Improving Walking & Biking in Acushnet - Attend the Acushnet Complete Streets open house for more information.
Acushnet Complete Streets Meeting
Holocaust Presentation at Ford Middle School
Acushnet Public Schools welcomed guest speaker Irene Stern Frielich to Ford Middle School on Thursday to share the story of her father, Walter Stern, a Jewish man who endured persecution in Nazi Germany before escaping with his family to Holland. There, they spent two and a half years in hiding in the attic of a Dutch farm to survive the Holocaust.
Through her presentation, Ms. Stern Frielich brought her father’s 88-minute recorded testimony to life, offering students a powerful, firsthand connection to history. Her visit provided an opportunity to reflect on the consequences of hatred and the importance of "upstanders," those individuals who step up to help people who are being mistreated.
We are grateful to Ms. Stern Frielich for sharing her family’s story and helping our students better understand this critical chapter in history.
Ford Middle School Receives $28,000 Grant from One8 Foundation for Project Lead the Way Program
ACUSHNET — Superintendent Dr. Paula Bailey, Assistant Superintendent Angela Ruggeri and Principal Michelle Silvia are proud to share that Albert F. Ford Middle School has been awarded a $28,000 grant from the One8 Foundation to implement the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Gateway program, providing students a transformational, empowering applied learning experience in the fields of computer science, engineering and biomedical science.
The $28,000 in grant funding will be distributed over three years to support the school’s PLTW Gateway programming. The funding will be used for professional development, ongoing support for hands-on classroom learning, and all the materials and equipment needed to launch the program.
Ford Middle School will be joining more than 350 schools in Massachusetts that offer PLTW programs.
PLTW is a nonprofit organization that has provided STEM education programming to more than 12,000 elementary, middle and high schools across all 50 states since it was established in 1997.
Through the PLTW Gateway program, middle school students engage in applied learning experiences that encourage them to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills to tackle real-world challenges. The coursework introduces students to concepts in engineering, computer science and biomedical science, giving them a foundation in these fields and helping them build confidence for their STEM learning journey.
The grant is part of a statewide effort led by the One8 Foundation and its partners to expand access to applied learning opportunities that help prepare students for a rapidly changing, technology-driven world. Since 2017, the One8 Foundation has worked with partners including the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council, the Workforce Skills Cabinet and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to support the expansion of PLTW programs throughout the Commonwealth.
“We are incredibly grateful to the One8 Foundation for this opportunity,” said Angela Ruggeri, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. “The Foundation's continued investment in expanding high-quality learning experiences has a meaningful impact on our students."
As a PLTW school, Ford Middle School will have access to additional resources, including further professional learning opportunities, student project showcases and connections to industry professionals through the Mass Learning Project and the One8 Applied Learning Hub.
Principal Silvia and Superintendent Dr. Bailey thanked the One8 Foundation for its investment in expanding innovative learning opportunities for students in Acushnet.
“This grant provides our students with exciting opportunities to engage in hands-on learning that connects classroom knowledge with real-world applications,” Principal Silvia said. “Programs like PLTW Gateway help spark curiosity, strengthen problem-solving skills and gives confidence to students to explore future pathways in STEM fields.”
“We are deeply grateful for One8’s continued partnership, not only through this grant but through the programming, educator networks and professional development they provide,” said Superintendent Dr. Bailey. “Their support has truly been a game changer for our district and for the learning experiences we are able to offer our students.”
Join us for an Acushnet SEPAC Meeting March 19, 2026 at 6pm.
📢 Thank you to Officer Derek Cathcart and Sunny 🐾 🚔 💙#NationalSROAppreciationDay #AcushnetWildcats #TwoSchoolsOneDistrict #WildcatsAimingHigh #acushnetelementaryschool #fordmiddleschool
Click below for the High School Update Letter to Families...
Acushnet Cares Gift Card Drive is underway now through December 12th! Your support helps local families in need this holiday season.
Acushnet Cares Grocery Gift Card Drive is happening now! Let's join forces as a community to support our neighbors in need.
Its National Principals Month and we would like to give a BIG Wildcat shout out to our amazing Principals! Ms. Chesney, Ms. Silvia and Ms. Pasetto - thank you for all you do, every day, for our students, faculty and staff! #ThankaPrincipal
Join our team! We are hiring for Paraprofessionals and Substitute Teachers. Apply by visiting Acushnetschools.us.
ACUSHNET — Superintendent Dr. Paula Bailey and Principal Michelle Silvia are proud to share that two educators from Albert F. Ford Middle School (FMS) were selected to be Connected Arts Networks (CAN) Teacher Participants for the 2025-26 school year.
Art teacher Kristine Daniels and music teacher Brian Shanbrun were chosen to join CAN's professional network of educators. Through this network, CAN is launching federally grant-funded virtual Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to build a sustainable model of professional learning for arts educators nationwide.
By participating in PLCs and other CAN activities, Daniels and Shanbrun hope to support student growth, integrate strategies to serve all students and share promising practices to help strengthen school culture. As a part of the project, the teachers will be asked to attend monthly virtual meetings and workshops outside of school hours, along with opportunities to virtually observe another teacher's classroom.
"I am honored and excited to be accepted into this group," said Shanbrun, who has been the band, chorus and music teacher at the Ford Middle School since 2005. "Bringing the breadth of knowledge of the entire field of arts education into my classroom is unbelievably beneficial to me and all of my students. I'm trying to offer the best to my students; I think this experience will bring my best to a new level. To be included on the cutting edge of the field, meeting with experts at the highest levels, is both humbling and inspiring."
"When I received word that I was chosen to be part of CAN for the 2025-26 school year, I was very honored," said Daniels, who started her career as an art educator at Ford Middle School in 1993. "Being able to represent our school and region in this group of art educators from across the U.S. is an exciting opportunity. I am looking forward to learning about what educators in other regions and school settings are doing to improve their instructional skills and create impactful arts experiences for students. Being able to collaborate and share ideas with other art educators when so many of us are usually the only art teacher in our building is very meaningful to me."
CAN, launched in 2021, is a collaborative project sponsored by several national associations for arts education and the NYC Public Schools Arts Office. The PLCs and other activities organized by CAN build upon the model of professional learning and classroom-based action research developed by the NYC Public Schools Arts Office, including its Connected Learning Communities and Arts Mondays events, aimed at helping educators strengthen their pedagogy, instruction, leadership, and ultimately better serve students.
CAN Teacher Participants will benefit from a network of ongoing support, quarterly virtual workshops with national content experts, professional development hours, and annual leadership certification. CAN Teacher Participants will also share input with CAN program evaluators about the impact of different classroom practices and projects on learning.
"With only one month under my belt as a CAN Teacher Participant, I already feel more connected to the wider world of music education," Shanbrun said. "I'm looking forward to diving into the action, implementing new materials, techniques, and structures. At the end of the project our research and feedback could help future generations of teachers and students."
Principal Silvia and Superintendent Dr. Bailey commended Daniels and Shanbrun for their contributions to arts education in Acushnet and beyond.
"Congratulations to Ms. Daniels and Mr. Shanbrun," Principal Silvia said. "Their selection as CAN Teacher Participants is a great example of dedication to arts education. We hope that this opportunity will help them continue to grow in their knowledge and abilities to serve our students here in Acushnet."
"I'd like to applaud our Ford Middle School arts and music teachers, Ms. Daniels and Mr. Shanbrun, for their contributions to the field of arts education, including through this new opportunity as CAN Teacher Participants," said Superintendent Dr. Bailey. "This is an honor for our school district. We pride ourselves in having teachers who are engaging and always growing in their teaching methods, effectiveness and leadership skills."
