A Message to Families As We Begin Summer Vacation
June 25, 2026Dear Peabody Families,
Congratulations on a successful completion of the 2025-2026 school year! This year has been both productive and rewarding on so many levels. We are incredibly proud of all that our students have accomplished with the support of our amazing staff and community!
When we opened the school year, you may recall that I spoke about the importance of fostering a sense of belonging among all members of our learning community. More specifically, I invited every individual to embrace the mantra of “Be the reason someone belongs.” We took this challenge in true Peabody style, ensuring that every student in the district had a trusted adult, learning about and implementing the Wayfinder platform to build community and social-emotional skills, and promoting kindness in our community. It has been wonderful to witness the amazing growth and achievements of our students, made possible by the collective efforts of the adults who support our young people.
Although the end of the school year has arrived, the learning continues. Please join us and your student in participating in summer reading. Parents and caregivers, please take some time to check out this year’s list, encourage your student to read, and perhaps select a title or two to add to your own summer reading list. Please see our website or click here for more information on summer reading.
This summer, we are inviting parents, staff and community members to read Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl, a seminal work by a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor. In the face of recent antisemitic incidents in our community, we want to be clear: we unequivocally condemn such hate and are committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful environment for everyone. Frankl’s profound memoir not only provides critical insights into mental health and resilience, but also challenges us to find purpose and meaning even in our darkest hours. By engaging with this book together, we hope to strengthen our personal character and launch a courageous, necessary dialogue about confronting antisemitism and building a community rooted in empathy and mutual respect.
School might be out for the summer, but supports are available year-round for Peabody’s families. As a reminder as you head off to summer break, Peabody PROMISE has a wealth of resources available to residents. From the BLOOM App (a free benefit for Peabody residents to support health, well-being, and family care) to phone numbers for 24/7 mental health support, the Peabody PROMISE landing page will help you connect with an abundance of resources should you need them over the summer. https://peabody.k12.ma.us/peabody-promise/
Lastly, we are thrilled to announce the return of the Summer Eats program. This program allows any Peabody student to receive delicious, healthy meals even during the summer months. Keep an eye out for flyers around the community and on the Peabody Public Schools website where you can find details.
Thank you for your support and efforts put into this year. We are looking forward to seeing our students back for the first day of school on Wednesday September 2, 2026!
With gratitude,
Dr. Josh Vadala
Superintendent of Schools