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
