Happy March! The days are flying by, and the students have been working hard in their classes. We had some great happenings over the past month, including a Celebration of Partnership between the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation and the Haverhill Public Schools. This partnership will bring virtual, live guided tours of Auschwitz-Birkenau to our 9th-grade students and will be incorporated into our curriculum for genocide education. This partnership is historic, and we are proud to say that Haverhill Public Schools is the first school district in the United States to partner with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, and our students will be the first in the nation to have this experience.
Students have also celebrated the 100th Day of School; we have included a link to view our 100th Day video in this newsletter. We hope you take the time to watch and see all the beautiful things that have happened during the first 100 days of school at Haverhill Public Schools.
Some significant events are coming up this month, including Kindergarten Information Nights and Haverhill’s 5th Annual Preschool Resource Fair. These events will have a wealth of information regarding programs for your child.
We remind you that March 10, 2024, is daylight savings. Please make sure to set your clocks ahead for 1 hour Sunday morning. We are excited about longer days and warmer weather!
Important Dates
March 1, 2024
Read Across America Day
March 7, 2024
HHS Parent/Teacher Conferences
March 10, 2024
Daylight Savings Time Begins
March 14, 2024 – 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Hunking School Multicultural Night
March 14, 2024 – 7:00 PM
School Committee Meeting
March 16, 2024 – 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
5th Annual Preschool Resource Fair – Hunking School
March 18, 2024
Marks close Pre-K-8 2nd Trimester
March 19, 2024 – 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Kindergarten Information Night – Pentucket Lake School
March 20, 2024
Early Release – All Students
March 25, 2024
Report Cards Issued – PreK-8 Grades
March 28, 2024 – 7:00 PM
School Committee Meeting
March 29, 2024
No School – Good Friday
Celebrating the 100th Day of School!
On February 2, 2024, HPS celebrated the 100th Day of School! Many students skipped school and sent in their grandparents for the day! We have had a lot of milestones and celebrations over the past 100 days. Check out our 100-Day presentation and see all the great things happening at HPS! Thank you to the parents for helping our students use creative thinking, transforming them from school age to old age!
Consentino Middle School
We want to send Congratulations to the Consentino Chargers Girls Basketball Team! They have WON the 2023-2024 Championship! This is their second year winning the Championship; four of the boys on the banners above them are former Chargers who are now Hillies. Consentino is building an excellent foundation for our youths to grow on!
Multilingual Learners
Our Multilingual Learners and their families visited the Children’s Museum in Boston. Thank you to the Yawkey Foundation Gateway to Play Family Day (at Boston Children’s Museum) for hosting the Haverhill Public Schools’ Family Literacy Program. Students and families were treated like royalty, and a precious 8-year-old said, “This place is paradise.”
Haverhill Public Schools Partners with
Auschwitz Birkenau Foundation
Haverhill Public Schools held a Historic Celebration of Partnership between the Haverhill Public Schools and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. HPS is the first school district in the United States to partner with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation to bring virtual, live guided tours of Auschwitz-Birkneau to all our 9th-grade students. We are incredibly proud that our students will be the first in the nation to have this experience!
Bartlett School & Assessment Center
Middle and high school students at Bartlett have started Heath education classes! Lessons include body awareness, puberty & hygiene, and nutrition.
Food Services Department
We are pleased to announce that our employees of the month for January are Kristen Thistlewood at Haverhill High School and Caitlin Zaleski at Bradford Elementary!
Kristen exemplifies what a strong leader looks like! As the kitchen manager at the High School she has made leaps and bounds in her new role by quickly picking up managerial skills, quick thinking and problem solving in the kitchen. She motivates staff and is eager to highlight and share the staff’s accomplishments and hard work. Thank you Kristen we are lucky to have you on our team!
Caitlin brings such a great energy and positive attitude to her kitchen and school! She never comes in without a smile on her face and is ready to take on the day with her team. Her staff are quick to comment on how pleasant and wonderful she is to work with and not to mention that the students at Bradford love to see Caitlin everyday! She greets every child with the same positive, uplifting spirit, making their day a little bit brighter in the lunchroom. Thank you Caitlin!
Congrats to our team members!
Health & Wellness Department
Strides to Wellness alert! Here are the Consentino Chargers getting healthy by making friendships, learning communication skills, and healthy eating with Wellness group instructors Alison George and Shelby White. Nursing Director Nancy Thompson was invited to teach yoga skills and encouraged to try something new.
Dr. Paul Nettle Middle School
Shout out to Nathan Hamel; he is the Winner of Nettle’s Spelling Bee. Excellent work, Nathan!
Kindergarten Information Nights
Food Service Department
Local, 100% grass-fed beef is coming to a cafeteria near you! We are happy to announce that our cafeterias will feature Walden Local meats in all schools across the district starting this month- these burgers are so good, too.
Walden Local farmers in New England and New York raise animals more sustainably, regenerative, and humanely. Walden Local works with over 70 farms where suppliers pledge not to use pesticides, herbicides, or antibiotics. Walden Local is also a certified B Corp, meeting high social and environmental performance standards and allowing us to get top-quality, locally sourced products for our students!
Haverhill High School Athletics
Congratulations to Devin Carreiro!! Devin has committed to play football at Franklin Pierce University. We are #HillieProud
Career Technical Education
Students from the HHS afterschool programs Respect – Inclusion- Service- Equity ( An ML Multicultural & Diversity Afterschool Program) and Girls Empowered Means Success (G.E.M.S) alongside their advisors Eridania Nieves and Leydi Diaz Breton got the opportunity to present to the School Committee on 2/8/24 to share what excellent opportunities and activities they participate in throughout the school year. These programs provide students a safe space to be themselves and feel supported.
Haverhill High School Athletics
Congratulations Boys’ Swim & Dive! The Hillies went 7-2 overall and 3-1 in the conference to claim a share of the 2024 MVC Regular Season Title! We are #HillieProud
Food Service Department
Students at Hunking School were treated to a special Pop-Up Lunch with Chef Raymon! The menu included Acai Bowls and Tot Spots (tater tots with BBQ sauce, chicken, scallions, and black bean confetti)! Chef Raymon even had a short Q&A with some curious students. Thanks to Chef Raymon and the food service staff at Hunking and Whitson Culinary Group for the great lunch! We saw lots of smiles!
Freight Farm at Gateway Academy
In partnership with Gateway Academy, the YMCA was awarded the Education Award at the Greater Haverhill Chamber’s Business Award for their partnership with the Freight Farm. The Freight Farm provides a unique learning environment for students to grow and utilize the harvest in the Culinary Arts department with Charlie Matthews. Many thanks to the support and collaboration of Brian Edmonds, Principal/Gateway Academy; Tracy Fuller, Executive Director of the YMCA; Margaret Marotta, Superintendent of HPS; Steve Dorrance, HPS Facilities Director; Caroline Beaton, Freight Farm Manager; Charlie Matthews, Culinary Teacher, and the Food Service Department. We’re better together.
Health & Wellness Department
The Wellness Department at HHS likes to spice it up! What a show of sportsmanship and spirit at the Super Bowl Chili Cook-Off Event that Paige Crimmin, HHS PE teacher, organized for a team-building activity! There were so many tasting chilis to choose from. At Pentucket Lake, Mr. Barnard’s PE class students participated in football-themed stations and a Super Bowl Poll.
Tilton Elementary School
Tilton Elementary had its ROAR Assembly on Friday. Students could teach others how they’re responsible for their learning. Attendance Awards were also given out. We are proud of these Tigers!
Meet Miss Haverhill
At first glance, Alanna Tiodoro is just an average teenager in high school preparing to go out into the world and experience life. Alanna is anything but your average teen. Alanna is a senior in her second year at Gateway Academy. At 16 years old, Alanna will graduate this Spring of 2024, a year early. At 16, she has dealt with some of life’s obstacles but has spent the last year focusing on personal growth. Over the past year, Alanna has volunteered with the YMCA mentoring students, started a Life Skills Club at Gateway, and is training to become a Home Health Aide with Bethany Communities. Alanna also hosts her own podcast, “Becoming a Better You,” in which she uses her experience to help other teenagers choose a more positive life path. Despite this, she still maintains a part-time job and works hard at academics.
This past Fall, Alanna’s Mom, her biggest supporter, blindsided her by taking her for a ride to an interview as a contestant for the Miss Haverhill Title. At first, she had no idea what her Mom was up to. She soon realized it was a competition, so she continued the process and now holds the Title of Miss Haverhill, which follows with entering into the Miss Teen Massachusetts Competition this March. The competition includes presenting before judges in three sections: interviews, formal dress, and athletic wear. Alanna, who has taken almost every opportunity in the past year, was excited to compete. However, it can cost a decent amount of money with wardrobe, nails, hair, and make-up, so she started a GoFundMe page to help with costs.
Alanna has some big shoes to fill; the 2023 Miss Teen Massachusetts was Yanelyn Quintana, a current Senior at Haverhill High School. Yanelyn had a year of service to Miss Teen Massachusetts before competing for Miss Teen USA against 51 contestants from 50 states and the District of Columbia in Reno, Nevada, last September.
We do not know the outcome, but we sure know that Alanna Tiodoro, the current Miss Haverhill, will do a fantastic job representing our City for Miss Teen Massachusetts! Best wishes, Alanna!
Haverhill High School Athletics
Brent Nicolosi is the 165 lb MIAA Division 1 State Champion!
Congratulations Brent!!! We are #HillieProud
Bartlett School & Assessment Center
Bartlett School & Assessment Center is raffling off 2 Bruins tickets for the March 19, 2024, game against the Ottowa Senators! Take your chance and help out a great school!
Tilton Elementary School
Our eyes are seeing DOUBLE! It was Twinning Day yesterday at Tilton Elementary! We love the creativity!
Health & Wellness Department
The NAN Project was presented to 8th-grade Health classes today, with more presentations coming for Nettle and Hunking. This amazing resource was offered to this grade, which identified warning signs to recognize and how to help someone struggling with a mental health issue. They listened to personal stories using a peer-to-peer model, which detailed struggles and the power of positive friendships, resiliency, coping skills, and finding trusted adults never to worry alone.
Silver Hill Elementary
Students at Silver Hill are learning safety and coordination skills with a lesson by PE teacher Mr. Murphy on learning how to tie! It’s essential to wear appropriate gear when participating in physical education activities, and learning how to tie shoes properly is a good start!
Haverhill High School Athletics
Connor Chmielski is the MIAA Division 1 Indoor Track & Field State Champion in the shot put!!! Congratulations Connor! We are #HillieProud
Career Technical Education
Career Technical Education PLTW Engineering/Manufacturing Juniors toured the Lindt manufacturing facility in Stratham, NH. This was an excellent opportunity for students to observe robots in action and see a modern manufacturing facility! Before the tour, students heard from one of the engineers about how humans interact with the robots and gave an example of the coding language used to program them. Students were on their best behavior, and the tour guide commented about their participation and well-thought-out questions. He mentioned they were one of the best groups they have ever had! So proud of our Hillies! For more information about CTE career awareness activities, contact Lisa Hunt, CTE Work-Based Learning Specialist, at lhunt@haverhill-ps.org.
Health & Wellness Department
A collaboration of honor and celebration as the Wellness Department, HPD, and the YWCA supported the HHS Boys Basketball team and their seniors at a White Ribbon Event Kick Off during half time. Spectators were led in a pledge to stand up against all gender-based violence. The YWCA offered white ribbon pins, resources, and giveaways during the game to promote making safe and healthy choices.
Haverhill High School Athletics
Congratulations to the following Hillies: Brenna Corcoran, Madison Croft, Lauren Downer, and Emmalynn Proia; they are the MIAA Division 1 Indoor Track and Field State Champions in the 4×800 relay! We are #HillieProud
Haverhill's 5th Annual Preschool Resource Fair
Haverhill Public Schools Community Outreach
HPS Community Outreach, in collaboration with Community Action, HP3, and the Boys/Girls Club, strives to re-engage students to enroll in an adult learning program to earn a high school equivalency degree. This authentic community engagement builds a stronger, more resilient community by fostering a sense of ownership and shared responsibility. The foundation for a strong community is the education of its youth. The community is proud of these two young men.
Bradford Elementary
As Chinese New Year winds down, we have some great photos of the parade that the students at Bradford Elementary had to celebrate! The parade consisted of students dressed in traditional clothing, holding lanterns and ribbons, and playing instruments. The highlight of the parade was the Dragon! This is the year of the Dragon, after all! Students did a great job moving the objects like experts! Special Thank you to Jane Langlais (Art) and Jen Zabelsky (Music) teachers at Bradford. They did an excellent job educating and sharing this tradition with our students.
Haverhill High School Athletics
Natanael Vigo Catala is the MIAA Division 1 State Champion in the 600-meter dash!!!
Congratulations, Nata! We are #HillieProud
Haverhill High School MCJROTC
Over the weekend, the HHS MCJROTC attended The All Military Ball.
Samuel Harrison and Lizeth DeFeria both received the Outstanding Cadet Award! Congratulations to Samuel and Lizeth, we are #HillieProud
Haverhill High School Athletics
SHOUT OUT to the HHS Wrestling Team!! They are the 2024 MIAA State Champions! We are incredibly proud of how these Hillies perform on and off the mats! Congratulations!
Food Service Department
Whitson Culinary Group and our Food Service Department held a “Lunch with Leadership” this month at Haverhill High School! On the menu, Fiesta Bowls, which contained chicken, rice, beans, salsa, corn, and jalapenos. Students were served this fantastic lunch by Mayor Melinda Barrett, HPS Superintendent Margaret Marotta, HHS Principal Michael Downs, Community Outreach Director Dianne Connolly, and Chef Raymon returned for an encore appearance! We loved all the local foods that were available for lunch!
Haverhill High School Athletics
Cale Wood is the 120 lb MIAA Division 1 Wrestling State Champion! Congratulations CJ!!! We are #HillieProud
February Vacation Academy
Just a few “Hillie Ladies” are giving back to the community by working at the Vacation Academy at the YWCA. Giving back to your community may motivate others to become actively involved and create a culture of compassion and collective responsibility. Positive role models change lives – Thank You, Hillies!
Dianne Connolly/Class of 1980, HPS Director of Community Outreach,
Destiny Estevez/Class of 2024, Assistant Educator YWCA
Angie Matos/Class of 2023, Lead Educator YWCA
Melissa (Gilley) Therrian/Class of 2010, HPS Substitute Teacher
Haverhill High School Athletics
Tim Lawlor was named the MIAA Division 1 Wrestling Coach of the Year! Congratulations, Coach Lawlor!
February Vacation Academy
February Vacation is a big success! Many students decided to continue learning during the break by attending. Students worked on fun math, ELA, and science activities, including learning about President’s Day, our country’s Presidents, how many drops fit on top of a penny, bears, and penguins! If your child missed the February Vacation Academy, watch our website. We also have an April Vacation Academy, which will be posted soon!
Haverhill High School Alumni
The Haverhill High School administration seeks alumni perspectives on our AP and Early College Programs. Please take the survey and help us decide on the programs we offer our students. You can access the survey here.
Haverhill High School Athletics
Brent Nicolosi was the 165 lb All-State Champion at the 2024 MIAA All-State Wrestling Championship. Congratulations Brent! #HillieNation is Proud!
HPS Wellness Caregiver Series
Last night, the HPS Wellness Caregiver Series and the HPD and ICAC Task Force presented Cyber Crimes at Haverhill High School. This event provided families with the resources to protect themselves and their children from Cyber Crimes. Special thank you to HPD & ICAC Task Force, Captain Meaghan Pare, Sergeant Michael Shinners, and Detective Conor Clark!
Haverhill High School Athletics
Nata Vigo Catala won the 300-meter dash at the 2024 MIAA Indoor Track Meet of Champions! Congratulations Nata! We are #HillieProud
Haverhill High School Athletics
HILLIE SHOUT-OUT to the Varsity Wrestling Team! They brought home the MIAA All-State Championship! They previously won the Division 1 State Tournament! We are #HillieProud
Haverhill High School Athletics
The 4×400 meter relay team of Joel Ishiimwe, Hannon Wipff, Stephane Fevry, and Nata Vigo Catala came in first at the 2024 MIAA Indoor Track Meet of Champions with a thrilling finish.
Congratulations, Joel, Hannon, Stephane, and Nata! #HillieProud
2024-2025 Kindergarten Registration
Register for free all-day Kindergarten for 2024-2025! If your child is 5 years old by August 31, 2024, they can register now. The deadline for early registration is May 1, 2024.
Complete the registration application with all the required documents or book an appointment to come in person and meet with an enrollment specialist. For more information, visit our website.
Current Moody Preschool students do NOT need to re-register.
Daylight Savings Time
Daylight savings begins on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at 2:00 AM. Make sure to set your clocks ahead 1 hour! We are excited about longer days and warmer weather.
Haverhill High School Athletics
Emmerson Cerasuolo and Sydney Spencer have been named to the MVC All-Conference Second Team. Congratulations! We are @HillieProud
Haverhill High School
For three years, Melissa Allen (HHS Theatre Arts Teacher) has been invited back to her alma mater, UMass Lowell, to direct a staged reading. Each year, she has brought some of my theatre arts students to collaborate in the production, with our HHS students performing alongside students in the Theatre Arts Program at UML. This year was extra special because two of her former students who participated in the staged reading last year are now current UML first-year students who chose to participate again (Sheeba Nabiryo and Celia Schoenfeld, Class of 2023).
This was a rewarding opportunity for HHS students to grow their performance skills and confidence onstage along with Hillie Alumni! We love seeing our Hillie Community making a difference in our community!
Haverhill High School Athletics
Alejandro Delgado named to the MVC All-Conference First Team. Colin Snyder and Jhonaton Wallis named to the Second Team. Congratulations! #HillieNation is Proud!
Qustodio
At Haverhill Public Schools, we’re committed to providing a learning experience that allows your child to grow and flourish with technology.
That’s why we’ve teamed up with a student safety and digital wellbeing platform that protects your child’s devices at school, ensuring they stay safe and secure. For more information and to sign up, visit our website.
Haverhill High School Athletics
Congratulations to Liv Melo, named to the MVC Gymnastics All-Conference First Team, and Maddy Defino, named to the All-Conference Second Team. We are #HIllieProud of these gymnasts!
Career Technical Education
Students in the Biomedical Science and Healthcare Occupations Career Technical Education programs at HHS had the opportunity to hear from local pharmacy professionals. Pharmacists from the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center met with students to provide information about the pathway to becoming a pharmacist as well as information about a day in the life of a retail, clinic, and disease management practitioner. Students were excited to hear about professionals who are the “face of medicine,” as well as job opportunities and security. We appreciate our business mentors so much! For more information about work-based learning opportunities for CTE students, contact Lisa Hunt at lhunt@haverhill-ps.org.
Haverhill Public Schools added Text Messaging (SMS) to SchoolMessenger
The District has added text messaging (SMS) capability to SchoolMessenger Communicate, which we now use for phone calls and emails. You can still sign up if you need to receive the communication that went out at the beginning of January!
Families can opt-in to receive text messages from SchoolMessenger by texting Y to number 67587.
Sign up now; you want to take advantage of essential communications from Haverhill Public Schools! For more information and FAQs, visit our website.
Nettle Middle School
Nettle students enjoyed a one-hour watershed dynamics presentation that fits with the 5th-grade water cycle curriculum.
The lesson was highly interactive and popular with students. Two 3D models – one of the Merrimack River watershed and one representing a town with hills, streets, waterways, etc. were used to help demonstrate runoff in a water cycle. The basic concept was to explain to students what the Merrimack River is and what a watershed is (and how it works), and we used the town model to explain the dynamics of how rain behaves as it flows over land. The lesson also talked about pollutants on the land (like oil, fertilizers, and trash) and how they end up in waterways. This part of the lesson was the most popular as the students got to “pollute” the land and then create the rain that washed the pollutants into the river. The lesson ended by discussing ways that students can help reduce the amount of pollution in waterways.
Thank you to the Merrimack River Watershed Council for this grant-funded program and for educating our students about the environment!
HAVERHILL SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Haverhill School Committee Approved Meeting Schedule
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Thursday, April 25, 2024
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
