Happy New Year!

We hope everyone enjoyed the Holiday Break! At HPS, we are ready for the schools to be full of learning, laughter, and success! During December, we had many Holiday celebrations; hopefully, you were able to attend to see how incredibly talented our students are. We welcome 2025 and look forward to continuing our students’ educational journey. As always, we will prioritize the well-being of our students and staff, ensuring an engaging and enriching educational experience for all and strengthening the partnerships that help make our district such a special place.

Our Haverhill Hillies are in full swing with Winter sports! We invite you to visit haverhillhillies.com for all sports-related information. Our students work hard; we hope you join us on the sidelines or in the audience to cheer them on as they showcase their talents. Our district and school websites are a great source of information about Haverhill Public Schools! We also welcome you to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter). We use our social media platform to share as much information as possible about what is happening in the district.

Living in New England can sometimes lead to challenging and unexpected changes in the weather. Please prepare as much as possible for these events. Our website has information regarding Outdoor Recess/Weather Conditions and Snow Cancellations.

We have some significant events happening in the upcoming months. First is Journey to FAFSA; our School Counseling Department and MakeIT Haverhill have collaborated for an evening of information regarding filling out the FAFSA for parents/guardians who will have college-bound students. Journey to FAFSA is on January 14, 2025, at MakeIT Haverhill. Gateway Academy will also be holding a benefit Cornhole Tournament on February 1, 2025. It is a night promised to be full of fun and raffles and, of course, cornhole! If you can donate to one of the baskets or raffles, please call Gateway Academy for more information. All proceeds will benefit Gateway Academy.

As we bid farewell to another year and welcome the new one, we reflect on the growth, achievements, and moments that made this past year so special. We are incredibly proud of all our students, faculty, and staff for their hard work, dedication, and resilience.

Wishing all our students, parents, and staff a bright, successful, and fulfilling New Year!

Important Dates

January 1, 2025 
No School/New Year’s Day

January 2, 2025
All Schools Reopen

January 8, 2025 
Early Release – All Students/Staff PD

January 14, 2025   5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Journey to FAFSA

January 17, 2025
HHS – Marks Close – Term 2

January 20, 2025 
No School – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 21, 2025
HHS – Term 3 Begins

January 21, 2025   4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
HPS District Parent Council Meeting

January 24, 2025 
HHS – Term 2 Report Cards Issued

January 24, 2025
PreK-8 Grade Progress Reports Issued – 2nd Trimester

January 30, 2025
PreK – 8 Grade Parent/Teacher Conferences

February 1, 2025  2:00 PM
Cornhole Tournament to benefit Gateway Academy

February 17, 2025
No School – President’s Day

February 18 – 21, 2025
February Winter Break

 

 

Hillie Athletics

James Farrell was named the Merrimack Valley Conference Football Most Valuable Player! The senior quarterback had a fantastic season…3017 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, 1012 rushing yards, and 20 rushing touchdowns. Over 4000 total yards and 38 TDs – AMAZING!

He finished his career with 7052 passing yards, 54 passing TDs, and 31 rushing TDs. Congrats, James! 

Tilton Elementary School

The Holiday Season can bring out the fun in our schools! Tilton Staff participated in an Underground Spirit Week. Students had to guess the mystery theme and the fourth grade pulled it off!

Pentucket Lake Elementary

Pentucket Lake had a PBIS (Positive, Behavior, Intervention, and Supports) Arts and Crafts event. Students worked hard to earn cash to buy an arts and crafts event ticket.  Students were able to choose from four different activities to complete.  All had a great time!

Career Technical Education

Mrs. Johnston’s CTE Biomedical Science classes had a fantastic experience at Mass General Hospital’s Learning Lab on Friday. An obstetrician, physician’s assistant, and a midwife discussed various careers in the medical field. The students also got to perform an ultrasound on their own arm, practice delivering a baby on a model, and simulate a live birth on a high fidelity mannequin. The students got to take home their own stethoscopes. What a fun and exciting day! Many thanks to Gabriella Hakim and all the professionals at MGH!

 

Tilton Elementary

Tilton Elementary had its Eureka Squared Neighborhood Caroling Event. Families got information about our new math curriculum- Eureka Squared- and even played games to familiarize themselves with it. Shoutout to the Tilton Math team for leading this event and the families that joined us!

Hillie Athletics

Brian Tejadas was named to the MVC Football All-Conference First Team. Congratulations Brian! We are #HillieProud

Tilton Elementary

Mrs. Whelan’s Kindergarten class at Tilton Elementary is having a great time with their new math program, Eureka Squared! Last week, they worked on planning and building a solid structure to fit a toy inside.  After completing the project, they finished with a gallery walk and discussion.  It was awesome!!”

Qustodio

At Haverhill Public Schools, we’re committed to providing a learning experience that allows your child to grow and flourish with technology.

We’re happy to invite you to join us in this world of digital wellbeing by giving you FREE access to the Qustodio Parents App.
This will provide you with full visibility on how your child is using their school devices. Simply create your account to see your personalized dashboard. Visit our website for more information!

Heroes & Helpers

Many of Haverhill’s Finest showed up at HHS for the 6th Annual Heroes & Helpers event! Since 2009, Targets around the country have hosted this event, which offers students in underprivileged communities the opportunity to shop on holiday with first responders. Students arrived at HHS and were immediately welcomed into a pizza party with a DJ, The Grinch, and the Haverhill Fire Department Dalmation! Once everyone finished eating and dancing, they headed to Target to shop the afternoon away and returned to HHS to wrap their purchases! We are incredibly grateful to everyone in our community who made this event spectacular, especially SRO Milady Figueroa and SRO Gillian Privitera, who coordinated the event! Holiday cheer was in the air, and smiles were everywhere!

Ernie DiBurro Recreation Center

At Haverhill Public Schools, we are blessed to have a supportive community that helps us stay on the cutting edge of Education and Sports! Today, the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Ernie DiBurro Recreation Center opened the doors to HHS’s newest facility. Haverhill High School is one of the only schools in our region that now has indoor tennis and pickleball courts! Special thank you to former Hillie Ernie DiBurro for his generous donation and our community, who came together to make it happen! #OnceHillieAlwaysAHillie

Career Technical Education

HHS CTE Engineering/Manufacturing Sophomores and HHS Physics students welcomed three Juniors from UMass Lowell’s Engineering program.  HHS students heard about college life and received valuable tips from these college students.  After the discussion, the UML students, who are members of UML’s Society of Women Engineers, led the group in a hands-on activity.  Everyone was engaged and asked great questions.  A special thank you to UMass Lowell for your support of our students!  For more information about CTE Work-Based Learning opportunities, contact Lisa Hunt at lhunt@haverhill-ps.org.

Hillie Athletics

Are you a Hillie Fan? Purchase your Season Pass now! For only $25, you will have admission to all home events during the 24/25 winter season!

Career Technical Education

HHS CTE Biomedical Science Sophomores in Mrs. Bamford’s class visited the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging.  They built spaghetti bridges in their Makerspace, were introduced to different aspects of Clinical Research and learned about MRI through a scan on a pineapple!  Thanks to the staff for taking time out of their day to expose our students to the amazing and important work they are doing.  For more information about CTE Work-Based Learning opportunities, contact Lisa Hunt at lhunt@haverhill-ps.org.

Hillie Athletics

Hillie High-Five to Jathian DeJesus and Stavy Baptiste earned MVC Second Team All-Conference honors and Brandon Piraino and Ethan Jalbert were named to the Third Team. Congratulations Hillies!

Nettle Middle School

Students at Nettle Middle School had an out-of-this-world experience this month! 7th-grade students had the opportunity to livestream with the Space Station! Students were able to meet the astronauts and have a tour of Space Station, their home away from home!

Consentino Middle School

The halls were filled with music at Consentino Middle School this month. Consentino shared their talented Chorus, Beginner, Advanced, and Jazz Band with families during their 2024 Holiday Concert! Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Holiday Concert! Your support made this celebration of music and joy extra special. We hope you left with your heart full of holiday cheer!

Annie

Students from many Haverhill Public School Districts performed together in “Annie” in the inaugural shows for the TTS Players Bradford/Haverhill (That’s The Spirit) Program. The house was packed every night, and the students sang their hearts out and put on a great show! We love it when our students are involved in our community!

Consentino Middle School

A melting pot of culture and cuisine was at Consentino Middle School this month. Staff, Students, and Families came out to showcase their heritage! The food, clothing, dances, and posters were AMAZING! Families even had a chance to check out tables from the YMCA, MakeIt Haverhill, HHS Career Technical Education, the Wit & Wisdom/Eureka Math curriculum, and more! Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success!

Nettle Middle School

Students at Nettle Middle School had a surprise visit! The Barber Academy in Salem, NH, stopped by and offered students a FREE haircut! These fresh new haircuts will make for some great Holiday pictures! Thank you to the Salem Barber Academy for sharing your time and skills today!

Budget Bites Workshop

Budget Bites Workshop presentation on Eating Healthy on a Budget went smoothly. Parents and guardians interacted with each other and asked questions. Anna Perracchio, HPS Director of Food Services, provided a small cooking demonstration. Students who attended ranged from 2 to 14 years of age. They also participated in several different activities, including designing their own aprons. There were two raffles, one for adults and one for children. Everyone agreed the best part was sitting down and enjoying a meal together!

Nettle Middle School

5th Grade Students in Ms Joubert’s class at Nettle Middle School recently learned about Plymouth Plantation. They created models of Plymouth Plantation for their class project! Great work!

Tilton Elementary School

Shout out to Mrs Allard’s class at Tilton Elementary! They had the best attendance for November. Students and families had a fabulous brunch to make the occasion! Keep up the good work, Tigers!

Nettle Middle School

Congratulations to these Nettle Knights! Vincent Misserville won Honorable Mention, and Asar Palini Smith won Best Delegate at the Model UN Conference at HHS! These are our future leaders!

Haverhill High School

Students from the Theatre Arts Pathway within the Fine & Performing Arts Academy collaborated with HC Media on Thursday, December 12th. Students in the Improvisation class wrote, rehearsed, and produced sketch-style comedy short films recorded at HC Media’s studio. Students worked from concept to final product, writing and revising their sketches, learning to set up a shot, and working with the green screen.

HC Media is helping the students with editing; we can’t wait to share the final product with you!

Students pictured: Lyric Ortiz, Tony Peralta, Zander Nadolski, Emma Serverius, Lincoln Bohanan, Sophia DeFrank, Ash Martin, and Max Boyer.

Nettle Middle School

The Nettle Knights have a new member of their family! Meet Tucker; he is the new comfort dog that will be permanently at Nettle Middle School and offer comfort therapy to students throughout the day. Pictured is Mr Perez, the Assistant Principal at Nettle, getting acquainted with Tucker!

Career Technical Education

We are so proud of our two CTE students who presented their research projects during Parkland Medical Center’s ELO (Extended Learning Opportunity) Celebration Ceremony!  Saidatu Yussif, a Senior in the Healthcare Occupations program, and Elena Fairbrother, a Junior in the Biomedical Science program, did a great job explaining their research findings and sharing the highlights of their internship experience.  Thank you to the staff at Parkland Medical Center for providing these opportunities to local students!

J.G. Whittier/Nettle/Pentucket Lake Schools

The sounds of the season have been filling the halls with holiday cheer! It has been a busy week for our choruses and bands. On Monday, The J.G. Whittier, Nettle, and Pentucket Lake Schools bands performed a holiday concert for the community. The concert started with the beginner band, who had only played their instruments for about two months, followed by the advanced and jazz bands. All three performed holiday songs, including three fall favorites played at the HS football games and some Count Basie! We are so proud of these students and their dedication to music!

Career Technical Education

This month, our Career Technical Education program at HHS unveiled its new Engineering/Manufacturing Lab. Students now have an organized space to build, design, and innovate. Our Career & Technical Education (CTE) Engineering/Manufacturing Lab offers hands-on experience in cutting-edge technologies, preparing you for careers like robotics, CAD design, 3D printing, and more! We are so fortunate at HPS to have the incredible support of our community partners. We are so excited to see the projects and successes that will soon follow!

Align Credit Union Reality Fair

HHS held multiple Align Credit Union Reality Fairs to serve the Junior Class.  Meghan DeLong, Social Studies Dept. Head received a grant from the Massachusetts Treasurer’s Office of Economic Empowerment.  Notably, our community partner, Align Credit Union, ran the fair for our students at no charge.  The fairs were held in the HHS Library, and our food services staff provided delicious boxed lunches to over 400 of our students.   

–  Check out the time-lapsed video here!

Career Technical Education

PLTW Biomedical Science and Engineering students collaborated virtually with industry professionals from Sanofi (a biotech company that develops and produces vaccines, medications, and treatments) and Phillips to tackle a real-world company problem during a virtual event hosted by the One8 Foundation.  Working in teams, students applied their PLTW skills, followed the design process, brainstormed and evaluated solutions with a design matrix, and presented their ideas.  Through valuable feedback from the industry professional along the way, students were able to hone the solutions they formulated.  The event concluded with a presentation from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office where students learned how ideas turn into products.

Cornhole Tournament to Benefit Gateway Academy

Looking for something fun to do this winter? We hope you join us for a Cornhole Tournament to benefit Gateway Academy:

Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 2pm

Amvets, 576 Primrose Street, Haverhill.

There are for donations such as gift baskets, gift cards, or anything we can put into the raffle prizes for about 20 raffle items. Pizza will be provided by Romano’s for the event.

Career Technical Education

On Friday, December 13th, Mrs. Johnston’s CTE Biomedical Science class had a wonderful experience at Mass General Hospital. Students diagnosed anaphylaxis during a pediatric emergency simulation and were able to quickly administer an epi pen to their patient. They also were able to ultrasound their arms and necks and see the difference between arteries and veins on the scan. Finally, they learned about the career paths of an emergency room pediatrician, a physician’s assistant, and a registered nurse. It was a fun hands-on experience for all!  For more information about CTE Work-Based Learning opportunities, contact Lisa Hunt at lhunt@haverhill-ps.org.

Journey to FAFSA

Career Technical Education

Students in the HHS Career Technical Education programs work on a Capstone Project during Senior year.  Francesca Purdy, a Senior in the Healthcare Occupations program, wrote a children’s book to raise awareness about cancer for her Capstone project.  She visited Ms. Wood’s second grade class to read her book!  We are so proud of our students and the thoughtful impacts they are making with their projects!

Tilton Elementary School

The Holiday Concert for Tilton Elementary this month had a large turnout of family and friends! The show opened up with the Tilton Teachers and Administrators performing the “School Everyday” song! Check out the performance here!

Device Waiver Fee

As part of the District’s 1:1 initiative, every Haverhill Public Schools student receives a HPS-issued Chromebook. HPS offers the opportunity to protect school-issued devices for the school year by paying a Device Waiver Fee. As outlined in the HPS Student Technology Device Policy, this $20 fee will help to cover the costs of potential damage, repair, or loss for the school year for the assigned device. Visit our website for more information.

Tilton Elementary School

It has been a great week of holiday celebrations with many concerts in the District. Tilton Elementary School Students and Families filled Hunking School for their Holiday Concert! The audience was treated to a selection of holiday classics from each grade! The staff and administrators opened the show with the “School Everyday” song. The evening ended with announcements of raffle winners! Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the evening a memorable event! Shout-out to our HHS Cheerleaders for helping the evening run smoothly!

Holiday Fun!

There was a lot of holiday cheer throughout the district on the last day of school before the Holiday break. Even our administrators joined in on the fun! We are relieved that the early release day didn’t coincide with the snowstorm!

Bradford Elementary

Students at Bradford Elementary went on a special trip this month! The train pulled into Bradford Station and Train Conductor Peralta gave tickets to each student to ride the Polar Express! Instantly, they were all off on a magical ride to learn about the spirit of Christmas!

Nettle Middle School

We’re Massachusetts State Finalists!

Big news from Nettle Middle School! Our journey started with a simple idea—a Food and Clothing Drive to help our community. But something remarkable happened along the way.

Our students became intensely aware of the challenges of providing fresh, healthy food for those in need. Their passion for making a difference inspired a bold solution: a fully functional Closed-Loop Aquaponics and Vertical Farming Greenhouse.This innovative project is more than just a garden—it’s a sustainable source of fresh produce and protein for our local community. It’s a step toward fighting food insecurity while teaching future generations about environmental stewardship and innovation. We’re honored to be named Massachusetts State Finalists and proud of the incredible effort our students and staff have put into this vision. Stay tuned as we continue this exciting journey together!Here is a link to the Canva video

Health & Wellness Department

Winter Wellness Thursday at HHS- Counselors hosted a popular event at lunches, which was open to all students. Students participated in well-organized tables that offered affirmation bracelet making, glitter jars, art activities, and games. It is a great way to de-stress, enjoy each other’s company, and provide an opportunity for connections.

Silver Hill Elementary School

Fire Safety is essential this time of year! The Haverhill Fire Department stopped by Silver Hill and met with First and Second Grade students. The HFD presented a fire safety show and demonstrated to these Jaguars how to stay safe in the event of a fire! Thank you, HFD, for your time and guidance!

Career Technical Education

HHS CTE Healthcare Occupations Freshmen and Sophomores had the opportunity to visit Northern Essex Community College Lawrence Campus.  Students toured the Dr. Ibrahim El-Hefni Health and Technology Center and had hands-on experiences in the simulation labs for EMT training, Nursing and Medical Assisting, such as CPR training; suture removal and injections and taking vital signs and caring for realistic mannequins.  It was great to see the students so engaged!  Thank you to the NECC staff who took time out of their schedules to make this a wonderful learning experience for our students.

Bradford Elementary School

Let’ GO, Huskies!! This month at Bradford Elementary students in Grades 2-4 participated in a Math Challenge! Keep up the good work!

Multilingual Learners

The Family Literacy Program celebrated the holidays with merriment! Children created their own Holiday Crumble Cookie with some yummy ingredients!  Their parents joined them later and made reindeer out of pine cones. At the end of the evening, every family left with brand new Scrabble games and some Launch passes to use over vacation.

School Counseling Department

The January Edition from the School Counseling Department has been published! For more information about our School Counseling Department, visit their NEW website!

Consentino Middle School

Students at Consentino Middle School had the opportunity to learn while also having fun this month. 5th-grade students experimented with candy canes and liquids. Warm water, milk, oil, vinegar, and Coca-Cola were used to determine which liquids would dissolve candy canes and which liquids worked the fastest at dissolving the candy canes.

Gateway Academy

Gateway Academy was in the Holiday Spirit during December! They hosted their 1st Annual Holiday Happenings Event. There were contests, prizes, & lots of laughs. Our math classes/woodworking made the giant snowflake. Parents, students & staff enjoyed the night. Right before the Holiday break, The Grinch showed up to make sure everyone was behaving!

Walnut Square

Walnut Square had the Holiday Spirit this month, especially the Holiday Pajama Spirit! Staff and students dressed in their finest pajamas during their Spirit Week to celebrate the season! Did you know that our Walnut Square Superstars broadcast the Walnut Square News? You can find their most recent edition here!

Golden Hill School

The Grinch has been making its way around the District! Last month, he stopped by Golden Hill Elementary to ensure all the students were being good! It happened to be during Spirit Week, and the day was Happy Holiday Christmas Character! We believe some students were incognito as residents of Whoville!

 

Hunking School

Students in 8th Grade at Hunking School took a field trip this week to see a Panto performance of “A Christmas Carol” and had a great time!

Moody Preschool Extension

Miss Stacy’s class had been feeling festive over the past month! Also featured: Miss Jess from Room 2 with her crazy socks!

Moody School

Students in Miss Jenny’s class at Moody School took the time this month to make Gingerbread houses! We love their creativity!

Our Schools

Bartlett School & Assessment Center,  Grades K-12.
978-469-8735

Bradford Elementary, Grades K-4
978-374-2443

Caleb Dustin Hunking, Grades K-8
978-374-5787

Consentino Middle School, Grades 5-8
978-374-5775

Gateway Academy, Grades 7-12
978-374-3473

Golden Hill, Grades K-4
978-374-5794

Greenleaf Academy, Grades 5-12
978-374-3487

Haverhill High School, Grades 9-12
978-374-5700

J.G. Whittier, Grades 5-8
978-374-5782

Moody PreSchool, Grades Pre-K – K
978-374-3459

Moody PreSchool Ext., Grades Pre-K
978-420-1901

Nettle Middle School, Grades 5-8
978-374-5792

Pentucket Lake Elementary, Grades K-5
978-374-2421

Silver Hill Elementary, Grades K-5
978-374-3448

Tilton Elementary, Grades K-3
978-374-3475

Walnut Square, Grades Pre-K-2
978-374-3471

Haverhill School Committee

Regular meetings of the School Committee are held at 7:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month in the Theodore A. Pelosi, Jr. Council Chambers, 4 Summer Street in Haverhill. Citizens of Haverhill who wish to submit items  for a meeting agenda, should email the agenda item to the School Committee Office, Attn: Beverly McGillicuddy, Secretary to the Haverhill School Committee beverly.mcgillicuddy@haverhill-ps.org with a copy to both the Superintendent of Schools and the Mayor no later than the seven (7) days  prior to a Committee meeting is held.

For additional information please visit the School Committee Department on our website.

Mayor, Melinda E. Barrett, Chairperson
mayor@cityofhaverhill.com

Attorney Paul Magliocchetti, Vice Chairperson
pmagliocchetti@haverhill-ps.org

Ms. Yonnie Collins, Ward 6
yonnie.collins@haverhill-ps.org

Ms. Erica Diaz, Ward 1
erica.diaz@haverhill-ps.org

Ms. Cheryl Ferguson, Ward 3
cheryl.ferguson@haverhill-ps.org

Dr. Thomas Grannemann, Ward 7
thomas.grannemann@haverhill-ps.org

Mrs. Mikaela Lalumiere, Ward 4
mikaela.lalumiere@haverhill-ps.org

Attorney Richard Rosa, At-Large
richard.rosa@haverhill-ps.org

Ms. Maura Ryan-Ciardiello, At-Large
mryan-ciardiello@haverhill-ps.org

Dr. Jill Story, Ward 5
jill.story@haverhill-ps.org

Ms. Gail Sullivan, Ward 2
gail.sullivan@haverhill-ps.org

Mrs. Beverly McGillicuddy, Secretary
beverly.mcgillicuddy@haverhill-ps.org