Superintendent's Weekly Memo - March 17

March 17, 2023

A Google Docs version of this memo can be found by clicking here.

Dear Medford Public Schools Community:

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  We wish all members of our community with Irish heritage Good Luck today!  Historical fact: the White House was designed by a young Irish architect, named James Hoban, who worked with President George Washington on the design and construction of the Executive Mansion.

March is the 36th year of National Disability Awareness Month, proclaimed by President Reagan in 1987.  It was established to promote understanding and to provide encouragement and opportunities to help persons with disabilities to lead productive and fulfilling lives.  Orange is the color for the month because it symbolizes energy and positivity.  National Disability Awareness Month is important because it seeks to end bullying and stereotypes, it helps to foster relationships, and educates the community.  Additionally,  it helps to raise awareness about the rights of people with disabilities and it celebrates their contributions to our communities and society as a whole!

Today’s memo includes

• Congratulations
• Upcoming District Review Parent/Caregiver Focus Group
• Website Additions
• Medford/Malden Transition Fair
• Middle School Lottery - Information Session via Zoom on March 22, 2023
• High School Senior Grant Opportunity
• Harlem Wizards PTO Fundraiser
• Hiring New Staff
• Upcoming Events

Congratulations!

Will Kelley, a senior at Medford High School, qualified for the National Indoor Track Championships held last weekend in New York City and placed 20th in the 400 meters!

Roberts Elementary School’s CCSR Group - hosted a raffle for the Save the Sea Turtles organization, and raised over $500 for the non-profit Save the Turtles which will help staffers take care of turtle’s nests.

Last Saturday, Medford High School sent 10 students to the Model United Nations conference hosted by Boston College High School. The students interacted with other high school students from all over the region and debated pressing issues that the country and world are dealing with today.  Our students represented a variety of countries and personalities on diverse committees that were debating the Patriot Act, The Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the status of Somaliland and whether it should be a member of the African Union and the issues of proliferation of nuclear arms on the committee entitled 100 seconds to midnight. Our team consisted of 2 freshmen, 5 sophomores, 2 juniors and 1 senior and one of our delegates won "The People's Choice Award" for his performance on his committee. The members of the club are excited to grow the club and to go to many more conferences.

Upcoming District Review Parent/Caregiver Focus Group

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has contracted with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to conduct a district review of Medford Public Schools. The purpose of the district review is to provide formative and actionable feedback on district practices, enabling district leaders to reflect on progress and strengthen staff and student performance. As part of this review, AIR will be conducting a virtual parent/guardian focus group on Tuesday, 4/4/2023 from 6:00-7:00 PM to gather perspectives on communication with families, opportunities for family involvement, and leadership, opportunities for students within the district, and more. If you are interested in joining, please register ahead of time HERE.  Each link is set for the language of the memo.

Website Additions

Our website will now feature student art galleries with work from students across the district. The online galleries can be accessed for each school on their respective school pages. The link can be found under the "Student Life" tab. You can also access all the school galleries on the Fine Arts page. Here is a link: https://www.mps02155.org/academics/fine-arts/art-galleries. Mrs. Fee would like to thank Mrs. Miller and MVTHS seniors Kevin Gusmao and Vaibhav Saini who were instrumental in bringing these pages to life!

Medford/Malden Transition Fair

Due to the storm, the Medford/Malden Transition Fair was postponed.  Originally it was scheduled for March 15th, but it has been rescheduled for March 29th from 6-8 PM in the MHS Gym.

Middle School Lottery - Information Session via Zoom on March 22, 2023

On Wednesday, April 12, 2023, fifth-grade students will be entered into our Middle School Lottery.  The Superintendent of the Schools will be hosting an information session for grade 5 students and families on Wednesday, March 22 at 5:00 PM.  Please click here to join the meeting.

High School Senior Grant Opportunity

As graduation moves closer, I want to remind our seniors to apply for the many scholarships available through our Guidance Office.  The MHS Alumni Association, the Medford Kiwanis Club, Matthew “Swirls” Cirelli Memorial Scholarship, and the John & Thelma Connors Scholarship Program are just a few of so many available to our students.  A number of the scholarships have application deadlines by the end of March.  I urge our seniors to check out the scholarship lists as soon as possible.

Harlem Wizards PTO Fundraiser

Thursday, April 6, 2023, at 7 PM The Harlem Wizards return to Medford for a fundraiser for all of the elementary school PTOs, being held in the gym at Medford High School.  Our elementary teachers & staff will play in a basketball game against the Wizards.  There will be comedy, slam dunks, audience participation, giveaways, and more.  Additionally, the PTOs will be hosting a concession stand.  It is such a fun way to raise money!  Get your tickets now!  It was a sell-out in 2019!  For tickets, please go to  https://pretix.eu/harlemwizards.

Hiring Paraprofessionals, Substitutes, Cafeteria Staff, Before and After Care Staff, and Building Monitors

The Medford Public Schools has vacancies for a number of positions.  We are actively seeking candidates to apply for positions within our schools. We are also seeking additional building monitors.  Please click here for our current postings.

Upcoming Events!

Friday, March 17th - Andrews Middle School hosts 6th Grade Neon Dance - 5-7 PM

Saturday, March 18th - Adaptive Annie, Jr. Performance - Caron Theater - 1 PM - (tickets available via Eventbrite)

Saturday, March 18th - Sensory Storytime at the Medford Public Library - 2 PM - (for ages 3-7)

Sunday, March 19th - 26th - Porter Square Books host a book fair for the Missituk

Monday, March 20th - Medford School Committee Meeting - 6 PM - Zoom Link Here

Monday, March 20th - Behind their Screens - What Teens are Facing & Adults are Missing - Medford Library 7-8 PM

Tuesday, March 21st - World Down Syndrome Day

Tuesday, March 21st - Ramadan Begins at Sundown

Wednesday, March 22nd - Middle School Lottery Informational Session - By Zoom 5:00-6:00 PM

Wednesday, March 22nd - Crossing Guard Appreciation Day

Wednesday, March 22nd - CTE Showcase at the Medford Vocational Technical High School - all 8th graders & their families are welcome - 6-8 PM

Thursday, March 23rd - McGlynn Elementary PTO hosts Family Bingo Night - 5-7:30 PM

Friday, March 24th - Medford Public Library hosts PJ Story Time - 6-7 PM - (for children aged 3-7 years old)

Friday, March 24th - Sophomore Semi-Formal - at MHS

Yours in Partnership for Children,

Dr. Marice Edouard-Vincent, Superintendent of Schools