Connections - Holyoke Public Schools€¦ · It is encouraging to see the beginning of sig-nificant progress in the academic perfor-mance of our students. I am pleased to share with

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

It is encouraging to see the beginning of sig-nificant progress in the academic perfor-mance of our students. I am pleased to share with you that the graduation and dropout rates are the best we have seen in recent memory. (See page 10 for more infor-mation). Also for the first time in the last ten years, we are seeing an increase in stu-dent enrollment, nearly ninety students, and with that increase will come additional sup-ports to create programs in the district. In our budget process we will propose innova-tive plans that will continue to move the dis-trict forward.

The last few months have been very exhila-rating and critical for our district. As I men-tioned in the last edition of Connections, the Holyoke Public Schools underwent a District Review by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The written report that identifies accomplish-ments, challenges and recommendations to help improve student achievement in our district has now been received and can be found on our District website.

In a recent communication to staff, I high-lighted the importance of continuing to work hard and focus on our jobs, as each one of us has an essential role to transform Holyoke and to serve our students in the best possi-

ble way every day. We have been able to align a number of initiatives and programs along with great leaders and our wonderful teachers. On March 5th I had the pleasure of visiting classrooms to notify seven teach-ers that they had been selected as winners of this year’s Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award. This award, formerly known as the Grinspoon Award, is presented to teachers who have been nominated by their colleagues based upon certain criteria, including excellence in teaching practices, professional development, good attendance, and enthusiasm for teaching and working with children. Please visit page 3 for a listing of awardees as well as additional information regarding this prestigious award.

In closing I’d like to:

Encourage parents/guardians to register your students for kindergarten and preschool (See below).

Thank those who supported Holyoke High’s annual musical The Wizard of Oz. Once again our students provided an incredible perfor-mance.

Wish our students, families, and staff a safe and enjoyable April vacation . Students, come back rested for the second round of MCAS testing! I’m sure this year will be the year to demon-strate all the wonderful teamwork and collabo-ration in the education of our students.

Spring 2015

Volume 13, Issue 3

Holyoke Publ ic Schools

Announcements 2

School News

3-11

Athletics

11

Connections After School Programs

12

Spanish

13-16

Holyoke Public Schools

Inside this issue:

Edition Highlights:

● Graduation and Dropout Rates Improve

● Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards Distribution

● Celebrating Black History Month

● Community Connections

● Dual Language Program

Recent and Future Happenings An Open Letter to the Holyoke School Community

By Dr. Sergio Páez, Superintendent of Schools

Donahue School Student Artist

Mya Ortiz Grade 4

Connections A Community Working Together

It is time to register your children for Kin-dergarten and Preschool programs.

In addition to full day Kindergarten, free pre-school is being offered in all of our K-8 schools effective Fall 2015.

For registration materials and information about these offerings visit: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/studentservices.htm. See page 3 for information about our new Dual Language Program.


Page 2 Connections

Mission Statement

The mission of the

Holyoke Public Schools is to provide

educational opportunities for all students to reach

their full potential in a safe, secure, healthy learning environment while valuing diversity

and promoting responsible citizenship.

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” ~ Maya Angelou

Holyoke School Committee

Mayor Alex Morse

Dennis Birks

Erin Brunelle

John Brunelle

William Collamore

Irene Feliciano-Sims Mildred Lefebvre

Devin Sheehan John G. Whelihan

Rosalee Tensley Williams

Connections Newsletter

Edited by: Judy Taylor [email protected]

Translated by: Luz Aguilar and Jacqueline Escalera

Please join other concerned parents at our upcoming Special Education Advisory Council (SEPAC) meeting:

June 1, 2015 Visit the district website for meeting location and topic.

Questions?—Contact: Kelly- [email protected] or Dawn- [email protected]

SEPACMEETING

District Graduation and Dropout Rates Improve

By Judy Taylor The graduation rate for students completing high school in four years in 2014 was 60.2 per-cent, up from 53.8 percent the prior year, an increase of 6.4 percentage points. This repre-sents the second highest graduation rate in-crease among gateway cities in Massachusetts. Additionally, the 2014 drop out rate of 6.4 per-cent, has improved by 2.7 percentage points from 2013. See related article on page 10.

Deadlineforarticlesubmissions

tobeincludedinthe

Connections

Newsletter SummerEdition:

May 4 2015

Visit our

website to view the School

Committee meeting

schedule.

Children must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2015

Registration by Appointment Only Call 413- 534-2007

Applications and registration information are available at the Student Assignment Office (57 Suffolk Street 1st Floor) and on the district website. http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/studentservices.htm

KINDERGARTENREGISTRATION

Dual Language Enrollment Enroll now!

This program is for students enter-ing grade one, kindergarten, and preschool (student must be four years of age), who are interested in attending our innovative Dual Lan-guage Program at Joseph Metcalf School. See page 3 for details.


Page 3

Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching

Award (PVEIT)

The prestigious Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award was presented to seven Holyoke Public Schools teachers on Thursday, March 5th. Excited family members and district ad-ministrators surprised the teachers with balloons, flowers, and award certificates.

The award provides recipients with a $500 cash award and an en-graved plaque, a three month YMCA and Springfield JCC mem-bership, two tickets to a celebratory dinner at the Log Cabin, an invita-tion from WGBY to take an online course, and $100 scholarships from local universities towards graduate courses.

Award recipients include (clockwise from top left): Catherine Hebert, Academic Support Specialist, Maurice A. Donahue School; Julie Griffin-Pluta, Grade 4 ELA/SS, Grade 3 Elementary Teacher, EN White School; Maureen Dupont, Grade 2 Support Teacher, Lawrence Full Service Community School; Peter Rego, Grade 8 Math Teacher, Kelly Full Service Community School; Militiza Semedei, Dual Language Kin-dergarten Teacher, Metcalf School; Jeremiah Barrett, Math Teacher, Peck Full Service Community School; Zaida Cruz, Science Teacher, Holyoke High School. Visit http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/grinspoon.htm for teacher biographies and video presentation documenting this exciting event.

Nomination Criteria— Nominees must demonstrate professionalism through:

Excellence in teaching practices

Professional development

Good attendance

Enthusiasm for teaching and working with children

The Joseph Metcalf School is offering an open enroll-

ment opportunity for students entering grade one, kindergarten, and preschool (student must be four years of age), who are interested in attending our Dual Language Program. This innovative program offers: language acquisition opportunities in English and Spanish; research based curriculum that is aligned with the district's benchmarks and state's cur-riculum framework. Applications and program information are available at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/duallanguageprogram.htm

Submit completed application to the attention of Amy Burke, Principal at 2019 Northampton Street, Holyoke, MA. Call 413-534-2104 for more information.

Congratulations teachers!

Dual Language Enrollment Time is Now By Amy Burke


Page 4 Connections Connections Connections

Marshmallow Challenge

By Yvonne Hilyard-Ordonez

Ms. Hilyard-Ordonez's sixth and seventh grade students had the oppor-tunity to work with engineer, Andres Ordonez, on the Marshmallow Chal-lenge as they learned about the importance of working efficiently with their teams to develop a sturdy base for their structures. Stu-dents also learned about careers in science and engi-neering and how it is important to become problem solvers.

Made with Code Party Over a dozen McMahon School girls took part in a Made With Code Party, in conjunction with Girls Inc. Their teacher, Ms. Hilyard-Ordonez, promoted and hosted the event. Students learned information about various careers such as animation, lighting, and music use computer p r o g r a m m i n g . They also had the opportunity to try many program-

ming activities.

Celebrating Black History Month

By Sara Mooney and Nancy Lacey On February 27th, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Páez, family,

and friends were treated to a celebration of Black History Month at the Lt. Elmer J. McMahon Elementary School.

Students gave impressive presentations showcasing the work they have done this February to celebrate American History. The kinder-garteners began the performance with a song celebrating Martin Luther King Jr., and were followed by first graders performing an endearing skit about Rosa Parks and sharing their knowledge of famous African-Americans. The second graders hit a home run teaching us all about the great Jackie Robinson. Next, were the third-graders who did an admirable job presenting their considerable knowledge about Althea Gibson, Muham-mad Ali, Aretha Franklin, and Jesse Jackson, among others. Fourth-graders followed with a poignant performance highlighting what they’d learned about the injustices suffered by Ruby Bridges and fifth graders portrayed famous African-Americans based on the “I” perspective.

In the weeks leading up to the performance, the Middle School held an essay contest that was supported by Dr. Páez who prompted stu-dents to, “identify an issue of concern in present-day Holyoke in a well-developed essay.. Using Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a model, describe what the community could do to address the issue.” The essays covered a wide-range of topics including drug abuse, teen pregnancy, and homeless-ness. The finalists read their shared their essays at the presentation.

Next up was Kayla Rodriguez, a seventh grade student, was inspiring as she recited the poem, “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou. The event was completed by an impressive rendition of “Glory,” an award-winning song written by John Legend and Common, and performed by the McMahon School Chorus. Thank you to all the McMahon School staff, students, and families for making this event a great success. Everyone enjoyed the wonderful presentations of our talented children and teenag-ers!

Morgan Celebrates Read Across America

By Lynne Britton On March 2nd, schools across America celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Deemed “Read Across America” day, many schools celebrate reading all week long. At Morgan school, we did just that. Pairing our 22 classrooms across grade levels for Buddy Reading, students enjoyed reading with and being read to during the morning of March 2nd. Plan-ning academic events that foster a lifelong love of reading can support our students’ literacy development as well as their love of learning. Having older peer mentors to partner with deepens the experience. Bilingual students had the opportunity to read and speak with peers in both English and Spanish, supporting native language literacy and ensur-

ing that all students feel empow-ered to share their abilities in both languages. Teachers reported that their students were excited to buddy read with their peers and many classes are already scheduling the next time to partner up! Cele-brating Dr. Seuss’ birthday with cupcakes school-wide at the end of lunch was another fun part of the day that students and staff enjoyed.

Additional events for Read Across America Week at Morgan included “Wacky Wednesday” based on Seuss’ book and Read Aloud day, during which grades preschool – grade four were paired up with a staff member or school volunteer to read students a book related to current topics and themes in the classroom. Students and staff alike work hard to learn at Morgan every week, and Read Across America Week was certainly filled with learning fun!


Page 5 Connections Page 5

Relaxed, Centered Minds

By Melanie Wise An innovative development at the school was the Meditation workshop for staff that was held on March 18th. This training was offered to all educators and provided guidance to those who wished to utilize meditation tech-niques in the classroom. Organized by project manager Rebecca Masters, this workshop equipped educators with the tools to help students de-stress. Neuroscience experts agree that meditation aids in academic advancement and violence prevention.

Numerous studies have shown that relaxed, centered minds are better suited for learning: when our thoughts are quiet and we are present, we can begin to truly engage with the learning process. Even a short meditation of only ten minutes can ease the mind, better pre-paring us to face challenges throughout the day.

If everyone meditated a little each day, we would be a more productive, compassionate and mindful community.

Witnessing a Great Win

By Jenn Schwenk

On February 12th, the fourth and fifth graders from the Kelly Full Service Community School went to see the University of Massachu-setts Women’s Basketball team defeat George Mason. The students were extremely involved in the game; cheering and rooting for the Minute Women. “It was really good to see kids enjoy-ing themselves,” stated Angelique Suarez, a fifth grader.

Many of the students were excited to see themselves on the jumbotron dancing and laughing. “It was funny to see Mrs. Schwenk on the jumbotron singing and dancing like a lunatic,” Yosue Pacheco commented. The excitement intensified when fourth graders, Brianna Sanchez and Omar Gomez were asked to compete

against each other in the halftime show. “I thought that was really cool to see people from Kelly participate in that,” quoted Armarylis Na-varro.

Just when we thought the intensity of the game was level, George Mason tied it up. They were now in overtime! With five minutes on the clock, the Minute Women needed to stay ahead. Each team went point for point. The Kelly students were vested in this game and stayed until the last three pointer went in. “SWOOSH, BAM, BAM, BAM,” the sound of the last shot going in and the buzzing of the timer. UMASS defeated their opponent in over-time. “I like watching the three pointers going in the net,” says Brianna Lopez who someday would like to play college basketball.

Teachers were extreme-

ly pleased with the behavior of each student that represented Kelly. “I enjoyed the game but I absolutely loved watching the students having a ball,” stated Lynn Jubinville, a fifth grade teacher.

Kelly Community Connections

By Melanie Wise

Throughout the chilly season we’ve been collecting winter clothes for students here at Dr. Marcella R. Kelly Full Service Community School. With generous donations from community partners, local shops, and friends of Kelly School, we’ve amassed quite the collection of all-things-winter-apparel. Seeing the gusto of commu-nity partners supporting our students attests to the old adage that it really does take a village. When the whole city helps, no one goes through winter cold.

Another supportive event in the community, the bi-monthly Mobile Food Bank, distributes produce, dry goods, and other alimentary food items to Holyoke residents in need. Every second and fourth Friday of the month at 2:00 PM in the North Bridge Street Lot, caring volunteers distrib-

ute food supplies. In support of this event, stu-dents and staff from Kelly School help. The Mid-dle School Community Service Crew withstood the frigid February temperatures to participate, along with Principal Jacqueline Glasheen, Family Coordinator Geisha Uroza, Project Manager Rebecca Masters, and parent volunteers Norma Rodriguez and Vanessa Fernandez.

Do you need to read and write when you cook? Of course you do! Eight third graders at Sullivan School spent four days furthering their reading and writing skills through cooking! Working with Mrs. Vega and Mrs. Cartegena, the students followed directions and made their own breakfast. After enjoying this early morning treat, the students interactively discussed and wrote about the cooking process.

On the menu for the week were grilled English muffins, scrambled eggs, grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches, French toast and ba-con ,and macaroni and cheese.

The students had lots of fun while learning. Cooperating to plan and execute a meal, and then working hard on their reading and writing, was a great way to spend their February vacation!

Vacation Fun at Sullivan School By Duver Gomez-Vega and DiMarie Cartegena


Page 6 Connections Connections

Design a Float

By Judy Taylor

Congratulations to Scott Leary, a sixth grade student from Do-nahue School, who won the St. Patrick’s Committee of Holyoke’s Design a Float Competition. Scott’s design (below), was used by Committee member Bill Quesnel to build the float for the Colleen and her court for this year’s Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The float needed to be designed with an Irish theme, seat five (the Colleen and her court), and fit within the following dimensions: 8’ wide, 26’ long and 10’ high area. Ninety five students from the Holyoke Public School District submitted entries.

Scott received a surprise visit in his classroom from Committee President Jackie Reardon, and Bill Quesnel. They congratulated Scott, pre-sented him with a $100 check for his design, and extended an invitation to ride in the float tow vehicle during the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Holyoke Public Schools Director of Student Services Gina Roy, Assistant Director of Student Services Lynn Lajoie, and Donahue Art Teacher Mar-tha Mulcahy were also present to congratulate Scott along with his parents (Scott and Jessica Leary), brother (Trent Leary), and aunt (Linda Leary).

Minnie Rivera Applies Jan Richardson’s Targeted Lesson Planning to Boost Student Achievement

By Mary Wright When you walk into a Guided Reading lesson in Minnie Rivera’s

third grade classroom, you ob-serve a focused lesson where stu-dents are encouraged to express their thoughts and actively practice fluency and comprehension strate-gies developed to specifically meet the needs of that particular learn-er.

Since November, Mrs. Rivera and the rest of the third grade team, has spent every week taking part in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) focusing on

the work of Jan Richarson, author of The Next Step in Guided Reading. Through the professional development efforts of Directors Mary McAn-drew and Gabrielle Agron, Instructional Leadership Specialists (ILSs) have been able to provide learning support to third grade teachers in identifying focus skill areas, grouping students, developing lessons, reflecting on videos of teacher practice, and identifying next steps for individual/small group needs. Jackson Yee Puts the “Engage”

in Student Engagement!

By Mary Wright Passersby will not find English

Language Learners (ELL students) in Jack Yee’s beginner ELL class sitting around as passive readers. Once students finish small group reading to practice strategies like inferring, visualizing, asking and answering text-based questions, and making connec-tions, they begin working on fluency. You can find them out of their seats acting out the story according to their Readers’ Thea-ter script. They use expression, cues from the “narrator”, Mr. Yee, and physical actions to show what is happening in the story. The students prac-tice dramatic expression for an audience, as well as develop fluency and English language during these exciting lessons!

As an Instructional Leadership Specialist (ILS), every time I walk into the space, students can’t wait to tell me the objective of the lesson, explain how they will use language in the activities, and then share their work. It is an exciting atmosphere where young children are engaged and eager to show their new knowledge every day. If you want to see some energetic, engaged teaching – come on over to Donahue School!

Educator of the Month Awardees

By Salvatore R. Frieri At Donahue School, we know the value of recognition for great work done by everyone. Teachers, cafeteria workers, custodians, secre-taries, bus drivers, administrators, and paraprofessionals all contribute to the education and engagement of Holyoke’s youth five days a week. Since the beginning of the school year, Donahue has recognized a professional for his or her gifts of passion, knowledge, and support as it pertains to the student body. These educators are presented to the entire faculty in after-school meetings in such a way as to demonstrate to all workers the awe-someness of their character and ac-tions. Each educa-tor of the month is presented with a signed certificate, a gift card, and a month’s rights to the parking space which was usually reserved for the principal. These educators exempli-fy the power and positive influence a fully invested adult can have on a child.

Jomairis Ortiz shares the book she made.

(Left to right): Jackie Reardon, Scott Leary, Jessica Leary, Scott Leary, and William Quesnel.

Art teacher Martha Mulcahy and awardee, Scott Leary

(Left to right): The first six 2014-2015 Donahue Educator of the Month awardees (Erik Spracklin - grade four, Erika Hanson – grade six, Harold Casey – Shared Paraprofessional, Minerva Rivera – grade 3, Mary Wright – Instructional Leadership Specialist, Cathy Hebert – Tiered Support Specialist


Page 7

Pitch Perfect By Erin Cauley The fifth graders at E.N. White spent some of their February vacation designing their own musical instruments. As a part of their sound energy unit, students were asked to design a homemade instrument, with the only require-ment being: the instrument must be able to change pitch. Prior to vacation, students learned that pitch is how high or low and that sound is and something that affects pitch. Students were encouraged to recycle materials from around their house.

When the students returned from vacation, homemade guitars, maracas, drums, flutes, and other innovative designs filled the room. The students each presented and played their musical instruments to/for the class. Stu-dents discussed some of the design features they used and how they overcame any challenges they encountered. Engineering design is also an im-portant part of the fifth grade curriculum that requires creative thinking and strategies to solve practical problems. Many students shared that this activity became a family event and that they enjoyed working with parents and siblings on a fun, yet educational project.

Project 351

By Renee Fernandez Leadership, friendship, kindness, com-passion and willingness to serve, all describe Project 351 Ambassador Darius Diaz. Darius was chosen to serve as an Ambassador to repre-sent the city of Holyoke. The eighth grader from E.N. White School joined the class of 2015

Launch in Boston on January 17th. Approximate-ly 351 eighth graders rep-resenting all of the cities and towns in Massachusetts began building unity and leadership in the city of Boston and

were encouraged to bring these skills back to their communities. At the Launch, encourage-ment and grace were shared by Bill Richard, father of Martin who lost his life in the Marathon bombing. Wisdom and encouragement was also spread by Governor Baker, and lessons of lead-ership from Congressman Seth Moulton and Jim

Gallagher of John Hancock. Daruis was one of 55 Ambassadors who served at the Greater Boston Food Bank and helped sort and pack 24,775 pounds of food to make 20,646 meals possible for those in need. Darius returned, and began his first service project in Holyoke. He hosted a gently used children's clothing and shoe drive to benefit Cradles to Crayons, which provides chil-dren from birth through age twelve living in homeless or low-income situations with the essential items they need to thrive at home, at school and at play.

Discovering the Sciences at UMASS By Emily Temple

On February 26th the E.N. White

eighth grade class took a college awareness field trip to the University of Massachusetts in Am-herst. During that visit they were able to partici-pate in a STEM interactive presentation called "Adventures in Polymers". The students sat in an auditorium setting inside of the Polymer Science and Engineering building and were able to observe and participate in numerous experi-ments. These experiments demonstrated what polymers are, how they are created, and what they are used for. The hands on experiments, which involved all of the students, made learning about polymers fun and exciting for the eighth grade class.

The students were then able to take a brief tour around the college campus to explore the University and gain an understanding of the daily routine of a typical college student. They were able to dine as a college student in the Berkshire Dining Commons and were able to ask the college students questions while enjoying their lunch and processing their experience with polymers.

The students then broke off into small groups and received individual tours of the Poly-mer Science and Engineering building hosted by either a physics, chemistry or engineering profes-sional. They were able to enter the labs of each floor and speak with staff and college students who work within the labs on a daily basis. The eighth grade class discovered the different pro-jects and experiments that take place within the different laboratories. The knowledgeable and helpful staff and groups of college stu-dents also answered any questions the eighth grade class asked about experiments that are conducted within the labs as well as general physics, chemistry, and engineer-ing questions.

Twin Day Fundraiser By Tammy Lawrence WillPower Wednesday/Twin Day -was celebrated January 14th by many students and staff demonstrating their support for the WilllPower Foundation. Almost 200 students and staff participated either by pairing together and dressing alike or kindly donating towards the cause. They simply chose a friend with similar taste, wore nearly identical items, and graciously made a donation. The WillPower Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides financial sup-port to empower Western Massachusetts fami-lies and individuals with different abilities to meet their unique needs and reach their full capabili-ties. WillPower's Twin Day gave students an opportunity to focus on, discuss, and connect to similarities, as well as appreciate unique abilities of others. The day brought joy and knowledge to all involved. In total, the school raised $176 and the Tiger Pride Community Organization was thrilled to match the donation (plus a little more) allowing the school to give a check to the Will-Power Foundation for $400! The inspiration, the 'Will' in WillPow-er, is E.N. White's very own fifth grade stu-dent: Will Burke. For complete information on his OUTSTANDING Foundation, please vis-it: http://willpowerfoundation.org/

Mrs. Halpin's first grade class celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday.



The Lawrence K-3 Campus Monthly Rallies!!

By Pat Eagan

It is so gratifying to see the whole school come together regularly. Lawrence School Principal, Cathy Hourihan, initiated monthly rallies for this school year as one way to showcase both academic areas (such as answering text based questions), and culture and climate (such as highlighting the core value of responsibility). Each month a grade level “shines” by presenting an academic area and a core value to the whole school. The Core Values –Proud, Excellent, Committed and Kind, Respectful, Responsible, Ready to Learn - are part of our Peck-Lawrence School Pledge.

Our Kindergarten children read a poem about Kindness at the January rally and showed us the word “kind” with big, shiny, blue letters.

Third grade students shared their hard work on Close Read-ing Strategies to answer comprehension questions at the October rally. Second grade students demonstrated Compare and Contrast using their Model Curriculum Unit at the November rally. In December, first grade students sang a song about being responsible, compared and contrasted kindergarten and first grade with a large, colorful poster, and performed a cultural Puerto Rican dance (the Plena).

Lawrence School’s core values are incorporated into the first year implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Sup-ports (PBIS). We have started the “Be a Super S.T.A.R.” incentive program coordinated by Guidance Counselor Jose Ortiz. Lawrence now has both classroom and individual star incentive initiatives. The Be a Super Star acronym- “Show Respect, Take Responsibility, Act Safely and be Ready to Learn” is being practiced on a daily basis.

Classrooms earn stars with monthly incentives for the top three classes. The very top class with the most stars receives the trophy for the month.

An Individual student is chosen as the star student from each class. Star students’ parents are contacted about the upcoming rally and STAR students are recognized in front of the entire school each month.

Our school climate is brighter this year with so many star students!

Peck-Lawrence

Individual STAR students are recognized at the February rally. Foreground-Grade 3 STAR students.

By Cathy Hourihan

Attendance Incentives On January 30th, students at the Lawrence K-3 campus with great attendance were rewarded to ADDITION BINGO in the cafeteria. Students earned the incentive by having one or less absences or less than five tardies or early dismissals in the month of January. Students that won BINGO were able to choose a prize. February’s attendance incentive is also anticipated to have 150 students. They will be rewarded to a short film and fruit snacks in the cafeteria.

Valentine’s Dance On February 13th, the Peck/Lawrence Full Service Community School celebrated families with a parent-child Valentine’s dance for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Mr. Victor Cotto DJ’d the event and was able to encourage adults and children alike to dance the night away. The event was well attended and parents were able to have a Valentine’s photograph taken with their children. Light refreshments were served.

Making Books Come Alive with Enchanted Circle Theater The Lawrence K-3 Campus hosted an afterschool fun book performance with Enchanted Circle Theater. Sixteen families participated in this great literacy event. The main focus of the performance was to model to parents the ways Enchanted Circle Theater integrates theater arts (theater, dance, music, visual, media and literary arts) with academic and social curricula to improve academic achievement and support the development of social and emotional health. Families really enjoyed this event.

Peck-Lawrence

continued on page 9.


Page 9

Thinking About The Future

By Cathy Foley On February 12th a group of eighth graders attended Early Col-lege Awareness Day at Westfield State University thanks to the generosity

of Gear-Up. The half day event was orga-nized by Guidance Counselor Kate Martel and Geovanny Interi-ano, Admissions Coun-selor from Westfield State. The program consisted of a campus tour, a student panel, and lunch in the dining commons. The pro-gram seeks to open the

eyes of academically motivated middle school students to a world of learn-ing that they may perceive as being closed to them. Westfield State Univer-sity is dedicated to encouraging young students to think of the potential gained from a higher education. Giovanni Intriago reflected, “I found out that it is my responsibility to learn in college. There are people there to help you but everyone makes their own decisions and takes care of their own business.” On February 13th Guidance Counselor Kate Martel organized her annual Career Day. All eighth grade students were able to hear a diverse group of individuals speak about their career path, job require-ments, and methods of achieving success. Harry Melendez (below, left),

Holyoke High School graduate and current Development Associate at Suffield Academy, spoke about the challenges he faced and how he overcame obstacles to graduate from Holyoke High, attend Suffield Academy, and graduate from Trinity College. Other speak-ers included Carlos Rec McBride, Professor at Smith College and Marc Sotoropou-los, freelance sports/television director and camera man. The students and staff agreed that this year’s panelists were the best ever.

Karyna Mulero (right) observed, “I liked the firefighters because they were all women and one of them gave me information about the Army. I am planning to go into the ROTC in high school and then go into the Army after graduation.”

Eighth grade students visit Wes ield State.

(Le to right): Des ny Ruiz, Mr. Semidey, Victor Medero, Johnathan Hodge Kennedy listen to Career Day speakers.

Family Engagement at Peck

Fourth Grade Families Learn Together By Amy Piedra and Pam Novinsky On March 4th the fourth grade team – Margo Ross, Sue Leary, Amy Piedra and Pam Novinsky - hosted a Reading and Writing Strategy Workshop for parents and students. Led by Ms. Novinsky and Ms. Piedra, parents and students practiced close reading together. Teachers modeled for parents and students and then worked with fami-lies to help them understand the strategy. Parents were also given a chance to see how we write stories in fourth grade by looking at their children's work and discussing the writing process. Student Katelyn Roque’s father, Francisco Roque, commented, “This was a great chance to come and really get to learn what my daughter is learning. I will be able to really help her at home with this information.”

Fifth Grade Families Sit Side by Side

By Alecia Pettengill Fifth grade students at Peck School sat side by side with their parents and guardians on February 13th, for Back to School Day. The parents were invited in to follow an accelerated schedule so they could get a glimpse of what their child is doing the each day. “It’s important for our parents to understand the level of rigor that our students have to manage and the type of work that they are expected to do each day to bridge the home and school experience” said Andy Cavanaugh, fifth grade science teacher.

The students worked with their parents to complete some fraction math problems. “Working together is a great way to show families that they can be a great source of support for their children. Oftentimes our students just need to know that they have someone to share their thinking with,” observed one teacher.

The students “swirled” with their families engaging in turn-and-talk discussions and independent writing. They also participated in give one-get one activities, where they had to write down their own ideas about what they believed should be a universal right granted to all people, then “give” and “get” ideas from their peers.

“One of our goals was to show families how they can support their child’s education and build literacy with our students by showing them that discourse is critical and something that everyone can engage in anywhere and anytime.” said, Alecia Pettengill, ELA teacher. At the end of their visit, each family was allowed to select a book to take home and share with their child.


Page 10 Connections Connections Connections Connections

To Kill a Mockingbird: May 4, 2015

Join us for an evening of theater at the Holyoke High School Auditorium to support the arts and literacy - produced by the Holyoke High School Drama Club stu-dents and performed by the National Players, America’s longest run-ning touring company.

Save the Date

Everyone in Holyoke is excited about the recent news regard-ing improvements in the graduation and dropout rates. Over the course of the past five years Holyoke High School has been fortunate to have been awarded funding through the MassGrad Grant to work with students through the Graduation Coach and Pathways to Success Credit Recovery programs. The Graduation Coach Program has been a positive experience for the 140 students who are involved. Students meet individually with their coach, at least once a week, and they are supported academically, socially, and emotionally toward the goal of graduating from high school. Students are primarily identified for the program based on attendance, grades, and discipline. But some students just need a little extra support, and the coaches are always willing to do what they can to help. Students have attended many different events this year with themes such as getting organized, game night, a potluck guest speaker night, and a holiday extrav-aganza. Parents and guardians have also been invited to participate in some of the monthly events that have been held. Upcoming events include a college visit, a group community service experience, guest speakers, and a theater production. The students enjoy the program and they are provid-ed with an extra person to support them within the school. They have also been able to develop constructive relationships with their peers in the program. Students are also exposed to programs and events that they

may not have otherwise attended, hence expanding their experiences.

Credit recovery is currently working with approximately 50 stu-dents in order to regain credits lost for a variety of reasons. The ultimate goal is to help students and provide a means for them to return to their original cohort. The program runs from 3:00 PM—5:00 PM Monday-Thursday and 3:00 PM—4:00 PM on Friday. Students were able to work on their classes over the December and February break to have extra time to complete courses. At the end of the first semester, some teachers began utilizing the credit re-tention option for students who need additional support in targeted areas across the curriculum. This program has proven to be beneficial and has certainly played a role in improving our graduation and dropout rates. We have seen many students move back to their original cohort to graduate in four years!

Graduation Coaches and Credit Recovery Contribute to Improvement in Graduation and Dropout Rates

By Pamela Nadeau

For more information, including video presentations of the Graduation Coaches and the Pathways to Success Credit Recovery Programs, visit http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/drop_out_prevention.htm

Take Me There

Take me to a place where the summer breeze fills the air.

Where the sun shines every day in my sun-kissed hair.

Take me to a place where I can hear the sound of the big blue waves as I lay on the beach watching the palm trees sway.

Take me to a place where the simple days of summer can brighten up my mood every single day, where the feelings of love and happiness can never fade.

Take me to a place where I can walk along in the soft smooth sand as the ocean waves splash in the stones, where a beautiful endless paradise is what I can call home.

Thank you to all who supported Holyoke High’s

spectacular performance of The Wizard of

Oz!

The graduation rate for students completing high school in four years in 2014 was 60.2 percent, up 6.4 percent-age points from the prior year. This represents the second highest graduation rate increase among gateway cities in Massachusetts. The 2014 dropout rate of 6.4 percent, has improved by 2.7 percentage points from 2013.

Alexis Chatel (above, right), currently a senior at Holyoke High School, wrote the poem above during her sophomore year. She submitted it for publication, and received notification that it had been selected to be published in: A Celebration of Poets. Congratulations Alexis!


Page 11

Acknowledging Our Winter Athletic Teams By Melanie Martin

Athletics continued on page 11.

Congratulations to Holyoke High School ‘s Callie Cavanaugh, voted MassLive’s Athlete of the Week.

HHS Boys Basketball

Finished with a 12-8 record. They were seeded 7th in the WMass Tournament. They were knocked out in the Quarter-finals by #2 Amherst.

HHS Girls Basketball

Finished with an 11-9 record. They were seeded 7th in the WMass Tournament. They were knocked out in the Quarter-finals by #2 West Springfield.

Dean Tech Girls Basketball

The team and new coach are working to rebuild the program. The Girls learned a lot and improved their skills.

Dean Tech Boys Basketball

The team struggled this season. Finished with a 5-15 record. Working to rebuild under the direction of a new coach

Dean Tech Wrestling

PVIAC Suburban League Champions and WMass Divi-sion III Champions

All-States:285- Phillip Fernandez, Placed 6th . 2nd Dean

Tech Wrestler in history of the program to make it to the second round at New England Championships! Also got his 100th win!

HHS Boys Indoor Track

Season Record 4-5 | Placed 7th in PVIAC/WMass

HHS Girls Indoor Track Season Record 1-9

HHS Swimming

Girls Record 4-4 and the Boys Record 4-4

HHS Skiing

Boys Skiing finished 9th and the Girls finished 10th in the League

HHS Cheerleading

The teams competed in 3 Cheerleading Competitions this winter. They placed 2nd in their League Competi-tion.

Dean Cheerleading

The team worked hard and showed their Hawk Spirit at the Girls and Boys Basketball games.

The Cosmetology Program students at Dean Technical High School visit the Holyoke Sol-dier's Home twice a month to provide hand and nail care to the residents. They volunteer their time with the elderly, listen to their stories, and occa-sionally share a laugh. Here is some feedback from the residents and staff….

Rose, a resident who has never missed a nail service to date, stopped me and completely unwarranted told me, "I so look forward to you coming! Thank you guys! It's the highlight of my day". Ron, former Navy Seal during the Korean War said, "I think it's great! I have a lot of respect for everyone that comes and donates their time." Priscilla, 90 year old resident who served as a staffer in Germany during World War 2 replied, "I think it's lovely". Holly, one of the Recreation De-partment Therapy staff responded, "At first the

residents thought this was just for women, but now, the men come and look forward to it. The residents like the one-on-one attention. It's a learning experience for both".

Our students also enjoy visiting and vol-unteering their time….

Stephanie commented, “The residents are really kind and funny. I enjoy seeing them having a great time. They could have a bad day but once they have our services you can see the joy. They are the milk to my cookies”. Nashaly explained, “ I feel the residents like having us over and getting our services. They really appreciate it and they also deserve it because of all they have done for us”. Another student said, “I truly enjoy going to the Soldier’s Home because I get to have conversations with the residents and hear them talk about the history...about themselves”.

Dean Gives Back to the Community By Christine Larriu

Dean Tech Wrestling Team vs. Palmer

Intramurals are in Full Swing The Spring Middle School Intramural sports are Co-ed Soccer and Tennis Mixed Doubles. Soccer practices began March 23rd within each school and games are played at Dean Tech’s soccer field. Soccer Playoffs will be held at Robert’s Field in June. Tennis teams began practice and play within each middle school. A Double Elimination Tournament will be held at the Holyoke High School tennis courts May 1st through June 12th. Visit http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/athletics.html for the schedules. Come and cheer on our intramural athletes this season!

Visit http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/athletics.htm for listing of individual and team accomplishments.



CONNECTIONS After School Program

Families Attend “Explore, Grow, Create!” to Promote Engagement through Hands-On Learning

On February 14th, the Holyoke Public Schools CONNECTIONS program in partnership with Enchanted Circle Theater (ECT) presented “Explore, Grow, Create!” a free, fun, family event at Smith College’s Museum of Art and Botanical Garden. This was a second event in the Family Fun Series put on by CONNECTIONS and ECT, the first being a successful kick-off event in December at the Holyoke Public Library called “Reading Alive!” which had close to one hundred people in attendance. There will be two more events this year for CONNECTIONS families. The purpose of these events is to provide fun ways for families to engage their children in literacy and learning. As part of the Holyoke Early Literacy Initiative (HELI), this series of events incorporates literacy development into hands-on, exciting activities that parents can continue at home. On a snowy, Saturday morning, thirty people rode the bus or drove to Smith College in Northampton, MA for a fun-filled day of learning and family time. Families toured the gardens and art museum with teaching artists from Enchanted Circle Theater who provided arts integrated literacy activities throughout the day. At the Botanical Garden, students and families were able to learn about the various types of plants and how they thrive in the garden. In the Museum of Art, students and families were able to take in the wide variety of art available and think and converse creatively about its meaning. At the end of the tours, families gathered for lunch and were then led in theater activities recapping the day. On the bus ride home, the families

created a group poem synthesizing their experiences. At this event families were given disposable cameras to capture their day’s memories and turned in the cameras at the end of the event. CONNECTIONS will be developing the pictures and mailing them back to the families as a thank you for their attend-ance. Both parents and children were excited to have been given the opportunity to participate in such a fun filled event. When asked what their favorite part was, one family wrote, “interacting with other families and having fun at the museum and in the garden.” An-other wrote, “It was fabulous, relaxing, and interesting.” Bus transportation for participants and their families was provided by Smith College’s Muse-um of Art and lunch was provided by Smith College’s Community Service Office. CONNECTIONS families embody a sculpture with

Enchanted Circle Theater teaching ar st Tony Jones.

Families tour the Botanical Gardens with Enchanted Circle Theater teaching artist Kate Carreiro.

For Program Information, contact: Jorge L. Castellano, (413) 534-2168 [email protected]

Dean Technical High School Offers Unofficial Driver’s Ed Club

The CONNECTIONS Program at Dean Technical High School is proud to announce that it now offers a “Driver’s Ed” Club to students that are sixteen years and older. While the club is not an official drivers education class, the goal is to prepare students to pass the Massachusetts Learner’s Permit test - one of the first steps to getting an official Massachusetts driving license. Students take one class each week during club time at the Dean Tech CONNECTIONS Program on either Tuesday or Thursday. The classes focus on understanding the content of the official Massachusetts Drivers Manual, which is the basis for the Learner’s Permit exam. Through dynamic instruction, tutoring, and language support, the club makes the content of the driving manual accessible to all participating students. Furthermore, to ensure that the information the students study is accurate and as complete as possible, CONNECTIONS is working with Falls Driving School, a licensed driving education program in South Hadley, MA, to bring guest speakers, practice tests, and learning materials to the club. In an effort to make the process even easier for the students, CONNECTIONS will provide transpor-tation to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, arrange special testing accommodations, and pay the testing fee for students whose attendance to the club is outstanding, and to those who demonstrate serious commitment to learning the material!

The formation of the club was initiated in response to a student survey that identified driving as a very popular area of interest for the Dean Tech CONNECTIONS students. CONNECTIONS is thrilled to be able to assist students in the driving licensure process and understands that a learn-er’s permit is an important step towards independence, which can open new opportunities for family support, work, and education.


Una Carta Abierta a la Comunidad de la Escuela Holyoke

Acontecimientos Recientes y Futuros

Es alentador ver el comienzo de un progreso signifi-cativo en el rendimiento académico de nuestros estudiantes. Me complace compartir con ustedes que la tasa de gradua-ción y deserción escolar son las mejores que hemos visto en los últimos tiempos. (Consulte la página 10 para más infor-mación). También por primera vez en los últimos diez años, estamos viendo un aumento en la matrícula de los estudian-tes, y con ese aumento vendrán apoyos adicionales para crear programas en el distrito. En nuestro proceso de presupuesto vamos a proponer planes innovadores que continuará mo-viendo el distrito hacia adelante. Los últimos meses han sido muy estimulante y críti-co para nuestro distrito. Como mencioné en la última edi-ción de Conexiones, las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke se so-metió a una revisión de Distrito por el Departamento de Elemental y Secundaria de Massachusetts. El informe escrito que identifica logros, retos y recomendaciones para ayudar a mejorar el rendimiento estudiantil en nuestro distrito ahora s ha sido recibido y se puede encontrar en nuestro sitio Web del distrito. En una reciente comunicación al personal, destaqué la importancia de seguir trabajando duro y centrarse en nues-tros puestos de trabajo, ya que cada uno de nosotros tiene un papel esencial para transformar Holyoke y para servir a

nuestros estudian-tes de la mejor manera posible todos los días. Hemos

sido capaces de alinear una serie de iniciativas y programas juntos con grandes líderes y nuestros maravillosos maestros. El 5 de marzo tuve el placer de visitar los salones de clase para notificar a siete maestros que habían sido seleccionados como ganadores del premio Pioneer Valley Excelencia en la Enseñanza de este año. Este premio antes conocido como el premio Grinspoon, se presenta a los maestros que han sido nominados por sus colegas sobre la base de ciertos criterios, entre ellos la excelencia en las prácticas de enseñanza, el desarrollo profesional, la buena asistencia y el entusiasmo por la enseñanza y el trabajo con los niños. Por favor visite la página 3 para obtener una lista de los premiados, así como información adicional con respecto a este prestigioso premio.

Para terminar me gustaría:

Anime a los padres/tutores para registrar a sus estudiantes para el kindergarten y preescolar (ver más abajo)

Gracias a aquellos que apoyaron el musical anual de la Escuela Superior de Holyoke El Mago de Oz. Una vez más, nuestros alumnos presentaron una increíble actuación.

Deseo a nuestros estudiantes, familias y personal unas vacacio-nes seguras y agradables en abril. Estudiantes, regresen descan-sados para la segunda ronda de las pruebas MCAS! Estoy segu-ro de que este año será el año para demostrar todo el maravi-lloso trabajo en equipo y la colaboración en la educación de nuestros estudiantes.

Por Dr. Sergio Páez, Superintendente de Escuelas

Dale me gusta Hoy! Visite www.Facebook.com/HolyokePublicSchools y dale “me gus-ta” para recibir noticias, videos y fotos actualizadas del distrito.


Volume 13 Issue 3

Primavera 2015

Estos son los puntos mas sobresalientes del Boletin


Es el momento de registrar a sus niños para los pro-gramas de Kindergarten y Preescolar. Además de un kindergarten de tiempo completo, preescolar gratuito se está ofreciendo en todas nuestras escuelas del K-8 efectivo el Otoño 2015. Para materiales de registro y la información sobre estas ofertas, nuestro nuevo programan de Lenguaje Dual (ver página 15), visite: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/studentservices.htm.

Estudiante de Arte Mya Ortiz, Escuela Donahue



Reunione de SEPAC – Consejo Asesor de padres de Educación Especial

Favor únase a otros padres preocupados en nuestras próxima reunione del Consejo Asesor de Educación Especial (SEPAC).

PRÓXIMAS REUNIONE —1 de junio de 2015 Visite el sitio web de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke para lugares y temas.

¿Preguntas? Contacto: Kelly- [email protected] o Dawn- [email protected]

REUNIONEDESEPACRegistro de Kindergarten Los Niños deben tener 5 años en o antes del 01 de septiembre de 2015

Registro Sólo por Cita Llame a 413-534-2007

Las solicitudes y la información de registro están disponibles en la Oficina de Asignación al Estudiante (57 Suffolk St. 1er piso) y en la página web del distrito http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/studentservices.htm

Los entrenadores de graduación y Recuperación de Créditos contribuyen a la mejora de Graduación y tasas de Deserción Escolar

Por Pamela Nadeau

Todos en Holyoke están muy entusiasmados

con la noticia reciente sobre las mejoras en las tasas de graduación y deserción escolar. En el transcurso de los últimos cinco años la Escuela Holyoke High ha sido afor-tunada de haber obtenido el financiamiento a través de la Beca de Graduación de Massachusetts para trabajar con los estudiantes a través del entrenador de graduación y vías hacia programas de éxito de recuperación de crédito. El Programa de Entrenamiento de Graduación ha sido una experiencia positiva para los 140 estudiantes que están involucrados. Los estudiantes se reúnen individualmente con su entrenador, al menos una vez a la semana, y cuentan con el apoyo académico, social y emocional hacia la meta de graduarse de la secundaria. Los estudiantes se identifican principalmente con el programa basado en la asistencia, calificaciones y disciplina. Pero, algunos estudiantes sólo necesitan un poco más de apoyo y los entrenadores siempre están dispuestos a hacer lo que puedan para ayudar. Los estudiantes han asistido a muchos eventos de este año, con temas como organizarse, jugar de noche, un invitado orador en la noche, y un gran espectáculo de día de fiesta. Los padres y tutores también han sido invitados a participar en algunos de los eventos mensuales que se han celebrado. Los próximos eventos incluyen una visita a la uni-versidad, un grupo de experiencia de servicio comunitario, oradores invitados, y una obra de teatro. Los estudiantes disfrutan del programa y se les proporciona una persona extra para apoyarlos dentro de la escuela. También han sido capaces de desarrollar relaciones constructivas con sus compa-ñeros en el programa. Los estudiantes también están expuestos a programas y eventos que puede que no hayan asistido, por lo tanto ampliando sus experiencias.

Recuperación de créditos está trabajando actualmente con aproximadamente 50 estudiantes con el fin de recuperar los créditos perdidos por una variedad de razones. El objetivo final es ayudar a los estudiantes y proporcionar un medio para que vuelvan a su cohorte original. El programa funciona de 3:00 PM a 5: 00 PM de lunes a jueves y 3:00 PM a 4: 00 PM los viernes. Los estudiantes fueron capaces de trabajar en sus clases durante las vacaciones de diciembre y en febrero para darles tiempo adicional para completar los cursos. Al final del primer semestre, algunos maestros co-menzaron a utilizar la opción de retención de crédito para los estudiantes que necesitan apoyo adicional en áreas específicas a través del currículo. Este programa ha demostrado ser beneficioso y sin duda ha jugado un papel en la mejora de nuestras tasas de graduación y deserción escolar. Hemos visto a muchos estudiantes que regresan de nuevo a su cohorte original para graduarse en cuatro años!

Los entrenadores de crédito de recuperación y los maestros creen en estos programas y creen en nuestros estudiantes. Hemos visto y seguimos viendo el éxito positivo en muchos de los estudiantes que participan en ambos programas!

Para obtener más información, incluyendo presentaciones en video de los Entrenadores de Graduación y los Caminos al Éxito de Recupe-ración de Créditos, visite: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/drop_out_prevention.htm

La tasa de graduación para los estudiantes que terminan la escuela secunda-ria en cuatro años en el 2014 fue del 60.2 por ciento, hasta 6.4 puntos por-centuales respecto al año anterior. Esto representa el aumento de la tasa de graduación segunda más alta entre los puntos de gateway cities en Mas-sachusetts. La tasa de deserción escolar de 2014 de un 6.4 por ciento, ha mejorado en 2.7 puntos porcentuales con respecto a 2013.

Matrícula de Lenguaje Dual—¡Matricúlese ahora!

Este programa es para estudiantes que ingresan a primer gra-do, kínder y preescolar (el estudiante debe ser de cuatro años de edad), que estén interesados en asistir a nuestro innovador Programa de Lenguaje Dual en la Escuela Joseph Metcalf. Ver la página 15 para obtener más información.


Page 15

Lenguaje Dual el Tiempo de Inscripción es Ahora por Amy Burke La Escuela Joseph Metcalf está ofreciendo una oportunidad de inscripción abierta para los estudiantes que entran al grado uno, kindergarten y preesco-lar (estudiantes deben ser de cuatro años de edad) que estén interesados en asistir a nuestro Programa de Lenguaje Dual. Este innovador programa ofrece oportunidades de adquisición del lenguaje en Inglés y Español; plan de estudios basado en la investigación que está alineado con los puntos de referencia del distrito y estructuras curriculares del estado. Las solicitudes y la información del programa están disponibles en el sitio web del distrito http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/duallanguageprogram.htm

Envié la solicitud completa a la atención de Amy Burke, Directora al 2019 Northampton St. Holyoke, MA. Llame al 413-534-2104 para más informa-ción.

Premio de Excelencia en la Enseñanza (PVEIT) ………………………… por Judy Taylor

El prestigioso premio Pioneer Valley de Excelencia en la Enseñanza fue presentado a siete maestros de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke el jueves, 5 de marzo. Miembros de la familias emocionados y administrado-res del distrito sorprendieron a los maestro con globos, flores y certificados de premios.

El premio ofrece a los ganado-res con un premio de $500 en efectivo y una placa grabada, tres meses de membresía en YMCA y Springfield JCC, 2 entradas para una cena de ce-lebración en Log Cabin, una invitación de WGBY para to-mar un curso en internet y $100 en becas de las universidades locales hacia cursos de posgra-do.

Los ganadores incluyen (hacia la derecha desde arriba a la izquierda) Catherine Hebert, Especialista de Apoyo Académico, Escuela Maurice A. Donahue; Julie Griffin-Pluta, Grado 4 ELA/SS, Gr. 3 Maestra de Elemental, Escuela EN White ; Maureen Dupont, Grado 2 Maestra de Apoyo, Es-cuela de Servicios Completos a la Comuni-dad Lawrence; Peter Rego, Grado 8 Maes-tro de Matemáticas, Escuela de Servicios Completos a la Comunidad Kelly; Militiza Semedei, Maestra de Language Dual Kin-dergarten, Escuela Metcalf; Jeremiah Ba-rrett, Maestro de Matemáticas, Escuela de Servicios Completos a la Comunidad Peck; Zaida Cruz, Maestra de Ciencia, Escuela Holyoke High. Para biografías de los maestros y presentación del video que documenta este evento emocionante visite: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/grinspoon.htm

Criterios de Nominación Los nominados deben demostrar profesionalismo a través de:

Excelencia en prácticas de enseñanza El desarrollo profesional La buena asistencia

El entusiasmo por la enseñanza y el trabajo con los niños

Felicidades maestros!


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Connections - Holyoke Public Schools€¦ · It is encouraging to see the beginning of sig-nificant progress in the academic perfor-mance of our students. I am pleased to share with