announcements and events

This is a partial listing of events sponsored by the Council on Aging.  For a complete list, please see the Boxborough Buzz newsletter which can be found here.  Please RSVP to ascheen@boxborough-ma.gov or kdee@boxborough-ma.gov for any event you plan to attend.

Monthly Lunch - Wednesday May 13 - noon - Community Center

Tick Talk - Wednesday May 13 - 1:00 p.m. - Community Center

Spring Birding with Becky - Thursday May 14 - 8:30 a.m. - Flerra Meadows Field

Salisbury Mansion Field Trip - Friday May 15 - 11:00 a.m. - Salisbury Mansion and Museum, Worcester

Out to Lunch - Wednesday May 20 - 11:30 a.m. - Fife and Drum Restaurant at Northeastern Correctional Center

Elder Law Presentation - Wednesday May 20 - 1:30 p.m. - Community Center

Critical Home Repair Program Info Session - Thursday May 21 - 1:30 p.m. - Community Center

Indian Meditation and Lunch - Thursday May 28 - 1:00 p.m. - Community Center

Please make a donation to A Friend in Need

A Friend in Need (AFIN) operates under the umbrella of the Acton Boxborough Community Compass (ABCC). It is a small, all-volunteer organization dedicated to providing financial assistance to people in need in the Acton/Boxboro/Maynard area.

Our mission is to provide immediate assistance until the individual in need can receive more substantial aid from other agencies. Much of our funding comes from pleas published in our local newspapers and from generous community residents. We are generally able to provide up to $600 in support at a time. 

In the past few months, AFIN has helped an individual with a heating bill to prevent eviction. An immigrant family received help with an electric bill to prevent the power from being shut off. Back rent was paid to help keep an individual out of a homeless shelter, and a single mother with 3 children had her car repaired so it would pass inspection, and she could get to work. 

Our mailing address is P.O. Box 2258, Acton, MA 01720. Our volunteers cover postage and all other costs, so we can give away 100% of the money we receive.

AFIN will consider helping anyone recommended by clergy or social professionals affiliated with a local agency. Anyone in urgent need can be considered for financial assistance by going to a member of the clergy or social service representative and asking them to contact A Friend in Need on their behalf. We do not discriminate and will try to help anyone with a genuine need. We can also be contacted at afriendinneedacton@gmail.com.

If you would like to make a donation, please send your check to A Friend in Need, P.O. Box 2258, Acton, MA 01720, or donate online at abccompass.org/a-friend-in-need. 

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) will conduct an Integrated Monitoring Review of Acton-Boxborough Public School during the week of May 25, 2026. Each school district, charter school, vocational school, and virtual school undergoes an Integrated Monitoring Review every three years. The areas addressed during an Integrated Monitoring Review are organized into two groups, known as Group A Universal Standards and Group B Universal Standards.  

Acton-Boxborough Public Schools will be undergoing a Group B monitoring review that focuses on special education student identification and special education eligibility timelines; Individualized Education Program (IEP) development; programming and support services; procedural requirements for suspensions and equal opportunity. For additional information please also see Integrated Monitoring Parent and Family Orientation.

The process includes interviews with school staff and administrators, a review of student records, policies and procedures, and school building visits. The process may also include parent/caregiver, student and teacher focus group meetings to gather additional information. Interpretation will be provided, if needed.

The Department will also send a parent survey, in multiple languages and formats, as needed, to parents /guardians of special education students to gather key information on the special education processes and procedures.

Parents/guardians and other stakeholders may call Corey Steinman, Monitoring Review Chairperson, at (781) 338-3742 or Corey.E.Steinman@mass.gov to request a telephone interview. If anyone requires an accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, the Department will make the necessary arrangements.

Within approximately 60 business days after the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide the (district or charter school) with a report that includes information on further actions that may be required. The public can access the report at https://www.doe.mass.edu/psm/tfm/default.html.