Dear Parent(s) and Guardian(s):
My first update for this week is focused on the work of the Mascot Renaming Study Group. On April 28, 2021, The Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committee (RSC) voted 9-0 to retire the Tomahawk as the mascot for Algonquin Regional High School. At the meeting, the Committee charged me to establish a Renaming Study Group and task the Group with identifying two to three new mascots to present to the RSC to approve. Once approved, the current students of Algonquin Regional High School will vote to determine their preferred recommendation. I want to share several resources that are available for the community to stay informed of the Group’s progress.
Access Meeting Agendas and Notes: On Monday, September 20th, the Mascot Renaming Study Group held its third meeting. The Study Group’s meeting agendas are posted after each meeting and can be viewed here.
Review the Mascot Review Process FAQs: The Study Group has received many questions over the course of the past two months. The Group has organized questions in a frequently asked questions (FAQs) document, which is an excellent resource to stay informed.
Reach out to the Study Group: If you have questions please email the MascotStudyGroup@nsboro.k12.ma.us or reach out to Assistant Superintendent of Operations Keith Lavoie, the Study Group’s chair.
The second update is focused on the spring 2021 MCAS results. Early this week the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released the 2021 Spring MCAS results. The Northborough, Southborough, and Northborough-Southborough results are being reviewed and analyzed by District educators, principals, and District leaders to identify patterns and trends and identify gaps in students’ learning as a result of the 2020-2021 learning context. In the upcoming months, reports will be provided to each of the school committees providing an overview of each district’s performance.
Families will receive their child’s MCAS scores after September 30, 2021. Families of students who were in grades 3-8 in the spring should keep in mind that those students were given shorter than usual tests, which can cause individual student performance to vary more than usual as compared to previous years. Families should also remember that MCAS results are only one measure of their child's growth and achievement.
Respectfully,
Gregory L. Martineau
Superintendent of Schools
