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Walpole High School Senior Jonah Van der Linden is a 2024 National Merit Scholarship Finalist. Both Elsa Van der Linden and Akash Mishra were named Commended Scholars for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Walpole Public Schools is proud of these students for their hard work in earning these honors.

Colin M., Walpole High School representative to the School Committee provided the following report:

• Seniors have been busy examining all of their post grad options as they submit college applications, research the work force, or look into military service.
• Colleges continue to visit the high school during Wednesday interventions.

• Fall sports continue, and throughout the month of October, senior nights are held during home games to recognize and celebrate the class of 2024. WHS cheerleaders placed 2nd in their competition over the weekend.

• The WHS PAC held its first meeting of the year Wednesday October 25th at 7pm in the media center. All parents and guardians were welcome.
  
• Best Buddies celebrated their annual Halloween party this past Saturday at the WHS gym. Rain did not stop the WHS UNICEF Club from holding their trunk or treat fundraiser in the high school parking lot this past Saturday.
• Tomorrow at the high school Student Council will be holding the SEMASC conference called “Commit to Your Community”.

1. DEI and METCO Update - Jesenia Burke, DEI Director, and Atisha Winslow, METCO Director provided a METCO program update as well as a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) update. They reported that currently Walpole has 37 METCO students in grades K-12. All are encouraged to visit the Walpole DEI/METCO page here to learn more about the programs as well as access newsletters, Beyond the Classroom podcast, and resources. Ms. Burke's and Ms. Winslow's report can be viewed here at time marker 12:05.

2. ELE Director - Jill Kimball, Walpole's ELE Director, provided a report for the English Language Education within the WPS. She outlined that 30 countries are represented, collectively speaking 30 different languages within the District. She discussed ELE updates including program compliance and accountability, family engagement, program coordination and English language development. Click here (time marker 32:00) to view the full ELE report.

3. Strategic Plan Goals 3 and 4 Update - Old Post Road School Principal David Barner provided an update to Goal 3 of the Strategic Plan. Goal 3 is as follows: To demonstrate a high level of Cultural Proficiency as evidenced by active promotion of diversity in all aspects of instruction, learning, and participation, thus ensuring equity for all and full inclusion of members of the educational and greater community. Mr. Tom Reeve, Director of Digital Technology, provided a Goal 4 Strategic Plan update. Goal 4 is to ensure that facilities and resources support student learning and well being. Both reports can be seen here beginning at time marker 50:24.

4. Vote to Endorse Walpole High School Schematic Design - The School Committee voted to table this item until a later meeting.

• Superintendent Cabinet members have been selected. The applicants were notified of their selection on Tuesday, and the first meeting is scheduled for November 1st. Their invaluable contributions will play an important role in shaping the educational experience for their peers.
• MCAS parent reports have been mailed home, and we trust that most families have received them by now. If any parent or guardian has not yet received these reports, please do not hesitate to reach out to our office or you child's school for assistance.
• Monday, October 16th marked our Town Meeting. The proposed capital items, which included access control panels, chromebook replacements, partial HVAC upgrades at the high school, and HVAC equipment study at the elementary schools were all approved. These investments are essential in maintaining and enhancing the learning environment for our students.
• As a Leadership Team, we continue to place a strong emphasis on instructional leadership. We are actively engaging in classroom visits and focus on priority indicators. This month, our focus was on differentiation, both in terms of provisioning and implementation in instruction, so we can continue to set high expectations for all students. In line with this, Dr. Hahn has been conducting walkthroughs with principals to support our first-year teachers.
• Dr. Gough discussed the literacy screening that is happening for students in grades K-3. Even though we are required to assess and screen students this year, please know that Walpole Public Schools has been participating in the Early Literacy Screening process for the last two years in all the elementary grades. We are committed to meeting the academic needs of our students and understand the importance of partnering with caregivers to provide support in school and at home. If there are any questions about this process please do not hesitate to contact your building principal, our district K-5 ELA Coordinator - Shannon Findley, or Assistant Superintendent Dr. Bill Hahn.
• Tuesday, October 31st is the last day for Fales, Leach, Rogers, and Kunde Scholarship applications. The application can be found on the District Website or at the Superintendent's Office. Awards shall be distributed to undergraduates at four-year accredited colleges. To be eligible for these scholarships, the student must be a graduate of Walpole High School.
• Tomorrow, October 27th is an early release day (parent-teacher conferences). Please be reminded that there is no school on Friday, November 10th (Veterans Day observance).

Middle School Building Project: Mr. Breen provided an update to the Middle School project. He indicated the project is still on-time and on-budget. A project timeline and three-week look ahead schedule can be located on the middle school webpage. The community is encouraged to visit the webpage and reach out to the Middle School Project team with any questions or comments via email at middleschoolproject@walpole.k12.ma.us.

High School Project: Similar to the presentation at Town Meeting, Mrs. Denitzio provided an update regarding the high school project (unfortunately, the presentation was not able to be covered at Town Meeting by Walpole Media due to unforeseen technical difficulties). With voters approving funding for construction of a new Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High, the town will be responsible for contributing to the funding of the school (approximately $1 million annually to pay off the shared bond). As a result, the School Committee discussed the competing interest between the high school renovation project and the district's operating budget. The School Committee discussed that the operating budget must remain a priority. They will continue their collaborative work with the Boards throughout the budget process.