WHS eNotes

Dear students, staff, and parents/guardians:

As we approach the spring season, we want to highlight the significance of the upcoming Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests for our students. The ELA MCAS for 10th grade will take place on March 25 & 26. These assessments play a crucial role in evaluating both individual student progress and the overall effectiveness of our educational programs. In addition, participation in the MCAS is required by both federal and state law and student participation will impact our district’s DESE accountability rating.

Why MCAS Matters:

• Student Competency: MCAS serves as a key indicator of your child's understanding of the curriculum, helping to identify strengths and areas needing improvement.​

• School Accountability: The results contribute to our district and school's accountability system, guiding enhancements in teaching strategies and resource allocation to better serve our students.​

• Student Opportunity: MCAS results are still used as a benchmark to qualify for state awards (i.e. John and Abigail Adams Scholarship & Stanley Z. Koplik Certificate of Mastery Award) and the State Seal of Biliteracy.

Your Support is Vital:

We encourage you to support your child(ren) to approach the MCAS with confidence and dedication. Here are some ways you can support them:

• Promote a Positive Attitude: Encourage your child to view the assessment as an opportunity to showcase their knowledge and skills.​

• Ensure Rest and Nutrition: A good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast can significantly impact test performance.​

Together, we can empower our students to excel in the MCAS assessments and continue their educational journey with confidence.

Have a wonderful weekend

Sincerely,

Stephen Imbusch

Principal

Student artwork from Walpole and Norwood High Schools will be displayed, along with floral interpretations of the artworks from the Norwood Evening Garden Club, at the 19th annual Art in Bloom exhibit. It will be held at the Morrill Memorial Library, 33 Walpole Street, Norwood MA on Saturday, March 22nd 10 am - 5 pm and Sunday, March 23rd 1 -5 pm. The public is invited and admission is free!

The World Language Department is offering students the opportunity to earn the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy. The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school

or district in recognition of students who have attained proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in two or more languages by high school graduation.

The Seal is awarded at two proficiency levels and can be used to communicate with academic institutions, employers, and the community that students are able to study, work, and engage with others in two or more languages. Students who meet the criteria for the Seal of Biliteracy will receive an insignia provided by the Department of Education to be affixed to their high school transcript. An application is now available for Juniors (Class of 2026) with testing dates in late March and April; the application is included in these enotes. Interested students can talk to their World Language teacher or see Ms. Kay (room 1321 inside the language lab). The deadline to apply is Monday, March 24, 2025.

Walpole Teachers Association

South Shore Health Nursing Scholarships

Mass. Assoc. of Women in Law Enforcement

Chief Carmichael Jr. Scholarship

Tom Olen Memorial Fund Scholarship (see flyer below)

Applications for the 2025 James Erker and Fiona Murphy XC/Track & Field Scholarships will be available beginning Friday, February 14. Any senior who participated in XC, Winter Track & Field, or Spring Track & Field during their high school career is eligible to apply.

Seven ($500) scholarships will be awarded at graduation to seniors who have exemplified excellence in dedication, leadership, team spirit, sportsmanship, cooperation, and respect. Scholarship applications are available in the guidance office or can be accessed via the Boosters website link below. The deadline for completed applications is Friday, March 21. If you have any questions, please contact the scholarship coordinator at whs.track.scholarships@gmail.com.

https://sites.google.com/site/walpolexctrackboosters/scholarship

PricewaterhouseCoopers Accounting Careers Leadership Institute (PwC ACLI) at Bryant University

PwC ACLI is a five-day, hands-on opportunity for rising high school seniors (current juniors) to learn more about the accounting profession and about the key role accountants play in society. Throughout the program, participants will work directly with Bryant University faculty, staff, and students, as well as professionals from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Except for transportation to and from Bryant University, there is no fee to participate in the program. The program will provide overnight accommodations, meals, planned activities, and educational materials.

To apply, students must have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale) and completed at least Algebra 2 by the end of junior year.

Follow this link to access the official program brochure and to apply, click here. Please note that space is limited. The application deadline is set for Friday, April 11, 2025.

This is our final call for candid pictures of the graduating class. Share your favorite pictures from childhood through today. The more pictures we receive, the more personal the Yearbook will be. Upload your pictures here: https://photos.jostens.com/4NDFVZ

The Walpole High Dance Company will be performing two shows on Friday, March 21st and Saturday, March 22nd starting at 7:00 pm in the Auditorium.

Admission is Free

The Best Buddies Dinner Dance will be on Friday, March 21st from 6:00-8:30 pm at Conrad's Restaurant in Walpole and the theme is Glow Party. Tickets are $35 and are payable by cash or check made out to the Town of Walpole. You can purchase your ticket from Mrs. Donlan or Mr. Stampfl by Friday, March 14th. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Donlan at kdonlan@walpole.k12.ma.us or Mr. Stampfl at jstampfl@walpole.k12.ma.us

It's time for our second annual Egg My Yard Fundraiser!

Want to have your own Easter Egg Hunt without the hassle of filling the eggs? Let the members of the UNICEF Club prepare your candy-filled eggs for you.

We have two options available:

1. We can quietly scatter the candy-filled eggs in your Walpole yard in the evening of either Friday, April 18th or Saturday, April 19th.

or

2. We can drop off the bag of candy-filled eggs for you to scatter yourself.

The sign up form (https://forms.gle/RJAfnz1U31YN9AFfA) is officially open and you can reserve a time slot and place your order for 25 eggs for $25, 50 eggs for $45, or 75 eggs for $65 for one of those days. You can also purchase golden eggs (for $5 each) which will contain small easter toys such as squishies, tattoos, and stickers. Please see the flyer for more information including a QR code linked to the sign up form or email the WHS UNICEF Club advisor, Mrs. Vanessa Hackett at vhackett@walpole.k12.ma.us with any questions. Thank you for your support!

Photography Club will meet Thursday March 20th. The theme is St Patrick’s Day. Hopefully the luck of the Irish is on your side and you catch some photos of some leprechauns and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Show off your green in your pictures of anything that represents the holiday. See you Thursday!

The Robotics Team has been in high gear getting ready for their first couple of competitions which happen this month. The Timberwolves and Pup Cups travel to URI on March 13-15 and WPI on March 21-23. They are very excited to start competing but have been extremely busy building their robots to play the game Reefscape. The robotics teams have been building two robots, one for Team 1119, our Freshman/Sophomore team and one for Team 1153 the Junior/Senior teams. They have been working very hard and trying to finish before our first competition. It's always crunch time this time of year. Reefscape is a water themed game. It's a lot of fun to watch. The teams have to put PVC pipes called "coral' on the "Reefs" which are pipes in the middle of the field which reach as high as 6 feet. They also have a 16 inch diameter rubber ball called "algae" to either place into a low goal or shoot into the high goal called the "barge" over 8 feet tall. The last part of the game is the climb on the "cage". It's very exciting and fun to watch and you can read so much more about the robots and the game in our latest newsletter below. We have a fundraiser happening right now and we are selling 3D printed "Pup Subs" that you can purchase, featuring Timmy, the Pup Cups mascot, all student designed, that will help our team out. So please take a look at the newsletter, there is so much happening in robotics this month.

January/February Wolftech Monthly

All event information is listed in the link below. We look forward to seeing you at the games.

Walpole Timberwolves apparel check out the link below.

https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/massachusetts/walpole/walpole-high-school

For a list of upcoming events please click on the following link: https://sites.google.com/a/walpole.k12.ma.us/athletics/

Email: rdowd@walpole.k12.ma.us
Phone: 508-660-7257
Twitter: @WalpoleAD

Email: simbusch@walpole.k12.ma.us
Website: http://walpolewhs.ss5.sharpschool.com/
Location: 275 Common Street, Walpole, MA, USA
Phone: (508) 660-7257
Twitter: @WalpoleHS