District Newsletter Issue 1

lorem ipsum Issue 1, May 2015 issue #, dateWPS DISTRICT NEWSGood News in Worcester Issue 1, May 2015 PUBLIC Schools Learn which Worcester schools received Life Science grants.Massachusetts Life Sciences grant announcement See how volunteers helped Worcester Public Schools.Parent EXPO N.E. Patriots at NHS W4W Learn about Worcester Public Schools and our special programs. News About Our Schools Across the DistrictIntroducing a new publication by Worcester Public Schools, “District News”! Each month, wewill feature special events, programs, and initiatives taking place at our schools across thedistrict. In this issue, we highlight an exciting announcement for WPS by the MassachusettsLife Sciences Center, the great things Working for Worcester (W4W) has done for our schools,the Parent/Guardian Expo presented by Worcester Public Schools and Worcester EducationCollaborative, and more! We hope you enjoy. ~ Superintendent Dr. Melinda J. Boone Jennifer Roy, Communications/TV Production, [email protected]

lorem ipsum Issue 1i,sMsuaey#2,0d1a5te Worcester Public Schools Receive Life Sciences Grant The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center awarded nearly $11 million to schools and colleges in the region this year, about a third of the $35 million the investment agency has given out across the state in total. The bulk of the money for Central Massachusetts went to the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Quinsigamond Community College, which each received $5 million, the largest award the life sciences center makes available through its competitive grant program. Burncoat Middle School eighth-grader Nine other schools or school districts received a combination of more than $900,000 for Aisling Novick, spoke at the announcement smaller life sciences projects. The largest of life sciences grants to schools and colleges. grant of that bunch went to the Worcester school system, which will use its $265,142 award to buy equipment and ensure laboratory curriculum is the same across the district's six middle schools. Aisling Novick, an eighth-grader at Burncoat Middle School, where the grants were announced, said science is one of the less popular subjects in her class, in part because of that lack of resources and coordination across the district. As a result, she often finds herself surrounded by students from private schools when she participates in regional science competitions. \"I hope with the funding from this grant, we'll be able to do better in the future,\" she said. TWELVE WORCESTER SCHOOLS RECEIVED ANNUAL HEALTHY START AWARD FOR THEIR WORK IN OFFERING FREE BREAKFAST TO STUDENTS Eos Foundation Honors 53 Schools in Support of Awareness and Education on the Importance of Breakfast Access for Students Twelve Worcester schools were honored last week for being From Left to Right, Ivonne Perez, Principal, Chandler Magnet School; Lynn Handleman, among the schools in Massachusetts that are known to reach Assistant Principal, Chandler Magnet 80% school breakfast participation rates. The dedicated efforts School; Deborah Catamero, Principal, of these schools’ administrators, teachers, custodians, food Burncoat Prep, Diane Aubin, Café service staff, secretaries and nurses ensure hungry children in Supervisor, WPS; Donna Lombardi, Director, Worcester start their school day with a nutritious breakfast, Child Nutrition Program. ready to learn. The schools – Belmont Street, Burncoat Prepertory School, Canterbury Street School, Chandler Magnet, Elm Park, Goddard School, Grafton Street, Jacob Hiatt, Lincoln Street, McGrath Elementary School, Vernon Hill, and Woodland Academy - were presented with the award in a ceremony at the Massachusetts State House on April 30.2

lorem ipsum Issue 1, May 2015 issue #, date Working For Worcester Lends a Hand to Worcester Public SchoolsLet’s hear it for Working For Worcester (W4W)!The coalition, established by students at the College of the Holy Cross in the fall of 2012, worked withcommunity volunteers and corporate sponsors to refurbish nineteen school playgrounds and community centerson Saturday, April 25.1,500 volunteers joined for the effort, including students from 10 Worcestercollege campuses, providing an estimated $100,000 worth of investment.W4W worked on the following WPS schools and projects: • Belmont Street School: improved small courtyard garden • Burncoat Middle School: rearranged and added furniture to school library, and repainted interior • Chandler Elementary School: created a playground that can be used by all students, fixed basketball hoops, and provided recreational equipment • Columbus Park Preparatory School: painted sidewalk map, provided landscaping, and removed gravel bed • Elm Park Community School: created playground with swing set, soccer field with goal posts and lines, worked on basketball court maintenance, painted Four-Square and hopscotch lines, finished general landscaping • May Street School: Installed basketball hoop, painted lines for basketball, hopscotch, Four-Square, re- paved areas to smooth them out • Rice Square School: cleared out current teacher’s office, rearranged library and computer lab, beautified auditorium • South High Community School: beautified food pantry by replacing old shelves with new shelves, added more shelving and equipment to Andy’s Attic, completed overall outdoor maintenance and beautification • Tatnuck Magnet School: designed garden and erected community garden shed and rain catcher. WPI engineers constructed shed 3

lorem ipsum Issue 1, May 2015 issue #, date Parent/Guardian EXPO Katherine F. Erskine On Saturday, May 2, 2015, the Citywide Parent Awards, Honoring Women Planning Advisory Council of the Worcester Public Leaders in the Community Schools presented the Parent/Guardian EXPO at WPI’s Harrington Gymnasium. Worcester Public Arts and Culture School students performed musical acts and dozens of WPS programs presented information about their Honoree: Stacey Lord (Art Teacher, innovation schools, visual and performing arts Worcester East Middle) is an artist programs, and college and career readiness programs. and art educator who has taught Superintendent Dr. Melinda Boone and Mayor Joseph art to adults and students at the Petty kicked off the event with opening remarks. Worcester Art Museum, Worcester The event was co-sponsored by Worcester Education Center for Crafts, and Worcester Collaborative and CPPAC. public schools. She is co-founder and co-director of stART on the Street. Education Honoree: Marie Morse (Principal, Union Hill School) has been a teacher and curriculum specialist, assistant principal and principal in the Worcester public schools for more than twenty-five years. She was able to help Union Hill School recover from being a failing or Level four school. She has spearheaded food drives, toy and clothing drives, and created the “Union Hill Helping Hands” program.4

lorem ipsum Issue 1, May 2015 issue #, dateCongrats to the inductees to the Worcester Public Schools 2014/2015 High School Athletics Hall of Fame! Sharon (Price) Broadard – South/Doherty High School Jerry Creamer – South High School Richard Dube – Commerce High School Adrian Machado – Burncoat High School James O’Donoghue – North High School Dennis O’Leary – Doherty High School Arthur Papandrea – Worcester Boys Trade Stephen Scannell – Burncoat High School Tina (Oliveri) Seabury – Burncoat High School Allan Sullivan Jr. – South High School Ollie Wilson – Doherty High School An induction ceremony took place at Wachusett Country Blub in West Boylston on May 1.You can watch the program on TV 11, Channel 191.For those living outside of Worcester, the show is simulcast at:channel-11.worcesterschools.orgOnce there, you can watch all WPS archived programs by clicking onResources, then Archived Programs, then find the show you wantand enjoy!WEA-TV11 Station ManagerJoe Brindisi WPS IN THE NEWS!!!Worcester School Uses Theatre To Engage English-Language Learners (May 3, Telegram)http://www.telegram.com/article/20150504/ENTERTAINMENTLIFE/305039829/0/SEARCHRecovery High School to Open in Worcester (May 3, Telegram)http://www.telegram.com/article/20150503/NEWS/305029755Culture LEAP - Worcester Students Take LEAP Into Learning CityCulture (May 4, Worcester Magazine)http://worcestermag.com/2015/05/04/worcester-students-take-leap-into-learning-city-culture/33256 Patriots Running Back,Redefining Labels: Worcester's North High Students Fight Stereotypes Jonas Grey, at North HighIn Photo Project (May 4, Mass Live)http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2015/05/photographer_aims_to_capture_n.htmlPatriots Player Talks to Students at North High (May 6, Charter TV 3)http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid2755653940001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAvznJyNk~,ySIaKlvw3DA2_sZ 5UNebMWPbPbhc098bo&bclid=979131591001&bctid=4221441488001 Jennifer Roy, Communications and TV Production, [email protected]