Dear Holliston Public Schools Staff, Families, and Community Members,
First of all, thank you all for your warm welcomes! I have greatly enjoyed meeting many of you over the past several weeks, learning about your roles and your hopes for the Holliston Public Schools. In this letter, I will preview our Collaborative Entry Plan that will be presented, in full, at the August 27th School Committee Meeting. There are also a few short, but important announcements at the end.
Collaborative Entry Plan
With three new central office administrators (myself, Howie Barber, and Dr. Karen Bourn) joining the district, we are launching a collective entry plan to understand the heartbeat of Holliston together rather than working in isolation. Our approach is deeply anchored in the district’s core values, which prioritize a safe, equitable, and supportive environment. We are committed to fostering student agency and building strong partnerships with families and the community through effective communication and mutual respect.
To move from listening to action, our team is following a three-step trajectory: an entry plan, a formal report of entry findings, and a final strategic plan. Throughout the fall, we will conduct a collaborative listening tour, immersing ourselves in the schools to gather information about the district’s strengths and challenges. This process will culminate in a formal presentation of our entry findings in January, which will provide a foundation for designing the next multi-year strategic plan alongside community stakeholders during the winter and spring.
We are eager to hear your voice and insights regarding the future of our schools. To ensure we reach all corners of our community, we will host dedicated listening forums this fall, with a full schedule to be released on August 27th. In addition to these group forums, we also know that some of the best conversations are often one-on-one. If you would like to schedule a meeting with one of us, please use the meeting request form to schedule an individual appointment, and my executive assistant, Lisa DiLuzio, will follow up to confirm a time. We are looking forward to learning from you!
Other Announcements
- High School and Middle School schedules have just been opened up to students and families in the PowerSchool family portal. Elementary class assignments will be sent out to students and families tomorrow. If you don’t receive your schedule or classroom assignment, please contact your student’s school.
- If you drive by Placentino and Miller, you will see that there is a lot of paving and sidewalk work being done. This project is scheduled to be completed before August 26th, the first day of school, and we expect that there will be full access for students, families, and buses during arrival and dismissal. We do have contingency plans in case the project goes longer than scheduled. We look forward to offering safer, improved sidewalks, driveways, and parking areas for Miller and Placentino.
- Thank you to the community members who brought the issue of the grass and weeds on the high school track to our attention. We are actively working to address this and plan to have the track cleared and ready for the start of the school year.
I am looking forward to the first day of school on August 26th, only two weeks from tomorrow! Enjoy your last few weeks of summer!
All the best,
Dr. J. Kimo Carter
Superintendent, Holliston Public Schools