With the first day of school on Tuesday, this issue includes the information your family will need for a successful start, including arrival and dismissal procedures, upcoming events, and important reminders. Please take time to review the sections that follow and discuss the relevant information with your child.

As we begin the year, our partnership will depend on clear, consistent communication. The Weekly Wizard will bring school-wide information together each Friday, but communication does not need to wait for the newsletter. If your family has a question, concern, or context that will help us better support your child, please reach out.

The Margaret A. Neary School Handbook is another important resource and includes detailed information about school procedures, expectations, and district policies. I encourage families to review it and keep it available throughout the year.

We are excited to welcome our students on Tuesday and begin the work of building a joyful and productive year together.

My best,

Tom

Each week, Neary in Action will offer a glimpse into the learning, collaboration, and community-building happening throughout our school. We look forward to highlighting the people and moments that bring Neary to life.

A special thank you to Mr. Dagle and Mr. DaSilva for their tremendous work preparing Neary for the start of the year! From readying classrooms to responding to countless last-minute needs, their care and attention have helped create a welcoming environment for our community.

During our opening days, Neary educators engaged in professional learning, strengthened connections, and prepared for the year ahead. Teachers have also worked incredibly hard to organize their classrooms and create spaces where students will feel welcomed, supported, and ready to learn. Their thoughtfulness is visible throughout the building, and we cannot wait for students to make these spaces their own.

We are excited to welcome Kara Almeida to the Neary team as the Special Education Teacher in the CASTLE Program. Mrs. Almeida brings thirteen years of experience supporting students with disabilities, including ten years as a special educator in Marlborough Public Schools. Her experience with specialized instruction, inclusive practices, and helping students develop academic and life skills will be a wonderful addition to our community as she supports students in working toward their goals and greater independence.

We are thrilled to welcome Jared Franciose to Neary as a fourth-grade classroom teacher. Mr. Franciose previously taught second grade at Hemenway Elementary School in Framingham, where he worked with students from a range of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. His commitment to engaging instruction, collaboration, and meaningful relationships with students and families will make him a wonderful addition to our school community.

Finally, please join us in welcoming a face familiar to many Southborough families but new to Neary, Mireia Graziani, Neary’s new Spanish teacher. A native Spanish speaker from Barcelona, Ms. Graziani holds a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s degree in Spanish and has taught the language since 2005. Through stories, songs, hands-on activities, and explorations of Spanish-speaking cultures, she looks forward to helping students build a strong foundation and enthusiasm for continued language learning.

Student safety is our first priority during arrival and dismissal. Clear, consistent procedures require partnership and alignment between families and school, especially with our roof project this fall. Please review the following procedures with your child and help us ensure that everyone arrives and leaves school safely and efficiently.

During the roof project, construction equipment and materials are staged behind Neary. Students should not use the walking path from Clifford Road to Neary. Students are welcome to continue to use the walking path from Deerfoot that connects Deerfoot to Trottier and then Neary. Please help us reinforce this expectation with your child.

Please complete the Neary End of Day Dismissal Form by 9/1 to indicate your child's dismissal plan for each day. We will use the information provided as their routine dismissal plan. On the first day of school, students assigned to a bus or Southborough Extended Day will follow that dismissal plan unless otherwise indicated.

Staff supervision begins at 8:25 a.m. Students should not arrive before that time or gather on the playground, as the playground is not supervised before school. To be on time, students must be inside the school by the 8:45 a.m. bell. Any student entering the building after 8:45 a.m. will be marked as tardy for the day.

Dismissal begins at 3:00 p.m.

Information regarding transportation can be accessed through our district Transportation page. I

To help families with bus arrival times and tracking, NRT offers a transportation tracking app, Beacon Connect. This will enable you to track the pick-up and drop-off times through GPS. If you are experiencing problems with the app or have questions, please contact NRT directly at BeaconConnect@GoBeacon.com. Please note that the Central Office and School Offices do NOT manage the app.

Strong communication between home and school is an important part of supporting our students. If you have a question, concern, or information that will help us better support your child, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Main Office: 508-481-2300

Consistent attendance is essential to student learning and connection. Students are expected to attend school each day that school is in session. If your child will be absent, please notify the school early that morning by calling 508-481-2300 and following the prompt to report an absence. Please do not leave absence information on a teacher’s voicemail.

You may also report an absence by emailing all of the following:

If your child’s dismissal plan changes, please call the main office or email the contacts above by 1:30 p.m. Including the main office ensures that we receive the information promptly, as teachers may not be able to check email during the school day. Staff email addresses are available in the Staff Directory under the Contact Us tab on the Neary website.

This year, we are introducing Neary Nights, an umbrella for evening programs designed to strengthen the connection between home and school and help families support learning at Neary. Through Neary Nights, we hope to give families a clearer window into students’ experiences at school and create meaningful opportunities for families and educators to learn from and work alongside one another. We are excited to share our first two Neary Nights events with you.

Our first Neary Nights event will reimagine Curriculum Night by bringing together classroom presentations, a Neary Whole School Meeting, and opportunities to connect with the educators and community organizations that support our students. During the classroom session, families will learn about their child’s classroom experience, key routines and expectations, and the learning ahead. In the gym, families will experience the meeting structure we are establishing with students while learning more about our school community and available resources. Please note that Curriculum and Community Nights is for adults only.

Our second Neary Nights event is all about bringing our community together. Neary students and their families are invited to join us for a relaxed evening of food, fun, and connection as we celebrate the start of the school year. Whether your family stays for the full evening or stops by for a short time, we hope you will join us!

The picnic is free to attend and open to the whole family. Food will be available for purchase from food trucks, with specific options shared after families RSVP. Please bring blankets or lawn chairs for your family.

New Neary merchandise will also be available for purchase, and SOS will hold a raffle. Raffle tickets will cost $5 for one ticket or $20 for five tickets.

Please use this link to RSVP and this link to volunteer. We cannot wait to celebrate the new school year together!

Day 4 of the Neary Roof Project is complete!  We learned a lot about this project in a few short days. We are pleased to share that the entire library section has been completed, with some minor finishing work to complete. Over the last four days, they have completed 8,000 of the 65,000 sq. ft. of the total project. This process involves removal of old material and installation of a new roof system.  Overall, the disruption was minimal and many staff in the building voiced the same observation. 

As a result, we will be allowing the contractor to work on the first day of school. We will brief staff on what to expect and will share more information with students when they arrive of what they will be observing and hearing from the roof. 

We should expect students to remain in their classrooms while work is taking place. All teachers have the option to move their class to a flexible classroom should the classroom not be conducive to learning. Based on our experience and collaboration with the contractor, we believe that classrooms will only be displaced in limited circumstances.

53 Parkerville Road

Southborough, MA 01772

(508) 481-2300