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

🦃🍁 Celebrating Gratitude at West Tatnuck School’s Thanksgiving Feast! 🍁🦃 West Tatnuck School hosted its First Annual Family-Style Thanksgiving Feast, where the entire student body came together to enjoy a delicious meal, share laughter, and create lasting memories in our all-purpose room. From heartfelt conversations to festive fun, it was a true celebration of community, togetherness, and everything we’re thankful for. 🙏💙 A huge thank you to our School Nutrition Department for making this feast possible! 🍽️

⚽️🏆 Main South Boys Soccer Cap Off Successful Season 🏆⚽️ Sending a round of applause to the Main South boys soccer team on a terrific season this fall! The Cougars won the Central Massachusetts Division D Championship and made it to the Round of 16 in the Division 5 MIAA State Tournament. Main South finished the season with a 13-7-1 overall record. Senior co-captain Kevyn Urias scored 34 goals and recorded eight assists on the season while fellow senior King Tyrese Odamtten tallied 15 goals and five assists. Junior co-captain Elvin Alvarado Velez scored seven goals. As a team, Main South outscored its opponents 70-48 and scored at least five goals in seven of the 21 games played. Defensively, the Cougars held opponents scoreless in four games. Shout out to the seniors who made their final season of high school soccer memorable including Alfredo Ugaz, Kaelan Chormey, Kevin Mendez, Kevyn Urias (co-captain), King Tyrese Odamtten and Markos Kuma. Main South is co-op team made up of student-athletes from Claremont Academy and University Park Campus School.

🎨 New Mural at Wawecus Road School! 🎨 Have you seen the new mural at Wawecus Road School? The artwork is all about inspiring kids to explore the world freely—while reminding them to stop and appreciate the beauty all around them. ✨ The colorful mural is the creation of Worcester-based artist Ferlay "Grhimm" Xavier and was made possible due to a grant he received from the Worcester Arts Council. The addition of the mural at Wawecus is thanks to some great community involvement. Xavier posted to social media looking for a home for his mural, and was quickly connected with Wawecus' administration by the school community. From there, Xavier was able to start the mural, finishing up the large project in about a month's time. Check out the mural below, and stop by Wawecus Road School to see it in person!

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

Friendly Faces of City View Discovery School 😊 We recently had the opportunity to visit City View Discovery School in the North Quadrant of Worcester Public Schools to see our incredible students in action! At City View, scholars are always engaged, whether collaborating on group projects or showcasing their talents in Robotics and Math Teams—both of which have become incredibly competitive over the years! 🤖📊 Our STEAM Lab is buzzing with excitement as students of all grade levels dive into hands-on science and engineering activities, sparking creativity and problem-solving along the way! 🔬 With 467 students from PreK-6, City View is proud to support our Multilingual Learners, who make up nearly half of our student body and are fluent in a language other than English—what an amazing superpower! 🌍✨ Key features of City View Discovery School: • A diverse, inclusive curriculum that supports all learners • A strong focus on STEAM education and innovation • A commitment to family and community involvement • A positive, nurturing environment where every student thrives We’re excited to continue supporting our students in their journey of discovery and success! 💙

Worcester Tech General Advisory Board Meeting 🥽 🔌 Worcester Technical High School held an engaging panel discussion – with perspectives from students, teachers and employers – as part of its Fall General Advisory Board Meeting. That’s when partners from the business community gather to advise career technical education teachers on the needs of the workforce. The panelists were WTHS Class of 2018 graduate Marloon Gonzalez, who works for National Grid; senior electrical student Mekhi Howell; senior welding student Maddison Dunn; Ken Tyburski, vice president of Notch Mechanical Contractors; Greg Lesparence, welding teacher; and Jean Trudeau, electrical teacher. Worcester Chamber of Commerce CEO (and Worcester Tech parent) Tim Murray emceed the evening, with a panel discussion led by Dave Garvin, manager of workforce development programs for the Chamber, and Heather Courtney, director of cooperative education at Worcester Tech.

⭐ Jerelys Robles, Fourth Grade Scholar at Jacob Hiatt Magnet School ⭐ “Jerelys is a leader in the Jacob Hiatt community who consistently observes and seeks out ways that she can be helpful to her teachers and peers. She takes initiative and shows kindness to everyone around her without being asked. Not only does Jerelys set a strong example as a role model throughout the school day, she applies herself with 100% effort in all subject areas. Jerelys is a true leader who makes our school and classroom a better place! I feel lucky to have her in my class this year."

🌱📝 Apricot Journal Seedlings Workshop at Flagg Street School 📝🌱 Recently students from The Apricot Journal visited with sixth graders at the Flagg Street School for a Seedlings Workshop! The Seedlings Workshop is a fun writing workshop led by students of South High Community School's award-winning literary magazine, The Apricot Journal. The workshop is a great way for the high school students to connect with elementary students in the district. The workshops are student-led with editors of the magazine developing lessons and connecting with host schools. In the recent workshop, students in Ms. Grilla's and Ms. Jardine's classes dove into expressing gratitude with sentence structure and word choice. During the day, there were four small group stations for art doodles, acrostic poems, thank you notes and hand turkeys with each finger highlighting something students are grateful for. The recent stop at Flagg Street is just the latest for The Apricot Journal with seedlings workshops already completed at Worcester Arts Magnet School and May Street School. The Apricot Journal has a goal of visiting two schools each month. Great job by all participating students and a special shout out to the Apricot Journal for leading this initiative! Take a look at some of the sights from the day 📸

🍨 Forest Grove Middle School Ice Cream Student-Parent Social 🍨 Recently, students, staff and parents at Forest Grove Middle School came together for a student-family ice cream social. The turnout was incredible, with so many families coming together to enjoy not only sweet treats but meaningful connections with one another. It was great to see our students, families and staff building stronger relationships and creating a sense of community. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make it special! Check out a few images from the event 📸

Veterans Day Breakfast at Gates Lane International School of Studies 🇺🇸 The students and staff at Gates Lanes came together ahead of Veterans Day for a special breakfast to honor veterans within the school's community. Students enjoyed a delicious breakfast and quality time with a special veteran in their life in the school's cafeteria. Gates Lane staff honored those unable to attend with a special slideshow of photos and names. The amazing JROTC cadets from South High Community School also joined in on the day, presenting the colors and sharing the significance of Veterans Day. A big thank you to South High JROTC instructor Chief Master Sergeant William Butman and his students. Thank you, veterans, for your service and sacrifice! 🙏

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

🗽👟 Burncoat High School Teachers Run New York City Marathon 👟🗽 Four educators from Burncoat High School teamed up to take on the New York City Marathon in support of a WPS alum! Burncoat High teachers Jacqueline Binkoski, Robin Dion, Stephanie Riendeau and Shannon Vail each conquered the 26.2 mile course to raise money for The Ulman Foundation, the current employer of Burncoat High alum Julia Giard '15. The Ulman Foundation is a Baltimore-based non-profit that provides crucial support to young people battling cancer and their families. Jacqueline, Robin, Stephanie and Shannon helped raise over $15,000 for the foundation's efforts! They can also say they ran in the largest marathon in recorded history with over 55,646 total finishers and 137 countries represented. Amazing job by Jacqueline, Robin, Stephanie and Shannon!

⭐ Davin Forsberg, ABA Specialist at Nelson Place School ⭐ “We are proud to recognize Davin as a valued member of the Nelson Place community. His unwavering dedication, arriving every day with a smile and an uplifting attitude, speaks volumes about his commitment. Davin consistently supports the needs of our special needs population with unmatched patience, compassion, and care. Simply put, Davin is our rock star. His work ethic and positive demeanor are an inspiration to us all, and his presence makes a significant difference in the lives of those he serves. We are grateful to have him as part of our team and appreciate all he does to make Nelson Place a better, more inclusive community. Thank you, Davin, for your outstanding contributions and for being a shining example of what it means to truly care.” ⭐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. Please visit the link in our bio to nominate your WooStar!

💀✨ Día de los Muertos at Worcester Dual Language Magnet School ✨💀 We had a great time visiting Worcester Dual Language Magnet School for its annual Día de los Muertos recognition event! The event was a tribute to the special Mexican tradition, bringing the school community together to learn, share, and honor loved ones. Students and staff wore vibrant cultural attire and school hallways were filled with amazing Día de los Muertos decorations. 🌸🎨 During the day, students learned about Día de los Muertos through story book readings by community volunteers. They also created Mexican paper flowers, were able to get their faces painted, watched the movie "Coco" and more! An ofrenda was on display in the main corridor to honor deceased loved ones of the school community. Students and staff adorned the ofrenda with pictures of family members, pets and loved ones in memoriam. Take a look at a few images from the day 📸

🌟 Hispanic Heritage Month Assembly at Forest Grove Middle School 🌟 The Third Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Assembly at Forest Grove Middle School was a great success with the entire school community coming together to celebrate Hispanic culture. The event featured a keynote speech from Quinsigamond Community College President Dr. Luis Pedraj who spoke about the power of education, taking pride in one's Hispanic heritage and the importance of believing in yourself. There was also tons of student talent on display! The school's orchestra band performed a rendition of "La Bamba". Students also recited poems titled "Somos Herencia" and "Hispanic Heritage Month", written by foreign language teacher Mrs. Rivas. Worcester's Poet Laureate Serenity Jackson aka Lil' Rennie made a guest appearance and got the crowd moving. Jackson returned to Forest Grove, where she was once a student herself, to perform a couple original songs. 🎶🔥 Take a look at some images from a fantastic assembly! 📸

✨🔬STEM Week at Jacob Hiatt Magnet School 🔬✨ Jacob Hiatt students and staff had an amazing time diving into hands-on learning and problem-solving activities during Massachusetts STEM Week! Here's a peek at what each grade worked on: PreK-K-1 & SAIL: Dove into hands-on pumpkin explorations and engaging pumpkin-themed challenges 🎃 Grade 2: Engaged in bread-making inspired by "The Little Red Hen" working in groups to make bread from scratch, grind wheat seeds, examine wheat stalks and even make butter 🥖🧈 Grade 3: Applied their knowledge of force and motion to design ramps to control speed 🚀 Grade 4: Integrated their CKLA unit on "Empires in the Middle Ages" to construct model castles and catapults in teams 🏰 Grade 5: Tackled a water filter design challenge, enhancing their understanding of the water cycle and pollution 🌊 Grade 6: Participated in the Wade Institute’s STEM Design Challenge, Extreme Zoo Makeover, where they redesigned zoo habitats, engineered enrichment items, and created interactive signage to enrich animal exhibits 🦁 Huge shout-out to our Jacob Hiatt scholars for their critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork!💡🙌

🎭✨ Support Burncoat High School Senior Jayden Bordes! ✨🎭 Jayden is competing in "Next On Stage," Broadway's biggest national competition for high school and college students! The winner has a chance to earn a scholarship to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy College of Performing Arts! 🎤 Watch Jayden's incredible vocal performance of "This is the Moment" at https://buff.ly/48DhMB9 and show your support by voting for him now!

📚✨ 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! 🏫