Dear Proctor Penguins and Families,
The highlight of our week was, without a doubt, Friday morning, when we celebrated our student athletes who participated in the Titan Games. The energy in the building was incredible as the whole school lined the halls for a clapout to cheer them on. It was a beautiful reminder of the values we hold close to us and at the foundation of our learning: inclusion, compassion, and The Penguin Way of taking care of ourselves, each other, and our school. We are so proud of our athletes and of the way our community lifted them up.
Looking ahead, we have some exciting events this week:
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Walk to School Day – Wednesday morning
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Fun Run – Friday
Both are wonderful opportunities for students and families to come together in the spirit of wellness, community, and fun.
Additionally, we would like to share some exciting school-wide news. This past Monday, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released district and school accountability reports. We are thrilled to share that Proctor has been recognized as a School of Recognition! This achievement reflects the hard work, dedication, and care that our staff, students, and families bring each day. Please see the update below for more details on what this recognition means for our school.
Thank you, as always, for your partnership in making Proctor a place where students feel a true sense of belonging.
Thank you for taking the time to read our weekly newsletter. This weekly newsletter will outline the following updates:
- Save the Date
- Walk to School Day 10/8
- Fun Run
- School Council
- A note from the nurse
- School Accountability
- PTO Updates
Respectfully,
Stacy Mahoney and the Proctor Team
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10/7- PTO Meeting- 7:15 pm
10/8- Walk to School Day
10/10- Fun Run
10/13- NO SCHOOL
10/17- Fun Run Rain Date
10/20- NO SCHOOL
(includes key dates like the first day of school, holidays, early release days, and professional development days)
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On Wednesday, October 8, we will be celebrating Walk to School Day! This event encourages students and families to get active, enjoy the fresh air, and build healthy habits while traveling safely to school. We look forward to seeing many of our Penguins walking together.
Join Proctor School staff and Safe Routes to School as we promote physical activity and practice safe walking to school!
Walkers have two options:
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Meet-Up Walk: Join us at Ellsworth McAfee Park at 7:45 AM to walk to school with parents, teachers, and friends.
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Neighborhood Walk: Leave from your own home with an adult and follow the walking route: Left on Longfellow, Left on Elliot, Left on Chesterfield, cross Northgate, and walk into the Proctor Upper Wing Field.
We look forward to seeing our Penguins walking together as we build healthy habits and community spirit!
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One of the things that makes Proctor so special is the way our families, staff, and community come together to support our students. With that in mind, I’d love to invite you to consider joining our School Site Council for the 2025–2026 school year.
The School Site Council is a group of parents, caregivers, community members, teachers, and the principal who meet a few times each year to partner around Proctor’s goals.
Together, we look at the School Improvement Plan, share ideas, and ensure that many voices are part of shaping the direction of our school. It’s also a wonderful way to learn more about what’s happening at Proctor and to be part of conversations that make a difference for all students.
We’ll meet four times this year, in person in the Proctor Library before school from 7:45–8:25 a.m. The time commitment is small, but the impact is meaningful.
School Site Councils are required by Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 71, Section 59C, which emphasizes the importance of parents, educators, and community members working side by side to identify student needs, set goals, and guide the school improvement plan.
If you’re interested, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. We’d love to have you at the table. Your perspective matters, and your voice helps ensure that Proctor is a place where every child feels a deep sense of belonging and joy in learning.
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We are off to an AMAZING start at Proctor Elementary School!
It’s so great to see our returning students back in the halls and I’m excited to get to know all of our new Proctor friends. My door is always open—please feel free to reach out anytime if there’s anything I can do to support you or your children!
A few reminders…
1) If your child will be absent or even just a little late to school, please email the attendance line at Proctorattendance@nsboro.k12.ma.us and let us know as soon as you can. We truly appreciate your help in making sure every student is safe and accounted for!
2) Please monitor your children for illnesses, and keep them home if they are not feeling up to learning. If your child is ill, please be specific when emailing/calling them in absent so that I may inform those in our building who may be immunocompromised and track significant contagious illnesses within the classrooms. Your child’s name will never be released in classroom notifications. Feel free to reach out to me if you are unsure whether your child should attend school, stay home, or if you would like to speak confidentially. Below are the district guidelines for your convenience:
3) I will begin performing the state-mandated school screenings this coming week. You can always opt out of these screenings by sending me an email to Dgage@nsboro.k12.ma.us.
The state mandated screenings that will take place are:
K-5- Vision
K-3- Hearing
1st and 4th grade: BMI (height/weight)
5th grade: Postural
*Please note: 5th-grade scoliosis screening will require an “opt-in” format instead of an “opt-out” one. I will reach out with more information at a later date!
4) Please help your child remember to bring a snack to school every day. Every grade level has snack time during the school day.
5) We are in need of clothing donations! We mostly need sweatpants and long-sleeve T-shirts for our little ones-boys & girls. Please wash and return any loaned items so that they are available for another student to borrow. Thank you in advance.
Diane Gage, MEd, BSN ,RN
Proctor School Nurse
508-351-7040
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On Monday, DESE released updated accountability data (linked here), which includes accountability percentiles, progress toward improvement targets, and a recognition list of schools that showed strong growth or achievement. Proctor is honored to be named a School of Recognition , which is a designation earned by a select number of schools that demonstrate notable progress toward state benchmarks.
Key Metrics & Terms
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Accountability Percentile (1–99): This shows how a school’s performance stacks up against other schools statewide in similar grade levels, taking into account achievement, growth, absenteeism, and other indicators.
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Progress Toward Improvement Targets: DESE sets multi-year benchmarks (targets) for every school in areas like ELA, math, growth, and chronic absenteeism. Schools earn points based on how their results compare to those targets.
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Schools of Recognition: Among the schools that are not identified as needing intervention, DESE selects a subset that show strong achievement, growth, or improvement toward targets. Proctor is now among those honored.
Our Progress Toward Targets
- Substantial progress toward targets: 67%
- In 2024, our cumulative progress was 35%.
- In 2025, that number jumped to 88%.
- When combined, this shows substantial progress (67%).
This means we are steadily closing gaps and moving closer to meeting the state’s improvement goals.
Accountability Percentile
- Proctor scored in the 73rd percentile compared to schools across Massachusetts serving similar grade levels.
- This places us above the majority of elementary schools in the state, showing both high achievement and strong growth.
What the Data Shows
Strengths:
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Achievement: Students scored full points in ELA, Math, and Science in 2025.
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Growth: Both Math and ELA growth improved significantly (7 out of 8 possible points).
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Improvement Over Time: We more than doubled our performance from last year (35% → 88%).
Areas to Improve:
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Chronic Absenteeism: We did not earn points in this category for 2025, showing the importance of consistent attendance.
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Subgroups: While our overall growth is strong, we must continue supporting our lowest-performing students so every child thrives.
This report focuses on progress, growth, and equity. Being named a School of Recognition reflects the hard work of our students, staff, and families. It also reminds us of our shared responsibility: keeping students in school, ensuring every learner feels they belong, and continually raising achievement and learning outcomes for all.
We are proud of this recognition, and even more excited about what lies ahead as we build on this momentum.
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Did you know...the PTO provides scholarships for any need? No one at Proctor should miss an event or experience because of need. We provide assistance for any and all opportunities at Proctor- school pictures, spirit wear, Spring Fair tickets, Claytime items, yearbooks and more. We respect your privacy...email us, find Lisa at the event (we keep it simple and quiet) or have Mrs. Mahoney contact us to protect your anonymity.
All about the PTO. Check out our overview deck here:
Volunteer Opportunities:
Upcoming Events:
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Lisa Smith, President
Proctor PTO 2024-2025
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