Good Morning,
I hope this Superintendent Update for June 2025 finds you and yours well. Despite a couple of hot days recently, everyone has managed to take part or plan to take part in field days, field trips, outdoor learning and end-of-year concerts and graduations in our District Wide Preschool, Wire Village School (Grade 4), East Brookfield Elementary (Grade 6), Knox Trail Middle School (Grade 8), and High School…. Please take a moment to join me in recognizing and celebrating our young people, especially the Class of 2025. I am so proud of our graduating Class of 2025! As I indicated in my commencement speech, I have learned so much from them and with them over these past four years, and I sincerely appreciate their sense of community, kindness, and closeness...
Enrollment: As we approach the end of this school year, I am pleased to report that the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District proudly served more than 1,433 students.
Personnel Report: We are Hiring! All of our open positions are posted on SchoolSpring.com for the summer months and the next school year.
Summer 2025 positions include, but are not limited to: Summer Eats Food Services and Extended School Year paraprofessionals.
Positions for 2024-2025 include, but are not limited to, Math Teachers (High School), CTE Criminal Justice Teachers (High School), Special Education Teachers (Elementary, Middle, and High School), ELL Teachers (Districtwide), Title I Interventionists (Elementary and Middle School), and Paraprofessionals (Elementary, Middle School, and High School).
To apply, please go to: http: www.schoolspring.com
Mrs. Mary LaFreniere named new principal at David Prouty High School! I am pleased to announce that Mrs. Mary LaFreniere has been appointed as the new principal of David Prouty High School, effective July 1. Mrs. LaFreniere brings a wealth of experience and a strong track record of educational leadership, making her a valuable addition to the Spencer East Brookfield Regional School District community.
Mrs. LaFreniere joins David Prouty High School from Narragansett Middle School in Baldwinville, MA, where she has served as principal since 2018. Mrs. LaFreniere demonstrated steady leadership in curriculum development, student support initiatives, and community engagement during her tenure. Under her leadership, Narragansett Middle School expanded its curriculum offerings, introduced new support programs for students placed at-risk, and strengthened community relations through innovative programs and events.
Mrs. LaFreniere 's leadership improved the school’s overall performance, particularly in the post-pandemic period. Her focus on enhancing the school culture and climate played a crucial role in these achievements - fostering a positive and inclusive environment that encouraged student engagement and academic success. Moreover, she developed a new master schedule, scheduled all students, ensured staff received high-quality professional development opportunities, and oversaw all aspects of the school's management and operations.
Before serving as principal at Narragansett for the past seven years, Mrs. LaFreniere was the principal at Quaboag Regional Middle/High School after a lengthy career as a classroom teacher there. While principal at Quaboag Regional Middle/High School, she supervised the curriculum and instructional work at the school, which saw significant growth in math, science, and English Language Arts. Additionally, Quaboag saw significant increases in Advanced Placement course offerings, enrollment, and qualifying scores.
"I am thrilled to join David Prouty High School and work with such a dedicated community of educators, students, and families," said Mrs. LaFreniere. "My goal is to inspire and lead the DPHS community to ensure that all students feel safe, supported, and prepared for their future endeavors. I firmly believe that students deserve to be recognized for their achievements and encouraged to become meaningful members of the school community by helping them recognize their own strengths and learn how they can best contribute to a positive, supportive environment in which they can thrive as their best selves. School culture is a passion of mine, and I am already impressed with what I have seen at David Prouty. I look forward to building upon the strong foundation already in place by strengthening the partnership with both of our communities, Spencer and East Brookfield, MA.”
Mrs. LaFreniere's experience and leadership in secondary education make her the ideal candidate to guide David Prouty now and into the future. Her passion and commitment to student achievement came through in the interview process, especially during the site visit. “She told it like it is with every question asked,“ said Superintendent of Schools, Paul Haughey. “Finally, I’d like to thank the members of the search committee, including administrators, teachers, parents, students, and School Committee members, for their time and due diligence. We took our time with this process and wanted to make sure we provided everyone with the opportunity to be heard, and I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the time and energy of those who took part in the search.”
Mrs. LaFreniere and her husband come from large families, and she enjoys spending time with them when she’s not working. She also enjoys cooking, skiing, and traveling—especially out West in the National Parks--whenever possible.
MCAS Update: Our students continue to take MCAS. As mentioned last month, MCAS has been upgraded to better measure the critical skills students need for success in the 21st century: deeper understanding; knowledge application; synthesizing; and writing. Most students will take the test on a computer reflecting the digital world we live in today. MCAS helps the Commonwealth identify schools and districts that need additional support. The next-generation MCAS reports your child's scores in new categories that better show whether your child is meeting expectations in their grade level.
Next week, students will continue taking biology tests at the high school. Let’s work together and make your child’s experience a positive and successful! We’ve been preparing at school. Here are some suggestions you can do to help every day:
✔Ensure your child arrives at school on time.
✔Have your child eat a healthy breakfast at home or at school.
✔Ensure your child gets a good night’s sleep.
✔Gentle encourage them to do their best.
✔And finally, take a quick moment to write an encouraging note to your child.
To learn more about the steps you can take as parents/families, go to the MCAS Resources for Parents/Guardians website. Please continue to encourage your child to put forth their best effort as we work to conclude the MCAS season on a positive note.
Knox Trail Middle School Annual Memorial Day Program 2025! Knox Trail Middle School in Spencer, MA, held its Annual Memorial Day Program on Friday, May 24th, featuring patriotic songs, readings, and a bagpipe performance. To view the video of the Memorial Day performance, check out our YouTube Channel Video below.
Hat Trick for Knox Trail Middle School Band, earning gold at Great East Festivals again! Knox Trail Middle School earns a gold medal at the Great East Music Festivals in Springfield, MA… Three consecutive gold medal years! Our young performers could not be more psyched and proud!
Panther Athletics Spring 2025 Update! David Prouty High School and Knox Trail Middle School wrapped up the spring on high notes in Tennis, Outdoor Track and Field, Baseball, and Softball. While the spring took some time to take shape due to many torrential downpours in April, the month of May made for some highly competitive meets on the track, on the field, games on the diamonds, and on the courts. Congratulations to all of our student-athletes on finishing the spring strong! Way to #GoPanthers!
MSBA Update: The David Prouty High School “Addition/Renovation” Building Project continues to move forward. Within Module Seven: Construction! We are currently working on preparing for the tear down of the current “B” Building, or the academic wing of the school. As a result, we are hosting a final tour of the “old” school on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at 5:30 pm.
Our next School Building Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 26th, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom.
AlphaBest Update: AlphaBest will continue to provide services throughout the summer months for the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District. To learn more or to obtain summer information, please contact the AlphaBest Area Manager, Ms. Keyonzia Gagne-Lamoureux, at phone number: 508-969-7831 or by email at kgagne-lamoureux@alphabest.org. Thank you.
Congratulations to the Class of 2025! As mentioned above, on Thursday, May 29th, 2025, our entire learning community celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2025 by recognizing our graduates at an outdoor ceremony at Polar Park in Worcester, MA! Once again, please join me in congratulating our David Prouty HS Class of 2025!
Upcoming Events June 2025!
As you know, each month we have many exciting activities taking place throughout our learning community. This month, in the month of June, here are just a few things planned.
Event: SEPAC Meeting via Zoom (Mon, June 9, 6:00 pm)
Event: School Committee Meeting (Tues, June 10, 6:00 pm)
“Cubs Corner” Preschool Graduation @ChooseSEBRSD! (Thursday, June 12)
Event: Knox Trail MS 8th Grade Graduation (Wed, June 12 at 5:00 pm) @KTMS!
Event: Wire Village School 4th Grade Promotion (Fri, June 13)
Event: East Brookfield Elementary School 6th Grade Sendoff (Mon, June 16)
Event: Anticipated Last Day of School (Mon, June 16) *Half Day
Event: Joint Meeting of the SEBRSD School Committee, Board of Selectmen, and Finance Committee of Spencer, MA (Tues, June 24) at Wire Village School, 6:00 pm.
Event: School Building Committee Meeting (Thurs, June 26, 6:00 pm) via Zoom.
As always, I deeply appreciate your continued partnership and support of the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you and your children this school year! #Innovate #Inspire #Achieve
Sincerely yours,
Paul S. Haughey, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools