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Superintendent's Weekly Memo - April 12, 2024

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Superintendent's Weekly Memo - April 12, 2024
Dr. Marice Edouard-Vincent, Superintendent

It’s hard to believe that April Vacation is next week! All schools are closed the week of April 15. We wish everyone a safe and fun break, and look forward to returning to the classroom on April 22.

Passover begins right after April Vacation on April 22. Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the miracle of the Jewish people’s protection against plagues and exodus from slavery in ancient Egypt. Each Spring, Jewish families and friends around the world gather  together to celebrate the first two nights of the eight-day holiday with a special ritual meal called a Seder. The holiday symbolizes the freedom of all people and celebrates the overcoming of oppression. People eat unleavened matzah bread during this holiday to commemorate the time they fled Egypt so quickly that there was no time to allow the bread in the oven to rise. We wish everyone celebrating a very Happy Passover!

April is also OT Month! In Medford Public Schools, we are lucky to have skilled and compassionate Occupational Therapy practitioners in every school and serving students at every grade and age level. OTs are licensed by the state of Massachusetts, and they provide therapeutic interventions to students with disabilities in the school setting, often targeting visual motor skills, fine motor skills, self-help skills, activities of daily living, and managing school materials. OT makes a big difference for kids, starting with Early Intervention services and extending all the way to post-graduation transition services for students with disabilities!

Lastly, congratulations to our Performing Arts students, their faculty advisors, and their families for several exciting recent achievements! On Saturday April 6, the Medford High School Orchestra won a Gold Medal and the Middle School String Ensemble won a Silver Medal at the prestigious MICCA (Massachusetts Instrumental and Chorus Conductor’s Association) Concert Festival. Also last weekend, the Medford Mustang Winter Guard became the 2024 Scholastic Regional Champions! Medford not only placed first in their division but also received the highest scholastic score of the event. 

Today’s Memo includes:

  • Middle School Placement Lottery and Grade 6 Orientations
  • Safe Routes to School Survey – Last chance to respond!
  • MEEP Preschool Accepting Applications
  • 2024 Summer Programs Open for Registration
  • Job Openings in Medford Public Schools

Middle School Placement Lottery and Grade 6 Orientations

Important note for current Grade 5 students and families: The Middle School Placement Lottery results are now available! Grade 5 students and their families are invited to attend an orientation program at their assigned middle school to tour the building, learn about programs and activities; and meet their principal, assistant principal, teachers, and other school staff. The McGlynn Middle School Orientation is on Thursday, May 2 at 6:00 p.m., and the Andrews Middle School Orientation is on Monday, May 6 at 6:00 p.m. 

Safe Routes to School Survey

Today is the last day to respond to the Safe Routes to School family travel survey. Please take a moment to complete it! The responses will help us identify routes and other resources to encourage and enable more Medford students to walk, bike, and roll to school. The survey takes less than five minutes to complete and asks about a student's modes of transportation to and from school.

You can access the survey here. If you are completing the survey on a mobile device, we encourage you to turn your phone sideways to make it easier to read. Schools with 50% or higher participation will receive recognition and extra resources from the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School program. 

We need your responses to make sure that our schools can win!

MEEP Preschool Accepting Applications

The Medford Early Education Program (MEEP) is an inclusive preschool program designed to serve students with and without disabilities. Applications are open for the 2024-2025 school year!

MEEP serves students ages 3 through 5 who are not yet eligible for kindergarten. There are up to 15 children in each class. Up to seven students in each class are students with disabilities, whose IEP Teams have placed them in that specific classroom. Up to eight students in each class are students without disabilities, who are placed through the application and lottery process.

For more information on the MEEP Program and the link to the online application including the available times and tuition costs, please visit the Medford Public Schools website.

2024 Summer Programs Open for Registration

The Medford Public Schools Performing Arts Department will once again offer a 2-week Jumpstart Music Campat Medford High School where students can get a jumpstart on their band and orchestra instruments! This program is ideal for beginner musicians and more experienced intermediate-level students. Camp will run during the weeks of August 5 and August 12 from 9:00am to 12:00pm, and is open to Medford Public School students entering grades 4-9. Students will present an End-of-Camp Showcase on August 16th at 11am, which is free and open to all family and friends! Get more information and sign up for Jumpstart Music Camp here!

Medford Community Schools is once again offering the popular Summer Fun Program for kids entering Grade 1through Grade 6. Students will participate in a wide variety of fun activities including sports, arts & crafts, movies, field trips, swimming, and more! Summer Fun holds 6 one-week-long sessions beginning July 1 and ending August 9. Complete your Summer Fun registration form today!

Job Openings in Medford Public Schools

Come join our team! Medford Public Schools has a variety of job openings available now, including teachers, coaches, paraprofessionals, and a variety of other roles. Consider applying or forwarding a posting to a worthy candidate!

Upcoming Events

We value inclusion and access for all participants and are pleased to provide reasonable accommodations for all school activities and events. Please contact your school’s 504 Coordinator or Assistant Principal to make an accommodation request. Requests should be submitted at least 5 days before the event. 

Yours in Partnership for Children, 

Marice Edouard-Vincent signature

Dr. Marice Edouard-Vincent, Superintendent

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