.png "Superintendent's Update 8.25.23")
August 25, 2023
In this update:
Congratulations!
First Day for Staff
First Days for Students
Universal Free Meals
Coming Soon! - Parent Square
Acton-Boxborough Resource Center
ESY Update
Community Education & Extended Day
Human Resources Update
Facilities Updates
Conant Abatement
Charter Road
Telephone System Upgrades
Blanchard Kitchen Floor
Blanchard Exterior Painting
Central Office Department Relocation
Boardwalk Campus
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Brian Li who was selected as an alternate for the US Team at the International Chemistry Olympiad. Brian won the local competition which qualified him for a study camp where he finished in the top 6 in the country. As far as I know, he is the only student from AB to ever earn a place on the US Team in this event. Please see the press release and please join me in congratulating Brian on his achievement!
First Day for Staff
Our first day back for staff is Monday, August 28th. We start the day with a continental breakfast at 7:30 a.m. in the high school commons. The official start of the day begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. in the high school auditorium for our opening ceremony. The ceremony concludes at 9:30 a.m. and educators return to schools for meetings and preparation for the year!
First Days for Students
Our first day of school for students in Grades K-7 and 9 is Wednesday, August 30th. As a reminder, this is an early release Wednesday for students in grades K-6. For students in Grades 8 and 10-12, the first day is Thursday, August 31st and is a full day for everyone. Here is a link to the full school calendar.
Universal Free Meals
We are excited that Massachusetts recently became the 8th state in the nation to permanently provide free meals to all students! Even though meals are free, we strongly encourage families to apply for free/reduced price lunch as in the past years. This application qualifies families for other scholarship opportunities in the district. You can learn more about this and our nutritional program on the Food Services Website.
Coming Soon! - Parent Square
This Fall, we are launching ParentSquare, a new communication tool designed to streamline how families receive information from us. In the near-term, ParentSquare will replace the Remind App that allows two-way text messaging with families. Staff will continue to have access to Bright Arrow this year as we make the transition to Parent Square. For those of you who need access to two-way texting, or want to begin using ParentSquare, I encourage you to visit our Staff ParentSquare website. This site will have information and comprehensive instructions on how to set-up and use your account.
Families do not need to do anything now and they will continue to receive email, text and phone communication from us like they always have, regardless of whether a staff member uses ParentSquare or BrightArrow. They will soon be able to download an application that will allow for streamlined two-way communication. Families can preview ParentSquare on our website.
Acton-Boxborough Resource Center
I am also excited to share the opening of the Acton-Boxborough Resource Center. We will have an Open House on Wednesday, September 13 from 1:30 pm-3:30 p.m. with tours. We will have a Ribbon Cutting ceremony at 3:30 p.m. with Senator Jamie Eldridge. The AB Resource Center is a joint venture between ABRSD and the Acton-Boxborough United Way to provide ongoing support and resources to families from the time they enter our schools through graduation. Click here to read more about the A-B Resource Center.
Extended School Year (ESY Update)
We had a very successful Extended School Year program (ESY) from July 5, to August 10, 2023. Over 200 students participated in a range of programming with over 70 teachers, tutors, assistants and related services staff supporting them. Thank you to our staff and families who supported our students in the ESY program this summer.
Community Education & Extended Day
Community Ed. had a busy summer, with over 3,500 enrollments in 350 classes and activities. Comm. Ed is currently focused on the Extended Day program, where interest is returning to pre-Covid levels yet staffing challenges persist. To address this, Comm. Ed. has added a number of new, benefitted Assistant Teacher positions, a premium wage for those who work on early release Wednesdays, and a $500 referral fee when someone recommends a candidate who is successfully hired and employed at the program. Interested candidates can visit our employment opportunities website to apply.
Human Resources Update
The District has hired over forty (40) certified professional staff for the upcoming school year. We also continue to fill open positions in Food Services, Facilities, Transportation, as well as paraprofessional roles in all of our schools. Certified staff members will participate in a series of orientation activities starting Wednesday, August 23 that includes district-wide and building-based meetings and workshops to prepare for the year, and welcome our new colleagues to the District. There are positions that continue to be unfilled and we are working diligently to identify candidates to hire. These include an elementary psychologist, elementary special educator, and long-term substitute roles at Conant and the Junior High.
Facilities Updates
The Facilities department has been incredibly busy this summer with some major projects and getting our school ready to open. Thank you to all of our facilities staff and custodians for all of their work. Below are some updates on our major projects this summer:
Conant Abatement
The Conant school was the focal point of a large-scale abatement project as the friable ACM (Asbestos Containing Material) ceiling tiles were removed and replaced throughout the entire building. This was a coordinated, team effort as the project had to be completed in small phases to properly utilize asbestos containment procedures. Each section of the building was tested to monitor air quality as well as perform visible inspections of the surroundings. Completing the critical summer custodial responsibilities is now the focal point and with a team effort we will be ready for the start of the school year. Thank you to the Conant educators, custodians and staff who did a tremendous amount of work to pack and unpack the school for students.
Charter Road
The Town of Acton continued work on the Kelly’s corner project this summer focused on the intersection of Charter Rd. and Route 111. The new road has received a temporary coat of pavement, there is a new sidewalk between 111 and the Junior High School, and the contractor is repainting the crosswalks before the start of school. There are some adjustments to the roadway that have taken place and we urge some caution with the new pattern. We have asked that there be a police officer at the student crosswalk as we begin school.
Telephone System Upgrades
All phones at the HS, PDB, Admin Building, and Conant have been upgraded from the (20+) year old models. Once the JHS upgrades are completed in December, our entire districtwide phone system (close to 1000 extensions) will be complete. These new phones will bring us into compliance with recent e911 legislation.
Blanchard Kitchen Floor
The Facilities department managed a removal and replacement of the epoxy floor of the kitchen and surrounding spaces at the Blanchard School. This entailed disconnecting and removing all the kitchen equipment, sinks and other furniture.
Blanchard Exterior Painting
Each Summer we will look to improve the appeal of our schools. In this case we brought in an outside vendor to scrape, prep, acid wash and paint the exterior entryway and pillars in the courtyard of the Blanchard.
Central Office Department Relocation
Now that the preschool has moved into its new building, we are pleased to report that we are making great progress in relocating our district teams centrally into the Administration Building. This summer our Facilities Office, Transportation Office, and Nutritional Services offices all relocated. Next year, we will relocate educational technology as well. These moves not only centralize the district functions, but free up valuable space in our schools for student programs and services.
Boardwalk Campus
The contractor made significant progress toward completing the Boardwalk Campus this summer. Most notable, both of the new parking lots will be complete for the beginning of school! The preschool playground is now complete and will open when students return. The softball field has been laid out and will be seeded early this fall. The basketball court has also seen significant progress and we anticipate it will be ready for use in late September. There will be some minor landscaping work that will continue on site as we open school. Additionally, all major interior items are now complete and we are looking forward to welcoming students back. Work on the solar array has been delayed as the contractor conducted additional geotechnical testing prior to final design. We hope to have an update on this aspect of the project in the next few weeks. The Board of Health conducted a hearing on the Hazardous Materials permit for this aspect of the project and determined to continue it to a future date. They requested that once scheduled, we make the school community aware of that date. We will provide more information once we have it.