Good afternoon!
I hope this Superintendent Update for November 2025 finds you and yours well. This month, I am asking everyone to celebrate the power of presence together and recognize that "attendance matters" when it comes to student performance! The Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), continues to emphasize the importance of attending school. Our "Attendance Matters" campaign asks students to attend school and…
Enrollment: Our enrollment as a regional school district has steadied. As of this morning, we have 1,473 students enrolled within our district. David Prouty High School has 321 students enrolled; Knox Trail Middle School has 407 students; Wire Village School has 459 students; and East Brookfield Elementary School has 263 students, including 110 students enrolled for the "Cubs Corner" Preschool!
Personnel: We continue to post for paraprofessionals to join our district. All other positions have been filled at this time. To apply, go to www.schoolspring.com and enter Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District.
Universal Meal Funding Update: In light of the government shutdown, all schools in the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District will continue to provide one breakfast and one lunch each day to every student at no cost to families.
We understand this may be a challenging time for many, and we want to ensure that no child goes without a nutritious meal.
If you or someone you know is experiencing food insecurity in Massachusetts, please reach out to Project Bread’s Food Source Hotline: https://projectbread.org/foodsource-hotline
Food Source Hotline counselors can assist in 180 languages and help families connect with additional resources such as the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program and local food pantries.
Together, we can make sure every child and family in our community has access to the support they need.
DPHS Food Drive 2025! Additionally, David Prouty High School has organized a Food Drive in response ot the needs of our communities. Please help support our community and donate to the DPHS food drive! You can help in two ways: bring non-perishable donations of food (see the memo for details) or make a monetary donation to Mary Queen of the Rosary!
John and Abigail Adams Scholars – Class of 2026! Congratulations to our David Prouty High School John and Abigail Adams Scholars, who earned this honor for their outstanding performance on the most recent MCAS tests (photographed above in the November Supt Newsletter). The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship provides a tuition credit for up to eight semesters of undergraduate education at a Massachusetts state college or university. The scholarship covers tuition only; fees and room and board are not included. The scholarship must be used within six years of a student's high school graduation.
Eligibility to earn a John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is based on students' first-time scores on high school MCAS tests.
Notification letters are sent to high schools, which then distribute them to students and their families. To receive the scholarship, students must notify the financial aid office at the Massachusetts public college or university to which they have been accepted and complete the online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
David Prouty High School's
John and Abigail Adams Scholars - Class of 2026 are as follows:
Terrence Alston
Elizabeth Anderson
Elijah Barnett
Heather Bartolomei
Jaidyn Clark
Martina Ethier
Paige Fritze
Geoffrey Gardiner
James Hanlan
Jorelys Ignacio
Lucas Lacroix
Sampson Mahan
Lilyan Mateucci
Matthew McNicol
Michael Naji
Christopher Pinkowski
Riley Rafferty
Brenna Stanley
Zackery Wadden
Ash White
Victoria Zheng
Please join me in celebrating and congratulating our David Prouty High School Class of 2026 Adams Scholars!
Save The Dates…
American Education Week in 2025 will be held from November 17–21. It is a week-long observance that celebrates public education and honors the contributions of everyone in the school community, such as teachers, staff, and parents. Each day is typically dedicated to a different theme, such as Education Support Professionals Day and Substitute Educators Day.
• Dates: November 17–21, 2025
• Purpose: To celebrate public education and recognize the efforts of those who work in schools.
• Daily Themes (example themes):
o Monday, November 17: Kickoff Day
o Tuesday, November 18: Family Day
o Wednesday, November 19: Education Support Professionals Day
o Thursday, November 20: Educator for a Day
o Friday, November 21: Substitute Educators Day
Student Government Day 2026! In 1947, the Massachusetts Legislature enacted a program called Student Government Day (originally Good Government Day), which is traditionally held on a Friday in April. This is an informative program about state government that includes students participating in the role of elected or appointed officials to "observe the processes of government."
The program provides educators and students from Massachusetts's public and private high schools with many opportunities to learn first-hand about state government. It enables government officials to have contact with students. It allows students to voice their positions on important current issues through prepared debates. It enables students to participate in the legislative process through simulated committee hearings and House and Senate formal sessions. It provides students with the opportunity to exchange views with peers across the state on statewide issues.
On April 10, 2026, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will host our annual Student Government Day at the Massachusetts State House for current high school juniors and seniors. Please register below for this spectacular event! To register, click here: 2026 Student Govenrment Day Registriation.
Massachusetts Civic Learning Week 2026: 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution! (March 9-13, 2026) Please save the date for Massachusetts Civic Learning Week 2026, which will take place this year from March 9-13. The theme this year is the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, and we’re excited to bring together students, educators, policymakers, and local leaders to further energize this movement. As in past years, MCLC will host Massachusetts-focused events, while National Civic Learning Week will host events on the national stage.
Civic education offers all of us the tools to engage as members of our self-governing society. We know that the best civic learning happens both in and outside of the classroom and is a lifelong endeavor. Civic Learning Week brings together students, educators, policymakers, and leaders in the public and private sectors to underscore the need to make civic learning a priority and to further energize the movement for civic education across Massachusetts.
As in past years, MCLC is planning to host:
• Student-focused sessions during the school day, for teachers to share with their classes.
• Teacher-focused sessions in the afternoons, to provide professional learning and support.
• General public sessions, to engage policymakers and families in the work of promoting civic learning.
MA Civic Learning Week events are free and open to all, including students, teachers, administrators, policymakers, families, and community members.
MSBA Update: The next meeting of the School Building Committee is planned for Thursday, November 20th, 2025, at 6:00 pm at the David Prouty High School (Room 241) in Spencer, MA.
Unified Basketball Jamboree 2025! The Jamboree takes place on Thursday, November 12th, 2025, beginning with Opening Ceremonies at 3:00 pm at Auburn High School. David Prouty will take on Burncoat HS and Worcester Tech in the Jamboree. Come on out and support our student-athletes as they compete in what is sure to be a fun and competitive evening of hoops for everyone! #LetsGoProuty #GoPanthers
Congratulations to all of our athletic teams and extracurricular student-athletes on a productive fall 2025! We could not be more proud to see you out there competing and/or performing in all kinds of conditions, carrying forward that “Panther Pride” in Football, Soccer (Boys & Girls), Cross Country (Boys & Girls), Cheerleading, and Marching Band! #GoPanthers
November 2025 Events: Finally, this month, we have so many exciting activities taking place throughout our learning community.
• Event: Election Day: Tuesday, November 4th, 2025.
• Event: School Closed - Holiday: Veterans Day/Armistice Day (Tues, Nov 11)
• Event: Unified Basketball Jamboree 2025: Wednesday, November 12th, 2025.
• Event: School Committee Meeting (Tue, Nov 17, 6:00 PM)
• Event: American Education Week (Mon, Nov 17 – Fri, Nov 21)
• Event: School Building Committee Meeting (Thurs, Nov 20, 6:00 PM)
• Event: Half Day of School (Wed, Nov 26, 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM)
• Event: School Closed - Holiday: Thanksgiving Break (Thu, Nov 27 - Fri, Nov 28)
As was the case last school year, with so much happening in our learning community, it is easy to lose sight of the wonderful things happening around us. With that said, from our family to yours, please take time to recognize and celebrate our Veterans this month, as well as time with family and friends - safely - this Thanksgiving! I remain truly grateful to the members of this community for demonstrating kindness, compassion, and decency throughout the Fall season. Your partnership and support of the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District is deeply appreciated. #Innovate #Inspire #Achieve
Sincerely yours,
Paul S. Haughey, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District
UPDATED: November 4th, 2026, at 12:25 pm EST