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Good Afternoon Beverly School Community, 

We could not have had a more beautiful day for us to return to school.  Collectively, our district leadership visited all of our schools and it was so exciting to see our students and teachers back in their classrooms! It was a clear relief for all of us and we were all so happy to reconnect with friends in our school community and resume our school year. We never take for granted the trust you place in us and we will work together to get this year back on track. 

I am sitting in my mostly quiet office now that students are done for the day and getting ready to do what I hope you are all doing - take some down time with family and friends for Thanksgiving. 

I know you have been inundated with messages from and about our schools the last few weeks but I wanted to send a message about what to expect as we return from Thanksgiving. 

After spending time in our schools this morning, I saw in action our leaders joyfully welcoming our teachers, paraprofessionals and students back to school with open arms. I had so many lovely conversations with educators about how excited they are to be back in the classroom doing what they love! Each one reassured me how eager they are to join with us to make sure our community can move forward together.

I appreciate that there is a lot of concern and frustration in our community. As the leader of this District and someone who has devoted the last 30 years of my life to helping your children and our schools succeed, I deeply share and echo those concerns. 

Let me assure you, we will make the most of every moment to recapture the time lost from this disruption so that all of our learners have a successful school year. Our students are guaranteed 180 days of instruction by law. In order to make up the 12 days we lost during the strike, we will need to utilize time that was previously not scheduled for classes including December 23rd and February vacation.  The remaining days will be slated for the end of the year, provided there are no snow days.  If there are weather disruptions, we will need to revisit the possibility of utilizing April break or determining other possible make up days. More information will be forthcoming in the future weeks.

The principals in all of our schools were well prepared for today and the days that will come. We are a strong community. We have a lot of work to do and all of it will be focused first and foremost on our students.

I hope this message finds you well and helps ease your concerns as we head into the season of giving and gratitude. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and know that everyone in Beverly Public Schools is devoted to serving our children every day, together.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Sue Charochak

Superintendent of Schools