Class of 2029
Welcome
Welcome and congratulations again on you (or your child’s) acceptance to Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School! Our mission is academic and technical excellence and we are thrilled to be partnering with you as you begin your high school career. We know that before long, you will possess and exemplify the six qualities of our graduate profile; Hawks are Collaborative, Culturally Proficient, Entrepreneurial, Kind, Perseverant, and Responsible.
New Caregiver Orientation
Our New Caregiver (Parent/Guardian) Orientation will be on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Presentations from these sessions will be linked below, allowing you to review the slides and access the links embedded within.
New Student Orientation
Thursday, August 21, 2025, 7:30 am-12:00 pm
Many Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School staff and our amazing student mentors will spend the morning preparing your children for this next step in their educational careers. This event is for all students in the Class of 2029, as well as our new students in the Class of 2028 & 2027. Bus transportation will be provided to and from school.
Students will be picked up by buses at the regularly scheduled morning time and location. Bus schedules are available on our website on the Transportation Page. Please be sure that students arrive at the bus stop 10 minutes early for pickup. Students will be dismissed at 12:00 pm. If you choose to drive your student to and from orientation, please proceed to the parking lot by the Gymnasium in the rear of the building to drop off and pick up. This is a fun and active day. Students should dress in comfortable, casual clothes and wear sneakers or walking shoes. Students are encouraged to bring a bottle of water; a light snack will be provided before students leave.
During orientation, all students will be photographed for their school identification. In addition, a packet of information and forms, including your student’s schedule, will be given to them on New Student Orientation Day.
May 2025 Welcome Letter
Dear Caregiver,
Welcome and congratulations again on your child’s Conditional Acceptance to Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School as a member of our Class of 2029! Our mission is academic, agricultural, and technical excellence, and we are thrilled to partner with you and your child to begin your child’s high school experience. We hope that before long, students new to Essex Tech will possess and exemplify the six qualities articulated in our Graduate Profile, as we expect our Hawks to be Collaborative, Culturally Proficient, Entrepreneurial, Kind, Perseverant, and Responsible.
We would like to share some important information to help us prepare to welcome your child in August. Please note that this information and future updates are available on the Class of 2029 Hawk Hub.
Placement Testing: Complete by Sunday, May 18, 2025
All conditionally accepted students are REQUIRED to complete our Essex Tech Placement Tests in literacy and mathematics. This will assist us with placement in English, Mathematics, Biology, and World History. Students who wish to be considered for placement in Honors Spanish must complete the online Spanish placement test as well.
These placement tests are offered online. Placement tests and directions on how to take them can be found HERE. If you have any questions about accessing the placement tests, please our helpdesk@essextech.net.
Placement test scores DO NOT impact a child’s acceptance status. Test scores, course recommendations, and transcripts from your child’s middle school are considered for course placement.
Enrollment Forms: Complete by May 30, 2025
Enrollment Forms are completed electronically/online using the PowerSchool Registration System. Please note that in order to complete these forms, you will need to create a new PowerSchool account on the Form page. You must create an account and complete the registration forms using this HERE. If you have any trouble accessing the PowerSchool Online Enrollment Forms, please contact the Essex North Shore Technology Office at helpdesk@essextech.net.
To request a paper enrollment form, email admissions@essextech.net to obtain a printed form. Be sure to include your child’s name and your name.
Final Acceptance
Your child’s Final Acceptance is contingent upon completing all requirements for promotion to Grade 9. The Essex Tech Admissions team will make every effort to obtain your child’s final report card for early summer review at the end of this school year. It is anticipated that Final Acceptance notifications will be forwarded to caregivers mid-late July after we receive and review all necessary documents.
Additional Documents from the Middle School
For those students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP), 504 Accommodation Plan, Medical/Individual Health Care Plan, or ML/English Learner Plan, we must receive a signed copy of your child’s Plan(s) along with supporting documentation, evaluations, and reports as soon as possible. Please contact your child’s middle school to request that these documents be forwarded to admissions@essextech.net as soon as possible. A representative from Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School will contact you to schedule a transition meeting upon our receipt of these documents.
Technology
Technology is used in all aspects of our curriculum and programming. All of our students are required to use Google Chromebooks as their 1-to-1 device to access many technology-based resources and tools. Please read more information about our 1-to-1 Chromebook program HERE.
Summer Reading
Summer is almost here, and summer reading is the expectation for all Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School students, including incoming freshmen. This year, all students are required to read at least two books. The first book is an open-choice book and can be either fiction or nonfiction, but it must be written for young adults or adults. The second book that incoming Grade 9 students will read is Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…and Maybe the World, by Admiral William H. McRaven. Please read more about our Summer Reading Requirement and where to purchase books HERE.
SHOP 565 at Essex Tech and Shop565.com
Merchandise from our School Store, Shop 565, can be purchased online at Shop565.com or in person at our Main campus store on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday when school is in session from 8:30-11:45 am and 12:30-1:30 pm. Share your Class of 2029 Acceptance letter in person at our Shop 565 store at checkout, or enter “NEWHAWK2025” when checking out online to receive a 10% discount.
Save the Dates*
New Caregiver Orientation: Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 6:00 pm
New Student Orientation: Thursday, August 21, 2025, 7:30 am-12:00 pm
First Day of School: Wednesday, August 27, 2025
To access our School Year 2025 Calendar and Draft School Year 2026 School Calendar, please visit: https://essexnorthshore.org/calendar/
*Dates are tentative and subject to change.
We welcome you and your incoming freshman to our school. Please let us know if you need any additional assistance.
Technology Information
Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School greatly values and integrates technology into all aspects of our curriculum and programming. To achieve this, our students are required to use Google Chromebooks as their 1-to-1 device to access many technology-based resources and tools. We strongly believe that the use of Chromebooks in our classrooms and CTAE areas will further enhance learning for students in all settings.
Chromebook Information
In order to ensure equal technology access for all students, we offer two options for families to pick from to access a Chromebook, outlined below. You will indicate your access option through the PowerSchool online “New Student Registration Form”.
- Bring your own: You may purchase your own Chromebook from any retailer and use it at ENSATS or use a Chromebook you already have.
- This option allows you to conduct your own research and select a model that best fits your child’s needs. We highly recommend referring to Google’s Auto Update Policy for Chromebooks, which specifies when Google will stop Chromebooks from receiving updates. Students are required to have a Chromebook that is still receiving regular Google updates. This date is typically four or five years after the device is originally manufactured.
- If you are seeking a recommendation, consider the Acer Chromebook 311 (CB311-12H-C5Y7)
- Borrow: You may borrow a Chromebook from the school. All families that borrow from ENSATS will be charged a one-time $200 Technology Fee*.
- Familes will pickup their Chromebook, complete paperwork, and pay the borrow fee at the school in August.
- Accidental damage to a borrowed Chromebook can be repaired through the Technology Office for a $20 repair fee. Families will be held fiscally liable for any intentional damage made to the borrowed Chromebook or if the Chromebook is lost.
- Borrowed Chromebooks may be brought home on a nightly basis during the school year.
- *Fee Waivers – families that meet the income eligibility guidelines must complete a Meal Benefit Income Eligibility Form and the Release of Eligibility Form to receive a fee reduction or waiver.
Setup/Restrictions: All Chromebooks, whether borrowed from the school or purchased by the family, must be enrolled into the school’s Google management console. Enrollment in the management system will allow us to provide network access to Chromebooks, easy access to materials, secure testing, and enforce Chromebook restrictions. Some restrictions include limiting access to apps, extensions, and some settings. In order to be enrolled in the management system, Chromebooks will need to be “Powerwashed,” which means anything previously saved to the Chromebook will be deleted. We ask that if you have information saved to a Chromebook, it be backed up to your Google account before enrollment.
The Technology department will host Chromebook sessions on the dates listed below. During these sessions, families bringing their own Chromebooks will have their Chromebooks enrolled in the Essex Tech management system. Families borrowing Chromebooks from the school will fill out a Technology Loan Agreement, pay the technology fee of $200.00, receive the Chromebook, and receive assistance with logging on. We ask that both the student and a caregiver attend.
- Dates to be determined
Non-Chromebook Devices
Chromebooks are the required device for students in class. MacBooks and Windows laptops are not permitted. This restriction is in place to ensure that teachers are able to provide unified instruction to all students; therefore, we believe it is important that all students have the same type of device. In addition, Chromebooks will be enrolled in a management system to ensure productivity and provide network access.
Account Information
Student Accounts – Students will receive information on how to access their Aspen, Schoology, Google, and other accounts in person through their freshman folder during freshman orientation.
Caregiver Accounts – Families will receive information on how to log on to their Aspen, Schoology, and other accounts via automated emails in September.
Questions?
If you have any questions about our 1-to-1 Chromebook program or other Technology resources, please feel free to email helpdesk@essextech.net
Save the Dates
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Thursday, August 21, 2025
7:30 am – 12:00 pm
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
7:45 am – 2:30 pm
Health Office Information
Welcome, Class of 2029 Families!
The Health Office is excited to welcome your child to Essex North Shore Agricultural Technical School! Our priority is the health and safety of every student. Below is important information regarding required health documentation and protocols. Here is the link to our webpage, which contains the required forms: Health Office Page.
Physicals and Immunizations:
Please ensure the Health Office has current physical exams and up-to-date immunization records, including:
- Tdap: 1 dose
- Polio: 4 doses
- Hepatitis B: 3 doses
- MMR: 2 doses
- Varicella: 2 doses
- Meningococcal:
- Grade 7-10: 1 dose
- Grade 11-12: 1 dose
Daily Medication at School:
- Doctor’s Order and Caregiver Consent required (Please have the Physician fax or email all medication orders to 978-304-4711 or nurse@essextech.net. If necessary, there is a prescriber order attached along with the required caregiver consent).
- Maximum 30-day supply accepted.
- Medications must be in the original pharmacy-labeled container.
- A caregiver (parent, guardian, or trusted adult) must deliver medications. In extenuating circumstances, as determined by the school nurse, the medication may be delivered by other persons; provided, however, that the nurse is notified in advance by the caregiver of the arrangement and the quantity of medication being delivered to the school.
Inhalers/EpiPens:
It is recommended that inhalers and/or EpiPens be kept in the Health Office. Students may carry their own with a Doctor’s Order and Caregiver Consent.
Field Trips/ Field Work:
- In State- Day Field Trips/Field Work: Only medications regularly administered during school hours can be taken on one day field trips or during field work.
- Overnight Field Trips: Only the necessary amount of medication for the required time away should be sent in a pharmacy-labeled container.
If your child has any other health concerns, changes to medication or needs additional accommodations, kindly inform the Health Office so we can ensure proper care and support. You can reach us by email at nurse@essextech.net or by phone at 978-304-4700 x 3118. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
The Essex Tech Nursing Team
Summer Reading
Summer is almost here, and summer reading is the expectation for all Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School students, including incoming freshmen. This year, all students are required to read at least two books.
BOOK #1: The first book is an open-choice book and can be fiction or nonfiction, but must be written for young adults or adults.
BOOK #2: Incoming Grade 9 students will read “Make Your Bed” by Admiral William H. McRaven. Books may be purchased at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and in support of local businesses bookshop.org.
When students return to school, each English teacher will assign a Summer Reading Project for BOTH books. Past assignments have included book talks, Goodreads book reviews, and creative projects based on the books such as movie trailers, children’s book adaptations, sculptures, music playlists, and more.
Our goal for summer reading is to keep students reading throughout the summer and to unite our school community through a book about qualities or strengths that inspire us and that we think are important to talk about when we all return for the start of the next school year.
Getting Started
