Holyoke High North Campus

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.

Holyoke High School North recently hosted 20 administrators and teachers from Danbury High School, Kreiva Academy Charter School, Lowell High School, Manchester High School (CT), and Monument Mountain Regional High School . These administrators and teachers came to North on Thursday, February 16 to learn about our work with the Barr Foundation and the Rigor, Relevance, Purpose PLC as part of HPS' on-going high school redesign work. Participants will use what they learned to help inform their own efforts to redesign their schools. It was great to see our school through the eyes of outsiders; we were able to see our wins and where we have more work we still need to do. It was a really great day!

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!

Is your child planning to attend Holyoke Community College next year? The HCC Foundation uses one application for their many scholarships. Some of the scholarships cover the full cost of HCC. This scholarship application is due March 10th. Apply here http://bit.ly/3XzM7JO!

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.

This morning, we completed a successful lockdown drill at Holyoke High School North. The drill lasted approximately 23 minutes, during which time all students and staff were directed to stay in their classrooms and follow the district’s established protocols in the event of a true emergency. The drill went smoothly, and we thank everyone for their cooperation and attentiveness throughout the exercise.

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!

Welcome to Scholarship & Financial Aid Week! This week you can expect daily messages about scholarships and financial aid to help keep you and your students informed! Today, we highlight the Red Pine Scholarship (https://bit.ly/3HWzRgB). This prestigious local scholarship is worth up to $20,000 per year! HHS students who have won this award in the past attend college for FREE. The deadline is February 15th. If your senior meets the eligibility, have them apply! | ¡Bienvenido a la Semana de Becas y Apoyo Económico! Esta semana puedes esperar mensajes diarios sobre becas y apoyo económico para ayudarles a usted y a su estudiante a mantenerse informado. Hoy destacamos la beca Red Pine (https://bit.ly/3HWzRgB). ¡Esta beca local y prestigiosa vale hasta $20,000 al año! Estudiantes de HHS que han recibido esta beca en años pasados han asistido a la universidad gratis. La fecha límite es el 15 de febrero. Si su hijo es elegible, ¡animelo a que la solicite!

Next week is Scholarship & Financial Aid Week at all HHS campuses! Did you know that the Community Foundation of Western Mass is one scholarship application for over 140 local scholarships? This VERY important scholarship application is due on February 28. Apply now http://bit.ly/3Ioz0XD !

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)

We are excited to begin the course selection process with you and your student for the 2023-2024 school year. We encourage our students to involve you in the process of selecting high school courses. Please review the below course selection timelines/events for each grade level and reach out to your student's school counselor with any questions!

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!

Congrats to a couple of our Awesome Knights - Lakeisha Cubero Montanez & Camryn Rist! Keep up the great work!

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

Twas two hours before winter break, when all through Knights nation, The faculty and staff were looking forward to some time off and celebration. The teachers have been working so hard on getting kids to speak in class, This work can be hard…our tanks are out of gas! We have been celebrating our HOWLers, Knights of Excellence, and Awesome Knights, We have been working so hard to keep the hallways clear and always in our sights. Knight Time is helping us to build community and spread some cheer, This week we did an Attendance Blitz to let kids know the importance of being here! We loved Charlie and his chocolate factory and Unified BBall took the win, This past Monday so many people wore green to try to get the Grinch to grin. We had some fun in Town Halls with kids and in Minute to Win It with staff, Thanks to you all for having some fun and taking time to laugh. During the Winter Concert we enjoyed some Christmas carols and works of art, We have been working to build a restorative culture, this is work where we can all take part. At the Cita con Sabor a Café, I learned all about Bomba and we danced the night away, At the 3 point contest who knew Josh Abrams was the GOAT…NO WAY! We celebrated our Adams scholars and the achievement they made, We had a Reverse Job Shadow where so many careers and paths were displayed. We started our 8th grade visits, we want our new Knights to be excited for the next step, We did PSATs, Perfect Attendance celebrations, multiple spirit weeks…this school has pep! Now admin, now faculty, now counselors, now clerks, On custodians, on paras, on staff - here is how it works, We work as a team; we get the job done, We take our work seriously, but we also have some fun. To the top we will rise, to the top we will go, We are committed to student achievement, And we are not moving slow. We love the students we work with; they bring us so much pride, We are committed to working with them and their families - And we’ll do this side by side. Thank you for all you do, I appreciate your work and you, This work is not always easy, but that has not stopped you from doing what you do. Dash away, dash away, dash away peeps, In 2023, HHS North is going to grow by bounds and leaps. - Lori McKenna, Principal Holyoke High School North Campus

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

Congratulations to some of our recent HOWLers and Awesome Knights!! Erikah Cumba, Zavier Vargas, Isaiah Valentin, , Marialis Camacho, Michael Melendez, Erin Gauthier, Rory Shea, Carla Lopez, Davian Concepcion, Luiz Marcano, Azariah Heredia. Keep up the awesome work!!!