Page 14 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, SEpTEmbER 12, 2025 ~ Excellence in the EpS ~ Thank You, Teamsters Local 25! R epresentatives from Teamsters Local 25 continue to be a driving force in helping ensure students are on the road to success. For the second year in a row, Local 25 donated 160 backpacks fi lled with supplies to the Everett Public Schools (EPS). The items arrived on September 3, 2025, at the Administration Building, where Superintendent of Schools William D. Hart publicly thanked the Teamsters for their continued support of EPS students. Current and retired Local 25 members joined EPS administrators and School Committee members to mark the occasion. The donation included a wide range of styles and sizes and a variety of useful and high-quality school supplies. The items will be distributed to principals to give to students. Attendance Awareness month EPS Remains Committed| to Increasing Daily Attendance and Decreasing Chronic Absenteeism From the Offi ce of the Superintendent William D. Hart S From left to right: EPS Director of Strategic Initiatives Rosemary Hughes, EPS Chief Technology Offi cer Joe Patuto, EPS Deputy Superintendent Gretchen Manning, EPS Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Dennis Lynch, retired Teamster Michael Flynn, Superintendent William D. Hart, School Committee Chairperson Samantha Hurley, School Committee Vice Chairperson Jeanne Cristiano, Teamsters Local 25 social worker Leslie Russell, EPS Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Student Success Dr. Margaret Adams and Teamsters Local 25 Dues Room Manager Jill MacGregor and Business Agent Nancy Campbell. Seated are retired Teamster John Maskell and Teamsters consultant Melissa Hurley. eptember in National Attendance Month and the Everett Public Schools (EPS) is looking to continue the success of its deliberate and consistent eff orts to increase daily student attendance across all grade levels. Under the direction of an Attendance Committee, attendance during the 2024-2025 school year climbed to 91.8 percent, while chronic absenteeism decreased by 4.5 percent over the previous year. Assembling a dedicated team to monitor and boost attendance was a critical initiative for Superintendent William D. Hart upon his appointment in December of 2023. “When we think about student outcomes, we need to think from the From left to right: Retired Teamster Bill Grubbs, Teamsters consultant Melissa Hurley, Teamsters Local 25 representatives Jill MacGregor, Nancy Campbell and Leslie Russell, retired Teamsters John Maskell and Michael Flynn, EPS Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Student Success Dr. Margaret Adams, Superintendent William D. Hart, School Committee Chairperson Samantha Hurley, EPS Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Dennis Lynch, School Committee Vice Chairperson Jeanne Cristiano, EPS Deputy Superintendent Gretchen Manning and EPS Director of Strategic Initiatives Rosemary Hughes. A-Plus, As Always M embers Plus Credit Union Above (from left to right): EPS Director of Strategic Initiatives Rosemary Hughes, Parlin School Assistant Principal Dr. William Donohue, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Dennis Lynch, Caitlyn Kenney, Superintendent William D. Hart, Paulette Goodreau, Parlin School Principal Darlene Pugnali, Parlin School Assistant Principal Ana Kolokithas, School Committee Vice Chairperson Jeanne Cristiano and Everett Teachers Association President Kim Auger. (MPCU) renewed an annual tradition on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, when it donated 150 backpacks fi lled with school supplies to the Parlin School, one of the MPCU’s neighbors on Broadway in Everett. Thanks to MPCU Everett Branch Manager Paulette Goodreau and MPCU Marketing Manager Caitlyn Kenney for joining EPS and Parlin School leadership on Wednesday. start,” the Superintendent said. “That begins with daily attendance. When students come to school every day and work with our incredible teachers and their peers, good things will follow.” The Attendance Committee is chaired by Whittier School Principal Mike McLucas and consisted of the following individuals: Director of Social Emotional Wellness Dr. Brian Wallace; Title I Director David Brady; Community and Family Engagement Manager Jeanette Velez; Principals Chris Barrett, Alex Naumann, and Nancy Sutera (who is now retired); Assistant Principals Jessyca Redler, Laurie Stokes, and John Sutera; Director of Tier I Literacy Audra Lessard; Guidance Counselors Regina DeSimone and Michael Engel; Family Liaison Wanda Fernandes; SEL Engagement Liaison Maria Hernandez; and Attendance Supervisors Bill Coombs, Keith Luongo, and Kevin McCarthy. In addition, parents and students had the chance to attend meetings and off er their ideas. The Attendance Committee will hold its fi rst meeting of 2025-2026 later this month, as it looks to build on the momentum in started last year. During the 2022-2023 school year, the EPS had a daily attendance rate 89.8 percent. That number climbed to 90.4 percent in 2023-2024 and to 91.8 percent in 2024-2025. At the same time, this past school year saw a 4.5 percent decrease in the number students who missed 10 percent or more of their scheduled school days, which the Commonwealth of Massachusetts defi nes as “chronically absent.” Superintendent Hart credits the Attendance Committee and school leaders for emphasizing attendance and developing positive competitions and incentives for students, teachers, and classrooms that boast impressive individual and/or collective attendance rates. For example, the Keverian School, which reported a 93.7 percent attendance rate, awarded an extra gym period to classrooms with the best monthly attendance. These efforts, by extension, boost achievement as there is an abundance of data linking attendance to student outcomes. By design, the Attendance Committee is comprised of a diverse panel of educators and professionals who collaborate to analyze the topic from every angle. “We made sure to assemble a team that can identify, and address, the multitude of reasons why a student might be missing too many school days,” said Superintendent Hart. “With everyone’s continued eff ort, we remain confi dent that our attendance rates will climb further this year.”
15 Publizr Home