Student Services

Student Services helps create a safe, supportive, and inclusive school experience where every student can thrive. Our team works with students, families, and staff to address challenges, strengthen connections, and promote student success.

Explore our resources and supports for restorative justice, bullying prevention and response, attendance, 504 Plan, dropout prevention, school safety, and more—all essential parts of helping students feel a sense of belonging and stay engaged in their learning.

Restorative Justice

SPS is entering the final year of a three-year Social Emotional Learning Development Plan. By the end of year three, all educators and support staff will have gone through Tier 1 training and many will learn Tier 2 and Tier 3 techniques.

Educators have begun implementing restorative justice practices, including restorative circles, in their classrooms. In this model, every community member has an equal voice, including students. These practices build relationships and trust among members of the classroom community, strengthening the classroom community.

Learn more about this approach at the Center for Restorative Justice at Suffolk University website.

Educator and Staff Training

TIER 1: Introduction to Restorative Justice Practices and “Circle”

This two-day experiential training prepares teachers and staff to design and facilitate restorative circles. Participants will directly experience circles; understand the elements, philosophy, and rituals of the circles; and practice both planning and facilitation of circles.

TIER 2: Restorative Mindset and Classroom Management

This advanced two-day training focuses on how to use restorative justice practices to build a restorative workplace and school setting and to respond when issues and disruptions arise. A range of Tier 2 practices will be covered, including restorative conversations with one or more participants, and circles responding to culture issues as well as incidents of harm that have affected colleagues and students.

TIER 3: Addressing Conflict Using Restorative Justice Practices

Tier 3 is intensive intervention offered to students for whom support in Tiers 1 and 2 was insufficient. Instruction focuses on underlying social-emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs, with ongoing evaluation to guide support. Interventions may include one-on-one counseling, functional behavior assessments, behavior intervention plans, restorative practices, specialized programs, and coordination with families and external providers. Tier 3 is distinct from special education, though students may be referred for further evaluation if additional support is needed.

Bullying Prevention and Resources

Somerville Public Schools’ (SPS) Bullying Prevention Plan was created with extensive input from parents/guardians, community members, teachers, administrators, community partners, and other experts from the PK-12 Student Support Unit of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The District began implementing the plan by providing training and information to students, families and staff on ways they can reduce incidents of bullying, and resources and services available to them.

Somerville Public Schools offers prevention education and social competency instruction in all grades PK-8 using the Al’s Pals, Second Step and Open Circle programs.

Report Bullying Anonymously Online

Report Bullying

Resources

Kids Against Bullying  Youth-focused bullying prevention resources – including polls, contests, videos, kids pages – compiled and managed by the Pacer center National Bullying Prevention Center.

Middlesex Partnerships for Youth  Middlesex Partnerships for Youth is the public education arm of the Office of the Middlesex District Attorney. Their website includes links to myriad websites that address bullying, cyberbullying and related topics. Include some sites more suitable for law enforcement officers, teachers, health professionals, parents/guardians and other responders.

Internet Safety for Teens  Adult-oriented articles and discussions about keeping teens and young adults safe on the Internet and in other social networking forums. Topics including strategies for installing safety controls on Facebook, tools for monitoring Internet use, etc.

Cyberbullying Fact Sheet and Link  The Massachusetts Attorney General offers information, fact sheets and additional links intended to promote cybersafety at school and at home.

Netsmartz Kids  A program of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, offering a cybersafety curriculum used in Somerville Public Schools. Also includes activities for children, tweens and parents/guardians.

Additional Resources

Attendance

Somerville Public Schools employs two full-time Supervisors of Attendance who monitor and enforce attendance for students ages 6–16 in accordance with state law. Based at the Central Administrative Offices, they also work throughout the community during school hours to support students and address truancy. 

Mrs. Jennifer LaGreca

  • 617-625-6600
  • 617-625-6600 x6857
  • Responsible for the Brown School, East Somerville, Kennedy School, Winter Hill, Next Wave/Full Circle, Somerville High School.

Carlos Valente

  • 617-625-6600 x6854
  • Responsible for the Capuano, Argenziano, Healey, West Somerville, Next Wave / Full Circle, Somerville High School

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states that no otherwise qualified handicapped individual shall, solely by reason of his or her handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

Questions regarding Section 504 should be directed to the Somerville Public Schools Student Services Director, email Elizabeth Doncaster or call 617-625-6600 x6028.

Section 504 Plan Documents

Notice of Parent/Student Rights

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

The following is a description of the rights granted by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (“Section 504”) to parents and their children who are identified as disabled. The school district is obligated to inform you of decisions about your child and of your rights if you disagree with any of those decisions.

You have the following rights:

  • To have your child take part in, and receive benefits from, public education programs without discrimination because of his/her disability;
  • To have the school district advise you of your rights under federal law;
  • To receive notice from the school with respect to the identification, evaluation, educational program or placement of your child;
  • According to the Department of Education’s 504 Regulations, to have your child receive a free appropriate public education. This includes the right to be educated with non-disabled students to the maximum extent appropriate. It also includes the right to reasonable accommodations, modifications, and related aids and services necessary for your child to benefit from his or her educational program;
  • To have you child educated in comparable facilities and receive comparable services to those provided non-disabled students;
  • To have decisions regarding your child’s evaluation, program and placement based upon a variety of information sources, and made by persons familiar with the students, the evaluation data, and the placement options;
  • To have your child re-evaluated periodically, to the extent necessary, including before any significant changes are made to your child’s educational program or placement;
  • To have your child receive an equal opportunity to participate in extra-curricular school activities;
  • To examine all relevant educational records relating to decisions regarding your child’s identification, evaluation, education program, and placement;
  • To obtain copies of educational records at a reasonable cost unless the fee would effectively deny you access to the records;
  • To receive a response from the school district to reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of your child’s records;
  • To request amendment of your child’s educational records if there is reasonable cause to believe that they are inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of the privacy rights of your child. If the school district refuses this request for amendment, it shall notify you within a reasonable time, and advise you of the right to a hearing;
  • To file a complaint through local complaint procedures regarding any alleged violation of the Rehabilitation Act;
  • To request an impartial hearing, to be conducted by a person who is not an employee of the district, to dispute decisions or actions regarding your child’s identification, evaluation, educational program or placement as a student with a disability. You and your child may take part in the hearing and have an attorney represent you at your own expense. Questions about how to request a hearing may be forwarded to the person responsible for the district’s compliance with Section 504 listed below;
  • To have the decisions made by hearing officers or others reviewed in state or federal court.
  • The person in this District who is responsible for assuring that the District complies with Section 504 is:

The person in this District who is responsible for assuring that the District complies with Section 504 is:

Margaret DePasquale

  • Director of Student Services
  • Somerville Public Schools
    167 Holland St, Somerville, MA 02144
  • 617-625-6600 x6028

Disability Access

Somerville Public Schools is committed to having all activities in all schools accessible to all students, parents/guardians, and community members. Most of our buildings are fully accessible, with the exception of one — the Brown School. Due to its age, this building is not totally accessible to individuals with disabilities, although sections are accessible. If you have questions concerning the accessibility of a school site, please call the school principal. Accessible features will be discussed and reasonable accommodations will be made, including relocation of an activity or event to an accessible location, if appropriate.

Handicap access to the Brown School can be found at the school entrance located on Kidder Avenue. The ramp at this doorway provides access to the Brown School basement where the kindergarten classes and handicap restrooms are located. For assistance, please contact Mr. Christopher Ames, Principal of the Brown School, 617-629-5620.  To facilitate the provision of accommodations, please contact Principal Ames at 617-629-5620 or by email, at least 48 hours prior to a scheduled event.

The Edgerly Building is the temporary site for the Winter Hill Community Innovation School. A ramp located on the Bonair Street side of the Edgerly Education Building provides access to all classrooms in the Edgerly Building. This ramp directs visitors with mobility to the first floor elevator, which provides access to all floors of the building. For assistance, please contact the Winter Hill Community Innovation School front office, 617-629-5680.

Contact the Superintendent of Schools at 617-629-5200, or Director of Student Services, 617-625-6600 x6028.

Contact the Student Services Department

Margaret DePasquale

  • Director of Student Services

Estephanie Lugo

  • Assistant Director of Student Services

The Student Services Department is located at 167 Holland Street, Somerville, MA 02144.