WPS Superintendent Updates

A Message from Dr. Gough

April 12, 2024

Dear WPS Community,

Happy April! As we stride (or perhaps splash) into the spring season, we find ourselves in the final eight weeks of school. Although the weather may be unpredictable, our focus on academic, extracurricular, and end-of-the-year events remains constant. Please check your school’s calendar for the many end-of-the-year events. School vacation is the week of April 15th through Friday, April 22nd.

On Sunday, April 14th, JMS Assistant Principal, Conor Cashman, and Middle School Track and Field Coach, Antonietta O'Toole, will bring a middle school group of runners to Boston to represent Walpole Public Schools in the Boston Athletic Association Relay Challenge. Last year, Walpole students took 3rd place in the All-Star Relay Race, marking the highest finish in the 23-year history of Walpole’s participation in this event. Good luck to our runners and all of our school and community members who will be running the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15th!

Bridget A. Gough, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Solar Eclipse Glasses

Do you still have solar eclipse glasses hanging around your home? Consider donating them to Astronomers without Borders. You can drop them off at any of our schools’ main offices or at the Superintendent’s office at Town Hall. To find out more about the program, click HERE.

Reminder Middle School June Early Release Days

To streamline the transition of the consolidated middle school, two additional early release days, exclusively for middle school students, have been scheduled for June 7th and June 11th. This allocation of time will allow staff to efficiently transfer all materials from both Bird and Johnson to the new Walpole Middle School by the June 14th deadline. It's important to note that these early release days apply solely to middle school students.

Coming Soon: WPS School Climate Survey

In early May, families will receive an email inviting them to participate in the WPS district-wide Family School Climate Survey. The purpose of the survey is to learn more about you and your child’s experiences in our schools. We have partnered with K12 Insight to administer the survey, compile the results, and analyze feedback. Walpole Public Schools values your feedback, and we appreciate your ongoing contribution as we strive to cultivate an optimal learning environment for our students.

2024 National Merit Finalist

Congratulations to WHS senior, Jonah Van der Linden, who was named National Merit finalist. Jonah is among the 15,000 students from across the country now being considered for a number of National Merit scholarships. Finalists represent less than one percent of U.S. high school graduating seniors.

WHS Awarded New Innovation Career Pathway Designation!

WPS is pleased to announce that WHS was one of 22 districts awarded new Innovation Career Pathway designations. Innovation Career Pathways provides students with work-based, applied learning experiences in high-demand industries. You can read the full press release here. Students at Walpole High will have access to the same high-quality academic programming, while also gaining increased access to enriching career and work-related experiences throughout their high school journey.

WHS Robotics Qualifies for Nationals

Good luck to Walpole Robotics as they compete in the 2024 World Championships in Houston Texas next week.

WHS Robotics placed fourth in their division at the New England Championships last weekend.

Class of 2028 STEM Academy

Walpole High School is currently accepting applications for the STEM Academy Class of 2028. All information, including the online application, can be found by visiting WHS STEM Academy. The deadline to apply is May 17, 2024. Students should contact their current technology teacher or Mr. Braccini (Unified Arts Department Chair) at jbraccini@walpole.k12.ma.us with any questions.

Walpole Writes - Deadline April 26th

Calling Writers of All Ages!

The Walpole Cultural Council is pleased to announce the return of Walpole Writes, a town-wide writing contest open to all residents of Walpole, as well as non-resident students of Walpole schools.

First, second, and third-place winners will be selected and publicly announced in five age groups and two categories. The age groups are elementary school (grades K-2), elementary school (grades 3-5), middle school, high school, and adult. The categories are short stories and poems. Writers may choose to write about any topic.

To submit an entry, writers must complete and upload an entry form by April 26. The entry form can be found here: https://bit.ly/WalpoleWrites24

The winners will be announced in May and recognized at a celebration at the Walpole Public Library on Thursday, June 20.

Middle School Building Project

The Middle School Project website has been updated with the latest developments of our new middle school! The community is encouraged to contact the Middle School Project team with any questions or comments via email at middleschoolproject@walpole.k12.ma.us. The current construction look-ahead schedule is also posted on this site.