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

Butterfly Project Mural at Woodland Academy 🦋 A mural was recently unveiled at Woodland Academy, featuring colorful ceramic butterflies painted by the school’s former sixth-grade students. The mural showcases over 60 hand-painted butterflies created during the 2023-24 school year. These butterflies are part of The Butterfly Project, an arts and education initiative that memorializes the 1.5 million children killed during the Holocaust. During the unveiling ceremony, students from last year's sixth-grade class returned to Woodland Academy to see the completed mural. The mural was created in partnership with Veronica Parretti, a local artist and daughter of Woodland Academy assistant principal Sherilynne Parretti. The words within the butterflies’ wings are inspired by WPS' Vision of a Learner and Woodland Academy's kindness values. After the ceremony, students, along with families and caregivers, enjoyed a fun evening of math games, pizza, and community.

🎉 Doherty Memorial High School's MCAC Day! 🎉 Doherty's Class of 2025 came together to celebrate their high school journey during Massachusetts College Application Celebration (MCAC) Day! 🙌 Hosted in collaboration with the school's guidance department, the event featured tasty donuts, hot coffee and music in the cafeteria. From there, students took to the gymnasium for fun games and activities, including Spike Ball, Jenga, Connect Four, Cornhole, and plenty more! 🏐🎯 Shoutout to the Class of 2025 for all your hard work to this point! 💪🎓

The Black Student Unions of each WPS high school recently came together to celebrate Black History Month at Worcester Technical High School. The event drew over 200 students from Burncoat High School, Doherty Memorial High School, North High School, South High Community School and Worcester Tech. Students from Abby Kelley Foster School also participated, highlighting the spirit of unity among Black students across Worcester. Throughout the evening, students came together to enjoy the camaraderie of friends, play fun games with peers, and share a delicious buffet-style dinner, creating a vibrant atmosphere of celebration for Black History Month.

⭐ Aerla Kodra, 8th Grade Scholar at Forest Grove Middle School ⭐ “Aerla participated in a Lions Club Peace Poster Contest back in November. Since then her artwork won at both the district and state levels in competition with hundreds of other student's artwork. Her painting is now moving on to the International level of judging. There will be approximately 200 posters competing at the International level and a final Peace Poster winner will be chosen in April. We are wishing her the best in this exciting endeavor! Aerla’s talent, integrity, and determination is an inspiration to others! She exemplifies the qualities of a WPS scholar that we all should be proud of.” This work demonstrates that Aerla is a Curious Learner. Aerla discovered and explored their strengths, interests and talent while further connecting with their passion for art. (CL. 3) ⭐ 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

📢 Attendance Matters at Grafton Street School! 🐊✨ Congratulations to Jadrian Beltran (Grade 3) for winning the "Name the Attendance Gator" contest! 🎉 Meet Kobe the Attendance Gator, who will go on monthly adventures to the classroom with the highest attendance percentage. 📚✏️ Students will document Kobe’s journey in a special journal, capturing his classroom experiences throughout the year! Plus, students with great attendance can enjoy Friday afternoon attendance events like a Lollipop Walk and extra recess! 🍭🏃‍♂️ Stay engaged and see where Kobe’s journey takes him next. Great job, Grafton Street School community—let’s show up strong all year long! 💪🏽✨

🍪✨ Heard Street Discovery Academy Family Fun! Heard Street Discovery Academy’s Family Event brought together over 80 students, parents, and siblings for a fun night of cookie decorating! 🎨🍪 Cookies and frosting were courtesy of the talented students of Culinary Chapter 74 at Worcester Tech! 🙌💙 It was great to see our families laughing, decorating, and creating sweet memories together. 💛

🎉 South High Community School's Lunar New Year Festival! 🐉🌟 The Asian Student Association (ASA) hosted an unforgettable evening with delicious food, vibrant music, and fun games! Guests enjoyed Sushi, Spring Rolls, Lo Mein, Banh Mi, and more. 🍣🎶 Students were joined by GongCha, Mia Cane, and Mochi Dough, who added to the celebration with their booths. A huge thank you to Chef Quy from Kyoto Bar and Grill for supporting the Culinary Arts team and contributing several dishes. 🍽️ This event was made possible by the dedication of the ASA council and the entire South High Community School community! We look forward to making this an annual tradition! 🙌🎉

✨ Lunar New Year Fun at Norrback Avenue School! ✨ Ms. Sturtevant's fourth graders recently enjoyed a fun lesson all about Lunar New Year with world cultures teacher, Ms. Shan-Shan King! 🌏 Scholars explored unique Lunar New Year traditions, from lion dancing to traditional clothing, and even made their own lucky red envelopes, which symbolizes prosperity, happiness, and good fortune in Chinese cultures! 🧧🐉

Columbus Park Preparatory Elementary School's Peace Wall Students at Columbus Park Elementary collaborated to create a 'Peace Wall,' honoring Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream. Through colorful drawings and messages, they shared their own hopes for kindness, equality, and a better world.

🎉 Thank you to Source International for your generosity! 🧤🧣🧥 Source International organized a staff-led drive to collect hats, gloves, and coats, helping us provide warmth and comfort to students at several schools and the Parent Information Center. We appreciate our community partners who support Worcester Public Schools and make a difference for our students! 💙

WPS High School Scholars Join 2025 Pipeline Dreams Program at UMass Chan Medical School High school juniors and seniors from Worcester Public Schools (WPS) will be participating in the 2025 Pipeline Dreams Program, a 12-week learning experience organized by the UMass Chan Collaborative in Health Equity. The Pipeline Dreams Program, which began on January 15 at UMass Chan Medical School, is intended to expose students to future careers in medicine, scientific research and public health. It is a program of Patients R Waiting, Inc. Click here for more information: https://buff.ly/40Nc9g6

South High Community School's Bryan Bascones Reaches 1,000 Career Points! Congratulations to South High senior Bryan Bascones for reaching the 1,000 career points milestone in girls basketball! Bascones surpassed the career mark with a 17 point, 11 rebound performance in the team's win against Sandwich this past weekend.

Behind-the-Scenes with the Cast & Crew of North High School's Upcoming Play "She Kills Monsters" 🧌 We visited a rehearsal with the cast and crew of North High School's She Kills Monsters, ahead of this week's opening day! North High's theater club has worked hard to make this show a fun one, and you will have three chances to catch it on February 6 at 3:30 PM, February 7 at 7 PM, and February 8 at 2 PM. Take a look at some of the sights from a fun time with these talented scholars!

⭐ Ann Ruchala, Elementary Instructional Coach at Jacob Hiatt Magnet School ⭐ "Ann’s passion for sparking creativity, innovation, and joy in learning is truly inspiring! Last year, she shined as a Spark Teacher, and now, as a Spark Coach, she is taking her impact even further—building coaching skills, supporting teachers, and designing innovative lesson plans that bring the Vision of a Learner to life. Ann’s dedication to Future Ready Instruction is making a lasting difference for educators and students alike!" ⭐ 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

Friendly Faces of Roosevelt Elementary School 🤗 We recently visited the students and staff of Roosevelt Elementary School! Young scholars were checking out books at the school's Worcester Public Library branch, painting handmade cups in art class and participating in group activities. Roosevelt School is a place where every child’s potential shines. Situated on Grafton Street in the North Quadrant, Roosevelt proudly serves 620 students from preschool to grade six. Roosevelt's mission is to inspire and empower students to become future-ready, lifelong learners who are engaged, informed, and prepared to make a meaningful impact in the world. Roosevelt strives to offer high-quality instruction tailored to meet the diverse needs of its students. There is a strong emphasis on equity, diversity, and the holistic development of each child. At Roosevelt, students not only excel academically but also forge lasting friendships and create memories that will stay with them for a lifetime.

Join us in sending a congratulations to the inaugural Pep Band National Champions — the Burncoat Patriots! 🏆 The Burncoat spirit team (dance team and pep band) brought their A-game to the National Dance Team Championships in Orlando, Florida, taking home the first-ever national championship in the Pep Band Division, and finishing 3rd in the nation in Game Day Live Division! A huge shoutout to the many talented students who put in the hard work, and to educators & coaches Meredith Lord, Kellie Shea, and Justine Pennucci for their unwavering guidance and support. 🙌

Schools in the Worcester Public Schools will open on a two-hour delay today, Monday, February 3, due to weather conditions. All Head Start programs are closed. There will be no morning (AM) or afternoon (PM) preschool. Full-day preschool is on a two-hour delay. Administrative offices will be open. Please check our website for any potential updates: worcesterschools.org. Please use caution when traveling. Thank you and have a safe morning.

Burncoat High School defeated Monty Tech, 92-61, in recent boys basketball action! 🏀 The Patriots improved to 10-4 on the season with the win. Kevin Dunn led the team with 17 points, while Jaiden Johnston and Cheyton Marshall added 16 and 14 points, respectively. Nytel Johnson and Jean Carlos Pimental each scored 13 points. Check out a few images from a strong game by the Patriots!

⭐ Morgan Blundell, 12th Grade Scholar at Worcester Technical High School ⭐ “Morgan has volunteered her free time with the local non-profit, Simon Says Give-Worcester, since 2018. During this time she helped fundraise, prepare and deliver over 1,500 backpacks & binders to rising middle schoolers. She has also helped to deliver or host Birthday parties for underprivileged children 12 and under, who wouldn't otherwise have one. She was the first applicant for their Kid Advisory Board, and held a 2 year tenure as President of the Worcester organization. Aside from that, she attains great grades academically and does amazing in her carpentry shop, in which she and her peers also built a house in the city. She exemplifies kindness, community, and brilliance.” This work demonstrates that Morgan is an Engaged Community Member, a disposition of the Vision of a Learner framework, as she identified needs in the community and developed an action plan to address these needs (EC.M2). ⭐ 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

South High Community School Hosts College Application Celebration Day 🎓 South High seniors recently had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with college admissions counselors during College Application Celebration Day. The event, organized by the school’s guidance counseling team, was open to all seniors who signed up in advance. Admissions counselors from local universities, including Assumption University, Nichols College, Worcester State University and Quinsigamond Community College, attended. Students even received on-the-spot acceptance after interviews. There was also a room dedicated to Federal Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA) with community partners helping students complete the FAFSA. High schools from around WPS also held recent college acceptance events. University Park Campus School hosted two on-the-spot acceptance days, and similar events were held for students at Burncoat High School and Doherty Memorial High School.