BuildBPS Meeting in Jamaica Plain on Jan. 10

The community is invited to a public meeting to discuss the Boston Public Schools' BuildBPS plan on Jan. 10 at English High School. Interim Superintendent Laura Perille, a Jamaica Plain resident, and school committee members will be on hand to discuss the plan, its impacts on neighborhoods and to answer questions. The BuildBPS plan calls for some old schools to close, new schools to be built, and other schools to expand, including growing the amount of K-6 schools. Jamaica Plain's Manning School wants to be one of the schools to add a sixth grade. In December the school committee voted to close the former West Roxbury High School building, which houses Urban Science Academy and West Roxbury Academy.

1,747 Views

English High Students Team with Pepper the Robot to Kickoff Computer Science Week

English High School students have a new partner who's probably not going to be late to class -- Pepper the Robot. On Monday, students from English's award-winning robotics team showed how the 4-foot tall robot interacts with humans to kickoff Computer Science Education Week for Boston Public Schools (BPS). English High is one of 10 high schools in Boston with computer science programs that have started to use Pepper robots in the classroom. At English, students are learning how to use Pepper to recognize human movements and commands to lead Pepper to respond with a fist-bump, bow its head, open its hand or do a 360-degree spin. Pepper was donated by SoftBank Robotics America, which is donating 100 Peppers in public schools in Boston, San Francisco and British Columbia in Canada.

3,060 Views

How to Make Egleston Square More Pleasant Being Discussed at JP/Rox Transportation Action Plan Meeting on Oct. 23

How can Egleston Square be a more pleasant place? That's a question that will be examined at the next JP/Rox Transportation Action Plan meeting on Oct. 23. At the meeting, the fourth on the topic of Egleston Square, Transportation Department personnel will discuss public feedback they received about two plans the city put forth to make the area safer to walk and travel through. A preview of actions items for the upcoming meeting will also be discussed, as well as priorities for the project.

2,723 Views

Meet English High School’s New Headmaster

English High School's new headmaster definitely looks familiar to the school's community -- because Caitlin Murphy has worked at the school since 2009. Murphy has worked in the Boston Public Schools for 11 years, and most recently she was the assistant headmaster at English High School. She started as a history teacher at the school, then was selected to be the teacher leader for the history department and was the lead teacher for the entire school for five years. As the headmaster she is excited about bringing new learning initiatives to the school. "I'm thrilled to be leading the school I've called home for the last 10 years, and excited about some new initiatives we've put in place for this school year.

6,170 Views

4 JP Public Schools to Benefit from $450K in Arts Expansion Grants

The Hennigan K-8 School, English High School, JFK Elementary School and Community Academy are four of dozens of schools that are receiving more than $450,000 in grants to provide arts instruction. The grants are part of the Boston Public Schools (BPS) Arts Expansion initiative, which has schools working with more than 30 arts partners to provide long-term direct arts instruction for the 2018-2019 school year. These grants are supported by BPS Arts Expansion funders including the Barr Foundation, the Boston Foundation, Katie and Paul Buttenweiser Foundation, Klarman Family Foundation and Linde Family Foundation. Boston officials, BPS and EdVestors announced the latest round of grants as part of this week’s BPS Citywide Arts Festival on June 14. “We believe that all Boston residents should have the ability to engage in creativity and be part of Boston’s rich arts and culture scene, so it is so exciting to have so many of our BPS students showcasing their talents throughout the Citywide Arts Festival this week,” said Mayor Martin Walsh via press release.

2,687 Views

Walsh, Jackson, City Council Candidates to Attend Forum at English High School on Oct. 4th

There will be a public candidates forum with mayoral and at-large Boston City Council candidates at English High School on Oct. 4th. The forum is being hosted jointly by Boston's Ward 8 (South End, Roxbury), 9 (Roxbury, South End), 10 (Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain), 11 (Jamaica Plain, Roxbury) and 19 Democratic Committees (Jamaica Plain, Roslindale). The forum will begin with a meet and greet session with district city councilors who represent the wards. Both Mayor Marty Walsh and District 7 City Councilor and mayoral candidate Tito Jackson are scheduled to attend. Walsh easily came in first in the Sept.

1,967 Views

National Grid, City Year Team Up to Spruce Up English High School

Nearly 30 National Grid employees volunteered with City Year Boston at English High School in Jamaica Plain for a recent day of service. National Grid’s US President Dean Seavers and Marcy Reed, president of National Grid in Massachusetts, were on hand and kicked off the day. “I’m always impressed by the dedication and stewardship displayed by our people,” Reed said to the group. “We love being a City Year team sponsor for the English High School; coming together and doing something that’s positive and helpful for the students.”

The participating volunteers assembled more than 550 school supply kits, cleaned out two garden beds, painted outdoor benches, and picked up waste around the high school campus. "National Grid has been a critical philanthropic partner with City Year Boston for many years, supporting our teams of AmeriCorps members and their service to the students of the Boston Public Schools,” said Kristen af Klinteberg, managing director at City Year Boston.

2,836 Views

Arbour Hospital Donates Kindle Fires to English High School Library

Arbour Hospital donated 10 Kindle Fires to English High School on March 23rd in an effort to help improve literacy, add technology to the suite of options at their recently renovated library, and better prepare students for life after graduation. Eric Kennedy, CEO of Arbour Hospital, presented the donation to Headmaster Dr. Ligia Noriega-Murphy, who was joined by English High students and Brian Murphy, director of outpatient services at Arbour Counseling Services. Arbour Hospital is located  on Robinwood Avenue in Jamaica Plain and provides inpatient and outpatient treatment for adults and adolescents dealing with mental illnesses.

2,952 Views

Car Fire at English High School in Jamaica Plain

Boston firefighters quickly responded to a vehicle with flames showing from its hood in an English High School parking lot around 6 pm tonight, just after the conclusion of a football game at the adjacent field. Ivan Sanchez, who identified himself as the owner of the vehicle, stood by the scene, as firefighters used chainsaws to cut open the hood so they could extinguish the fire. "I parked it there and went to the field and when I came back it was on fire," said Sanchez, who was attending an English High School football game to watch his daughter, who is a cheerleader for the school. "I was scared." A Boston firefighter called in the fire and BFD personnel were quickly on scene to extinguish the flames, said Sanchez.

2,122 Views

English High School Students Finally Get MCAS Results

Every single high school student in Massachusetts got results of their MCAS about a month ago -- except for the students of English High School in Jamaica Plain.  But finally this week the Department of Elementary Second Education finally released the test results. The Boston Globe reports that state officials have not said why they held back the results, only saying that there were some anomalies with the results.

1,538 Views