Worcester Public Schools Quadrant Newsletter North Quad

Quadrant NewsletterNorth Quadrant Schools April 2015 Quadrant Newsletter:Inside Featuring Schools of the North Quadrant Worcester Technical High School What you didn’t know…  Tufts at Tech  Homeless to Harvard Introducing our new Quadrant Newsletter! All of our Worcester East Middle schools across the district have amazing stories to tell.  NASA Whether our teachers are implementing unique  Let’s Go Goes Hiking educational initiatives or our students are achieving North High School exciting milestones, we want to share the news with you.  NHS on Chronicle  JROTC Helps Elderly In this issue, we feature four outstanding schools in our Union Hill School North Quadrant. Worcester Technical High School’s  Earth Day Clean-up Tufts at Tech is doing incredible things in the community  Family Academy and North High School’s Pipeline Program was featured on WCVB’s Chronicle in March. Two teachers at Worcester East Middle have been highlighted for being selected for a prestigious professional development program at NASA. And students at Union Hill School are reaching out to the community and making their neighborhood a better place to live! Please read…and BE INSPIRED! Dr. Melinda J. Boone Superintendent

WLoroemrcIepssutmerDoTloerchnical High School IIssssudIesIssuseu[Ie1s,sAupe]ri:l: 2[D01a5te] TTuuffttss aatt TTeecchh: Greg Wolfus Anna Frasier Who is “The Dude” and How is Tufts at Tech WhCooims tinheg “FDuuldleC” iarncdleH? ow is Tufts at Tech Coming ‘Full Circle’? The dude is Greg Wolfus, the director of Tufts at Tech Community Veterinary Clinic. And coming full circle, well, that is best described by the dude himself. Wolfus is an assistant clinical professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, but he spends his days teaching veterinary medicine to high school students at Worcester Technical High School. Tufts at Tech is a unique program that partners senior veterinary students from the Cummings School with high school veterinary assistant students from WTHS to provide care to the underserved pet population of Worcester. After spending just a few minutes with Wolfus, you will be convinced that he has the best job in the world. It all began when Christina Melvin, WTHS head instructor of the Veterinary Assistant trade, partnered with former colleagues from the Cummings school to conceptualize the clinic. When Dr. Wolfus was hired as the director to oversee the building and creation of the clinic, he had big expectations. But he is the first to tell you that he had no idea how valuable this partnership would be. “It’s rare to have clinicians come from the same neighborhoods as their clients. We provide veterinary care for underserved populations, many of whom do not speak English. Our high school students, from the same neighborhoods as our target clients, have become medical translators for the clients and veterinary students. Not only are they expanding their medical knowledge and communication skills, but we help them develop a deep sense of pride,” says Wolfus. As awareness of the program has grown, student interest in the program has exploded. When Melvin began the program, there were only 4 students who showed interest. Wolfus remarks, “now we have so much interest, getting into WTHS Veterinary Assistant program is nearly as competitive as getting into veterinary school”. This year, over 120 hopeful students applied to the program’s 16 available spaces. So what is “coming full circle”? Wolfus expected that it would take 20 years to see his former students take the helm and themselves become the teachers. But in only 3 years, he has seen high school graduates like Adrianna “Anna” Frasier obtain veterinary assistant jobs throughout the community, including at the Foster Small Animal Hospital at the Cummings School. “I remember Anna’s powerful remarks at the ribbon cutting ceremony three years ago. She was full of passion and pride. I knew she would make a difference in this world,” stated Wolfus. Fulfilling her dreams to provide compassionate care to animals, Frasier is now in a position of supporting veterinary students as they learn to become doctors. The partnership of Tufts at Tech was further celebrated in March when Wolfus, Melvin, and Frasier headed to Medford to showcase the program at the Tufts Presidential Symposium of Community Partnerships. Additionally, Wolfus traveled to Washington D.C. to share the program with the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges. “This is our opportunity to show that public-private partnerships can provide mutual benefits to multiple student populations and the community at the same time,” states Wolfus. “Soon enough, we will have created so many passionate leaders like Anna, that I will have to pass off the baton and sit on the sidelines so that yesterday’s students will have the opportunity to become tomorrow’s teachers—that is full circle!”2

LWoorrecemsteIrpTsuecmhnDicaolloHrigh School IssIusesu1e, A[#p]r:i:l[D20a1t5e] Upcoming Events Taking Health and Wellness to a New Level at WTHS Worcester Technical High School is in the process of forming a School Health and Wellness Team! The focus is on promoting wellness within the school and the community. RAFFLE Well-being integrates mental health Karen Lajoie (mind) and physical health (body)Skyline Technical Fund will be resulting in more holistichosting a raffle for the 1967 Ford approaches to disease preventionMustang that was donated to the and health promotion. Empoweringschool and refurbished by the students and encouraging them toAutomotive and Automotive acknowledge the fact that their well-Collision departments. The raffle being matters would be powerful.is scheduled for May 6th from 5:00-9:00 pm. Raffle tickets are $50 each In order to assess wellness activitieswith a limit of 500 tickets to be Worcester Technical High Schoolsold. All raffle ticket purchasers are students and staff are already involvedinvited to a pasta dinner before the in, students will be asked to think about what their studentraffle. If they wish to bring a guest organization, classrooms, teams or shops have done over the last yearthe cost is $10 per person. TICKETS to promote wellness in the school community or the largerARE ON SALE NOW AT WTHS. community. This can be as small as providing a healthy option for snacks at a meeting to sponsoring a blood drive. It also includes things done to support emotional well-being. COSMETOLOGY Teachers will review what wellness means with their students and ask them to identify wellness activities conducted in the lastWTHS Cosmetology department has year by their group and identify whether the activity was toan affiliation with the American benefit the school, the larger community, or both.Cancer Society. They are a wig bankfor the City of Worcester and host the According to Karen Lajoie, BSN, RN, NCSN, “We will use this to\"Look Good....Feel Better\" event twice look at which areas of wellness we might need to focus on goinga year [Spring and Fall]. They will be into the next school year and to celebrate what we have achievedhosting another one soon. Students here at WTHS in the last school year.”will be working right next toprofessionals helping the clients. The Karen Lajoie will join Kara Bandstra, a graduate nurse intern andprogram usually runs from 3:00pm - MPH from WSU, to gather the data and provide feedback on what5:00pm on a Monday. they find to the Worcester Technical community and the WPS Wellness Advisory Committee. Going forward it is hoped that WTHS can celebrate wellness promotion and recognize wellness achievements. WTHS is asking clubs, teams, classrooms and shops to incorporate a wellness improvement activity into their functions in the next school year, to share which wellness activities have worked for them, and provide feedback by sending a representative to a Worcester Technical High School Wellness Council meeting in the future. WTHS is eager to reach out to all groups in the future to support the schools efforts at improving wellness. 3

WLoroemrcIepssutmerDoTloerchnical High School Issu[Ies1su, eA]p:r:i[lD2a0t1e5]Worcester Public Schools Liz Murray, nationally renowned motivational speaker and best- Red Carpet MCAS selling author, inspired students to ask, “What if” at a speaking program on Monday, Feb 24. After both her parents died from On March 4, the WTHS National drug use, she imagined her life “as if” she were handed better Honor Society hosted Chandler circumstances. She landed at Harvard University with a Elementary and Belmont scholarship. Elementary schools for their annual MCAS Prep Rally at FOR MORE, READ HERE (LINK TO ARTICLE) WTHS. The two schools were treated to a red carpet event INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES FROM LIZ MURRAY’S TALK: designed to provide motivation, remove self doubt, and instill in We all have the voice in our hearts that dreams the students a belief that they can We all have that “what if” sense of possibility achieve a score of 240 and beyond. Wake up to the life you have WTHS National Honor Society In the space of listening, trust opens up fundraised for the Problems are complicated; solutions are simple t-shirts and their Graphics If it doesn’t work, try one more time, and one more time, and one more time students printed them. WTHS No act of kindness is too small student Devin Mott talked about a Stop counting all the things you don’t have physical challenge he overcame. Your life is not a rehearsal This is the third year for the rally. Small doors can open to big opportunities You want to get A’s? Get ready to work 2015 Eastern States Open your heart to life experiences Indoor Track and No one knows what’s possible until they are already doing it Field “Liz Murray taught me anything is possible even when Championships you doubt yourself like she did\", student Chris W. On Tuesday, March 3, 2015, the Worcester Tech/North High boys \"Liz Murray was real, she went through real troubles 4x400 relay competed in the and didn't sugar coat it. Yes she made mistakes and Eastern States Indoor Track & had her flaws as we all do, but she found the motivation Field Championships at the New to be better. And she didn't do it alone\", student Ashley R. Balance Track & Field Center – The Armory in NY. The relay4 team of Barrington McLeod, Immanuel Hardy, Doewreh Bloh, and Edward Boamah finished in 16th place with a time of 3:30:77. Congratulations to the relay team on resetting the school record and completing a tremendous indoor track season representing and representing the WPS in a positive manner.

WLoorrecemstIepr sEuamst DMoidlodrle School IsIssuseue1,[#A]p:r: i[lD2a0t1e5]Howard Fain Howard Fain Stacey LordWorking to expand professional development opportunities for science educators across the United States,NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy Program, known as SOFIA, has selected 14 two-person teams for its 2015 Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors.Two of those teachers, Stacy Lord and Howard Fain of Worcester East Middle, will complete a graduatecredit astronomy course and then will be paired with a team of professional astronomers conductingscience flights aboard SOFIA. After their flight experiences, ambassadors take what they've learnedfrom the program into their classroom and communities to relate the scientific discovery process and itsvalue to society.Fain and Lord say they have observed an uptick in public awareness of astronomy and space exploration,including from their own students. They feel that they are well positioned to both capitalize on and help feedthis interest within the school, the public school district, and the community with the STEAM approach. The flying observatory is a highly modified Boeing 747SP jetliner carrying a 100-inch (2.5-meter) effective diameter telescope. Fitted with instruments that collect data at infrared wavelengths, SOFIA flies at altitudes between 39,000 and 45,000 feet (12-14 kilometers) on 10-hour overnight science missions.\"The Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program gives science educators a unique opportunity to interact withall facets of a NASA science mission,\" said John Gagosian, SOFIA Program Executive at NASA Headquarters inWashington. \"Not only are these educators witnessing scientific research first-hand, they're seeing the widerange of professional and technical expertise needed to support that research, from engineering to technology tomathematics. This program shows educators the excitement of frontier science, and it shows students themultitude of career paths within NASA's programs.\"The 28 Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors selected for 2015come from 12 states plus the District of Columbia.The 2015 group of Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors joins 55 educators from 23 states who have participated in the program during the past four years. Lord and Fain are the first team from Massachusetts.“I am equally excited and honored,” says Fain. “I’m justas excited about the work Stacy and I are going to dowith students when we return, as I am about the SOFIA Fain and Lord recognized at School Committeeflights, and working with the scientists.” Meeting April 9“As a visual artist, this is an amazing opportunity rich inexperiences I could never, in my wildest dreams, ever imagine having,” says Lord. “Students are experiencingthis side by side with me as I talk about what I am learning and why I am learning it.”SOFIA is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). SOFIA's education and public 5outreach programs are managed by the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, and the AstronomicalSociety of the Pacific in San Francisco.

LWoroermceIsptseurmEDaosltorMiddle School Issu[Ies1su, Ae]p:r:i[lD2a0t1e5]Let's Go ProgramBrings WorcesterMiddle-SchoolersBeyond the ClassroomTelegram – by Dave GreenslitAbout five years ago, Worcester East Middle School scienceteacher Howie Fain was talking to a class about geology.He told students there were interesting rock formations inPurgatory Chasm, and asked who might like to visit. Worcester East Middle School students, with teacher Howie Fain, in sunglasses, andLots of hands shot up, and before long Fain had taken six Appalachian Mountain Club staffer Joannagroups of students to the gorge in Sutton. \"They were Lemmon, right, prepare to head out on thethirsty for exploration and adventure,\" Fain recalled. trails of the cross-country ski center at BrettonIn January, nine Worcester East Middle students stood with Fain Woods in New Hampshire.atop Mount Willard above Crawford Notch in New Hampshire's WhiteMountains. They had hiked up in zero-degree weather, with theirheadlamps lighting the way and microspikes stretched over their bootsgiving them traction on the snow, and marveled at the stars in thenight sky, the tiny headlights of the cars far below on Route 302, andthe shadows of the hulking mountains that surround the notch. Beforedescending, the group warmed up with hot chocolate.The kids in the school's Let's Go program were a world away from thecity, and having a great time. \"They love being outside, having something new to do and pushingthemselves,\" Fain said the morning after the hike, as the groupprepared to go cross-country skiing.Read more here: Worcester East Middle School student Angelica  Perez shows some style cross‐country skiing. http://www.telegram.com/article/20150121/NEWS/301219985/0 STEM at Worcester East Middle School 13 Veterinarians from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University brought experiential learning to Worcester's East Middle School in March for innovation day. Students learned about bones with PowerPoint and real bones. They also used modeling clay and dowels and rubber bands to recreate a model joint. It was a lot of fun and the students were very6 engaged.

LNoorermthIpHsiugmh DSoclhoorol IssIusesu1e, A[#p]r:i:l[D20a1t5e] North High School on Chronicle In March, North High School’s Health Science Academy Pipeline Collaborative was featured on WCVB’s Chronicle. During the segment, Principal Lisa Dyer talks about the program’s twenty-year history, while students discuss their personal stories about why they’ve chosen a career in the medical field.The Pipeline Collaborative originally aired on Chronicle in October,and producers were so inspired by the program they returned for amore in-depth look!Watch the full story here - http://www.wcvb.com/chronicle/only-artifical-patients-for-anthony-everett/31992818College Acceptances! Did you know?Students at North High  TJX provided a luxury bus twice toSchool have been accepted to shuttle students to their headquartersthe following providing career and financial advice.colleges:  Students presented “Once Upon An  Boston Island” for two successful nights last College month at the school.  Smith  Students will be participating in an College upcoming Blood Drive, Walk for the Less Fortunate, and other community service  UMass Amherst projects!  Tufts University  Renssellaer  The first Parent/Teacher Dinner and AP  WPI  Boston University Night was held with over 200 in attendance! North High students and more! presented AP classes to families, operated the music and sound systems, provided school tours and babysitting services, and served families side by side with their teachers. 7

LNoorermthIpHsuimghDoSlocrhool Issu[eIs1s,uAe]p:r:i[lD2a0t1e5]North High NJROTC Gets It Done!Cmdr. Jamie Godwin, the Executive Officer of theNaval Reserve officer Training Corps at the Collegeof the Holy Cross and Lieutenant Derick Merino,the unit’s Surface Warfare Officer, conducted theannual Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps(NJROTC) inspection of 128 cadets at North HighSchool in Worcester, Massachusetts on March 12,2015.According to Major Steve Godin, the senior naval “It has always been amazing to me toscience instructor, \"This is one of our most hard working see how so many cadets arrive (atsenior classes we’ve ever had here at North.\" Basic Leadership Training) as shy or broken and graduate just a few daysTo date, the cadets have completed 85 extracurricular later as accomplished leaders andevents totaling over 10,600 hours of community members of a team.”activities. They have demonstrated truly outstandingdedication and commitment to excellence. Mrs. Ellie Lupafya, NHS Asst. Principal At the end of the inspection, 21 cadets earned awardsfor their outstanding performance.The NJROTC program was established by Public Law in 1964 and is conducted at accreditedsecondary schools throughout the nation, and taught by instructors who are retired Navy,Marine Corps, and Coast Guard officers and enlisted personnel. Did you know?The JROTC Unit won two awards for their excellent presentation during the St. Patrick’s Day Parade! JROTC Helps Elderly and Disabled (Telegram Excerpt and Letter of Recognition) \"I am 72 years old and cannot possibly move the tons of snow (he) hammered onto my sidewalk,'' he said. Mr. Walker said he ended up getting the sidewalk cleared by a North High student in the school's JROTC program. \"He did a great job,'' Mr. Walker said, even though for a while it appeared as though the snow blower he brought wasn't going to cut the mustard. North High is one of about 10 groups in the city -- many associated with the schools -- that volunteer to shovel snow for the elderly and disabled. Stephen L. Godin, a retired marine and senior naval instructor at North High JROTC, said in an email Friday that he's had 19 students8 shovel about 19 sidewalks so far.

LNoorermthIpHsuimghDoSlocrhool IssIusseu1e, [A#p] r::il[D20a1te5] Students, Teachers and Alumni Inspire With TEDx Talks TEDxNorthHighSchool was held on Saturday November 22 in the North High School Alumni Auditorium. Working with students, alumni and the community, teachers Richard Howarth, Ed.D., Jackie Latino, and Michael Thibodeau along with videographer my Devlin planned and curated this exciting event for North High School. A TEDx event is a local gathering where live TED-like talks and videos previously recorded at TED conferences are shared with the community. TEDx events are fully planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis. The content and design of each TEDx event is unique and developed independently, but all of them have features in common.TEDxNorthHighschool focused on the theme of JUSTICE and featured the North High School DrumLine and Stomp Team along with 13 unique speakers consisting of North High students, alumni, andpeople from the wider community. Hosted by Julia Rossetti and Bryan Paula (Class of 2015), the daywas inspirational and thought provoking, The No Evil Projectand brought the North High communityinto conversation about \"ideas worthspreading\". On May 1, NHS students will participate inHere is a list of the featured speakers: the No Evil Project. The project was created by local artist, Troy B. Thompson, who takes photos of people posing as the three wise monkeys, “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” Participants then write a good thing they’ve done to show they are not evil. The goal? To show the world that anyone can do good no matter who they are! A reception for the growing exhibit will take place, April 30, 2015, from 5-7pm at the Denholm Building 3rd floor. For more info visit www.noevilproject.com. 9

LUornemionIpsHumillDSolcohr ool Issue[Is1s,uAep]r:i:l[2D0a1t5e]Union Hill SchoolEmbarks on EarthDay Clean Up!In an effort to raise awareness and buildresponsible citizenship among theirstudents, teachers at UHS organized a“Green Up – Clean Up Day” in April.Grades 4-6 ventured out into theneighborhood for a clean up of paper andplastic. They filled more than 50 grocerybags and 10 large trash bags,concentrating on the school grounds, thestreets surrounding the school, and theneighboring Worcester Academy field (as a thank you to WA for allowing UHS to use their facilities at recess).Children patrolled the neighborhood surrounding their school with gloves and bags cleaning trash on thesidewalks. Lots of residents and passengers in cars beeped and encouraged the students with thumbs up!Students and staff are hoping to inspire the community to care for the Earth and the Union Hill Schoolneighborhood. At the end of the day, students filled the school’s dumpster! This and other events wereorganized by ILT member and 5th grade teacher, Carolan Kasper, and supported by every staff member.Kasper says, “The students were shocked at the amount of litter around our school. They took on a new sense ofpride and responsibility for OUR neighborhood, OUR community, OUR Earth.”Students made some of the following comments:\"Wow! I can't believe how much better it looks around here!\"\"I'm going to tell people to pick up after themselves if I see them destroying our Earth.\"\"I won't be throwing stuff around anymore. We only have one Earth.\"Grades K-3 focused on planting seeds and learning why it is so important to \"Reduce,Reuse, and Recycle\".Students hung a school-wide banner to show our commitment to keeping our Earth clean and a better place foreveryone.Kindness in the ClassroomUHS has fully implemented 365 z this school year andthe results have been astounding. Principal MarieMorse has stated there is a noticeable improvement tothe school climate, which focuses on 365 days ofkindness each and every day. Students report thatthey feel safe and loved and administration reports areduction in student referrals. The strategies taught inthe classrooms every day have helped build a strongfamily like atmosphere. 365Z helps students focus on Students sign poster to pledgekindness and helpful behaviors. Teachers have seen kindnessimprovements in student interactions as they make morethoughtful choices. Starting each day with a kindness quote and pledge reaffirms the UHS10 commitment to kindness daily in a positive way sets the tone.

ULonreimonIpHsuimll DSoclohrool IsIssuseue1,[#A]p:r: i[lD2a0t1e5]   Family Academy at Union Hill School  WFahmeinlyi At ccoamdeems tyo  family engagement, UHS works hard to ensure students haves FuapmpiolrytAbcoathdeamt yscwhiotohl and at home. To accomplish this, UHS has created a thefollowing goals:• Teachers instructing parents how to assist students with math.• Attendees participating in a classroom, hands-on assignment designed especially so parents and students can work together.• Grade level teachers working in teams to plan and execute the projects/workshops to be presented.Additionally, most projects are Alyssa Brown is a third grade student in Mrs.co3n65tiznual and require additional work Burnes class. She is pictured with her momfor the family to complete at home. and little sister who participated in the ELA Family Engagement Academy.All student classroom work isshowcased in every classroom for parents’ viewing.According to Lead Teacher, Mary-Beth Juneau, “We've worked hard to digdeeper into school practices that differentiate parental involvement from familyengagement. When you stop at just involving parents, often the ideas orsuggestions are usually coming from within the school. But when you engagefamilies and parents, those same ideas and suggestions arise from authenticconversations among teachers, families and administration.”Union Hill parents are viewed as critical players in student achievement, andthe Family Engagement Academies have helped create a shared community,allowing students and their families to work together with a common, vestedinterest in academic success.Principal Marie Morse says, “These events have been heavily attended and away to truly connect the home with learning and to continue to develop andenrich relationships that exist between staff and families.” 11

Saying goodbye to Ted Coghlin…In December, the Worcester Technical HighSchool and the entire Worcester community saidgoodbye to Edwin B. “Ted” Coghlin, lovinglyknown as “the godfather” of WTHS, as PresidentBarack Obama referred to him as during hiscommencement speech at the WTHS graduationlast year.Mr. Coghlin had a vision: to create more highlyskilled professionals for his business, CoghlinElectrical Contractors of Worcester. When heapproached WTHS with his vision, he did morethan turn his dream into a reality. He helpedchanged the course of the lives of the studentswho attended the school, and future generations.To Mr. Coghlin and the Coghlin Family,Thank you is not enough. Ted Coghlin pictured here with his wife, Maureen CoghlinIf you have news A note from Delores Gribouski, North Quadrant Manager:you would like toshare in the next “I am so pleased to share some of the wonderful thingsWPS Quadrant happening in our schools each day. The stories featured inNewsletter, please this month’s quadrant newsletter exemplify thecontact Jen Roy at importance of communication and community; in some instances, we have teachers taking students out of [email protected]. classroom for enriching nature experiences, and in others, we have parents spending time with their students in classrooms learning how to better support their children at home. There is an on-going exchange between dedicated teachers and passionate parents to provide students with the fundamentals of learning and encouragement along the way. Worcester Technical High School, East Middle School, North High School and Union Hill School are working to make their schools the school of choice for families living and working in Worcester. I look forward to sharing similar highlights from some of our other schools throughout the district in future newsletters.”Jennifer Roy, TV Production/Communications, [email protected]