Fall 2015 - Holyoke Public Schools

Transcripción

Connections
Donahue Artist:
Casandra Dominguez
Holyoke Publ ic School s
Holyoke Public Schools
Volume 14, Issue 1
A
Community
Working
Together
A Community
CommunityWorking
WorkingTogether
Together
A
Fall 2015
An Open Letter to the Holyoke School Community
The 2015-16 school year is in full swing!
By Dr. Stephen Zrike, Receiver
Over the last few months, I have had the privilege of meeting many of you at open houses, ward
meetings, community events, and during my office hours. I am grateful for these conversations that
have highlighted the excellence that exists in our school system as well as offering suggestions for how
we improve. Above all, in the last few months, I have enjoyed the opportunity to visit schools to observe teaching and learning and to speak with students and staff about the launch of the new school
year. It has been rewarding to watch our students shine– competing on athletic fields, sharing their
musical/artistic talents, demonstrating their ability to meaningfully analyze text, discussing key mathematical practices and wrestling with essential questions about social studies and science content. Visits to schools always provide the most valuable information about the student learning experience.
On October 1st we released our Turnaround
Plan that will serve as our
guide for accelerated district-wide improvement
over the next three years.
The plan is responsive to
input received from our
stakeholders and above all,
ensures that the students
in the Holyoke Public
Schools receive an exemplary educational experience.
The Turnaround
Plan is both aggressive and
attainable, putting all of our
students on a path to college and/or career success.
Over the coming weeks
McMahon Summer Reading Challenge participants (see pages 2 and 6).
and months, we will routinely monitor and report
our progress so that the community is fully aware of the impact that this work has on our students.
At its core, the Turnaround Plan highlights six key aspects of district-wide improvement across its
priority areas. We are committed to–

Build on what is working and fix what is not working

Empower staff to make decisions while holding them accountable for results

Extend time to maximize learning opportunities for staff and students

Provide students with individualized college and career plans and multiple pathways

Invest partners’ knowledge and skills strategically

Engage families as active partners
McMahon Artist: Isabella Murphy
Inside this issue:
Announcements
2
District News
3
School News
4-11
Connections
After School
Program
11
Athletics
12
Spanish
13-16
Edition Highlights:
● Readers Rewarded
● Lingsch & Morgan Receive Partnership Award
● Susan Leary— Reader
Raves Best Teacher
● HHS Advanced Placement Scores Improve
● Secondary Education
Redesign Announced
Dr. Zrike’s message is continued on page 2.
Receive updates on district news, view videos and photos!
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Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Connections
Page 2
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
Dennis Birks
EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
PreK Expansion
Governor Baker recently visited Sullivan School to
announce expansion of preschool programs. There
are still opportunities to enroll qualifying 4 year old
children who have not attended preschool in the past
in free, full‐day programs at several schools. Friendly,
bilingual staff are ready to answer questions and
support families in the enrollment process at any of
these numbers: Head Start: 413‐788‐6522 | VOC:
413‐552‐1559 Holyoke Public Schools: 413‐534‐2055
Dr. Zrike’s message is continued from page 1.
More specifically, the plan commits to sustaining and expanding the pockets of excellence across the district and provides the authority to make changes within the organization to support the needs of students.
Additionally, our future work will require and reward excellence on the part of our staff. Those who are
working tirelessly on behalf of children will be empowered to play an important role in our redesign efforts. The plan also provides the additional time we need – to extend learning for students, offer additional
enrichment and ensure that our educators have ample opportunities to plan, collaborate and participate in
meaningful professional learning. Students will also be presented with individualized pathways and dynamic
learning experiences so that they are truly prepared for the 21st Century workplace or institution of higher
learning. In support of this work will be an investment in strategic partners at the local, state and national
level who, coupled with the talent in Holyoke Public Schools, can accelerate learning across our schools.
Finally, we are fully committed to rebuilding and restoring many of the fractured relationships with our
families. We need our families more than ever to partner with us to make the Holyoke Schools the
schools of choice in our community. Visit: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/turnaroundplan.htm to access the
Turn Around Plan and related information.
Erin Brunelle
John Brunelle
William Collamore
Irene Feliciano-Sims
Mildred Lefebvre
Devin Sheehan
John Whelihan
Rosalee Tensley
Williams
Our improvement efforts have already begun in earnest. We have launched a secondary (grades 6-12)
redesign-working group to offer concrete recommendations for new secondary models and pathways (e.g.early college, career technical and alternative) that can be operationalized in the Fall 2016. (Read more on
page 3). We have also introduced and begun implementation of a new educator evaluation system that is
more professional, growth orientated and places student learning at the center. Additionally, in response
to concerns and questions raised about special education services across the district, we are commencing a
review of these programs over the next few months to offer suggestions on how to better serve our students. A similar review will soon be conducted to examine how we utilize our finite resources and central
office staffing to maximize the impact on students. Finally, we will be providing our school teams with guidance to plan for the use of extended time during the 2016-17 school year. It will be critical for our families
to offer feedback and input as schools design these operational plans in the coming months.
Connections Newsletter
Edited by: Judy Taylor [email protected]
Translated by: Luz Aguilar and Jacqueline Escalera
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” ~Pablo Picasso
Page 3
Readers Rewarded
To encourage students to actively read on a daily basis during the summer, Holyoke Public Schools Receiver, Dr. Stephen
Zrike, Jr. instituted The Summer Reading Challenge for students in grades K-12. Students returning to school this September who
participated in the Challenge received a small prize and were entered into their school’s grand prize raffle drawing to win a
Chromebook. A special school wide ice cream treat was also provided to Sullivan School students for having the overall highest
percentage of students who completed the challenge, thanks to the generosity of Sodexo.
The Holyoke Public Schools would also like to thank PeoplesBank and the United Way for their generous donations of
$2,000 and $1,140, respectively. These funds were used to purchase the grand prize Chromebooks and cases. Chromebook winners
include: Kristin Ragoonanan (McMahon), Shelby Lear (Holyoke High), Grace Bechard (Metcalf School), Luis Laiz-Santos (Dean Tech.),
Janaydelis Sostre-Vellon (E.N. White), Dyani Rivera (Sullivan), Shirley Mulero (Kelly), Yaelisa Heredia (Morgan), Eliza Oquendo
(Donahue), Orien Blake (Peck).
Dr. Zrike is proud of the students who accepted The Summer Reading Challenge, “I want to commend the many students
across the district who participated in the Summer Reading Challenge. Nothing is more enjoyable and intellectually rewarding than
diving into a good book. Join me in congratulating those students who accepted the challenge and made reading a priority beyond the
school day.”
The Summer Reading Challenge will continue in future years as part of the District’s turnaround and improvement efforts.
HPS Secondary Education Redesign Working Group
The Holyoke Public Schools is pleased to announce that its Secondary Education Redesign Working Group has been commissioned by Receiver Dr.
Stephen Zrike, Jr. to ensure that the middle and high school educational experience in Holyoke is of the highest quality, deeply engages students,
and enables them to fully prepare for success after high school. A critical focus is to create and offer multiple academic and technical pathways
for all secondary students in Holyoke.
The first phase of the Secondary Education Redesign Working Group began October 5th, and extends through the end of December. During this
phase, the group will develop a comprehensive set of recommendations for secondary education redesign after reviewing secondary data and
programming, visiting schools, and listening to presentations and experts in the field.
During the second phase, from January through June, the working group will support implementation work relating to any recommendations
adopted by the Receiver. For a listing of group members, visit: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/press_releases.htm and select the October 5th
press release.
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Girls on the Run
The E.N. White School is thrilled to have their first Girls on the Run Team. The
mission of Girls on the Run is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident
using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running. According to E.N. White School Principal Hilary Russell, “The E.N. White
3rd, 4th, and 5th grade girls are excited and extremely proud to be a part of the
Girls on the Run program, joining our other sports teams in contributing to a
tremendous year of sports. We know that this program will not only help them
be physically fit, but they will gain self-confidence in being part of a group of
students who learn and train together.”
The Team meets after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:054:45 PM and is coached by Jess Meehan, Melissa Cooney and Laura Morrell.
Students arrive at the E.N. White field with running shoes, water, and come
equipped with a “be-yourself” kind of attitude. Everyone is valued. As a matter of
fact, running and walking are fun, but being a part of Girls on the Run is even
more fun!
Over the past few months the E.N. White Girls on the Run learned
what it means to be strong, confident and connected; and have become physically and emotionally prepared to complete a 5K run with their teammates! All
Girls on the Run participants and their coaches will be running/walking with a running buddy in the Hot Chocolate Run in Northampton on Sunday
December 6th. There are 18 girls participating in the program, and a wait list containing seven student names, has already been established for the
spring program.
Families Enjoy a Welcome Back BBQ
Middle school students, families and staff enjoyed an after
school get together of music, games, sports and a barbeque to celebrate the beginning of the school year and to give families the opportunity to relax, meet other families and enjoy the wonderful meal of
hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, and treats.
Students loved the chance to be with their friends, eat, and
also see some of the former E.N. White students who came to share
in the experience. Many families commented on the relaxing time they
had, meeting other families and enjoying dinner.
The entire afternoon was a hit and there were more requests for future events like this.
Seventh grade student Luis Medina
Mendez, and his mother Doris Mendez enjoy dinner.
Educators Make Home Visits
Twenty teachers from the E.N. White School visited twelve homes
Friday afternoon in teams of two-four staff. On one of the visits, there were
actually a total of four more families enjoying the weather outside and staff
were able to talk with these families as well.
The focus of the visits was to let families know that we want open
communication. We also want families to feel as though they are a part of the
school community. This provided an opporuntiy for us to gain an understanding of how much our families knew about the Turnaround Plan and other
changes happening with their children's schooling.
“We also asked if any of the families wanted to volunteer in the
school during the school day and several expressed interest,” said E.N. White
School Principal Hilary Russell. “We are going to look into an E.N. White Family Bus one day a week to pick up family members who do not have transportation but would love to come in weekly to help in the school.”
E.N. White staff pose for a group photo prior to visiting
families.
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Page 5
Morgan Explorers
Page 5
By Trishe Belloma
Third graders at Morgan have been busy exploring the science of weather and climate. The first unit of
the year has included a variety of activities requiring maps, computers, rain gauges, paper bags and clay.
Students began the unit by learning about weather
forecasting and tools meteorologists use to develop Ileyna Figueroa, Celynes Johnson,
these forecasts. Next, small groups spent time in the Richeily Moreno, and AJ Mazzu begin
computer lab locating and collecting data to determine construction of their simple shelter.
the climate region and weather patterns of
various cities. Each group then created a brief
presentation, persuading their teacher to
choose their city based on its weather and
climate. Finally, students worked in different
groups to complete the first of many STEM
Challenges. Groups were instructed to build a
shelter that could withstand the wind from a
fan and remain dry during rainfall. It took a
lot of planning and collaboration, but eventually
all of the teams were able to build a simple
Grade 3 students use websites to gather inforshelter that could be tested. They are looking
mation and PowerPoint to create a presentaStudents use a fan to test the stability of simple
forward to future STEM Challenges!
tion.
shelters.
Congratulations to Principal Alyson Lingsch and the Morgan School
Principal Alyson Lingsch and the Morgan School received the City of Holyoke Community Partnership Award from local law enforcement agencies,
including Springfield and Holyoke Police Departments and the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department. Community Partnership Awardees were hon‐
ored at a celebratory dinner and reception on Monday, September 28th at the Greek Cultural Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. Principal Lingsch
represented the Morgan School at the dinner and was presented with a plaque that reads, “City of Holyoke Community Partnership Award presented
to Alyson Lingsch and Morgan School in recognition of your outstanding dedication, support, and leadership towards public safety efforts in the city
of Holyoke. You have demonstrated selfless commitment by supporting our family‐fun evening events for the youth and families of South Holyoke.”
Attendance Matters
Every month the two classes with the best collective attendance receive trophies. Denise
White’s and Carolyn Foote’s class won for the month of September. Their photos are
proudly displayed by the main entrance so the rest of the school can see. With slogans
like Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow Kelly School uses positive reinforcement to encourage
high attendance. Below, left, Carolyn Foote poses with her 2nd grade class. Below, right,
Denise White poses outside with her 5th grade class. As a personal reward from Mrs.
White, her students received five minutes of extra recess and a donut party.
Engaging Families
The first of many family engagement activities took
place Friday, October 2nd at the Dr. Marcella R.
Kelly Full Service Community School. All of the
second grade parents were invited to join their
students in making a simple, yet satisfying recipe:
corn pancakes. Using basic ingredients such as cornmeal, buttermilk, oil and eggs, they made delicious
creations. There was a great turnout, demonstrating
parent’s commitment to being active in family activities. Needless to say there were no leftovers!
Kelly Articles, submitted by Melanie Wise
First grade student
Miranda Kelleher received a prize for winning this year’s Scholastic book fair raffle at
Kelly School. She
proudly displays her
prize, an inflatable robot. Every student who
participates in the book
fair is entered into the
raffle.
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Page 6
Walking
Bus
By Jennifer Gonzalez
Maurice A. Donahue School began a new initiative this fall called the Walking School Bus!
Everyday staff members Jennifer Gonzalez-Morales (Family Access and Engagement Coordinator) and David Cayer (Student Support Specialist) walk to pick up the students who live
nearby in homes adjacent to the school on Farnum Drive and Tokeneke Road. Since this
program runs rain or shine, Assistant Principal Karyn McDermott reached out to the community in search of umbrella donations. Holyoke Medical Center came through in a huge
way and donated 11 enormous, golf umbrellas to the Walking School Bus to ensure that
our students stay warm and dry on rainy days. There are still available spots for more
walkers to join in the program and travel to school with their friends. Please contact Jennifer Gonzalez-Morales if you are interested in signing your child up.
Jennifer Gonzalez-Morales (FAEC), Tanisha DeJesus (Fourth Grade), Edwin Sustache (Youth Aid
Detective), Dioanna Davis (Fourth Grade), David Cayer (Student Support Specialist), Naisha DeJesus (First Grade), Emanuel Rios (First grade), RuthJanelly Ortiz (Second Grade), Ny’emm Porter
(Second Grade), Arthur Lundrigan (Fifth Grade), Steven Santiago (Fifth Grade), Genesis Maritnez
(Kindergarten), Isais Febus (Kindergarten).
Fall Happenings
By Amy Burke
It has been a busy start for the Joseph Metcalf School! The halls are all a buzz
with our 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 year olds.
The month of October has brought our partners from Link to Libraries back to
us, where they read aloud some stories to two of our preschool classrooms as
well as donated a new book for each child. Thank you Link to Libraries!
Link to Libraries is not the only partner we are working with. We have also
partnered with the Greater Holyoke YMCA this year. In conjunction with the
YMCA, Metcalf is offering a new afterschool program “Learning Chinese through
Art”. Currently the program is being offered to our Dual Language Kindergarten
and first graders. We are truly excited about the wonderful opportunities our
Metcalf students have to learn new languages and learn about new cultures.
Metcalf students learn Mandarin Chinese, through art.
We are still accepting first grade students in our Dual Language Program! This
innovative program at Metcalf School offers: language acquisition opportunities in
English and Spanish; research based curriculum that is aligned with the district's
benchmarks and state's curriculum framework. Contact Amy Burke, at
413-534-2104 for more information.
By Judy Taylor
Dr. Stephen Zrike, Jr. attended a ceremony where students were awarded a certificate and small prize to
celebrate their Summer Reading Challenge accomplishments. Dr. Zrike congratulated the students for
completing the challenge and engaged in a discussion about favorite books and authors. He encouraged
students to continue to read every day, citing the benefits of improved literacy and listening skills, as well
as overall enhanced academic performance. Students excitedly watched as Principal Noreen Ewick drew
the grand prize winning Chromebook raffle ticket and announced that the resulting winner, Kristin Ragoonanan, (right) would be taking home the Chromebook and case.
To encourage students to actively read on a daily basis during the summer, Dr. Stephen Zrike, Jr. instituted The Summer Reading Challenge for students in grades K‐12.
McMahon news continued on page 9.
Page 7
Building Communities Celebration
Gianna Rosado and her
family enjoying the varieties
of rice.
By Kelly Doktor
On Thursday, October 1st, Sullivan Elementary School second grade teachers
Loran Carpenter and Kelly Doktor held a Building Communities Family Celebration. This was the culminating event for the Building Communities Model Curriculum Unit. Families were asked to bring their favorite rice dish for all to share
which mirrored the book Everybody Cooks Rice , one of the books in the unit of
study. There were four tables of many varieties of rice. After eating, Carpenter
and Doktor each gave a literacy presentation to families about the importance
of homework, and explained the procedures that students will perform weekly
for word study and nightly for reading logs. Parents, grandparents and aunts and
uncles asked questions and took notes during the presentation.
Abimael Bruno, Jr.
and his mother
Ivonne, fill a bowl
with rice.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Nearly 75 second-grade students from Sullivan
Elementary School took an educational, agricultural field trip
to The Eastern States Exposition (The Big E) on Monday,
September 28th to see academics in action. The trip, which is
taken annually, allows all students and staff to enter without
charge, courtesy of The Big E.
As a culminating event to the Grade 2 Economics
Unit, focusing on consumer, producer, buyer and seller along
with goods and services bought and sold in the community,
students were able to see the concepts in books come to
life. In the Mallory Building students saw a sheep being
sheared, women spinning wool on spinning wheels, and livestock being shown in the arena for ribbons. Moving onto the
Farm-A-Rama, the students were able to try their hands,
literally, at milking a fake cow. They also saw award-winning
pumpkins, participated in a “Farmer For A Day” interactive
activity and the highlight of the day was seeing the piglets
drinking milk from their mama. From there, the classes visited Storrowton Village to see men dressed in period clothes,
making brooms and crafting wood chairs .
Students listen to the teacher in the Storrowton Village one-room schoolhouse.
An especially eye-opening experience was the oneroom schoolhouse. Upon entering the building, the teacher separated where students saw honeybees, and various honey products. They also
the girls and boys to either side of the room and the students intently saw products produced from maple syrup.
listened to the teacher. Students were surprised to see blackboards and
In the week that followed the field trip, students wrote a
chalk, quill pens and ink wells, as well as an outhouse for a bathroom.
narrative recount of their favorite building which included a rubric for
Most shocking to them was if a boy or girl was misbehaving, he or she
sentences and message, while incorporating the senses and a correwould have to sit on the opposite side of the room as a consequence.
The last agricultural experience was visiting the Massachusetts Building sponding illustration.
Nearly 200 Celebrate Summer Reading Challenge
By John Breish
In a packed cafeteria on a Friday afternoon, 191 Sullivan students ate ice cream and later pinned stars with their names on them to the Reading Wall of
Fame. Each of these students was being recognized for completing their summer reading of at least two to four books. While this number of students is
impressive, Principal John Breish said “I challenge parents and students to double the number of completed summer reading packets next summer!”
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Page 8
Peck-Lawrence
Susan Leary Garners Reader Raves Best Teacher Award
Congratulations to Susan Leary, a third grade English Language
Development (ELD) teacher at the Lawrence Full Service Community School in
Holyoke, who received the Masslive/Republican Reader Raves Award for Best
Teacher.
“I am proud to accept this award as a representative of the teach‐
ers of the Holyoke Public Schools,” stated Leary. “As teachers, we have the
opportunity, as well as the ability, to shape young minds, show them all that
they are capable of learning, and teach them the skills necessary to succeed in
life.”
Since 2012, readers of The Republican and MassLive.com have vot‐
ed to nominate their choices for the Reader Raves Award, honoring favorite
Western Massachusetts people, places and activities in up to 100 categories.
Leary and the other Raves Award winners attended a celebratory dinner and
reception at the Log Cabin in Holyoke on Wednesday, October 14th where they Mrs. Leary’s students agree that she’s number one.
received their Reader Raves Award plaques.
Second Grade Building Communities Culmination Event
By Cathy Hourihan
The second grade students in Mr. Walsh’s class, Ms. Neher’s class, Miss Pepin’s class, and Mrs. Higgin’s class have been reading and completing assignments around building communities. One of the texts that they focused on was, Everybody Eats Rice. As a culminating celebration, families were
invited to the cafeteria for a rice tasting event. There were over twenty kinds of rice dishes available for tasting. The rice dishes were made by
parents and Lawrence staff. Everyone enjoyed the delicious food.
Family Fun Event
By Lisa Stanton
Families from the Lawrence FSCS PreK-3 Campus were treated to a
Family Fun Night of making playdough. Teachers, Lisa Hraba and Evelyn Lopez, Yamaris Rivera, FSCS family liaison, and Lisa Stanton, SLPA
were “all hands on playdough”. Parents and teachers contributed to
the event by bringing the ingredients of salt, food coloring, and flour.
It was a wonderful event which helped students learn about measurement and the properties of matter.
September Rally
By Lisa Hraba
On Friday, September 25, Lawrence School had its first rally. It was exciting to
have the whole school together for the FIRST time! The vocabulary word we’re focusing on
is “committed.” Ms. Dupont taught us that “committed” means to make a promise to do
something, and be responsible for making that promise happen.
To “Show What We Know,” third-grade students shared what they learned about
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor with the rest of the school. On September 9, the
entire third-grade class met Justice Sotomayor at the Holyoke Public Library. She read a
book about coquis aloud, told us about her life, and encouraged us to dream big. We were
inspired by her!
Students were awarded PBIS STAR awards and attendance awards. We also practiced our new school song, set to the tune of “Uptown Funk.” What a great way to start the
new year!
September Birthday Table
By Cathy Hourihan
Students who had a birthday in the month of September
were honored during lunch. Birthday students sat at a
specially decorated birthday table and were treated to
lunch, ice cream, and a birthday pencil.
Attendance Incentive
By Cathy Hourihan
Students in first through third grades who had perfect attendance for the month of
September earned an attendance incentive. Congratulations to those students who were
rewarded by playing several rounds of BINGO in the cafeteria! The Lawrence FSCS PreK-3
looks forward to improving our daily attendance rates.
Page 9
Creating a Culture of Connectedness
As part of a new climate and culture initiative, Advisory
Groups have begun at Peck School. Every morning
students meet with their adult advisor for a morning
meeting. These meetings have objectives that include
the meaning of respect – what it looks like, how you
show respect to others and how others show you respect. Anti-bullying is another topic which has been
discussed and is a focus at Peck. Led by Mrs. Dykes and
her student leaders group, students watched an antibullying video and the whole middle school stood and
recited a pledge against bullying. Other topics have
included setting and meeting academic goals and homework compliance. There have been wonderful performances from the new specials classes Performing Arts,
Dance and an extra special concert by Mr. Roger’s music
students. These morning meetings give students and
adults a chance to connect and communicate in a small
group setting before the day begins.
As part of Peck’s student-driven initiative to put an end to Bullying in our Schools,
over 200 Peck students pledged to “Be a Buddy not a Bully”! Additionally, on October 21st a “Be a Buddy, Not a Bully” Forum was held at Peck. Nationally known
Bullying Prevention Advocate Sirdeaner Walker helped us embrace this initiative by
encouraging our community to stand firm in the fight against bullying. To view video
of the anti-bullying forum visit http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/channel_12.htm
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
On October 16th Ms. Alba Martinez’s Spanish classes celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by sharing Spanish food with family and friends.
Parents and families were invited to join the students in the cafeteria to
recognize the work they had been doing in class - studying different
aspects of the Spanish speaking countries such as Spain, Mexico, the
Caribbean and Central and South America. Families brought dishes to
share and all enjoyed a wonderfully delicious event!
Raising Some Dough for a
Good Cause
Peck Articles, submitted by Melanie Wise
Family Engagement Coordinator Isela Rivera, sponsored a fundraiser with Krispy Kreme Donuts
wherein students sold boxes of the sweet treats
to family, neighbors and friends. The fundraiser
was to benefit Puerto Rican Discovery Day and
other school events. Students were excited to
offer the donuts to their families. Eighth Grade
Student Anthony Soto observed,”Selling the donuts was easy. Who doesn’t love donuts?”
McMahon continued from page 6.
Family Fun at our Literacy and Math Fall Festival
By Judy Taylor
Recently, a Literacy and Math Fall Festival was held at the Lt. Elmer McMahon School. Over
200 people gathered in the school cafeteria for an evening of learning, conversation, food
and fun! Tables were set up for the individual grades K - 5 with targeted learning activities
for each grade level. Students had fun learning math facts using playing cards and dice
games. They participated in writing stories using sentence stems and telling a story using
puzzle pieces. View video of the event at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/channel_12.htm .
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Advanced Placement Qualifying Scores Improve at HHS
Holyoke High School is pleased to
announce that the number of qualifying scores
earned by students taking the College Board's
Advanced Placement (AP) exams has increased
by 16% over the prior year. “It is a tribute to
our teachers and students to see the HHS AP
program continue to grow and flourish. We
are providing, and students are receiving a first
class education; and we have the results to
prove it,” said Stephen Sullivan, Acting Principal.
All students are required to take the standardized AP exam for the course or courses they
take each year in order to receive AP credit.
At Holyoke High School a total of
140 qualifying scores were earned in 2015 versus 121 in 2014, and 65 in 2013. Students who
earn qualifying scores of three, four or five on
AP subject exams may be exempt from taking
those introductory classes in college, and frequently these scores equate to college credit,
which reduces the
cost of college for
students.
Advanced Placement Data
2013
2014
2015
AP Qualifying Scores
65
121
140
36
89
102
Teachers
AP English, Math, Science Scores
and guidance coun95
168
191
AP Enrollment
selors review student grades and
High School offers AP courses in English, Math,
PSAT results to help identify students with AP
potential that might not otherwise consider an Science, History, and World Language. AP English, Math and Science teachers are offered
advanced placement course. The number of
week-long trainings in the summer and followstudents enrolled in AP classes has also increased at Holyoke High School. A total of 191 up training sessions throughout the school year
via the Mass Insight grant. The grant also provistudents took the exam in 2015, as compared
des Saturday study sessions for students to
to 168 students in 2014.
review and prepare for the May AP exams and
provides partial exam fee reimbursement. AddiAdvanced Placement courses expose
tional study sessions and practice exams are
students to challenging and rigorous coursealso conducted by AP teachers during the
work at a college-level which in turn helps prepare students for college. Currently, Holyoke school year.
SAVE THE DATES: HHS Drama Club Performances will be: December 4th at 4 PM and December 5th at 7:30 PM in the HHS Auditorium
Financial Aid Night is December 15th at 6 PM in the HHS Auditorium (English) and Cafeteria (Spanish)
Building Community and Creating Accountability
By Tomas Castro (Grade 11), Vianca Gonzalez (Grade 10),& Aleyx Bernard (Grade 12)
This summer, fifteen Holyoke High
School students participated in the Restorative
Justice Peer Leadership program. The goals of
the program are to build a sense of community
and belonging at school and to provide an alternative to suspensions, which push students out
of school.
Over the summer, we learned about
movements for social justice and how to apply
the concepts we learned in our communities
and in our school. We also learned about a
process called circles, which native people in
the Americas have practiced for thousands of
years to resolve conflict, celebrate community,
and make decisions. We are now co-facilitating
circles at school to offer students an alternative
to traditional punishment and also to support
students who are having a hard time. Our
hope is that using circles at school will help
build respect, accountability, understanding, and
caring, especially when there is a problem or
conflict.
In addition to running circles, we
created a shared set of values for the school
community. Values inspire us to create the
community we want to be a part of and to
think about how we want to carry ourselves.
We came up with the acronym “RIGHTS”,
which stands for “Respect, Integrity, Generosity, Humility, Trust and Strength”, to help students and teachers remember our values.
These are now posted around the school and
discussed during advisory. We are working
hard to make sure Holyoke High School
Knights know their RIGHTS!
Visit Holyoke High School on Facebook and Twitter
Like and Follow us Today!
Facebook.com/holyokehighknights
twitter.com/Holyoke_high
—free support program for college bound students and their families—UPCOMING EVENTS
Career Choices—Find the Right Program for You!
Financial Aid and Scholarships
December 10, 2015, Time: 5:30 PM-7:30 PM
January 14, 2016 , Time: 5:30 PM-7:30 PM
Location: Picknelly Adult & Family Education Center
Location: Holyoke High School Auditorium
Page 11
Dean Hosts Coffee Buzz
The Dean Technical students did a fantastic job preparing and serving a
lovely breakfast recently for the Chamber of Commerce’s Coffee Buzz
Program, a networking event that is held quarterly at various locations. Thank you to the Dean culinary and technical education students
and staff that were involved. The food was delicious and beautifully
displayed.
Members from various technical institutes in Pakistan visited
a science classroom at Dean. The group toured Dean Tech
this fall for the purpose of understanding how career and
technical education is taught in Massachusetts.
Technicians in the Making
from starting the engine on starting fluid.
This provided a valuable hands on learning
Diesel Technology shop students opportunity for our students to work on this learning for your child and peace of mind for
you!
Hector Cabrera (senior) and Ashley Bermudez, type of machinery.
The dental professionals include
Santos Rodriguez, and Luis Breton (all juniors)
board certified pediatric dental specialists who
are working on and repairing the multiple
FREE Mobile Dental Program
are trained and dedicated to providing caring
problems in the engine of a front end loader.
and compassionate oral health care for
This machine is a caterpillar 950 with a cat
Here
at
Dean
we
have
paired
up
teens. The university based faculty, staff den3304 engine owned by Quantum Properties, a
real estate company in Holyoke, MA. This with the Holyoke Health Center and will be tists and residents can provide comprehensive
machine came to the Diesel Technology shop offering a fully equipped FREE mobile dental care for your child. A free dental care kit will be
with several problems such as, the engine was program for Dean Tech students on October 7 provided to each student who participates in this
heavily smoking and skipping. The students and again six months later on April 13th 2016. program!
Dental caries is the #1 chronic disThe Mobile Dental Team accepts
disassembled the engine and found several
problems such as damaged pistons, damaged ease in children… 5X more common than MassHealth, Children’s Medical Security Plan,
piston rings, and a cylinder head that needs to asthma; and toothaches and mouth pain are Health Safety Net and most private insurancbe reconditioned. This type of damage results often reasons why students miss school. We es. Need more information? Contact Dean
know that healthy teeth are an important part Wellness Coordinator Cynthia Carbone, RN, MSN,
of your child’s development, and we want you MEd at 413-534-2071 or Maureen Vosburgh,
to know about this wonderful program! Your Pediatric Dental Outreach Coordinator at
child will have access to restorative and pre- 413-420-2191.
ventative care including
cleanings, exams, x-rays,
Community Blood Drives
fillings, sealants, fluoride
treatments and oral
9AM -3 PM in the Gym @ 1045 Main Street
hygiene instruction right
Monday January 25 and Thursday May 12
here at school, and will
not need to be taken
Dean students, staff, and community members are
out of school for dental
welcome to donate. Those under 17 years of age
appointments--which
means more time in
must have written parental consent to donate.
STORM: Special Team of Role Models
At Dean Technical High School,
CONNECTIONS After School Program is
providing leadership opportunities for a dedicated group of students. The student group
goes by the acronym STORM which stands for
Special Team of Role Models. STORM is currently made up of 8 students at Dean Technical
High School. The students are Ashley Bermudez, Daniel Cruz, Matthew Cruz Reyes, Robert
Fonseca, sisters Wendelyn and Stephanie Hidalgo, Adalberto Torres, and Eric Torres.
These students act as role models and guides
for the other students in the CONNECTIONS
After School Program at their high school.
CONNECTIONS also gives an opportunity for
the STORM members to practice leadership by
facilitating group activities and running their
own clubs. Ashley and Matthew run an anime
club. Daniel runs a clothing design club and a
ping pong club. Adalberto plans on running a
Martial Arts club, and Eric runs a weightlifting
club. These students created these clubs as a
way to share their interests with others. Eric
Torres said that he loves weightlifting because
the sport enables him to relieve the tension
and stress he often feels. He hopes that by
teaching weightlifting he can provide an outlet
of stress release for other students at his
school. So far, his club is steadily gaining interest amongst classmates who are looking for an
athletic alternative to traditional team sports.
By Jorge L. Castellano
CONNECTIONS is a program—
funded through federal grants—that provides
after school programming to seven public
schools in Holyoke. AtAthletics
each site
CONNECcontinued
TIONS offers many enriching
clubs
such as
on page 11.
music instruction, cooking classes, club sports,
and also provides homework support. Dean
Technical High School is the first school where
CONNECTIONS has encouraged students to
create their own activities to lead. The purpose
of this new program is to give leadership opportunities to the teenage students, and to
develop their confidence and sense of responsibility that can help guide them into adulthood.
Connections
Connections
Page 12
Athletics
Fall HIGH SCHOOL Athletics
by Melanie Martin
All Fall Athletic Teams at DTHS and HHS are working hard to be successful! Here are some season highlights as of October 28th.
Field Hockey has qualified for the WMass Championships. Katelynn Leclerc scored her 100th career point and Katie Keane exceeded 50 career
points this season.
Golf finished their season 16-2 and played in the WMass Championships. Kara O’Driscoll placed 7th in Girls Western Mass.
HHS Football Quarterback Andrew Peltier joined the 5,000-yard passing club, setting a new Holyoke passing record in the process.
HHS Girls Soccer and Football teams are working hard to secure their places in the WMass Championships. Come out to a game and support the
student athletes from Dean Technical High School and Holyoke High School.
Intramural offerings
Middle School Intramurals are in full swing. All seven Middle Schools are participating in Volleyball and Basketball. Volleyball games are held on
Wednesdays and Basketball on Thursdays. All games are held at Peck. Admission is $1. Come out and support our Intramural Teams. Spring
offerings will be Tennis and Soccer.
Photos courtesy of Sweet Dog Photos David Henry (soccer, football, golf) and George Skovera (girls field hockey).
Visit our Athletic Department webpage. http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/athletics.htm
For Program Information, contact: The Athletic Office, (413) 493-1683 [email protected]
Estos son los puntos mas
sobresalientes del Boletin
Volume 14 Issue 1
Donahue Artist:
Casandra Dominguez
Otono 2015
Una Carta Abierta a la Comunidad de la Escuela Holyoke
¡El año escolar 2015-16 está en pleno apogeo!
Por Dr. Stephen Zrike, Receptor de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke
En los últimos meses, he tenido el privilegio de conocer a
muchos de ustedes en casas abiertas, reuniones del barrio,
eventos comunitarios, y durante mis horas de oficina. Estoy
muy agradecido por estas conversaciones que han puesto de
relieve la excelencia que existe en nuestro sistema escolar,
así como ofrecer sugerencias sobre cómo podemos mejorar. Por encima de todo, en los últimos meses, he disfrutado
la oportunidad de visitar las escuelas para observar la enseñanza y el aprendizaje y para hablar con los estudiantes y el
personal sobre el lanzamiento del nuevo año escolar. Ha
sido gratificante ver a nuestros estudiantes Shine-competir
en campos de atletismo, compartiendo sus talentos musicales / artísticos, demostrando su capacidad para analizar de
manera significativa el texto, discutiendo prácticas matemáticas claves y luchando con las preguntas esenciales sobre los
estudios sociales y el contenido de la ciencia. Las visitas a las
escuelas siempre ofrecen la información más valiosa sobre la
experiencia de aprendizaje de los estudiantes.
McMahon Artist: Isabella Murphy
Participantes del Reto de Lectura en Verano de la Escuela
McMahon (ver página 14).
El 1 de octubre lanzamos nuestro Plan de Reestructuración que servirá como guía para la mejora de todo el distrito acelerado
durante los próximos tres años. El plan es sensible a las aportaciones recibidas de nuestros grupos de interés y, sobre todo, se
asegura de que los estudiantes de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke reciben una experiencia educativa ejemplar. El Plan de Reestructuración es a la vez agresivo y alcanzable, poniendo a todos nuestros estudiantes en un camino a la universidad y/o al
éxito profesional. En las próximas semanas y meses, vamos a observar de forma rutinaria y reportar nuestro progreso para
que la comunidad esté plenamente consciente del impacto que este trabajo tiene en nuestros estudiantes.
En su centro, el Plan de Reestructuración destaca seis aspectos claves de la mejora de todo el distrito a través de sus áreas
prioritarias. Estamos comprometidos a –

Construir sobre lo que funciona y arreglar lo que no funciona

Empoderar al personal para tomar decisiones, pero hacerlos responsables de los resultados

Extender el tiempo para maximizar las oportunidades de aprendizaje para el personal y los estudiantes

Proporcionar a los estudiantes con planes universitarios y/o planes de carrera individualizados y múltiples vías

Invertir estratégicamente los conocimientos y habilidades de los asociados

Involucrar a las familias como socios activos
La carta del Dr. Zrike a la comunidad continuación en la página 15.
Visite www.Facebook.com/HolyokePublicSchools y dale “me gusta” para recibir noticias, videos y fotos actualizadas del distrito.
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Connections
Page 14
ACTUALIZACION DE RECLUTAMIENTO
Estamos en marcha con el año escolar 2015-2016! Todavía hay
oportunidades de empleo con las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke.
Tenemos vacantes para maestros, ayudantes de maestros y personal de apoyo. Visite nuestro sitio web del distrito y aplique hoy!
SAVE THE DATES: HHS Drama Club Performances will be: December 4th at 4 PM and December 5th at 7:30 PM in the HHS Auditorium
Financial Aid Night is December 15th at 6 PM in the HHS Auditorium (English) and Cafeteria (Spanish)
Expansión de Pre‐Kínder
Vellon (Escuela E.N. White), Dyani Rivera (Escuela Sullivan), Shirley
Todavía hay oportunidades para inscribir niños calificados de 4 años de Mulero (Escuela Kelly Servicio Completo de la Comunidad Escolar),
edad que no han asistido a preescolar en el pasado en programas gratui- Yaelisa Heredia (Escuela Morgan Servicio Completo de la Comunidad
Escolar), Eliza Oquendo (Escuela Donahue), Orien Blake (Escuela
tos el día completo en varias escuelas. Personal amable y bilingüe
está preparado para responder a las preguntas y apoyar a las familias Peck Servicio Completo de la Comunidad Escolar).
en el proceso de inscripción en cualquiera de estos números:
Head Start: 413-788-6522 | VOC: 413-552-1559 | Escuelas Públicas Felicitaciones a los estudiantes de la escuela Sullivan, ya que eran los
destinatarios de un helado de regalo especial para toda la escuela por
de Holyoke: 413-534-2055
tener el porcentaje global más alto de estudiantes que completaron
el
Desafío de Lectura de Verano. Gracias a Sodexo por hacer tan genLenguaje Dual Grado Uno en las Escuelas
erosa donación de helado para nuestros estudiantes de la Escuela
La Escuela Joseph Metcalf de Holyoke está ofreciendo una oportuniSullivan.
dad de inscripción para cualquier estudiante actualmente en el primer
El Desafío de Lectura de Verano continuará en los próximos años
grado, que esté interesado en asistir a nuestro Programa de Lenguaje
como parte de los esfuerzos de reestructuración y mejoramiento del
Dual. Este innovador programa ofrece oportunidades de adquisición
Distrito.
de lenguaje en Inglés y Español; plan de estudios basado en la investigación que está alineado con los puntos de referencia del distrito y el
marco curricular del Estado; instrucción que se lleva a cabo medio Puntuaciones de Mejoras de Colocación Avandía en español y medio día Inglés.
zada y Calificación de la Escuela Secundaria de
Holyoke
Visite: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/duallanguage.htm para aprender
más sobre este interesante programa. Contacte la Principal de la
Escuela Joseph Metcalf, Amy Wetzel para programar una cita para La Escuela Secundaria de Holyoke se complace en anunciar que el
una prueba de detección para su estudiante de primer grado al (413) número de puntuaciones de calificación obtenidos por los estudiantes
que toman cursos de nivel avanzado (AP) exámenes del College
534-2104 o [email protected].
Board se ha incrementado un 16% respecto al año anteriorTodos los
Holyoke Celebra sus Participantes del Desafío estudiantes están requeridos a tomar el examen AP estandarizado
para el curso o cursos que toman cada año con el fin de recibir créde Lectura en Verano
ditos AP.
Para animar a los estudiantes a leer activamente a diario durante el
verano, El Receptor de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke Dr. Stephen
En la Escuela Secundaria de Holyoke un total de 140 puntuaciones de
Zrike, Jr. Instituyó El Desafío de Lectura en Verano para estudiantes
calificación se obtuvo en el año 2015 frente a 121 en 2014 y 65 en
en los grados K-12. Los estudiantes que regresaron a la escuela este
2013. Los estudiantes que obtienen puntuaciones de calificación de
mes de septiembre que participaron en el Desafío recibieron un
tres, cuatro o cinco en las materias de exámenes AP puede estar
pequeño premio y entraron en un gran sorteo de rifa de premios de
exento de tomar esas clases de iniciación en la universidad, y con
su escuela para ganar un Chromebook.
frecuencia estos resultados equivalen a créditos universitarios, lo que
Las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke desean agradecer a PeoplesBank y
United Way por sus generosas donaciones de $ 2.000 y $ 1.140,
respectivamente. Estos fondos fueron utilizados para comprar el gran
premio Chromebooks y estuche. Ganadores del Chromebook en las
otras escuelas en el distrito incluyen: Grace Bechard (Escuela Joseph
Metcalf), Luis Laiz-Santos (Escuels Dean Tecnica), Janaydelis Sostre-
reduce el costo de la universidad para los estudiantes.
El número de alumnos matriculados en las clases de AP también ha
aumentado en la Escuela Secundaria de Holyoke. Un total de 191
estudiantes tomó el examen en 2015, en comparación con 168 estudiantes en 2014.
Page 15
La carta del Dr. Zrike a la comunidad continuación de la página 13.
Más específicamente, el plan se compromete a mantener y ampliar los focos de excelencia en todo el distrito y provee la
autoridad para hacer cambios dentro de la organización para apoyar las necesidades de los estudiantes. Además, nuestro
trabajo futuro requerirá y premiará la excelencia por parte de nuestro personal. Los que están trabajando sin descanso a
favor de los niños tendrán el poder de desempeñar un papel importante en nuestros esfuerzos de rediseño. El plan también
proporciona el tiempo adicional que necesitamos - para extender el aprendizaje de los estudiantes, ofrecer enriquecimiento
adicional y asegurar que nuestros educadores tienen amplias oportunidades para planear, colaborar y participar en el aprendizaje profesional significativo. Los estudiantes también se presentarán con itinerarios personalizados y experiencias de
aprendizaje dinámicas para que estén realmente preparados para el lugar de trabajo del siglo 21 o institución de educación
superior. En apoyo de este trabajo será una inversión en socios estratégicos a nivel local, estatal y nacional que, junto con el
talento en las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke, puede acelerar el aprendizaje en nuestras escuelas. Por último, estamos plenamente comprometidos con la reconstrucción y restauración de muchas de las relaciones fracturadas con nuestras familias.
Necesitamos nuestras familias más que nunca en asociarse con nosotros para hacer las Escuelas de Holyoke las escuelas de
elección en nuestra comunidad. Visite: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/turnaroundplan.htm para tener acceso al Plan de Reestructuración y la información relacionada..
Nuestros esfuerzos de mejora ya han comenzado en serio. Hemos lanzado grupos de trabajo rediseñados secundarios en
(grados 6-12) para ofrecer recomendaciones concretas para los nuevos modelos secundarios y caminos (como - universidad
temprana, carrera técnica y alternativa) que puede ser establecida en el otoño de 2016. También hemos introducido y comenzado la implementación de un nuevo sistema de evaluación educativa que es más profesional, el crecimiento orientado y
lugares de aprendizaje de los estudiantes en el centro. Además, en respuesta a las preocupaciones y preguntas planteadas
acerca de los servicios de educación especial en todo el distrito, estamos comenzando una revisión de estos programas en
los próximos meses para ofrecer sugerencias sobre cómo servir mejor a nuestros estudiantes. Una revisión similar pronto
se llevará a cabo para examinar la forma en que utilizamos nuestros recursos finitos y la dotación de personal de oficina central para maximizar el impacto en los estudiantes. Por último, vamos a proporcionar a nuestros equipos de la escuela con la
orientación para planificar el uso de tiempo prolongado durante el año escolar 2016-17. Será fundamental para nuestras familias ofrecer comentarios y aportes como escuelas de diseño de estos planes operativos en los próximos meses.
Gracias de nuevo por su apoyo y colaboración a medida que revitalizamos la experiencia de los estudiantes en las Escuelas
Públicas de Holyoke. Por favor, disfrutar el resto del otoño y esperamos con interés nuestro trabajo continuo juntos.
Grupo de Reforma de Trabajo de Educación Secundaria de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke
Las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke se complace en anunciar que su Grupo de Reforma de Trabajo de Educación Secundaria ha sido comisionado
por el receptor Dr. Stephen Zrike, Jr. para garantizar que el medio y la experiencia educativa de la escuela secundaria en Holyoke es de la mejor
calidad, se involucra profundamente a los estudiantes, y les permite prepararse plenamente para el éxito después de la secundaria. Un enfoque
crítico es crear y ofrecer múltiples vías académicas y técnicas para todos los estudiantes de secundaria de Holyoke
La primera fase del Grupo de Reforma de Trabajo de Educación Secundaria comienza hoy, 5 de octubre, y se extiende hasta fines de diciembre.
Durante esta fase, el grupo desarrollará un amplio conjunto de recomendaciones para rediseñar la educación secundaria después de revisar los
datos secundarios y la programación, visitando escuelas, y escuchar las presentaciones y expertos en el campo.
Durante la segunda fase, de enero a junio, el grupo apoyará el trabajo de implementación en relación con las recomendaciones adoptadas por el
receptor. El Grupo de Reforma de Trabajo de Educación Secundaria está compuesto por los siguientes miembros diseñados para aportar experiencia y la perspectiva de una amplia variedad de experiencia exitosa secundaria y comunitaria.
Connections
Connections
Page 16
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Connections

Fall 2015 - Holyoke Public Schools

Transcripción

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