Salem Public Schools Weekly Update

September 16, 2022

SPS families,

Yesterday kicked off Hispanic Heritage month (September 15-October 15). In Salem, we hosted a ceremony at Riley Plaza with a proclamation, personal reflections and the raising of flags from Hispanic/Latinx countries from around the world. It was a celebration filled with pride and unity that serves as a reminder of the strength of the Latino community in our city. I wanted to share my comments from yesterday's event:

With our demographics in the Salem Public Schools (almost 45% Hispanic), it is important that our children appreciate and understand the contributions and impact that the Latino community has made to our city and nation. It is critical that our Latino students see themselves in our curriculum and the experiences at school (not just for Hispanic heritage month, but the entire year). In the next month, we will provide our students with multiple opportunities to learn more about Latino culture and history through focused lessons, projects, assemblies and field trips. We have provided our staff with tools, resources and guidance so that we can seize the learning opportunity. We will keep you posted as to the different ways that our schools are celebrating Hispanic heritage during the coming month.

Enjoy the weekend!

Steve

At Salem Public Schools, we are recognizing one staff member a week who exemplifies our core values of celebrating differences, facilitating collaboration, fostering innovation, creating equity and access, growing all students, and upholding high standards for all. We are surprising a deserving SPS team member with a rock star trophy.

This week, the rockstar award goes to Lisa Critch, special education reading teacher at Saltonstall. Ms. Critch works tirelessly to support students in their journey to becoming proficient readers. She is patient, skilled and singularly focused on getting students unstuck to enjoy the magic of reading. Ms. Critch is also a team player who will do whatever it takes to make Saltonstall a better place for children.

Please join us for a vaccine clinic at Saltonstall on Saturday, October 1st from 9:00am-1:00pm. Everyone who gets vaccinated will receive a $25 gift card.

• Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J vaccines available
• The vaccine is FREE
• ID and Health Insurance are NOT required
• First doses, second doses, and boosters available

Pre-registration is available (link to: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://home.color.com/vaccine/register/transformativehealth?calendar=ea156f14-4111-4878-9dab-0af9a4aa0996__;!!CUhgQOZqV7M!gNiewWzcIJv-sBus6U2GkiyNifqMuB7V7nxj2HlUJ7hV665KTZMLA6ZgqsbRUISBzH24OahIbIpMJH5NhRlb09zZyvcgQw$

Salem High School is receiving National Banner recognition from Special Olympics International! SHS has successfully achieved national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy and respect! The athletes, partners, students, coaches, volunteers, teachers, staff and administration at Salem High School have all played key roles in creating a social climate where everyone feels included and respected for who they are. We are honored to have such a strong and fully inclusive school be recognized for the hard work and dedication they demonstrate daily to continuously grow and strengthen this program. The school and leadership team are a model for other schools, and we look forward to new heights you will reach tomorrow and in years to come!

SHS is 1 of only 12 schools in Massachusetts and among 164 schools nationwide to achieve this status for the 2021-22 school year. Well done, Salem High School!

National Arts in Education Week is a national celebration recognizing the transformative power of the arts in education. Passed by Congress in 2010, this week-long celebration is designated to highlight how our students (and staff) benefit from artistic learning, innovative thinking, and creativity. It is also a way to bring attention to the cause for elected officials and educational decision-makers across the country to support equitable access to the arts for all students.

Celebrate the arts in our schools!

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND - FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!!!

AUTUMN CHILDREN'S CHARITY CRUISE AROUND SALEM HARBOR ABOARD the HANNAH GLOVER.... Wednesday, 9-21-22 6 to 9 pm. $35

This Salem Harbor cruise includes DJ Leo Jalbert, snacks on board compliments of Santoro's of Peabody, a cash bar and plenty of giveaways. This cruise includes a pre-cruise meeting on Longboards at Pickering Wharf at 5:00 p.m. (Wow, those complimentary lobster rolls went quick last time!)

Maximum Tickets Sold = 130. All ticket money raised goes to the children of Salem !

Our Salem Children's Charity supporters make us who we are and allow us to get ALL the kids the things they need, like sports sign-ups, help with clothing, food cards, YMCA memberships, family holiday assistance, emergency shelter assistance, college scholarships and more!.

Hope you can join us! We know the fall is busy but this will be a guaranteed blast that benefits Salem kids ! Get your tickets now: www.salemchildrenscharity.org

It’s September, school is back and so are FREE school meals for all Salem students. Salem Public Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services is working hard to bring healthy and delicious meals to every school in Salem. Well-fed kids have better focus, better health, and better academic outcomes. Breakfast and lunch will continue to be served at no cost to all. Our breakfast and lunch options emphasize whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, with limits on sodium, saturated fat, trans fat, and calories.

Daily meal components for breakfast for grades K - 12 include the following: Fruits: One full cup of fruit (or optional vegetables), Grain: Two servings of whole grains (meat or meat alternatives may be used in place of a grain, as long as one grain serving is already part of the meal), Milk: One cup of milk (nonfat or low-fat unflavored milk must be offered, non-fat or low-fat flavored milk may also be offered)

Learn more www.projectbread.org/school-meals-program #SchoolMealsForAll #StayFullEatAtSchool

By Wednesday, September 7th, the central administrative offices housed at Collins Middle School will have a separate entrance. The main entrance for CMS students, CMS staff and CMS families only will remain in the center, rear of the building. All other SPS staff and visitors for the central administrative offices will now use the new central office entrance, located on the Jackson St. side of the building, closest to Highland Ave. See picture below. We appreciate your cooperation and patience as we may redirect you to the proper entrance depending on the nature of your visit.

During the month of September*, residents of Salem, MA with proof of residence (driver’s license, school ID, etc.) may explore the Museum of Science for FREE, thanks to the generous funding by the Read Family Charitable Trust. In addition to free entry to the Exhibit Halls, Salem residents will also be able to see Planetarium and Omni Theater shows for free during their visit. Additionally, groups visiting the Museum on either Saturday, September 10 or Saturday, September 24, will receive a food voucher for use in the Museum’s café that day.

This will be the ninth year of this remarkably successful and unique program, and we hope that you can take advantage of this opportunity to visit the Museum and experience the many new and iconic exhibits, shows, and programs offered daily.

Can’t make it to the Museum during the month? No problem! We are planning to bring the Museum of Science to Salem! Visit us at the Salem Farmers' Market on Thursday, September 1 and Thursday, September 15 where we will be conducting a fun drop-in activity. And we won’t leave you empty-handed — take home an Engineering is Elementary Try It! Kit, that includes all the materials you need to complete the mini-design challenge, with instructions in English and Spanish.

We hope to see Salem residents in September!

* The Museum will be closed on Tuesday, September 6 and Tuesday September 20.

This year, Salem Public Schools has a goal of lowering our chronic absenteeism to 21%, but we’ll need your help to make this possible. School attendance has a huge impact on your child’s success. We want to make sure every child is in class, every day.

We realize some absences are unavoidable. Please keep in mind that when a child is chronically absent (2 or more days a month or 18 days over the school year), they can fall far behind in what they learn. Excused and unexcused absences both mean missing classroom learning time and absences can add up.

We are here to help. Please let us know how we can best support you and your child so that they can show up for school on time, every day.

In partnership with the City of Salem Traffic and Parking department, we have a new map of recommended walking routes for our K-8 schools. Just click on the school you wish to have walking directions to, and the map will display a few different safe routes.

Walking to school is a great way to start the day! We are looking forward to seeing you all next week!

Welcome to the Virtual Backpack. This is a space where we will place items that in the past may have been a flyer in your student's backpack from friends and partners to SPS.

A reminder that ParentSquare is the district platform for communication. You will receive communication from the district, your school, and your student's classroom all in one space. You can communicate 1-to-1 with teachers, sign up for parent-teacher conferences, and more.

This is how our school and teachers communicate with families districtwide. Please be sure you are receiving messages from ParentSquare. If need support downloading the app or receiving messages, please contact your school's front office. You can visit www.parentsquare.com for more information.