Dear WPS School Community,

As we enter April and the final stretch of the school year, our educators continue to do remarkable work with and for our students. This is a very busy time of the year with increased outside demands and requirements, such as MCAS testing, Advanced Placement exams, college admissions decisions, and other commitments, that further fill an already full calendar.

Yet it is also a time when our students shine. From the classroom to the stage, the field to the studio, this time of year offers countless opportunities to celebrate what our students and educators have accomplished since September. Finding the right balance between academic demands and taking time to celebrate is not always easy, but it is so important. This Monthly Memo is a small attempt to do exactly that, highlighting some of the wonderful things happening across our schools.

As always, thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Sincerely, 

Frank Hackett, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

We are pleased to share that the School Committee has officially approved the recommendation to adopt the Arts & Letters™ literacy curriculum.

This decision represents an important milestone in our district’s literacy journey. Over the past year, educators, leaders, and stakeholders have engaged in a thoughtful and collaborative process: reviewing research, piloting materials, and reflecting on what will best support all students as readers and writers. Please enjoy this video that highlights some of our journey.

Arts & Letters was selected because of its strong alignment to evidence-based practices and its ability to support high-quality, engaging instruction in every classroom. Arts & Letters is a comprehensive K–8 English language arts curriculum designed to empower educators, inspire joyful learning, and ignite student inquiry. Learn more here. We are confident that this curriculum will strengthen our efforts to ensure all students develop the skills and confidence they need to thrive.

To learn more about the process and the feedback that informed this decision, we encourage you to review the Collaborative for Educational Services (CES) report which compiles input from educators, families, and other stakeholders throughout the year.

This work would not have been possible without the dedication of our educators, the support of our families and caregivers, and the partnership of our broader community. We are grateful for the trust you have placed in us throughout this process.

While this marks a significant step forward, it is also just the beginning. We look forward to continuing this work together as we prepare for implementation in the coming school year.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership.

Message from Melissa Newell, Elementary Literacy Coordinator and Laurie Kirby, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education

We are excited to form a district-wide committee to research current best practices for technology use in our schools and make recommendations for district guidelines. This committee will examine peer-reviewed research, current state requirements and expectations for learning, best practices in student digital safety, technology skills expected by colleges and employers, and how to use technology intentionally and purposefully for teaching and learning. Our committee will include a diverse group of educators, parents/caregivers, and students. Meeting dates will be set based on the availability of the group members, and meeting times will generally be in the late afternoon/early evening.  

If you are interested in being part of this exciting work, please complete THIS quick Google form. Committee members will be expected to attend all meetings, so by filling out the form, you are confirming that late afternoon meetings fit your schedule. Thank you for your interest and support!

Message from Jennifer Elineema, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent of Schools and Laurie Kirby, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education

February kicked off the course selection process for the 26-27 school year with 9th, 10th and 11th grade assemblies facilitated by the counseling department. Throughout March, students met individually with their counselor to review the courses they selected and ask questions they may have or receive any support that they needed. These meetings are a wonderful opportunity for students and counselors to connect and prepare for the upcoming school year!

The week of March 9th the McCall School Counselors and Principal Lin visited each of our elementary schools to speak with 5th grade caregivers about the transition into middle school. The counselors shared information about the transition schedule, middle school life, academics and student supports, and caregivers had the chance to ask questions that were on their minds. Thank you to all who attended!

Message from Erin Kuehn, Director of Student Support and Social Emotional Learning

Ever wonder what the teachers are doing on the half-days for professional development? The teachers in Winchester work extremely hard on these half-days to deepen their knowledge, practice new tools/approaches/pedagogy, and plan for shifts and changes they can make to better support all students! We are so very fortunate as a district to have such committed educators who see themselves as continual learners and teachers. We are amazed on these PD days to see the collaboration, openness, and continual adjustments that the educators make for your child(ren). For our half-day in March, educators worked on topics around: elementary literacy, student transitions, social and emotional learning, digital safety, student accommodations, best practice technology uses, content area learning, and more. Huge shout out to all of our educators who were both learners and teachers on this day, and to all parents/caregivers for supporting this work!

Message from Jennifer Elineema, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent of Schools and Laurie Kirby, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education

Congratulations to the cast of Chicago Teen Edition!

On March 11th, students and staff from the district went to the Massachusetts State House to participate in a legislative briefing with other member school districts from MCIEA (Massachusetts Consortium of Innovative Assessments). While there, students and staff shared their hard work and experiences in developing and implementing assessments that challenge students to engage in higher-order thinking and apply their learning, help them learn to work collaboratively with peers, and involve tasks that mirror or replicate authentic "assessments" from the "real world."  

We are so proud of our students for leading this legislative briefing. The legislators and legislative aides remarked on how articulate, passionate, and knowledgeable our students are! They also shared how having real conversations with students and teachers about their daily classroom experiences is far more impactful than a "sit and get." briefing. Not only were students and teachers able to share their experiences in English, math, science, etc., but they were also able to experience civics in action and learn more about our governmental processes.  

We asked students for feedback on their experience. This is some of what they shared:

“I'm not sure what I'm going to do for a career, but no matter what I do, I want to be vocal about education.” Josh Perez

"I feel a sense of urgency to further promote what I believe in. After I talked to lawmakers at the State House, I realized the value of my voice and story to protect the learning systems that have the greatest impact on me." Alysa Zhang, Junior

“As a student, it's very easy to feel like your voice isn't heard beyond grades or test scores, so being in a space where I could honestly express myself and my opinions was eye-opening. While I don't know how much direct impact my presence or input will have in future decisions, the experience taught me that student voices do belong in these conversations.” Whitney Olaharski, Freshman

“....grateful for the opportunity to share my ideas with legislators in order to make positive change, and more aware of the issues affecting Massachusetts schools.” Olivia Warner, Sophomore

"It was fun. I liked meeting the representatives and showing them my work." Ethan, 5th grade

"I liked looking at the other projects because they were interesting. The high school students' projects let us interact with their projects, and that was my favorite part." Theo, 5th grade

"I loved sitting in the House of Representatives because I felt like royalty. I liked showing my work to all of the participants who were there." Abigail, 5th grade

We extend a special thank you to Representative Day for meeting with our students during the briefing and providing a guided tour of the State House. It was a profound experience for our students to walk through history—from sitting in the legislative chambers to standing at the very podium used by figures such as JFK and MLK.

On Monday, March 16, Lynch Elementary School hosted Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper, and invited state and local officials and representatives. Governor Healey spoke about energy supply here in Massachusetts and signed an Executive Order to secure 10 new gigawatts (GW) of energy resources for Massachusetts by 2035, as well as 5 GW of new energy storage. Winchester and Lynch were selected to be the location for this announcement in recognition of the town’s leadership in environmental sustainability and in honor of Lynch, as Winchester’s first all-electric, net-zero facility, powered entirely by rooftop and parking canopy solar panels—key progress in Winchester’s transition to a fossil-fuel free future. Learn more about the Lynch Elementary School project here.

Photo: Office of Governor Maura T. Healey

Compliments to our Spring String Fling and Spring Band Fling musicians!

Amy Luem, Library Media Specialist at Lincoln Elementary School, was pleased to be published in the Winter 2026 issue of the Newsletter of the Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA). “I strive to make our shelves culturally responsive, inclusive and exciting, full of windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors that let students see themselves, their families, and their communities while also stepping into new perspectives and possibilities. My goal is to ensure every child can find the book that makes them eager to pick up the next one.” Read the full article here.

District Calendar | WHS Athletics Calendar

Explore upcoming Town events here.

Explore upcoming Community events here.

Enjoy these bookmarks, designed by students at Ambrose Elementary School and Vinson-Owen Elementary School, as part of the Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA) annual Bookmark Design Contest.