Principal's Office

September 13, 2023

Dear East Veterans Families,

Welcome to the inaugural year of the East Veterans Elementary School!  I want to thank everyone for being so patient and kind as we began our school year.  There is no such thing as a soft opening in education so everything (arrival, dismissal, lunch, breakfast, etc.) was done for the first time on August 29th.  We had no idea if it would work or not, but thanks to all of our planning, it did.  I am so proud of the students, faculty and staff for their hard work and dedication to making our first day of school a positive one.  Things have been a whirlwind since we started but it is finally feeling like we are getting into some routines and having a predictable schedule the students can grasp onto.  You would be amazed at how fast the students are able to figure their way around the building.  They are much faster than the adults, that is for sure.  

Updates:  Last week on Wednesday, all of our kindergartners started school together.  We are finally at full capacity with over 450 students currently enrolled at EVS.  The difference in our kindergarten students from Wednesday until Friday is amazing.  They are so resilient and they appear to be eager to learn.  Their classroom teachers and staff are doing a great job showing them the ropes of being in elementary school and are already navigating themselves through the building like champs.  

On Thursday of last week, we had our first ever fire drill at EVS.  All systems worked well and the teachers have done a great job teaching their students as to where to go and what to do during a fire drill.  The fire department gave us an A.  Next month, we will be practicing an all-school evacuation drill in conjunction with the Gloucester Police Department.  As we get closer to the date, I will send detailed information home to all families on what it will entail. 

On Friday, we had our first ever all school weekly assembly.  It was a great time.  We spoke about the first letter in our SHARKS behavior chart which is “Shows Perseverance”.  Please speak with your child(ren) about what perseverance means to you and how it applies to school and at home.  We also gave out “Shark Sightings'' which is our way of rewarding the behavior of students that show prosocial behaviors.  Each student was recognized by an adult at school for SHARK behavior was publicly recognized and received a pencil.  This week we also started “Expectation Stations”.  Throughout the building, students will go to certain areas of the school and learn about what behaviors are expected of them when they are there.  Stations include the playground, the curiosity commons, the bathrooms, the lunchrooms, gymnasium, stage etc.  This is really a great way for us to let students know what our expectations are for behaviors within the classroom and the building.  

Lunches: I never realized how difficult it is to set up a lunchroom.  When you think about the fact we serve over 400 people per day, I should have been expecting it to be difficult.  Over the last several days, we have been trying out new seating arrangements so the flow through the cafeteria makes sense for all of our students from the oldest to the youngest.  It can get chaotic at times but over the last few days, it has gotten better and better.  On Friday, I was actually able to sit with a group of students and have lunch which is something I usually do just about everyday.  Having 30 or 40 kindergarten students coming at you with trays of food is not for the faint of heart!!  

The East Veterans School is Nut and Allergy Aware.  This means there are students who have life threatening allergies to nuts and other foods.  To start the year off, we separated students who had home lunch and school lunch.  We placed those students with allergies with the school lunch students as we know the school lunch is nut free.  This was never meant to be permanent but with the new cafeteria flow and over half the students being from a different school we felt it was safer to separate the students until we got a handle on which students we needed to monitor.  Each day we are able to allow more and more school lunch and home lunch students to mingle in a safe, nut free environment.  To this end, please do not send your child into school with any nut products especially in their snacks as it is less monitored in the classroom than in the cafeteria.  We thank you for your cooperation.  We will always err on the side of safety first.  

Dismissal: On Friday, we actually completed dismissal in under 15 minutes!  That is amazing and in large part to all of the families who did a great job watching our videos and getting their placards (dashboard sign).  We have been tweaking the dismissal as we have gone along to get it even better.  We have a few reminders and requests. 

1. Do not pull into the EVS parking lot until after 2:00PM.  Lately it seems like people are arriving earlier and earlier to get the coveted first place in line spot.  Please don’t put me in the position of telling you that you can’t pull into the parking lot!! 

2. Safety is our top priority.  Do not send someone to pick up your child without telling us who they are and when they are coming.  They should not pull into the rider line, rather they should park, come into the office, show ID and we will get the child for them.  If they are in the rider line, we will ask them to exit the line and enter the office. If we have not heard from you, we will not allow this person to dismiss your child.  If it is someone who will be picking up your child regularly, please let the office know that you will need an extra placard (dashboard sign).  We will give it to you and you can distribute it to the proper person.  NO PLACARD, NO PICKUP LINE! 

       3.) Make sure your child knows their last name!!!  

Important dates:

September 18, 2023 Our first PTO meeting at EVS!  6:00PM in the Curiosity Commons

September 19, 2023 NO School for all students ~ Voting Day at EVS ~ 

September 21, 2023 Meet the teacher night at EVS:   

Grades K - 2 5:30 - 6:15 PM

Principal/PTO 6:15 - 6:45 PM in the gymnasium

Grades 3-5 6:45PM - 7:30PM.  

I want to thank everyone for your patience over the last several weeks and I am so glad we had a smooth opening.  As always, we are here to assist and support you in anything you may need to make sure your child has a wonderful elementary school experience.  

Peace, Love and Blue Sharks,

Matt Fusco ~ Principal 

August 2023

Dear East Veterans Families,

Welcome to the inaugural year of our brand new, state-of-the-art school! I am so excited for all of you to see this amazing building and to have our students fill it with their smiles and amazing personalities. The entire staff of the East Veterans School has been working incredibly hard to make this school our home.  

A little bit about me, I am starting my 10th year as a principal here in Gloucester. I love this city and its people. I have been a principal for the last 18 years and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Before that, I was a fifth grade teacher in Chelsea. I have two daughters, Audrey, 20, and Julia, 23, and of course, my wonderful wife Kristen. I love fishing for striped bass, skiing and spending time with my family and friends. I play the bass guitar and love my music as well.  

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s schooling, I am happy to answer them.  I am easily reachable by email and phone and I have access to interpreters if you speak another language. Our goal at East Veterans is for you to feel comfortable leaving your children with us.  

We are looking forward to working with you and having you a part of our team. Parents that work cooperatively and closely with the school will have the most success.  

Peace, Love and Blue Sharks!,

Matt Fusco

Principal

mfusco@gloucesterschools.com

978-281-9830