Superintendent Newsletter Final

SPRING 2015theSuperintendent Newsletter April EditionCommunication is Key! Happy Spring!Worcester Public Schools’ 25,000 students have been busy This year, Worcester Publiclearning and becoming productive, contributing citizens in our School students,community. Each day, Superintendent Dr. Melinda Boone administration, teachers, andmarks the progress of students in each of our schools. As you staff are happier for spring morewill see in some recent WPS events, our teachers, staff, and than ever before! That’sparents work together to create a dynamic learning because Worcester madeenvironment for children throughout the district at school and national headlines as theat home. Please share in the exciting events that took place in country’s Snowiest City! TheApril! school district had nine snow days, which brought the last day of school to June 25. Dr. Melinda Boone was interviewed by The Weather Channel about our unprecedented winter weather. Maybe we can make news as Nicest Weather City for spring? One can only hope!In This Issue Library Week Celtics Visit May St. SchoolFinancial Students celebratedLiteracy Nat’l Library Week Celtics Forward and Goddard Kelly OlynykState Treasurer Branch taught students tovisited Worcester Anniversary. reduce, reuse, andTechnical High recycle.School.

SPRING 2015 Worcester Tech Teens Focus On Financial LiteracyDr. Greg Wolfus, left, director of the veterinary clinic On Monday, March 16, Dr. Melinda Boone,at Worcester Technical High School, gives a tour of the along with Acting Principal Kyle Brenner,clinic to Principal Kyle Brenner, Worcester welcomed State Treasurer DeborahSuperintendent of Schools Melinda Boone and State Goldberg to Worcester Technical HighTreasurer Deborah Goldberg, right. School. The visit highlighted a three-year Gateway City Grant for financial literacy instruction awarded to the school by the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Financial Literacy Pilot Program to develop innovate financial programs. Ms. Goldberg spoke with students about navigating financial aid services for college and the importance of saving money for the future. She also toured the school’s veterinary lab, culinary kitchen, and student-run credit union.State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg visits WorcesterTechnical High School on Monday, talking to sophmoreallied health students Karen Akuffo and Dakota Cayer,and painting and design student Alice Frimpong, left toright.Happy Birthday Goddard Branch Library!The Goddard Branch Library CelebratesOne-Year AnniversaryIn celebration of National Library Week (April 12-18),Dr. Boone read to children at the Worcester PublicLibrary. The Goddard Branch also celebrated its One-Year Anniversary the week before on Wednesday, April8th. The Worcester Public Library’s Goddard Branch ispart of the One City One Library Initiative, whichincludes locations at Tatnuck Magnet School, RooseveltSchool, Goddard School of Science & Technology, and afourth branch will open soon at the Burncoat PreparatorySchool. The Goddard Branch was funded as part of a$100,000 grant from Hanover Insurance GroupFoundation with the help of several local organizations. 2

SPRING 2015Boston Celtics Get Green at May Street SchoolDr. Boone wore her green on Monday,April 13! That’s because the BostonCeltics and JN Phillips Auto Glassteamed together to promote aneducational program engaging studentsfrom May Street School in Worcester inenvironmental responsibility through theGreenshield Education program teachingthe importance of reduce, reuse, recycle.Volunteers read an environmentally friendlybook to each elementary classroom and thenhosted a recycling assembly with all thestudents in an effort to educate youth onhow to maintain a green Earth. Studentswere also treated to a Celtics game inBoston! Boston Celtics Forward KellyOlynyk and Boston Celtics Assistant CoachWalter McCarty were featured guests.3

SPRING 2015Making Good Decisions at Woodland AcademyThe United States Attorney’s Office, in partnership with Worcester Wednesday, Public Schools, the April 15, 2015Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, and the Worcester Police Woodland AcademyDepartment, conducted a youth violence prevention event on 8:15 am toWednesday, April 15, 2015 for 110 fifth and sixth-grade students at 11:00 amWoodland Academy in Worcester.The “Your Future, Your Decision” program has been presented by the GradesU.S. Attorney’s Office to over 2,700 middle school students around the 5 and 6state, combining an emphasis on the importance of good decision-making skills with a resource fair featuring after-school and summer Your Future, Your Decisionactivities. Speakers representing the U.S. Attorney’s Office, DistrictAttorney’s Office, Worcester Public Schools and Police Department told Do you think that the decisions you make when you’re a young person won’t affect the rest of your life? Think again! In these presentations, you’ll seethe students about the choices they made along the way that kept them how the choices you make now can have long-term consequences—positiveon a positive path in their lives. Worcester native Jeffrey Lassey also AND negative!made a powerful presentation to the young people about poor decisionsthat he made as a young person and the consequences he faced, RESOURCE FAIR UNITED STATES ATTORNEY CARMEN ORTIZincluding prison time. Topics that were spotlighted included U.S. Attorney Ortiz was appointed by President Obama. She is theinvolvement with gang activity, guns, drugs, bullying, and the legal and Visit representatives first Hispanic and the first female United States Attorney insocial consequences that can impact the students’ futures, particularly from summer Massachusetts history. Her family moved here from Puerto Rico, andaffecting their ability to get jobs, housing and admission to college. programs and after- she grew up in the Spanish Harlem section of New York City. Find out school activities! about the choices she made that brought her to the position of top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts. Brought to you by Woodland Academy, in partnership FROM OUR COMMUNITY with: Hear the story of a local man who took the wrong path as a young person, and paid the price—but then took advantage of all the Worcester County resources that were offered to him, and turned his life around. District Attorney’s Office WORCESTER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE Worcester Police District Attorney Joseph Early, Jr. will talk about the importance of Department making positive decisions, even at a young age, choosing the right Worcester Public activities, and spending your time with people who will have a positive Schools impact on your life. United States Attorney’s Office DON’T MISS IT!According to Woodland Academy Principal Patricia Padilla,“Woodland Academy students were very fortunate to take part in the‘Your Future, Your Decision’ program. Having the opportunity to hearpowerful messages about making positive choices, has equipped them with the strategies needed when faced with challengingsituations throughout their lives.”Following the speaker presentations, the students visited a resource fair in the school’s gymnasium offering information onafter-school and summer programs. Agencies participating in the fair included the Worcester Boys & Girls Club, ClarkUniversity Basketball Camp, Friendly House Neighborhood Center, Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, Guildof St. Agnes, Salvation Army’s Bridging the Gap Program, Worcester Public Library, Worcester YMCA and Worcester YouthFlag Football. A resource guide, developed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and produced by Worcester Public Schools, was alsoprovided to students. The guide provides information about activities and programs in the City of Worcester.Fifty Worcester Public School studentsparticipated in a three-day civics camp atWorcester State University featuring talksabout community engagement. Variousspeakers talked with students about safety inschools, voting, and incorporating morecivics lessons in classrooms. The program,called Worcester Rising, was funded bycollaboration through the City Clerk’soffice, the School Department, and theUrban Studies Department at WSU.Superintendent Dr. Boone addressedstudents at the concluding ceremony. Theevent took place April 21, 22, and 23. CityManager Edward Augustus also spoke. 4