TMS The Week Ahead 9-13-26

Dear Trottier Families,

Our students are adjusting nicely to the new school year, and I want to thank everyone for their flexibility as we continue to fine-tune schedules. I recognize that changes to schedules can sometimes be stressful, but our goal is to make sure every student is receiving the classes and supports they need. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work through these adjustments.

 

Monday, September 14, we will host our Nature’s Classroom Parent Orientation for sixth-grade families, 

Thursday, September 17, we will have our Curriculum Night, along with an early release day. More information about these events and the early release schedule is available below.

I also want to take a moment to recognize our students. On Friday, we met with each grade level during FLEX to review important safety, security, and school culture expectations. We discussed expectations for maintaining an inclusive and respectful community, what students should do during evacuation and ALICE drills, and the resources and supports available to students who may be experiencing social challenges, including bullying, harassment, or hazing. We also spent time reviewing the Say Something reporting app, which provides students with a way to report concerns and seek help. You will find additional information about Say Something below.

Our students were attentive, responsive, and asked thoughtful questions throughout these conversations. I appreciate the seriousness they demonstrated and their willingness to help make Trottier a safe, welcoming, and stronger community for everyone.

Let’s make it a great one!

September 14, – Nature’s Classroom (6th Grade) Parent Orientation, 5:30–6:30 PM

September 17 – Trottier Early Release, 11:00 AM

September 17 – Curriculum Night, 6:30–8:00 PM

September 21 No School Yom Kippur

September 25 – Trottier Picture Day

October 2 – Trottier SOS Meeting

October 6 – DC Parent Orientation

October 7 – Nature’s Classroom (6th Grade)

October 8 – Nature’s Classroom (6th Grade)

October 9 – Fun Run

October 12: No School, Columbus Day

October 16 – Fun Run Rain Date

October 22. 7th Grade Boundless Adventures

November 3, 2026 – Trottier Picture Retake Day

November 4–7, 2026 – 8th Grade Washington, DC Trip

Dear Trottier Families:

We will host our Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 17, from 6:30-8:00

Below is a list of reminders to help you prepare for a meaningful experience. 

6th Grade Families:

Staff and I look forward to the upcoming overnight Nature’s Classroom trip on Wednesday October 7th - Thursday October 8th. Our trip this year is at the Groton, MA location.

Our team is preparing for the trip and will discuss the logistics with students during an upcoming class.

I would like to invite all parents/ guardians to the Trottier auditorium on Monday September 14th from 5:30- 6:30. At this information setting, we’ll discuss the trip in general, logistics, curriculum connections and answer any/ all questions you may have. My goal is that you leave this meeting with a full understanding of what your child will experience and my expectations. 

If you are unable to attend please email me and I will share the presentation. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank You, 

Mr. Kittelson

tkittelson@nsboro.k12.ma.us 

Please complete the permission slip by 9/22

 Sept 25th Trottier Dance Permission Sliph.

SOS is looking for parent volunteers to help at the school dance.  Please click here to help: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E45A5A92EA5F94-65773438-trottier

Dear Trottier Community:

This year, the Trottier Library is partnering with caregivers to foster engagement with their children’s reading choices. Caregivers play a crucial role in their children’s growth and development, including being aware of the content their children have access to and supporting them in engaging with it.

Curating a middle school library is a key responsibility of the school librarian and involves considering the wide age range and maturity levels of students. The librarian uses the School Committee's Selection Policy for Books and Materials to guide the selection process. As a school, we strive to keep our collections current and engaging, and to include Young Adult (YA) titles in the collection. This requires careful navigation of publisher classifications, reviews, and content warnings to ensure they align with our students’ developmental stages. Our learning goals for students include fostering a love for literature, enhancing critical thinking, and promoting lifelong learning. Diverse books, including YA literature, are highly relevant and engaging for students.

 The Young Adult classification is generally used to label literature for ages eleven to eighteen. The American Library Association Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) doesn't provide a specific, formal definition of YA books. Still, it offers guidelines and best practices for selecting and promoting YA literature.  Given the wide range of content labeled as YA,  Trottier is providing caregivers with options for students to access the YA collections. Through these options, we aim to empower caregivers to be involved in students’ decisions about content that they access from the school library. 

The District wants to help support all students in their reading selections, and, for this reason, the following guidelines have been established:

1. Opt the student into borrowing from the YA collection.

2. Require caregiver permission to borrow a specific book from the YA collection.

* Sixth-grade students whose caregivers do not select #1 or #2 will not be able to borrow from the YA collection.

1. Opt the student out of borrowing from the YA collection.

2. Require caregiver permission to borrow a specific book from the YA collection.

*Seventh and eighth-grade students whose caregivers do not select #1 or #2 will be able to borrow from the YA collection.

If you are the caregiver of a 6th-grade student and you would like your student to have access to the YA collection, or if you are the caregiver of a 7th or 8th-grade student and you would like to limit your student’s access to the YA collection, then please complete the following:  responder's link to the form for 2026-2027. to indicate your preference.  Please complete this form for each child per grade level. 

Dear Trottier Families:

   

The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough is entering its sixth  year implementing Changemakers for Good, a program for students in the middle and high schools to participate as peer leaders in our community. Changemakers for Good ™ provides training and support for student leaders to communicate and reinforce the District’s core values while providing those students with a unique opportunity to lead conversations with their peers.

The goals of the Changemakers for Good ™ Program are to:

• Establish a shared understanding of what it means and feels like to belong in a school community.

• Explore why it’s important for everyone to feel a sense of belonging in school.

• Develop strategies and practices that all students can promote individually and collectively, to foster a culture of belonging in school.

Students who are selected to be Changemakers, and who have permission from their caregivers to participate on a voluntary basis, will come together with their program advisor to explore factors that impact students’ sense of belonging, such as identity-based bullying and cyberbullying, and factors that contribute to students’ sense of belonging, such as allyship. Changemakers will also learn how to lead age-

appropriate activities and discussions on the subject matter for their peers and, in doing so, help foster and sustain a learning community in which students value and treat each other with dignity and respect.

The goals of the Changemakers for Good ™ Program are to:

• Establish a shared understanding of what it means and feels like to belong in a school community.

• Explore why it’s important for everyone to feel a sense of belonging in school.

• Develop strategies and practices that all students can actively promote as changemakers,

individually and collectively, to foster a culture of belonging in school.

Seventh and eighth-grade students are invited to apply to participate as peer leaders. Additionally, educators will nominate and encourage students to apply. 

Applications will be reviewed on September 17th, and interviews will be conducted the following week. Notification will be sent to applicants via their school email accounts by September 29th.

Training sessions will take place in early October. Following the training sessions, Changemakers will meet on a regular basis to review and practice what they learned.

This program reinforces our commitment to fostering a safe, supportive school community, empowering all members to uphold our core values and to fulfill their responsibilities as thoughtful, contributing members of society.

Interested students (7th and 8th grade only) can find the Changemakers Application here. (Students must be logged into their school email accounts in order to access the form.)

Thank you in advance for your support!