Resources & Information
Student Support Team
Servicing students across all grade levels, the Student Support Team consists of School Psychologist Dr. Linda Watt, Director of Student Services and Transportation Stephanie Hoye, and Director of Special Education Amy Moynihan. This district team works closely with building-based guidance counselors, adjustment counselors and teachers to create student support plans for students who are struggling with behavioral and academic issues. Meetings are held bi-monthly via Zoom. Contact your child’s guidance counselor.
Newcomers Academy
The Taunton Public Schools provides Newcomer Academies (NCA) at all three grade spans. Located at Elizabeth Pole Elementary, John F. Parker Middle, and Taunton High School, students who have non or extremely limited English speaking and comprehension skills are provided with intensive and individualized instruction to develop and nurture their English language skills while preserving and respecting their native language.
STRIVE Program
The Strive Program was established at Taunton High School in 2018 through a competitive nine year grant with the High Point Treatment Center in Brockton. Presently, there are two full time clinicians and a therapeutic mentor located at the high school. This program provides substance use counseling services as well as therapeutic support services.
iDecide
In conjunction with Mass General Hospital's Center for Addiction Medicine to support via easily deployed curricula targeting those students who demonstrate addictive behaviors or as an effort to be proactive in supporting students in their effort to withstand pressures to use substances. This program will be used as part of the district's restorative practices suite for students and families in grades 5-12.
Drug Education Curriculum: Intervention, Diversion and Empowerment.
Drug Education Curriculum: Intervention, Diversion and Empowerment.
Kyle Cares
In alignment with all the high schools within the Hockomock League, Taunton High School has partnered with Kyle Cares, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting open and honest communication about the mental health challenges experienced by teens and young adults in today’s society. Ultimately, they aim to eliminate student self-harm and suicide by creating school environments where students and their caregivers have the confidence and support to seek help without shame or hesitation.This collaboration is an extension of all the wraparound supports currently being provided to TPS students, educators and families.
Mind Up Curriculum: Grades Prek-7
The Mind Up Curriculum is a research-based program used in every classroom at the Edward F. Leddy Preschool, and across all elementary and middle school classrooms too. Teachers are provided with daily lessons including videos and question-based lessons. Lessons are focused on the five domains of Social Emotional Learning.
Family Welcome Center
The Family Welcome Center provides wraparound supports to students and families in all grades. The Family Welcome Center is located at the John F. Parker Middle School. The staff includes ten community facilitators, and other support staff to assist families with registration, basic family needs, and many other resources. Community facilitators are assigned to school buildings.
School-Based or District Groups and Committess
Each school has both a Parent-Teacher Partnership; otherwise known as PTOs or PTUs. Additionally, each school has a School Council in compliance with Department of Elementary and Secondary Education regulations.
The District, in conjunction with parents, has a Special Education Parent Advisory Council or, SEPAC. This group has been well-established with Taunton. This year, the District has begun the process of establishing an English Language Parent Advisory Council or ELPAC.
SEPAC: www.TauntonSEPAC.org.
ELPAC: Contact the English Language Learners Program Director at 508.821.1230.
SEPAC: www.TauntonSEPAC.org.
ELPAC: Contact the English Language Learners Program Director at 508.821.1230.
Community-Based Partnerships with the Taunton Public Schools
- Manet Community Health Center- Taunton Public Schools has partnered with Manet to create a campus-based satellite health office, Manet at TPS, located at Parker Middle School. This center will provide both medical and mental health supports. Contact (857) 358-7260
- Community Counseling of Bristol County (CCBC) - (All Grades) We are contracted with Community Counseling of Bristol County. These are grant-funded. CCBC offers school-based counseling services as well as support groups through the Access Center at the high school. Contact (508) 828-9116.
- Community Crisis Intervention Team (CCIT) - Community-based forum focusing on problem-solving and interagency collaboration in response to an increasing number of challenging individuals and seemingly intractable situations in our community. It is a means of facilitating interagency communication and joint treatment plan development and implementation. The conferencing group endorses the philosophy that It’s not a matter of whose problem it is; rather, it’s the community’s problem, and everyone has a stake in finding a solution. Contact CCBC at (508) 828-9116.
- CAC (All Grades) - The Children’s Advocacy Center of Bristol County provides professional development to
staff on recognizing and assisting families and students impacted by trauma. Contact Andrea Souza at (508) 674-6111. - Attendance Diversion Program (All Students 16 and under) - Working with the Magistrate’s Office and the District Juvenile Court in Taunton, the Taunton Public Schools and our assigned school truancy officers have partnered with the Taunton District Juvenile Court, DCF, and the Family Resource Center, to assist students by creating Integrated Care Plans for students with truancy issues. This is a pre-CRA referral process.
- The Family Resource Center (All Families)—The Family Resource Center works in conjunction with the YMCA and the Juvenile Court of Taunton. This organization offers a variety of support and resources to the families of Taunton and Bristol County. They are included in our Juvenile Attendance Diversion Program through the Magistrate’s Office with Taunton Juvenile District Court. Representatives include a clinician and support personnel. Contact (774) 501-2633.
- Taunton Area School to Career (TASC)—In collaboration with TASC, the agency connects Taunton area employers with high school-aged students to form mentoring relationships. By providing individualized support, mentors provide life-changing career development insight and skills that are unidentified and untapped within our most at-risk student population. Contact (508) 821-2846.
- Bridgewater State University (BSU) Student Success Coaches—In collaboration with BSU, the district will provide 20 students who will be hired to serve as student success coaches. The coaches will collaborate with classroom teachers to provide both in-person and virtual academic support. The university will pay the Coaches.
- Bridgewater State University’s Reading Buddies Program - Each college semester, students within Bridgewater State University’s Reading Program of Studies, report to Galligan Elementary School to develop their skills in leading reading instruction. As “Reading Buddies” for our students, this mutually supportive relationship provides opportunities for fieldwork on the part of the collegians while simultaneously forming positive relationships with our younger learners.
- TPS/TFD Fire Prevention Safety Program - TFD created a curriculum. TPS partners with the Taunton Fire Prevention Office to support our youngest students in their basic understanding of fire safety and recognizing (and not being fearful) fire department personnel entering their homes or spaces with all their fire gear.
- Arbor Day Program—TPS /City Parks & Recreation co-created lesson. Last year, TPS partnered with the city's Park and Recreation Department to educate all fourth graders on the importance of trees and provide each student with a sapling to plant.
- Junior Achievement—Taunton Public Schools has partnered with Junior Achievement to increase our students' educational opportunities by providing lessons/skills regarding entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programming. Contact your student’s building principal.
- Coaching 4 Change (C4C)—TPS partner Coaching 4 Change provides a diverse population of college students (mentors) from local colleges and universities to support our students’ learning. While doing so, our students are provided with much-needed opportunities to visit college campuses, reinforcing their belief that attending college is a tangible and realistic option. Contact Aly Chatham, Program Director, at (774) 504-1032.
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Old Colony History Museum—TPS has a long-established partnership with the museum to deepen our educators' knowledge of local and state history. Professional learning opportunities take place throughout the school year. For our students, the Museum presents lessons to grade 2 students on Immigration, grade 4 on “mapping” Taunton, and grade 7 on “Beyond Browsing”—digging deeper into the museum's exhibits.
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Taunton Public Library—Representatives from the public library meet with elementary students at their respective schools to give each their first library card and provide an overview and invitation to visit Taunton’s Public Library.