Holyoke Public Schools - Juntos Podemos | Together We Can

Spirit week at Metcalf began yesterday with Grinch day!

All athletic activities are canceled for this afternoon, Friday December 16. All other after-school activities are operating as usual.

Great article from MassLive about HHS Dean's co-op program where students can match with potential employers to intern, learn new skills, and even earn money! 😎 https://www.masslive.com/business/2022/12/holyoke-dean-techs-co-op-fair-matches-students-with-future-employers.html

Last week we celebrated our English language development teachers: Emely Santiago of Morgan Elementary and Angela Steward of STEM Academy, for excellence in instruction and advocacy for our multilingual learners.

HPS School Committee member Erin Brunelle received special recognition during the November 4 meeting of the Massachusetts All-State School Committee for her “support for children and public education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” Thank you Ms. Brunelle for your dedication to our community!

Second graders from Kelly's Dual Language program had the opportunity to celebrate fall with their teacher Lina Saravia. Families came to the school to celebrate the students' achievements in this year's first quarter. The students sang songs using the district curriculum, read narratives they had written, and simulated a volcano explosion through the science project "Landforms" parents, children, and teachers made a gratitude circle and closed the event with artistic activities.

Odalis Amparo will be representing HPS during the 2022 La Cosecha Conference, the largest dual language conference in the country. La Cosecha 2022 will bring educators, parents, researchers, and practitioners supporting dual language enrichment programs across the U.S. Odalis is a first-generation Latina, currently working as a mathematics coach at HPS. She is passionate about the intersection between equitable, anti-racist math instruction, second language acquisition, and culturally sustaining pedagogy. More information about the conference can be found at www.lacosechaconference.org

On the last day of STEM Week, Holyoke High School and middle school students worked alongside industry professionals from the PepsiCo design team and the Boston-based Mobile Makers community art program. Students created prototype solutions such as a specialty backpack for firefighters, adaptive shoe technology for use in the desert, and harnessing clean energy from water sources. PepsiCo designers also shared their career-path stories with students to demonstrate the power of design/design thinking and as inspiration to consider pursuing work in the creative fields.

More kids should know: HHS North students participate in Ad Council PSA warning about fentanyl. Earlier this year, Holyoke High School North was invited to be part of a national Ad Council pilot project (https://bit.ly/3TxOBan) to help young Americans understand the deadly reality of fentanyl-laced drugs.

Two Holyoke teachers and two school leaders were honored by the State of Latino Education in celebration of Latinos for Education’s 5th Anniversary as well as Hispanic Heritage Month. They include: - Holyoke High School ESL Teacher Janet Morales - Kelly Dean of Management and Operations Roberto Vicente - Peck English Teacher Christine Perez - Sullivan Principal Sacha Garcia-Mailloux The annual State of Latino Education Event brings together local, state, and national education leaders to celebrate the resiliency of the Latino community and to spotlight the critical role that Latino educators and leaders play in achieving educational equity for Latino students.

Congratulations to first-grade teacher Emma Pascarella as she embarks on completing a one-year Teach Plus Massachusetts fellowship, a highly selective, rigorous program for excellent teachers who want to deepen their knowledge, expand their influence, and lead in shaping education policy and advocacy. Learn more about Ms. Pascarella’s Teach Plus fellowship in this news article published on MassLive https://bit.ly/3eB2yVP.

Donahue students prepared for weeks for an October 14 showcase of their family cultures in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage month. Students sampled delicious foods prepared by their classmates’ families, danced, and wore traditional clothing from their native countries.

Holyoke Public Schools families with school-age children might qualify to receive up to $30 a month towards their internet bills, as well as a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet, thanks to the Federal Infrastructure Law’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Families can check their eligibility, sign up, and find fully covered plans at www.getinternet.gov.

Our current school structures and small enrollment make it challenging to give every child in Holyoke the support they need to be successful. We need to change how our schools are structured for four main reasons, listen to some of our school leaders describe what they are here https://youtu.be/LnQYBHpy-VI.

Did you know HPS custodians clean more than 1 million square feet every day? The numbers may be a bit hard to fathom: Holyoke Public Schools’ 55 full-time custodians have been on the job here in the district for more than 700 years combined, cleaning 1.1 million square feet of school buildings each day. Their routine tasks include cleaning all classrooms, common areas, bathrooms, and school cafeterias and kitchens, along with sanitizing all surfaces. This past Sunday was National Custodial Workers Recognition Day- but every day is a good day to say thank you for a job well done.