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Professional Development Committee

Fall Update

ProfessionalDevelopment CommitteeFall Update

November 2nd Professional Development Day

Our first full-day of professional development is right around the corner, and the district is busy organizing sessions around the theme of: Developing Reinspired and Resilient Learners. There will be a variety of offerings this day to meet the needs of all of our faculty. Focus will be on integrating new technologies available through the district, learning about Fountas and Pinnell materials, and on meeting the social emotional needs of our students as they return to full-time in-person learning. All staff will report to their buildings, and may be joining sessions remotely or in-person. PK-8 sessions will take place between 8:00 AM - 2:50 PM, and the WRHS faculty professional development day will take place from 7:30 AM - 2:10 PM. Be on the lookout for more information to come!
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The Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth Inc.

Wachusett Regional School District is a member of The Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. Our faculty/staff are able to sign up for these free trainings. Professional Development Points (PDPs) are offered for all MPY professional development webinars and are issued for a minimum of 10 hours. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) may be awarded upon approval by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association, Inc. (MaMHCA). Attendees may apply for PDPs/CEUs whether they watch the webinar "live" or within 72 hours. All certificates will be emailed at the end of the school year. Their professional development offerings can be accessed at this The Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth link.
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Upcoming events through DESE

Early Literacy Webinar on October 21 from 3:30-4:45 PM. Join to learn more about the research and evidence-based practices featured in the Mass Literacy Guide. Register here.


Webinar: Working with the Guidebook of Culturally Diverse Artists and Artworks on October 18 from 4:00-5:00 PM. Aligns to the 2019 Arts Curriculum Framework, and provides strategies for putting culturally responsive teaching into practice. Register here.


The Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies is holding their free, virtual fall conference from October 12-28. The conference, whose theme is "We the People," includes sessions focused on the civic action project; diversity, equity, and inclusion in social studies; local history; and much more. Register here.

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LearnLaunch Workshop Series in October

LearnLaunch, with support from DESE, is offering a workshop series on Developing Well-Being for the Education Triangle: Students, Staff, and Families.These workshops will help support leaders as they implement the first priority listed in DESE’s Acceleration Roadmap: to foster a sense of belonging and partnership for students and families.

The three workshops will be held at 3:00-4:30 p.m. as follows: Understanding the Impact of Trauma and Building Educator Resilience, Wednesday, October 13; Strategies for Building Secure Relationships and Positive Classroom Culture, Wednesday, October 27; and Building Strong and Sustaining Partnerships with Students’ Families, Wednesday, November 10. Registration is open online.

Professional Development Blog
Don't forget to check out the WRSD Professional Development Blog!

Looking Forward to the May 9th PD Day

As we plan for the May 9th PK-12 District PD Day (which will take place from 8:00 AM - 2:40 PM), the PD Committee wanted to provide you with the opportunity to propose requests for: topics to be offered, a specific presenter, or to be a presenter present yourself (either independently or as part of a group).



Proposal Type 1: Topic Request


A topic request proposal is merely a request that the Professional Development Committee consider identifying a presenter who is able to deliver one or more sessions on a topic you would like to explore further. Topic requests should be as specific as possible. For example, ‘Science content’ does not provide enough guidance. A more specific request might be, “Using technology to support student learning in middle school earth science’.


Proposal Type 2: Presenter Request


A presenter request proposal is a request for a specific presenter on a specific topic. Perhaps you have participated in an opportunity with a particularly engaging presenter, or have heard of an organization or presenter you would like to see. To make a Presenter Request, please include all the necessary information, such as a name of the presenter, the organization they work for, the topic or title of presentation, a website, and any contact information.


Proposal Type 3: Request to Facilitate


If you have ever wanted to deliver a workshop for your colleagues, this is your opportunity to share your expertise! You can present solo or with a partner/team. You can present for one, two, or all three of the day’s two-hour sessions. Facilitators receive double the number of PDPs that participants receive.


Submit your proposal via this google form prior to December 31st, 2021!