Reducing Excessive Plate Waste in the Holyoke Public Schools
Connections - hps.holyoke.ma.us€¦ · THANK YOU! The Holyoke Public Schools and the Celebrate...
Transcript of Connections - hps.holyoke.ma.us€¦ · THANK YOU! The Holyoke Public Schools and the Celebrate...
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
The end of the school year has rap-
idly approached. This is a time full of hope
and high expectations for our recent gradu-
ate students. It symbolizes the end of a jour-
ney that started thirteen years earlier. This
turning point also marks the time when our
students have made the difficult decisions
that will impact the rest of their lives. I want
to congratulate our graduates and their fami-
lies for all the work and support demon-
strated during these years. The future is
going to be better because of this accom-
plishment.
This is also an exciting time where
we can reflect and assess some of the work
completed this year. Nothing is more im-
portant than to see how the tireless work of
our teachers and other staff pay off in posi-
tive academic achievement. We are ready
for some good news after many weeks of
hard work and dedication to shape the lives
of thousands of students. The new testing
results will inform us of improvement areas
and changes needed to be made for the up-
coming year.
The end of the year also reminds us
of the many weeks students will be out of
school. This is a period of time that needs to
be occupied by continued learning. It is a
time for students to complete all the sum-
mer reading and have the opportunity to
interact with their first teacher(s), mom and
dad, at home. We need the support of all
responsible adults. I am encouraging our
adult community to help and support our
students during the summer months. Rather
than experiencing a regression in academic
performance during the summer, I am hop-
ing that our students have the opportunity
to join programs and participate in new aca-
demic adventures. Visit our dis-
trict website for information
about summer learning opportu-
nities, community literacy pro-
grams, and a summer activities
guide.
Lastly, for our teachers
and all other staff, this is an op-
portunity to take some time off
to enjoy family and friends and if
possible take advantage of our
summer professional develop-
ment offerings. Next year prom-
ises to be an exciting one, full of
new projects that we have initi-
ated this year. Thanks for all
your work and dedication trans-
forming the education of our
students in Holyoke.
Summer 2014
Volume 12, Issue 4
Holy oke P ublic Sc ho ols
Announcements 2
School News
3-11
Athletics
11
After School
12
Spanish
13-16
Spanish
13-16
Holyoke Public Schools
Inside this issue:
Edition Highlights:
● Rising Stars
● Pathways to Success
First Graduate
● Autism Awareness
● Kindergarten/ Preschool
Information
The End of the Year An Open Letter to the Holyoke School Community
By Dr. Sergio Páez, Superintendent of Schools
A Community Working Together
Connections A Community Working Together
E.N. White students Niomi Sorbi and Seth Dunlap enjoyed
their visit to the Holyoke Public Library (HPL) Read more
about their experience on page 6. The library is a cool, com-
fortable space for HPS students to spend their summer days
reading with their families. Visit the HPL website for a sched-
ule of summer hours and free learning activities:
http://www.holyokelibrary.org/holyokenew/
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
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.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”- Wayne Gretzky
Holyoke School
Committee
Mayor Alex Morse
Dennis Birks
Erin Brunelle
John Brunelle
William Collamore
Mildred Lefebvre
Cesar Lopez
Devin Sheehan
John G. Whelihan
Rosalee Tensley
Williams
Connections Newsletter
Edited by Judy Taylor [email protected]
Editors Emeritus: Kelly Doktor and Laura DuPont
Translated by: Luz Aguilar and Jacqueline Escalera
Summer
Learning
Opportunities
Kindergarten Registration
Register Now!
Children must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2014.
Registration by Appointment Only
Applications available at the:
STUDENT ASSIGNMENTOFFICE
57 Suffolk Street 413-534-2055
PRESCHOOL INFORMATION
The Holyoke Public Schools is
working towards providing
preschool in the Kelly, Lawrence
and E.N. White schools.
If you have children that will be 4 years
old on or before September 1, 2014,
please call Maria Colon or Virginia
Roche in the School Assignment Of-
fice: 413-534-2055.
Health Information— For Parents/Guardians of
Current Sixth Graders
For a student to enter seventh grade in September 2014,
documentation of the following requirements will need to
be submitted to the school nurse by August 27, 2014
1. Physical exam (copy of exam or appointment date)
2. Two doses of Measles, Mumps, Rubella vaccine (MMR)
3. Three doses of Hepatitis B Vaccine
4. One dose of Tetanus (Tdap) Booster Vaccine (unless last
tetanus booster was within the last 5 years)
5. Two doses of Varicella Vaccine (or physician documented
High School Athletics Tryout
Information:
See page 11.
Summer Visit the district website
for Summer Information, including:
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Page 3
Rising Stars 2014 The district celebrated its 20th Annual Rising Stars on Tuesday, April 29th.
Students were honored at a reception and dinner at Dean Technical High
School for their academic achievement, leadership and school/community
service. Congratulations students!
THANK YOU!
The Holyoke Public Schools and the Celebrate
Holyoke Public Schools/Rising Star Committee extend a
heartfelt thank you to our kind benefactors—Peoples
Bank, Holyoke Community College, The Springfield Re-
publican, Richard Leso, Director of Food Services, Ken
LePage, Production Manager, Log Cabin/Delaney House/
D Hotel, Sweet Dreams Bridal Boutique, and district
volunteers (Gina Roy, Peggy Vershon, Iwonna Langlois
and Phil Christofori).
We would also like to thank the district staff
and student families for encouraging these Rising Stars to
reach their potential! Visit us on Facebook for more coverage
of this exciting event: http://www.facebook.com/holyokepublicschools
HOLYOKE HIGH
Dorilyn Castillo
Kevin Higgins
Kiara Dejesus
Natalie Pedraza
Emma Price
Stephanie Colon
Rachael Dearman
Brandon Torres
Grace Hamel
Amelia Vega
Kristian Arturet
Keisha Burgos
Crystal Vazquez
DEAN TECHNICAL
Desiree Carillo
Wendelyn Hildago
Anfernee Hernandez
Yamilex Ortiz
DONAHUE
Selena Garcia
Desiree Arena
Natalie Figueroa
MCMAHON
Shivani Ramraykha
Tara Koszewski
Nathaniel Ernst
KELLY
Osiris Sanabria Ramos
Johan Cruz Hernandez
Will Agron
PECK
Jose Ortiz
Nashali Soto
Migdalis Rodriguez
SULLIVAN
Rafael Rivas
Matt Seymour
William Drohan III
EN WHITE
Adam Sypniak
Darius Diaz
Kayla LaFortune
MORGAN
Alysson Mazzu
Eliszer Rodriguez
Marie Gonzalez
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Page 4 Connections Connections Connections
Enchanted Circle Theater (ECT)
and the Hitchcock Center for the Environ-
ment (HCE) with funding from the Massachu-
setts Cultural Council and the Holyoke Public
Schools have taught an Arts and Science
Integration program that has taken place in
sixteen 5th grade classrooms in the city.
ECT and the HCE have worked in
partnership with Dr. Helen Gibson, Director of
Science, Technology, Health and Physical Educa-
tion in Holyoke for fifteen years, developing and
facilitating creative science programs that en-
hanced academic achievement and social/
emotional learning. The collaboration engaged
students in arts-integrated, hands-on-science,
and made learning relevant to urban youth by
investing in their critical and creative thinking
skills.
Where Does Your Water Go sup-
ports the existing 5th grade standards-based,
science curriculum on the Water Cycle, and
expands it to include a civic engagement and
arts advocacy on Storm Drainage and Com-
bined Sewage Overflows (CSO).
The 11-day program began with
hands-on science explorations with the Hitch-
cock Center, designed to stimulate skills in
observation and investigation by exploring the
watershed, ground water, and include live ani-
mal observations. Guest speakers from United
Water and the Connecticut River Watershed
Council visited classrooms on Day 6 to address
the issue of Combined Sewer Overflows
(CSO’s) - where the two waters mix during high
storm-water flow events, and high-
light the concepts of river steward-
ship and the toll trash takes on the
river and watershed.
Enchanted Circle teaching
artists arrived on Day 7 to begin the
Art and Advocacy work and guide
students through the process of
interpreting these core science
concepts through poetry, move-
ment, and graphic illustration. ECT
led student teams through the pro-
cess of producing original Storm
Drain Art to educate the general
public, and practicing important self-
presentation skills to be able to
present their ideas to others.
A juried art contest is scheduled for
early June to select six Storm Drain Art Designs
from the 200 completed. These designs will be
installed on storm drains around Holyoke City
Hall during summer 2014, with ECT associated
teaching artist, Gabriela Micchia, supporting the
student artists. A community Storm Drain Art
and Advocacy celebration will take place in Fall
2015. Stay tuned!
Artists: Serenity and Diamond from E. N. White
Pathways to Success Program - First Graduate
The Holyoke Public Schools is pleased to announce that our Pathways to Success
Program has its first graduate, Benjamin Destromp. Congratulations Benjamin!
The Pathways to Success Program is a credit recovery/retention
program for:
Individuals who have dropped out recently and are less than 22 years of age
Individuals that need to complete credits for graduation/certificate of
attainment*
Teenage mothers/students that have been placed in unavoidable circumstances,
but still want to receive their diploma/certificate of attainment*
Students who have dropped out and want to earn credits to reenter the
Holyoke Public Schools
*Students, who pass the MCAS, will receive a diploma. Others will receive a certifi-
cate of attainment.
For more information about this program, visit
http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/drop_out_prevention.htm
Left to right: Pathways to Success Program Administrator Dr.
Gary Tirrell, Student Services Director Gina Roy, Benjamin
Destromp, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Sergio Páez
Employment Information Session
The Holyoke Public Schools provided an Employment
Information Session on May 13th at Holyoke High
School. District staff were available at tables providing
information about the schools, departments, resources,
and programs available in our district. For a listing of
available positions, visit http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
and click on the Employment link.
WHERE DOES YOUR WATER GO? - Integrating Arts, Science, and Civic Awareness— By Priscilla Kane Hellweg
(Left to right): McMahon
School Assistant Principal Marianne Currier and Prin-cipal Myriam Ulloa-Skolnick
provide information about the their school including a tri-board, brochures, and a McMahon made
We’ve Got This MCAS video.
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Page 5 Connections
Sullivan Music Department— "Where Words Fail, Music Speaks."
By Amanda Metcalfe
For some of our students, 45 minutes of music class is enough
for one day. But for many of us, singing becomes a passion- more than
humming a few tunes in the shower. That's why this year, for an hour
after school every Thursday, the Sullivan Singers Chorus gets together to
lift their voices in song.
The Sullivan Singers are a new group of students from grades 6-
8 interested in singing together as a group. They listen to and select mu-
sic that they would like to sing and spend their time after school practicing
together as a group. Mrs. Metcalfe leads the Sullivan Singers, emphasizing
the importance of quality sound, breath support, and ensemble performing
strategies.
"This is a new experience for most, if not all, of the students in
the group," Mrs. Metcalfe says. "They have sung along with the radio, or a
karaoke track, but never with other, larger groups of people. It takes
getting used to- you have to trust that the people around you will support
your voice, and then you have to be willing to break out of your comfort
zone and even perhaps sing a different sounding part than someone else
to make the music more interesting. It is not easy, but these students
come every week and give it their all- and they are incredible. Their ener-
gy is infectious and inspiring."
The Sullivan Singers are currently preparing for the annual Tal-
ent Show, taking place at the end of the school year. They have selected
two songs for performance, and are currently focusing their attention on
an arrangement of the popular tune, Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten".
Sullivan Singers meets every Thursday from 3:00 P.M.- 4:00
P.M. Any student interested in joining the Sullivan Singers can see Mrs.
Metcalfe for an after school permission slip.
Page 5
Members of the Sullivan Singers: (pictured from left to right):
Kayla Neal, Gr. 6, Nathan Reed, Gr. 6, Izabel Alicea, Gr. 8
Christiaan Boria, Gr. 6, Rafael Rivas, Gr. 6, Melina Garcia, Gr.
6, Charlotte Brunette, Gr. 6 Yasiri Valentin, Gr. 8, Judibeth Medina,
Gr. 7, Sam Hernandez, Gr. 7, Emma Fogarty, Gr. 7
Members not pictured here: Santos Lopez, Gr. 7, Yuliana Ortiz,
Gr. 7, Deztenie Martinez, Gr. 8, Agapita Ocasio, Gr. 8
Metcalf School was abuzz with potential Kindergarteners and
their families on Tuesday, May 6th. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Sergio
Páez spoke to the families about all of the wonderful educational oppor-
tunities the Holyoke Public Schools have to offer. Gabrielle Agron, Direc-
tor of Early Childhood Learning informed parents about Kindergarten
Readiness and what that looks like in their young learners. Information
tables were also set up and people at each table were available to answer
any questions and displayed the exciting things that are going on around
the district. Represented were all seven Holyoke Public Schools that have
kindergarten classrooms as well as the Holyoke Special Education De-
partment, the Holyoke English Language Learners Department, the Spe-
cial Education Parent Advisory Council (PAC), the Holyoke Early Literacy
Initiative, the Holyoke Student Assignment Center and the HALO Center
for Adult Learning.
Parents were able to visit the tables and take home a variety of
information. They were also able to ask any questions regarding the dif-
ferent kindergarten programs, schools and the kindergarten entry pro-
cess. It was exciting to see so many families and staff members come
together for a wonderful night.
Kindergarten Information Night— By Amy Wetzel Burke
See page 2 for
Kindergarten
Registration and
Preschool
Information.
E.N. White Kindergarten teachers display their
informational table at Kindergarten Information
Night, (left to right): Ilise Dempesy and Karen Kent.
Attention:
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Page 6
Connections
Kindergarteners Explore the
Holyoke Public Library
By Karen Kent and Hilary Russell
The kindergarten students at
E.N. White School enjoyed a much-
anticipated field trip to the new Holyoke
Public Library. In the fall they raised the
most money in a school-wide coin drive
to raise funds for the library’s renovation. Upon arrival at the building, the
students explored the computers, the Lego area, and of course the
books! They were especially excited when they learned the librarian, Jason
Lefebvre, is an author. His book, Too Much Glue, had the children and staff
laughing the entire time he read. It was a great connection to the many
authors the kindergarteners study throughout the year.
Kindergarten students also received a library card in the library’s
special monogrammed blue Velcro keychain holder and will be encouraged
to attend the library and its events all year as well as in the summer.
One part of E.N. White’s literacy goal for the year was for all
E.N. White students to visit the Public Library, receive a library card,
begin to use this valuable resource in their city, and to reach the ultimate
goal of becoming lifelong readers!
2nd Annual Science Night
By Erin Cauley
On May 1st the second annual Science Night was held at E.N.
White. Fifth graders and their parents were invited in for a night of scien-
tific fun. The cafeteria was set up with different activities that provided the
students a way to review for the upcoming science MCAS and to give
parents a chance to experience their child’s curriculum. The students had a
good time playing the role of teacher to their parents. The activities in-
cluded topics from physical, life, earth and space science to technology.
Also on display were the students’ Storm Drain Art that they
created in connection with the Hitchcock Center/Enchanted Circle. Stu-
dents explained what
they learned about rain
water.
A fun night was had by
all as parents and stu-
dents responded posi-
tively. “It was the best
night ever. I would like
to do this again.”
Sixth Grade Country Reports
By Katie Plasse and Joan Cameron
What do an ordinary Swedish citizen, the Greek gods, and Finn-
ish cupcakes have in common? They were all chosen topics for oral
presentations by sixth grade students at E.N. White School. As part of the
Social Studies/ELA curriculum, students conducted research about a coun-
try that participated in the 2014 Winter Olympics, and wrote a report
about its geography, history, people, government, and economy.
Next, students were required to prepare an oral presentation
with visuals as part of the Speaking component for the project. Students
put to use their “creative juices” in many interesting ways to present their
knowledge. It was a spectacular learning experience for all, including the
parents who visited the school to watch their child’s presentation.
Storm Drain Art
By Erin Cauley
The fifth graders at E.N. White took part in the MCC Water
Cycle/Storm Drain Art & Poetry Residency with the Hitchcock Center and
the Enchanted Circle Theater. The ultimate goal of the program was to
connect Holyoke students to their local watershed using hands-on water
cycle models, and develop poetry and art to increase community aware-
ness about storm water and Combined Sewer Overflow Systems.
After spending the first five days learning about the water cycle,
watersheds, and storm drains through interactive activities, a guest speaker
from United Water came in to speak with students and share an exhibit of
the waste water treatment facility.
The students were able to understand
where the water ends up once it goes
down the drain.
As a culminating activity,
the students wrote haiku poetry and
created informational storm drain art.
All of their art will be submitted into
the district art contest where 8 en-
tries will be chosen and painted onto
storm drains around the city. A spe-
cial thanks to the Hitchcock Center
Program Leader Patty O'Donnell and
Val Partyka from United Water (who
built the storm drain model). Read
more
about this
program
on page 5.
Enchanted Circle Theater and Third Graders
By Deb Sherburne
This year, the third graders at E.N. White had the wonderful
opportunity to work with teaching artists, Aaron Brandes (Mr. Brando)
and Melissa Redwin from the Enchanted Circle Theater. In Ms. Sherburne's
class, the focus of our work was on developing skills that would support
students taking the Grade 3 Reading MCAS. The students also worked on
presentation skills that enhanced their ability to present their reports from
the Informational Text and Biography units.
The students were asked to act out specific vocabulary from the
Informational Text unit. In one instance, third grader, Isais Rivas was able
to demonstrate his understanding of the verb aspect and the noun aspect
of the word prey. Students also worked on developing their own defini-
tions of informational text vocabulary such as index, glossary, and cap-
tions. Through this multi-sensory approach the students acquired a deeper
understanding of vocabulary and features of informational text. Ms. Sher-
burne has been able to use this time together as professional development
and utilize these arts integration techniques in both ELA and other content
area classes in her everyday teaching. Students are embodying vocabulary
throughout different lessons as a way to aid learning and improve compre-
hension, vocabulary and other curriculum content. The students love it!
E.N. White continued from page 7….
Connections
E.N. White 5th grader, Adriana Colon shows
her father, Antonio Colon, how to assemble a
circuit.
(Left to right), Janice Rodriguez, Jo-Either Pacheco-
Caraballo, and Jackie Hollimon) watch as Val Partyka from
United Water demonstrates the Storm Drain water cycle.
(Left to right), Vlademir Ayala
and Yadrian Diaz each enjoy a
good book, not to mention
the comfy chair.
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Page 7
By Aliza Pluta
On April 3, 2014, the Morgan School teachers led a successful literacy event for parents and
students in grades K – 3. The event was held to inform and to give parents/guardians tools to
take home to help their child in reading. Teachers were located in centers, modeling activities
or providing demonstrations of Read 180/ Systems 44 and Leveled Literacy Intervention.
Families visited each center and
received a stamp for participating.
Once all centers were visited, the
parents were given books, as well
as materials for continuing activi-
ties at home. Morgan School was
fortunate to have parent volun-
teers and other staff members
who were instrumental in getting
the teaching materials packaged
for each family, interpreting when
needed, and generally helping the
event run smoothly.
By Helen Gibson
Morgan's middle school science
teacher Yvonne Hilliard Ordonez
recently presented a poster at
the National Science Teachers
Convention in Boston about her
after-school STEM Club.
E.N. White continued from page 6….
The third graders also enjoyed work-
ing with Mr. Brando on Fables and Poetry. The
students worked in groups to create dialogue
for various fables and then to act them out for
their classmates. Students were able to demon-
strate a deeper understanding of the morals of
fables and the specific personality traits that the
characters in the fables possessed through their
actions, gestures, and especially facial expres-
sions and tone of voice. In the poetry lessons,
the students provided actions or gestures for
the text in the poems. Since many of the poems
that were focused on were free verse, the stu-
dents were amazed to learn that not every
poem has to rhyme and that the author strategi-
cally uses words and line breaks to give meaning
to the words in the poem.
All in all, working with Mr. Brando
was an amazing experience! Every single student
was engaged in the lessons. With their engaged
learning and enthusiasm, Ms. Sherburne ob-
served that the content material and the vocab-
ulary seemed to be integrated on a deeper level
- more students were retaining it and she could
see it reflective in their subsequent writings and
presentations. Students looked forward to the
days that Mr. Brando was coming and tried not
to be absent from school on those days. Ms.
Sherburne even observed that, after working
with Mr. Brando, the students' energy levels
remained high and the students actually worked
harder for the rest of the day! Thank you, Mr.
Brando and to The Enchanted Circle Theater
for an outstanding learning experience! Read
more about The Enchanted Circle on
page 4.
Eighth grader Jay Figueroa has soared
on the mats for youth wrestling for years. His
unique sporting talent had quietly gone un-
noticed until this lucky teacher served as witness
to his secretive success.
Sitting in the bleachers at Agawam
High School one evening awaiting the start of a
high school wrestling meet, I was watching for
the youth wrestlers to compete in exhibition
matches before the varsity team began. My son,
Michael, was one of the youth wrestlers about
to compete. As the opposing team warmed up
on the mats I was shocked to see a Kelly School
student—Jay Figueroa. Not only did I get to
watch Jay compete this night, I witnessed the
type of person who represents himself outside
school the same way we ask through SOAR, a
positive behavior program used at Kelly School.
Jay’s dedication to this sport has paid
off and is noticed by coaches all over New Eng-
land. Although Jay is humble and hesitant to
promote himself, I am proud to call him my
student and shout out to the Kelly Community
his accomplishments. This year alone, he was
the first place winner in all of Western Massa-
chusetts. He then went on to complete in the
State Championship in Northborough, MA. He
continued this winning streak with his qualifying
placement in the New England Championship
held on March 16th.
Kelly School is lucky to have such a
model athlete in our midst. The entire staff and
students at Kelly School, are all proud of Jay and
his accomplishments.
Congratulations Jay! (The acronym
SOAR stands for School Spirit,
Ownership, Achievement and Re-
spect. Our students aim to SOAR
every day and our mascot is the
eagle!)
Kelly Student SOARS Outside of School! — By R.E.Caracciolo
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Page 8 Connections
Connections
McMahon Cafe: Coffee and
Conversation about Books for Kids
By Janis Sokop
The McMahon Cafe is a family literacy program
organized by ELL teachers Janis Sokop and Rachel Gazzil-
lo. Since October, McMahon School has hosted five
events in which families met in the McMahon library for
“coffee and conversation about books for kids”. One
afternoon each month, muffins, bagels and fruit are set
out to eat and books are displayed to borrow. Teachers and families
recommend books to each other and information is shared about the
benefits of reading to children. Our first guest reader was third grade
teacher Louise Cavanaugh, who modeled questions to ask children as she
read Knufflebunny by Mo Willems.
Families are encouraged to use literary activity guides created
for certain books to ask questions and engage in related enrichment ac-
tivities such as storytelling, interviewing family members and making doc-
umentaries. These books are organized in bags by themes such as securi-
ty items, grandparents, and Puerto Rico. Other books are offered for
borrowing on a variety of subjects, genres, and levels. Janis Sokop is
thankful for a grant from the Linda Schulman Innovation Fund that made
this program possible as well as the donated books from the Link to
Libraries program and sponsorship from Dinn Trophies.
In addition to promoting reading activities at home, The
McMahon Café has been promoting educational activities at Barnes and
Noble, local museums and of course, the newly expanded and renovated
Holyoke Public Library.
MCAS Video - We’ve Got This!
By Myriam Ulloa-Skolnick
Staff and students have been working hard to tackle our MCAS
tests, and we wanted to share our efforts and our confidence in our
students! We produced a video to show our efforts and to motivate
students to do well in the assessments.
The students are trying to see how many people all over the
world will watch the video. So far, it’s received 685 ‘hits’, and has been
seen all over the U.S., Ecuador, Australia, and all over Europe! Please
view the video by going to youtube.com and search McMahon MCAS.
‘Share’ the video so that we can see how many countries will view it by
the end of the school year.
Third grade teacher Louise Cavanaugh models a read aloud of Knufflebunny
to families at The McMahon Cafe.
Autism Awareness Night —By Myriam Ulloa-Skolnick
Just recently, the Center for Disease Control announced that overall
autism prevalence rates in the US have increased, indicating that 1 in 68 American
children are on the autism spectrum. (An estimated 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls.)
On April 30th, McMahon School hosted Autism Awareness Night. The
event was led by Joe Hudson, Autism Specialist for the District. This event allowed
families to come and learn more about the services provided by the Holyoke Public
Schools and community organizations for students with autism spectrum disor-
der. Providers and families with children with autism attended what has become a
night that provides information and promotes a wonderful sense of community.
Thank you to all staff members and community organizations who made
this yet another successful annual event.
For a video of McMahon School Autism Awareness Night, please visit:
http://vimeopro.com/user16098581/autism-awareness
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Page 9
Diversity in Action!
By Karla Gartsu
On Wednesday April 30, 2014 Peck
School Library joined libraries from across the
country in celebrating El día de los niños/El día
de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day). This
multicultural celebration of children, families,
and reading, emphasizes the importance of ad-
vocating literacy for children of all linguistic and
cultural backgrounds. Our special events fea-
tured a joint poetry reading by Dr. Sergio Paez,
and Mayor Alex Morse, as well as live poetry
performances by some of our very talented
students!
Peck School Library is an example of
diversity in action. Our library provides oppor-
tunity for endless learning and enjoyment for all
Peck students and their families, staff, and visi-
tors. Stop by and visit us!
Arbor Day Success
By Catherine Hourihan
The City of Holyoke’s Annual Arbor
Day Celebration at the P/L FSCS Lawrence K-3
Campus was a success! The Parks and Recrea-
tions Department planted a gum tree on the
school playground. All students attended the
celebration which included the Mayor, Alex
Morse. The students in second grade under the
direction of the music teacher, Margaret Bel-
anger, sang the song "Nature Baby" to the as-
sembled group.
Game On!
By Carmen Lindsay
On Friday, April 11th GEAR UP Mas-
sachusetts invited a group of Peck students,
parents and staff to a College and Career Readi-
ness Night with the Boston Celtics. Attending
were faculty members Mr. Justin Cotton, Mr.
Michael Gill, Ms. Esqueda, Miss Rigali and Aida
Ortiz. To attend, students had to submit an
essay on who were their role models. The win-
ning students were: 7th graders Dante Arce and
Edwin Lopez and 8th graders Jean Montanez,
Rex Albino, Gabriel Comacho, Emely Almonte
and Angel Cruz. Also attending were four par-
ents. During the event students heard from
former Celtic players about the importance of
getting a college education. They participated in
a Sports and Entertainment Career Fair, had
dinner and watched a game between the Boston
Celtics and the Charlotte Bobcats. During the
game the GEARUP group appeared on the Jum-
bo-Tron and were recognized by the Celtics
organization.
Living History
By Cathy Foley
During their study of Anne Frank and
historical fiction, the 8th graders at Peck have
had two opportunities to make history come
alive. On Thursday May 7th a group of 8th grad-
ers attended the Greater Holyoke Council for
Human Understanding, Holyoke Community
College and the Holyoke Public Schools Hol-
ocaust commemorative event. They listened
to Anita Ron Schorr, among the youngest of
Holocaust survivors, speak of her experienc-
es during that time. On Friday, May 16th the
8th grade classes at Peck were treated to a
dramatic reading of Elie Wiesel’s Night by
performers from Enchanted Circle Theater.
Night is Elie Wiesel’s autobiographical account
of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death
camps. Performers from ECT included Anna
Sobel, Tony Jones and Josh Perlstein. Student
Marienery Ortiz commented, “Listening to an
actual Holocaust survivor and seeing the play
makes history seem so much more real to me.
Thinking of Anne Frank, that she was my age
when she died, makes me sad and I am able to
relate to a lot of what she said.”
STEPS to the Future
By Cathy Foley
On April 15, 2014, the 8th grade was invited by
Holyoke Community College’s STEP staff Brian
White, Jeff Mackler, and Melany Mendoza to
participate in the STEP Program’s High School
to College Simulation Activity. This interactive
activity has students moving through the real life
steps they will need to take in the future to
achieve their goals. Some stations included
were:
Community Service— where students
were educated about the importance of
community service and community in-
volvement as a factor in their admission to
college.
SAT Station— where students learned that
they would need to take the SAT before
graduating.
A Distraction Room— - this station was
included to symbolize many of the distrac-
tions that students will face as they try to
stay focused on success.
A 4-year College—represented a
"standard" 4-year college
A 2-year College— represented a 2-year/
community college.
These stations, and others, provided the stu-
dents a clear understanding of what they would
need to achieve to reach their future goals.
Left to right: Jean Montanez, Emely Amon-
te, Angel Cruz, Gabriel Comacho, Rex
Albino
Left to right:: Actors from the Enchanted
Circle— Josh Perlstein, Tony Jones and Anna
Sobel
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Page 10 Connections
On Thursday, May 8th the students,
staff and family members of William J. Dean
Technical High School partnered to host its 2nd
Annual Dean’s Got Talent Award and Show
Night at the school cafetorium.
The event began at 6:00 p.m. with an
exhibit of Academic and Career and Technical
Education student work and a reception pre-
pared by the Connections After-School culinary
program and parent volunteers. Student Gov-
ernment leaders did a great job greeting and
serving the audience. At 6:30 p.m. it was show
time and students and staff presented their
artistic talents and modeled in a fashion show
that included sports/active, casual, business/
professional, semi-formal and formal wear. In
honor of the upcoming Mother’s Day, the stu-
dent participants took a moment to appreciate
their mothers (or parental figures) who work
so hard to help them be successful. We had a
surprise performance by School Committee
member Rosalee Williams who recited a poem
she wrote for students. Upon conclusion of
the performances, the winners were awarded.
The Administrative Team and the Student Gov-
ernment leaders took time to present staff
awards for Staff Appreciation Week. Students
of the Year were recognized and awarded for
their achievements in academic and career and
technical education.
We had a successful event due to the
hard work of committed individuals such as
Grace Santiago, Odalys Feliciano, Magaly Santa-
na, Marvin Quinones, Stacey Funston, Sarah
Pacheco, Janet Feliciano, Diana Pagan, Mirian
Fernandez, Andrea Franco, Anabell Garcia,
Norm LeBlanc, Bruce Frey, Jose Pedraza, Mike
Jones, Lisa Lavelle and Karen Chouinard.
We can’t forget to mention the work
of our Graphic Arts Department for making
the flyers, event programs, volunteer t-shirts
and printing participants’ photos; our Cos-
metology Department for preparing our partici-
pants for the event with manicures, pedicures,
facials, hair and make-up; our Programming and
Web Design Department for the slide presen-
tation and technical support; and our team of
custodians (Patrick, Tom, Bob, Pat, Ian, Eddie,
Herminio and Terry) for helping us set up and
troubleshoot for the event. We are very
Connections
Dr. Seuss once said, “The more you
read, the more things you will know. The more
you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Well, the
place to go on April 17, 2014 was Maurice A.
Donahue School.
The Mayor, Superintendent Dr. Paez,
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Hyry-Dermith,
Ashley Baylor Channel 22 meteorologist, Britta-
ny Decker Channel 40 news reporter, a doctor,
veterinarians, Air National Guardsmen and
women, lawyers, business owners, Eric Carle
Museum staff, the ‘Velveteen Rabbit’, firemen,
police, and even semi-professional wrestlers
were just some of the readers who came to
Maurice A. Donahue School to celebrate our
“Love of Reading” 25 Book Campaign. Not only
did these individuals spend time reading, but
they also discussed their lives, careers and the
importance of an education.
This year marked our 9th annual read-
ing celebration, and it just keeps getting better
and better. The school hallways were appropri-
ately decorated in the ‘Love of Reading’ theme
with hearts adorning favorite books, book re-
flections, and posters. Student escorts intro-
duced themselves to our guests and hustled
them down the hallways to their reading desti-
nations. McGruff, the Crime Dog from the Ho-
lyoke Police Department and Neon Leon, the
dinosaur from InterSkate 91 in Wilbraham, visit-
ed every class-
room handing
out high fives,
h a n d s h a k e s ,
bookmarks and
skating passes.
I t
takes a lot of
work on the
part of all of our
staff and stu-
dents to make
this day such a
huge success,
but it is all worth the effort. We are grateful to
all of our readers for sharing their day with us
here at Donahue School, and making a differ-
ence.
Got a sweet tooth for candy and
music? Have you seen it in the movies? If you
answered yes to either of the two then you
should come see Donahue School’s version of
Willy Wonka Jr.
In preparation for the musical, the
cast will rehearse for at least two days a week
for seven weeks. The cast will memorize lines,
practice vocal exercises and learn the art of
theater! This includes wacky vocal and drama
warm ups, as well as some laughs and motiva-
tion.
Everyone in the cast is excited to play
a part in the musical. They are looking forward
to being part of the sweet magic that comes
with acting! The cast consists of different per-
sonalities from a variety of people; ones that
have acted previously and those that have
shown great promise in this new
experience.
We owe thanks to our i n -
structors and supporters; Mr. Willenbrock, Mrs.
Stewart, and Mr. Rose. We also appreciate the
work of Mr. Cates, the school’s Instructional
Technology Specialist, and Mrs. Mulchahy, the
school’s art teacher, who have been working on
stage design and props with their students.
These hard working teachers are very dedicated
to make this musical as best as it can be. Many
thanks are also owed to Mr. Todd, Holyoke
High School music teacher, whose leadership
helped secure the rights to the production.
The characters in the show will be
altered based on casting. For instance, one thing
that differs from the original performance is that
a female plays the major role, so rather than
Willy, our lead is Willa Wonka. Also, another
student in the cast plays a special role that has
not been revealed to the cast yet. This special
character will be revealed during an upcoming
rehearsal in the near future.
The play will be performed June 18th,
2014. We hope everyone can attend and enter
our world of pure imagination.
Celebrating the Love of Reading! -
By Iwona Langlois
Willy Wonka Jr. Performance
By Evy Veliz and Madison Chouinard
Dean’s Got Talent—Award and Show — By Gladys Franco
Article Authors: Evy Veliz (right) and
Madison Chouinard
Destiny Arena poses with 25
Books guest Patrick Leahy.
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Page 11
HOLYOKE HIGH SCHOOL-KNIGHTS
BOYS SOCCER- AUGUST 21ST, ROBERTS’ FIELD TURF CLEATS, SHIN GUARDS, RUNNING SHOES
GIRLS SOCCER AUGUST 21ST ROBERTS FIELD TURF
PHYSICALS, CLEATS, SNEAKERS GOLF
WYCKOFF COUNTRY CLUB-1st practice TBA COACH WILL CALL OR MAIL YOU THE Information GOLF SEASON IS SHORT….PRACTICE!
CROSS COUNTRY AUGUST 21ST, HOLYOKE H.S. TRACK-ROBERTS
RUNNING SHOES, WATER BOTTLE, PAPERWORK
SUMMER TRAINING IS A MUST!!
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL-- AUGUST 21ST, H.H.S. LARGE GYM 10 A.M.-12 P.M. SNEAKERS, SHORTS, T-SHIRT, SWEATPANTS
FIELD HOCKEY AUGUST 21ST, ROBERTS’ TURF FIELD-HHS SNEAKERS, STICK, GOOGLES, SHIN PADS, CLEATS
*If you don’t own a stick, we can advise you on the 1st day of tryouts FOOTBALL-GRADES 10-12 AUGUST 18TH
ROBERTS’ FIELD TURF- No pads CLEATS, T-SHIRT, SHORTS & SNEAKERS
FRESHMEN FOOTBALL-GRADE 9 AUGUST 18TH, ROBERTS’ FIELD TURF- CHEERLEADING-
JUNE 2ND & JUNE 3RD 5:30 P.M.-7:30 P.M., JUNE 4TH 5:30-8 P.M.
T-SHIRT, SHORTS & SNEAKERS, NO JEWELRY, CELL PHONES, ETC. HOLYOKE H.S. LARGE GYM
DEAN TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL-HAWKS FOOTBALL-AUGUST 18th, DEAN TECH FIELD
CLEATS, RUNNING SHOES, T-SHIRT, SHORTS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL-AUGUST 21st, DEAN TECH GYM
Attention: All Athletes
Interested in Trying Out for a Fall 2014/15 Sport?
For more details including tryout times and required paperwork visit.: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/athletics.htm
For additional information, contact the Athletic Office—TELEPHONE 413-493-1683 FAX 413-534-2098
Thank you to those who helped make the Go
Public! event at Holyoke High School such a
success. The Go Public! Program promotes
Massachusetts public colleges and universi-
ties. The event featured six student speak-
er/Q&A programs and a concurrent public
campus admissions fair featuring STEM-related
demos provided by campuses and local busi-
ness/industry. High school students had a
chance to learn more about the programs and
opportunities available at Massachusetts’ 29
public college and university campuses. The
event was co-produced with GEAR UP.
(Dean Technical continued from page 10).
grateful to our event sponsors: Holyoke Mall stores Promod and Corte Fiel, Jeff Napo-
litano Photography, the Dean Tech Student Government Association, Project Grad and
the Connections After-School Program.
Mike Hines recorded the event and it will be televised on the Holyoke Public
Schools Access Channel 12 and the video will also be available online via the HPS web-
site., For a listing of award recipients, visit - http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/dean.htm
Teen Pregnancy Prevention
As part of National Teen Pregnancy
Prevention Month, educators, and city lead-
ers reminded students that teen pregnancy
is preventable. The importance of delaying
parenthood and staying in school was com-
municated to more than 1,600 students dur-
ing assemblies at Holyoke High School and
Dean Technical High School on May 2nd.
Holyoke has had the highest rate of
teen pregnancy in the state for the last 10-
12 years. The Holyoke Public Schools Teen
Pregnancy Prevention Initiative aims to re-
duce teen pregnancies in Holyoke and im-
prove access to health care for adolescents.
The Holyoke Public Schools Media Center
produced the following videos: Teen Pregnan-
cy Prevention Rally, Teen Pregnancy Prevention/
Curriculum, and The Life of a Teen Parent. To
access these videos visit: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/teen_pregnancy.htm
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Page 12 Connections
Dean Students Recognized
at Film Festival
The FRAMES video club, offered by
the CONNECTIONS After School Program at
Dean Tech High School in partnership with
PressPassTV, recently received an Honorable
Mention award from their video that was submit-
ted to Holyoke Community College’s Electronic
Media Festival.
The instructor of the FRAMES video
club, Ali Pinschmidt, began working with CON-
NECTIONS students in January 2014. With her
guidance, the students involved in the program
decided to create a Public Service Announce-
ment about teen pregnancy, and specifically on
the parenting role of teen fathers. Students
worked together to write and design a story
board for the film, and to create the film. Each
individual student had an important role including
sound, director, and actors, and the film gave
students an opportunity for their voices to be
heard.
Students were informed that they had
received an honorable mention award for their
video and that they were invited to the Electron-
ic Media Festival, held on Saturday, May 3rd 2014
at Holyoke Community College. At the event,
the video was showcased and prizes were
awarded. CONNECTIONS students were very
excited about receiving this award, and about the
opportunity to share their important message
with the community! If you would like to view
the students’ video, please visit: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CSEF2Eyqvo.
Struggling for Success
Jennifer Ortiz knows what it is like to
struggle in school. Today, as the instructor of the
G.E.L.L. Program (Girls as Empowered Learners
and Leaders) in the CONNECTIONS Program
at Donahue School, Ortiz is using her story to
help middle school girls to become empowered
and successful in school and life.
In 2013, a documentary called Girl
Rising was released that focused on the lives of
nine young women across the world, highlighting
the struggles many young girls face in developing
countries. Some of their struggles include obsta-
cles to accessing an education. After watching
this documentary together as a group, the stu-
dents in the G.E.L.L. Club decided to raise mon-
ey to help the cause of education for girls. The
Girl Rising campaign has raised money to help
young girls around the world, and the G.E.L.L.
Club wanted to help as well!
On Sunday, May 18th, G.E.L.L. held a
carwash/bake sale fundraiser to raise funds for
Girl Rising. The fundraiser specifically was in-
tended to help the 276 young women who were
kidnapped from a government boarding school in
Nigeria on April 14, 2014. Girl Rising has made a
huge effort raising awareness for this cause, and
the G.E.L.L. students wanted to do what they
could to help.
G.E.L.L. students had a great time
raising money and supporting the education of
young women around the world. Someday, the
G.E.L.L. students hope that all young girls will be
able to attend school safely and at NO cost to
them or their families. Their goal is to help as
many girls as they can to succeed, including
themselves.
CONNECTIONS Students
Are Out of This World!
The CONNECTIONS After School
Program is teaming up with the creators of Zero
Robotics to bolster students’ engagement in
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math in a
5-week space race!
The Zero Robotics Summer Program
will offer 15-20 Holyoke middle school students
a unique opportunity to gain first-hand experi-
ence with space science and computer code by
designing their very own satellites. Students will
work in teams to learn about computer pro-
gramming, robotics, and space engineering while
gaining hands-on experience operating and cod-
ing their very own SPHERES (Synchronized Posi-
tion, Hold, Engage, Reorient Experimental Satel-
lites).
The students
will be tasked
with the chal-
lenge of de-
signing
SPHERES that
will protect
Earth from an
incoming com-
et! The teams
will choose
one of two
strategies for the operation of their satellite and
compete to create the most effective design in
their strategy. At the end of the summer, region-
al finalists will interact with astronauts via a live
feed as the students’ code is used to conduct the
SPHERES championship aboard the International
Space Station!
Zero Robotics is a partnership be-
tween the MIT Space Systems Laboratory and
the Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership. The
program is a fun and engaging way for middle
school students to experience STEM subjects in
real life applications. Holyoke’s Zero Robotics
team will be offered as part of the
CONNECTIONS Summer Programming (Visit
the district website for more information about
summer programs).
For Program Information, contact:
Jorge L. Castellano, (413) 313-7710 [email protected]
Connections
CONNECTIONS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM—By Jennifer Scott
From Left-Right (Middle School): Elizabeth
K.; Angelic C.; Ms. Ortiz; Imari C.; Christi-
na S.; Rosa R., (Missing: Nina K.; Haily M.)
From Left-Right (Elem. School): Tamara R.;
Jolexcia F.; Zariah F.; Yenaira P.; Ms. Ortiz;
Siannah S.; Amaya O.; Reygiana O.,
Missing: Jaynesa M.; Tainali M.; Yuleizy P.
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Una Carta Abierta a la Comunidad de la Escuela Holyoke
El Fin de Año
El final del año escolar se ha acercado rápidamente.
Este es un momento lleno de esperanza y grandes expectati-
vas para nuestros recientes estudiantes graduados. Simboliza
el final de un viaje que comenzó hacía trece años. Este punto
decisivo también marca el momento en que nuestros estu-
diantes han tomado las decisiones más difíciles que afectarán
el resto de sus vidas. Quiero felicitar a los graduados y sus
familias por todo el trabajo y el apoyo demostrado durante
estos años. El futuro va a ser mejor debido a este logro.
Este es también un momento emocionante en el que
podemos reflexionar y evaluar algunos de los trabajos realiza-
dos este año. Nada es más importante que ver cómo el tra-
bajo incansable de nuestros maestros y otro personal de sus
frutos en el rendimiento académico positivo. Estamos listos
para una buena noticia después de muchas semanas de duro
trabajo y dedicación para dar forma a las vidas de miles de
estudiantes. Los nuevos resultados de las pruebas nos infor-
marán las áreas de mejora y los cambios necesarios a realizar
para el próximo año.
El final del año también nos recuerda de las muchas
semanas que los estudiantes estarán fuera de la escuela. Este
es un período de tiempo que necesita ser ocupado por el
aprendizaje continuo. Es un tiempo para que los estudiantes
completen todas las lecturas de verano y tener la oportuni-
dad de interactuar con su primer maestro (s), mamá y papá,
en casa. Necesitamos el apoyo de todos los adultos responsa-
bles. Quisiera alentar a nuestra comunidad de adultos a ayu-
dar y apoyar a nuestros estudiantes durante los meses de
verano. En lugar de experimentar una regresión en el rendi-
miento académico durante el verano, espero que nuestros
estudiantes tengan la oportunidad de unirse a los programas y
participar en nuevas aventuras académicas. Visite nuestro
sitio web del distrito para obtener información acerca de las
oportunidades de aprendizaje de verano, programas de alfa-
betización de la comunidad, y una guía de actividades de ve-
rano.
Por último, para nuestros maestros y el resto del
personal, esta es una oportunidad de tomar un tiempo libre
para disfrutar de la familia y amigos y si es posible tomar ven-
taja de nuestra oferta de desarrollo profesional de verano. El
próximo año promete ser muy emocionante, lleno de nuevos
proyectos que hemos iniciado este año. Gracias por todo su
trabajo y dedicación transformando la educación de nuestros
estudiantes en Holyoke.
By Dr. Sergio Páez, Superintendent of Schools
Holyoke Public Schools
Todos los días estamos agradecidos por la
oportunidad de trabajar con nuestros estudiantes.
Dale me gusta Hoy! Visite www.Facebook.com/HolyokePublicSchools
Y dale “me gusta” para recibir noticias, videos y fotos
actualizadas del distrito.
Los estudiantes de la escuela E.N. White Niomi Sorbi y Seth Dunlap
disfrutaron de su visita a la Biblioteca Pública de Holyoke (HPL) Lea
más acerca de su experiencia en la página 6. La biblioteca es un espa-
cio fresco y cómodo para los estudiantes de HPS-Escuelas Públicas de
Holyoke para pasar sus días de verano leyendo con sus familias. Visite
el sitio web de HPL para un calendario de horas de verano y activida-
des de aprendizaje gratuitas: http://www.holyokelibrary.org/
Estos son los puntos mas
sobresalientes del Boletin Summer 2014
Volume 12, Issue 4 Volume 12, Issue 4
Verano 2014
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Page 14 Connections
Opo
rt
un
Los niños tienen que cumplir los 5 años en o
antes del 1o de septiembre, 2014.
Solicitudes disponibles en LA OFICINA DE ASIGNACIÓN
57 Suffolk Street Primer Piso
Matricula por cita solamente
Llame o visite: 413-534-2007
Connections
Verano
Visite el sitio web del Distrito para Información de Verano
que incluye:
INFORMACIÓN PREESCOLAR
Las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke están
trabajando para proporcionar educación
preescolar en las Escuelas Kelly, Lawrence
y E.N. White.
Si usted tiene niños que van a cumplir 4
años de edad en o antes del 1 de septiem-
bre de 2014, favor comunicarse con María
Colón o Virginia Roche en la Oficina de
Asignación Escolar al teléfono
413-534-2055.
Health Information—For Parents/Guardians of Current Sixth Graders
For a student to enter seventh grade in September 2014, documentation of the following requirements will
need to be submitted to the school nurse by August 27, 2014
1. Physical exam (copy of exam or appointment date)
2. Two doses of Measles, Mumps, Rubella vaccine (MMR)
3. Three doses of Hepatitis B Vaccine
4. One dose of Tetanus (Tdap) Booster Vaccine (unless last tetanus booster was within the last 5 years)
5. Two doses of Varicella Vaccine (or physician documented case)
MATRÍCULA DE KINDERGARTEN
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Page 15
Rising Stars 2014 El distrito celebró sus 20 Rising
Stars Anual, el martes, 29 de abril.
Los estudiantes fueron homenajea-
dos en una recepción y cena en la
Escuela Superior Dean Técnica
por su rendimiento académico,
liderazgo y servicio en la comuni-
dad escolar. ¡Felicitaciones a los
estudiantes!
HOLYOKE HIGH
Dorilyn Castillo
Kevin Higgins
Kiara Dejesus
Natalie Pedraza
Emma Price
Stephanie Colon
Rachael Dearman
Brandon Torres
Grace Hamel
Amelia Vega
Kristian Arturet
Keisha Burgos
Crystal Vazquez
MCMAHON
Shivani Ramraykha
Tara
Koszewski
Nathaniel Ernst
KELLY
Osiris Sanabria Ramos
Johan Cruz Hernandez
Will Agron
SULLIVAN
Rafael Rivas
Matt Seymour
William Drohan III
EN WHITE
Adam Sypniak
Darius Diaz
Kayla LaFortune
MORGAN
Alysson Mazzu
Eliszer Rodriguez
Marie Gonzalez
DONAHUE
Selena Garcia
Desiree Arena
Natalie Figueroa
DEAN TECHNICAL
Desiree Carillo
Wendelyn Hildago
Anfernee Hernandez
Yamilex Ortiz
PECK
Jose Ortiz
Nashali Soto
Migdalis Rodriguez
Programa de Caminos al Éxito – Primer Graduado
De izquierda a derecha: Administrador del Programa Caminos al
Éxito Dr. Gary Tirrell, Directora de Servicios al Estudiantiles Gina
Roy, Benjamin Destromp, y el Superintendente de Escuelas
Dr. Sergio Páez
Las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke se complacen en anunciar que nuestro Progra-
ma de Caminos al Éxito tiene su primer graduado., Benjamin Destromp. Felici-
dades Benjamin!
El Programa de Caminos al Éxito es un programa de recuperación de
crédito / retención para:
Las personas que han abandonado la escuela recientemente y tienen menos de
22 años de edad
Las personas que necesitan completar créditos para la graduación / certificado
de logro*
Madres adolescentes/estudiantes que han sido colocadas en circunstancias
inevitables, pero todavía quieren recibir su diploma/certificado de logro*
Estudiantes que han abandonado la escuela y quieren obtener créditos
para regresar a las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke
* Los estudiantes que pasen el MCAS, recibirán un diploma. Otros recibi-
rán un certificado de logro.
Para obtener más información sobre este programa, visite
http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/drop_out_prevention.htm
Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us
Page 16 Connections
Connections
Holyoke Public Schools Holyoke Public Schools
Media Center
c/o Judy Taylor
500 Beech Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
Connections
Like us Today! Visit www.Facebook.com/HolyokePublicSchools
and “Like” us to receive updates on district news, videos and photos.