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A moment of silence was observed in memory of former Walpole Public School teacher Paul Sowden. Mr. Sowden dedicated many years to teaching, first at Fisher School and later at Johnson Middle School. He was cherished by both colleagues and students and will be greatly missed. The School Committee expressed their condolences to the Sowden family.

James P., Walpole High School representative to the School Committee provided the following report:

1. Composting Initiative - Sanya N. and Nirjara A. attended the School Committee Meeting to request a composting program at Walpole High School. Their proposal focuses on implementing a composting to reduce waste, and promote sustainability within the school. By introducing compost bins and educational materials about proper composting practices, they hope to encourage students and staff to reduce their environmental footprint.

2. DEI Director - Naomi Austin, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Director for Walpole Public Schools, attended the School Committee Meeting. She conveyed her commitment to supporting the work in WPS and her enthusiasm for collaborating with school leaders. Mrs. Austin shared her ongoing efforts and priorities, which include building partnerships, providing professional development, enhancing curriculum, and fostering family engagement. Mrs. Austin's complete presentation can be viewed here at the time marker 15:03.

3. Out of State Field Trip Request - Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Walpole High School trip to Rwanda scheduled for February 2025 has been canceled. Walpole High School teacher Sue Wick has proposed two alternative trips, which will be determined soon. The School Committee has voted to approve alternate trips for Walpole High School that are currently in the planning stages.

• Last Tuesday, Dr. Gough attended the MASSCue conference at Gillette Stadium, which is New England's leading education technology conference, held in partnership with the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.). The two day conference featured valuable sessions and many of our technology support specialists and digital learning coaches were among the presenters. Dr. Gough acknowledged and thanked them for representing our district.

• Last Thursday evening, along with School Committee, Mr. Friscia and Dr. Gough attended the Finance Committee meeting at the middle school, ahead of Town Meeting. After the meeting, they provided a tour to the Finance Committee members. Others will have the opportunity to take a tour of the new middle school after the ribbon cutting ceremony next week (October 30th at 4:30 p.m.)

• Last Friday, WHS was one of several districts targeted by a swatting hoax, leading to a shelter-in-place. Dr. Gough thanked the WHS staff, administration, students. She also thanked the Walpole Police Department for their rapid response to WHS, in which they initiated the shelter-in-place, and secured the building, and ensure that there was no credible threat. Dr. Gough emphasized that the goal of swatting is to create chaos and disruption, underscoring the importance of a calculated response. Although a swatting hoax, the incident was taken seriously by both WPD and WPS, and our protocols worked well - from the police response to the timely communication sent to families. Additionally a debrief with WPS administration and WPD was held on Monday to review the incident and reflect on continued areas of growth.

• Monday, October 21st marked our Town Meeting. Funding for two modular classrooms at Boyden and the WHS Renovation project were both approved. These investments are crucial for maintaining and enhancing the learning environment for our students. We are grateful to the community for their ongoing support.

• Dr. Gough attended last night's Multilingual Learner Family Meet and Greet dinner, which was at the Walpole Middle School. She thanked Jill Kimball, ELE Director, WPS staff, all of the families who were able to attend.

• MCAS parent reports have been mailed home this week.

• Dr. Gough discussed the literacy screening that is happening for our elementary students. We are committed to meeting the academic needs of our students and understand the importance of partnering with caregivers to provide support in school and at home. If there are any questions about this process please do not hesitate to contact your building principal, our district K-5 ELA Coordinator - Shannon Findley, or Assistant Superintendent Dr. Bill Hahn.

• Thursday, October 31st is the last day for Fales, Leach, Rogers, and Kunde Scholarship applications. The application can be found on the District Website or at the Superintendent's Office. Awards shall be distributed to undergraduates at four-year accredited colleges. To be eligible for these scholarships, the student must be a graduate of Walpole High School.

• Please be reminded that there is no school for students on Tuesday, November 5th (staff training) and no school on Monday, November 11th (Veterans Day).

• Daylight savings begins November 3rd.

Middle School Building Project: Mr. Breen provided an update to the Middle School project. A reminder that the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, October 30th at 4:30 p.m. Tours of the building will be provided after the ceremony.

High School Project: Mr. Buckley announced to the community that this project was approved at Town Meeting on Monday, expressing his gratitude to the members who supported the high school renovation. All community members are encouraged to visit the WHS project webpage by clicking here.