Dear Staff and Families,
December brings Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, and many other celebrations. I just wanted to send a short school update before the month gets away from us as we dive into the flurry of activities that mark the close of the calendar year.
News on Navigating the Future Together: This week, the School Committee voted unanimously to approve the submission of a “Statement of Interest” to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to renovate the Lawrence School. The MSBA assists with the process before and during the renovation and contributes to the overall cost of the project. This is just the first step in a long process. Over the next couple of months, we will be conducting a needs assessment to assist with the application which will be submitted with our Statement of Interest. Then we wait. We will most likely not be notified until December of 2025 if we are accepted into the MSBA program.
I would like to thank everyone who attended our community forums, provided feedback through the feedback form or email, and otherwise engaged in this process throughout the fall. Your input is valued and together we will make the best decisions for the future of Falmouth Public Schools.
News on our Safety Coordinator: We are sad to see Paul Stefanelli go, but he's off to warmer weather. Paul helped us strengthen the safety and security systems throughout the District. He was able to leave a strong foundation for our new Safety Coordinator, Mike Hurley, to continue this important work. Mike comes to us with much experience. He retired as the Chief of Police at Wellfleet and he’s been working as an SRO in Nauset. Mike has extensive experience in crisis management, investigations, security training, and mitigation of risks. We are happy to welcome Mike as the new School Safety and Security Coordinator.
Music is in the Air: I attended the wonderful winter band concert at Morse Pond this week. It was a joy to watch our talented and enthusiastic students play their tunes!
Upcoming events include:
December 16, 2024 All Schools Elementary Concert at FHS Auditorium from 6:30 pm
December 18, 2024 Lawrence Winter Concert at Lawrence School from 6:30 pm
December 19, 2024 FHS Winter Choir and Instrumental Concert at FHS from 7:00 pm
Happy Holidays!
Lori S. Duerr, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools