Superintendent's Update- September 18, 2026

Posted Date: 09/18/26 (04:00 PM)

September 18, 2026

Congratulations!

Congratulations to our 24 staff members who achieved professional teaching status. Congratulations to our 4 staff members who reached 30 years of experience!

I would like to recognize and congratulate our school Parent-Teacher Organizations for their outstanding work reorganizing the PTOs, and to celebrate the significant effort they invested over the summer to bring our kids together.

We are thrilled to share that Acton-Boxborough Regional High School has once again been honored as a Special Olympics Massachusetts Unified Champion School for the 2025-2026 academic year! We extend our heartfelt appreciation to our dedicated program coordinators, Faith Jarger and Nikki Jeannotte, for their exceptional leadership in fostering an inclusive community, along with Principal Joanie Dean, Athletic Director Jim Scanlon, our teachers, coaches, counselors, advisors, and students who made this possible.

Cyber Incident Update

I want to provide a brief summary of where things stand with the cybersecurity incident we have been managing over the past two weeks.

Since first learning of suspicious activity on September 8, we have worked closely with a forensic cybersecurity firm, legal counsel, and PowerSchool’s cybersecurity team to investigate the incident and strengthen the security of our systems. As part of that response, we have been resetting user passwords across affected systems, and implemented additional security protocols as well.

Those steps have been effective in reducing the malicious inbound activity we had been observing, and we continue to closely monitor our systems for any additional malicious activity. Out of an abundance of caution, we also temporarily disabled access to the PowerSchool Parent Portal and High School Student Portal on September 16 while additional security measures are put in place.

The forensic investigation is still underway, including work to determine what information within PowerSchool may have been accessed. We know families understandably have questions, and we will share additional information as soon as we have confirmed findings to communicate.

I appreciate the patience and understanding of our students, staff, and families as we work through this carefully. We will continue to keep the community informed and will notify families as soon as PowerSchool portal access can be safely restored.

Kate Crosby, Longtime Energy Manager to Retire

As Kate Crosby prepares to retire on September 18th, we want to recognize the extraordinary impact she has had on ABRSD’s sustainability work. Under her leadership and advocacy, the district secured $1.7 million in funding for electric school bus deployment, earned recognition as a Mass Save Climate Leader, and saw the Boardwalk Campus named 2024 Green Building of the Year. Kate was also honored as the 2024 Change Agent of the Year for her leadership in advancing net-zero school design and helping other districts learn from ABRSD’s experience. We are deeply grateful for Kate’s vision, persistence, and commitment, and we congratulate her on an exceptional career and a well-earned retirement.

At the same time, we want to welcome Gillian Macchia to her new role as the ABRSD Energy Manager. We look forward to many years of impactful service to our community.

A-B’s AI Leadership in the Spotlight
We would like to thank community member Greg Jarboe for his recent article, “Your Brand Needs an AI Accountability Document. A School District Beat Big Tech To It.,” published today by Search Engine Journal and highlighting A-B’s AI Guidelines and Guardrails.

A-B’s AI Guidelines and Guardrails were developed last year under the leadership of Educational Technology Director Amy Bisiewicz and Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning Gabrielle Abrams, with significant contributions from staff, students and other stakeholders.

The guidelines are organized around five key pillars:

Humans First: Center human connection, originality, and agency
Adaptive Literacy: Building AI readiness for staff and students
Responsible Stewardship: Address sustainability and intellectual property
Rigorous Governance: Safeguarding data and systems
Intentional Use: Promote equity and reduce bias

We appreciate Greg’s recognition of this work and the thoughtful attention he has brought to A-B’s approach to the responsible and intentional approach to artificial intelligence.

2025-2026 Integrated Monitoring Review

Last evening, the process and findings for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's 2025-2026 Integrated Monitoring Review were presented to the School Committee. You can view the presentation here. Public access to our Corrective Action Plan will soon be available on the DESE website here. Please contact Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, Gabby Abrams, with any questions at gabrams@abschools.org.

Upcoming Holidays and Cultural Celebrations

Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration of the history and culture of the U.S. Latinx and Hispanic communities. Spanning September 15 to October 15, it commemorates how these communities have influenced and contributed to American society at large.

Yom Kippur

Sunday, September 20 – Monday, September 21, 2026

Begins at sundown on Sunday, September 20 and concludes at sundown on Monday, September 21. No School on Monday, September 21, 2026

Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, when Jews ask forgiveness for the wrongs committed over the past year. Jewish tradition holds that on this day God places a seal upon the divine decrees affecting each person for the coming year.

Job Postings

Seeking Community Help - We are pleased to be almost fully staffed at the start of the year in our classroom teaching positions. However, our District continues to have several openings in our classroom support and operational support positions, all of them important roles in our schools.

We encourage interested members of our community to consider applying for positions that you believe would be a good fit for your skills and interests. Please also consider passing this information along to friends and neighbors who may also have an interest. Many of these positions may also be suitable for college-aged students who may be attending school part-time, or on a leave from their studies. Click here for our job listings.

Community Coffee with School Committee Chairperson and Superintendent

Our Welcome Back Community Coffee (virtual) is scheduled for Monday, September 28 at 7:00 PM. Here is the Zoom link.

Around the District…

Our new schools are more than new buildings. They are becoming new communities. Whether it is Back to School Night, a family picnic, or another school event, each gathering gives students and families a chance to connect, get to know one another, and begin creating the memories that will make these schools feel like home. Thank you to everyone who has shown up, pitched in, and helped bring these communities to life. It really does take a community to build a community. Many thanks to our Principals for providing a few highlights from the start of the year at each of our schools:

Carol Huebner Early Childhood Program

During orientation parents/guardians and students met the CHECP staff, explored learning materials and toys and played in the classroom.
Students practiced their motor skills during Motor Monday and Strong Hands groups led by our Occupational Therapists.
Students have been settling into their new learning community by getting to know each other's names, participating in circle time, and learning about classroom jobs and daily routines.

Blanchard

Staff have been eager to start building relationships with new students.
Students have been welcomed into inclusive, energized spaces.
Transition has been smooth due to the consummate professionals in the building who are student-centered and rock stars!

Boardwalk Lower

Students have been spending time getting to know their classmates and developing classroom communities through Morning meetings.
Staff and students have been hard at work learning expectations and practicing daily routines in all their learning environments.
We had an amazing Back to School Night- watching students share their learning environment with their families was priceless!

Boardwalk Upper

Staff had a meaningful three days of professional development featuring collaboration and team building as we all got to know each other!
Students and staff worked intentionally to ensure all students felt a sense of belonging as they were welcomed into their new school community.
Students had schoolwide expectations outlined at our very first community meeting!

Parker Damon Lower

The PDL faculty kicked off the year with three days of professional learning. Staff participated in a Compass Points activity to explore different collaboration styles and build a strong foundation for working together as a new school community.
In classrooms, teachers have focused on establishing routines, building connections, and exploring identity and community. These early experiences are helping students feel a sense of belonging and connection to their new school.
At our first All-School Assembly, our music teacher brought everyone together for a school sing-along, while our PE teachers introduced students to the importance of teamwork, communication, and perseverance.

Parker Damon Upper

Students enjoyed seeing old friends, neighbors, and making new friends during the first days.
Teachers led activities to welcome students and honor each student and families’ identities! They also are working on team norms and forming their own high functioning teams.
We are focused on building our new commUNITY and really appreciate the support of our PTSOs, staff, and students in doing this work! We had our first assembly, buddies start with the lower school next week, and all staff and students added their faces to our community board. Jenn and Christy are focused on learning all 408 names!

RJ Grey Jr High
- We're starting the year with 787 students, including 27 who are new to the District.
- Early on, students were happy to meet their teachers and teammates, including those in their Advisory groups.
- Students are practicing new routines, including keeping their Chromebooks at school overnight.

Acton-Boxborough Regional High School

On August 26, student volunteers helped welcome all staff back for three days of Professional Learning, including a Day of AI (Artificial Intelligence). Congratulations to four staff members who have reached 30 years of service: Brian Dempsey, Cheryl Simmons, Kristen Sluyski and Dianne Telicki

11th and 12th grade Ambassadors helped welcome nearly 400 9th graders to the high school on August 31. The day was filled with students visiting their classes and meeting their teachers, counselors, and assistant principals. We also had a spirited assembly, an engaging Student Experience panel, the first Class of 2030 photo at the high school, and Assistant Principal Team games for students.

Now, after two weeks of school, high school students are engaged in their new classes and looking forward to many upcoming community events. Students are starting to embrace some tech-free socializing by playing cards and UNO when in the library and cafeteria. Finally, last week we had our Activities Fair and many athletic and extracurricular events, including our first victorious home football game. Go AB!