Boucher and Ryan Quadros for organizing this event.

Strategic Plan Draft and Survey

Over the past year, Masconomet has been engaged in developing a Strategic Plan to guide our improvement efforts for the next 3-5 years. A team of representatives from the Masconomet Community, including teachers, administrators, and parents have been meeting regularly over the past year to guide this process. This Working Team has developed the attached draft Strategic Plan based on information gathered from the Masconomet community and is now in the process of soliciting feedback to further refine and focus the plan. The Working Team is asking the community at large to provide feedback on the draft Strategic Plan by completing a survey, accessed through the link below by October 15th.

The Draft Strategic Plan is available at:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17a-y9sj3pxAEemAB-FthZ6VgyGfBVK0T/view?usp=share_link

QR Code to access draft Strategic Plan:

Survey Link – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PlanFeedback

QR code for Survey & Plan Feedback:

The Working Team will review the results of the surveys and revise the draft as needed. A final draft of the Strategic Plan will be submitted to the School Committee and Superintendent in late Fall, and will inform the budgeting process for the ‘24-‘25 school year.

Thank you in advance for lending your insights into this important process.

Administration Coffees

We would like to welcome you to join us for our new once a month Friday coffee chat with the Superintendent as well as the building principal. Our October Middle School Coffee will take place on Friday, October 20^th and our October High School Coffee will be on Friday, October 27^th. We hope that these sessions are a way for you to learn more about what is happening within the Masco community while also allowing you to ask questions. All parent coffees will be held from 8:30-9:30 AM on the dates listed below. We look forward to seeing you.

We have coffees set up for each school. The High School meetings will take place in the High School Library and the Middle School meetings take place in the Middle School Library. Please check in with a valid ID, at the Main Office of each respective school when you arrive before proceeding to the library.

High School Dates	Middle School Dates
September 22	September 29
October 27	October 20
November 17	December 1
December 15	January 12
January 19	March 1
February 16	April 26
March 22	May 17
May 24

For more school-specific info, please see the High School Principal’s Masco Memo and the Middle School Principal’s Weekly Update.

Superintendent’s Report to the School Committee, September 20, 2023

Strategic Plan Draft and Survey

The Draft Strategic Plan is available at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17a-y9sj3pxAEemAB-FthZ6VgyGfBVK0T/view?usp=share_link

QR Code to access draft Strategic Plan:

Survey Link – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PlanFeedback

QR code for Survey & Plan Feedback:

Thank you in advance for lending your insights into this important process.

Administration Coffees

We would like to welcome you to join us for our new once a month Friday coffee chat with the Superintendent as well as the building principal. Our first High School Coffee will take place on Friday, September 22^nd and our first Middle School Coffee will be on Friday, September 29^th. We hope that these sessions are a way for you to learn more about what is happening within the Masco community while also allowing you to ask questions. All parent coffees will be held from 8:30-9:30 AM on the dates listed below. We look forward to seeing you.

High School Dates	Middle School Dates
September 22	September 29
October 27	October 20
November 17	December 1
December 15	January 12
January 19	March 1
February 16	April 26
March 22	May 17
May 24

Multi-Lingual Family Welcome

Masconomet will be hosting a Multilingual Family Welcome event in the cafeteria on Tuesday, October 3rd from 6:00-7:00 pm. World Language Department Head and ELL Coordinator Jeanne O’Hearn is planning this event in collaboration with Karyn Pierog, the Tri-Town ELL Coordinator. Invitations will be sent this week to 81 families representing current and former English Learner students as well as families who have requested translation and/or interpreter services in grades K-12.

Masco Music Parents Recycling Event

Do you have old computers or broken electronics cluttering up your home or office? What about those old, unwanted appliances taking up space in your garage or basement? Here is your chance to responsibly recycle them. Bring your items to us and an enthusiastic music student or parent volunteer will safely unload your vehicle. The Recycling event will be held in front of Masconomet Middle School on Saturday, September 23^rd from 9 -12. Your tax-deductible donation supports the music programs and music students at the Masconomet Middle and High Schools. For more information please go to: https://storage.googleapis.com/pt05-2/messages/attachments/6e2d2323f8aefbe14b777a1d12ef4385/Electronics_Recycling_Flyer_Fall_2023_%25282%2529.pdf

Turf Field Planning Group Update

The Masconomet Turf Field Planning Group, which is made up of School Committee Member Joe McLean, Turf Up Masco Representative Sara Guido, Athletic Director John Daileanes, Asst. Superintendent Jeff Sands and me, met on Tuesday, September 12 at Central Office. At this meeting the Turf Field Planning Group met with our architects from Stantec to review five possible options for the design. The main differences in the options presented were regarding the placement and size of the support building that is part of the project. After discussing the potential benefits and drawbacks of the presented options, we came to an agreement on one option that our architects will put to drawings. As we discussed the project, it became clear to us that the site is constrained by the parking lot, JV baseball field and the Ipswich River. We asked the architects to consider ways to open the space so it would not feel too constrained. We have another meeting with the team from Stantec scheduled for the first week of October.

High School Activities Fair

Last Friday, the High School held its annual Activities Fair for 9^th Grade students. The Activities Fair is run by our Peer Leaders Group and is an opportunity for our new 9^th grade students to learn about the athletic programs and clubs offered to students at the High School. Student representatives from the clubs and sports were available to meet with 9^th grade students, answer any questions they had about a club or sport and to collect contact information so 9^th grade students could receive information about club meetings. All of the clubs and sports also contributed to a “Masco Offerings” slideshow, which can be viewed HERE. Thanks to High School English Teacher and Peer Leader Advisor, Mike Kelsen for his work in organizing this event.

Masconomet Regional High School Welcomes Two New Administrators

Superintendent’s Report to the School Committee, September 6, 2023

Upcoming Events

High School

September 7: Back to School Night, 6pm
September 7&8: Picture Day, During School Day
September 15: 9th Grade Activity Fair, During School Day
September 22: Coffee with HS Principal and Superintendent, 8:30am

Middle School

September 13: Picture Day, During School Day

September 14: Back to School Night, 6pm
September 29: Coffee with MS Principal and Superintendent, 8:30a

Opening Week of School

The Masconomet Regional School District opened the 2023-2024 school year on Monday August 28^th with the return of faculty and staff. We began the morning of August 28th with our All-District Meeting. We kicked off the meeting with a photo show of our faculty’s favorite summer memories. We were then were reminded of the impact of our teachers on our students by High School Senior and Student Council President Revati Nargund. We welcomed our new faculty and staff see below), and recognized faculty earning Professional Teacher and Master Teacher Status. Our Keynote Presentation for the morning was given by Hakan Sotiroglu, who is the CEO and Founder of XR Terra, a firm dedicated to training people to develop code for virtual-reality environments. Hakan’s remarks explored the knowledge and skills our students will need to be successful in a future where virtual experiences will seamlessly integrate into our daily lives. Hakan also discussed the types of schools we will need in order to teach students to be successful in this future. Hakan’s remarks were a jumping off point for our development of a Masconomet Portrait of a Learner, which will identify the knowledge, skills and dispositions our students will need in order to be successful. We will be devoting 10 professional development Wednesdays to this task beginning in October. After our Opening Meeting, or faculty participated in building and department meetings, a training on the educator evaluation system and had time to complete annual compliance training and classroom preparation.

On the Tuesday, August 29^th, we welcomed our incoming 7^th and 9^th grade students for orientation. Incoming Grade 9 student activities were led by our Peer Leaders and 7^th grade activities by the Middle School Faculty. Students participated in “scavenger hunts” to learn the layouts of their respective schools, team-building activities with their new classmates and met their new teachers. The morning is a great Masconomet tradition that allows our new 7^th and 9^th grade students to acclimate into their new schools the following day.

All students in Grades 7-12 returned to school on Wednesday, August 30^th for a shortened day where they met with their new teachers. After students left the building, faculty participated in safety training. Following the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) system, faculty viewed a training video prepared by Director of Safety and Security Mike Hughes and then participated in active scenarios where they were required to practice enhanced lockdowns and barricade in place. Our Middle and High School students will be participating in safety training during the month of September.

On Thursday, August 31^st, we ran a “Monday” class rotation schedule in order to make up for the day lost due to the Monday Labor Day Holiday. We will be doing adjustments like this to our schedule throughout the year to even out the classes that would normally be missed because of Monday holidays.

Welcome to Our New Faculty Members

I am happy to welcome the following new faculty members to the Masconomet Community:

Middle School Teachers
Michael Ando	MS	Band Director
Abigail Carven	MS	Special Ed/Program Coord
Kristina (Tina) de la Cruz	MS	Spanish Teacher
Casey Taylor	MS	Math Teacher
Lester Sacasa Perez	MS	Spanish Teacher
Olivia DellIsola	MS	Title 1 Teacher
Middle School Paraprofessionals
Joey Dussi	MS	Para
Madison Niles	MS	Para

High School Teachers
Albert Ribeiro	HS	Computer Science Teacher
Skylar Clark	HS	School Counselor
High School Administrators
Christoper Kobs	HS	Assistant Principal
High School Paraprofessionals
Joeyann Weitzman	HS	Paraprofessional
Michelle Viveiros	HS	Paraprofessional, Afternoon Library Aide
Daniel Monagle	HS	Paraprofessional

District-Wide Positions
Caitlin Addonizio	Dist	Reading Specialist
Michael Hughes	Dist	Director of Safety and Security
Edmund Monette	Dist	Security & Attendance Monitor
Brian Friedman	Dist	IT Technician
Paul Castillon	Dist	IT Technician-Evening Shift

We currently have openings for High School English and Middle School Special Education Teachers due to resignations in late August.

SEPAC Scoop

The Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) Scoop for September 2023

Congratulations to Our Retiring Masconomet Faculty and Staff!

As the 2022-2023 school year come to a close, I’d like to recognize the members of the Masconomet Faculty and Staff who are retiring this year. Together, these new retirees represent 135 years of experience touching the lives of thousands of Masconomet students. Thank you to all our retirees and best wishes as you enter the next phase of your careers!

I would also like to wish the entire Masconomet community a happy and safe summer!

Sincerely,

Michael M. Harvey, Ed.D.

2023 Masconomet Retirees

Sandra Dearborn

Sandy Dearborn is retiring after 28 years as a Mathematics Teacher at Masconomet Middle School. Sandy came to Masconomet in 1995 after teaching for two years at Amesbury Middle School. At Masconomet Middle School, she also served as the Chieftain Trophy Advisor. She also served as the President of the Masconomet Teachers Association for over 20 years.

Susan Micus

Sue Micus was hired as a Family and Consumer Education Teacher at Masconomet Middle School in 1996, after completing her student teaching practicum in the Middle School Social Studies Department the previous year. Her position was part-time for 1996 and became full-time in 1997. Sue was able to bring her prior education and experience as a Registered Nurse to enrich her heath and consumer education lessons for her students. In 2006, Sue was appointed to the role of “Health Education Coordinator,” which she held through the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

Helder Quadros

Helder Quadros has worked at Masconomet as a Multi-Purpose Facilities Technician (MPFT) since January of 2012. For the past 11 years, Helder has put his extensive skills to work in keeping up our facilities and grounds.

Deborah Silva

Deb Silva was hired at Masconomet in July of 2000 as a “Word Processing Manager.” In June of 2002, Deb transferred to become an Administrative Assistant at Masconomet Middle School. For the next 21 years, Deb was the smiling face that greeted everyone who entered Masconomet Middle School Main Office. During her time at Masconomet, Deb also served as the District’s Substitute Coordinator, and a Student Activity Treasurer.

Margaret Smith

Meg Smith came to Masconomet after teaching for three years at the Landmark School in Beverly, MA. She was hired at Masconomet in August of 2003 as a Tutor in the Middle School Learning Center and moved into a Special Education Teacher Position at Masconomet High School in for the 2004-2005 school year. In her time as a Special Education Teacher, Meg specialized in working with students with language-based learning disabilities and reading difficulties. Meg also worked at Masconomet’s Special Education Summer Program and served as the Advisor to Masconomet’s Best Buddies Program.

Thomas Trevenen

Tom Trevenen was originally hired by Masconomet in 1997 as a “Permanent Substitute.” In January of 1998, Tom was re-assigned to a paraprofessional tutor position in the Learning Center. The following August, Tom was appointed as an English Teacher at Masconomet High School. Prior to coming to Masconomet, Tom worked for several parochial schools in New York and New Jersey for 17 years. Tom also taught in Masconomet’s Summer Program, and advised the High School Poetry Club.

Masconomet High School Principal Finalist Interviews

Both finalists for the position of Principal of Masconomet, Katie DiNardo and Dan Hudder, completed their on-site interviews at Masconomet this week. During their visit the candidates met with district administration, high school students, high school leadership, department heads, and the high school faculty. Both candidates also participated in public interviews held via Zoom for parents and interested members of the community. Everyone who met with the candidates has been asked to complete a feedback form that I will use to help me make my final decision.

The public interviews were recorded so interested members of the community who were unable to attend can view the videos and submit feedback. Both videos are posted below.

The feedback form can be accessed at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScqHi0ib6J7FVsKWuYHeLUqG7neZbP-LgIdCQtCIAlBI5Gzbw/viewform?usp=sf_link

For more information on the candidates, please go to https://mascosuper.school.blog/2023/05/02/masconomet-high-school-principal-finalists-2/

Katie DiNardo’s Public Interview, May 16, 2023

Dan Hudder’s Public Interview, May 18, 2023

Masconomet High School Principal Finalists

I am pleased to announce the two finalists for the position of Principal of Masconomet Regional High School. Our search process began with the advertisement of the position on March 13, 2023, with a closing date of April 7, 2023. Semi-finalists were invited to Masconomet for interviews on April 25^th and 27^th. At the end of these two days of interviews, the Interview Committee forwarded the names of two finalists for the position. I would like to thank our Interview Committee, consisting of High School Junior Reagan Boyd, School Adjustment Counselor Kristen Duffy, Guidance Counselor Robin Wildman, Science Teacher Chris Love, Special Education Team Chair Marie Bridges, English Department Head Meagan Hildebrand, Director of Information Technology Vin Ruocco, High School Parents Jocelyn Almy-Testa and John Maynard, Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Lynne Bennett, Middle School Principal Phil McManus, and School Committee Chair Tasha Cooper for giving their time and insight to this very important process.

Our next step in the High School Principal Search process will be to invite our two finalists for on-site interviews at Masconomet on May 16^th and May 18^th. Both finalists will spend the day meeting with different constituent groups at the school and will complete the day with a question-and-answer session for parents and interested members of the public held at 7:00 PM via Zoom. Everyone who meets with the candidates will be invited to submit written feedback that I will use to help inform my decision in selecting our next High School Principal. I hope to be able to announce our next principal by the beginning of June with an anticipated start date of July 1^st.

The finalists are:

Katie DiNardo has served as the Upper House Assistant Principal at Masconomet since July of 2012. In this role, she chairs Student Support Team Meetings and collaborates with adjustment and guidance counselors to assist students in Grades 11 and 12 who are at risk, oversees student attendance and discipline for Grades 11 and 12, and supports the High School Principal in the daily operation of the school. Katie is also currently the Coordinator of Masconomet’s Student Internship Program. Prior to coming to Masconomet, Katie was an Assistant Principal in Gloucester and Watertown High Schools. She began her career in public education as a Guidance Counselor at Watertown High School. Katie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from The College of Wooster, a Master’s Degree in Education and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in School Administration from Cambridge College. She also has completed a Certificate of School Management and Leadership from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and Business School. Her full resume can be viewed here. Katie’s onsite interview will be on May 16^th. Her public interview will be conducted that evening via Zoom at 7:00 PM at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86757950054?pwd=dGN4K2QrMk5ack5OdGh0Zm9TL3k3QT09

Daniel Hudder is currently an Assistant Principal at Bedford High School in Bedford, MA, a position he has held since July of 2018. In this role, Dan is responsible for a monitoring the progress and overseeing interventions for a caseload of 425 students, working with building administration to co-lead professional development, and working with Department Heads to supervise faculty and develop curriculum. Prior to his work in Bedford, Dan was the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at South Middlesex Regional Vocational Technical School in Framingham, MA, and the English Department Head at Franklin High School in Franklin, MA. Prior to becoming an administrator, Dan taught English at Needham High School in Needham, MA and at The William J. Gaynor School and Stuyvesant High School in New York City. Dan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Education from New York University, a Master’s Degree in American Studies from The University of Massachusetts at Boston, and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management from Endicott College. His full resume can be viewed here. Dan will be visiting Masconomet on May 18^th. His public interview will be conducted via Zoom at 7:00 PM that evening at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89404767912?pwd=OUI1NEU0UGJjTXQ4RjFpZm1aTmEwUT09

Letter Regarding the FY2024 Masconomet Budget

Dear Masconomet Community,

On March 15, 2023 the Masconomet Regional School Committee adopted its budget for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), which will cover the 2023-2024 school year. For FY24, the Total Expenditures Budget for the District totals $40,206,736, which is an increase of $1,839,604 or 4.8% over the current fiscal year (FY23). After accounting for $7,820,471 in Federal, State and Local funding to be put towards the Masconomet FY24 Budget, $32,386,265 remains to be apportioned to our three member towns. Boxford’s total assessment for Masconomet’s FY24 Budget is $12,085,026, an increase of $1,136,773 or 10.4% over FY23. Middleton’s total assessment of $11,046,622 is an increase of $740,725, or 7% over the current year. Topsfield’s total assessment is $9,254,617, an increase of $621,660 or 8.3% over the current year.

The District’s Total Expenditures Budget is composed of two components, the Operating Budget, which typically are the funds required to continue the daily operations of the schools, such as salaries, textbooks, supplies, and ordinary repairs and the Capital Budget, which would include the funding for items such as purchasing of real estate, designing and constructing facilities, including plans and architect’s fees, completing extraordinary repairs, and purchasing the furnishings associated with these types of projects. The Capital Budget would also include payments on any debt the District may take on in completing these capital projects. In order for Masconomet’s FY24 Total Expenditures Budget to “pass,” the full amounts included in the Operating and Capital Budgets must both be approved by Annual Town Meeting in two of our three member communities. The details of Masconomet’s FY24 Operating and Capital Budgets are explained in the paragraphs below.

For FY24, Masconomet’s Operating Expense Budget (after Offsets) is $39,757,686, which is an increase of $2,183,304 (5.8%) over FY23. There are several components of the Operating Budget that are driving this increase, many of which are outside of the District’s direct control. In October of 2022, the Massachusetts Operational Services Division, the state office responsible for setting tuition rates in private schools that serve students with severe special needs, or “out-of-district placements,” approved a 14% tuition increase for these schools for FY24. To put this into perspective, these rates typically have increased around 2% per year. This unprecedented increase, when coupled with an increase in the number of Masconomet students requiring education in an out-of-district placements, translated into an increase of $712,062 in Masconomet’s Budget.

Student transportation is another area where costs have increased significantly. This year, Masconomet and the Tri-Town School Union put the contract for transporting students to and from school for the years 2023-2028 out to bid. As has been the case with transportation services for school across Massachusetts for the past several years, only one company submitted a bid. This bid submission outlined a 15% price increase in the first year of the contract. As there is typically very little competition between transportation companies in Massachusetts for local contracts, we had no choice other than to accept this $177,294 increase. Transportation services for students with special needs follows a similar pattern. The budgeted increase in our transportation services for student with special needs for FY24 is $219,921 or 76.3% over current year.

The increases to the three areas of out-of-district tuitions, and regular and special education transportation total $1,109,277 or 50.8% of the total increase to the FY24 Operating Expense Budget. As the services paid for in these areas of our operating budget are required by law, the only way to offset these increased would be to eliminate services in other areas. Given the educational, and social-emotional needs of our students’ post-pandemic, the School Committee and District Administration do not recommend making cuts to other programs at this time. This leaves us with no choice but to ask our members communities to support these increases to our Operating Budget.

Because the increases to the Masconomet Operating Expense Budget are larger than in prior years, they will likely require a Proposition 2 ½ Override in two of our three communities. Boxford and Topsfield will therefore present the Masconomet Operating Budget in two parts at their respective Town Meetings. One part will contain the amount that does not trigger the Proposition 2 ½ Override requirement. The second part will contain the amount of the Masconomet Operating Budget that is in excess of the Proposition 2 ½ limit. In order for the Masconomet Budget to be approved in a specific town, the full amount of the town’s share of the Masconomet Operating Budget will need to pass, along with the Capital Budget request.

Regarding Capital expenses, the FY24 Masconomet Budget includes $449,050, which is the funding necessary to complete the design and permitting of “Phase I” of Masconomet’s Turf Field Plan. As is the case with Operating Expenses, the $449,050 in Capital Expenses will be apportioned to each of the three towns. Boxford’s share of this amount is $167,451, Middleton’s share is $150,162 and Topsfield’s is $131,437. At the current time, all three towns propose paying for this assessment through “free cash,” which means approval will have no impact in the tax rate. Phase I of the Turf Field Plan contemplates the construction of two multi-purpose artificial turf fields on the Masconomet Campus, including the landscaping, spectator seating, lighting and support buildings that go along with an athletic facility of this type. A committed group of parents and community members have begun the process of soliciting private donors to fundraise for the construction of this project. The $449,050 requested in the Masconomet FY24 Capital Budget will move the project through the required engineering studies to a final design and obtain the permits needed to proceed with construction from the Town of Boxford. Supporting this $449,050 request will also send the message to potential donors to the project that our communities are committed to seeing it through to completion. Masconomet has long prided itself for the prowess of its athletic teams. Being able to continue this tradition requires that our student-athletes are able to practice and compete in facilities that have become the standard for our region. More information on Masconomet’s Turf Field Project can be found on the Masconomet Website.

Masconomet’s FY24 Total Expenditures Budget represents the results of a five-month process of analysis, reflection, discussion and compromise among the constituents of the Masconomet Community. The Masconomet Administration and School Committee feel this budget maintains the high-quality education that our communities have come to expect, while at the same time, respects the financial limitations of our taxpayers. In this time where our students are still recovering from the effects of the global pandemic, it is of the upmost importance that we are able to maintain the services necessary to meet the needs of our students. I am confident that the FY24 Masconomet Budget accomplishes this goal.

The next step in the process of approving Masconomet’s Budget is Annual Town Meeting, which will be held in Topsfield on May 2^nd at 7:00 PM at the Masconomet Auditorium, in Middleton on May 9^th at 7:00 PM at the Howe Manning School Gymnasium and in Boxford on May 9^th at 7:00 PM in the Masconomet Auditorium. I urge you to attend you respective Town Meeting and support all of the articles that comprise the Masconomet FY24 Budget. For more information regarding the details of Masconomet’s FY24 Budget, please visit the Masconomet Website.

Sincerely,

Michael M. Harvey, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Superintendent’s Report to the School Committee, April 26, 2023

Masconomet Participates in the Addressing Hate in Sports Initiative

On Friday and Saturday April 28 and 29, Athletic Director John Daileanes and I will be participating in the Addressing Hate in School Sports Training at UMASS Lowell. The Addressing Hate in School Sports initiative was created as a joint initiative between the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, the Massachusetts School Administrators Association and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents. The training is based on our shared belief that school sports have the potential to build leadership and teamwork skills in our young people, foster diversity and inclusion, and bring communities together. In December, approximately 450 school and athletic leaders from all across Massachusetts, including Masconomet, met at the Addressing Hate in School Sports Conference to learn best practices for building positive culture in school athletics and effectively addressing incidents of hate and bias.

The next phase of this initiative will allow school and athletic leaders to dive deeper and learn how to effectively apply best practices in their own districts through 13 Regional Trainings provided by the Northeastern Center for the Study of Sports in Society.

Middle School Play This Weekend on Friday and Saturday

This weekend, Masconomet Middle School’s Drama Club will be performing Frozen, Jr. Performances will be on Friday April 28 at 7:00 PM and on Saturday April 29 at 2:00 PM in the Masconomet Auditorium. Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door.

Class of 2026 Walk on May 17th

Throughout the year, our Peer Leading program has focused not only on assisting the Freshman class in transitioning to high school but also on creating a sense of community. As a culminating experience, the Freshman class will be participating in the Freshman Walk, our annual 6-mile charity walk, on May 17, 2023. This year, all money raised through this fundraiser will be donated to the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA).

If you are able to provide operational support (water station, donation of goods, etc) for the walk, please follow this link.

Masconomet Hosts Credit for Life Fair on May 23^rd

On May 23^rd, Masconomet will again host the Credit for Life Fair on May 23^rd. The event will be attended by over 130 Masco juniors participating with over 800 area high school students. In the Credit for Life Fair, students will simulate the life of a 25-year-old professional and navigate the many challenges that face young people in a quest to balance their budgets and live within their means. Participants choose their professions, are assigned monthly take-home salaries and then navigate checkpoints to make “purchases” of necessities such as housing, transportation, clothing, and healthcare, utilizing imaginary cash, credit or savings. There will be over 200 volunteers from the Institution from Savings in charge of these various checkpoints around the field house. This is the seventh year that Masconomet has hosted the Credit for Life Fair and the 10^th year that we’ve participated. Thanks to the members of our Business Department and Business and Digital Learning Department Head Ben Hodges for their work in organizing this event.

High School Principal Search Update

The Principal Interview Committee is in the process of interviewing candidates this week. I plan to announce the names of finalists by the beginning of next week. Finalists will be invited to Masconomet for a series of public interviews during the week of May 15^th. Part of the public interviews will entail an online session with parents and interested members of the public held in the evening via Zoom. More information on these sessions will be sent out with the finalist announcement.

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Office of Language Acquisition Audit

During the week of May 15, 2023, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE’s) Office of Language Acquisition (OLA) will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of the Masconomet Regional School District. The Office of Language Acquisition reviews each district’s and charter school’s ELE program every six years to monitor compliance with federal and state English learner education laws and regulations. Areas of review will include English learners’ student assessments, identification of English learners; what programs English learners are placed in, parent and community involvement, curriculum and instruction, student support services, licensure requirements for faculty, staff and administration, program plans, and evaluation and recordkeeping.

In addition to the onsite visit, parent outreach is an important part of the review process. The district will send a survey to the parents of students whose records the review team examines. The survey focuses on key areas of their child’s English learner education program. Survey results will be reviewed by OLA and they will contribute to the monitoring report. Parents and other individuals may call Samantha Kodak, Office of Language Acquisition Review Chairperson, at (781) 338-3561 to request a telephone interview. If an individual requires an accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, DESE will make the necessary arrangements.

Within approximately 60 business days of the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide the district with a report with information about areas in which the district meets or exceeds regulatory requirements and areas in which the district requires assistance to correct or improve practices. The report will be available to the public at https://www.doe.mass.edu/ele/cpr/.

Superintendent’s Report to the School Committee, April 12, 2023

Masconomet Students Honored in the 6^th Congressional District High School Visual Art Competition

The Masconomet Art Department is pleased to announce the Masconomet winning entries to the 2023 6^th Congressional District High School Visual Art Competition.

From left to right:

Vanessa Basame (’23), “Letter Building”, Best of School Award

Jenna Lindsay (’24), “Leave a Mark”, Honorable Mention

Haley Serafino (’23), “Don’t Be Afraid of Color”, Honorable Mention

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Masconomet’s students submitted their entries to Congressman Seth Moulton’s Office and panels of local artists from the 6^th Congressional District selected the winning entries.

Masconomet Middle School Student Awarded National Silver Medal at Scholastic Art and Writing Competition

The Scholastic Art & Writing National Awards were recently announced and the Masconomet art department is proud to announce that Masconomet Middle School Student Bella Denis won a National Silver Medal this year for her sculpture, “Scorpion”.

Bella’s piece was selected by some of the foremost leaders in the visual arts for excellence in originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice. This year more than 260,000 works of art and writing were submitted to the 2023 Scholastic Awards and less than 1% of works received a National Medal! Gold and Silver Medal artwork will be published online at artandwriting.org in June.

Masconomet High School Student Wins National Silver Medal at Scholastic Art and Writing Competition

The Scholastic Art & Writing National Awards were recently announced and the Masconomet art department is proud to announce that Paige Panagos won a National Silver Medal this year for her oil pastel self-portrait, “Submerged”.

Paige’s piece was selected by some of the foremost leaders in the visual arts for excellence in originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice. More than 260,000 works of art and writing were submitted to the 2023 Scholastic Awards and less than 1% of works received a National Medal! Gold and Silver Medal artwork will be published online at artandwriting.org in June.

Congratulations to the Cast, Crew and Advisors of Women and Wallace

Congratulations to the Cast, Crew and Advisors of Masconomet’s production of the one-act play Women and Wallace. Our Theater Company progressed to the state finals of the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild’s Drama Festival, where they performed their play on Saturday, April 1^st at the Back Bay Events Center in John Hancock Hall. The following students were recognized by the festival’s judges:

Quinn Tierney for Excellence in Acting Award which is also an All-Star Acting Member award
Dorian Florestal and Aidan Venckus for Technical Excellence in Musical Composition and Performance
Campbell Robinson for the role of Featured Dancer

Congratulations also to our Theater Director, Mr. Brian Pereira. This is the first time that Masconomet has entered this competition on over 30 years. Reaching the state finals on the first attempt is a remarkable feat.

D’Amato Wins National Press Club Journalism Institute Scholarship

Congratulations to Masconomet Senior Alexa D’Amato, who is the 2023 recipient of the National Press Club Journalism Institute’s Richard G. Zimmerman Journalism Scholarship. The National Press Club Journalism Institute’s press release on Alexa’s Award is here.

The Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship is named for a long-time National Press Club member who died in 2008 and endowed a scholarship in aid of high school seniors who wish to pursue a career in journalism.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.

High School Principal Search Update

The posting for the position of Principal of Masconomet Regional High School closed on Friday, April 7^th. There currently are 22 applicants for the position. Resume screening will take place later this week and semi-finalists will be invited to interview at Masconomet during the week of April 24^th. I am in the process of finalizing the members of the interview committee, which consists representatives from district administration, department heads, faculty, parents, school committee and a high school student. The interview committee will narrow the pool down to two or three finalists, who will be invited to Masconomet for a series of public interviews during the week of May 1^st. Part of the public interviews will entail an online session with parents and interested members of the public held in the evening via Zoom. More information on these sessions will be sent out in late April.

Masconomet Hosts State Office of Public School Monitoring for Tiered Focused Monitoring Review

During the week of May 15, 2023, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public-School Monitoring (PSM) will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of the Masconomet Regional School District. The Office of Public-School Monitoring visits each district and charter school every three years to monitor compliance with federal and state special education and civil rights regulations. Areas of review related to special education include student assessments, determination of eligibility, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team process, and IEP development and implementation. Areas of review related to civil rights include bullying, student discipline, physical restraint, and equal access to school programs for all students. In addition to the onsite visit, parent outreach is an important part of the review process. The review chairperson from the Office of Public-School Monitoring will send all parents of students with disabilities an online survey that focuses on key areas of their child’s special education program. Survey results will contribute to the development of a report.

During the onsite review, the Office of Public-School Monitoring will interview the chairperson(s) of the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). Other onsite activities may include interviews of district staff and administrators, reviews of student records, and onsite observations. Parents and other individuals may contact Jill Lange, Public School Monitoring Chairperson, at gillian.e.lange@mass.gov to request a telephone interview. If an individual requires an accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, the Department will make the necessary arrangements. Within approximately 60 business days after the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide the district with a report with information about areas in which the district meets or exceeds regulatory requirements and areas in which the district requires assistance to correct or improve practices. The public will be able to access the report at http://www.doe.mass.edu/psm/tfm/reports/.

National Merit Scholarship Commended Students

High School Drama Production: The Miracle Worker

Turf Field Task Force Update

High School French Exchange

Strategic Plan Draft and Survey

Administration Coffees

Strategic Plan Draft and Survey

Administration Coffees

Multi-Lingual Family Welcome

Masco Music Parents Recycling Event

Turf Field Planning Group Update

High School Activities Fair

Upcoming Events

High School

Middle School

Opening Week of School

Welcome to Our New Faculty Members

SEPAC Scoop

2023 Masconomet Retirees

Sandra Dearborn

Susan Micus

Helder Quadros

Deborah Silva

Margaret Smith

Thomas Trevenen

Masconomet Participates in the Addressing Hate in Sports Initiative

Middle School Play This Weekend on Friday and Saturday

Class of 2026 Walk on May 17th

Masconomet Hosts Credit for Life Fair on May 23rd

High School Principal Search Update

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Office of Language Acquisition Audit

Masconomet Students Honored in the 6th Congressional District High School Visual Art Competition

Masconomet Middle School Student Awarded National Silver Medal at Scholastic Art and Writing Competition

Masconomet High School Student Wins National Silver Medal at Scholastic Art and Writing Competition

Congratulations to the Cast, Crew and Advisors of Women and Wallace

D’Amato Wins National Press Club Journalism Institute Scholarship

High School Principal Search Update

Masconomet Hosts State Office of Public School Monitoring for Tiered Focused Monitoring Review

Masconomet Hosts Credit for Life Fair on May 23^rd

Masconomet Students Honored in the 6^th Congressional District High School Visual Art Competition