Embedded Files
School Closure Notice for Thursday, November 21st
Dear Gloucester Public School Families,
I am sorry to say that the Gloucester Public Schools will be closed on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
As we did yesterday, if school needs to be canceled we will now be contacting you by 8 p.m. each night in hopes of giving the process more time each day. Unfortunately, we are now at that time since the School Committee has waited all day for a response to our last proposal from last night. This means the Gloucester Public Schools will be closed on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
I am so sorry for our children. I am so sorry for our families. You all deserve so much better than this. Please know that the School Committee and I have tried everything for the past 13 days to get our students back into school. Please look for a negotiation update from the School Committee with further details later tonight.
With all the days of June exhausted, this means tomorrow will need to be made up during February or April vacation. That decision will come at a later date as soon as the strike is behind us.
In all my years in public education I never imagined that I would see a situation like this that would impact our students in such a serious way. The time to come together is now.
Sincerely,
Ben Lummis
Superintendent
School Closure Notice for Wednesday, November 20th
Dear Gloucester Public School Families,
I am sorry to say that the Gloucester Public Schools will be closed on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
Earlier today we let the community know that we would make a decision about closing school at 8 p.m. today. While we have seemingly made progress, unfortunately it has not been enough.
The School Committee gave their most recent increased salary proposal to the union leadership at 10 p.m. last night. However, the unions have just given the School Committee a salary proposal at 7:50 p.m. tonight. Such a late proposal is too late for the two sides to make an agreement tonight and still open school tomorrow. The union leadership very clearly knew of the deadline we had to notify families.
We will continue to work into the night but it is already late and we know your children need to know now. Based on this, the Gloucester Public Schools will be closed on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
As I have said in my previous messages, this day will be added to the end of the school year making the last day of school Monday, June 30th. Any days canceled after this point will need to be made up during part of February and/or April vacation.
Breakfast and Lunch Pick Up
For tomorrow, we again have three locations for families to pick up “Grab and Go” meals: Gloucester High School, O’Maley Middle School, and East Veterans School. Families can pick up breakfast and lunch between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Families can walk or drive to either location. Please click here for more information in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole.
I am sorry this is happening to the children and families of Gloucester.
Sincerely,
Ben Lummis
Superintendent
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Update from Superintendent Ben Lummis November 19, 2024 - 12:45 p.m.
Dear Gloucester Public School Families,
I want to reach out and let students and families know that negotiations have slowed since I wrote to you last night. We were optimistic last night that both teams were making enough progress, and that we would get to the finish line. However, negotiations hit several roadblocks late last night, and negotiations ended at 11:45 PM. We are now working with the union leadership on these issues today and beyond if necessary.
At this point, I do not know if schools will or will not be open tomorrow. I am sending this message so families can plan accordingly.
To give negotiations as much time as possible, we will let you know one way or another at 8 PM tonight.
Please know, both teams are working hard to get this done so our children can get back into school as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Ben Lummis
Superintendent
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School Closure Notice for Monday, November 18
Dear Gloucester Public School Families,
I am sad to say that the Gloucester Public Schools will be closed on Monday, November 18, 20204.
Like you, I am frustrated that we are 10 days in with no resolution to this contract. Our students deserve to be in school.
We have worked through the weekend in hopes of finding common ground with the union leadership but unfortunately the two sides continue to remain apart on key issues like wages. The School Committee remains committed to working with the independent, state mediator as we have for the last 10 days.
The School Committee voted this weekend to allow after-school activities as long as the advisor or coach is willing to participate. These advisors will contact the building principal and let them know that they are willing to run the activity and will begin communicating with students.
As I have said in my previous messages, the days that are canceled will be added to the end of the school year just like snow days. With tomorrow’s cancellation, our last day of school will now be Thursday, June 26.
Breakfast and Lunch Pick Up
We have three locations for families to pick up “Grab and Go” meals: Gloucester High School, O’Maley Middle School, and East Veterans School. Families can pick up breakfast and lunch between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Monday. Families can walk or drive to either location. Please click here for more information in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. A special thank you to the YMCA, The Open Door, Gloucester Housing, and GPS Food Services for helping distribute these meals.
Please know that our mediation efforts are ongoing and are starting early every morning and continuing late into the night until our children are back in school.
Sincerely,
Ben Lummis
Superintendent
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Schools Closed on Friday, November 15
November 14, 2024
Dear Gloucester Public School Families,
Sadly, we need to once again let our families and students know that school will be closed on Friday, November 15, 2024.
The School Committee again offered to continue all-day mediation with the bargaining teams while opening our schools. Unfortunately, the unions did not agree to this offer which would have opened school and allowed negotiations to continue, so school will continue to be closed on Friday. As a result, all after-school activities must also be canceled on Friday, November 15, 2024.
As I have announced in my prior school cancellation notices, the days that are canceled will be added to the end of the school year just like snow days. With tomorrow’s cancellation, our last day of school would be Wednesday, June 25.
Breakfast and Lunch Pick Up
We now have three locations for families to pick up “Grab and Go” meals: Gloucester High School, O’Maley Middle School, and East Veterans School. Any school family can pick up breakfast and lunch between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, November 15. Families can walk or drive to either location. Please click here for more information in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. Thank you to the YMCA, The Open Door, and Gloucester Housing for helping us to distribute these meals.
Please know that our mediation efforts are ongoing and are starting early every morning and continuing late into the night. The School Committee is working tirelessly with the state mediator and the union to resolve this contract dispute with urgency so children can return to school as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
Ben Lummis
Superintendent
Schools Closed on Thursday, November 14
November 13, 2024
Dear Gloucester Public School Families,
Once again, I am sorry to let our families and students know that school will be closed on Thursday, November 14, 2024.
The bargaining teams made progress today by meeting face-to-face in small groups. Because of this progress, the School Committee again offered to continue all-day mediation with the bargaining teams while opening our schools. Unfortunately, the unions did not agree to this offer which would have opened school and allowed negotiations to continue, so school will continue to be closed on Thursday. As a result, all after-school activities must also be canceled on Thursday, November 13, 2024.
As I have announced in my prior school cancellation notices, the days that are canceled will be added to the end of the school year just like snow days. With tomorrow’s cancellation, our last day of school would be Tuesday, June 24.
Breakfast and Lunch Pick Up
We now have three locations for families to pick up “Grab and Go” meals: Gloucester High School, O’Maley Middle School, and East Veterans School. Any school family can pick up breakfast and lunch between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, November 14. Families can walk or drive to either location. Please click here for more information in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. Thank you to the YMCA, The Open Door, and Gloucester Housing for helping us to distribute these meals.
Please know that our mediation efforts are ongoing and are starting early every morning and continuing late into the night. The School Committee is working tirelessly with the state mediator and the union to resolve this contract dispute with urgency so children can return to school as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
Ben Lummis
Superintendent
Schools Closed on Wednesday, November 13
November 12, 2024
Dear Gloucester Public School Families,
I regret to inform you that school will continue to be closed on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.
While a small group of educators and administrators did meet face-to-face today, the unions and the School Committee have not reached an agreement through mediation. Due to the ongoing strike by teachers and paraprofessionals, Gloucester Public Schools will remain closed on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.
All after-school activities scheduled for Wednesday, November 13, 2024, are also canceled. The Gloucester High School Awards Ceremony will be rescheduled.
In the event of further school closures, families will be notified by 6:00 p.m. the preceding evening. Similar to school days canceled due to inclement weather, these missed days will be added to the end of the academic year.
Breakfast and Lunch Pick Up - Will Continue Again on Thursday If Needed
Many families were able to stop by East Veterans and O’Maley to pick up two days' worth of “Grab and Go” meals to families. If we are still out of school on Thursday, we will continue to distribute meals at O’Maley and East Veterans. We will add other locations including Gloucester High School. I will provide more details about all locations tomorrow if necessary.
If your family has any medication stored in one of the school nurses’ offices that you need, please contact Head Nurse Jeff Parco by emailing jparco@gloucesterschools.com.
Please know that our mediation efforts are ongoing. They start early every morning and continue into the night. The School Committee is working tirelessly with the state mediator and the union to resolve this contract dispute with urgency so children can return to school as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
Ben Lummis
Superintendent
Update on Possible School Cancellation on Tuesday, November 12
November 10, 2024
Dear Gloucester Public School Families,
As of right now, both the teachers union and the School Committee are continuing with mediation this evening. However, there has not been enough progress yet to guarantee that school will be open on Tuesday.
I’m writing to let families know what will happen IF school needs to be closed on Tuesday.
Notification
If school is forced to be closed on Tuesday, I will communicate to all families no later than 6:00 p.m. Monday evening with the announcement.
Providing Meals to Families if School is Closed on Tuesday
Gloucester Public Schools will provide “Grab and Go” meals to families.
Any school family can pick up breakfasts and lunches between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday at the O’Maley Middle School parking lot or the East Veterans Elementary School parking lot.
Families can walk or drive to either location.
Extracurricular Activities
As the School Committee announced on Friday, school sponsored after-school activities and events must be canceled or rescheduled because of the teachers and paraprofessionals strike. When the strike is over, all activities will resume.
Medication Needs
If your family has any medication stored in one of the school nurses’ offices that you need, please contact Head Nurse Jeff Parco by emailing at jparco@gloucesterschools.com.
I sincerely hope that the mediation process is productive for the rest of tonight and tomorrow and that we will be able to welcome all students back to school on Tuesday.
Sincerely,
Ben Lummis
Superintendent
GPS Elementary and Middle School Band Programs Flourishing with Community Support
Jan. 29, 2024 -The Gloucester Public Schools’ elementary and middle school instrumental music programs are thriving, with surging student participation numbers and expanded youth access to different instruments thanks largely to financial support from generous community partners.
The Gloucester Education Foundation (GEF), thanks to significant recent gifts made by the J.M.R. Barker Foundation and John and Mollie Byrnes, has been crucial in helping to build and sustain the program that allows GPS students to begin playing an instrument in fourth grade.
For the 2023-2024 school year, GEF is providing $98,100 to support the grades 4-8 instrumental music program - funding that pays for the elementary school band coordinator and eight instrumental instructors who help elementary school students across the district learn their instruments of choice.
The district extends a sincere thank you to the J.M.R. Barker Foundation for recently approving a $100,000 grant that will benefit the district’s instrumental music programs for grades 4-8 over the next two years.
Gloucester Public Schools will receive $55,000 this fiscal year from the Barker Foundation, which will supplement the $43,100 that GEF already allocated to the district this fiscal year for the grades 4-8 instrumental music program. The remaining $45,000 of the grant will support the district’s grades 4-8 instrumental music programs in 2024-2025.
"The school music programs make a real difference in the lives of many students, like so much else that GEF supports,” said Jim Barker of the J.M.R. Barker Foundation.
The Gloucester Public Schools also thanks Mollie Byrnes and the late John Byrnes for donating $30,000 through GEF to support the elementary school instrumental music program this year.
Through their investment into the Gloucester Public Schools’ grades 4-8 instrumental music programs, donors have “helped establish a continuum from elementary to middle to high school, so students can progress towards mastery in music over an eight-year period,” as GEF outlined in its grant application to the J.M.R. Barker Foundation.
Gloucester Education Foundation Executive Director Emily Siegel is pleased to see donors unite to help bolster the district’s grades 4-8 instrumental music programs.
“GEF has made a multi-year commitment to support the growth of Gloucester's band programs, and is delighted by the recent generosity of the JMR Barker Foundation and the Byrnes family,” Siegel said. “Their shared commitment to Gloucester youth and to the arts is helping elevate music education in GPS."
Gloucester Superintendent Ben Lummis thanked GEF and community donors for providing financial backing that helps dedicated GPS staff members Carlos Menezes Jr., Jamie Klopotoski and instrument instructors continue the momentum to grow the grades 4-8 band programs.
“Playing an instrument is one way that students develop an appreciation for music and find their place in our schools,” Lummis said. “We want every student to experience a sense of belonging and our robust grades 4-8 instrumental program helps many students feel connected and excited to show up for school every day. The district is very grateful for the funding provided by GEF and generous donors that enhances the engaging, high-quality music instruction our students receive.”
Elementary School Band Program Prospering
Gloucester Public Schools Elementary School Band Coordinator Jamie Klopotoski is thrilled to report the elementary school band now boasts 94 students, compared to 77 students in 2021. The number of students participating in the elementary school band has increased each of the last three years.
Klopotoski oversees twice weekly Elementary School Band rehearsals and student instrumental lessons at O’Maley Middle School. Fourth-graders are bused from each of the elementary schools to O’Maley on Tuesdays and fifth-graders are bused to O’Maley on Thursdays for the after school band program.
Having all of the elementary school band students together under one roof at O’Maley is preferable to the previous arrangement when band students met at their individual elementary schools for instrumental lessons, Klopotoski said.
“It was much nicer to have all the students come together and be one big band!” Klopotoski said. “They get to meet and to become friends with fellow band students at other schools, and they get a glimpse of what middle school and middle school band will be like.”
Particularly exciting for Klopotoski are the increased performance opportunities for the Elementary School Band. The community is invited to the Elementary School Band’s Winter Concert on Monday, Jan. 29 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the O'Maley Middle School Auditorium, and future concerts are planned for the spring and Gloucester Student Arts Festival.
Klopotoski believes the emphasis on a district-wide elementary school band program also helps with retention. The district has a 70 percent retention rate from elementary school to the O’Maley band program and she anticipates a significant number of students from this feeder program will join the Gloucester High School Band as the years go by.
Pardon the pun, Klopotoski said, but band is an instrumental part of a student’s education.
“In addition to teaching the basics of music and playing an instrument, the band becomes a little community where everyone can feel like they belong,” she said. “The band creates a safe space for students to be themselves, to build relationships with each other and with trusting adults, to find and develop their passion for music, and to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”
Klopotoski hears from students all the time that band is the best part of their day.
“Students have told me that before joining band, they had a hard time fitting in at school, but after joining band, they felt like they fully belonged, that they found something to be passionate about, and were excited to be able express themselves through music,” Klopotoski said. “And those feelings only continue to grow through middle and high school.”
Donor Support Expands Opportunities for O’Maley Band
O’Maley Middle School Band Director Carlos Menezes Jr. said the thriving elementary school feeder program has been essential to students developing the skills necessary to being part of instrumental ensembles such as the concert band and jazz band in which reading literacy is paramount.
When Menezes Jr. started at O’Maley in 2015 there were 27 students in the band program. The program currently has 97 students and in December put together a very successful Holiday Concert - the band’s first Holiday Concert since 2019.
For last year’s June concert, the O’Maley Middle School Band performed with a high school level repertoire that featured movie themes, band covers and timeless classics .
Menezes Jr. stressed that the financial support from GEF and donors has allowed O’Maley to push new boundaries with both the ensembles that the school offers and the instruments students can play. O’Maley now fields a concert band, jazz band and an advanced combo ensemble.
New instruments made possible thanks to the donors include one tuba, two baritone horns, two bass clarinets, and the timpani drums.
“All of these have allowed us to expand our sound concept and play more diverse concert music,” Menezes Jr. said.
Gloucester Public Schools Elementary School Band Coordinator Jamie Klopotoski leads the Gloucester Elementary School Band during a rehearsal at O'Maley Middle School
The O'Maley Middle School Band performs during the Gloucester Student Arts Festival last spring. Courtesy Photo by Martin Del Vecchio
Amy Donnelly leads an experiment for O'Maley Middle School students. Donnelly is serving as the coordinator of the O'Maley Science Center, a position funded by a grant from the Brace Cove Foundation.
Brace Cove Foundation Awards Gloucester Public Schools Grant to Fund Science Center Coordinator
Brace Cove Foundation Awards Gloucester Public Schools Grant to Fund Science Center Coordinator
GLOUCESTER – Superintendent of Schools Ben Lummis is pleased to announce a grant from the Brace Cove Foundation to the Gloucester Public Schools (GPS) to fund a coordinator to lead the Birdseye-Hammond Science Center located at O’Maley Middle School. The $200,000 grant will provide funding over two years for a dedicated science center coordinator.
Amy Donnelly, an accomplished science teacher at O’Maley Middle School, will step into the role of science center coordinator to oversee the expansion of the O’Maley Science Center as a resource to strengthen the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instruction delivered to Gloucester Public Schools students in grades 3-8.
“The Gloucester Public Schools thanks the Brace Cove Foundation for its generous support in awarding a grant that we feel will strengthen STEM education in the Gloucester Public Schools and build a pipeline of students eager to study and pursue careers in the science and engineering fields,” said Superintendent Ben Lummis.
The science center coordinator will strive to:
● Take advantage of the O’Maley Science Center as an experiential science programming destination for GPS elementary school students through hands-on laboratory work directed by teachers with a deeper content knowledge in STEM.
● Strengthen local science community partnerships with organizations such as the Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, Applied Materials, Maritime Gloucester, Ocean Alliance, New England Biolabs, Gorton’s Laboratories, Cell Signaling Technology, etc.
● Strengthen college and university partnerships by bringing on additional student teachers to work in the labs with GPS students.
About the O’Maley Science Center
For more than a decade, O’Maley Middle School has benefited from the Birdseye-Hammond Science Center in which students undertake STEM projects in a series of working laboratories. The Science Center features a wet lab, life sciences lab, design lab and tech room.
About Brace Cove Foundation
Brace Cove Foundation was founded by Walter Herlihy and Nancy LeGendre in 2016 to provide grants to non-profit organizations in Cape Ann and surrounding communities to improve the quality of life in our community. See www.bracecove.org for more information.
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