APS Welcome Back

On behalf of everyone at the Attleboro Public Schools (APS), it is my pleasure to welcome you back for the 2022-2023 Academic Year. The district administration, Central Office personnel, your school administrators, and their staffs, are all busy preparing for another successful start. The first day for students in grades 1-12+ is Monday, August 29. There is no school on Friday, September 2 and Monday, September 5. The first day for our kindergarteners is Wednesday, September 7, and for preschool students it is Thursday, September 8. You should receive more details from individual schools in the coming days.

In our ongoing effort to improve communication across the district, APS has adopted a new platform for its website and direct communication with families. We recommend that you download our new app (Android or iPhone) to stay connected. This fall we will share more information about our use of the two-way messaging function of this application. Families will still be able to access all of our messages through our website, which remains www.attleboroschools.com, but the APS app will be required to maximize the improved experience provided by this powerful new tool.

The start this year is an especially momentous occasion for the City of Attleboro, as we are opening our new Attleboro High School, the flagship of the district. We are excited to invite the entire community to an Open House on Saturday, September 24, to tour this state-of-the-art facility, which will provide our students with the learning environment that is well-positioned to prepare them for the demands of life in the 21st century. Please keep an eye out for more details after Labor Day weekend.

In an unexpected but welcome development this summer, Massachusetts has extended free school meals for another year. This means that breakfast and lunch will continue to be served at no cost to all students. Please note that even though meals will be free for all, it remains essential for families to complete the household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the 2022-2023 school year. We strongly encourage ALL families to submit this form as it allows us to determine eligibility for P-EBT benefits and waive or reduce transportation, athletics, and other fees. Documenting qualifying families also significantly impacts state funding for our district, so completing the form is a direct way to support our schools.

Our response to COVID this year is changing to reflect the new normal. Consequently, the district will no longer engage in any testing or maintain previous restrictions, except a continued mask requirement in Health Offices. Moving forward, we are only managing positive cases. We continue to ask families to keep symptomatic students at home and encourage direct communication with school nurses about any health issues.

This year we are beginning our implementation of the district’s new Strategic Plan: Navigating Toward 2025. This comprehensive plan prioritizes relevant, real world learning experiences that will prepare students to become valuable members of our community.

We look forward to working with you to meet the social, emotional, and academic needs of your child(ren). Our partnership will ensure their healthy development and future success.

Sincerely,

David A. Sawyer

Superintendent