North High School

⭐ 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

🎄✨ 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

📢 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

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

🎡 Gear Up at North High School Hosts Carnival-Themed College and Career Fair 🎡 Students at North High School were recently treated to a college and career fair in the school's gymnasium with many colleges and local organizations in attendance for students to explore and learn more about! The event is hosted by North High's GEAR UP team and is a way to bring colleges right to the students to get them thinking about their future. Following up on its beach-theme last year, the MCAC college and career fair brought aspects of the carnival big top to the gym to keep the event fresh and fun for students. Colleges in attendance included Anna Maria College, Assumption University, Boston University, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester State University to name a few. Our friends from the Worcester Police Department and Worcester Regional Transit Authority also tabled the event, giving students better insight to potential career paths locally in Worcester. The event is geared toward 10th and 11th grade students who want to learn more about what colleges and organizations have to offer. For seniors, it is meant to be a celebration for those already accepted or awaiting decisions from colleges. Take a look at a couple student insights about the career and college fair: "I think it’s an amazing opportunity because all the colleges come to you instead of you having to go to them so you can see every college, every opportunity you have and it’s a real eye-opener because most kids don’t know what to do after high school," said junior Jordi Flores. "I think that it is good and is showing people where they can go to college. It is helping me early on to be able to see all the different places that I can apply to," said sophomore Isabel Lupafya.

🦃 ✨ Wishing our students, families, and staff a joyful Thanksgiving filled with gratitude, reflection, and appreciation for the diverse traditions, histories, and cultures that enrich our communities.🍁 We are thankful for the opportunity to learn, grow, and support one another. May everyone have a restful and enjoyable break! 💛

More than 50 staff and community partners were celebrated at Worcester Public Schools Evening of Innovation! It was a great night to honor the incredible staff and community partners who make a difference every day. View the complete list of honorees: https://buff.ly/3OhAvcb

Quarter 1 honor roll listings for the 2024-25 school year are now posted! 🏆 Congratulations to the many scholars who are being acknowledged for their academic achievements. Find your scholar here 👉 https://buff.ly/4fS3XRL

Thank You Veterans for Your Service!🫡 Veterans Day honors military veterans for their service and sacrifice. It’s a day to show appreciation for those who have served to protect our country. Click here to learn more about the significance of Veterans Day and how you can honor those who served: https://buff.ly/3IOnULk

📚✨ Attendance Matters! 🏫 November has 16 school days — let’s make each one count! 🙌 Consistent attendance helps students stay on track, succeed academically, and build great habits. 📝💪 Let’s show up, learn, and thrive together! 🎓🌟

✨ Staff Development Day Highlights! ✨ Today, hundreds of dedicated educators from Worcester Public Schools came together for a day of professional development. Through interactive workshops and teamwork, they focused on enhancing their skills to better support our WPS scholars. Pictured here are some of the Highlights: Special Education Session: Collaboratively developed IEPs with guidance from Special Education staff and Evaluation Team Chairs. Nutrition Team Trainings: The day started with Project Bread chef Sherri presenting a shawarma seasoning blend recipe and a shawarma rice bowl concept. The Burncoat quadrant held a managers meeting, while team members participated in ServSafe classes, CPR/Choke training, and a Managers 101 session for staff with less than 90 days on the job. 👏 A heartfelt thank you to all staff for your dedication to excellence and student achievement!

No School on Tuesday, November 5 Teachers have a professional development on Tuesday, November 5 🗓️ so there will be no school for students! 🏫

👟 Inter-High Cross Country Championships at Green Hill Park 👟 It was great to see many of our high schools and student-athletes come together for the Inter-High Cross Country Championships at Green Hill Park! It was a tough 3.1 mile course filled with steep hills, but competitors from across WPS gave it their all and displayed tremendous sportsmanship, cheering on runners from all teams. For the girls race, South High finished in first place to take the city championship while Burncoat came in second. Doherty and Worcester Tech tied for third in the team standings. For the girls individual winners, Chase Sullivan of Burncoat led the group in first place while Regan Maxwell of South High and Avery Corriveqau of Worcester Technical came in second and third place respectively. In the boys race, Burncoat High came in first place for the team competition while South, Worcester Tech and Doherty rounded out the teams. For boys individual winners, Alfonso Huaman of Worcester Tech led the race in first place followed by Griffon Spofford of Burncoat and Isaiah Jacques of South in second and third place respectively. Check out a few images from a great day of cross country! 📸

Seasonal Clothing Donation from Cradles to Crayons 🧥 Recently the Family and Community Engagement Office received its annual donation of seasonal clothing packs from Cradles to Crayons! Thanks to this amazing partnership, schools were able to order specific items for students, and Cradles to Crayons did the rest, delivering a truckload of essentials just in time for winter. The items donated included long sleeve shirts, pants, sweaters, socks, underwear, and winter coats! 🚚✨ A huge shoutout to everyone involved—especially our fantastic wraparound coordinators and the dedicated staff from the McKinney-Vento office—who helped sort and distribute these much-needed donations! We can’t wait to see these items go to our WPS families! 🧦💖

Happy National Principal Month! ✏️ October is all about celebrating the dedicated principals that help shape our school communities. Their passion and commitment to WPS students and staff inspires us every day! We know this image doesn't capture all our amazing WPS principals, so drop a comment to give a shout-out and say thank you to yours!

💫 Highlights from the Burncoat Quadrant SEPAC Meeting! 💫 A big thank you to all the amazing parents and caregivers who attended the Burncoat Quadrant Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Welcome New Parents Meeting on October 17 at Norrback Avenue Elementary! 🌟 It was wonderful connecting with everyone and sharing valuable resources on the special education support available for your children. From speech and occupational therapy to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services, we hope you left feeling more informed and confident about the comprehensive support available in Worcester Public Schools! 💬💡 Missed this one? No worries! There are still two more chances to attend: 📍 North Quadrant: Tuesday, October 29 @ Roosevelt Elementary 📍 Doherty Quadrant: Thursday, November 7 @ Nelson Place Elementary 🎒 Don't forget—every family receives a welcome packet full of helpful resources! Childcare will be provided at both upcoming events to make attending easier for families. We’re here to support you every step of the way! ❤️

Worcester Public Schools Receives Game Changer Award at Worcester Chamber of Commerce Game Changers Conference 🏆 The Worcester Public Schools recently received the Game Changer Award from the Worcester Chamber of Commerce, which celebrates local organizations that drive meaningful change within the Worcester community. Superintendent Rachel H. Monárrez accepted the award on behalf of WPS. WPS was recognized as a Game Changer for its on-going commitment to Career and Vocational Technical Education (CVTE) programming for high school students and adults. WPS was also recognized for its Innovations Career Pathways programming and Adult Night Life classes, both of which provide opportunities to acquire the skills and experiences needed to enter the workforce. The WPS College and Career Readiness team were also on-site, sharing insights directly with employers about the career technical education programs available in our high schools. Career technical educators from Worcester Technical High School were also in attendance to network with local industry leaders. The Game Changers Conference connects local industry leaders, employers, and training experts to explore innovative strategies for workforce development.

Happy National School Lunch Week! 🎉🥗 From October 14-18, we are celebrating the delicious, nutritious meals served every day in Worcester Public Schools! Our amazing Nutrition Department works hard to provide breakfast, lunch, snacks, and more, fueling students for success in the classroom. This week, we're featuring some exciting new menu items that are being sampled across the district, including: 🍽️ Plant-Powered Nuggets 🌮 Empanadas & Tamales 🍜 Veggie Dumplings & Vegetable Lo Mein 🍛 3-Bean Chili & Vegetable Egg Rolls with Fried Rice Let’s give a big round of applause to the team behind these tasty and healthy school meals!

No School on Monday, October 14 🗓️ Worcester Public Schools will be closed on Monday, October 14 for Indigenous People's Day / Columbus Day. District offices will also be closed.