Connections - Holyoke Public Schools

Connections
Holyoke Publ ic School s
Holyoke Public Schools
Volume 10, Issue 2
A Community Working Together
Winter 2012
An Open Letter to the Holyoke School Community
Educator Evaluation
By David Dupont, Superintendent of Schools
The state plan to overhaul educator evaluation is an
ongoing process which is scheduled to be put into
effect for all school districts in Massachusetts for the
2012-2013 school year. There are, however, some
districts-those which have Level 4 schools and those
which volunteered to implement a year earlier-that
have been working on implementation for the 20112012 school year. (The new system is for the individual Level 4 schools and not the entire district this
school year.) The evaluation overhaul is a major
change in how evaluations have been traditionally
performed in the past. There is a great amount of
related information on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
website http://www.doe.mass.edu/, and we will be
providing the principals any updates that we receive
from the department. Some of the major changes
involving evaluation include educator self-reflection,
goal setting, and rubrics to be used to guide instructional expectations. This effort by DESE is truly a
work in progress. Even though all of the elements of
the new system will not be in place by this coming
September, the intent of the state is to get this off of
the ground as soon as possible. What I believe will
be of great help to our school district is our partnership with the Massachusetts Teachers Association
(MTA), which is one of the DESE approved vendors
assisting districts in their work to implement the
evaluation model. Teachers, nurses, district administrators, and all other DESE licensed personnel will all
be subject to the new system. We obviously intend
to be in full compliance with this state-wide initiative,
however I feel very strongly that all of this will be
much more effective and meaningful if we can move
across the boundary that many times stands between
compliance and ownership.
Donahue Master Teacher Fellow, Tom
Otero and Keishantelle Burgos.
School News
2-8
School Briefs
9
Athletics
10
After School
11
Family Nights
12
Spanish
Master Teacher Awards
Wyse demonstrates with students Luis
Inside this issue:
13-15
Edition Highlights:
Congratulations to the following Holyoke Public
Schools math and science teachers for being selected as Master Teacher Fellows: Tom Wyse
(Donahue School), Yvonne Hilyard (Morgan
School), Phillip Cooper (Dean Technical High
School), Jeremiah Barrett (Peck School), and Lorie
Banks (Morgan School). These teachers all have
master’s degrees and have demonstrated excellence in teaching. The School of Education at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst has received
a six-year, $4.5 million grant from the National
Science Foundation to create a network that helps
train and retain science and mathematics teachers
for middle and high schools in Western Massachusetts. Twenty teachers from the following school
districts: Holyoke, Springfield, Greenfield and
Mahar were selected to become Master Teacher
Fellows.
● Metcalf School’s 100 Year
Anniversary
● Three Kings Day Celebration
● Students Participate in the
Inauguration
● Cross-Generational Memoir
Sharing
● Solar Learning Lab is Coming
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Connections
Page 2
Sullivan
SullivanAfter School
Build Our Kids Success—BOKS
By 8th grade reporters: Maggie Brady and Katelyn Leclerc
At Sullivan School kids shake off their morning slump by kick-starting
the day with the BOKS program sponsored by Reebok. The “Build Our
Kids Success” (BOKS) program is a free opportunity that promotes
healthy choices and exercise. At 7:30 am the students in grades K-5
arrive at the school and begin the warm-up with a dance and lunges.
They then move onto an obstacle course that involves running, which is
a big part of their morning routines. When asked by school reporters
about the success rate, the head instructor, parent Martha Leamy reveals, “We have 58 kids and we are still continuing to hear that more
kids would love to join!” BOKS brings kids together and helps them
build a bond.
Fourth grader Andrew Torres says, “It is a great program for kids
because it helps you exercise and become healthier.” Spreading the
word about BOKS is encouraged because it is beneficial to everyone.
Jennifer Lawrence, a Reebok representative who runs the program,
encourages the use of positive reinforcement on the kids. She said,
“People in your school are doing great work. It’s one of the best
schools I’ve visited and I’ve seen a lot!” It’s clear that BOKS helps kids
get moving, which is important to their
health and well-being. It gets their
brains ready to work that day at school.
Everyone agrees that BOKS rocks!
Parents in the Pathways for Family Success Literacy program at Sulli‐
van are learning English during after‐school hours. They are also working with ENCHANTED CIRCLE THEATER and come eager for fresh tools and crea‐
tive ideas for building literacy at home. The parents in the program have children from age two to thirteen, and a few are active grandparents. We teach and practice theater arts curriculum using children's poetry, early education storybooks, and even upper elementary chapter books that span the developmental range of their children. We are putting extra focus in modeling reading for young people, and parents are sent home with bright and colorful parenting magazines, chap‐
ter books, and magazines filled with positive stories of successful women, including many women of color. One new aspect of our program is the emphasis on visual arts with children in building literacy. As children are asked to visualize and infer meaning in a story‐
book, we take that literacy building to the next level by engaging them in arts activi‐
ties including Artist Trading Cards with Haiku, colorful collages with pictures and words, and origami. This isn't your typical coloring book activity, but extensions of the literacy curriculum that connect text to text, text to self, and text to creative Sullivan parent participating in a literacy sketch‐
expression! ing/storytelling and tableau activity while work‐
ing with the story Harold & the Purple Crayon Winter Carnival
Students at Sullivan School
enthusiastically answered the
city’s call to participate in the
“Elizur-the-Snowman” public
art exhibition as part of the
citywide Winter Carnival.
Businesses, community organizations, and residents were
asked to design snowmen to
be painted and put on display
throughout the city. Sullivan’s
fourth graders created two
original snowmen that will join
the other snowmen throughout the city at Heritage State
Park on February 4th. Lots of
Snowman painted by
hard work went into this large
undertaking – students wereKim Beauregard's 4th
grade homeroom,
fueled by the exciting opportunity to be part of a larger com-Sullivan School
munity project!
Snowmen painted by Kim Beauregard's
4th grade homeroom
Holyoke High
Broadway in Holyoke
Come and see Broadway in Holyoke as the Holyoke High
School Music Department stages its 13th annual musical – Legally Blonde – from Thursday, March 22nd through Sunday,
March 25th in the John Sears Auditorium at Holyoke High
School. Legally Blonde takes you from the sorority house to
the halls of justice with the blondest new student, that daredevil in high heels Elle Woods who has the cutest sidekick in
the world, her Chihuahua Bruiser. Along the way, the heroine
proves that being yourself and going after what you want never
goes out of style. Tickets for the production go on sale Monday, March 5th and may be purchased at Holyoke High School
and at The Cottage at 1615 Northampton Street. Performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights are at 7:30 p.m.,
and the performance on Sunday afternoon is at 2:00 p.m. All
seating is reserved. Golden Circle tickets for seats in the front
three rows are $15. All other tickets are $8 in advance and
$10 at the door. Tickets for senior citizens and children under
12 are $6. So mark your calendars and come and enjoy this
high energy production.
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Volume 10, Issue 2
Page 3
Donahue
Breakfast with Santa
On December 10th, over 350 members of our learning community turned out for one of the largest events the school has ever
hosted. The cafeteria was packed as parents and students helped
themselves to french toast, sausages and assorted pastries. Mr.
Scott, our music teacher, worked diligently to direct a fantastic
musical performance by students of every grade level who sang
holiday songs and spread cheer to all. Also, a special appearance
was made by Mr. Claus, who graciously allowed many of our students to be photographed with him.
Despite how hard things can be there are certain times where it is
easy to feel the deep sense of family and common purpose in Holyoke. Our Breakfast with Santa was one of those moments of connectedness. We here at Donahue would like to thank all the dedicated staff and volunteers who made this event a reality and the Santa Claus is posing with Denice Ortiz, Donahue’s Resident Office Elf.
parents who took the time to bring their kids into our school that Far right: North Pole Production Coordinator, Principal Amy Fitzgerald
Saturday. Go Dolphins!
New Guidance Program with the
Help of UMASS
After discussing the District’s Comprehensive School Counseling
Program Model, Donahue School administration contacted Dr. Rich
Lapan, Ph.D., Chair of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Department of Student Development. Dr. Lapan was recently selected
by the Massachusetts DESE to be part of the statewide career readiness task force. Lapan is working with the school to determine how
Donahue could best implement the district’s new counseling program.
On January 5, 2012, Dr. Lapan detailed UMASS’s online assessment
tools for students to staff. These tools include interest inventories,
including a career cluster interest inventory, an occupational index, and
a “reality check”. These tools help students to identify who they are,
where they are going, and how to get there. Donahue leadership has
linked this initiative to the Common Core Curriculum, as students will
be required to use these inventories to complete a written research
project.
Currently, we are awaiting the final approval for a guidance practicum graduate student from Westfield State University. This studentcounselor will work directly with classroom teachers and administration in implementing our new guidance program. We at Donahue
would like to extend our sincerest thanks to Dr. Lapan and his interest
in our program.
For more information about this
project, you may contact the
illustrious Dr. Gary W. Tirrell, Vice
Principal of Donahue School.
Solar Learning Lab is Coming
Maurice A. Donahue is pleased to announce a partnership with
UMASS and Hyperion Systems to bring a solar learning lab to Donahue. The main purpose of such a lab is to teach students about energy consumption as well as alternative energy sources. UMASS
faculty has created an entire accompanying curriculum. Students will:
•
Adjust the tilt of panels with the season on short ladders
•
Do plant growth experiments
•
Study the physics of the structure
•
Perform soil studies
•
Gain hands on experience of “green” technology
•
Supplement the school’s electricity supply
These pole mounted panels, connected to our school will produce
up to 11 Kilowatts a day. We here at Donahue would like to give a
big round of thanks to Travis Minnick (middle school science) for
heading up this project and presenting it to the school committee
(who likewise deserve a thank you as well). Donahue School is committed to bringing the best of technology, science and exploratory
learning to our students. Expect an update once the panels are installed.
Photo of the soon to be erected solar panel
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Connections
Page 4
Mission
Statement
The mission of the
Holyoke Public
Schools is to provide
educational
opportunities for all
students to reach
their full potential in a
safe, secure, healthy
learning environment
while valuing diversity
and promoting
responsible
citizenship.
Holyoke School
Committee
Mayor Alex Morse
William Collamore
Joshua Garcia
Yvonne Garcia
Margaret Boulais
Howard Greaney
Dennis Birks
Michael Moriarty
Cesar Lopez
Devin Sheehan
Peck
Carnival of Learning
On November 11th the 8th graders at Peck School took
part in a Carnival of Learning. The event was sponsored
by GEAR UP of Massachusetts under the leadership of
Robert E. Dais. Mr. Dais, the Director of GEAR UP
Massachusetts stated, “The purpose is to give students
exposure to higher learning and to help future academics
make sense.” Students traveled in groups to learning
stations focused on different aspects of higher education
– including areas of study, scholarships, health issues and
the creative arts. These interactive learning areas were
sponsored by Holyoke Community College, Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, Babson College, Fisher College
of Arts and Westfield State University. Eighth grader
Devonny Castellano observed, “It’s awesome! We are
learning a lot about how to get money for college.”
Science Experiments
in the Kitchen
The Peck Family Engagement and Education Workgroup sponsored a bilingual whole-family Charla (Family
Conversation) which focused on science experiments in
the kitchen. Facilitated by Maria Luisa Arroyo, families
were encouraged to flip buttered bread off edges of
tables and chart the results; make raisins dance; and
make graham cracker earthquakes before buttering them
up with peanut butter. Grades of participants ranged
from Kindergarten to 8th and Peck families are already
looking forward to the next Charla: Tell Me the Story of
Your Name (Reading, Drawing, and Writing).
Testimonios (testimonials)
about Latinas in College for
Peck Families
On Monday, December 12th, Spanish-speaking Mount
Holyoke students joined Spanish-dominant Peck families
for a night of pizza and candid, animated conversations
about the college experience including academics, safety,
dorm living, and costs. All families who came had attended the November Hip Hop Evolution event, part of
which hosted an informative and successful bilingual information fair. At that fair, families were proactive in
seeking answers to questions on Bingo cards, which were
tailored to parents, middle school and elementary school
students.
Ready for Peck
The Ready for Peck (RFP) program is a school initiative
intended to provide individual and group support for
parents of future kindergarten students who live in the
school zone. The ultimate goal is to maximize the prospective student’s capability to be ready for kindergarten
and success in school with parental involvement, and
partnership. Parents, as the child’s first teachers, will
enhance their own skills to prepare their children to be
ready for school. Children will start school ready to
learn and to triumph during their education. Program
coordinator Susana Morales states, “The program will
hold monthly workshops and home visits, providing the
parents with activities and the tools needed to help their
children be ready for kindergarten.”
Sodexo Raffle Winners
For FREE
FAMILY
FUN, see
schedule
of Title
One Family
Nights on
page 12.
Sodexo has completed its free/reduced meals application raffles and lucky students were presented their
awards - an iPad in each high school and $100 Target
gift certificates in each elementary School.
Pictured in the adjacent photo left to right are Ellen
Sullivan, Holyoke High School (HHS) Assistant Principal, student iPad winners Zhiyang Lin and Yu-Je Lin
and Richard Leso, Director of Dining Services.
Thank you Sodexo for your generosity and congratulations students!
“Learning is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.”
~ Chinese Proverb
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Volume 10, Issue 2
E.N. White
Celebration at Barnes & Noble!
By, Laurie Maspo (Parent) and
Tammy Lawrence (Parent and PTO President)
The attendance at the Barnes & Noble Celebration was
huge! Many E.N.White families, staff and Barnes & Noble customers were
able to enjoy a night of student art, musical performances and at the same
time help the school earn over $300.00! The evening began with Ms. Marcotte, the school librarian, reading the "Polar Express"; a story written by
Chris Van Allsburg. She immediately stirred-up feelings of holiday magic
which carried with everyone throughout the entire night.
Next, the Kindergarten students accompanied by their teachers, Mrs.
Fisher, Mrs. Kent and Ms. Dempsey, joyfully sang a variety of holiday
songs. They delighted the audience with their enthusiasm and adorable
singing voices. At the end of the performance, Ian, the School's Tiger
Mascot, "high-fived" each child and gave them all a "thumbs-up" for a performance well done! The violins, cellos and other instrumental performances followed and the orchestra of string students played remarkably. Solos performed by a handful of students sounded beautiful. Mr.
Verrocchi, Mr. Baker and Mr. Rose, the team of music teachers have graciously taught the gift of music to so many students and have allowed all
involved to blossom. Lastly, the school choir brought their voices and
sang a handful of festive holiday songs. Mr. Rose played the guitar while
students and audience members clapped and sang along. The night ended
with the song "Feliz Navidad" which was sung vibrantly by all!
Throughout the evening, Ms. Lamour, the art teacher, proudly displayed
many pieces of student art work and their respective curriculum guidelines. Each piece drew a lot of attention from the students, Barnes & Noble staff and customers. Other students had the opportunity to display
their artistic abilities that evening by creating book marks at the art tables.
The middle school student volunteers were a huge reason why the night
ran smoothly and efficiently. A free raffle, provided by the Tiger Pride
Community Organization, invited anyone supporting the event to take a
chance at winning a 2012 calendar, three boxes of chocolate candies and
an E.N. White T-Shirt.
25 Books Campaign Kick Off!
The excitement at E.N.White School was evident as the school kicked
off the beginning of a year of reading. Many students and staff members
were dressed in costume representing a character from their favorite
story. Students would see each other and ask
"Who are you?". Although the answer differed in explanation, it always included the
reponse "I want to read that!"
Dumbledore (7th/8th
grade science teacher
Kendra VanderGheynst)
and Harry Potter
(Principal Russell) get
into the spirit of
reading.
The message was clear "Reading is fun and
essential!"
Both Principal Russell and librarian Ms. Marcotte introduced the Head Basketball Coach
Charlie Brock from Springfield College and
three of his players. He is part of the "Ticket
To Reading REWARDS" Program, which is
designed to use college basketball programs as
a tool to motivate students to read. They
addressed the entire middle school body with
the same message - "Reading is fun and essential!". They spoke about how reading was
important for them when they were young
and how it was essential to be a good reader
to realize their goals of attending college.
Additionally,
the
book, "Rudy's
Secret
Page 5
Cap", written
by
local authors Al
Petitpas and Judy
Van Raalte, was read
aloud. The book
was meant to inspire
students to "Stay
Cool", "Ask for
Help" and "Stay
Positive" with any- Mary Curro and E.N. White 8th Graders celebrate
thing they choose to
books and their favorite characters
do.
Next, each student was given a goal of 25 books to read by the end of
the school year. At the conclusion, Coach Brock gave each middle school
student a T-Shirt with the statement "Ticket To Reading REWARDS" as a
reminder of all the benefits reading will bring throughout their life. They
were also given silicone bracelets with the TTRR logo and an invite to a
future Springfield basketball game.
Delighted were students and staff as many
parents and guardians visited E.N.White
throughout the day to read to their child's classroom.
At the end of the day all elementary students
in their character costumes were called to the
cafeteria. They enjoyed apple cider and cookies
as they discussed each other's costumes. Librarian Ms. Marcotte and Physical
Education teacher Ms. Schmidt held a contest
for favorite costumes. The excitement was
obvious as each student clapped and cheered
for each other. They too were given a reading
goal and responded with a promise to accomplish that goal!
Joan Cameron, 5th grade teacher/ Oompa
Loompa from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Mt. Holyoke College Art Museum Visit
This year the E.N. White art teacher, Mrs. Lamour began her Ancient
Art Unit with a field trip visit to the Mt. Holyoke College Art Museum to
explore the collections of ancient artifacts containing Egyptian, Greek, and
Roman relics. From the Canopic jars to decorative mosaic tiles, the students learned about history, world cultures, art and archaeology. The visit
followed the art and history standards written in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. “It was a great learning experience that related to
our studies in history,” said Emma Price, an 8th grade student of E.N.
White.
The major highlight of the visit was looking at ancient artifacts that
illustrate the lives of ancient civilizations and learning about the different
religions that transitioned from one civilization to another and the stylistic
changes of their art work. “It was very educational and historical," said
Melvin Cruz.
The students enjoyed listening to the descriptions of the artifacts and
the stories behind them. “It was an educational experience,” stated Hanna
Smith. At the end of the tour, students participated in a scavenger hunt,
filled in a worksheet and were able to identify the stylistic and characteristic features of ancient works. “ I liked this activity and I saw some pretty
cool vases and bowls,” said Joey Candelario. In the end, the students were
able to take with them the knowledge and understanding of the roles,
purposes and contributions of ancient civilization.
E.N. White News—Continued on page 8.
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Connections
Page 6
Morgan School
Everybody Knows Pigs Might Fly
At least that’s what students learned when reading Pigs Might Fly by
Dick King-Smith in Laura Boucher’s fourth grade classroom. They loved
the story so much (although you’ll have to read it yourself to find out
whether pigs really might fly) that they decided to turn it into a play.
Ambitious students Shakira Rivera, Alysson Mazzu, Luis Brito, Ryan Rodriguez, Jderick Rivera, Jayree Santiago and Matthew Santiago turned into
scriptwriters, working hard to develop the story into a play. They then
created props and rehearsed, with the first performance on January
18th. Invited guests included interim principal Aliza Pluta.
Choir Performs at Innauguration
Amazing Triple-decker Concert
Mayor-elect Alex Morse, former Morgan School scholar, must have
been feeling a bit of nostalgia when he attended an evening middle
school open house in November. He enjoyed a performance by the
Morgan School Choir under the direction of counselor Emily Temple.
Some time later, she received an invitation for the choir to perform
God Bless America at the Mayor-elect’s Inaugural Ceremony on January
3rd at Holyoke High School, an honor that delighted both the school
and the Choir, thus giving Morgan School double reasons to be proud.
The weeks leading up to the holidays are always filled with mystery
and excitement, and never more so than here at Morgan School, as
students from grades three through eight practiced for the annual holiday concert. From the sounds of the violins practicing Jingle Bells with
violin teacher Jenifer Gelineau, to the middle school student choir practice led by counselor Emily Temple, to the excitement of music teacher
Doreen Veazie’s drum class, the school has been ringing with the
sounds of holiday music.
On Thursday, December 22nd, the hard work culminated in two
concerts, one in the morning for middle school, the second in the afternoon for the elementary grades, and the result was electrifying. The
concert began with several songs sung by the middle school choir,
including Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa
Claus and Jingle Bell Rock. The violin concert followed, with students
from third through eighth grade, and finally, a resounding finish with a
fourth grade chorus directed by Doreen Veazie, with drum accompaniment. The reaction of the student audience to the drum performance
was especially enthusiastic, to say the least, as the performance finished
with the rousing rendition of We Wish You a Merry Christmas/Feliz Navidad with the audience invited to sing along. It was a wonderful end to
four months of hard work, and a great beginning to the upcoming vacation.
Parents Become Students in
Lorie Banks’ 8th Grade Math Class
All Morgan Tots Receive Toys
Thanks to the efforts of Mary Jo Mazzu, paraprofessional at Morgan
School, the Toys for Tots program once again donated toys to the elementary students at Morgan School. This year every student in kindergarten through fifth grade received a wrapped new toy on December
22nd, just in time to enjoy for the holiday break. The daunting wrapping
job was completed by members of the 8th grade student council.
Grade eight math students and their parents were treated to a holiday party while utilizing real life math skills. Students worked with their
parents to do some last minute holiday shopping while developing
strategies for calculating discounts and sales tax. It was wonderful to
watch parents explain the strategies they use to calculate discounts. As
one mom put it, “If it’s one thing moms know how to do, it is how to
figure out a discount!”
Morgan News—Continued on page 8.
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Volume 10, Issue 2
Page 7
ce
Center for Excellen
Pastries with Parents
K-5 parents and students at the Center for Excellence celebrated
going to school with a morning
treat called, “Pastries with Parents.” Parents were invited to
bring their children to school and
stop in for coffee, juice and pastries with their children. Parents
had a chance to interact with
Mary Wright (Literacy Coach),
Lisa Prechtl (Math Coach), Lynn
Lajoie (District Read 180 Coach),
and Kathleen Knowles (LLI interventionist). The children made
candy cane reindeer, chose a
book to bring home, sang some
holiday songs, and spent some Kathleen Knowles, LLI Intervenextra quality time with their tionist and Destiny Ruiz, grade
family. The CFE looks forward to five share breakfast with a smile.
hosting several more parent
events this year in order to build
community with families and strengthen the home-school bond.
Metcalf
Joseph Metcalf School -100 years Old!
100 years have passed since the special grand opening dedication of
the new Metcalf School situated in the Elmwood section of the City of
Holyoke. In honor of its 100 Year Anniversary, many former teachers
of Metcalf School and current teachers at Metcalf School will join together to plan a special anniversary celebration in honor of this great
school, which stood tall for 100 years as one of the sites, which contributed to the education and recreation of thousands of citizens of
Holyoke, Massachusetts.
If you are interested in joining the committee, please email Ellen
Jackson, the Principal of Metcalf at [email protected].
According to the article, Dedication of Joseph Metcalf in the Holyoke
Daily Transcript dating back to
1912, which was resurrected from
the archives of the Holyoke Public
Library, the formal dedication of
the Joseph Metcalf School on September 30, 1912 drew an attendance of parents, teachers, city
officials and invited guests that filled
the new school hall to capacity. More than 600 people attended this
exciting grand opening celebration. Among the throngs of people present were many city officials seated on a platform at the front of the
crowd. The group included Mayor White, Chairman Walsh of the
Board of Public Works, Commissioner Allen of the Board of Public
CFE’s Got Talent!
K-12 students at the Center for Excellence took to the stage to
show off their musical talents! They have been studying music under
the direction of CFE’s first ever music teacher, Mr. Otis Rogers. The
students sang songs including acting out The Twelve Days of Christmas. Parents and families came to watch and cheer on their youngsters. Both students and audience sang and enjoyed the day!
Celebrating
Writers
Students in Laura Skwira’s 7/8
grade and students in Alissa
Fontaine’s K-2 classroom took to
the podium to share their narrative writing pieces with each
other! The students were able to
respond to others’ writing by
asking questions or giving comments about characters, setting,
and problem/solution. The next
step for these classrooms will be
to host an open mic night at the
Center for Excellence.
Uriel Izquierdo Grade 2 proudly
shares his story along with
teacher Alissa Fontaine.
Works, Superintendent McSherry, Principal Greaney and the entire
school board. Also in attendance were special guests, Mr. and Mrs.
Joseph Metcalf, Mr. and Mrs. F. H. Metcalf and Mrs. H. B. Lawrence.
Principal Greaney opened the program by thanking all of the people
who had contributed to the development and the construction of the
school and told the community that, “In this beautiful new school building will be spent the most impressionable years of the lives of boys and
girls in Elmwood.” In addition, he asked the residents of Elmwood “to
cooperate with the school and influence their children to a high standard of discipline and excellence.”
During Chairman O’Donnell’s speech, he gave special recognition to
School Committeeman Bausch, who was responsible for the relentless
work that went into the construction of the building for his Ward 3
Elmwood citizens. He was also the speaker who introduced the special
guest, Joseph Metcalf, whose name would be embossed on the front of
the building in dedication of his life. Chairman O’Donnell described
Joseph Metcalf as a “leading citizen, who possessed the intellectual and
virtuous qualities that we would want our boys and girls to acquire.”
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Connections
Page 8
E.N. White News Continued from p.5
Kelly
See Hear Feel
Grade 3 Kelly School students recently
attended “See Hear Feel” at the Amherst Cinemas. Facilitated by Jake Meginsky and Samm Smith, as well as a
large group of volunteers, students
learned to watch short films with the
“eye” of a film maker. They also learned
to listen to films with the “ears” of a
filmmaker. The students created poems
and in groups wrote a collaborative
story complete with storyboards. “See
Hear Film” focuses on writing with details to bring the story alive. A
great time was had by all students and staff. The students are looking
forward to Session II of “See Hear Feel” Film in February.
Morgan News Continued from p. 6
Batman Visits First Grade
Vowel Vultures
The first grade class of Militza
Semidei and Kara O’Connor didn’t
know how exciting learning vowels could be. As their lessons
progressed, they learned a song
called “Vowel Bat”
using the interactive Smartboard.
To their surprise, one day Batman
actually appeared in class. The
children enjoyed the visit, demonstrated their knowledge of vowels, and honored Batman with a rendition
of “Vowel Bat.” They will always remember their vowels, the day Batman came to class, and the chance they had to practice their vowels with
him!
MA Model of Comprehensive School
Counseling Programs
Because
students
develop emotionally,
socially and educationally, the guidance
program at Morgan
School will address
the issue of total
growth and development. Growth and
learning are developmental; therefore guidance curriculum must be developmental and sequential. The need for guidance begins with pre-school entrance and
continues throughout life. At Morgan School, counselors Lauren Paret
and Emily Temple will implement classroom lessons, addressing Academic and Technical Skills Development, as well as Personal and Social
Development, which are necessary skills for Workplace Readiness. Ms.
Paret and Mrs. Temple created this bulletin board to engage parents and
students in this endeavor.
Students Attend the Inauguration
By Faizul Sibdhanny, Student Council President
It was a great start to the new year as our
new mayor Alex B. Morse was inaugurated
Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. People
from many parts of Massachusetts came to see
one of the youngest mayors in the United
States take office. It was a very historic event
in the city of Holyoke. This is the youngest
mayor the city has ever had. Morse was born
in Holyoke and attended Holyoke schools such as Morgan, Peck, and Holyoke High School (HHS). At the ceremony, HHS students and Morgan Elementary students sang songs in the auditorium. Morgan students sang “God
Bless America”. HHS students sang “Imagine” and “The National Anthem”.
Alex Morse also made an Inaugural Address. He stated that he is “a proud
product of Holyoke schools.” The ceremony was one hour long and ended
at 11:00 a.m. A reception followed afterwards at Holyoke City Hall. Faizul
Sibdhanny stated, “It was nice to get out and see an event like this. This is a
once in a lifetime opportunity.” Emma Price added, “I had a great time. I
think having kids from Morgan and the high school was a great way to represent our schools at a community event, and I wish Mayor Morse well.”
Samuel Texidor remarked, “It was a pleasure to be at the inauguration of
our new leader, and I hope to see a lot of great changes in the future.”
Cross-Generational Memoir Sharing
Seventh graders in two of Ms. Lindstrom’s English Language Arts classes
had the opportunity the day after Thanksgiving break to share their final
memoirs with three writers from the Holyoke Council on Aging: Jeanne
Bartley, Norma Bagnall, and Sandy Ward. Since a fourth writer was unable
to come and our students were divided into four small groups, Activities
Director Navae Rodriguez from the Council on Aging also worked with a
group. She and ELA teacher Astrid Lindstrom had arranged for this cooperative activity among writers.
In each small group, students discovered that (despite the 55 to 83-year
difference in age between student and senior writers) they had plenty in
common with the older writers, who shared their own memoirs. For example, Ricky Ramsahai had written about friends taunting boys who were
afraid of a scary ride at Six Flags, and Sandy Ward had written about being
called a sissy by friends who wanted her to ride down an icy slope on a
saucer. While Ricky ended up with a sense of accomplishment, Sandy ended
up with a concussion!
As well as reading their memoirs to one another, our young and no
longer so young writers shared thoughts and feelings about the writing
process and even found time to enjoy an exercise practiced by those at the
Council on Aging in their own writing group.
Everyone involved
agreed we should arrange more opportunities for such valuable
cross-generational
sharing. Even though
Thanksgiving is behind
us, we discovered we
had something new for
which to be grateful.
Council on Aging writer Norma Bagnall shares
with E.N. White student Robert Anderson.
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Volume 10, Issue 2
S
School Briefs
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Check Mate!
Sullivan School has begun a Chess Club. The club meets in the
school library on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month,
from 3:00-3:45. The best part is, you don’t even have to know HOW
to play chess to join!! Several 6th and 7th grade students have graciously agreed to teach students in grades 4– 8. Our first meeting was
so successful that already the students are asking about tournaments!
Any takers, fellow Holyoke Schools?? Please contact Karla Gartsu,
Sullivan School librarian at [email protected]
Family Literacy
English classes are now for beginners and more advanced speakers. So
come learn English and have your children enrolled in our after-school
homework help and enrichment program (Schedule: Wednesdays and
Thursdays from 3:00-5:30). Our second cycle is January 4th - March
29th and there is still room in the class for YOU! Parents with a beginning knowledge of English are invited to join this class to improve their
speaking skills. Parents with a more advanced experience of English will
work on reading and writing skills. Ask us about bringing siblings of
Sullivan students who are three and four years old. Enrollment is ongoing. Please contact Aida Gomez at 413-534-2321 or Maria Correa at
413-552-2937 for more information..
Three Kings
Every year we look forward to the arrival of the Three Kings Day
celebration. The eighth annual celebration was held at Holyoke High
School on Friday, January 6th. The multi cultural educational focus of the
three Kings Day celebration this year reminds us that though we may
celebrate in different locations and in different languages, family, music,
food and traditions
are universal components of a good party
– and it was a great
party!
This
year
the
Three Kings were
joined by Alice the
camel. She was a
great hit at the party.
Children and parents
lined up to greet the
Three Kings and have
their picture taken
with them and Alice.
In the foyer and
the hallway, families
enjoyed a bilingual
Story Walk. In addition, huge multi cultural story posters which highlighted the customs of many of the countries that celebrate Three
Kings Day lined the corridor to the cafeteria. While they were waiting
to enter the cafeteria, families could read about how families celebrate
Page 9
Peck School
• With Ms. Jessica Roy’s leadership, students from the RISE Pro-
gram and their parents enjoyed sharing recipes in a family cookbook collaboration, and classroom time with each other and the
paraprofessionals while enjoying a few tasty treats on December
21st.
• In Ms. Criscitelli’s 5th grade classes they have been having great
success in answering open response questions using a new innovative strategy to gather evidence from the text.
• 8th grader Angel Ortiz was selected as a Project 351 participant
and spent Saturday, January 14th with the governor of Massachusetts and other students from around the state engaged in community service and other projects.
• 7th grade students wrote letters petitioning for new, hardcover
books of Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief. Their request was
posted to DonorsChoose.org, an online charity connecting donors to classrooms in need. In less than 12 hours their project
was funded! New books are on their way!
the holiday in Puerto Rico, Spain, the
Philippines, Mexico, Austria and other
European countries.
In the cafeteria, the ROTC Honor
Guard, under the direction of Major
Kieda presented the National Colors
and led guests to their tables and to
the serving lines. They are always so
helpful at this event.
Food and music have always been an integral part of
the celebration. Salsarengue
served tasty Hispanic food
and Luis Martinez, an HPS
teacher, provided excellent
music throughout the night.
This year we had the pleasure of the dancers from Kelly
School, under the direction
of teacher Norma Rodriguez.
Their colorful costumes and
traditional dances had everyone clapping and moving to the music. What a wonderful
addition to our entertainment for the event!
A big thank you to all the volunteers and donors
from within the Holyoke Public Schools and many
local agencies who helped to make this such a
wonderful success!
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Connections
Page 10
Athletics
Hoop Teams Take the Championship at CT River Classic
On December
30th both the girls
and boys basketball
teams beat Longmeadow High
School in the Championship Game at
the first ever Connecticut River Classic Tournament to
take home a dual title.
This was the inaugural
season of
the Connecticut River
Classic Tournament
which was hosted
over two days at
Chicopee High
School. The tournament consists of
Chicopee Comp High
School, Chicopee High School, Longmeadow High School, and Holyoke High School. This year Chicopee hosted the event and in 201213 the event will move to Holyoke for the second year. The tournament was named the Connecticut River Classic because Holyoke,
Chicopee, and Longmeadow are towns along the Connecticut River.
The Holyoke boys and girls teams beat Chicopee Comp on December 29th to advance to the championship game. The girls started
slow against the Colts before hitting their stride. When the Lady
Knights got going there was nothing stopping them as they went on
to a 70-29 victory. The boys team also started out flat against
Chicopee Comp and they faced a 14 point deficit in the first half.
They cut into the lead and trailed by only 6 at halftime. In the second half the play went back and forth before the Knights pulled
away capturing a 66-61 victory. In the other preliminary games both
the Longmeadow teams beat Chicopee High School advancing
them to face Holyoke in the finals.
In the Championship games both the boys and girls teams played
outstanding games. The boys had many contributors to their 87-68
championship victory. Leading the way for the Knights were Taylor
Cason and Austin Keeler who had 29 and 31 points respectively. In
the girls game the Lady Knights cruised to a 58-41 victory. Leading
the way for the Knights were Selena Yates, Monique Heard and
Alison Littles.
Yates finished
with 18 points,
Heard with
16, and Littles
had 12 points
and 16 rebounds.
High School Winter Highlights • Boys Indoor Track 4 x 800 meter
relay team captured 2nd place (out of 35
schools) at the State Relays in Boston,
breaking a 10 year old school record by
over 20 seconds. The team members
were RJ Landry, Eugene De La Rosa,
Cody Hodgins and Tyler Brunelle. This
same relay team broke the 4 x 400 meter relay record a few days later at
the PVIAC meet at Smith College in Northampton.
• Cross Country Coach Dave Reinhart was named the Republican
Newspaper’s Coach of the Year. The Cross Country team has a 25 meet
win streak dating back to 2009. This year Coach Reinhart lead the Purple
Knights to another 11-0 undefeated season and their second consecutive
league championship. They finished 2nd out of
35 teams at the PVIAC Championships.
• Congratulations to Knight Swimmers
Molly Burns, Connor Baush, and Sharon Dec
who have all qualified for the Western Massachusetts Swim Meet.
• The Dean Technical wrestling team
finished the season by beating Athol High School 51-12 to stay undefeated in the league helping them secure their first league title since 2007.
Coach Griffin has lead the Golden Hawks to an outstanding team record
of 16-4. They also have many individuals who have had successful seasons
including Gary Charlton (Dean Tech), Patrick Keane (Holyoke HS), Victor Devila (Dean Tech), and David Brazeau (Holyoke HS), Chris Vega
(Dean Tech), Wesley Kulig (Holyoke HS).
• This year the wrestling team hosted the Second Annual Knight
Hawk Classic Wrestling Tournament during Christmas Vacation. This
was the largest high school wrestling tournament ever in Western Mass.
with 16 teams participating from across Massachusetts and New Jersey.
The coaches from the school who participated in this event said it was
the best run tournament they have been to in many years. The tournament was made possible from the hard work of Head Coach Joe Griffin
and Assistant Coaches Stephen Konstantinidis and Gennady Velyshev and
the outstanding work of the Wrestling parent group. Coach Konstantinidis was the tournament administrator and he did a super job bringing the
latest technology to the event
• Holyoke High has been selected again to host the MSSAA Cheerleading Regional because of its outstanding facilities and organization from
the Holyoke Cheerleading Coaching Staff and Parent Organization!
• Congratulations to Holyoke High’s Lady Knight, Monique Heard, The Republican’s 2011 Vi Goodnow Award winner for being the top female basketball player in Western Mass and the 1st Holyoke High recipient of this prestigious award.
•
On December 15th the Holyoke High and Dean Technical
basketball teams competed against one another for the first time—
“The Paper City Rival Game”. Over 1000 people attended, bringing
people across the city together to celebrate the great history of
basketball in the city of Holyoke. Prior to the game basketball alumni
were recognized including 1000 Point Scorer and Lahovich Award
Winner Ramon Cosme, 1000 Point Scorer Tim Dunn, and Elms
College standout player Juan Galdon. Mayor Elect Alex Morse
tossed up the ceremonial first tip. Reynaldo Espada from Dean Tech
and Austin Keeler from Holyoke High were named most outstanding players for the game.
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Volume 10, Issue 2
Page 11
r School Program
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CONNECTIONS Families Learn Together
at the Connecticut Science Center
By Emily Follo, MHC Student and
CONNECTIONS Assistant Director
Sarah
Spence,
On Saturday, December 10th a group of 165, including students in the
Holyoke Public Schools and their family members, spent the day learning together and discovering the wonders of science at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford, CT. The trip was hosted by CONNECTIONS After-School Program thanks to funding primarily from
the After-School and Out-of-School Time Quality (ASOST) grant, with
help from Holyoke Public Schools and the 21st Century Learning Grant
Program. Transportation to the museum was provided; families were
picked up from several locations around Holyoke. The science museum was a first-time experience for the vast majority of family members.
Aside from simply taking families to the museum, the purpose of the
The water tanks
containing a variety of
creatures were among
the most popular
exhibits.
Teresa
Young and William
Clark, family members
of an E.N. White student, said, “We liked the CT River exhibits with
the crabs and other things that we could pick up and examine. The
attendant was very knowledgeable.” Several other exhibits received
glowing reviews as well. About the television reporter activity, Elizabeth Breault (family member of E.N. White student) said, “Kids loved
getting their picturess taken and seeing it on the screens.”
The animation exhibit revealed the science and creative process
involved in the making of cartoons. In this context, it taught about
concepts such as illusion, geometry, and perception. Ms. Perez (parent
of two Peck students), pictured above with her sons, said, “My sons
loved all the exhibits. They especially liked the Forces in Motion. I liked
that it’s hands-on and very entertaining for them. I find myself playing
too.” Her younger son, Angel, also said, “I love the animation.”
At the end of the day, several students also verbalized their enthusiasm
about the solar system exhibit, which
offered a virtual trip through the galaxy
to observe the moon and even a black
hole. Ivan Colon, a student at Kelly,
said, “We learned how craters formed
and we made one. And we learned
how the galaxy formed and that scientists think there’s a black hole in the
Milky Way Galaxy.”
Axel Cruz (grade 8, Kelly) and Erik Torres (grade 8, Morgan)
holding a crab at the hands-on water tank.
trip was to provide families with an opportunity to learn together and
to demonstrate that valuable education can take place outside the
classroom and that parents can play a role in inspiring their students to
want to learn. According to feedback at the end of the day, the trip
accomplished its goals. The museum offered new experiences for all
ages. “You never stop learning,” said Gabriela, a family member of a
Kelly student.
Among the largely interactive exhibits families explored a hands-on
water tank with living aquatic creatures, a mock TV station allowing
participants to “become” reporters, a solar system exhibit, and a 3-D
movie about the underwater world, titled “Wild Ocean.” Students and
family members alike loved the interactive and collaborative nature of
the museum. As Luis Rivera (grade 6, Kelly) said, “I learned that it’s
good to go on a field trip with your family because you can have a
playful day with your family members and school members and chaperones.”
While spending the day with their
families, most adults found that they
learned new information also, and had
fun in the process. “The day was a very positive experience for all the
families. It’s important for students to know they have to read the
instructions before interacting with an exhibit,” remarked Carol Pontz,
a family member of a Morgan student. Lisette Perez, a parent of a Kelly
student, also reported that she “learned a lot and had fun with my
kids.”
The group returned to Holyoke Saturday afternoon after an exciting
day of hands-on learning together. The experience was overwhelmingly
positive, however, there was one resounding suggestion for improvement on the field-trip: “make the day longer!”
For more information about the
CONNECTIONS After School Program, please
contact:
Jorge L. Castellano, Director Connections After School Programs
[email protected] (413) 313-7710
Sarah Spence, Assistant Director Connections After School
Programs [email protected] (413) 478-6132
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Connections
Page 12
Title 1 Family Nights
For grades K-12 begins at 6:30 PM
MARCH
Mon., Mar. 5
Tues., Mar. 6
Mon., Mar. 12
Tues., Mar. 13
Thurs., Mar. 15
Morgan
E.N. White
Donahue
Kelly
Sullivan
Dr. Seuss Night
Dr. Seuss Night
Dr. Seuss/ Bingo
Dr. Seuss Night
Dr. Seuss Bingo
Wed., Apr. 4
McMahon
Dinosaur Night
Mon., Apr. 9
Donahue
Bingo for Books
Tues., Apr. 10
Kelly
Bingo for Books
Wed., Apr. 11
White
Dinosaur Night
Tues., Apr. 24
Morgan
Family Math Night
Thurs., Apr. 26
Sullivan
Bingo for Books
Wed., May 2
White
Bingo for Books
Mon., May 7
Donahue
Bingo for Books
Wed., May 9
McMahon
Bingo for Books
Mon., May 21
Donahue
Teddy Bear Picnic
Photos below are from the McMahon School - Title 1 Workshop
"Exploring the Ocean" on Wednesday, January 18th
,
. Carriere
Pauline M inator
::
ct
ta
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C
ent Coord
Title 1 Par
434
413-540-2
APRIL
Fun for the Whole Family
MAY
Connections Newsletter
Edited by - Judy Taylor - [email protected]
Editors Emeritus: Kelly Doktor and Laura DuPont
Contributing to this issue —
Linda Amaral
Helen Gibson
Aliza Pluta
Debra Basili
Jacqueline Glasheen
Celine Hamilton-Quill
John Breish
Michael Hines
Gina Roy
Cynthia Carbone
Paul Hyry
Hilary Russell
Pauline Carriere
Ellen Jackson
Myriam Ulloa-Skolnick
Jessica Daly
Sheila Lamour
Miranda Smith
Kelly Doktor
Astrid Lindstrom
Sarah Spence
Jacqueline Escalera
Joanne Marcotte
Jody Spitz
Amy Fitzgerald
Lisa Monzon
Paula Strobel
Cathleen Foley
Mary E. O’Connor
Julie Winberg
Claire Folini
Caitlin O’Neill
Mary Wright
Josiah Friedberg
Aaron Patterson
Save the Date—
Deadline for Spring
Connections
Newsletter Article
Submissions is
Thursday,
March 8, 2012
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Estos son los puntos mas
sobresalientes del Boletin
Holyoke Public Schools
Volume 10 Issue 2
Winter 2012
Una Carta Abierta a la Comunidad de la Escuela Holyoke
Evaluaciones de Educadores
Por David Dupont
Superintendente de Escuelas
El plan del estado para revisar las evaluaciones de los educadores, en un proceso en
curso el cual está programado para entrar en
efecto para todas las escuelas del distrito en
Massachusetts para el año escolar 2012-2013.
Hay, sin embargo, algunos distritos –aquellos
que tienen escuela del Nivel 4 y aquellos que
se ofrecieron de voluntarios para su implementación un año antes, esos han estado
trabajando en su implementación para el año
escolar 2011-2012. (El nuevo sistema es para
las escuelas del Nivel 4 por individual y no
para el distrito completo este año escolar.)
La revisión en general es un cambio considerable en como las evaluaciones se han tradicionalmente realizado en el pasado. Hay una
gran cantidad de información relacionada en
la página electrónica (website) de DESE, y
nosotros estaremos proporcionando a los
principales cualquier actualización que se
reciba del departamento. Uno de los mayores cambios que envuelve las evaluaciones
incluye auto-reflexión del educador, los establecimientos de metas y rúbricas a utilizarse
para guiar las expectativas institucionales.
Este esfuerzo del DESE es verdaderamente
un trabajo en progreso. Aun cuando todos
los elementos de este nuevo sistema no
estarán en lugar el próximo septiembre, la
intención del estado es implementarlo lo
antes posible. Lo que yo creo que sería de
gran ayuda para nuestro distrito escolar es
nuestra relación con la
Asociación de Maestros
de Massachusetts (MTA),
el cual es uno de los
proveedores aprobadas
por el DESE en asistir a
los distritos en su trabajo de implementar el
modelo de evaluación.
Maestros, enfermeras,
administradores del
distrito y todo el personal con licencia del DESE, todos serán sujeto del
nuevo sistema. Nosotros intentamos obviamente estar completamente de acuerdo con
esta amplia iniciativa del
estado, sin embargo
creo firmemente que
todo esto será mucho más efectivo y significativo si se puede mover a través de los
límites (o las fronteras) que muchas veces se
interponen entre el cumplimento y lo que
debemos hacer en propiedad.
Tu interés y apoyo son siempre importantes y apreciados.
Premios al Máster de los
Maestros (Master Teacher Awards)
Felicitaciones a los siguientes maestros de matemáticas y ciencia de
Holyoke por ser seleccionados como Master Teacher Fellows: Tom
Wyse, Yvonne Hilyard, Phillip Cooper, Jeremiah Barrett y Lorie
Banks. Todos estos maestros poseen una Maestría y han demostrado excelencia en la enseñanza. La escuela de Educación de la Universidad de Massachusetts Amherst ha recibido un presupuesto de
seis años de 4.5 millones de la Fundación Nacional de Ciencia, para
crear una red que ayude a capacitar y conservar maestros de matemáticas y ciencias para las escuelas de intermedias y superiores en
Western Massachusetts. Veinte maestros de los siguientes distritos
escolares: Holyoke, Springfield, Greenfield and Mahar fueron seleccionados para convertirse en Master Teacher Fellows.
El ganador del “Master Teacher Award” Tom
Wyse de la Escuela Donahue demuestra con los
estudiantes Luis Otero y Keishantelle Burgos.
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Connections
Page 14
Metcalf
La Escuela Joseph MetcalfCumple 100 años
100 años han pasado desde la gran apertura y especial dedicación de la
nueva Escuela Metcalf, situada en la sección Elmwood de la ciudad de
Holyoke. En honor de su Aniversario de 100 años, varios maestros del
pasado de la Escuela Metcalf y maestros actuales de la Escuela Metcalf se
unirán para planificar la celebración especial del aniversario en honor de
esta magnífica escuela, que se ha mantenido firme por 100 años como
uno de los lugares, que ha contribuido a la educación y recreación de
miles de ciudadanos de Holyoke, Massachusetts. Si usted está interesado
en ser parte del comité, favor de mandarle un mensaje electrónico a la
principal de Metcalf a [email protected].
Según el artículo, Dedicación a Joseph Metcalf en la Transcripción
Diaria de Holyoke remontado en 1912, que fueron resucitados de los
archivos de la Librería Publica de Holyoke, la dedicación formal de la
Escuela Joseph Metcalf, el 30 de Septiembre del 1912 atrajo una asistencia de padres, maestros, oficiales de la ciudad e invitados que llenaron los
pasillos de la nueva escuela a capacidad. Más de 600 personas asistieron
a está excitante celebración de la gran apertura. Entre el gentío presente, estuvieron varios oficiales de la cuidad sentados en una plataforma al
frente de la multitud. El grupo incluía a el Alcalde White, El Presidente
Walsh, del consejo para el Departamento de Obras Publicas. Comisiona-
do Allen del consejo para el
Departamento de Obras
Publicas.
Superintendente
McSherry, Principal Greany
y el consejo escolar entero.
También entre los asistentes estuvieron los siguientes invitados especiales, El Sr. & La Sra. Joseph Metcalf, El Sr. y La Sra. F.H. Metcalf y La Sra.
H.B. Lawrence.
El principal Greany empezó el programa dándole las gracias a todos los
que han contribuido al desarrollo y construcción de la escuela y le dijo a
la comunidad que “En este bello edificio escolar, los niños y niñas de
Elmwood van a pasar los años más impresionantes de su vida.” En adición él le pidió a los residentes de Elmwood, “Que cooperen con la escuela en influir a sus niños a normas de disciplinas altas y de excelencia, y
de esta manera formar una escuela de alta categoría.”
Durante el discurso del Presidente O’Donnell, este le dio un reconocimiento especial al Miembro Escolar Baush, quien fue responsable por el
trabajo incesante que se dedico a la construcción del edificio para sus
ciudadanos en Elmwood del Distrito 3. El también fue el orador que
introdujo al invitado especial, Joseph Metcalf, del cual cuyo nombre iba a
ser estampado en la parte delantera del edificio en dedicación a su vida,
el Presidente O’Donnell describió a Joseph Metcalf como un “ciudadano
destacado que posee cualidades intelectuales y virtuosas que quisiéramos
que nuestros niños y niñas adquieran.
Tres Reyes Magos
Todos los años esperamos la llegada de la celebración del día de los
Tres Reyes Magos. La celebración Anual #8 se llevo a cabo en la escuela superior de Holyoke el viernes 6 de enero. La múlti- cultura
educacional de la celebración del día de Reyes se enfoco este año en
recordarnos
que
aunque celebramos
en diferentes lugares
y diferentes idiomas
las familias, música,
comida y tradiciones
son componentes
universales de una
buena fiesta – y esta
fue una gran fiesta!
Este año los Tres
Reyes fueron acompañados por Alice el
camello. Ella fue un
gran éxito en la fiesta. Los niños y sus
padres hicieron fila
para saludar a los
Tres Reyes Magos y
para tomarse fotos con ellos y Alice. En el vestíbulo y los pasillos las
familias disfrutaron de una Story Walk (cuento caminado) bilingüe. En
adición unos inmensos póster multi-culturales que resaltaban las costumbres de muchos países que celebran el Día de los Reyes Magos
estuvieron alineados en el corredor de la cafetería. Mientras ellos
esperaban para entrar en la cafetería las familias podían leer como las
familias celebran el día feriado en Puerto Rico, España, Las Pilipinas,
Méjico, Austria y otros continentes Europeos.
En la cafetería, la guardia de Honor ROTC bajo la dirección del Mayor Kieda presentaban los colores Nacionales y dirigían los invitados a
sus mesas y a las filas de servicios. Ellos siempre son de gran ayuda en
este evento. La comida y la música han sido siempre una parte integral
de esta celebración. Salsarengue sirvió una sabrosa comida hispana y
Luis Martínez, un maestro de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke, proporciono excelente música durante toda la noche. Este año tuvimos el
placer de contar con los bailarines de la escuela Kelly, bajo la dirección
de Norma Rodríguez. Sus coloridos vestuarios y tradicionales bailes
tuvieron a todo el mundo aplaudiendo y moviéndose por la música.
Que maravillosa adicción para nuestro entretenimiento en este evento!
Después de comer y disfrutar de la música, cada niño recibió un
juguete o un juego y varios libros. Ellos también recibieron un paquete
dental higiénico de
Small Smiles. A su
salida, todos recibieron galletitas y
un apretón de
manos de los Tres
Reyes Magos y una
última oportunidad
de tomarse una
foto para recordar
este
agradable
evento.
Mil gracias a todos los voluntarios y donantes, tanto dentro de las
Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke y agencias locales quienes ayudaron a
hacer de esto un maravilloso suceso! Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Volume 10, Issue 2
Page 15
La Mejor Parte de Atletismo
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Atletismo – Alcance para
el Cancer
Massachusetts con 16 equipos participando. Los entrenadores de
El equipo de relevos en pista
interior de niños 4x800 metros,
obtuvo 2ndo lugar (de 35 escuelas) en las competencias de Relevo del Estado en Boston, rompiendo un récord escolar de diez
años por más de 20 segundos.
Los miembros del equipo eran RJ Landry, Eugene De La Rosa,
Cody Hodgins y Tyler Brunelle. Este mismo equipo de relevos
rompió el récord de 4x400 metros unos cuantos días después en
el encuentro de atletismo PVIAC en el colegio Smith de Northampton.
El Entrenador de Carrera a Campo Traviesa, Dave Reinhart fue
nombrado El Entrenador Del Año Del Periodico El Republican. El
Equipo de Carrera a Campo Traviesa tiene una racha de 25 victorias que se remontan al 2009. Este año el Entrenador Reinhart
dirigió los Purple Knights a otra temporada invicta de 11-0 y su
segundo campeonato consecutivo de la liga. Ellos terminaron
2ndo de 35 equipos en los campeonatos de PVIAC.
Los Nadadores Knights Molly Burns, Connor Bush, y Sharon Dec
han cualificado para El Encuentro de Atletismo en Natación del
Oeste de Massachusetts.
El equipo de Lucha Libre en la Escuela Técnica Dean termino la
temporada invicta en su liga para asegurar su primer título de su
liga desde 2007. El Entrenador Griffin a dirigido los Golden
Hawks a un récord excepcional.
Este año el equipo de lucha libre presento El Segundo Knight
Hawk Torneo Anual de Lucha Libre Clásica durante las vacaciones
de navidad. Este fue el torneo más grande en todo el Oeste de
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las escuelas que participaron en este evento dicen que fue la mejor ejecución de un torneo que han ido en muchos años. El torneo se hiso posible por el fuerte trabajo de el Entrenador de
Cabeza Joe Griffin y los Ayudantes a los Entrenadores Stephen
Konstantinidis y Gennady Velyshev y también el trabajo excepcional del grupo de padres de la lucha. El Entrenador Konstantinidis
fue el administrador del tornamiento y hiso un trabajo estupendo
trayendo lo último en tecnología al evento.
La Escuela Superior de Holyoke ha sido seleccionada nuevamente
para presentar el evento MMSAA de Porristas Regional por sus
facilidades excepcionales y la organización de parte de los Entrenadores de Las Porristas de Holyoke y la Organización de Padres!
Felicitaciones a Monique Heard-La Ganadora del Premio Vi Goodnow 2011 por ser la jugadora de baloncesto femenina superior
en todo el Oeste de Massachusetts.
El 15 de Diciembre, por primera vez, los equipos de la Escuela
Superior de Holyoke y la Escuela Técnica de Dean, compitieron
uno contra el otro en –“El Juego Rival De La Cuidad del Papel
(Paper City).” Más de 1000 asistieron, trayendo gente a través de
la ciudad para juntos celebrar la gran historia de baloncesto en la
ciudad de Holyoke. Antes del juego, los alumnos del baloncesto
fueron reconocidos, incluidos fueron, el Jugador que Marco 1000
Puntos y gano el Premio de Lahovich, Ramon Cosme, El jugador
que Marco 1000 Puntos Tim Dunn y el Jugador Sobresaliente de
el Colegio Elms Juan Galdon. El Alcalde Electo Alex Morse lanzo
al aire la primera punta (first tip) ceremonial. Reynaldo Espada de
La Escuela Técnica Dean y Austin Keeler de la Escuela Superior
de Holyoke fueron nombrados los jugadores más destacados del
juego.
MARZO
Título 1 Noches de Familia
5 de marzo
6 de marzo
12 de marzo
13 de marzo
15 de marzo
Morgan
White
Donahue
Kelly
Sullivan
Noche de Dr. Seuss
Noche de Dr. Seuss
Bingo de Dr. Seuss para libros
Noche de Dr. Seuss
Bingo de Dr. Seuss para libros
ABRIL
4 de abril
9 de abril
10 de abril
11 de abril
24 de abril
26 de abril
McMahon Noche de Dinosaurio
Donahue Bingo para Libros
Kelly
Bingo para Libros
White
Noche de Dinosaurio
Morgan Noche de Matemáticas
Familiar
Sullivan Bingo para Libros
MAYO
Para grados Kínder hasta 12 empieza a las 6:30 PM
Diversión para
To
da la Familia
2 de mayo
7 de mayo
9 de mayo
21 de mayo
White
Bingo para Libros
Donahue Bingo para Libros
McMahon Bingo para Libros
Donahue Merienda de Ositos
Pauline M. Carriere,
Coordinadora de Padres de Titulo 1
Teléfono: 413-540-2434
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Connections
Page 16
A commu
nity work
ing toget
her
Connections
Holyoke Public Schools
Media Center
c/o Judy Taylor
500 Beech Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us