April 4, 2024
Welcome to April
As we approach the April break, I want to extend my warmest wishes for a restful and rejuvenating time for you and your loved ones. Here in the district, this is also the time of year where we are finalizing and preparing to present our district budget for the upcoming fiscal year. You can read more about our budget process and priorities in my Superintendent Monthly Memo.
In other exciting news, Somerville will see a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th, beginning at 2:15 p.m. and peaking at 3:30 p.m. Please remind your student to never stare directly at the sun without special eclipse glasses as it can be damaging to the eye.
Thank you, and have a wonderful and restful April break. - Superintendent Carmona
Student and Staff Stories
Congratulations Regina Bertholdo
Congratulations to our very own Regina Bertholdo, SPS Basic Needs and Housing Support Director. She was recognized as "A Hero Among Us" at the Boston Celtics' home game on March 14. The Celtics, IBEW Local 103, 98.5 the Sports Hub, and NBC SportsBoston collectively sponsor “Heroes Among Us Awards” for individuals or groups who make exceptional contributions to the community. They presented Regina with an award and announced the following message before she received a standing ovation from the crowd: “20-year Somerville Public Schools staff member Regina Bertholdo has worked tirelessly to support students in a way that she herself desired after emigrating to the United States in the 80s. For the past two decades, Regina has developed support programs for students in need including permanent shelter, transportation, and clothing, and has been relentless in ensuring that academic success is not impacted by unstable housing. Her tireless efforts have drastically improved the outcome for hundreds of local kids and their families for generations to come.” Watch a short video of the presentation. Thank you, Regina, for your dedication to the Somerville community.
Winter Hill wins Futsal championship in a squeaker
Argenziano and Winter Hill teams brought their A games to the Somerville Recreation Department intramural middle grades futsal championship game on March 16. The game was tied during the 2nd half of over time, leading to a forced a penalty kick shootout where Winter Hill won by making all three of their kicks. In Winter Hill Coach Jamie Keegan’s words, “the teams were tied with only 16 seconds left in overtime before we won on penalty kicks! I see it as a metaphor for the WHCIS community that no matter what, our community will never stop and never give up!” Coach Keegan is also the Multilingual Learner Education teacher for 10 of the 11 team members (the 11th teammate is also multilingual) and he coaches in mix of Spanish, Portuguese, and English Watch the game.
Congratulations ESCS Middle Grades Debate Team
The East Somerville Community School debate team, which includes students from the Healey and Winter Hill schools, won an unprecedented three out of four Boston Debate League (BDL) tournaments this season. The team also won the School Spirit award at the first tournament of the season, several students won individual trophies, and two ESCS students won the final debate and will move on to the national competition. The team is led by ESCS teachers Valquiria Gouvea and Scott Weaver and supported by volunteer Karen Gardner. The BDL topic this year explored the benefits and disadvantages of implementing universal basic income policies to address the racial wealth gap in America. Additionally, this was the inaugural year for a combined team from the Kennedy and Brown schools, who earned a third place in a tournament, and were coached by Somerville parent David Nurenburg and Kennedy paraprofessional Silvana Dinka.
WSNS Cause and Effect Machine
Two WSNS parent-volunteers and Tufts Engineering Department Professors, Ethan Danahy and Brandon Stafford, lead a collaboration with WSNS students in grades 3-5 in order to build an "epic chain reaction machine." The group built the machine, then invited the rest of the school community to watch the chain reaction in motion. Creators are confident this is Somerville's largest chain reaction machine. Thank you to the WSNS PTA and to volunteers for hosting this event.
Capuano Rites of Spring: Trucks!
If it’s spring, it must be time for “Let’s Get Trucking.” The City of Somerville Department of Public Works visited the Capuano Early Education Center to show off some of their vehicles. Capuano students love this event.
Argenziano School supports student in Crisis
Read how Argenziano Principal Soto's professional and personal life intersected with a boy at his most vulnerable. This is the inspiring story of how Argenziano staff, and others, stepped up to save this boy and reunite him with his mother in the New York Times article. (This article is behind a paywall but can be accessed by starting a free account.)
SHS quiz show team advances to second round
The Somerville High School trivia team's exciting second-round match against Lexington, on the WGBH High School Quiz Show, airs this month. The episode will go online on April 25 and will be broadcast on WGBH on April 27. If you missed the team's March 30th victory over Philips Academy High School, you can still catch it online. Read more about this year's tournament. The team is [Front Row L-R] Lillian MacArthur (12), Ella Wilczek (11), Calla Taylor (11). [Back Row L-R] Ruthanna Kern (12), Nate Chmielewski (10), Jack Granowetter (10), and Coach Ted Blake (16th year at SHS, 14th as Trivia Coach.) Photo credit: Liz Friar/GBH.
Robotics recognized for their outstanding community work, creativity
SHS Robotics Teams, FRC6201 Highlanders, were strong competitors in both their Reading and Revere events. In Reading, they were awarded the highly prestigious Engineering Inspiration Award for the work they do to spread robotics to younger grades in Somerville Public Schools through special events and middle grades afterschool programs. At the competition in Revere, they earned the Most Creative award. Their robot, Slink, was quick and nimble, an effective shooter, and successful climber during competitions. (See Slink below, climbing on the field before a competition.) Congratulations to the team for their hard work in the community, for their design, engineering, and troubleshooting skills. They are invited to compete for Engineering Inspiration Award at the next level, the New England District Championship in West Springfield, MA, in front of over 5000 spectators. You can follow the team on instagram @FRC6201.
Congratulations CTE Students for SkillsUSA Wins!
Congratulations to our Career and Technical Education (CTE) students who won in their disciplines at the SkillsUSA regional competition. Each student competed virtually against 10 schools in topics like shop knowledge, employability skills, and OSHA. Somerville High School CTE students earned 8 gold medals, 4 silver medals, and 3 bronze medals. Competition subjects included advertising design, architectural drafting, baking and pastry arts, CNC 3 axis turning programmer, cosmetology, graphic communications, graphic image sublimation, industrial motor control, photography, technical drafting, and welding. 13 Somerville High School students will continue on to compete in the state competition later this month. Visit the Department webpage to learn about CTE at SHS.
Somerstars shine at SHS Talent Show
Choral Director Maxwell Evrard organized a fabulous music talent show, called SomerStars, at Somerville High School in honor of Music in Our Schools Month. Student host Michael G. welcomed musicians onto stage in groups and as solo performers. The first place winners were violinist sophomore Meredith F. and pianist junior Kai D., who performed a difficult classical piece called Csárdás, written in 1904 by Vittorio Monti. Suzanna A. took second place with her performance of “The Only Girl in the World” by Rihanna. Student rock band, Pluto’s Return, took third place by playing one of their original compositions. Every performance was adjudicated by judges Principal Kersten, Music Director Mosby, students Marcus O., Sakshi H., and Adam H. Winners demonstrated showmanship, technique, creativity / originality, and preparation. Congratulations to the prize winners as well as EVERY student who got up to perform in front of their peers. There are rumors this may become an annual event.
SHS 9th Graders meet Primary Source while studying WW2
On March 22, all Somerville High School 9th graders attended a presentation by engineer, author, and Jewish Holocaust-survivor, George Elbaum. Mr. Elbaum spoke about how he and his mother escaped the Warsaw Ghetto as a toddler and then young boy, and how they then survived Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II. This event was organized by Social Studies Chair David Dipietro, history teacher Beatriz Thomas, and other members of the 9th grade social studies team. The educators prepared students, who came with interesting questions after the lecture. Many students stayed after the event to ask more questions and have their photos taken with him. This event was the culmination of a grant for genocide education at Somerville High School from Facing History & Ourselves. Other members of the 9th grade team are Carlos Contreras, Kara Carpenter, Katie Hennessey, Matt DeAngelis and student teachers Vijayata Dahal and Ben Klein. Mr. Elbaum writes about each of his school visits on his blog and his memoir is called Neither Yesterdays Nor Tomorrows.
News from Central Office
Superintendent's Strategic Plan in Development
Last month, Superintendent Carmona and our Entry Plan Team led a day-long series of focus groups to dig deeper into the data and themes that emerged from the Entry Plan process. In order to look more deeply at important topics that arose, we hosted three in-person discussion groups: one with SHS students, one with SPS staff, and one with families and partner organizations. These discussions were incredibly helpful in helping us better understand some areas targeted for improvement, and areas in which SPS already excels. Our next step is to analyze all of this data and create a Strategic Plan for SPS that will be published later this year. Thank you for everyone who lent their voices and feedback to this process!
MSBA School Building Process Kicks Off March 4th
Our district’s MSBA process for a new K-8 school building is underway! March 4, 2024 was the first day of the first phase in the MSBA’s process: the Eligibility Phase. During this 270-day phase there are certain requirements we must meet in order to progress to the next phase. This month we completed the first requirement by submitting a signed Certificate of Compliance. Our second requirement is to form a School Building Committee and submit our membership information to the MSBA by May 3rd. As a reminder, if you are interested in applying, the deadline to apply is Friday, April 5th. Please read more at the full press release here.
Activities and Resources for Families and Students
New COVID-19 Guidelines. Last week, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health updated their COVID-19 guidelines. Effective immediately, instead of a 5-day isolation period, students and staff with COVID-19 can now return to school 24 hours after fever subsides (without the use of fever-reducing medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen) and when symptoms are improving and with the recommendation that they wear a mask for five additional days. Learn more.
Middle Grades Flag Football Team Needs Athletes! Join the coed spring middle grades flag football team. The season has started and runs through the end of May. This is a fun, low-commitment way to join an athletic team for anyone in grades 6, 7, and 8. Athletes play one game per week plus attending a couple practices each week. Learn more and register on the webpage.
Registration for SPS Summer Programs. Opens April 5. Somerville Public Schools runs several high-quality summer programs that are open enrollment and several that are referral-based for academic need. Learn more about these offerings and find registration links on the webpage: https://somerville.k12.ma.us/SPSsummer Registration links will go live on this page starting at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, April 5.
Registration for Community Schools Summer Adventure Program. From April 2, 9:30 a.m. through April 5. Visit the Summer and Vacation Programs page to learn more about the program and to register. This program has fees attached to it. There are limited spaces available in this program, so families are also advised to consider other local options. Please see the guide below.
2024 Summer Camp & Activities Guide. Find an extensive list of local summer camps and activities for anyone planning a child, tween, or teen's summer in Somerville. Many of these programs are fee-based. Thank you to the City of Somerville Somerpromise department for the guide.
El Sistema Afterschool Music Instruction Program Registration. Students in grades 3-8 are invited to enroll in this innovative afterschool instrument instruction program for the 2024–2025 school year. Students can choose to play violin, cello, or a woodwind or brass instrument. The program runs in the East Somerville Community School. Learn more and find the application forms on the El Sistema webpage. This program is run by Somerville Public Schools and it is fee-based. Need-based financial aid is available.
Afterschool Opportunities through Local Organizations. There are many high-quality, fee-based afterschool programs in Somerville through external organizations. Learn about these programs on the Somerville Hub Connect website, run by the City of Somerville's SomerPromise department.
Somerville Family STEAM Night. Friday, April 5, 6:00-8:00 p.m. SPS students in grades K-8 and their families are invited to participate in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) activities hosted by community groups, teachers, scientists, and more in the Somerville High School cafeteria. Free pizza or pupusa (while supplies last.) All children MUST have a caregiver with them. STEAM + Families is meant to engage families together in fun STEAM experiences. For updates, follow the event on Facebook.
College and Career Day at SHS. April 6, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Families and students in grades 9-12 at Somerville High School or Full Circle High School are invited to a multilingual College & Career Day on April 6 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at SHS. Workshops cover a range of topics that support families whose children are transitioning to college or career after high school. Interpreters will be available and some sessions will be run entirely in Spanish or Portuguese.
Week of the Young Child. April 11, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Community-wide celebration with music, pizza, and activities, including a "Let’s Get Truckin" event with City of Somerville vehicles. Families will also have the opportunity to learn about services and programming available for young children and their families. There are also activities all week at playgroups and the public libraries. Several local restaurants are offering discounted children's meals. Find fliers and more information here.
Training for families around the new Individualized Education Program (IEP) forms. April 24, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at Somerville High School, 81 Highland Ave., and May 16, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross St. Learn about the revised IEP forms at these in-person training sessions. Please visit the Special Education website to learn more.
Conditions for Learning Survey for Families. April 1-May 3. Each year, we invite SPS families to complete a survey that will help inform decision-making both in our schools and at the district level. The annual Conditions for Learning (CFL) Survey and the data we collect will be helpful as we work toward setting long-term, meaningful goals to improve student learning and school and district climate and culture in the Somerville Public Schools. We value you as a part of our learning community and want to ensure that you have an opportunity to share your ideas and opinions with us. Students and staff have also been asked to take a specific version of the survey. The survey should take no more than 15 minutes. If you have any questions, please contact Samantha Eligene, Director of Data Assessment and Accountability.
Cambridge STEAM Initiative. Families may want to visit our Camberville neighbor's website https://www.cambridgema.gov/steam for cool activities and a STEAM podcast.
Early Release Wednesdays start next year. Starting in fall 2024, students in grades PK-8 will be released early on every Wednesdays. The Wednesday school day will end at noon for prekindergarten and at 1:00 p.m. for grades K-8. Learn more about this schedule change on our website.
Join Our Team
Attend the third annual SPS Diversity Recruitment Fair. April 6, 2024, 9:00-11:00 a.m. Virtual. Job seekers, particularly candidates from underrepresented communities, candidates of color, and linguistically diverse candidates, are invited to join us and learn more about SPS. Please reach out to Director for Equity and Excellence Gallitano with any questions. Register here. Learn about Equity and Excellence in Somerville Public Schools.
SPS Recruitment Fair. April 11, 2:30-5:30 p.m. John F. Kennedy School, 5 Cherry Street, Somerville, MA 02144, Job seekers are invited to stop by with their resumés and talk to staff about exciting opportunities at Somerville Public Schools. Please reach out to Ms. Ciardi with any questions.
SPS Summer Programs Job Openings. Join our amazing SPS team this summer. We have summer program jobs available for high school students, college students, and professionals! Visit our online career portal to apply.