Today is the last day of our first full week of school. In general I am happy to report that we continue to deal with issues as they arise with attention to transportation and like topics. Most importantly, students are engaged in learning, the faculty and staff continue to provide outstanding opportunities for all students, and the administration is working daily to improve efficiencies within each building. My office continues to monitor the current migrant student enrollment, support school needs, and begin to work on the Triennial Plan (more on this in an upcoming Weekly Newsletter).
This week I wanted to communicate about my view of educational leadership and my expectations for the entire SPS community of student-scholars and professionals. Dr. Anthony Bent, former Superintendent of Schools, mentor, and School Committee member shared with my previous leadership team "A Humanistic View of Leadership: Building Capacity, Working Through Others, Managing Environments" (January 2015).
These nineteen (19) principles have been at the forefront of my leadership philosophy since that workshop. Although I had many of these thoughts prior to the workshop, I had never put them to paper (the credit is all Dr. Bent's). At the Convocation with faculty and staff I mentioned a few that stand out to me and are part of my daily routine.
#3 - Knowing that organizations are ALL about relationships
#8 - Assuming good intentions
#11 - Saying "yes" as often as possible
#13 - Valuing and celebrating the work in the field
#16 - Communicating about almost everything - no surprises
These five stick out for me and the other fourteen are as important. Which five (5) do you think
Joseph F. Baeta, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Stoughton Public Schools
We had a photo shoot with our SHS fall sports captains and here they are sporting their new captain's jackets and wearing their uniforms - looking sharp and ready to compete! Click here to see all of the pictures from the photo shoot. And click on the button below to like/follow the Stoughton High School Athletics Facebook page.
Students in grades 1-5 at the Gibbons School began the year in art class with a lesson on turning mistakes into something else based on the book "Beautiful Oops". Last year’s unclaimed paintings/drawings as well as paint spills on paper were transformed into some creative results. This was a great way to remind artists that when they make a mistake to look at it as an opportunity to make it into something beautiful, funny, cool, etc.
The O'Donnell Middle School will be taking part in "Start With Hello Week" next week (September 18-22). Start with Hello Week is part of the Sandy Hook Promise and focuses on teaching students empathy and empowering them to end social isolation by following three easy steps. If they see a student who is alone, they can reach out and help and it starts with saying hello. Here are some of the activities and theme days at the OMS next week:
- Meet & Greet Monday - Students will be greeting and saying hello in the morning.
- Upstander Tuesday - At lunch, students can fill out upstander cards. Upstanders speak up and stand up for others.
- Wear Green Wednesday - Green is the color of promise for the Sandy Hook promise and mental health awareness
- Trusted Adult Thursday - Students will participate in an activity during Knight Time advisory to identify a trusted adult in their life.
- Moving Forward Fri-Yay - Students are invited to sign the pledge to continue to reduce isolation throughout the year.
With the school year underway, we want to make sure we have accurate and updated emergency contact information and health information for your child.
An email went out to families on September 13, 2023 asking parents/guardians to log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal account, click on the forms link in the left navigation menu and update any information that is not accurate in the two forms - Current Student Information/Emergency Form and Current Student Health Information.
When you have updated the information, please click on submit at the bottom of each of the forms. If your child's information is accurate, please click on submit at the bottom of each form to indicate that you have reviewed the data and it is accurate.
