Superintendent Brian E. Allen visited North High School and Canterbury Street Magnet Computer-Based School to congratulate our November WooStars!
Pictured here with North High School 11th grader Ricardo Bonilla and Canterbury Street TLS teacher Anne Power, Superintendent Allen recognized their outstanding contributions in their school communities, and presented each with a small gift bag.
Nominate your December WooStars below. Deadline for this month's nominations is Monday, December 29.
👉 Nominate a student: https://buff.ly/levYdnc
👉 Nominate a staff member: https://buff.ly/gigMJcA
The Central Massachusetts Safety Council (CMSC) Driving School is offering a holiday break driver’s education course for WPS students from December 29, 2025 to January 2, 2026 at Doherty Memorial High School (299 Highland Street).
Through CMSC’s partnership with Worcester Public Schools, students can access driver’s education at discounted rates.
Visit worcesterschools.org/drivers-ed to sign-up and learn more!
Congratulations to all WPS students being recognized for their hard work and academic achievement in the first quarter. We’re proud to celebrate your success!
Find your student: https://www.worcesterschools.org/article/2566964
It’s time to nominate this month’s WooStars — one student and one staff member who exemplify Vision of a Learner and Vision to Action in Worcester Public Schools!
🗓️ December Nomination Deadline: Monday, Dec. 29
👉 Nominate a student: https://buff.ly/levYdnc
👉 Nominate a staff member: https://buff.ly/gigMJcA
This Month's Student WooStar: Ricardo Bonilla, 11th Grade, Empowered Individual at North High School
Ricardo is an outstanding example of empowerment and determination. As a straight-A student, he consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to his academic success while also excelling as a dedicated soccer player. His ability to balance his studies and athletics shows remarkable discipline, time management, and focus. Ricardo embodies the qualities of a well-rounded individual—motivated, responsible, and driven to achieve his goals. His positive attitude and perseverance inspire those around him to strive for excellence both in and out of the classroom.
This demonstrates that Ricardo is an Empowered Individual, a disposition of the Vision of a Learner. Ricardo can effectively manage their time and workload to meet deadlines, delivering quality work and products on time (EI 2).
Do you know a WooStar? We are looking for examples of students and staff who exemplify Vision of a Learner and Vision to Action in WPS to feature on our social media channels.
👉 Nominate a student at https://buff.ly/levYdnc
👉 Nominate a staff member at https://buff.ly/gigMJcA
Wishing our students, families, and staff a joyful Thanksgiving filled with gratitude, reflection, and appreciation for the diverse traditions, histories, and cultures that enrich our community. 🍁
We are thankful for the opportunity to learn, grow, and support one another. May everyone have a restful and enjoyable break! 💛
On Monday, November 24, South High’s Black Student Union (BSU) hosted its second annual BSU United Friendsgiving. This special event brought BSUs from across the district together as a sign of unity within the Worcester Public Schools community.
Students and advisors came together to celebrate our students, recognize their efforts toward unity, and share gratitude during the Thanksgiving season. This year’s Friendsgiving included BSU E-Board members, BSU members, and BSU advisors. The event included trivia, bringing everyone together for some friendly competition.
The event was organized by the following schools: Burncoat High School, Doherty Memorial High School, North High School, South High Community School, University Park Campus School, Worcester Technical High School and Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School.
Thank you to all students, advisors, staff, and volunteers who helped make this Friendsgiving event a success!
Check out some photos from the event! 📸✨
Veterans Day honors military veterans for their service and sacrifice. It’s a day to show appreciation for those who have served to protect our country.
Click here to learn more about the significance of Veterans Day and ways you can honor those who served: https://buff.ly/3IOnULk
A big shoutout to students Jenny Manxhari and Paola Renxa (Doherty Memorial High School), Uche Mba (South High Community School), Madeline Torto (North High School), and Juleyanah Ruiz (Worcester Technical High School) for volunteering as poll workers across Worcester, including Congregation Beth Israel and the Worcester Senior Center. They spent Election Day helping voters, learning how elections run behind the scenes, and experiencing civic engagement in action. 🙌
By volunteering at the polls, these students showed that they are Engaged Community Members, a key disposition of the Vision of a Learner 📘. They identified a community need, articulated and communicated solutions, developed an action plan, and advocated for change (ECM 2).
What the students had to say:
Jenny Manxhari (Doherty): "I decided to volunteer because I care about my community. I’m proud to serve Worcester and make a difference!" 💛
Uche Mba (South High): "Being newly eighteen, I wanted to experience the process up close and understand the impact voting has." 🌟
Madeline Torto (North High): "I wanted to use my time doing something meaningful." 🤝
Juleyanah Ruiz (Worcester Tech): "I enjoy helping others and giving back to my community." ❤️
Paola Renxa (Doherty): "It was a great experience to see the process behind the scenes and help my community." ✨
📸 See the highlights of our student poll volunteers!
It’s time to nominate this month’s WooStars — one student and one staff member who exemplify Vision of a Learner and Vision to Action in Worcester Public Schools!
🗓️ November Nomination Deadline: Monday, Nov. 24
👉 Nominate a student: https://buff.ly/levYdnc
👉 Nominate a staff member: https://buff.ly/gigMJcA
Worcester Public Schools middle school students spent last Friday morning at Polar Park in honor of World Mental Health Awareness Day!
They enjoyed a variety of fun, hands-on activities designed to support well-being and promote self-care, including:
💧 Aromatherapy
🎶 Polyrhythmic music station
🎨 Face & nail painting
🐾 Therapy dogs
🎧 DJ practice station
💬 Positive affirmations
⚾ Wiffle ball — and more!
The event gave students a chance to focus on mental health, connect with peers, and discover meaningful ways to care for themselves and others.
A heartfelt thank-you to Polar Park and our incredible community partners for making it such a memorable day! 💚
📸 Check out some photos from the event!
This week, Worcester Public Schools proudly celebrates our incredible Nutrition Services team for preparing healthy, delicious meals that fuel student learning every single day. 💚🍎
From the early mornings spent preparing breakfasts to the busy lunchtimes serving thousands of students across the district, our WPS Nutrition Services staff go above and beyond to make sure every child has access to nutritious meals that help them learn, grow, and thrive. 🌟
Their care and dedication make a lasting difference in our classrooms and communities — one meal at a time. 🍽️💪
A big thank-you to our WPS Nutrition Services team for nourishing our students and strengthening our schools! 👏🥗
At Worcester Public Schools, we are committed to supporting the mental and emotional health of our students, staff, and families.
We have numerous health and wellness resources for students, families and staff on the WPS website, including healthy recipes, after-school care, and fitness activities 🍏🏫🌟, to adult wellness support with yoga, meditation, self-compassion and more. 🧘✍️
Our Health & Wellness Roadmap and Strategic Plan ensure emotional wellness is a priority for both students and staff, fostering a thriving and caring community for all.
For more resources and information, visit our website today at https://buff.ly/4dGPLJG
A big thank you to NRIVA, a nationwide nonprofit with 55+ chapters, for donating 70 backpacks filled with school essentials to Worcester Public Schools! 🎒💪✏️
The backpacks were delivered to our Parent Information Center and will be distributed to students as they enroll, giving them a strong start to the school year. 💛
It’s time to nominate this month’s WooStars — one student and one staff member who exemplify Vision of a Learner and Vision to Action in Worcester Public Schools!
🗓️ October Nomination Deadline: Monday, Oct. 27
👉 Nominate a student: https://buff.ly/levYdnc
👉 Nominate a staff member: https://buff.ly/gigMJcA
On Saturday, October 4, 14 Worcester Public Schools students worked with Danielle Collins of InspireEd to prepare and perform two songs at a Modern Band Workshop hosted by Berklee College of Music. They also joined a panel with 40+ music educators from New England and New York, led by Dr. Bryan Powell of Music Will.
Students:
• Ginalee Diaz, Jazenaliz Cordova, Adriani Lovet, William Quinones Soliver, Caleb Opoku Ampong, Seerwan Al Shankal (North High School)
• Camilla Snyder, Jadiel Ortiz, Pavel Orellana (South High Community School)
• Giovanni LeBron, Maria Perez Hernandez, Marco Gambaccini, Ian Vigo Torres, Mia Santos (Burncoat Middle School)
Their talent, teamwork, and creativity left everyone amazed! 🌟👏
📸 Check out the photos from the workshop!
Worcester Public Schools celebrated the graduation of 21 students from its Night Life programs in Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPT) and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA).
The CCMA program runs for 14 weeks and includes a 120-hour clinical externship, two nights of test prep, and a national certification exam. The CPT program spans 12 weeks with an 80-hour externship, two nights of test prep, and a national certification exam.
Night Life gives adults in the community the opportunity to build new skills and earn nationally recognized certifications in high-demand fields. These programs are funded through a state grant procured by MassHire (Healthcare HUB) and through the City of Worcester’s Worcester Jobs Fund.
Learn more about Night Life programs and upcoming classes: https://worcesternightlife.org/
Congratulations to the newest group of Night Life graduates!
Vision of a Learner - Spark Leadership Academy Launches in WPS 💡
Worcester Public Schools is launching the Spark Leadership Academy, a program that brings principals, district leaders, and the Office of Innovation together to deepen implementation of Vision of a Learner.
To guide this work, leaders are using a human-centered design thinking process, a hands-on way to solve problems by:
• Listening and learning from others (empathize)
• Identifying needs (define)
• Brainstorming possibilities (ideate)
• Trying out new ideas (prototype and test)
• Making what works part of the school routine (implement)
As part of this effort, leaders will shape the parts of the Learning Journey that help celebrate and track student growth, including:
• Artifacts – real examples of student learning
• Gateways of Learning – important milestones that mark growth and progress
• Portfolios – collections of student work that show how skills develop over time
Throughout the year, the design teams will try out ideas, get feedback, and adjust to make sure the Learning Journey works for every school and every student.
Learn more about Vision of a Learner!
🌟 North High School’s Internship Meet & Greet! 🌟
Our Polar Partners and North High student interns came together for an incredible day of connection, inspiration, and opportunity! 🤝✨
Students got the chance to:
✅ Build professional relationships
✅ Gain real-world career insight
✅ Explore future jobs and internship opportunities
A huge thank you to our community partners for inspiring the next generation of career-ready leaders:
UMass Chan Medical School • Worcester Chamber of Commerce • Worcester Public Schools Nursing/CNA Program • Worcester Bravehearts • Worcester Probate Court • Worcester Red Sox/Polar Park • ACE • Christopher House • Worcester Public Library • YWCA • All One Credit Union • Worcester Public Schools Human Resource Department • Sneaker Sapphire • Wavvz • Jubilee Career Center for Performing Arts • The Jewelry Co-Op
🖤🧡🤍
North High School’s Class of 2026 celebrated the start of their senior year with the annual Senior Sunrise!
Students gathered behind the school to watch the sunrise, holding handmade signs and sharing the moment with friends.
North High teachers donated food for everyone to enjoy, and music from North High’s GEAR UP program added to the morning’s festive atmosphere.
Here’s to the North High School Class of 2026—let’s make this year unforgettable!
