Walpole METCO Program

Welcome to our Walpole Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity Winter 2024 Newsletter Edition. This newsletter will include program highlights, events and resources for our students and families. Please enjoy our program newsletter!

Mrs. Castro-Burke has resigned from her position as Walpole Diversity Equity & Inclusion Director as of February 12, 2024. She will be deeply missed by staff and students.

Please click here to read the email sent out to students and families.

This year's 39th MDA Conference held on Friday, December 1st brought together educators across the state committed to the academic achievement of minority students. Award-winning Educator and Director of the Crimson Summer Academy at Harvard Dr. Kimberly Parker was the keynote speaker. The theme was: "Footprints From The Past, Handprints to The Future: Supporting the Educational Journey of Black and Brown Students"

“Each person must live their lives as a model for others” - Rosa Parks. Let us celebrate Black History Month with ongoing conversations with our children, there is so much to learn from the rich history.

The 100th day of the school year was celebrated on February 5th and we have also wrapped up term 1. Progress reports can be viewed on view on Aspen, starting February 9th. Please share the reports with your children and celebrate their hard work. Please stay tuned for spring parent conferences information.

Exciting news: GiGi visited Boyden and we celebrated students who have completed 100% of their ST math journey. By this time the expectation for students is to complete 48% of their journey. Keep solving the puzzles!

Our fourth graders participated in "Prairie Day" -- they read Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, the book is set in the 1870's. Students enjoyed creating log cabins and other props to recreate life from back then.

Our three fifth graders at OPR have been very busy as they learn coding in science, western expansion in social studies, multiplying and dividing fractions and enjoying fantasy and poetry in ELA. The goal is for them to learn how to juggle with studying for weekly quizzes/tests and become proactive learners to get ready for middle school. We are also happy that our fifth graders enjoyed movie night and pizza dinner with their peers at OPR recently.

The students from the METCO program in the Walpole district with a travel buddy spent a day in Boston. They took a tour of Roxbury Community College and learned about the programs that are available. From there they visited METCO HQ. METCO CEO Milly Arbaje-Thomas explained the history of the METCO program and showed a mini documentary which introduced the many important pillars of the METCO community.

Congratulations to Z.P representing Walpole as the Ambassador of Project 351. Project 351 engages eight grade students from all of the cities and towns in Massachusetts in a year long program of leadership development and civic engagement. Ambassadors reflect the core values : kindness, compassion, humility and gratitude, of project 351.

Congratulations to Walpole High School Student N.E for receiving November's student of the Month.

Ed Camp is a full day of professional development training for educators in Walpole Public Schools. This year Ed Camp was on January 12, 2024. Ms. Atisha, METCO staff, and Anita Hamilton presented: "METCO Past, Present, and Future." Anita Hamilton is one of the first three graduating students in the Walpole METCO Program graduating in the class of 1977. Anita was the first Black senior class president and vice president two years prior. Anita passed around pictures from when she attended Walpole Public Schools and recited poems she wrote while in high school.

The METCO Legislative Briefing was held on January 30, 2024 at the State House. METCO Directors, METCO District Superintendents and Board Members were all invited for a briefing and discussion on updates pertaining to student outcomes, racial equity initiatives and new opportunities.

February 19th -23rd - February Break

March 6th - Virtual Parent Meeting

March 8th - Early Release

March 22nd - Early Release

March 29th - No School

April 15th - 19th - April Vacation

Please follow us @walpolemetco on Instagram

Atisha Winslow

METCO Program Director K-12

Awinslow@walpole.k12.ma.us

Uma Valluri

METCO Tutor

Elm Street Elementary School

uvalluri@walpole.k12.ma.us