Superintendent’s Weekly 2/10/2023

February 10, 2023

Hello parents, caregivers, and HW community,

Last night the FY24 budget was approved by the school committee. The committee also approved the FY24 Budget & Annual Report that outlines the entire budget by specific categories. You can review the budget book here.

Last night was also a whirlwind for me as I had to be at three meetings at roughly the same time:

• Wenham Community Preservation Committee (CPC) meeting – 6:30 PM start
• Hamilton Community Preservation Committee (CPC) meeting – 7:00 PM start
• School Committee Budget meeting – 6:30 PM start

At each of the CPC meetings, I presented the Athletic Field Improvement Project for consideration of a grant in the amount of $800,000.00 to offset the cost of the project. I’d like to thank the Hamilton CPC for approving our request in the amount of $800,000.00. Wenham CPC doesn’t vote until next week. In order for us to access the funding for the project, both CPCs have to vote to support the project. If one chooses not to support the project, we are not able to access any of the money as an offset for the project. As with the school assessment to the towns, Hamilton would be 2/3rds and Wenham would be 1/3rd of the amount supported.

After the CPC meetings, I zipped to the school committee to present the request to fund the Athletic Field Improvements Project in the amount of $15,000,000.00. This was approved unanimously by the school committee. Now, it will go before the towns at the Annual Town Meeting in the form of an article on the warrant for a debt exclusion.

On Tuesday afternoon I hopped over to the Winthrop School and realized when I walked in that the energy was different. Within seconds, I found myself in the middle of the 100th day celebration with a tropical pajama vibe. I was able to visit a number of classrooms to see how each was celebrating the 100th day. There were necklaces with 100 beads, 100 fitness exercises, structures with 100 blocks, some were tasked with finding 100 words, and a 100 straw castle. What was most exciting was the energy throughout the entire building.  I also enjoyed talking with the kids about their very fancy homemade 100 day crowns.

While in Winthrop, I stopped to chat with the preschool kids who were putting on their coats to go home. I asked if I could go home with them and a young lady promptly responded with, “No, you need to go back to work.” I double-checked to see if they were sure I couldn’t go home and another young man made sure I understood that I couldn’t. He pointed to my cell phone that was in my hand and said, “you need to get on your phone and do some work.” While I was thinking of a response, another young lad said, “Hey, you have no hair!” I do have a little but I suppose from his perspective, I had none! So, I turned around and went to work.

This week was National School Counselors Week. Since the Pandemic began, our school counselors have been working overtime to meet the needs of our students and in some cases staff. Our counselors have been helping students and families to navigate the realities of mental health and Social Emotional issues related to school and life. The work often goes unnoticed and underappreciated. Thank you to all of our school counselors! 

HWRSD School Choice Applications:

The process will open in February with notifications being sent out by the HS and MS principals. The school choice application form is posted on our district website along with the deadline to submit the application. A legal ad ran last Friday in the Salem, Newburyport, & Gloucester Newspaper. The deadline for the application to be submitted is March 1, 2023.

School Cancellation Notices & Emergency Alerts for Parents and Guardians:

Did you receive the school closure notification (Text or Email) on the Friday before vacation? If you did not receive an alert, PLEASE log in to your ASPEN account and confirm your contact information under the Family tab. 

1. Current email is correct
2. Your cell phone should be in the “PHONE SMS/Cell Phone” field

IF this information is incorrect or you need to add your cell phone number to receive text message alerts, please contact your school’s secretary. 

Come learn more about the Athletics Facility Improvement Project!

Imagine a 60 degree Friday! I hope the weekend gives us the same weather!

Superintendent’s Weekly 2/3/2023

This week we had our first Cutler School Building Committee (SBC) Meeting. We introduced the members of the SBC and discussed the next steps in the process including advertising for an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM). An OPM is a group of individuals who will work on our behalf to keep the project moving forward, organized and on time. You can find more information here.

Also this week the Athletic Facilities Improvement Plan (2022 version) was presented to the Conservation Committee by Director of Operations and Facilities, Tom Geary, and a representative from Gale, the group who has been working with us to develop and price out the plan. This presentation was to request approval of permits for the 2022 additions to the plan that includes the softball field, relocated field events, an amenities building, and tennis courts. You can see the requested area outlined in blue on the diagram below.  The area outlined in red was approved in 2017. No approval has been granted for the blue section yet.

FY24 Budget Document Preparation:

Many days in the last two weeks have been spent working on the details of the FY24 budget book that will be presented next week to the school committee once the FY24 budget is approved.  Included in the budget for next year are a couple of important items:

• A transfer of $1.7 million into the newly approved Stabilizations Fund. As you may remember, this would be used to offset the cost of the Athletic Facilities Improvement Project
• Approximately $700K in repairs and updates including,
  • $300k for the HS auditorium lighting and electrical repairs
  • $275K  food Smartboard replacements across the district 
  • Approximately $125K for the update of the Buker Gym/Auditorium and Public Address System.

HWRSD Budget Update:

Important upcoming 2nd Public Hearing date for the FY24 School Budget will be held:

Thursday, February 9, 2023 – Public Hearing #2 HWRSD FY24 Budget 

The hearing will be held at Buker Elementary School in the Multi-Purpose Room, 1 School Street, Wenham, MA at 6:30 PM. A regular meeting of the School Committee will directly follow the Public Hearing.

Congratulations to the MRMS Scholastic Regional Award Winners in Writing!

Cassi Sullivan won a Gold Key Award for her critical essay “James Bird’s The Brave, Donna Gephart’s Lily and Dunkin, and Paige Rawl’s Positive: Do the Authors Properly and Responsibly Represent Bullying?” and an honorable mention for her personal essay, “One Step at a Time.” Juniper Mahnke won a Silver Key Award for her poem, “Fixing What’s Broken.”

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens.

The Portrait of a Graduate in Action:

This week I received an email from a MS teacher, Marya Machart, that highlighted how her 6th grade students are using the Portrait of a Graduate to discuss, think about, and reflect on ways the Portrait intersects with their future classes and classwork. This is a great way to make connections to our recently adopted Portrait!

HWRSD School Choice Applications:

The process will open in February with notifications being sent out by the HS and MS principals. The school choice application form is posted on our district website along with the deadline to submit the application. A legal ad is in today’s Salem, Newburyport, & Gloucester’s Newspapers. The deadline for the application to be submitted is March 1, 2023.

8th Grade “Learning to Lead” Workshop:

On Thursday, January 26th, our 8th-grade students participated in a one-day workshop called “Learning to Lead” provided by Core Trainings. Core Trainings is an organization that provides leadership training and motivational speaking. HWRSD has used Core Trainings for years to provide training for our Frosh Mentor program at the high school, and most recently, to provide training for our Peer Leadership program at the middle school.

This one-day, on-campus workshop for our 8th grade has been developed for middle school students. It is a fun and effective training that provides an opportunity for young students to become aware of and enhance their leadership potential.

Hamilton Master Planning Committee Seeking Input:

The Master Plan Steering Committee invites the entire Hamilton community to join us and talk about the future of our town. We are picking up where we left off after a successful public meeting in 2021. Come learn about the master planning process and participate in interactive exercises to make your voices heard. Lunch and coffee provided. Work with the committee and your neighbors on a vision for Hamilton’s future!

Save the Date – Saturday, February 4, 2023, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Miles River Middle School Multi-Purpose Room

(Snow Date: Saturday, February 11, 2023, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.)

RSVP – https://tinyurl.com/HamiltonMPCommMeetingRSVP 

School Cancellation Notices & Emergency Alerts for Parents and Guardians:

Did you receive the school closure notification (Text or Email) on the Friday before vacation? If you did not receive an alert, PLEASE log in to your ASPEN account and confirm your contact information under the Family tab. 

1. Current email is correct
2. Your cell phone should be in the “PHONE SMS/Cell Phone” field

IF this information is incorrect or you need to add your cell phone number to receive text message alerts, please contact your school’s secretary.

Superintendent’s Weekly 1/27/23

This is a short weekly as I was fortunate to attend a Superintendent’s Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia for much of the week. Oddly it was the same temperature in Georgia as it was here. Even more interesting was when I realized that I was not the only Superintendent who got up at 4:30 AM on Wednesday morning to determine if we needed to have a snow day back in MA. In the end, one of my fellow MA Superintendent’s called for early release and, as you know, not much snow appeared by the end of the school day. I’m glad I didn’t receive the emails he did!

While I was in Georgia I was working with a group of 15 other Superintendents to develop our communication and community building skills. We completed work in whole and small groups to develop a problem of practice, discuss approaches and possible solutions, while also figuring out ways to best communicate the problem to various stakeholders with the ultimate goal of developing long-term solutions for our students. My problem of practice is to make sure that we all agree and understand that ALL means ALL when we talk about learning and our role to remove obstacles to learning for ALL of our students. Given the data that we have related to specific subgroups in our district (Special Education students, English Learner students, and Hispanic students), what can we do to ensure that we are closing the achievement gaps between the subgroups and their peers? 

Monday afternoon when the snow started flying, I was outside of the Buker at the student pick up line. I was helping a student put her gloves on while we waited for her ride and she looked up and said, “your hair is all white” (I assume because I was covered in snow). I brushed it off and said, “I think it’s just snow.” She looked back up and said, “It’s OK, it’s actually stylish.”

This will be the last weekly that I will send through Blackboard Connect as we transition over to Finalsite Messages. Please check your spam folders if you do not see a second email in your inbox today. The email will be from Eric Tracy <noreply@hamilton.myenotice.com>, so be sure to mark it as a “safe sender” in your email account so you can receive all future emails. 

HWRSD Budget Update:

Important upcoming 2nd Public Hearing date for the FY24 School Budget will be held:

Thursday, February 9, 2023 – Public Hearing #2 HWRSD FY24 Budget 

The hearing will be held at Buker Elementary School in the Multi-Purpose Room, 1 School Street, Wenham, MA at 6:30 PM. A regular meeting of the School Committee will directly follow the Public Hearing.

HWRSD School Choice Applications:

The process will open in February with notifications being sent out by the HS and MS principals. The school choice application form will be posted on our district website along with the deadline to submit the application. The application will be posted on the school website sometime in the first week of February. The deadline for the application to be submitted is March 1, 2023.

8th Grade “Learning to Lead” Workshop:

On Thursday, January 26th, our 8th-grade students participated in a one-day workshop called “Learning to Lead” provided by Core Trainings. Core Trainings is an organization that provides leadership training and motivational speaking. HWRSD has used Core Trainings for years to provide training for our Frosh Mentor program at the high school, and most recently, to provide training for our Peer Leadership program at the middle school.

This one-day, on-campus workshop for our 8th grade has been developed for middle school students. It is a fun and effective training that provides an opportunity for young students to become aware of and enhance their leadership potential.

Hamilton Master Planning Committee Seeking Input:

The Master Plan Steering Committee invites the entire Hamilton community to join us and talk about the future of our town. We are picking up where we left off after a successful public meeting in 2021. Come learn about the master planning process and participate in interactive exercises to make your voices heard. Lunch and coffee provided. Work with the committee and your neighbors on a vision for Hamilton’s future!

Saturday, February 4, 2023, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Miles River Middle School Multi-Purpose Room

(Snow Date: Saturday, February 11, 2023, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.)

RSVP – https://tinyurl.com/HamiltonMPCommMeetingRSVP 

School Cancellation Notices & Emergency Alerts for Parents and Guardians:

Did you receive the school closure notification (Text or Email) on the Friday before vacation? If you did not receive an alert, PLEASE log in to your ASPEN account and confirm your contact information under the Family tab. 

1. Current email is correct
2. Your cell phone should be in the “PHONE SMS/Cell Phone” field

IF this information is incorrect or you need to add your cell phone number to receive text message alerts, please contact your school’s secretary. 

Have an amazing weekend!

Superintendent’s Weekly 1/20/23

I want to thank the custodial and maintenance personnel at our schools and the DPW for both towns for their efforts to have our schools ready to open this morning!

Today, you should be receiving two weekly emails…This one and we have just launched our Finalsite Messages with a redesign for my weekly emails. Please check your spam folders if you do not see a second email in your inbox. The email will be from Eric Tracy <noreply@hamilton.myenotice.com>, so be sure to mark it as a “safe sender” in your email account as we will transition to this platform next week. 

This was a short but busy week. On Tuesday I attended the school committee subcommittee for Policy meeting to continue our work to update the HWRSD policy manual. As of now, the Subcommittee has completed the work of updating the policy manual. The last segments should receive final votes at the next couple of school committee meetings.

I also learned how to play the game “10” this week with Ms. McMahon’s K class. Starting with 1, each student says a combination of numbers like 1, and 2. The next could say 3, 4, 5, and so on until someone says the number 10. When someone says the number 10, they have to sit down, and the game continues by starting back to 1 with everyone that is still standing. Needless to say, I was out-strategized by the students and sat down pretty quickly!

On Wednesday I did a walkthrough with Dr. Best at the MS. One thing that consistently stood out to me is the culture of reading that is fostered by the MS staff. There was a library of books to choose from in every room that I was in. I also noticed in two different classes how the teachers helped the students to understand and organize what they were reading using graphic organizers. Timeless skills for growing and life-long readers.

When we jump into the new year, teachers submit their formative (mid-year) evaluation evidence that supports their professional and student goals, as well as the 4 standards of teaching, to their evaluator.  The principals also submit their formative evidence to me. Once their evidence is submitted, I will meet with them to discuss and then write their formative evaluation based on the State administrator standards. In April, a second round of evidence is submitted and a summative (or final) evaluation will be completed by mid-March. I follow a similar process. My evidence for the mid-year was submitted to the school committee last night.

School Calendar Update:

Last night the School Committee voted on the 2023/24 and 2024/25 school year calendars. Take note that the next two school years will start AFTER LABOR DAY, however, 6th & 9th Grade Orientation will still take place before Labor Day. 

HWRSD Budget Update:

Important upcoming Public Hearing dates for the FY24 School Budget are as follows: 

Thursday, January 19, 2023 – completed last night

Thursday, February 9, 2023

The hearings will be held at Buker Elementary School in the Multi-Purpose Room, 1 School Street, Wenham, MA at 6:30 PM. A regular meeting of the School Committee will directly follow the Public Hearing.

HWRSD School Choice Update:

Last night there was a public hearing for school choice for the 23-24 school year. After the hearing, the school committee members present voted unanimously to support the school choice program for the 23-24 school year. The process will open in February with notifications being sent out by the HS and MS principals. The school choice application form will be posted on our district website along with the deadline to submit the application.

Warrant for Election of School Committee Members:

The School Committee voted to approve the warrant for election of members of the HWRSD school committee. There will be two (2) seats available this year, each for a term of three (3) years.  

If you are interested in running for election to one of the available seats, please click here for more information.

HW SEPAC Informal Gathering: Caregiver Connections:

The HW Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC) invites you to join them for Caregiver Connections, an informal gathering, at the Hamilton Wenham Library on January 25th from 10 am – 11 am in the large meeting room on the first floor. We are committed to providing a welcoming space for families to share resources and experiences, ask questions, and network with other families as they work to ensure the best program for their child.

The SEPAC supports all district families participating or interested in special education to access relevant information, training, and support. It also provides an avenue for ongoing dialogue with the district administration and School Committee about the needs of special education students in the Hamilton-Wenham school system. We aim to encourage an atmosphere of effective communication, understanding, and mutual respect among all students, parents, educators, and the community at large. The group meets formally and informally during the school year as well as sponsor presentations on topics relevant to special education and the broader school community.

Hamilton Master Planning Committee Seeking Input:

The Master Plan Steering Committee invites the entire Hamilton community to join us and talk about the future of our town. We are picking up where we left off after a successful public meeting in 2021. Come learn about the master planning process and participate in interactive exercises to make your voices heard. Lunch and coffee provided. Work with the committee and your neighbors on a vision for Hamilton’s future!

Save the Date – February 4, 2023, 11:30am-1:30pm

Miles River Middle School Multi-Purpose Room

(Snow Date: February 11, 2023, 11:30am-1:30pm)

RSVP – https://tinyurl.com/HamiltonMPCommMeetingRSVP 

School Cancellation Notices & Emergency Alerts for Parents and Guardians:

Did you receive the school closure notification (Text or Email) on the Friday before vacation? If you did not receive an alert, PLEASE log in to your ASPEN account and confirm your contact information under the Family tab. 

1. Current email is correct
2. Your cell phone should be in the “PHONE SMS/Cell Phone” field

IF this information is incorrect or you need to add your cell phone number to receive text message alerts, please contact your school’s secretary. 

MA DESE Looking for MCAS Feedback:

The Department is inviting students, parents, education professionals, and community members to participate in a survey that will provide feedback on the MCAS program and help inform improvements. The Department is seeking stakeholders’ input in several areas, including communications and support, data and reporting, and release of test questions. The survey will close at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 27. Please contact mcas@doe.mass.edu with any questions. 

Did you know?

As part of our nurse team’s cardiac emergency goal this year, they participated in a cardiac emergency response drill in the HS cafeteria (after the kids were out of school). This drill allows them to assess their own skills and to be sure our equipment is ready and useful during an emergency. They also worked with members of the Hamilton Fire Department.

I hope we get to see the sun this weekend!

Superintendent’s Weekly 1/13/2023

This week I spent time in our elementary schools, Middle School  and the High School. At the elementary schools I was fascinated by the obvious gains that our students are making as they learn to read. In one class, I asked a first grade student, Ava, who was reading to herself if she would read to me. She agreed and began to read one of the books that we use with CKLA. As she read, I asked her if she knew the meaning of certain words and phrases because the book was a bit difficult for her. One example included the phrase “snapshot.” When I asked if she knew what it meant she said, “I’ll be right back!” She returned with a book titled “Snapshot” and explained to me in detail what a snapshot was. I am impressed with all of the work our staff and students have put in as we work to improve student’s literacy skills and implement the Science of Reading. 

HWRSD Budget Update:

Last week the School Committee voted to approve the Superintendent’s Tentative FY24 Budget. Important upcoming Public Hearing dates for the FY24 School Budget are as follows: 

Thursday, January 19, 2023

Thursday, February 9, 2023

The hearings will be held at Buker Elementary School in the Multi-Purpose Room, 1 School Street, Wenham, MA at 6:30 PM. A regular meeting of the School Committee will directly follow the Public Hearing. 

Congratulations to HWRHS DECA Students: 

Five Hamilton-Wenham DECA members – Jaden Zhou, Alfie Chien, Drew Stewart, Sophie Bassom, and Eric Hutchinson – received recognition in the North Atlantic region during the 2022-2023 DECA Stock Market Game. They were challenged with developing and managing a virtual investment portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, with the aim of increasing the value of their portfolio, while maintaining its diversity. Rankings were based on the percentage growth above or below the value of the S&P 500. Each HW student named above has qualified for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Orlando for the Stock Market Game! Congratulations to them and thank you to our dedicated DECA advisors, Laura Wheeler, and Stefanie Rogal!

School Choice Public Hearing:

On January 19, 2023, the School Committee will hold a Public Hearing for School Choice at 6:30 PM. Each year, the Committee is required to vote to have or not have school choice in the district.

Winners of  HWL Write the Hook Contest:

Thirty stories were submitted to the Hamilton-Wenham Library 2022 Write the Hook contest, twenty-four of which were from writers in grades 6-8. The results are in! First Place winner is Molly Degnan for “The Darkest Night of Evermore” and Second Place goes to Shane Kiernan for “Crash.” Take a moment to read these students’ tremendous story hooks on the Hamilton-Wenham Library website.

Universal Design For Learning:

Early in the school year, we were selected by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to be part of a three-year Multi-Tiered System of Support Professional Development Academy. Our work this year as a district has primarily focused on our assessment and data collection, helping us to find areas in need of growth. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that reduces barriers in instruction, proactively provides appropriate accommodations and supports, and allows for high achievement expectations for all students, regardless of their unique strengths and challenges. This week, our middle and high school staff will begin to study UDL strategies during their Wednesday professional development time, using resources from Novak Education provided as part of our participation in the MTSS Academy.

Mass Department of Public Health Behavioral Health Line:

The Department of Mental Health has launched a new Behavioral Health Help Line that people can call or text at 833-773-2445. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in more than 200 languages. The helpline can help individuals and families navigate the behavioral health system and access treatment, including mobile crisis services. For more information, please see the FAQ. Anyone with questions or concerns about the helpline can email the helpline director at Mio.Tamanaha@mass.gov.

Warrant for Election of School Committee Members:

The School Committee voted to approve the warrant for election of members of the HWRSD school committee. There will be two (2) seats available this year, each for a term of three (3) years.  

If you are interested in running for election to one of the available seats, please click here for more information.

MRMS Musical: You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown!

Charlie Brown and the entire Peanuts gang explore life’s great questions as they play baseball, struggle with homework, sing songs, swoon over their crushes, and celebrate the joy of friendship. Don’t miss this classic musical presented by our talented Miles River Middle School students. For Tickets: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5691569

Friday 1/13 @ 7 PM

Saturday 1/14 @ 2 PM & 7 PM

School Cancellation Notices & Emergency Alerts for Parents and Guardians:

Did you receive the school closure notification (Text or Email) on the Friday before vacation? If you did not receive an alert, PLEASE log in to your ASPEN account and confirm your contact information under the Family tab. 

1. Current email is correct
2. Your cell phone should be in the “PHONE SMS/Cell Phone” field

IF this information is incorrect or you need to add your cell phone number to receive text message alerts, please contact your school’s secretary. 

UPDATE: Keeping Kids Safe and Secure Online:

The United States Attorney’s Office has informed us that they have reached capacity for the presentation, entitled Keeping Kids Safe and Secure Online: A Project Safe Childhood Presentation for Parents. They intend to offer other sessions throughout the spring. 

Did you know?

HWRHS Students publish an online newspaper? Please take a look at the latest 2022-2023 edition of The General Consensus, HWRHS’s student newspaper. Check out our original pieces, including midterm advice, President Biden’s loan forgiveness plans, updates on the war in Ukraine, and arguments for and against requiring extracurricular activities. The paper also covers local issues that are important to the students and members of this community using a variety of formats, including podcasts. Read or listen to stories about why school should start later, why people cry, post Covid mental health concerns, and so much more. We hope you enjoy this edition of The General Consensus.

The 2022-2023 Journalism Students

Newspaper Advisors: Nora Burnett and Robert Hickey

Last night I had the privilege of presenting a HWRSD application for funding to the Hamilton Community Preservation Committee (CPC). If received, this funding will be used to offset the cost of the Athletic Improvement Project planned for the MS/HS campus. The request was for $800,000. Next week I will present to the Wenham CPC for the same project. The actual amount we could receive is determined by the committee and further divided the same way the towns are assessed, one third from Wenham and two thirds from Hamilton. 

Remember we do not have school on Monday, January 16th in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

I hope you have a great weekend!

Superintendent’s Weekly 1/6/2023

Happy New Year! I spent far too much time during break wondering what my New Year Resolution(s) would be. Instead of deciding on a resolution, I decided to set intentional goals that I would write down and keep checking in with myself at the end of each month. In the past, my resolutions would usually end around January. Whole 30 was always my January vibe to “get healthy” but then I wondered, why would I commit to this just for the month of January? Why would I put in all the work for a month and then count down to the end of the month so that I could have cake, cookies, pasta and bread again? Since I have been in the role of Superintendent, I have realized that many 14-16 hour days in a row do not work well for my health so finding a better balance will be key. My word for 2023 is BALANCE.  What is yours?

HWRSD Budget Update:

Last night the School Committee voted to approve the Superintendent’s Tentative FY24 Budget. Important upcoming Public Hearing dates for the FY24 School Budget are as follows: 

Thursday, January 19, 2023

Thursday, February 9, 2023

The hearings will be held at Buker Elementary School in the Multi-Purpose Room, 1 School Street, Wenham, MA at 6:30 PM. A regular meeting of the School Committee will directly follow the Public Hearing. 

School Choice Public Hearing:

On January 19, 2023, the School Committee will hold a Public Hearing for School Choice at 6:30 PM. Each year, the Committee is required to vote to have or not have school choice in the district.

Feasibility Study Agreement for Cutler School:

This afternoon I filed a signed Feasibility Study Agreement with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) that will start the journey to look at options and configurations for a new school building. In our case, the plan will be to examine both the Cutler and Winthrop schools, their sites and other sites around the communities that may be options for a new building. During this stage (Module 2) of the process we will advertise for and hire an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) that will assist us with the feasibility and design stage of the process outlined by the MSBA. This process will take between 12 and 18 months to complete.

Warrant for Election of School Committee Members:

The School Committee voted to approve the warrant for election of members of the HWRSD school committee. There will be two (2) seats available this year, each for a term of three (3) years.  

If you are interested in running for election to one of the available seats, please click here for more information.

Building Committee for Athletic Field Improvements:

On Wednesday, January 4, 2023, the Athletic Field Improvement Building Committee had their first meeting. You can find information here.

MRMS Musical: You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown!

Charlie Brown and the entire Peanuts gang explore life’s great questions as they play baseball, struggle with homework, sing songs, swoon over their crushes, and celebrate the joy of friendship. Don’t miss this classic musical presented by our talented Miles River Middle School students. For Tickets: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5691569

Thursday 1/12 @ 7pm

Friday 1/13 @ 7pm

Saturday 1/14 @ 2pm & 7pm

School Cancellation Notices & Emergency Alerts for Parents and Guardians:

Did you receive the school closure notification (Text or Email) on the Friday before vacation? If you did not receive an alert, PLEASE log in to your ASPEN account and confirm your contact information under the Family tab. 

1. Current email is correct
2. Your cell phone should be in the “PHONE SMS” field

IF this information is incorrect or you need to add your cell phone number to receive text message alerts, please contact your school’s secretary. 

Keeping Kids Safe and Secure Online:

The United States Attorney’s Office is hosting a virtual Internet safety presentation for parents the evening of Wednesday, January 18th from 6:30 – 7:30 pm. The presentation, entitled Keeping Kids Safe and Secure Online: A Project Safe Childhood Presentation for Parents will bring awareness to the dangers of the internet, including gaming and social media platforms that predators use to groom children with the intent of exploiting them sexually online or for an in person meeting. The presentation will focus on prevention by educating parents and community members how to help keep children safe online. We will be covering the following topics:

Social Media 101 & Digital Footprint

Cyberbullying

Sexting

Gaming

Victim Support

Protecting Against Online Predation

The presentation is free. Registration is required. The link to register is included on the attached flyer. You may also find it below. Please feel free to pass along this opportunity to your community.

REGISTRATION DETAILS

Please register at the following link: (via Chrome browser))

Event address for attendees:  https://usao.webex.com/usao/onstage/g.php?MTID=ec3d8ccd61ccdd26ee39d8c6ffd5c57aa

Password:  PSC1

Questions or difficulty registering? Please contact:

Karen Legace @ USAMA.PSCOutreach@usdoj.gov

Did you know?

Mid-year exams will take place at the HS January 17-20th? Can you believe it? We are almost half way through the school year!

On Wednesday morning, I worked with the district leadership team to begin the process of identifying the action steps needed for each of our strategic initiatives that were outlined in the HWRSD Strategic Plan. Once the action steps are complete, we will begin to develop the timelines for each action step. Along with this work, our consultant, Teaching and Learning Associates has been working on the visual aspects of our plan. When complete, we will have a digital book that will detail our plan to share with our communities.

I’m looking forward to seeing the sun this weekend. I hope you have an amazing weekend!

Superintendent’s Weekly 12/23/2022

I can’t believe it but this will be the last Superintendent’s Weekly for 2022. We certainly ended the year in a huff as the winds ramped up relatively quickly forcing the cancellation of school. Originally I was going to hold out until morning because the weather forecasts showed a window of time in the morning when the storm subsided a bit. At 1:30 AM when the wind awakened me, I did some more research and also began to look at the power outages. By 2:30 AM I decided that it just didn’t make sense to risk having school given power outages and downed trees and that we have a lot of little ones who would have to wait for buses. Also, many of our staff live in communities that had no power or had already canceled school so staffing would have been an issue. This time I only sent emails, and texts, and posted to Instagram, Twitter, and the local news channels. I chose not to call at 4:40 AM when I made the final call. 

Cutler School Project Fast-tracked:

Yesterday I attended a Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) meeting with School Committee Chair, Dana Allara and Director of Maintenance and Operations, Thomas Geary.  During the meeting, it was announced that the Cutler school project was one of two projects that had been fast-tracked because we had met all of the milestones of Module 1 early. Usually, this wouldn’t have occurred until March of 2023. This is exciting news. I look forward to moving into Module 2 of the process, feasibility. During this module, we will begin to build our project team by advertising and hiring a Project Manager who will help us through the rest of the modules. I should note that we are still early in the process and the MSBA is not committing to the project yet, but we will continue to work towards their milestones in pursuit of a commitment.

CPC Grant Submission for Athletic Fields Improvement Project:

Next week I will submit an application for consideration by the Community Preservation Committees(CPC) of each town. These applications are a request for funding support for the Athletic Field Improvement Project. If we receive the grants, it will help offset the costs of the overall project which is currently between 13 and 15 million dollars. CPC grants will be another step to help to reduce the overall tax burden on members of our communities.

I plan to have the overall request for support and funding of this project ready for a vote at the April Town meeting with a project start date no later than May of 2024. 

Congratulations HWDECA Students! 

On Wednesday, December 14, and Thursday, December 15, Hamilton Wenham DECA competed at the District 3 Career Development Conference held at the Doubletree by Hilton in Danvers. Twelve schools and over 1,100 students participated in the business competition in over 50 categories of marketing, hospitality, finance, and entrepreneurship. Hamilton Wenham sent 191 students to the DECA conference and 104 qualified for the State Career Development Conference to be held March 9–11 in Boston. Details on the State Conference will be released in January. Visit HERE to see the award recipient list and more photos.

MRMS & HWRHS Winter Concerts:

Enjoy some Holiday cheer brought to you by the students of Miles River Middle School and Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School.

Watch the MRMS Chorus HERE

Watch the HWRHS Jazz Band HERE

Watch the HWRHS Harmony HERE

Free Holiday Skate:

Looking for a great way to kick off the holiday break, join the HW Boys Hockey team at Pingree Rink for a free Community Skate tonight, December 23rd, 4-4:50 PM. Holiday Music, Cross Ice, Candy Canes, and Reindeer Games will be included. 

Reminder: We will return to school from break on January 3, 2023.

At my house, we celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas. This year they overlap so it is interesting to see how they meld together in many ways. Happy holidays to you and your family!  

106 Hamilton-Wenham Students Qualify for DECA State Career Development Conference!

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Update from our School Nurses 12/16/2022

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Superintendent’s Weekly 12/16/2022

I would like to thank the Friends of the Arts (FOTA) group for their recent support of a number of events, equipment purchases, and activities across the school district. The list includes:

• Harvest Concert Sound – $1,400
• High School Fall Musical Freaky Friday Theater Fee Scholarships – $1,750
• Middle School & High School Winter Concert Musicians – $1,500
• Cape Ann in School Field Trip – $665
• Musicians for Charlie Brown Middle School Production – $3,000
• Materials/Supplies for Charlie Brown Middle School Production – $662.44
• Traditional Oaxacan Wood Carving & Painting – $725

We desperately need help in the HS kitchen each day from 9 AM – 1 PM. If you are interested, please contact the Director of Food and Nutrition Services, Wendy Ng at 978-468-0398.

On Tuesday I was fortunate to meet with the chairs of all five boards, including the Select Boards from both towns, the Finance Committees of both towns, the Town Manager of Hamilton, the Town Administrator of Wenham, and the School Committee Chair. We met to discuss the large-scale projects that each entity has on the horizon. It was a great conversation and it enabled us all to have a full understanding of the next few years while also committing to working together to create a great HW community.

On Wednesday I, along with several other area Superintendent’s, met with Senator Bruce Tarr, Representative Jerry Parisella, Representative Jamie Belsito, Representative Sally Kerans, and several other representative aides to discuss the massive increases to out-of-district costs that the State has approved for next year totalling approximately 14%. We worked to help them to understand the impact not only in our individual school districts, but across the State. Statewide, this increase will cost school districts more than 90 million dollars. We look forward to hopefully gaining financial support from the State House.

School Year Calendar Updates:

As you may remember from last week’s Superintendent’s weekly, I am working on the 23-24 and 24-25 calendars and would like your feedback. If you haven’t had time to respond, please take 2 minutes to complete a very short survey. This information gathered with the survey will be presented at the January 5, 2023 school committee meeting to support the discussion about our school calendars.

Important Date Change – High Art Show Reception and Winter Concert:

Unfortunately due to faculty illness, we need to reschedule the Art Show Reception and Winter Concert.

The New Date is Wednesday, December 21st. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause during a busy season.  

• HWRHS Winter Art Show Reception at 6:00 PM – Be sure to stop by the visual arts wing to check out our talented student’s work. Light refreshments will be served.
• HWRHS Winter Concert at 7:00 PM – The program will include a wide variety of pieces to be performed by the Concert Band, Jazz Band, Concert Choir, and Harmony. 

Free Holiday Skate:

Looking for a great way to kick off the holiday break, join the HW Boys Hockey team at Pingree Rink for a free Community Skate Friday, December 23rd, 4 – 4:50 PM. There will be Holiday Music, Cross Ice, Candy Canes, and Reindeer Games. 

Are you in Need of Holiday Assistance: 

If you are a family in need of holiday assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to the school counselors via email. We are here to support you!

Winthrop:  Deb Lanigan, d.lanigan@hwschools.net; Jeanne Attaya, j.attaya@hwschools.net

Cutler:  Ann Creilson, a.creilson@hwschools.net 

Buker:  Colleen Langone, c.langone@hwschools.net

MRMS:  Elizabeth Hortie, e.hortie@hwschools.net

HWRHS:  Sue Howland, s.howland@hwschools.net

District:  Kristen Lazzaro, k.lazzaro@hwschools.net

The HWRSD School Counseling Team wishes you a happy and healthy holiday season!

HS Accreditation Final Report:

HS Principal Bryan Mengoni has received the Decennial Report from NEASC. The report was very positive and in many ways matched our own School Summary Report that we provided to the Visiting Committee prior to their time with us last March. The report came with some recommendations for each of the Priority Areas that you can see here in a memo that Mr. Mengoni provided to the School Committee. Mr. Menegoni also highlighted two important Commendations that the Visiting Team identified: 

• The strong sense of commitment to create a meaningful, supportive, and caring experience for all members of the school community
• The strength of the school is built upon the relationships between students and faculty and staff 

We expect that NEASC will issue our Accreditation letter in the next two weeks. Finally, the next step in the accreditation process is a one-year follow-up that will focus on progress made since the Decennial Visit in March 2022.

Financial Assistance – Hamilton Foundation & W.I.S.S.H. Committee:

With the school year underway and the holidays quickly approaching, we wanted to remind Hamilton & Wenham residents that the Hamilton Foundation and Wenham’s WISSH Committee are here for you if you need short-term financial assistance. They can provide help with urgent short-term needs such as mortgage or rent assistance, emergency home repairs, utilities, medical bills, and childcare. All requests are confidential. Your child’s school counselor can provide you with a brochure that explains more about how the Hamilton Foundation or WISSH Committee can help. Or, you can find more information on the town’s websites: Hamilton Residents, Wenham Residents

Did You Know?

There are two winter concerts and an art show scheduled: The MRMS Winter Concert will take place on Tuesday, December 20th at 7:00 PM in the HS Auditorium. The HWRHS Art Show has been rescheduled to Wednesday, December 21st at 6:00 PM in the hallways outside of the library followed by the HS concert at 7:00 PM in the auditorium.  

Good luck to all of our Winter athletes who will be having their first games this week.

I hope you have a magnificent weekend!