Dear Families,
On behalf of everyone at the Attleboro Public Schools (APS), it is my pleasure to welcome you back for the 2023-2024 School Year. The district administration, Central Office personnel, your school administrators, and their staffs, are all busy preparing for another successful start. The first day for students in grades 1-12+ is Tuesday, August 29. There is no school on Friday, September 1 or Monday, September 4. The first day for our kindergarteners is Wednesday, September 6, and for preschool students it is Thursday, September 7. You should receive more details from individual schools in the coming days.
In our ongoing effort to improve communication across the district, APS will continue to utilize Apptegy for its website and direct communication with families. If you haven’t already done so, we strongly encourage that you download our Attleboro Public Schools app (Android or iPhone) to stay connected. The Attleboro Public Schools app is the go-to place for district and school events, alerts, news from administrators, student stories, and emergency notifications. A key feature, Rooms, is a secure communication portal between you and your child’s teacher. In the APS app, tap “Rooms” in the bottom right corner of the home screen. If you created an account last year, there is no need to register again. You can reset your password here. To find resources on how to use Rooms and troubleshoot common issues, click here. Questions can be directed to Kim Janssen at kjanssen@attleboroschools.com.
This spring APS received feedback from community members concerning some of the selections in our school libraries. We have always endeavored to strike a delicate balance between our educational mission to provide open access to a wide range of engaging reading materials with the rights of families to make individual choices about what is appropriate for their own children. Here in Attleboro we attempt to achieve this by carefully selecting titles that are representative of the diverse perspectives within our district, organizing collections to ensure developmentally appropriate access, and respecting the expressed wishes of families. If you have any concerns about specific titles or even general subject matters that you wish to bar access for your child, please reach out to your school and share your concern. You will find that they are ready to accommodate your wishes.
We were pleased to see that over the summer our State legislators extended free school meals in Massachusetts for another year. This means that breakfast and lunch will continue to be served at no cost to all students. Please note that even though meals will be free for all, it remains essential for families who believe they might qualify to complete the household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the 2023-2024 school year. We strongly encourage ALL families to submit this form as it allows us to determine eligibility for P-EBT benefits and waive or reduce transportation, athletics, and other fees. Documenting qualifying families also significantly impacts state funding for our district, so completing the form is a direct way to support our schools.
We look forward to working with you to meet the unique needs of your child(ren). Our partnership will ensure their healthy development and future success.
Sincerely,
David A. Sawyer
Superintendent of Schools