SPS Weekly Newsletter

We are excited to share the latest edition of the SPS Weekly Newsletter with our families, students, staff, and community members! A new edition will be sent each week when school is in session, sharing updates, previewing upcoming events, and showcasing the amazing work being done in our schools. This week we feature Dr. Baeta's weekly message, the SHS Theatre Program, SHS Winter Guard, Puzzle Day at the South, ACCESS testing, financial literacy, and more!

Over the past couple of weeks I had my first meetings with Student Advisory Councils at the O’Donnell Middle School and Stoughton High School. Made up of a diverse group of students, these advisory councils are a great way for me to hear directly from the students and get their perspective on what is working for them, what we can do better, and areas that need our attention. I’ll be meeting with both the OMS and SHS councils every couple of months. I enjoyed the candor from the students and it led to an open and productive conversation. I value the input of student voices and their feedback helps to shape the work we do at the administrative level.

Joseph F. Baeta, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Stoughton Public Schools

Dr. Baeta is pictured here meeting with the Stoughton High Student Advisory Council on Wednesday.

The cast and crew of the Stoughton High School Theatre production of "Clue on Stage" are pictured above (and are also featured in the header photo at the top of the newsletter). Come see this amazing show this weekend at the SHS Auditorium!

Performances take place:

• Friday, February 2 at 7pm
• Saturday, February 3 at 7pm
• Sunday, February 4 at 4pm

Click here to purchase tickets online.

For more photos and updates from the Stoughton High School Theatre Program, click on the button below and follow the Stoughton High School Theatre Facebook page.

Monday, January 29 was National Puzzle Day, so the South School celebrated the occasion with several types of puzzles set up around the cafeteria, giving students a chance to do some brain exercises, while having fun with classmates. There were traditional jigsaw puzzles, Jenga blocks, 3D puzzles, a station to make your own puzzle, and more!

“Scientists have discovered that when we work on a jigsaw puzzle, we utilize both sides of the brain, improving memory, cognitive function and problem solving skills in the process,” the National Puzzle Day website states.

Stoughton High's two winter guard teams, Amber and Onyx (pictured together above), start their competition season this Saturday in Salem, MA. Both teams gave a preview of their show during a friends and family performance at SHS on Thursday. Best of luck to both teams this weekend!

Over the past few weeks, nearly 500 English Learners in the Stoughton Public Schools have engaged in the rigorous WIDA ACCESS exam to test their progress and English proficiency across reading, writing, speaking, and listening. "We are so proud of our multilingual learners," SPS ELE Director Dr. Amy Quealy said. "Nina is the avatar in the exam and we have one motto in Stoughton, #BeatNina!"

The students pictured here in Kim Jeffery's term 2 11th-grade Financial Literacy class at Stoughton High excelled in achieving certification in Financial Education for the Real World. Through a seven course online simulation, students mastered crucial financial skills, covering topics such as banking basics, income and employment, budgeting, consumer skills, credit and debt management, financing higher education, and insurance. The interactive lessons and classroom activities facilitated a practical understanding of complex financial concepts, enabling students to confidently navigate real-world financial scenarios. This certification signifies their readiness to manage finances adeptly and make informed decisions in various financial realms.

Students have been learning how to sew and weave as part of the fiber arts center in the Gibbons School's art studio. The two students pictured here used the skills they learned in art class to repair a sweatshirt that had a rip in the pocket and to fix a stuffed turtle that needed its flipper reattached.

Mrs. Monaghan’s kindergarten class at the Hansen School learned about Antarctica and made penguins (seen here hanging above the students). The students also made groundhogs that pop in and out of their holes, which they are holding in this picture. Perfect timing for Groundhog Day on Friday!

The O'Donnell Middle School winter sports teams took over the Stoughton High gym on Wednesday. The OMS wrestling team took on Taunton and the OMS boys and girls basketball teams took on Canton. The OMS dance team also provided some fantastic entertainment during the basketball games. It was great to see the future of Stoughton athletics on display!

For more photos and updates from both Stoughton High and O'Donnell Middle School winter sports teams, click on the button below and follow the Stoughton High School Athletics Facebook Page.

The Stoughton 300 Committee is planning for the town's 300th anniversary coming up in 2026. The committee will be having a logo design competition this March, open to all O'Donnell Middle School and Stoughton High School students. See the flyer below (or click here) or more details.

Another friendly reminder that with the school year underway, we want to make sure we have accurate and updated emergency contact information and health information for your child. Please 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.

For updates throughout the week, be sure to follow Stoughton Public Schools on social media: