Dear Shrewsbury Families, Colleagues, & Community Members,
The snow has started falling, so please take it slow and be patient this afternoon with dismissal. With the cold temperatures ahead it is looking like it will stick, and that it will be a white Christmas! Whatever holidays you may be celebrating in the coming weeks, I hope you enjoy your time with family and friends and that the new year brings you good health and happiness.
As we end the calendar year, I remain very grateful to be part of the Shrewsbury community and to have the privilege of serving as superintendent of our outstanding public schools. While there is no doubt that we are living through a complex time that brings many challenges to the work of public education, I continue to see our schools' superb faculty, staff, leaders put enormous effort into serving our students' needs in ways that are inspiring to me. I am also deeply thankful for the support our families provide as partners in the work of helping your young people succeed, and for the generosity shown by our community. One recent example was a $25,000 gift from Charles River Laboratories to help us provide innovative science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), opportunities for our older students. Another was this past week's $40,000 sponsorship from YATCO Energy to help purchase a van to provide access to career awareness opportunities such as job shadowing and internships for SHS students. YATCO's Yatim Family includes many former SPS students, and I was touched by the remarks made by SHS graduates Mohamed and Hussein Yatim as to why their family is providing us with this generous support – I invite you to view this two-minute clip here so you can hear them yourself.
Most importantly, I am consistently impressed by our students. Since school began in August, they have not only worked hard to meet the learning expectations set by our educators in the classroom from day to day, but they have also excelled in the many co-curricular opportunities our schools provide. I am very proud of the accomplishments of our students in the visual arts; music and drama performances; robotics, speech and debate, and other academic competition teams; and athletics. I am even more proud when our students give back to the local community through service projects. One recent wonderful example that combines high levels of learning in the classroom with a desire to make a difference for others was documented in this recent WBZ news story, where you will see one of our SHS sophomores in the Class of 2027, Nichelle Thinagar, being recognized as one of only 106 students in the nation (and one of only two in Massachusetts) to be named a "National STEM Champion." Nichelle was recognized for creating an innovative science project designed to assist stroke victims, which was inspired by her grandfather’s situation. Congratulations to Nichelle!
As we close out 2024 and head into 2025, please note a couple of quick reminders:
• This is a "no homework" vacation period, so no assignments will be due and no assessments requiring studying will be given on January 2, the day students return to school.
• The School Committee is reviewing proposed updates to the district's bullying prevention and intervention policy and plan, and intends to vote on each update at their January 8 meeting. If you have feedback on these, you may send it via email to the School Committee at SchoolCommittee@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us.
Thank you for your continued efforts and support, and all the best for safe travels and a relaxing and fun vacation!
Respectfully,
Joe Sawyer
Superintendent of Schools