Acushnet Public Schools
You Matter! It's Not Acushnet Without You!
December 4, 2023
Message From the Superintendent
Unveiling the 2023 School District Holiday Ornament!
Dear School Community Members:
We're thrilled to announce the arrival of our much-anticipated 2023 Holiday Ornament, and it's a true masterpiece! Introducing the "Wildcat Bus Express" ornament, featuring a delightful scene that captures the spirit of our school community.
The vibrant colors and intricate details capture the joy and energy of our students as they embark on their educational journey.
But that's not all! Take a closer look, and you'll spot a familiar face riding the bus -- none other than our beloved K9 Sunny, the comfort dog! Sunny has been an integral part of our school community, bringing warmth and comfort to students and staff alike. Her presence on the ornament adds an extra touch of charm and reinforces the sense of unity within our district.
Don't miss out on this wonderful keepsake as we only have limited quantities available. The 2023 Holiday Ornament will be available for purchase at the Superintendent's Office the week of December 18th. This ornament is a fantastic way to commemorate the holiday season and show your support for our school district. Again, we have limited quantities available and checks can be made payable to the Acushnet PTO in the amount of $10. Please see Kathy Tsonis in the Superintendent's Office.
We look forward to sharing the joy of the season with you through this unique and charming holiday ornament. Thank you for your continued support, and may your holidays be filled with warmth, laughter, and the spirit of togetherness.
Happy Holidays!
Celebrating the Arrival of the Newest Wildcat!
I am thrilled to share some wonderful news with all of you -- we have a new addition to our Wildcat family! Please join me in extending heartfelt congratulations to our dedicated Business Manager, Patrick McIntyre, on the birth of his fourth child, Declan Patrick McIntyre.
Declan made his grand entrance on November 13, 2023, at 3:44 p.m., weighing in at a healthy 9 lbs. 3.8 oz and measuring 20.5 inches. We are overjoyed to welcome this happy and adorable little guy into the world.
As we celebrate this joyous occasion, let's come together to send our warmest wishes to Patrick, his wife, Kim, and the entire McIntyre family. Parenthood is a remarkable journey, and we know that Declan is surrounded by love, warmth, and the support of an incredible community.
We look forward to watching Declan grow and thrive as the newest member of our Wildcat family. Wishing the McIntyre family endless joy and precious moments with their newest bundle of joy!
#WildcatPride #YouMatter #BetterTogether #TwoSchoolsONEDistrict
Warm regards,
Dr. Paula J. Bailey
Superintendent of Schools
Patrick's Priceless Grin as the Diaper Cake Unveils His Future Adventures!
Student Services
Hello families!
With the winter break right around the corner, I thought it would be a good time to share some helpful homework tips to support your child/children. If your child/children will be using this time to catch up on assignments, some of these might be useful for you...
1. Build a homework routine together
2. Designate a homework station. Making homework routine keeps the expectations clear and setting aside a space to do homework helps with this.
3. Learn to fight distractions by taking breaks and moving around
4. Keep it positive and respect when she/he has had enough
5. Reward progress with getting homework done
6. Work around family activities and try utilizing time in the car to practice facts and get simple worksheets completed.
7. Set a timer. 20-30 minutes should be sufficient for a light amount of homework. When the timer goes off, homework time is over.
8. Consider allowing your child/children to listen to music while doing homework. Research shows that pleasurable music increases dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is responsible for regulating attention, working memory and motivation.
Also remember to skip really difficult problems , praise the good effort and pack it up when you are all done. Using these can help make homework time a bit less stressful for everyone involved!
Be well and Happy Holidays!
Kim Bettencourt
Director of Student Services
Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Family Sense of Belonging Survey
As we continue to strive to make the Acushnet Public Schools a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment, we would like to extend our gratitude for taking the time to share your feedback through our recent family survey. Your insights are important to us, as they help us understand how we can better serve you and improve our services. In the coming days and weeks our teams will be reviewing the data collected and planning for next steps.
Safety and ALICE Training
Thank you to the family volunteers who have joined the district Safety Committee. Our most recent meeting was held on November 16th and many topics related to safety were discussed, including ALICE training. Your child’s safety is of the utmost importance to us, and we want to ensure that you are well-informed about our ALICE safety protocols and procedures.
What is ALICE?
ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. It is a comprehensive approach to dealing with potentially dangerous situations, such as an intruder in the school, with a focus on empowering individuals with options. ALICE training is widely recognized as a proactive and effective strategy to enhance safety in educational institutions.
Each year, all district employees participate in ALICE training and teachers deliver ALICE lessons to students. All lessons are age-appropriate and are delivered calmly and sensitively to prepare all students for emergencies. In addition, we conduct ALICE drills throughout the year.
Why Conduct ALICE Drills?
The purpose of ALICE drills is to familiarize our students and staff with proactive strategies, enabling them to make informed decisions and take appropriate actions in emergency situations. These drills are conducted with the primary goal of enhancing safety, and they help create a sense of preparedness and empowerment among all members of our school community.
What to Expect During ALICE Training and Drills:
Alert: We will practice recognizing a potential threat and how to quickly and effectively alert others.
Lockdown: We will demonstrate and practice secure lockdown procedures to protect students and staff inside classrooms and other designated areas.
Inform: Our students and staff will learn how to communicate essential information to school authorities and law enforcement.
Counter: In the event that evacuation or lockdown is not an option, participants will be educated on strategies for disrupting or distracting potential threats. The counter strategy will not be taught to students in grades PK-5.
Evacuate: We will rehearse safe evacuation procedures when it is determined to be the best course of action.
Important Points:
ALICE drills are conducted in a controlled and safe manner. Our primary concern is the physical and emotional well-being of our students and staff.
These drills are designed to be age-appropriate, and we ensure that they are carried out with sensitivity to the developmental needs of different age groups.
We will always announce multiple times at the start of the drill, “This is a drill, this is a drill, this is an ALICE drill”.
We work closely with local law enforcement and emergency services to ensure that our procedures are aligned with best practices.
Regular drills and training are essential to help everyone become more comfortable and confident in responding to emergency situations.
If you have any concerns about how to discuss ALICE drills with your child, our school counselors and administrators are available to provide support and guidance.
Your child’s safety is our top priority, and ALICE drills are just one of the many measures we take to ensure their well-being. We appreciate your understanding and support in this matter. If you have any questions or concerns regarding ALICE or our safety procedures please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher, administrator, or angelaruggeri@acushnetschools.us
Angela Ruggeri
Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Technology
December is here!!
Parent Portal
Most of our parents have signed into their Aspen Portal account, however if you have not done so. Please go to our website www.acushnetschools.us and click on Aspen on the top of your screen. You will want to sign in with your login id (usually your email address) and the password that you used to sign up with. If you have forgotten your password. Click on the I forgot my password link. This portal will allow you to see your child's information and allow you to make changes to your personal information (phone numbers, email addresses / etc) more easily.
Check your batteries!
Batteries in items we don't use frequently are all too easy to forget about. Consider this another 'good habit' reminder from your Technology Team.
Make it a point to go through all of your devices that use batteries as part of your spring and fall cleaning routines. You may have missed "National Check Your Batteries Day" on March 11th, but you should still do so. Some examples include: mice, keyboards, thermostats, doorbells and especially remote controls and fire alarms.
- Remove batteries completely from anything being put into storage or that won't be used for a while (for example, toys or remotes for portable heaters, etc.)
- Test and replace batteries on anything critical (for example, fire alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, thermostats, etc.). Battery testers for many household battery sizes are easy to obtain online and are very inexpensive (less than $10).
- Visually inspect batteries on all devices utilizing them.
Leaking batteries may damage the device - part of the reason for inspecting batteries is to catch this early and avoid any damage. Any batteries showing signs of leakage should be removed and disposed of properly.
Following these guidelines helps us be a safer community and we are stronger together!
Acushnet Technology Department
Business Office
Business
As mentioned in previous newsletters, budget season is upon us and we are looking for your feedback!
We are asking for your input on the future of Acushnet Public Schools - this input will help inform the development of our budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (School Year '24 - '25) to improve the priority areas described in our 2021-2026 District Plan:
- Achieving Academic Excellence for All Students
- Creating Thriving Social and Emotional Learning Experiences (SEL) for All Students
- Strengthening Partnerships with Parents and the Larger Community
In the survey linked below, please share up to three (3) specific opportunities you would be interested in APS to focus on, as well as your suggested solutions.
The survey is open now through December 22nd and should take approximately five (5) minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous!
Thank you in advance for your participation!
Facilities
As a friendly reminder, to ensure the continued safety of our staff and students, school grounds are not to be utilized by the public during school hours. This includes our fields, courts, playgrounds and track/walking path.
Use of Facilities
Are you or someone you know looking to use our facilities? If so, please utilize our Facility Use Application. We look forward to working with you!
School Nutrition
SBP & NSLP
At APS we participate in the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program.
These programs are federally assisted meal programs that are administered at the federal level by the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. For fact sheets on these programs please see below!
For more information regarding APS' specific School Nutrition Program such as our menus, pre-payment options, nutrition education and more, please visit our Acushnet Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services website.
MySchoolBucks
Curious as to what your children have been purchasing in our school cafeterias - visit MySchoolBucks! Under your student's name click "Meals" and then click "Purchase History". Here you will be able to see if your student purchased a meal, a hot or cold "grab and go", doubles, etc.
Transportation
SY2023-2024 Bus Routes
Questions on our current bus routes and stops? Please see below for our School Year 2023-2024 routes. In addition, if your student is registered for transportation and has been assigned a bus and a stop the information has been added to your student's Aspen profile!
- SY23-24 Acushnet Public Schools Routes & Stops - AES
- SY23-24 Acushnet Public Schools Routes & Stops - FMS
- SY23-24 Acushnet Public Schools Routes & Stops - High Schools
If it becomes necessary to permanently change a student's bus stop before the end of the year due to relocation, change in caregiving, or other family emergency, please email requests directly to bonniegrace@acushnetschools.us or patrickmcintyre@acushnetschools.us.
Thank you for your investment in our schools!
Patrick McIntyre
Business Manager
Dr. Paula J. Bailey, Superintendent of Schools
Email: paulabailey@acushnetschools.us
Website: https://www.acushnetschools.us/
Location: 708 Middle Road Suite 1, Acushnet, MA, USA
Phone: 508-998-0260
Twitter: @drpaulajbailey
Katherine Tsonis, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and School Committee
Email: katherinetsonis@acushnetschools.us
Website: https://www.acushnetschools.us/
Location: 708 Middle Road Suite 1, Acushnet, MA, USA
Phone: 508-998-0260, option 5
Kim Bettencourt, Director of Student Services
Email: kimbettencourt@acushnetschools.us
Website: https://www.acushnetschools.us/
Location: 708 Middle Road, Acushnet, MA, USA
Phone: 508-998-0258
Patrick McIntyre, Business Manager
Email: patrickmcintyre@acushnetschools.us
Website: https://www.acushnetschools.us/
Location: 708 Middle Road, Acushnet, MA, USA
Phone: 508-998-0260
Patrick Mistler, Director of Technology
Email: patrickmistler@acushnetschools.us
Website: https://www.acushnetschools.us/
Location: 708 Middle Road, Acushnet, MA, USA
Phone: 508-998-0260
Angela Ruggeri, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Email: angelaruggeri@acushnetschools.us
Website: https://www.acushnetschools.us/
Location: 708 Middle Road, Acushnet, MA, USA
Phone: 508-998-0260