Superintendent Newsletter June1

SUMMER 2015the Superintendent Newsletter June Edition Congratulations Graduates!Our Future Looks Fantastic Burncoat Middle LibrarySchool is closed for the summer, and during the last few weeks, Nelson Place Schoolthere were many new beginnings taking place: volunteers built a Groundbreakingbrand new library for students at Burncoat Middle School, NelsonPlace School members celebrated the start of construction for their Hanover Insurance Groupnew building, and Seniors prepare to start over as freshman again, Scholarship Programthis time at their new colleges and universities. One of the best partsof these new beginnings is that they are all made possible by thehelp of local companies and community members donating timeand resources to our children and families to get them the bestchance for a fantastic future. Thank you to all and have a happyand safe summer! Dr. Melinda J. BooneAlso in this issue:Burncoat AVID HanoverLibrary Scholarships Students in theVolunteers from WPS AVID Pictures from theAbbVie refurbish program were Hanoverlibrary at Burncoat honored at Community Hanover Insurance ScholarshipMiddle School Program

THE LOREM IPSUMBSurncoat Middle School Gets a Library ReSnPRoIvNaGt2i0o1n6 !On Thursday, June 11, volunteers from AbbVie redesigned the libraryat Burncoat Middle School as part of their READesign School Library Makeover initiative. Employeesfrom AbbvVie spent the day renovating the current library by assembling tables and chairs, creatinglounge areas and adding décor to the space. They also added shelves and books to the room. Finally,volunteers painted the library and delivered books to students to help them celebrate the excitingoccasion. At the end of the day, local dignitaries and elected officials held a ribbon cutting ceremonywith students. Before the renovation, BMS could only fit one class of students in the space at a time, andnow teachers can fit two classes of students. Last year, AbbVie renovated the library at Worcester EastMiddle School. Dr. Melinda Boone and City Manager Edward M. Augustus addressed the crowd at theevent along with BMS Principal, Lisa Houlihan and others. Heart of America, a national non-profit,helped facilitate the project. 2

THE LOREM IPSUMS SSPuRmINmGe2r0210615 AVID On Monday, June 15, students of WPS’s AVID program were honored at Hanover Insurance for their yearlong service learning projects. AVID's mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society. Students in grades five through twelve participate in AVID, which is designed to prepare students in the academic middle for four-year college eligibility. These are students, who are capable of completing a college preparatory curriculum but who are in need of support as they advance to the most rigorous classes that guide them to a successful college career and beyond. The main components of the AVID Elective classes are: academic instruction in critical reading and writing, organizational skills, college tutorial support and a focus on higher order thinking skills. Science at Midland St. School WORCESETER - When it comes to hands-on learning, Melissa Gingras' second- grade classroom at Midland Street School is where it's at. Even better if your tummy is rumbling. Science, which is not always on the top of the list when it comes to favorite subjects, is a clear winner for these curious learners, who have been fortunate to get a delicious dose of knowledge about how to grow their own food. But their growing system is not the traditional soil-and-sun model. “I learned about tower gardens through my work and I came to understand thatthey are being used very creatively at Disney World and at restaurants inManhattan,” said volunteer parent Cari-Lynn Fisher, whose son Joseph is inthe class.Ms. Fisher donated the materials for the project and also checks on theprogress of the process, which is more commonly known as aeroponicgardening. By Father's Day, each child will have grown an entire head oflettuce on the single tower — a nontraditional gift for Dad that has its roots insustainable agriculture.Read more here:http://www.telegram.com/article/20150619/NEWS/150619778 3

THE LOREM IPSUMS SSPuRmINmGe2r0210615 Nelson Place School GroundbreakingWORCESTER — For a moment on Monday, June 8, thesite of the new $58 million Nelson Place School inWorcester became the world's largest sandbox. Studentsjoined city and state officials at the groundbreaking for thestate-of-the-art new elementary school. At the count ofthree, the kids dug in. City Manager Edward Augustus andMayor Joseph Petty joined Superintendent Dr. MelindaBoone for the event. PARENT SURVEYThe 2015 Worcester Public Schools Parent Survey is now on-line!• English• Español• Português• Shqipe• Twi• Việt• ‫اﺍلﻝعﻉرﺭبﺏيﻱةﺓ‬We value your feedback. 4

THE LOREM IPSUMS SSPuRmINmGe2r0210615The Hanover Community Scholarship ProgramTwenty high school seniors were recognized by the Hanover Community Scholarship Program for theiracademic achievement, leadership, and commitment to community service. A ceremony took place onWednesday, May 20th at Hanover Insurance. The recipients are as follows:Doherty High School Burncoat High School North High School Worcester TechnicalDestiny Bradley Destiny Bradley Taiwo Abegunde High SchoolCatherine Huynh Catherine Huynh Breanna Johnston Tiana FelixCharlene Perez Marquis Moore Charlene Perez Edmond Oppong Bryan Paula Gonzalez Louisa Addo Pedro Lisboa Jailene Munoz Abigail Owusu Alyxandra Peloquin 5

THE LOREM IPSUMS SuSPmRmINeGr 22001156 Summer Library Hours!If you have any ideas of wonderful stories you would like to feature at your school, pleasesend your ideas to Jennifer Roy at [email protected] throughout the summer. Wecan feature your story in our District Newsletter, Quadrant Newsletter, orSuperintendent Newsletter. We love stories that feature student successes, innovateeducational initiatives, and news you might not see in the media. Keep in mind we alsolove pictures to accompany your stories. We are already planning our District Newsletterfor September!Our newsletters are focused on broadening the reach of WPS communication to WPSfamilies, community partners, and local media. We look forward to sharing your goodWPS news in the fall!