🎄✨ 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. 🎶❄️
📢 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
🦃 ✨ 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
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! 🏫
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! 🧦💖
💫 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! ❤️
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!
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.
💚 World Mental Health Day 💚
At Worcester Public Schools, we are committed to supporting the mental and emotional health of our students, staff, and families.
We have numerous health and wellness resources for students, families and staff on the WPS website, including healthy recipes, after-school care, and fitness activities 🍏🏫🌟, to adult wellness support with yoga, meditation, self-compassion and more. 🧘✍️
Our Health & Wellness Roadmap and Strategic Plan ensure emotional wellness is a priority for both students and staff, fostering a thriving and caring community for all.
For more resources and information, visit our website today at https://buff.ly/4dGPLJG
🚀 First Meeting of Student Advisory Council with Superintendent 🎓💬
🎓 We recently held the first meeting of our Superintendent Student Advisory Council (SSAC)! These remarkable students are partnering with Superintendent Rachel Monárrez, PhD, to shape the future of our schools through leadership, collaboration, and student-driven initiatives.
💬 The council’s work is guided by a clear agenda focused on:
Leadership Development: Strengthening leadership and problem-solving skills by addressing key school challenges.
Community Building: Creating connections across diverse student groups to establish shared core values.
Policy Engagement: Actively participating in school policy discussions to ensure all voices are heard.
Student Agency: Empowering students to take charge of their school environment and make a lasting impact.
🌟 The outcomes we aim to achieve include:
Empowerment: Ensuring students feel valued as critical contributors to our school community.
Collaborative Problem Solving: Building teamwork and negotiation skills through group activities.
Relationship Building: Establishing trust and connection among council members through icebreakers and discussions.
🏫 We’re excited to see how this council will inspire positive changes across our district! Stay tuned for more updates as these student leaders continue to drive progress in our schools.
Friendly Faces of Thorndyke Road School 👋
We recently stopped into Thorndyke Road School where students were enjoying some beautiful early fall weather during recess. Students played on the swing sets, climbed the jungle gyms and ran around the outdoor space.
Inside the school, students worked on assignments on their Chromebooks, participated in group activities on the class rug and were focused on learning!
Thorndyke Road School is located in the Burncoat Quadrant of Worcester Public Schools. It serves 390 students for the 2024-25 academic year, hosting grades K-6.
Happy National Custodian Day! 🗑️🧽
Today, we celebrate the incredible custodians in Worcester Public Schools who work tirelessly to create a clean and welcoming environment for our scholars.
Pictured are a few of the dedicated custodians in our schools:
🧹 John Culbert, a 25-year employee currently at Union Hill School. Principal Tabales says "John is a reliable custodian who can be seen setting up a safe morning transition. He is willing to assist whenever needed."
🧹 Kevin Chviruk, a 29-year employee currently at Quinsigamond School. Principal Racca says "Kevin has great pride and works hard to ensure that our school is a welcoming and safe environment for our entire school community."
🧹 Brian Letourneau, a WPS employee since 2017 currently at Doherty Memorial High School. Principal Staley says "Brian is a valuable member of the Doherty faculty. He takes pride in his work, is responsive, is a team player, and takes the initiative to find solutions to issues as they come up."
🧹 Caitlyn Berthiaume, a WPS employee since 2019 currently at Burncoat Middle School. Principal Irizarry says "She is literally the glue and backbone of the custodial staff. She is highly adored and even more respected. She is always pleasant with a cheerful disposition no matter what happens."
🧹 Stan Jackson, a WPS employee since 2018 currently at Columbus Park Preparatory School. Principal Carignan says "Stan is an exceptional custodian who consistently goes above and beyond to make our school an amazing place. His dedication and pride in his work are clear every day."
Sending a huge thank you to all of our WPS custodians!
Friendly Faces of the Academic Center for Transition! 😀 😊
For Hispanic Heritage Month, fourth-grade ACT students made drawings modeling the designs of Brazilian artist Romero Britto.
And, every morning, a Disney song from celebrating Latin American culture is played at the school. One of the recent songs was “La Familia Madrigal” from the film “Encanto.”
ACT is a therapeutic public day school serving scholars in grades K-6. Classroom sizes are between 8 and 10 students to ensure each student has individualized attention. The goal is to teach students academic and social-emotional skills to eventually transition them back into an inclusionary setting.
Many of the scholars were happy to have their photos taken and share what they have learned!
A big thanks to Coordinator Iliana D’Limas, the staff and scholars for welcoming us into their school!
🌟Kudos to Worcester Tech Early Childhood Students! 👶🏽👶🏿👶🏻
These scholars provided childcare services along with teacher Shelese Johnson at the recent Citywide Parent Planning Advisory Council (CPPAC) meeting.
CPPAC is parent-run and meets monthly to learn about what’s happening in the district and to provide feedback from families.
The September meeting was held at the new Doherty Memorial High School and featured an overview from Superintendent Rachel H. Monárrez, PhD, on her goals for 2024-25.
Learn about CPPAC: https://worcestercppac.weebly.com/
