Superintendent's Update dated May 18, 2022

Dear Medway families, 

It has been a busy few weeks in Medway.  On Monday, May 9 Town Meeting was held.  Thank you to the Medway community for your support of the 2022-2023 (FY23) Medway Public Schools budget which was approved as part of the complete Town of Medway budget at the May 9 Town Meeting.  The partnerships between the school district with the town and our families are pivotal and we are appreciative of the on-going commitment and trust that this approval represents.  

On Tuesday, Town Elections were held.  Congratulations to Lauren Nassiff and Kailene Simon for their election to the Medway School Committee.  Our thanks to Dr. Tim Fagerson for his service on the committee over the past two years.  

Finally, I wanted to share the sad news of the recent passing of Diane Borgatti.  Diane was an active member of the Medway community and served on the Medway School Committee for twelve years.  She also served on the Planning Board, Energy Committee, and Master Planning Committee.  Her work to improve our schools and the Town of Medway will live on.  Please join me in offering our condolences to the Borgatti family.

Many important updates, informational items, and student celebrations are included in this update.

Be well,

  

Armand Pires, Ph.D.

Superintendent

Early Release Day Reminder 

There will be an early release day on Friday, May 20 to support an afternoon of professional development for our faculty and staff.  Students will be released at the following times:

Medway Middle: 11:02 a.m.

Burke-Memorial: 11:30 a.m.

Medway High:  11:34 a.m.

McGovern: 12:00 p.m.

No School:  Monday, May 30, 2022

This is a reminder that there will be no school on Monday, May 30, in observance of Memorial Day.  

COVID-19 Update

As we have seen in the news, there has been a state-wide increase in COVID-19 cases.  Medway, like other communities, has also seen an increase in COVID cases.  As we have shared with the community, data about the number of COVID-19 cases is available on our website.  

We have recorded 116 COVID-19 positive cases between May 1-14, 2022.  The recommendation from the CDC encourages individuals to wear masks in areas with high rates of infections, like Norfolk County. 

Reporting Student Cases

To report a student COVID-19 case please reach out to your school nurse and email us at covid@medwayschools.org. To better understand your student’s return to school timeline and requirements after testing positive for COVID please click here

COVID-19 Home Testing Program

Families may still opt into our bi-weekly rapid antigen home testing program.  Families interested in signing up for this program must opt-in by completing the Opt-in Form.   

If you are currently receiving the At-Home COVID Test kits and would like to opt out of receiving them, please complete this short opt out form.  Please note it may take a week to record your request which could result in your student receiving at least one more test kit.  

Equity Assessment Update

As we have shared previously, the School Committee has agreed to partner with SchoolWorks to conduct an assessment of our practices and policies as they relate to equity.  SchoolWorks’ Equity Assessment Process places a team of experienced educators from SchoolWorks in school districts to collect and analyze data about the district’s policies and practices with respect to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The team will collect data in three ways: 

  • focus groups/interviews
  • document review
  • survey administration/analysis 

The data and documentation will be reviewed by SchoolWorks team members within the following domains:

  • Leadership and Systems
  • Instruction
  • Students' Opportunities to Learn
  • Educators’ Opportunities to Learn

The site visit for SchoolWorks has been confirmed for June 8-10.  During this time, team members from SchoolWorks will be meeting with Focus Groups from across the community and within the school district.   

Within the next week, all Medway Public Schools’ families will receive information about how they can participate in the data gathering process for the Equity Assessment.  The communication will include:

  • a link to a Family Survey
  • a link to the Student Survey
  • a link to indicate interest in participating in a virtual or in-person Focus Group conversation  

Survey completion will take place through June 10.  We have a limited number of slots for Focus Group participation and the communication that you receive next week will seek your interest.  We will confirm participation by the end of the day, June 3, 2022.  More information to come soon!

District Improvement Plan

At the May 12 School Committee meeting, Armand Pires, Superintendent, and Gabby Abrams, Assistant Superintendent, shared the District Improvement Plan for the upcoming school year. You can find a copy of the presentation here

K-8 Literacy Curriculum Resource Adoption Update

During the May 12 School Committee, Gabby Abrams, Assistant Superintendent, provided the Committee with an update on the extensive process that our Grade K-8 educators and leaders have been engaged in around the selection of a new core literacy resource.  Please find the complete update linked here:   May 2022:  K-8 Literacy Curriculum Resource Adoption Process Update 

 Medway Middle School Robotics Team

Congratulations to Team Bot Masters consisting of: Sophie Anderson, Ezra Anderson and Team Pinyachta consisting of: Lucas Bianco, Owen Broude, Jack Connolly, Dylan Taylor, students at Medway Middle School, for their performance at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas last week. This was Medway’s first time participating in this event.  The students had a great time and were able to expand their knowledge and meet other students from around the world.  A special thank you to advisor, Maryann Tourkanatonis, and chaperone, Doug Herbst for their support of this program and their willingness to give of their time so that our students could participate.  Also, thank you to MSPTO, Constellation, and our greater community for supporting the funding for this exciting event.  

Medway Veterans Project

Medway High School students presented their Veteran’s Day Project at the Medway Council on Aging. Five local veterans were interviewed by high school students and their stories were shared.  Special thanks to Aubrie Rojee, high school history/social sciences teacher, for supporting our high school students through this special experience.  Congratulations to the students: Zachary Arnpriester, Sophia Barresi, Annabella Diamandis, Kirsten Downing, Katherine Evers, Julia Evers, Katie Gage, Jaeda Gorman, Elyse Hetzel, Olivia Keniry, Elizabeth Kenney, Maddie Marks, Maeve McKean, Mark Murphy, Colin Roberts, Addison Thompson, Erin Weafer, Madelyn White, Mason White, and Bianca Zufriategui.  

Medway High School Student Innovation Showcase

Medway High School PLTW Capstone hosted an Innovation Showcase. Medway High School students shared a “pitch” of their project idea and then visitors and judges met with the groups to learn about the student learning and progress behind the projects that they pitched.  In addition to school staff, judges from the One8 Foundation (MassSTEM Hub) and Constellation, were present to provide industry level feedback to the students.  

Thank you to Jon Jasinski, Medway High School teacher, for his efforts to support this event.  Thank you also to Joan Hallett, who has been supporting the project based learning implementation, who collected and shared some of the work from this year.  Congratulations to all who pitched their ideas! 

Student Mental Health: Parent/Caregiver Support Group Interest Survey 

Due to the Pandemic, the prevalence of adolescent mental health concerns has reached new heights.  This increase in youth mental health issues has outpaced the availability of support services, which has left parents/caregivers in a challenging position.  For this reason, we are exploring the idea of creating a community-based parent/caregiver support group.  As a first step, we are surveying interested parents/caregivers to understand how many people would like to join, how often the group should meet, and what time of day would work best for meetings.  If interested, please complete this survey.  

Nominations Sought:  Burke-Memorial Plaque - Deadline Approaching

Medway Public Schools is now accepting nominations for names to be placed on the Burke-Memorial School plaque.  Nominations must be submitted to the Office of the Superintendent, Medway Public Schools, 45 Holliston Street, Medway, MA 02053, by May 31, 2022. Candidates for inclusion on the Burke-Memorial School Plaque must have made a significant or memorable contribution to the town and/or school community.  Through their behavior and character, the candidate can be shown to be/have been an excellent role model.  This person, through service, volunteerism or dedication has made Medway school or town life better for those who follow.  Residents, past or present, who have sacrificed their lives or freedom in service to their country, either as members of the military or as civilians contributing to military or peace efforts, may also be nominated. The Medway School Committee will vote on the nominations in June.  The nomination form can be found here

A Message from Substance Use Prevention (‘SUP Medway) Coalition:  Celebrate Safely

Substance Use Prevention (‘SUP Medway) Coalition reminds you it is never okay to buy or supply alcohol for anyone under the age 21. More detail about the Massachusetts Social Host Law here. Especially if your child is graduating, attending prom, or friends with those who are, please encourage youth to celebrate sober and communicate a safety plan with your teen if they find themselves in a risky situation.  

Community Education Summer Programming

We are excited to announce the return of Summer of Discovery for all interested families of rising K-8 students.  This program will take place from August 15-19 from 9:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. with an extended day option from 2:00-4:00 p.m.  The goal of this week-long experience is to support students’ successful transition back to school in the Fall.  Daily activities include a combination of academic skills, social and emotional engagement opportunities, arts, nature, and fun.  A light breakfast and full lunch are available for all participants.  Transportation will be provided. All programming will be AT NO COST TO FAMILIES.  Please mark your calendars and be on the lookout for information/sign-ups to be shared soon. 

Our Summer Brochure is expected to arrive in Medway mailboxes by Monday, May 23.  A wide-variety of youth programs will keep children engaged, active and socializing. Adults - we have special programs for you as well.

Technology Update

The technology department would like to thank all families who have responded to our advisory regarding the high volume of student device damages. Since the return after April break we have noticed a significant reduction in repairs, helping us support our students, staff, and the curriculum. We thank everyone for their continued support of our efforts.

Medway Public Schools would like to advise that we are moving from a five year to a four year 1:1 chromebook lifecycle for take home devices in grades five and nine. New devices will be provided to students in grades 5 and 9 in the Fall. Students will be expected to utilize the device for four years, returning at the end of grade 8 and 12. To prepare for our plans, the IT Department intends to collect all 12th grade devices during the Senior close out process May 20th, 23rd, and 24th, and begin collecting 8th grade devices as of June 13th. Students are expected to return the device and charger in good working order during these collection windows.

Medway Public Schools State Assessment (MCAS) Schedule

Each year, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) requires school districts to facilitate state assessments beginning in Grade 3 in the areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, Technology, and Engineering.  These assessments are intended to provide districts and families with information about how our students are performing academically in relation to the state’s curriculum frameworks and standards.  The important information that is gained from these assessments each year - along with other district measures, and work with educators and families - helps the district to make decisions about curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices moving forward.  

We ask educators to support students’ participation in these assessments by encouraging them to do their best and show what they know.  Students should not feel the need to engage in any specific preparation for these assessments and we hope they don’t experience a great deal of stress - a good night’s rest and healthy eating should be what we aspire to do everyday.  There are make-up opportunities for students who are absent on the date of a scheduled assessment and we encourage families to please work to not schedule appointments or other out of school events during assessment dates so that students do not need to miss other school activities to participate in make-up testing.  

We have compiled a district MCAS testing schedule which we share below.  Should you have any questions about this information, please feel free to reach out to your child’s building principal.

Date

School

Grade

Subject Matter Test

May 19, 2022

Medway Middle School

Grades 5 and 8

Science/Tech/Eng. (Session 1)

June 7, 2022

Medway High School

Grade 9

Biology (Session 1)

June 8, 2022

Medway High School

Grade 9

Biology (Session 2)

School Calendars

Our last day of school, which will be a half day, will be Wednesday, June 22, 2022. The approved calendar for the 2022-2023 school year can be found here.

Follow the Medway Public Schools on Social Media

Medway Public Schools: Twitter: @MedwaySchools  Instagram: @Medwayschools  Facebook:  @medwayps 

Medway High School: Twitter: @MedwayHighInfo 

Medway Middle School: Twitter:  @MedwayMiddle 

Burke-Memorial Elementary School:  Twitter: @BurkeMemorial

McGovern Elementary School: Twitter @McGovernElem 

Medway Community Education: Twitter: @Medwayce Instagram: @Medwaycommunityed  Facebook:  @medwayce 

Upcoming Events

May 19, 2022

School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 6:00 p.m.

May 20, 2022

Early Release: All Schools

Medway High School Prom, Lakeview Pavillion, 6:00 p.m.

May 24, 2022

Medway Middle School Spring Band Concert, Auditorium, Medway High School, 6:00 p.m.

May 25, 2022

MSPTO Meeting, Guidance Area, Medway High School, 7:00 p.m.

May 26, 2022

Medway Middle School Spring Chorus Concert, Auditorium, Medway High School, 6:00 p.m.

May 30, 2022

No School: Memorial Day

May 31, 2022

Medway High School Superlative Night, 6:00 p.m.

June 1, 2022

Medway High School Senior Scholarship and Awards Night, Auditorium, Medway High School, 6:00 p.m.

June 2, 2022

School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 6:00 p.m.

June 5, 2022

Medway High School Graduation, Hanlon Field, Medway High School, 10:00 a.m.

June 7, 2022

Burke-Memorial Arts Festival, Burke-Memorial Elementary School, 6:00 p.m.

MFE Board Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 7:00 p.m.

Medway High School Athletic Advisory Meeting, Virtual, 6:00 p.m.

June 9, 2022

Medway High School Underclassmen Scholastic Awards Night, Auditorium, Medway High School, 6:00 p.m.

June 15, 2022

Medway Middle School 8th Grade Promotion, Medway Middle School, 6:30 p.m.

June 16, 2022

School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 6:00 p.m.

June 22, 2022

Last Day of School Early Release: All Schools

Medway Middle: 11:02 a.m.

Burke-Memorial: 11:30 a.m.

Medway High: 11:34 a.m.

McGovern: 12:00 p.m.

June 23, 2022

School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 6:00 p.m.