
Pictured here is Puerto Rican professional boxer Sixto Escobar. He became Puerto Rico's first world champion when he competed in the bantamweight division. His mainland debut took place here in Holyoke at Valley Arena on May 7, 1934.


Watch Superintendent Anthony Soto discuss National Hispanic Heritage Month and its significance at Holyoke Public Schools. โWe respect, embrace, and honor the diversity of our students, families, staff, and community. And we intentionally build a community that is anti-racist, inclusive, and culturally responsive.โ
With 81 percent of the student population in our schools and 54 percent of people in our city identifying as Latino(a) or Hispanic, Hispanic Heritage Month is a valuable opportunity to celebrate and deepen our understanding of the rich cultural heritage in our community.

9-22-23 Together for Holyoke: Stories and Inspiration From Our Schools. Whatโs inside this edition: - โBy celebrating our heritage, we are living out two important equity commitmentsโ- First year of strategic plan shows progress; new benchmarks set for second year - Abatement work has begun on former Peck School site - Preserving the Peck School legacy - And more! https://bit.ly/3ZrIHLy.


The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education has launched the Tomorrowโs Teachers Scholarship Program to address the stateโs teacher shortage. College students in qualifying programs who want to teach in a MA K-12 public school could earn up to $25,000 annually towards their college education. The initiative is focused on communities needing diverse teachers. The application deadline is October 1, so apply soon! For more information visit: https://bit.ly/44ZyXJC.


HPS third-grader Mirabelle Hines won first place in the โBest Mixed Mediumโ category among entrants in grades K-5 for a painting she created and entered in a contest this summer sponsored by the Holyoke Preservation Trust to celebrate Holyoke's 150th anniversary.


Families of PreK and Kindergarten students in the Dual Language Program are welcome to attend a session aimed at providing information on how to support their child's Spanish language learning at home. The event is scheduled for this Tuesday, September 26, from 5-6 p.m. Register here https://bit.ly/3t8HRal.



Kelly and Lawrence families: Join our walking school bus and get to school on time! Contact your family and Community Engagement Coordinator to sign-up.
Kelly School: (413) 534-2078
Lawrence School: (413) 534-2075

HHS Dean Campus held its open house on Tuesday, September 19, welcoming families to tour the school and learn more about the school's career vocational technical education (CVTE) pathway.








Parents & guardians! Come to a session to learn about the process of applying to college and how you can help your child in this process. Session is on zoom on Sep. 28th at 6pm with our college & career counselorย Annaย Rigali. Sign-up to attend here:ย https://bit.ly/3EMRcHO

Pictures from 5th grade students at Morgan School celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month by leading read aloud sessions for students in earlier grades.







Join HHS Dean for their Open House today, September 19, from 5-6 p.m. Explore the school, connect with your child's educators, and learn about the different opportunities HHS Dean offers. As part of the National Hispanic Heritage Month, the halls at HHS Dean will be decorated with Latin American flags and cultural art, and visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy some treats from the Culinary Department that are representative of the occasion.


As we continue preparing for the demolition of the old Peck School building, we wanted to share these pictures of the murals created by former students throughout the years. Holyoke Public Schools is finding ways to preserve the many memories and stories from Peck shared by many in the community and honor those who participated in making these murals. We have created a photo album gallery with more images of these murals here https://bit.ly/3EGXmce.



Families from HPS experiencing food instability can seek assistance from their school's Family and Community Engagement member. By communicating their needs, students or families can receive a bag of essential grocery items every Friday at dismissal. This program is open all year long and is designed to provide support for the family over the weekend.



This fall, our district's Health Services and Facilities teams are collaborating with the Massachusetts Asthma Action Partnership (MAAP) and Health Resources in Action. Together with four other Massachusetts school districts, they'll participate in the HEAL: Building Capacity for Resilient Schools cohort, focusing on addressing environmental and heat-induced asthma triggers.
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This fall, our district's Health Services and Facilities teams are collaborating with the Massachusetts Asthma Action Partnership (MAAP) and Health Resources in Action. Together with four other Massachusetts school districts, they'll participate in the HEAL: Building Capacity for Resilient Schools cohort, focusing on addressing environmental and heat-induced asthma triggers. Learn more here https://bit.ly/3Pj1wfu.

Today marks the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Holyoke Public Schools and schools and communities across the nation will commemorate this occasion with various classroom activities and integrated learning across all schools. This annual celebration is observed nationwide from September 15 to October 15. It highlights the culture, history, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors hail from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. 80% of HPS students and 20% of HPS teachers identify as Hispanic/Latino, so this is an especially meaningful celebration in Holyoke.



๐ ๐จ Students from HHS Dean are making a difference! Watch how they're gaining valuable work experience while giving back to the community with Habitat for Humanity. ๐ ๏ธ


Holyoke High School students and families from all three campuses are encouraged to check out the College Counseling Corner newsletter. This newsletter offers tips and resources for college preparation, covering topics from admission tests to financial aid check it out at https://www.smore.com/es4rh.


Join Lawrence for their Open House tomorrow, Thursday, September 14, from 4-6 p.m. Explore the school ๐ซ, connect with your child's educators ๐ฉโ๐ซ๐จโ๐ซ, and learn about the different opportunities Lawrence offers its students ๐โจ.


In order to catch up on outstanding work items due to a busy enrollment season and ultimately best serve our families, the HPS Enrollment Center will be closed to the public from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, September 14. The office will reopen at 1 p.m. days for in-person visitors and phone calls.
For the fastest response time, please email enrollment questions to enrollment@hps.holyoke.ma.us and transportation questions to transportation@hps.holyoke.ma.us.


Holyoke Health Centerโs dental team is back in Holyoke Public Schools continuing to provide safe, quality preventive dental care and education to students through the free Oral Health Screenings Program. Families who would like their children to participate in the portable dental program at school should complete and sign the consent form sent home with children during the first week of school. Families may also contact their school nurse (list of school nurses https://bit.ly/3sWiB78) to request a consent packet.
