William R. Peck School

Can you believe school resumes this month? 📝

The first day of school for students in grades 1-12 is Monday, August 25, and is a full day of school. PreK and kindergarten begin on Wednesday, August 27.

We can’t wait to welcome you back for another year of discovery, play, and growth at HPS!

See you soon! 👋

Some summer meals sites are CLOSED today due to weather: Pouilot Pool, Heritage Park, Peck Field, McMahon. ~~~ These summer meals sites are OPEN today, July 31: Library Park, Community Field, Springdale Park, Carlos Vega, and Holyoke Hills Tokeneke

It’s not too late to make progress on your summer reading log! Students in grades K-8 who read for 30 minutes a day can submit their reading log at the start of the school year for the opportunity to win a prize. Older students and adults have options, too: The Holyoke Public Library is running reading challenges throughout the summer.

OA graduation, summer programming, and celebrating district accomplishments in this edition of Together for Holyoke: https://holyokepsma.edurooms.com/engage/holyoke-public-schools/newsletters/together-for-holyoke-june-16-2025

During today's monthly central office birthday and anniversary celebration, we realized something exciting... One of today's celebrated employees is Bill Welch. Mr. Welch is a help desk computer technician who has been at HPS for 43 years! With a few upcoming retirements, Mr. Welch will be the most senior employee at HPS during the 2025-26 school year. Thank you for choosing Holyoke Public Schools, Bill. Congrats!

Our four-year graduation rate has increased significantly: from 62% in 2015 to 77.1% last year. 🎓 Among Hispanic/Latino students, the rate has increased even more: from 55.6% to 76.2% during the same period.

Summer is just around the corner! ☀️ Before you hit the beach, make sure the following important dates are in your calendar: • Thursday, May 29: HHS Dean graduation • Friday, May 30: HHS North graduation • Friday, June 13: OA graduation • Wednesday, June 18: Last day of school! The last day of school will follow the regular Wednesday schedule.

Academic celebrations, budget planning, and neuroscience at Kelly School in this edition of Together for Holyoke: https://holyokepsma.edurooms.com/engage/holyoke-public-schools/newsletters/together-for-holyoke-may-19-2025

Head to the Holyoke Public Library on Saturday, April 12, from 9:30-3:30 to play 18 holes of miniature golf for FREE inside the library and "Human Foosball" outside! ⛳️📚

April Acceleration Academy: Enroll today! ⏰ HPS has scheduled FREE Acceleration Academies for Monday, April 21 through Friday, April 25, designed to provide enriching learning experiences as well as math support for elementary, middle, and high school students during April break. Families of interested students can enroll online. Space is limited so families are encouraged to enroll as soon as possible to ensure their children can participate. For assistance with enrollment, please call (413) 534-2000, option 1. https://enrollholyoke.schoolmint.com/login

Excellence award spotlight ✨ Morrison Duffy, a sixth grade student at Metcalf School, recently received a surprise visit from Superintendent Soto. Morrison was nominated by school adjustment counselor, Mauricio Tobar, for his outstanding critical thinking skills and connectedness with his peers, especially newcomers. He genuinely cares about and shows interest in the backgrounds of his peers, while also being very proud of his own. Congrats, Morrison!

Meet one of the stars of Little Shop of Horrors: Audrey II! 🌱☠️ This carnivorous plant puppet—along with two other sizes to show her growth throughout the show—was designed and created by Phil Christofori. A retired art teacher and department head from HPS, Mr. Christofori has been the prop designer for HHS musicals for “a very long time.” For this production, Mr. Christofori created three puppets to show the plant’s growth throughout the show. He utilized unlikely and recycled materials, including a foam mattress, to make the puppets with support from student designer Chris MacLaughlin and set painter Bill Greaney 🎨 See all of the Audrey II puppets—and a talented cast of real-life student performers—in the HHS Theater Company production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ opening TOMORROW, April 3, and playing for one weekend only. Tickets available online or at the door. https://v6.click4tix.com/event-details.php?e=431721

Careers at HPS, Ignite Reading’s impact for young readers, and ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ in this edition of Together for Holyoke: https://holyokepsma.edurooms.com/engage/holyoke-public-schools/newsletters/together-for-holyoke-march-31-2025

Impactful Student Summit, Read Across America, and cooking with confidence in this edition of Together for Holyoke: https://holyokepsma.edurooms.com/engage/holyoke-public-schools/newsletters/together-for-holyoke-march-17-2025

Summer programming and extended school year begin on Monday, July 10!

Join us at the Summer Eats BBQ kick-off event at Heritage State Park today from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. https://5il.co/1y9zn

Exciting news for HPS students in grades 6-12! Starting next school year, we'll be using Yondr pouches for cell phones. Following a successful pilot program, each student will receive a Yondr bag to store their phone during the day. Phones will be secured by staff, and students can carry them in their backpacks

Students who are new to Holyoke Public Schools can now enroll for the 2023-2024 school year. Enrollment is open for students at all grade levels at www.enrollholyoke.com. Families who prefer to enroll their children in person or over the phone may call Enrollment Center (413) 534-2000, option 1, to make an appointment.

Holyoke Public Schools offers exciting summer programs for all district elementary, middle, and high school students through four unique summer learning academies and Extended School Year programming. Register now at www.enrollholyoke.com to secure your spot! Limited availability.

For a detailed air-quality fire and smoke map in real time, please refer to this link: https://fire.airnow.gov/ You can zoom in to see specific areas, or zoom out to see the full United States and Canada, or more.