Older students with disabilities in the Hopkinton Public Schools are finding their niche in the community by participating in an innovative business selling T-shirts and other items through the district’s 18-22 program. The Niche Hop Shop store grew out of the 18-22...
Featured: Education
School Committee eyes March 7 for mask-optional but delays vote, approves calendar with extra holidays
Editor's note: This story was updated with a statement from Joe Markey. The School Committee met for nearly three hours Thursday night to tackle some longstanding controversial topics, including the mask policy debate and the approval of the school calendar that now...
School Committee duo face open meeting law complaint, criticism from teachers union
Editor's note: This story was updated with a statement from Joe Markey. The School Committee at its Thursday night meeting responded to a complaint by a Hopkinton resident against two School Committee members, Joe Markey and Meg Tyler, saying that they were in...
HHS graduation car parade gets tentative approval from Select Board
The Hopkinton High School rolling car parade for graduating students, scheduled for June 4, was unanimously approved by the Select Board at Tuesday's meeting, but with the understanding that class representatives must work with town departments that expressed safety...
School Committee roudup: Budget approved; calendar debated; COVID policy questioned
The School Committee at Thursday’s meeting approved the fiscal year 2023 budget of $57,116,438 and discussed a range of topics from updating the school calendar to the decrease in COVID-19 cases in schools over the past week. The committee approved by a 4-0-1 vote the...
School Committee weighs continued COVID precautions against emotional strain from ‘culture of fear’
At Thursday's School Committee meeting, Chair Nancy Cavanaugh welcomed the Board of Health, which requested a joint meeting with the committee to discuss the rise in COVID-19 cases because of the omicron variant, which is considered highly contagious in comparison...
School Committee roundup: No support for trail proposal; budget vote upcoming
The School Committee at its Thursday meeting voted unanimously not to support a current application proposed by the Upper Charles Trail Committee (UCTC) to extend a portion of its trail across the Irvine-Todaro property to Hayden Rowe Street. UCTC Chair Jane Moran in...
Elementary school students learn math concepts through art
“A picture is worth a thousand words” is an adage that explains myriad ideas that can enter people’s minds while looking at art. Shelly Moran, the math coach for the Hopkinton Public Schools, has been figuring out creative ways to engage young learners in arithmetic...
School Committee discusses strategy for dealing with COVID surge: Case numbers ‘are a little bit alarming’
The School Committee held its Thursday night meeting virtually due to the town’s spike in COVID-19 cases, which has led to increased absenteeism in school this week both from cases and parents’ fear that their children could contract the disease. Superintendent Carol...
Hopkinton cancels school for Friday
Hopkinton schools will be closed Friday due to the predicted snowstorm. "As you may know, the upcoming snow event is predicted to be plowable and substantial; and further, the greatest impact is going to occur during the morning commute," Superintendent Carol...
Superintendent clarifies updated HPS COVID policy: 10-day isolation for positive cases
With students returning to classes Monday, Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh emailed Hopkinton Public Schools families Sunday to clarify the district’s policy on COVID isolation and quarantine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its...
HHS principal: Keefe Tech student from Hopkinton has died
Hopkinton High School Principal Evan Bishop emailed the HHS community Thursday to announce that a Keefe Tech student from Hopkinton has died. Bishop indicated that his staff was made aware of the student's death by the Keefe Tech administration Thursday morning. He...
School Committee roundup: Special education costs soar; Elmwood proposal moves into feasibility period
In addition to re-implementing the mandatory mask policy at Hopkinton High School by a 3-2 vote, the School Committee discussed other issues at its meeting Thursday night. Special education costs rise Karen Zaleski, the student services district director, noted that...
Divided School Committee votes to make masks mandatory at HHS due to surge in COVID-19 cases
The School Committee on Thursday voted 3-2 to re-institute the mandatory mask policy at Hopkinton High School beginning today after a nearly hour-long discussion. “Everyone, I’m sure, has been hearing about the school outbreak,” said Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh....
Superintendent: Hopkinton ‘monitoring’ threat to U.S. schools for Friday
Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh emailed the schools community on Thursday to address a widely shared post on the social media platform TikTok that refers to a threat to school safety "for every school in the USA, even elementary," on Friday (Dec. 17). "The post appears...
School Committee discusses budget with town leaders
The School Committee began its hybrid meeting Thursday night with a joint session with the Select Board and the Appropriation Committee to discuss the Fiscal Year 2023 school budget requests. “We really do have a very good idea of where we stand right now,”...
School Committee votes to institute another mask-optional trial period at HHS
Following the success of the mask-optional trial period for COVID-vaccinated students and staff at Hopkinton High School over the first three weeks in November, the School Committee voted 4-0-1 at Thursday’s meeting to implement a second trial period, running Dec....
School Committee gets start on FY23 budget with department requests
The School Committee at its Thursday night meeting heard budget requests for Fiscal Year 2023, including the requests to accommodate the increasing need for services for students with disabilities. Karen Zaleski, the director of student services and child find...
School Committee approves MOA on HHS mask policy with teachers union
Following an executive session Tuesday night, the School Committee voted unanimously to approve a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Hopkinton Teachers Association regarding the new mask-optional policy for vaccinated individuals at Hopkinton High School....
HHS Drama Ensemble back ‘Together Now’
“Curtain up, light the lights,” the Hopkinton High School Drama Ensemble is back offering its latest musical production, “All Together Now!” Nov. 12-14. Although the cast will not be performing “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” the source of the quote, the actors will...