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Joyce Middle School principals outline start‑of‑year safety, attendance and student supports
Summary
Interim principal and assistant principal described new routines at Joyce Middle School: stricter cellphone rules, locked doors, a stocked exchange closet, late‑bus service and expanded testing to identify early academic needs.
Interim Principal Ken Mills and Interim Assistant Principal Jim Binnington told the School Committee the Joyce Middle School has seen a strong start to the year, with staff and students settling into new routines intended to improve safety and instruction.
Why it matters: Early interventions and clear schoolwide routines are central to district goals for student safety and learning. Changes at Joyce include both operational measures (locks, bus stops) and programmatic supports (exchange closet, after‑school help) that affect students’ daily experience.
Mills described a strict no‑cellphone policy in effect this year: students place phones in lockers at 8:00 a.m. and retrieve them at 2:25 p.m. He said the policy—enforced daily—has reduced hallway and bathroom traffic and that staff and teachers are supporting consistent enforcement. The administration said exceptions will be made for students with documented medical needs; those families should provide a doctor’s note.
The school has upgraded door locks that staff can secure from inside and reopened several monitored bathrooms on a posted schedule. Mills also reported a Joyce Exchange Closet stocked with hygiene items, clothes and some food, and said the school accepts gift cards for “make‑a‑basket” purchases to fill ad‑hoc needs; administrators recommended Stop & Shop or Shaw’s gift cards as convenient options.
Late‑bus service and an after‑school help program will begin next week, Mills said. The late bus covers roughly 10–11 stops on the Joyce side of town and includes a drop at the Boys & Girls Club. Staff reported breakfast participation around 80 students per day and that the school has begun district STARS and common assessments early in the year to identify academic intervention needs.
On discipline and school climate, Mills and Binnington said guidance counselors and adjustment counselors are actively involved early when conflicts arise. Committee members asked about restorative practices; Dr. Ryan (district administration) reminded the committee that state law requires multiple restorative attempts before suspension, and Mills said the school implements safety plans for students who are victims of incidents.
Discussion versus decision: The presentation was informational; no new district policy was adopted. Committee members requested follow‑up details on the late bus stop list, exchange‑closet donation instructions and the administrative process for exceptions to the cellphone rule.
Ending: The committee praised the Joyce staff for a fast transition and asked administration to return with a short follow‑up on late‑bus routing and the exchange‑closet donation process.
