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Bird Middle School 8th grade student Zoie P. is representing Walpole as the Ambassador of Project 351. Project 351 is a community day of service where student volunteers from Massachusetts 351 communities participate in a day of service. Project 351 challenges, motivates and supports young leaders to unite, act and lead at a celebration and serve day in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Congratulations to Zoie as a student leader. Her leadership and involvement in service exemplifies the values of Walpole Public Schools.

Victoria B., Walpole High School representative to the School Committee was unable to attend but provided the following report read by Dr. Gough:

• Semester 1 is closing and many classes are completing their unit and term assessments.
• Report cards were sent out Tuesday, January 30th.
• Many Walpole High School students are currently taking foreign language bi-literacy test to demonstrate their bilingual skills in Spanish, French, or Latin.
• Student section turnout has been strong this winter sports season, especially at some of the highly anticipated games.
• The Track and Field teams are finishing up their regular season and have had great results at many of their meets. Other winter teams continue to build on their success in the second half of their seasons with girls’ basketball and girls’ hockey both having notably strong seasons.
• Last week, the winter sports teams hosted an ALS Awareness Week to support "4 You I Will Fight".
• Clubs continue to keep busy and plan activities. The Speech and Debate Team competed last weekend, and the UNICEF Club is continuing a clothing drive. Spanish, French and P.M. Club are also planning another joint field trip. Many clubs are also doing Valentine's Day themed raffles and events.

1. History Update - Michael Donahue, History Department Chair at Walpole High School, and Jodi O'Rourke, Grades 6-8 Humanities Coordinator, provided a History and Humanities curriculum update. The report can be viewed here.

2. Approval of The Educational Cooperative (TEC) and Bi-Country Collaborative (BICO) Lease Agreements - The School Committee voted to approve leases with TEC and BICO for the soon to be vacated space at the Johnson Middle School.

• As we celebrate National School Counselor Week, Dr. Hahn and Dr. Gough expressed their gratitude for the incredible work they do each day to support our students and contribute to the success of our school community.
• Title I Night was held on January 31st. Thank you to Dr. Hahn and the Title I staff for their work in organizing this family evening.
• Last Friday, Dr. Gough attended the WHS Mock Trial, which was held at Wrentham District Court. This team did not disappoint as they impressed everyone with their knowledge of legal procedures and practices as they engaged in a trial simulation.
• February 5th was the official 100th Day of School.
• Elementary and middle school report cards are now viewable in the Aspen Family Portal. High school term 2 report cards were issued on January 30th. To access your child’s report card, please click on this link. One important reminder: You will need to access this website to view the report. If you would like to keep this report card for future reference, please download as a PDF or print it out. If you have any questions, please reach out to your student's teacher directly.
• Dr. Gough discussed the Kindergarten pre-registration enrollment thus far. Secretaries are reaching out to those who are on the census but have yet to register.
• Other upcoming events
• Tonight, WHS Counseling Dept is holding a College Admissions Panel. The panel will feature admissions reps from Bridgewater State University, Tufts University and Stonehill College. Students and families will have the opportunity to learn about the admissions process and ask questions.

• Tomorrow, 2/9, is an early release day for all students.

• WHS Winter Play, Radium Girls, is next Friday and Saturday (2/16 and 2/17)

• February Vacation: 19th - 23rd

1. Budget Update - Dr. Gough and Mr. Friscia gave an update regarding their WPS FY25 budget presentation to Finance Committee.

2. Middle School Building Project - The project is still on-time and on-budget. A reminder that 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.

3. High School Project - An update to the high school project will be provided at the next School Committee Meeting.

Mrs. Gallivan discussed the Legislative Breakfast held Thursday morning at Walpole High School. All of Walpole’s legislative delegation attended as well as many town officials, board members, school committee, school administration, community members and some Walpole High School students. She reported that the legislative delegation carefully listened to what Walpole’s fiscal needs are, provided an update on the state budget picture, and had an opportunity to hear how state-level decisions have directly affected Walpole. Mrs. Gallivan said they are grateful for the delegation for participating, listening and responding.

Mr. Buckley reported on a recently held meeting with the Athletic Director and Administration regarding the Athletic Department budget needs. A meeting will be scheduled for March with the Athletic Director, coaches, booster groups, members of the School Committee and Administration to review the athletics budget, including key cost drivers and possible methods for increasing revenue. Preliminary proposals will be shared at that meeting to obtain feedback from these groups. After the meeting, more information will be shared at a subsequent School Committee Meeting.