Woburn Public Schools

Welcome to the 2010-2011 School Year!

Mark Donovan — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:59:41 +0000

We would like to welcome all of our students back to the new school year. Today, the entire Woburn Public School staff met at Woburn Memorial High School. There was excitement and enthusiasm in the air as we prepared for tomorrow's opening day for students. I want to recognize the efforts of so many staff members who volunteered their own time so that classrooms would be ready for students on the first day of school.

Preparing for the arrival of approximately 4700 is no small task. All of our principals, directors, and central office staff have been working extremely hard to make sure that everything--and everyone--is in place. As many of you know, we have a new bus company this year, and they are doing everything they can to insure that the bus routes are accurate. There was some fine-tuning that happened as late as this afternoon, and, as is the case every year, the routes will be monitored and adjusted if needed during the first few weeks of school. We ask for your patience as these details are worked out.

Our entire staff is looking forward to greeting our students and providing them with the excellent, well-rounded educational program that the Woburn Public Schools continue to offer. Best wishes to all for the best year ever!

--Mark Donovan, Superintendent of Schools

Information Regarding Bus Routes

Mark Donovan — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:40:25 +0000

It has come to our attention that the schedule of bus routes that we submitted to the newspapers did not include some changes that we made during the last school year. We will be working on updating the routes so that they reflect the bus routes that were in place as the 2009-2010 school year ended. An updated list of routes will be published in the newspaper and posted on our web site as soon as they become available.

New Goodyear School “Topping Off” Ceremony

Mark Donovan — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:49:36 +0000

Today, I joined Mayor Scott Galvin, State Treasurer Tim Cahill, and many state and local officials, school and city personnel, steelworkers, and others friends and neighbors of the Goodyear School at a "Topping Off "ceremony. In this ceremony, the final steel beam is put into place marking the completion of a significant phase of the project. Many of the people who attended the event signed the beam and wrote short messages on it.

The steelworkers involved were recognized for their hard work to put the construction project back on schedule. It was a great day for the new Goodyear School and for the community. If you haven't had a chance to drive by the area lately, you might want to take a look.

Steelworkers lower final beam, complete with signatures, into place.

2010-2011 School Calendar Available

Mark Donovan — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:42:48 +0000

The 2010-2011 calendar is attached to this blog posting. There has been some conflicting information regarding the first day of school for students. The correct date is now Thursday, September 9th.

The link below will bring you to a PDF version of our calendar.

WPS Calendar 2010-2011

Goodyear School Construction Update

Mark Donovan — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:14:36 +0000

The construction of the new Goodyear Elementary School is moving along nicely. The School Building Committee continues to meet during the summer. Even though there was a delay in the project, it is amazing to see a project go from being a design on paper to an impressive steel structure. There should be a great deal of progress over the next few months. The new school will open in September of 2011. In case you haven't seen the progress lately, you can get some idea from the photo provided by Gilbane, our construction management company.

Photo taken on 7/28/2010

WPS Summer Newletter Available

Mark Donovan — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:10:02 +0000

A mid-summer edition of our district newsletter has been sent to all subscribers. If you haven't subscribed to our newsletter yet, follow the instructions on our home page so that you will automatically receive the newsletter as an email message. You can also read a copy by clicking on the "Read Our Newsletter" graphic on our web site.

Updating our Web Site

Mark Donovan — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:43:54 +0000

As we look forward to a new school year, we are in the process of updating our web site. Some of our users have made suggestions that will help make navigating the site easier. You'll also notice a better integration of our individual school and department web sites.

Over the next few days, many parts of our web site will not be accessible as we migrate content to our new site. Thank you for your patience during this transition period.

--Mark Donovan, Superintendent of Schools

Goodyear Construction Pictures

Mark Donovan — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:16:59 +0000

As the construction of the new Goodyear School moves forward, we'll provide you with some pictures so you can watch the progress of the construction of this beautiful new facility. Admittedly, it doesn't look like much now--but keep checking our web site for new pictures. I want to thank Gilbane, our construction management company, for providing me with these pictures and their descriptions. (Note: These pictures were taken on July 1st. More recent pictures will be posted soon.)

Footing/Foundation Walls

Wire Mesh, Vapor Barrier, Insulation

Have a Happy and Safe Summer!

Mark Donovan — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:03:37 +0000

It is hard to believe that we have completed another school year. I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to our talented and hard-working staff, our diligent and respectful students, and our supportive and dedicated parents. I'm very proud to be associated with the Woburn Public Schools. As I complete my first year as Superintendent, I very much appreciate the support and cooperation I have received.

Please continue to check our web site for information during the summer. Soon, we will be setting up a blog that will provide you with updates and pictures from the construction of the new Goodyear School, which will open in September, 2011.

I hope that everyone has a great summer.

Mark Donovan, Superintendent

S.T.A.G.E. Helps Elementary Students Learn How to go "Green"

Mark Donovan — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:01:51 +0000

One of our high school groups, Students Together for a Greener Earth (S.T.A.G.E), is helping our elementary students learn about saving the environment. Under the direction of WMHS teacher Mrs. Tessier du Cros, elementary students visited the high school and engaged in activities related to environmental awareness. Elementary students went on a tour of the high school to learn about its "green" features. S.T.A.G.E students served as tour guide as they led students on a scavenger hunt around the school. The tour was based on the three "R's"--reduce, reuse, recycle. Students learned how the use of natural lighting saves energy, they saw many examples of items from the old high school that were reused, and they were shown the impressive recycling setup in the school cafeteria.

I want to express my thanks to the S.T.A.G.E. members for providing our students with an enjoyable educational experience.

S.T.A.G.E. members Sarah O'Brien, Gemma Fuller, and Francesca Malvarosa explain to Clapp-Goodyear students how design features in the gym help to save energy