Worcester Public Schools - From Here, Anywhere... Together

🕯️Heri za Kwanzaa! (Happy Kwanzaa!) 🕯️ Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration honoring African-American culture, family, and community. Let’s celebrate unity, history, and shared values together! ❤️💚🖤 To learn more about this celebration: https://buff.ly/3Rmi8nv

🎄Merry Christmas from Worcester Public Schools! 🎄 Wishing all our students, families, and staff a joyful holiday season filled with love, laughter, and togetherness. Here's to a bright and successful new year ahead! To learn more: https://buff.ly/2Q9l5Lg

🕎 Wishing you a bright and joyful Hanukkah from Worcester Public Schools! 🕎 May your holiday be filled with light, love, and meaningful moments with family and friends. Wishing everyone a joyful celebration and a season of warmth and blessings! To learn more about this bright holiday, check out this article: https://buff.ly/2BxokTO

☃️ Winter Wonderland at Chandler Elementary Community School ☃️ Students, families, and staff celebrated the holiday season at Chandler Elementary on the last day before winter break! The day kicked off with a holiday concert in the cafeteria, where students performed classic songs like Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Feliz Navidad, and many more. There was also a special visit from Mr. and Mrs Claus who stopped into each classroom to hand out winter gloves and other small gifts to students! Throughout the school, holiday door decorations lined the halls, including an impressive Charlie Brown Christmas display in the main hallway. Check out a few images from a fun day at Chandler Elementary 📸

⭐ Jolayssa Calcano Puig, Ninth Grade Scholar at North High School ⭐ "Jolayssa is a great student who has demonstrated incredible dedication and hard work, graduating with all A's. Her academic success is a reflection of her passion for learning and commitment to excellence. Beyond her achievements in the classroom, Jolyassa is known for her kindness and genuine care for others. She is always willing to lend a helping hand, support her friends, and create a positive environment wherever she goes. Her combination of academic brilliance and a kind heart makes her truly remarkable and an inspiration to everyone around her.” ⭐ Do you know a WooStar? We are looking for students and staff who have gone above and beyond to feature on our social media channels. 👉 Nominate a student at https://buff.ly/4g5M2aW 👉 Nominate a staff member at https://buff.ly/3Mlru0N

Gifts for Giving at University Park Campus School 🎁 Students at University Park recently had the opportunity to select a gift for a loved one during the school's Gifts for Giving event. What started a few years back as a raffle with a small number of gifts available has grown significantly thanks to community donations and staff fundraising efforts. Now, every student at the school is able to choose a gift to give to someone special in their life. A variety of gifts were available, including toys, jewelry, and clothing. Students had their gifts wrapped on the spot, along with a heartfelt note to make the gift even more personal.

Elm Park Community School 2024 Holiday Concert 🎁 Elm Park hosted a spectacular holiday concert as part of a school-wide collaboration from Pre-K to 6th grade, drawing over 100 families in attendance. The event featured performances by the school band, festive carols sung by students, with a benefit organized by students afterwards, making it a truly memorable celebration!

Doherty Memorial High School's 'Decorate Your Door Competition' Doherty shows their holiday spirit with a school-wide decoration contest! 🎄

🎶 Rice Square Elementary School held a Winter Cafe Holiday Show 🎶 Rice Square held a successful holiday show attended by over 400 family members. Big thanks to the staff and family members for making this possible!

🎄✨ Holiday Open House at the Dr. John E. Durkin Administration Building! ✨🎄 Worcester Public Schools recently hosted a Holiday Open House for district staff and members of the community in the Dr. Helen A. Friel Auditorium! The event was filled with festive fun as the Worcester Arts Magnet Special Chorus Crescendo and the Burncoat Jazz Band took the stage to perform some holiday favorites! Guests also enjoyed a delicious spread of treats and festive goodies, courtesy of the talented students from the Culinary Chapter 74 Career and Technical Program at Worcester Technical High School. 🍪🍰

Friendly Faces of Norrback Avenue School! 🤗 We recently stopped by Norrback Avenue School to see our learners in action! Norrback is a "HUB" school within the Burncoat Quadrant, hosting several district programs, including SAIL, Life Skills, and LAB. It is also piloting a modified CKLA curriculum in SAIL K-2 classrooms, focusing on strategies for teaching beginning reading skills. To support students in the Life Skills program and help them practice functional skills, Norrback has developed two programs: Life Skills Lends a Hand and Norrback Buddies. The Life Skills Lends a Hand program provides leadership opportunities, such as delivering announcements, mail, and special requests around the school. The Norrback Buddies program pairs 3-6 grade students with peers in the Life Skills program for activities like literacy, crafts, and cooking. The LAB (Language Achievement and Beyond) program supports students with language-based learning disabilities, helping them become confident, self-advocating learners. LAB serves PreK-6 students, fostering creativity and critical thinking to ensure students can apply learned strategies across various settings. Norrback Avenue School served 490 students in the 2023-24 school year and hosts Pre-K through Grade 6. It opened in 1999 and is the elementary school of two-time U.S. Olympic bronze medalist Stephen Nedoroscik!

🎄✨ Festival of Lights Sparkled in Worcester! ✨🎄 Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Festival of Lights on Worcester Common! A special shoutout to our WPS scholars, including performers from Burncoat High Quadrivium Chorus, Midland Street Elementary, North High School, and South High School, for making the evening unforgettable. Your talents lit up the night and made the evening unforgettable! 🌟 Stay tuned for more events celebrating the season. 🎶❄️

⭐ Melissa Aldrich, Science Educator at North High School ⭐ “Ms. Aldrich creates a positive learning environment for her students and fosters many project based experiences. Students are actively engaged in her classes, especially Forensics where on a daily basis students are investigating "crime scenes" in the classroom or performing banana autopsies. Many students have referred to her as the GOAT of the North High Science Department, and this endearment by students shows her creativity, passion and dedication as a teacher to students and curriculum.” ⭐ Do you know a WooStar? We are looking for students and staff who have gone above and beyond to feature on our social media channels. 👉 Nominate a student at https://buff.ly/4g5M2aW 👉 Nominate a staff member at https://buff.ly/3Mlru0N

🪑 Bay State Savings Bank Furniture Donation to Worcester Public Schools 🪑 Sending a thank you to our friends at Bay State Savings Bank, including President & CEO (and WPS alum!) Seth Pitts, for a generous furniture donation to the Worcester Public Schools! Bay State’s contribution, valued at nearly $50,000, has transformed Tatnuck Magnet School's calming and organizing space. Bay State also donated to 14 other schools in WPS, making a big impact across the district! “For Worcester Public Schools, every resource contributes to the success of our scholars and educators," said Superintendent Rachel H. Monarrez. "We are grateful to Bay State Bank for their generous donation. This gift will directly enhance the learning environments in 15 of our schools, creating spaces where students can thrive and teachers can inspire. Partnerships like this reflect the strength of our community and its commitment to education. Thank you, Bay State Bank, for investing in the future of Worcester.” Read more here: https://buff.ly/3ZOrH4a

📢 Help Shape WPS Core Values! The Worcester Public Schools are developing core values to guide our actions, culture, and decision-making. These values are the foundation of our community, and we need your input! 👉 Participate by January 15, 2025—your voice matters! Help define the values that will shape our Strategic Plan, to be announced in Spring 2025. Join now: https://buff.ly/3D9RCu1

🎉 South High Community School Advances in State-Wide High School Quiz Show 🎉 Shoutout to these stellar students from South High Community for advancing to the Round of 16 in the High School Quiz Show! 🧠✨ Out of 66 competing teams, South High has made it to the next stage and is now in the running for the State Championship! The Round of 16 will air on March 1, 2025 when South High faces off against Weston High School. 📸 Pictured from left to right: South High english educator and team advisor Kitren Farrell, senior Shannon Dennehy, senior Phoebe McDermott, sophomore Jhailyn Boapea, senior William Giannopoulos, junior Muriel Gibbons and sophomore Charles Chase Norris.

🎄❄️ Burncoat High School's Holiday Extravaganza! ❄️🎄 What a fun time we had at Burncoat High School's annual holiday show! This year's performance, held at South High Community School, was full of festive cheer and incredible talent from the dance and music departments at Burncoat High School and Middle School. The show featured everything, from a talented pit orchestra to stunning chorus and solo performances from the singers. And of course, the Burncoat dance team brought it to life with their terrific on-stage dance interpretations of so many holiday classics. The multi-day holiday show helps to raise money for the Burncoat spirit team's upcoming trip to Orlando, Florida for the National Dance Team Championships in January 2025. Check out some of the highlights from a great holiday show! 📸

GEAR UP's On the Spot Acceptance Day a Success for Seniors at North High School 🎓 Hosted by North High's GEAR UP team, the recent On The Spot Acceptance Day saw 100% of participating seniors accepted into at least one four-year institution with $1,672,000 in scholarship awarded to seniors! “We are incredibly proud of our North High scholars, whose hard work has earned well-deserved college acceptances and over $1.6 million in scholarships,” said Dr. Rachel H. Monárrez, Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools. “This milestone reflects the transformative power of education and the vital role of our community partners, such as GEAR UP. Thank you to GEAR UP for opening doors to bright futures.” Read the full story here: https://buff.ly/3ZILgL6

🌟 Friendly Faces of Forest Grove Middle School 😊 We recently had the opportunity to visit Forest Grove Middle School in the Doherty Quadrant of Worcester Public Schools to see our incredible students in action! 🌈📚 Forest Grove has been a cornerstone of the Worcester community since it opened its doors in March 1960. 🏫 Back then, the building spanned 114,540 square feet, served around 600 students, and had a dedicated staff of 53. With a Woodworking Shop, Home Economics classes, and leaders like Principal Harry Foxhall and Superintendent Dr. Leo Doherty, Forest Grove was built to inspire and empower its students. 💡✏️ Fast forward to today, Forest Grove continues to grow and thrive! 🚀 After a major renovation and expansion in 1999-2000, the school added 12 new classrooms and an elevator, further enhancing the learning environment. 🛠️🎨 Now serving 835 students with a talented team of approximately 140 staff members—including teachers, administrators, instructional aides, clerical staff, custodians, cafeteria workers, and therapists—Forest Grove is a vibrant hub of activity and learning. 🎓👩‍🏫 Here’s a closer look at what Forest Grove offers: 📖 Core Subjects: English, Math, Science, AVID/Literacy/Numeracy 🎶 Electives: Art, Music, Physical Education, Social Studies 🌟 Advanced Courses: Enrichments or Foreign Language 💙 Support Services: Special Education, Tutoring, Counseling At Forest Grove, we honor our rich history while embracing a bright future. 🌟✨ With a commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment, our school provides the resources and opportunities for students to thrive academically, socially, and creatively. 🎨🤝 Let’s take a moment to recognize the students, staff, and programs that make Forest Grove a valuable part of Worcester Public Schools. 🎉👏

⭐ Ezequiel & Niomar Ventura Guzman, 10th Grade Scholars at Worcester Technical High School ⭐ “They made the Worcester Tech basketball varsity team as freshmen and still made time and a commitment to help out with the unified basketball team in their practices, games and fundraising, making a difference in the kids' lives and their own. Now this year as sophomores they are hoping to do it again. Great job, Tech Twins!" ⭐ Do you know a WooStar? We are looking for students and staff who have gone above and beyond to feature on our social media channels. 👉 Nominate a student at https://buff.ly/4g5M2aW 👉 Nominate a staff member at https://buff.ly/3Mlru0N