AB Forward Update

Thank you to everyone who expressed interest in our focus groups.  While focus groups are full, we still have opportunities to provide feedback to us through our upcoming Community Forums and our survey that launches in mid-October.  We want to assure everyone that all feedback collected through focus groups, community forums, and surveys is weighed equally.  As a reminder, our community forum dates are:

October Holidays & Dates

Yom Kippur 2025 begins on the evening of Wednesday, October 1, 2025, through the evening of Thursday, October 2, 2025, "Day of Atonement." This is the most solemn of Jewish holidays. Jews fast from sunset until sunset of the next day, and spend much of this observance in synagogue. The holiday concludes at sunset with a "break-the-fast" meal, often with extended families and friends. There was no school on October 2, 2025

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is October 13, 2025- On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, our Nation celebrates the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples, recognizes their inherent sovereignty, and commits to honoring the Federal Government’s trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations. There will be no school on October 13, 2025.

Diwali, also spelled Divali, is one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, lasting for five days from the 13th day of the dark half of the lunar month Ashvina to the second day of the light half of the lunar month Karttika. There is no school on Monday, October 20, 2025.

Halloween is Oct. 31, 2025- Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31, and Halloween 2025 will occur on Friday, October 31. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes, and eating treats. (History.com)

Student Attendance We shared a letter with families around our goals for student attendance this year.  We look forward to your continued partnership on this important learning issue for our students. Spring 2025 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) The Spring 2025 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) individual student results will be shared electronically for current Grade 4-9 and 11th-grade students during the week of October 13, 2025. You can access information about Acton Boxborough's performance at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education site by clicking here.  Families who do not receive their child(ren)'s results should contact Louisa Latham at llatham@abschools.org.  Principal Spotlight Happy National Principal Month! This October, we honor our dedicated Principals and Assistant Principals for their tireless efforts and commitment to our staff and students. Look for weekly social media posts featuring Principal Michael Votto and Assistant Principals Julie Babson and Jennifer Giusto. They'll be sharing a hope for our students and families, and a personal, non-school-related tidbit with our community.  ABRHS hosted 60 visiting students from Gyeongsan Science High School in South Korea last week. I was able to attend the closing ceremony at ABRHS. The ceremony featured student speakers, a scholarship presentation, and a dance performance by our Gyeongsan students. Thank you to all the teachers for hosting students in their classes. Additionally, I appreciate all the student ambassadors from the Korean Language Club and musicians from the Jazz Combo.