Holyoke Middle School

February break is a great time for HPS staff, students, and their families to get a COVID-19 vaccine or booster. Some local vaccine sites are offering $75 gift cards next week—and you can even get a free meal from CRAVE Holyoke at one vaccine site. Here are the details: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is offering free, family-friendly “Get Boosted” clinics where anyone ages 6 months and up can get a COVID-19 vaccine or updated booster. As part of a special promotion, Massachusetts residents who get vaccinated (first dose, second dose, or booster) at participating Get Boosted clinics will receive a $75 gift card while supplies last. Holyoke Public Library, 250 Chestnut St. February 21—3:30-6:30 p.m. Outside in the CRAVE Food Truck! Pre-registration requested: http://bit.ly/3lLbafJ Everyone receiving a COVID-19 vaccine or booster during this clinic can also receive a free meal at the food truck. Additional meals can also be purchased. Vaccine clinics will also be held at Holyoke Health Center, 267 High Street, Call (413) 420-2200 for information or walk in during operating hours. No appointment is necessary. Handicap-accessible entry through the High Street main door. February 21—9 a.m.-12 noon, 1-4 p.m., and 4:45-6:30 p.m. February 22—9 a.m.-12 noon, 1-4 p.m., and 4:45-6:30 p.m. February 23—9 a.m.-12 noon and 1-4 p.m. February 24—9 a.m.-12 noon and 1-4 p.m. February 27—9 a.m.-12 noon, 1-4 p.m., and 4:45-6:30 p.m. February 28—9 a.m.-12 noon, 1-4 p.m., and 4:45-6:30 p.m.

Get vaccinated against COVID-19 and receive a $75 gift card in February! The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is offering free, family-friendly “Get Boosted” clinics during the February break. Anyone ages 6 months and up can get a COVID-19 vaccine or updated booster. Contact your school building nurse for more information or walk in to one of the clinics in Holyoke. Protect yourself and your loved ones while also getting a gift card!

Members of the Community Attendance Task Force held their first meeting at Enlace de Familias to begin deep-dive discussions around the challenges and obstacles to ensuring that students are in school on time every day. The Task Force is part of Holyoke Public School’s recently launched attendance campaign—Asiste Hoy, Triunfa Mañana/Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow. Task force members include HPS Family and Community Engagement (FACE) coordinators, school leaders, and community partners. They will meet monthly to design system solutions and tighten coordination of student and family support around student attendance.

HPS Special Education Parent Advisory Council invites you to their SEPAC Open Forum on Tuesday, February 28 via Zoom. Register here http://bit.ly/3kJqwRv to participate! | El Consejo Asesor de Padres de Educación Especial de HPS (SEPAC) lo invita a su Foro Abierto el martes 28 de febrero a través de Zoom. ¡Regístrate aquí http://bit.ly/3kJqwRv para participar!

Holyoke Public Schools has established the following timeline to prepare for the transition to separate elementary (PreK-5) and middle schools (grades 6-8) and to redraw school boundary lines for fall 2023: Late January: Letters were mailed to families with their child’s school placement and transportation eligibility February: Conduct family surveys for input February-May: Host school tours for new families March: Announce SY23-24 calendar, school start and end times, and uniform decisions March 1-31: Open Priority Zone Appeal application May 15: Host School PD day with new school teams Mid-to-Late August: Host Back-to-school celebrations, orientations, tours, etc. AND release student-teacher assignments and bus routes Ongoing: Upgrade facilities (especially Sullivan, Metcalf)

Holyoke students can develop their skills and have fun playing football and soccer thanks to community programs offered in partnership with Holyoke Public Schools. The programs are free, and no equipment is needed. No need to register; students can just show up to participate!

Don't let the flu and COVID-19 catch you off guard this winter, join us for a Flu & COVID Vaccination Clinic happening on Wednesday, February 15, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at The Care Center (247 Cabot Street). Vaccinations and boosters will be available for those six months and up, bring your insurance card for the flu shot and be prepared to stay for a 15-minute observation after getting vaccinated. Registration is encouraged but optional; you can register at https://bit.ly/3HfbXg6. And as a bonus, get a $75 gift card for COVID vaccines while supplies last! Take advantage of this opportunity to protect yourself and your loved ones from these serious illnesses.

HPS kicks off attendance campaign with celebration tomorrow, January 18! Holyoke Public Schools will celebrate students’ attendance achievements with festivities scheduled for 4:15-5:15 p.m. on January 18 at Holyoke High School North. During the event, Mayor Joshua Garcia and HPS Superintendent Anthony Soto will be joined by 50-70 students and their families from throughout the district to celebrate the students' excellent attendance and/or significant attendance improvements.

Holyoke Public School’s “community-centric” approach to strategic planning was featured in a recent article published by consulting firm Education Resources Strategies (ERS), shining a bright light on both the process and the outcomes. The article can be found here: http://bit.ly/3G9tSUN “While many districts often struggle to execute a planning process that fosters widespread community buy-in, HPS leaders were able to design for equitable, long-lasting engagement,” ERS wrote in the article. “They embedded the community directly and authentically in the work to create full alignment and a bold plan that will guide them over the next few years.” The district’s Strategic Planning process began in September 2021 as Superintendent Anthony Soto launched his entry plan work and included an inclusive planning process throughout spring and summer 2022. Under the umbrella of the district’s existing turnaround plan, Holyoke Public Schools released a new multi-year strategic plan in August. The plan reflects all the work that had been done under the turnaround plan over the last almost seven years and articulates focus for the next few years. Throughout the process, more than 400 staff, family members, students, and community members provided input for the plan, in addition to the 1,150+ people who contributed to Superintendent Anthony Soto’s entry plan process that concluded earlier this year.

Viruses and bacterial infections are on the rise: Please take precautions. RSV, Flu, COVID-19, and Group A streptococcus infections also pose combined risks. Like schools and communities across the state and country, Holyoke has recently experienced overlapping surges of viral illnesses among our students and staff, including the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), the flu, and COVID-19. Some parts of the country have also seen an increase in Group A streptococcus infections (such as scarlet fever and strep throat) in children. Massachusetts health officials are bracing for these bacterial infections to be on the rise locally, too. All of these illnesses are contagious, and spread can occur relatively quickly. It is particularly concerning that it is possible for individuals to have two or more of these viral conditions serially, simultaneously, or even paired with bacterial or other infections. And because the symptoms for these three viral illnesses share some similar symptoms, it can be hard to tell them apart. If your child is symptomatic, we recommend keeping your child at home and reaching out to your healthcare provider for guidance. Likewise, we recommend the same for staff members. You can read more about these illnesses on our website, along with important steps you can take to help keep yourself and your family healthy this winter. https://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/page/health-wellness-nursing

(Ñ⬇) Need help understanding the Phase 2 rezoning decisions made by Holyoke Public Schools? To help provide answers, we've posted a Frequently Asked Questions section on our website https://bit.ly/3iGpxQK. If you have any other questions or issues, just email us at enrollment@hps.holyoke.ma.us with your address and your child's current grade level, and we'll be happy to help.

Holyoke Public Schools has changed it's Grading Model!

What an amazing time we are having here at HMS with our Back-to-School event! Families, if you haven’t yet stopped by please come… you still have time. We would lIke to meet as many families as we can🙌🏻

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We are excited to be part of something great happening in the city of Holyoke. This year, Holyoke Middle School launched and we are looking forward to all the amazing things that will be taking place.