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.
WPS Nursing Department Hosts Conference on Family Health Center Model 🩺
The Worcester Public Schools nursing department recently hosted representatives from the Massachusetts Department of Health for an in-depth discussion on the school-based partnership with Family Health Center of Worcester.
Family Health Center of Worcester provides preventative health care for WPS students at school-based satellite sites. These health centers are a one-stop shop for primary care, behavioral health, dental, lab services, and much more, offering services for students regardless of income or access to health care.
School-based centers are run by Family Health Center of Worcester, allowing students confidential health care. It also provides translation services in more than 50 languages to ensure accessibility of health care.
During the conference, employees from the Family Health Center and WPS nursing staff spoke about the benefits of the school-based health center model and its positive impact on students in Worcester. There was also a tour of the health center at South High Community School and a Q/A session with current students who shared their own personal experiences.
There are currently seven Family Health Care Centers in WPS located in Doherty Memorial High School, Dr. Arthur F. Sullivan Middle School, Elm Park Community School, Goddard School of Science & Technology, South High Community School, Worcester East Middle School and a combined center for Claremont Academy and Woodland Academy.
Forest Grove Middle School's Katherine Amankrah Illustrates Social-Emotional Learning Picture Book 🎨📖
Katherine Amankrah, an eighth grade artist at Forest Grove Middle School, recently had their illustrations featured in a newly-published Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) picture book that aims to educate kids about mental stress and anxiety.
The book, titled “My Body Knows. Do I Know?” is a collaboration between Amankrah and author Ashley Hope Cournoyer-Smith, who is a school psychologist at Elm Park Community School.
Katherine's vibrant illustrations are not just beautiful but also play a crucial role in helping educate children about mental wellness.
“It is extraordinary that someone so young as Katherine is able to see her artwork in something that has been published. Katherine has been exceptional in her artwork as well as her academics,” said Forest Grove art teacher Sharon Mansfield.
We are so proud of Katherine for sharing her talents with the world! ✨
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/
🌟 Worcester Public Schools at MassHire Job Fair! 🌟
On Friday, September 13, our District Recruiting Team, along with the 🍽️ Nutrition and 🚌 Transportation teams, joined 90+ employers at Polar Park for the MassHire Central Job Fair!
It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with job seekers and share exciting career opportunities within our district.
Interested in joining our team? Apply now at worcesterschools.org/jobs and become part of Worcester Public Schools!
Thank you to all who visited our table! 🙌🎉
🎒💻 Happy IT Professionals Day! 🎉
IT pros are the tech wizards of our schools, tackling the tech puzzles 🧩 that leave the rest of us scratching our heads! Whether it’s managing Chromebooks 💻, desktops 🖥️, networks 🌐, or even fixing cafeteria registers 🍔, you keep everything running smoothly. From keeping our Wi-Fi strong 📶 to safeguarding our cybersecurity 🔐, you handle the complexities of modern tech with superhero skills 🦸♂️💥.
Thank you for being the ultimate tech champions that power our classrooms! 🙌✨
🥗 New Menu Alert! 🍎
Fresh and tasty options are hitting the menu at all schools this year! Whether you're in elementary, middle, or high school, there’s something new for everyone to enjoy.
✨ From a game-changing breakfast to a delicious lunch, our new dishes will have you looking forward to every meal!
But don’t just take our word for it - here’s what some of your fellow students are saying:
🗣️ “The new breakfast is AMAZING! This is exactly what we needed!” - 11th grade student
🗣️”Good, it’s better than last year, better food!” - 4th grade student
🗣️ “The kids like the food and kept asking if I tired the Mac and Cheese” - 5th grade teacher
Check out what’s on the menu and try something new today. 😋🍎
📲 View the full menu at https://buff.ly/47lkI4R
🍽️ Lincoln Street Receives Support to Combat Hunger
❤️ Lincoln Street School Principal Karen Allen and thanked volunteers from the Juniper Outreach Foundation who recently restocked the school's food pantry. The foundation hosts pantries in four Worcester Public Schools to prevent hunger at Lincoln Street, City View, Elm Park, and Burncoat Prep.
Pride Worcester Festival! 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈
Worcester Public Schools families and staff celebrated our LGBTQIA+ community at the 2024 Pride Worcester Festival!
Superintendent Rachel Monárrez greeted several families, along with women tradespeople who helped build the new Doherty High School!
WPS also hosted an informational table with flyers about job listings and a new LGBTQIA+ Parent Advisory Council that is launching this fall!
Our partners from the Mass. Teachers Union also hosted a table with educational information for LGBTQ families.
Hoops for Harris 🏀
A basketball tournament for middle and high school students is taking place September 7 at Clark University in memory of Harris Wolobah, the Doherty Memorial High School student who died one year ago.
Members of Harris’ family thanked the community for their support before the youth engaged in a day of basketball skill-building exercises and activities.
Happy Labor Day! 🇺🇸
Did you know Labor Day honors the contributions and achievements of American workers? Signed into law by President Grover Cleveland on June 28, 1894, Labor Day is a time to reflect on the impact of the labor movement.
We wish all of our WPS community a relaxing and restful Labor Day! Visit the link below to learn more about the history of Labor Day.
🔗: https://buff.ly/2M10oPj
Submit Your Back to School Photos! 📸
Did you take photos of your child on the first day of school? Send them to us!
Visit the link below to send us your scholar's first day of school photos! We'll share some of them on our social media!
➡️: https://buff.ly/3ADxdMC
Submit Your Back to School Photos! 📸
Did you take photos of your child on the first day of school? Send them to us!
Visit the link below to send us your scholar's first day of school photos! We'll share some of them on our social media!
➡️: https://buff.ly/3ADxdMC
📚🎒 Back to School in Worcester Public Schools! 🏫🍎
The countdown is on! We are thrilled to welcome everyone back for the 2024-25 school year. Mark your calendars for the first day:
• Grades 1-12: Monday, August 26
• PreK & Kindergarten: Wednesday, August 28
For all the info you need to get ready, visit our Back to School page at worcesterschools.org/backtoschool or scan the QR code in this post.
Let’s make this school year amazing! 🌟
Today, we celebrate the spirit of freedom and unity that defines our great nation. Let's cherish the values of independence, diversity, and community that make our school district strong.
Wishing all our students, families, and staff a safe and joyous Independence Day! 🎉🗽
Learn more at https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/july-4th
