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Date: 8/29/2023
HOLYOKE — Holyoke Public Schools is gearing up for the return of students as the 2023-2024 school year is set with some new features for the district.
One of the biggest changes this school year is rezoning, a much-discussed move to redistribute students and resources across the district. With the move to separate elementary schools for pre-K through fifth grade and middle school for grades 6-8, thousands of boxes have been moved from one school building to another, renovations and repairs have been underway throughout the district, and the educational programs are being reimagined and retooled to support student learning and stronger achievement outcomes.
“All of this work has required extensive planning and coordination and I commend everyone for their combined efforts that will allow us to start the new school year off on the right foot when classes resume on August 30 for students in grades 1-12 and on September 6 for students in Pre-K and kindergarten,” said Superintendent Anthony Soto.
Chief of Strategy and Turnaround for the district Erin Linville told Reminder Publishing that the primary activity this summer has been getting the buildings themselves prepared to welcome new and returning students and families. This has included everything from moving teachers’ materials and securing new curriculum resources, to updating bathrooms to match students’ age range, and moving furniture.
“Each elementary and middle school hosted tours in the spring and contacted families via email, text and social media this summer. Each school has a descriptive one-page flier and welcome back video from their leader. Each school is hosting back-to-school events as well,” Linville said.
She added as students adjust to potential new school settings, many students will see familiar faces in their new building because they are moving along with many of their peers and some of their teachers.
“The continuation of those relationships should help ease the transition,” Linville added.
Linville also explained that many staff have and will be participating in professional learning to support students to be their best selves and to support teachers as they create classrooms where every student feels they belong and can succeed.
According to Linville the district has also made significant investments in counseling services and counseling partnerships over the past few years that will look to help the transition for students finding challenges.
With pre-K and kindergarten students not starting until the week following the rest of the district, Holyoke Public Schools is inviting students and their families to attend Holyoke’s 6th annual “READY for Pre-K and Kindergarten Welcome” event scheduled for 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31 at the Holyoke Merry Go Round. In addition to free carousel rides and other activities, students can meet their teachers and families can access a range of helpful resources for the new school year.
For questions on the event, please email Associate Director of Early Childhood Education Amy Roque at aroque@hps.holyoke.ma.us.
A handful of summer construction projects have been ongoing and are wrapping up as the school year approaches. Custodial, maintenance and facilities employees of the district, and outside vendors, worked this summer on extensive repairs and remodeling to enhance the learning environment for Holyoke students in the upcoming school year.
Highlights of the summer improvement work include:
Donahue School
HHS Dean Campus and Holyoke STEM
HHS North
McMahon School
Metcalf Middle School
Sullivan Middle
According to Linville, the district has invested more than $20 million into its buildings, with the support from the City Council and the Massachusetts School Building Authority over the last eight years, not counting the future new school building, which had funding approved for earlier this summer.
“We look individually at each school to assess its needs, from the more cosmetic needs like paint to the infrastructure needs like new roofs, windows and HVAC systems. We strive to ensure that the physical environment of each building feels welcoming and meets the needs of our students and staff,” Linville said. “We are so excited that the demolition of the Peck building is on-track to begin in September, as just one of many important steps to our new middle school building.”
Linville said the district is ready for an “awesome” new school year and have much to be excited about.
“We feel hopeful that the move to distinct elementary and middle schools will allow us to better meet each student’s academic and social emotional needs,” Linville said.
She added more than 75 instructional leaders participated in a four-day professional development institute on how to create more inclusive learning environments to meet the needs of all students. Since, the district has hired new teachers in many positions including in arts and music, so there will be many opportunities for students to engage in all types of learning.
In closing, Linville added the district is still welcoming applicants to apply to work in the district.
“With ESSER funding and Student Opportunity Act (SOA) funding, we’ve been fortunate to be able to add positions to HPS over the past few years. While we have more staff than we have had in prior years, we still have openings and encourage the community to check out our postings,” Linville said. “We offer training and support staff to earn their license, so if you’re looking for an opportunity to make a difference in students’ lives and in our community, consider applying to join HPS.”