Dear WPS School Community,
We are only two months into the school year, yet our classrooms already have that comfortable, productive feel of a learning community that's been together much longer. Students know their routines, teachers know their students, and real learning is well underway across all of our schools! I am grateful to our educators for their excellent work and to you for your continued partnership.
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Here are a few key updates and reminders:
⏰ Daylight Saving Time
Remember to set your clocks back one hour this Sunday, November 2!
🗓️ School Calendar Update
The closure of schools on Friday, October 10, due to a chemical leak in a science lab at Winchester High School has changed our last day of school to Wednesday, June 24, 2026. I would like to thank you all for your flexibility and understanding in the face of this unexpected event. I am also grateful to the many WPS staff members who addressed this matter with the utmost care and professionalism, as well as to the Winchester Fire Department, the Massachusetts Hazmat Team, the Massachusetts Environmental Protection Agency, and the Winchester Departments of Health and Facilities for their rapid and thorough response. Please find an updated school year calendar reflecting the new end-of-year date here.
🏫 Fall Town Meeting
Next Monday, Winchester's Fall Town Meeting includes several items directly related to our school facilities:
Lincoln Elementary School Chiller Replacement: This project would replace the aging chiller system with an air-cooled heat pump chiller located on the roof. The existing chiller and rooftop HVAC unit have both recently failed; given the equipment's age, parts availability, and overall inefficiency, it’s been determined that the entire system needs a complete replacement. Both the School Committee and the Town's Capital Planning Committee have carefully reviewed this request and support this project.
Ambrose Elementary School Pedestrian Walkway Repairs: Safety improvements to the main entrance walkway at Ambrose will replace deteriorated concrete pavers with pour-in-place concrete pads. The School Committee supported this project during our capital prioritization process in June.
Transfer of the Mystic School Building: This article would transfer the Mystic School building, 263 Main Street—which hasn't served our students since 1983—from the School Committee to the Select Board. The building currently houses the Winchester Recreation Department and Kids' Corner. This transfer would formalize the facility’s role as a community resource. The School Committee voted in September to support this measure.
These investments reflect our community's ongoing commitment to maintaining safe, functional facilities that support excellence in education.
I want to express my gratitude for the partnership between our schools and families. Your involvement—whether attending conferences, volunteering in classrooms, supporting school events, or simply encouraging your children at home—makes an immeasurable difference in their growth and success. Thank you for being such an essential part of our WPS community.
My best wishes,
Frank Hackett, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
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Last week, elementary teachers and students celebrated Massachusetts STEM Week 2025 with a series of engaging, multidisciplinary activities. First and third graders partnered as reading buddies to explore books about bats, bringing their learning to life by designing and launching model bats. Fourth grade students took on an engineering challenge—using build, test, and improve methodologies to create model structures capable of withstanding earthquakes. Enjoy these photos of our WPS elementary students in action! Learn more about STEM Week here.
Update from Lia Stelljes, Elementary Science, Technology, and Engineering Coordinator
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WPS extends our sincere thanks and appreciation to the Winchester Foundation for Educational Excellence (WFEE) for delivering another exceptional AuthorFest for our students and families. At McCall Middle School and Winchester High School, students engaged deeply, making meaningful connections to their own writing and learning while posing thoughtful, insightful questions. WFEE also did a wonderful job pivoting the elementary AuthorFest experience, hosting it at Town Hall and creating an opportunity for parents to participate. Learn more about AuthorFest here. Pictured: author-illustrator Gareth Hinds addresses students at WHS
Message from Jennifer Elineema, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent of Schools
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At WHS, counselors began the school year by meeting with ninth-grade students to build connections and introduce them to the counseling program. Soon after, twelfth-grade students kicked off their post-secondary planning workshops with their school counselors. WHS social workers launched their student groups for the year, welcoming students to the high school community and hosting a parent/guardian gathering to help strengthen relationships and support networks.
At McCall Middle School, school counselors started the year by visiting classrooms to connect with students and share information about the resources available to them throughout the school year. Pictured: excerpt from a middle school counseling presentation
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Across the elementary schools, social emotional learning (SEL) coaches began the year leading professional learning workshops for their colleagues. Pictured: elementary school workshop for ESP staff, facilitated by SEL coach Stacey Bukuras
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At Ambrose Elementary School, SEL coach Emily Ward led a community meeting centered on the school’s four core values—Respect, Include, Support, and Empower (RISE)—highlighting how each of these values fosters healthy friendships. Thirty-two fifth-grade student volunteers shared reflections on how these principles shape their school community. Pictured: community presentation at Ambrose
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This fall, across WPS elementary classrooms, social emotional learning (SEL) coaches are partnering with teachers to deliver meaningful lessons that help students build and practice essential social-emotional skills. Pictured: RULER lesson materials from a recent session at Lynch Elementary School, where SEL coach Meredith Jones invited students to draw a feeling that corresponds with a quadrant of the Mood Meter. Learn more in A Parent’s Guide to RULER.
Learn more about WPS Student Support and Social Emotional Learning here.
Update from Erin Kuehn, Director of Student Support and Social Emotional Learning
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This month, in ninth and eleventh grade history classrooms, WHS school counselors are facilitating the Signs of Suicide curriculum. This curriculum seeks to educate high school students about the warning signs of depression and suicide through video clips paired with group discussion, accompanied by a brief screener for adolescent depression. The program puts an emphasis on identifying trusted adults who may be resources and putting healthy coping skills into action, helping students better support themselves and their friends who may be struggling. Explore this resource, Signs of Suicide for Parents and Caregivers to learn more.
Update from Erin Kuehn, Director of Student Support and Social Emotional Learning
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A team of McCall eighth-grade students were honored with an Overall Commendation from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Commendations represent exemplary student-led civics projects presented at DESE’s regional Civics Project Showcases. The McCall student team studied Academic Stress. Learn more about DESE Massachusetts Civics Project Showcases here.
Message from Jennifer Elineema, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent of Schools
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Parents and caregivers of students with special education plans may expect written progress reports this school year, following this cadence, in alignment with the release of report cards:
- Preschool: January 30, 2026 and June 24, 2026
- Elementary School: December 5, 2025, March 13, 2026 and June 24, 2026
- Middle School: December 12, 2025, March 31, 2026, and June 26, 2026
- High School: November 14, 2025, February 6, 2026, April 17, 2026, and June 24, 2026
Learn more about WPS Special Education here. Engage with Winchester’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (WinPAC) here.
Message from Marlena Ysalguez, Director of Special Education
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Following a successful pilot at Muraco Elementary School last year, all five WPS elementary schools now offer an expanded, complimentary breakfast program. Students are invited to arrive early at 7:45 a.m. to enjoy a selection of grab-and-go items, including muffins, cereals, Pop-Tarts, fruit, juice, and milk. McCall and WHS students are invited to arrive for breakfast at 8:00 a.m. Check out a sample middle school breakfast menu here. In September, over 2,600 breakfasts were served across our schools.
Lunch is also popular across the district and free to all students as part of the National School Lunch Program. Our food service provider, Whitsons, shares that the Chicken Tikka Masala and Steamed Chicken & Veggie Dumplings have been particularly well received. Explore the lunch menus here.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Funding Update from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE): As of this newsletter's publication, the federal government will not be using contingency funds to pay November SNAP benefits. Effective Saturday, November 1, qualifying residents will not receive SNAP benefits, which are not anticipated to resume until the federal government shutdown concludes. Free, nutritious breakfasts and lunches are available at all Massachusetts schools. DESE also recommends Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline, where counselors are available in 180 languages to help families find food assistance through programs such as the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program and local food pantries. Winchester Meals on Wheels is another resource for Winchester residents to explore.
Pictured: students enjoying lunch on reusable lunch trays at the new Lynch Elementary School
Message from Trina Scotti, General Manager, Whitsons Food Service, Winchester and Andrew Marron, Director of Finance & Operations
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- Fall 2025 Meeting Dates and Links [Flyer]
- WinPAC Meet Up: General Back to School | October 29, 7:00–8:30 p.m. Register Here Registration is optional, but helpful.
- The Privates Rule Workshop: Realistic Strategies to Prevent Sexual Abuse with Dr. Nora Shine, Child and Family Psychologist | November 17, 7:00 p.m. [Flyer]
- Fall Gala, Masquerade for the Minds | November 15 [Flyer]
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- Safe Roads, Safe Sidewalks: A Community Forum on Bike and Scooter Safety | November 4 [Flyer] Students welcome and encouraged to attend.
- Gambling With Our Kids: Recognizing When It’s a Problem | November 18 [Flyer]
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