From the Superintendent: 'Celebrating Successes Despite Challenges'

Submitted by Superintendent of Schools Joe Sawyer

Despite the many challenges we are facing as a school district, it is important to continue to celebrate our students' successes.

Our visual arts program continues to excel, and we have had 34 students from kindergarten through high school selected to display their artwork at Worcester Art Museum as part of Youth Art Month. Congratulations to these young artists and their teachers!

Similarly, our athletics program continues to shine, with many teams and athletes competing in the postseason.

Next week, look for our first athletics email newsletter with more details on the very successful winter sports season, which will also highlight all of our athletics sponsors. We had several new sponsors step up this past week - thank you to Metso Automation and Alison Zorovich RE/MAX Advantage 1 for being $1,000 Blue & Gold sponsors and to O'Brien & Gibbons Insurance Agency and SHS athletics alumnae Alicia & Michaela Tinsley for being $500 Colonial sponsors. 

Please note the following additional information:

School Safety & Security: Last week, the School Committee heard an update on the work of the School Safety and Security Committee.

This committee, which consists of representatives from multiple town departments and law enforcement agencies, has been working diligently to review our status in this important area. While many effective protocols and practices have been in place for some time in Shrewsbury, we can always improve. After thoughtful deliberation and consultation, the committee has recommended that we transition to maintaining locked front entrances throughout the day at all of our schools from preschool through grade 8, while maintaining the one access point at SHS where the Senior Greeter program operates while also increasing supervision at SHS during after school hours. We are working on the plan to effectively make this transition, and in the meantime will continue the additional supervision of front entrances that has been in place since December. 

Additionally, the Shrewsbury Police conducted a training session on responding to a school shooting during the vacation week, which is something they have been doing for multiple years; their focus on school safety through trainings such as these and by committing two officers to our schools as School Resource Officers is very much appreciated.

Budget Update: The School Committee also received a budget update.  Unfortunately, some cost estimates for next year have increased substantially in the areas of special education out-of-district tuition and tuition for vocational/technical high school.  The School Committee will meet with the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee next Wednesday, March 6, at 7 p.m. to discuss the budget.  The School Committee has also scheduled an additional, new meeting date on March 11 at 7 p.m., when the administration will present budget reduction options, followed by a regularly scheduled meeting on March 13, which will include the opportunity for public feedback on the updated budget information as well as the required annual hearing on School Choice.

Beal Principal Search – Public Forum: We have selected finalists for the principal position at the Beal Early Childhood Center, and these finalists completed daylong visits to Beal over the past week. The finalists are: Lauren Dubeau, Principal of the Simonian Center for Early Learning in Sutton; Susan Frederick, Principal of the Elmwood Street School in Millbury; and Christian Girardi, Elementary Assistant Principal of the Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School in Worcester.

Shrewsbury School Journal: The winter edition of the Shrewsbury School Journal was mailed to all residences in Shrewsbury last week. My thanks to all who contributed articles, and especially to Kimberlee Cantin, our Executive Assistant for Communications and Operations, who again did a superb job with this project.  If you did not receive your copy in the mail, please contact Ms. Cantin at kcantin@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us

Celebration in the Garden Fundraiser: The fifth annual "Celebration In The Garden" fundraising event will be held on Saturday, June 15, at 6:30 p.m. Please visit their new website and like the Facebook page to support this wonderful event, which provides substantial benefits to our schools.