Weymouth High School and Middle School Present Strong Improvements in Student Belonging and Mental Health Support

WEYMOUTH - December 4 - Weymouth High School and Chapman Middle School demonstrated significant gains in student culture and engagement during their final school improvement plan presentations to the School Committee on December 4, reporting marked increases in student belonging measures and substantially reduced chronic absenteeism rates while also announcing new college readiness initiatives and mental health programming.

The Full Story

Both Chapman Middle School and Weymouth High School concluded their three-year school improvement plan cycles with comprehensive presentations demonstrating substantial progress in student belonging, achievement, and family engagement, while also revealing ongoing challenges in mathematics performance and peer-to-peer relationships.

Chapman Middle School Principal Dennis Jones and Assistant Principal Joe Amoroso reported transformative cultural changes at the three-year-old building, with student belonging metrics now well above national norms. According to their Panorama Social-Emotional Learning survey results, emotion regulation stands at 50 percent, sense of belonging at 65 percent, and growth mindset at 68 percent—all marked with upward green arrows indicating improvement. Jones attributed much of this success to the school’s comprehensive cell phone-free policy.

“If you came three years ago, every kid is sitting at a table just glued to their phone. And you could come any day you want and stand up on one of our catwalks, and you could see that kids are just talking. Kids are just being kids, having breakfast,” Jones told the committee. He explained that eliminating phones has led to more natural middle school social development rather than amplified conflicts through social media. The school now collects only one or two phones per day from students who violate the policy.

Chapman’s academic data showed mixed results. In English Language Arts, 49 percent of sixth graders and 52 percent of eighth graders met or exceeded state expectations on MCAS, both outperforming state averages of 42 percent and 44 percent respectively. Seventh grade ELA showed a five-point increase from the previous year. However, mathematics performance lagged behind state averages across all three grade levels, with Chapman identifying this as a priority area requiring targeted intervention and professional development.

The school has implemented weekly integration of IXL learning software in core classes, providing individualized diagnostic testing and personalized learning plans to address gaps in student understanding. Amoroso outlined plans for strengthened pre-referral team processes and increased writing opportunities across all content areas. Chapman’s high-need student subgroup outperformed state averages in both sixth and eighth grade assessments.

Jones and Amoroso emphasized community engagement efforts including a transformed newsletter approach that addresses students directly, expanded intramural offerings including basketball and wrestling clubs, and strengthened partnerships with the Weymouth Food Pantry. The school raised $27,000 through a Turkey Trot fundraiser, a dramatic increase from approximately $6,000 the previous year. These funds will support tier-two interventions, including targeted after-school programs for students who partially met or did not meet MCAS expectations.

One Chapman parent shared a heartwarming community initiative: fifth-graders Olivia Jones and Emily Kintz independently organized a neighborhood food drive, collecting over 216 pounds of food for the community food pantry. Jones, who is Principal Jones’s daughter, had previously volunteered at Weymouth Food Market events.

At Weymouth High School, Principal Karen Monahan and Associate Principal Malissa Northup reported continued success in fostering student belonging while expanding mental health resources and college readiness programming. The high school’s Panorama survey showed 70 percent student participation with generally favorable ratings, though freshmen showed lower scores in supportive relationships and sense of belonging—results administrators attributed to students completing the survey only one month into the school year.

The high school has made significant progress in reducing chronic absenteeism, decreasing the rate by 6.1 percent over three years through personalized outreach from adjustment counselors and administrative staff. Monahan emphasized that chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year, equating to 18 or more absences annually.

Weymouth High School’s cell phone policy has been strengthened, with phones now required to be placed in classroom holders during instructional time. Students leaving class for any reason must leave phones behind, and violations result in confiscation for the day. Monahan and Northup reported increased classroom engagement during administrative walkthroughs as a result of the policy.

The school’s MCAS results showed challenges consistent with statewide trends. Following the elimination of MCAS as a graduation requirement, tenth-grade scores declined. In ELA, Weymouth matched the state percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations, while mathematics scores fell below state averages. Science scores dropped approximately five points from the previous year when Weymouth had outperformed the state. Administrators acknowledged the loss of “teeth” in MCAS assessments and are pivoting to focus on common assessments and skill-based proficiency measures aligned with new state graduation competency requirements.

Advanced Placement participation remained strong with 824 exams administered in 2025, with 86 percent of students scoring three or better—the threshold for college credit. Twenty-four students earned AP Capstone diplomas. The school’s partnership with Quincy College expanded dual enrollment opportunities, with 32 students earning college credits. Career and Technical Education programs saw 89 students earn industry-recognized credentials and all 93 CTE seniors successfully complete senior projects.

Northup announced the school received notification that it advanced to Part B of the Early College High School grant application. If fully secured, this program would partner with Quincy College to create a cohort model for first-generation college students and low-income students to earn up to 15 college credits by graduation. The school also secured a $25,000 planning grant and is implementing the MiCAP (My Career and Academic Plan) system to provide comprehensive career exploration and academic planning for all students grades 7-12.

Mental health programming received significant expansion through private family donations. The high school brought Dr. JJ, a sports psychologist from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital who has worked with the Patriots and Red Sox, for presentations with student athletes. Dr. JJ will return in the spring for additional required athlete presentations and a parent session.

The school is training staff as Youth Mental Health First Aid instructors and will train all students through health classes as teen mental health first aiders. This program teaches students to recognize mental health challenges in peers and connect them with appropriate help. Northup emphasized this aligns with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: “If your kids aren’t in the right head space, if they don’t have their basic needs met, learning is not going to happen.”

Northup created comprehensive Padlet digital resource boards covering mental health resources, vaping education, and cell phone management that are shared with families. These include local behavioral health clinics accepting patients, crisis helplines, guides for recognizing vaping devices, and instructions for setting parental controls on smartphones. Resources are distributed to families when concerns arise and are embedded in the weekly Sunday Message to all families.

The high school’s family engagement efforts showed strong results, with over 30 parents attending a College Planning 101 session and 45 families participating in a Financial Aid 101 workshop—described as “huge attendance” for a high school. The school utilizes the Talking Points translation app to communicate with families in their home languages and maintains a comprehensive staff Google Classroom with resources organized by topic including professional development, school procedures, and student awards.

Both schools emphasized curriculum mapping efforts to increase transparency, with core courses being documented and posted online. Weymouth High is implementing uniform grading practices across courses to ensure equitable opportunities regardless of which teacher a student has. The school conducts “Walk-through Wednesdays” where the administrative team observes approximately six teachers weekly, spending 15 minutes in each classroom to identify and share best practices.

The Adams Academy alternative education program, located in a separate building, continues to serve primarily junior students with some seniors. These students maintain connections to Weymouth High through attendance at athletic events and dances while also developing belonging within their Adams community. Students have established a consistent schedule reading to early childhood students and assisting with lunch supervision. Northup noted the program has significantly contributed to reduced chronic absenteeism by providing an alternative pathway for disengaged students who struggled in the traditional high school environment.

School Committee members praised both presentations while raising questions about data details, attendance patterns, and communication strategies. Committee member Mary-Ellen Devine requested raw numbers rather than percentages for MCAS data to better understand specific student populations needing support. Committee member Danielle Graziano suggested adding DCAP (District Curriculum Accommodation Plan) education to materials sent home with SIT (Student Intervention Team) notifications to help families understand available accommodations before pursuing 504 plans.

Committee member Rebecca Sherlock-Shangraw expressed excitement about the MiCAP implementation, noting the research base supporting career and academic planning and its potential connections to MassCore requirements and work-based learning initiatives. She called it “a good way to pull together a whole bunch of really good initiatives for students, families, and for educators.”

Committee member Kathy Curran raised questions about whether MCAS will remain a viable assessment tool now that students know it is not required for graduation, noting scores declined when motivation decreased. She asked whether 10th-grade scores still appear on college transcripts, which administrators confirmed they do.

Chapman Middle School will focus its next three-year improvement plan on students with disabilities and English Learner populations, with increased professional development on strategies benefiting all students. The school is working to strengthen inclusion models where special education students are truly integrated into general education classes rather than merely present. Recent curriculum walkthroughs with outside consultants provided positive feedback on observed practices.

Weymouth High School continues to adapt to rapidly changing state requirements for graduation competencies, focusing on skill-based assessments, portfolios, and capstone projects rather than relying on a single exam. Monahan expressed confidence that the school’s existing focus on skills, rubrics, and holistic student achievement positions it well for forthcoming state guidelines, despite the uncertainty about specific requirements.

Both schools highlighted staff culture initiatives including recognition programs. Chapman has reinstated newsletter features spotlighting staff members and their contributions. Weymouth High brought back the “Apple Award” as the “Heart of a Wildcat” trophy, with staff recognizing each other for going beyond normal duties. Professional development has been restructured into 45-minute “mini sessions” allowing staff to attend multiple targeted workshops rather than lengthy single presentations, with the goal of providing immediately applicable classroom strategies.

Community partnerships were emphasized at both levels. Chapman is expanding collaboration with Parks and Recreation and town organizations to increase student familiarity with community resources and staff. Weymouth High created a community employment board through Padlet, featuring local job opportunities for students. The board has already received hundreds of views despite featuring only seven or eight positions initially. Businesses can submit job postings to provide students with accessible employment opportunities similar to traditional want ads.

The presentations concluded the final year of both schools’ three-year improvement cycles. School councils at both buildings will meet to formally sign off on the plans before new three-year cycles begin focusing on evolved priorities including neurodiversity awareness, deeper inclusion practices, mathematics achievement, peer-to-peer relationships, and preparation for new state graduation competency requirements.

Why It Matters

The school improvement plan presentations demonstrate that Weymouth’s secondary schools have made substantial progress in creating environments where students feel they belong and are supported, even as academic challenges persist in mathematics and state assessment performance. The expansion of mental health resources, career readiness programming, and college credit opportunities directly impacts students’ preparation for life after graduation. For families, the increased communication tools including translation apps and digital resource boards provide accessible pathways to support their children. The focus on reducing chronic absenteeism through engagement and belonging rather than punitive measures reflects a shift toward addressing root causes of disengagement. As state graduation requirements evolve away from single high-stakes exams toward competency-based assessments, Weymouth’s existing emphasis on skills, common assessments, and holistic student development positions the district to adapt while maintaining rigorous standards. Parents and community members can support these efforts by attending school events, volunteering for career speaker programs, and utilizing the communication resources schools have developed to stay informed and engaged.

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Meeting Minutes

Key Motions & Votes

• Motion: Approve consent agenda including warrants 2026 dated November 17, 2025 ($1,425,834.97) and warrant 22 2026 dated December 1, 2025 ($1,319,434.86), minutes from November 6, 2025 regular meeting and meeting of the whole, November 12, 2025 budget subcommittee, November 13, 2025 athletics subcommittee, and overnight field trip for DECA students to Quincy January 8-9, 2026. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous voice vote. (Timestamp: 0:00:32)

• Motion: Voluntary recognition of information technology personnel as members of new unit collective bargaining unit under WEA umbrella, contingent upon agreement of respective parties to a collective bargaining agreement. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous voice vote. (Timestamp: 1:48:40)

• Motion: Adjourn meeting. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous voice vote. (Timestamp: 1:55:17)

Public Comment

Ashley Dickerman of Pleasant Street announced the Elks Americanism essay contest for students grades 5-8 in Braintree. The question is “What does service to your country mean to you?” The deadline is December 15th. The contest includes monetary and recognition awards. Dickerman requested assistance promoting the contest across all elementary schools, noting Kevin Borth is the co-chair and Dennis Jones at Chapman Middle School is supporting promotion.

What’s Next

South Shore Educational Collaborative Director Mike Losche will present at the next meeting requesting creation of a capital reserve account for the collaborative. Policy Subcommittee meets December 11 at 4 p.m. at Adams. Townwide Parent Council meets December 9 at 7 p.m. at Weymouth High School. CPAC meets virtually December 16 at 7 p.m. presenting on executive functioning. Next regular School Committee meeting is Thursday, December 18 at 7 p.m. Chapman Middle School will continue working on school improvement plan priorities including mathematics intervention, peer-to-peer relationship building, special education inclusion models, and professional development. Weymouth High School will continue implementing MiCAP career planning system, seek final approval for Early College High School grant, expand mental health first aid training, develop curriculum maps for core courses, and prepare for state graduation competency requirements. Weymouth High School Holiday Concert is December 11 featuring music and art show. Applications for Weymouth Town Scholarships are now open at weymouth.mass.us with over $144,000 available for any Weymouth residents including continuing education students. Christmas tree lighting is Saturday December 6 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Holiday in Columbian Square is December 13 from 4-6:30 p.m.

Full meeting available via WETC.