WPS Superintendent Updates

January 12, 2024

Dear WPS Community,

Happy New Year! As we step into 2024, I am enthusiastic about the opportunities that lie ahead for our students and the collective growth we can achieve together. The coming months present promising opportunities for learning, achievement, and collaboration. As partners in your child's educational journey, I look forward to the support and shared successes that will make this year truly remarkable. Wishing you and your family a fantastic start to 2024!

Please be reminded that there will be no school on January 15th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

On January 12th, there will be no school for students, as our dedicated staff will immerse themselves in EdCamp. This participant-driven professional development day, themed "Elevating Student Voices," boasts nearly 75 workshops and includes multiple outside presenters. My sincere thanks to Tom Reeve, Jesenia Burke, Jill Kimball, and Sarah Scales for their tireless efforts in spearheading this event.

The School Committee has approved the 2024-2025 school year calendar. Click HERE to access the link.

The Superintendent of Schools is ultimately responsible for the final decision to cancel school based on various weather-related factors and information received from the Department of Public Works. In the event of school cancellation or delayed opening, a recorded phone message will be sent to each family's phone contact, broadcasted through Channel 4, 5, 7, and Fox 25, and posted on the Walpole Public Schools app and district website, and an email will be sent to all families. As a reminder, DESE will not allow any district-wide remote learning days to replace a snow day, and therefore, any snow days will be made up in June.

The Extended Day Program is excited to offer a February Vacation Camp for the upcoming school break, February 19 - February 23. The Vacation Camp is open to all Walpole Schools students in grades K - 5. Click HERE to register. Registration is open through February 7th.

The Walpole Scholarship Foundation Application cycle is now open. Any Walpole resident applying to or currently attending a post-high school institution that offers an advanced course of study may apply for a scholarship. This includes four-year bachelor's degree programs, associate degree programs, and technical certificate programs.

Academic merit, financial need, extracurricular activities (including community service and work experience) and personal qualities are all considerations in awarding scholarships. The selection of the winners is overseen by the WSF Board of Trustees and is determined by an independent group of community members representing all sections of Walpole. The application deadline is February 1, 2024 at noon. To apply please visit www.walpolescholarshipfoundation.org/apply.

On January 25th, we will embark on Strategic Planning titled "Planning for Success." Developed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, this model serves as a roadmap for ongoing improvement over a 3 to 5 year period. Dr. Ruth Gilbert Whitner will guide this process, which takes place over a two to three month period of time to ensure that input from stakeholders is inclusive and comprehensive.

Although the protocols are similar for each district, sessions are adapted to address each school district’s areas of strength and areas for growth with a student-centered perspective. After the plan is completed, the leadership team develops and monitors annual action plans to ensure that the objectives, initiatives, and intended outcomes are addressed and achieved.

Although the district has sent out notices, please spread the word to your friends and neighbors with kindergarten-age children. Early registration is best, as it helps the district with budget and scheduling.

To pre-register a kindergarten-age-qualified child, a parent or legal guardian must complete the online registration form (scroll down to Kindergarten pre-registration). Kindergarten-age-qualified are children who have turned five (5) years old before September 1 of the school year for which they are pre-registering.

If you are unable to drop off documents to your neighborhood school during the day, the Superintendents’ Office (135 School Street, Room 204) is open on Monday and Wednesday 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Tuesday 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM and Friday 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

The Walpole Public Schools Music Department is pleased to announce the spring session for our Private Lesson Program for students in grades 4 - 12. If your child is interested in taking private instrument or voice lessons, here is your chance. Lessons are offered in flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone horn, tuba, piano, percussion, violin, viola, cello, guitar and voice. All lessons are taught by accomplished performers on their respective instruments. Some lessons are currently being taught virtually. Session 2 will run February 5 to June 14. Registration is open Friday, January 12th through Monday, January 29th.

For more information, visit:

https://sites.google.com/walpole.k12.ma.us/wpsmusic/private-lesson-program/overview

To register, visit:

https://students.arbitersports.com/walpole-public-schools/private-music-lessons-2023-2024-session-ii

For questions, email:

Tim Fleming (K-12 Music Coordinator) at tfleming@walpole.k12.ma.us

Walpole Public Schools invites parents and guardians of multilingual learners to attend MLPAC to discuss opportunities for the educational success of students who are currently or were formerly in an English Language Education (ELE) program. It is also a time to network with other parents and guardians as we continue to build collaborative partnerships. The next meeting is scheduled for January 17th at 6:00 P.M. at the Walpole High School Media Center.

Please contact the Multilingual Learner Family Engagement Center at mlfec@walpole.k12.ma.us or at (508) 660-7257 ext. 5033 for further information or to request an interpreter or child care for the event.

During the week of January 29th, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE’s) Office of Language Acquisition (OLA) will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of Walpole Public Schools. The Office of Language Acquisition reviews each district’s and charter school’s ELE program every six years to monitor compliance with federal and state English learner education laws and regulations. Areas of review will include English learners’ student assessments, identification of English learners, what programs English learners are placed in, parent and community involvement, curriculum and instruction, student support services, licensure requirements for faculty, staff and administration, program plans, and evaluation and recordkeeping.

In addition to the onsite visit, parent outreach is an important part of the review process. The district will send a survey to the parents of students whose records the review team examines. The survey focuses on key areas of their child’s English language education program. Survey results will be reviewed by OLA and they will contribute to the monitoring report.

Parents and other individuals may call Andy McDonie, Office of Language Acquisition Review
Chairperson, at (781) 338- 3541 to request a telephone interview. If an individual requires an
accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, DESE will make the
necessary arrangements.

Within approximately 60 business days of the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide the Walpole Public Schools with a report with information about areas in which the Walpole Public Schools meets or exceeds regulatory requirements and areas in which the Walpole Public Schools requires assistance to correct or improve practices. The report will be available to the public at https://www.doe.mass.edu/ele/cpr.

Email: districtnews@walpole.k12.ma.us
Website: www.walpole.k12.ma.us
Location: 135 School Street, Walpole, MA, USA
Phone: 508-660-7200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walpolepublicschools/
Twitter: @PublicWalpole