August 21, 2023
Dear North Reading Public Schools Community,
This week, as we witness the return to campus for many students, athletes, and others attending orientation meetings, walk-abouts, and related activities, the schools are buzzing with excitement and anticipation. I hope that all of our students and their families had a wonderful summer and everyone is looking forward to returning to school in the coming weeks.
As we look ahead to the start of the 2023-24 school year I write to offer a few reminders and updates:
- Wednesday, September 6, 2023 is our first day of school for students (grades 1-12)
- PreK & Kindergarten Orientation is on September 6th and 7th
- Friday, September 8, 2023 is our first day for PreK and Kindergarten students
Thank you to Mr. Sonny Campagna and our incredible Buildings and Grounds team who have once again done an amazing job preparing our schools for the upcoming year. The Digital Learning team, under the leadership of Dr. Daniel Downs, has also worked throughout the summer to update our devices and prepare the classrooms for the return of our students and educators. We also appreciate all of the staff who completed so many behind-the-scenes tasks during the summer months!
I also extend my thanks to the administrators and educators who led our Our Extended School Year Program and Acceleration Academies which provided many opportunities for our students.
During our leadership retreat this summer we came together and reviewed our district strategy, NRPS 2025, and focused on our goals for the upcoming year with respect to each of the “big rocks.” We engaged in sessions that looked deeper at how we use data to inform our decisions, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Multi-Tiered System of Support (M.T.S.S.), and the next steps we will be taking with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging as we work to continuously improve our practices to meet the needs of all students.
Once again, our Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, Mr. Michael Connelly, and Director of Student Services, Mrs. Cynthia Conant, have worked tirelessly to prepare for the upcoming year. In addition our entire Central Office team has been exceptional, as always, in making sure all of the details are in place for the new school year.
We are very pleased to welcome two additional individuals to our administrative team, both of whom are veteran educators in North Reading. Mrs. Michelle Caulfield joins us as our new Coordinator of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics and Mr. Robert Gannon will serve as the interim Coordinator for Secondary Special Education. Please join me in welcoming them to their new roles in our district!
In addition, we were also able to partially move forward with another of our NRPS 2025 goals with the addition of a 0.4 FTE School Adjustment Counselor for the elementary schools. This brings us closer to our goal of having at least one full time School Adjustment Counselor at every building.
We are also very pleased to welcome our new Director of Food Services, Mrs. Kate Filteau. After meeting with her I was very pleased with her background and experiences and I look forward to working with her in this role in the upcoming year.
School Safety
Once again, as we are all mindful of the primary goal of providing the safest and most supportive learning environment for all students, we will be continuing several action steps in cooperation with the North Reading Police and Fire Departments.
Our school safety team, composed of members of the school, police, and fire departments, has met over the summer to revisit and update our school emergency operations plans. We have developed a schedule of fire and evacuation drills, as well as ALICE training for staff and students, that we will share in the near future. While this schedule will not provide the exact dates and times of each drill or training it will communicate a plan for the year and the windows for when this would occur and provide an opportunity for families, students, and staff to better understand our proactive approach for school safety. This will also provide all stakeholders with an opportunity to inquire with specific questions related to these drills and training in a timely manner.
As always, our School Resource Officer will be present in our schools and provide our students with a positive connection to law enforcement on a regular basis. In addition, we will continue to have an increased presence of patrol officers who will continue to familiarize themselves with our school buildings, staff, and students as they routinely visit our schools in coordination with the building administration in order to provide enhanced visibility, security, and accountability for our emergency operations plans.
We look forward to welcoming all of our students and staff back in just a couple of weeks. Please enjoy the remaining days of summer with your family and friends!
Sincerely yours,
Patrick C. Daly, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
