Superintendent's Corner

Good Afternoon Beverly Parents and Families,

As we inch closer to the end of another remarkable school year, I am excited to share many of the wonderful achievements and special events that are taking place throughout our Beverly school community.

In our elementary schools, students have been celebrating their successes in many different ways!  Cove School is preparing to celebrate the end of the year with a Celebration of Learning open house on the evening of Wednesday, June 4th. This event is a wonderful opportunity for families to see the growth and creativity of our students. Additionally, as our fourth graders at Cove prepared for their transition to Beverly Middle School, students participated in a special “Chalk Talk” activity. Students added their own words to the sentence “Cove is ______,” with responses like positive, fun, smart, joyful, cool, calm, creative, and caring—among many other wonderful adjectives. These words truly capture the spirit of our school community.

At Hannah School, fourth graders recently completed their “Favorite Number” Project-Based Learning (PBL) unit. Each student selected a number with personal significance and created a presentation featuring four reasons they love their number, four different mathematical representations, and four pop culture references. Students shared their projects with classmates using slideshows or posters, showcasing both their creativity and mathematical understanding.

At Centerville School, students participated in a powerful enrichment program with The Bionic Project. As part of the experience, the quote “All of us will have a disability at some point in our lives” was shared, sparking meaningful conversations about empathy and inclusion. Throughout the day, students actively explored the definition of empathy, worked together to universally design school spaces, built teams of astronauts with and without disabilities, and played soccer using arm crutches. These experiences served as an inspiring extension and celebration of classroom work focused on disability awareness and civil rights.

Additionally, Centerville’s fourth graders embarked on a year-long Science & Sailing program designed to help them understand the complex challenges in science and technology for the future. In partnership with Maritime Gloucester, students engaged in hands-on marine science activities, workshops at the museum and at Centerville School, and community-based service projects to educate the wider school community about ecology and climate issues. The program culminated in a memorable sailing adventure in Gloucester this week, marking a fitting end to a year of immersive learning.

Students from both the Beverly Middle School and Centerville Elementary School had the extraordinary opportunity to perform at the Wang Theater as part of the Express Yourself culminating performance. This show was truly the making of a dream, as our students joined more than 300 area students on stage. Throughout the year, students collaborated with artists to design sets and trained with members of STOMP and other performing artists, culminating in an amazing display of self-expression and creativity.

 

Our middle school music students have once again made us proud with their successes at the Great East Music Festival. Both the band and string ensembles earned two gold and one silver award each, while our chorus swept gold at every grade level. These accomplishments highlight the talent and commitment of our young musicians and their teachers.

BMS Grade Five students displayed and shared their research biographies this past week.  In this project, students engage in research-based biography writing through the "Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, Know" content stages. This approach encourages them to delve into historical figures and craft informative reports by exploring, organizing, and presenting their findings. The curriculum also emphasizes the use of various texts, including informational texts and narrative biographies, to deepen their understanding of the chosen individuals and their contributions. 

 

 At the high school level, we congratulate our students who have graduated from the After Dark programs at both Salem High School and Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School. These innovative programs provide unique learning opportunities and prepare students for future success. 

 

Additionally, the high school recently hosted the powerful Hate Ends Now Cattle Car Exhibit, which all sophomore students attended. This immersive experience encourages deep reflection on history and the importance of empathy and social responsibility.

Our Advanced Placement students completed exams in 25 content areas, with students taking a total of 599 individual tests, the culmination of their hard work throughout the year. This high level of participation underscores our students’ commitment to academic excellence and highlights the breadth and depth of learning opportunities available to them. And we all look forward to the REACH Internship Fair this coming Tuesday! 

We are incredibly grateful to our students, staff, and families for their ongoing support and dedication. We look forward to the continued celebrations of learning throughout the end of the year!  

Sincerely,  

Sue Charochak, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools