Winter Hill Community Innovation School 2023-2024 School Year

School has commenced at our new Winter Hill Community Innovation School locations.

• Grades PK & Kindergarten are now at the Capuano School, 150 Glen Street. (PK & K will move to Edgerly for 2024-2025)
• Grades 1 to 8 are at the Edgerly Education Center, 8 Bonair Street.
• AIM Program and Newcomer Program students are located at the Edgerly, 8 Bonair Street.

We will continue to update these pages to provide ongoing information and support throughout the school year.

Building Renovation and Replacement Efforts

Important Info

PK and K classes will move to Edgerly next school year (2024-2025).

Some spaces at Edgerly will be renovated this summer to allow us to bring in PK and K classrooms for September 2024, as follows:

• Relocating or renovating some classrooms and spaces to accommodate new PK and K classrooms and facilities.
• Adding an ADA accessible ramp from the Otis St. play lot into the building, and improving exterior stairs.
• City departments continue to explore additional improvements, such as adding sound mitigation to the hallways, cafeteria, and music room.

This memo from the City provides more detail on why the former Boxing Club at Edgerly cannot be renovated.

The Sycamore Street building will not be reoccupied.

While assessments have shown that the building is structurally sound, the building does need some repairs before it could be reoccupied. Instead, we will focus on making additional investments at the Edgerly Building to allow PK and K classrooms to join the rest of the school community for next school year. We anticipate that the WHCIS community will remain at the Edgerly for the duration of the building project for a new or renovated school.

New, temporary “proximity zones” being developed for WHCIS enrollment.

Updated 11/20/23: DRAFT Winter Hill Community Innovation School Proximity Zones for SY24-25

Based on SY23-24 enrollment data, and as we anticipate enrollment numbers to remain fairly stable, a change to the proximity zone for the Winter Hill Community Innovation School is not required. However, due to the temporary relocation of the Winter Hill Community Innovation School to the easternmost section of the City, the Enrollment Office is proposing a temporary proximity zone to accommodate families who live west of the Sycamore Street location. The Enrollment Office recommends that families registering for kindergarten, living west of Sycamore Street, are offered the opportunity to choose Brown School, Healey School or Kennedy School as their proximity school.

Assessment and abatement reports posted online.

We will share and discuss reports during our information session on 11/9, but the reports for the summer 2023 work at Sycamore Street and at Edgerly are now available online. You can access the reports directly at www.somervillema.gov/WHCISreports, or from the landing page at www.somervillema.gov/WHCIS.

Where will my WHCIS student go to school in 2023-24?

• PK and Kindergarten students will attend the Capuano School (150 Glen Street).
• Grades 1-8 will be at the Edgerly Building (Main Entrance: 8 Bonair Street).
• AIM Program students will be at the Edgerly Building (Main Entrance, 8 Bonair St.)
• Newcomer Program students will be at the Edgerly Building (Main Entrance, 8 Bonair St.) 

What time does school start and end?

There will be staggered arrival and dismissal times at Capuano and Edgerly to make it easier for families with students at both locations. 

Capuano, 150 Glen Street

• 8:10 - 8:25 a.m.: Arrival 
• 7:30 - 8:10: Breakfast in the cafeteria for Kindergarten students who need breakfast. 
• 8:15 - 8:45 a.m. - Breakfast in the cafeteria for PK students who need breakfast.  
• 8:25 a.m.: School start for Kindergarten. 
• 8:45 a.m.: School starts for PK 
• 11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m: Lunches 
• 1:45 p.m.:  PK dismissal 
• 2:50 p.m.: Kindergarten dismissal. 
• 5:30 p.m.: After School Programs Dismissal 

Edgerly, 8 Bonair Street

• 7:30 - 8:10 a.m.: Breakfast in the cafeteria for students who need breakfast.
• 7:45 - 8:10 a.m.: Arrival
• 7:45 a.m.: Rolling drop-off begins on Otis Street.  
• 8:10 a.m.: School starts. 
• 11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.: Lunches 
• 2:35 p.m.: Dismissal 
• 5:30 p.m.: After School Programs Dismissal 

WHCIS Dress Code

Winter Hill students may now follow the district-wide dress code (described on page 65 of the SPS Parent/Guardian Guide) and are no longer required to wear a uniform.

Parking & Entrances

Capuano: Entering and Parking

You can park on either the Glen Street side or the Franklin Street side. Most students enter from the Glen Street side.

Edgerly: Entering & Parking

There are four entrances to Edgerly. This table shows when to use each entrance. 

Name of Entrance	Location	When to Use
8 Bonair St.	Bonair St., further from Cross St. (no ADA ramp)	“Main Entrance.” For visitors, and students who arrive late. * Those needing accessible entrance should use the entrance closest to Cross St. That entrance is also close to the indoor elevator.
4 Bonair St.	Bonair St., at Cross St. intersection	Students being dropped off by buses. This is also the accessible entrance for the building.
Otis St. at Cross St.	Otis St., at Cross St. intersection	Mainly used for 7th/8th-grade student entrance.
Cafeteria Door	Otis St., through outdoor recess yard.	For breakfast arrival. Primary arrival and dismissal location for grades 1 - 6.

Getting to School

Driving to School: Parking & Pickup/Drop-off

Parents/Guardians may park in the neighborhood 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. on weekdays:

The City does not ticket for resident parking and street sweeping infractions in school areas between 7:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. on school days. Vehicles do not need a Resident Parking Permit to park in on-street resident parking spaces during this time period. Other parking and vehicle infractions, such as parking in a “No Parking” area or a “Pickup/Drop-off Only” area, will remain be subject to ticketing during this time period.

Pickup and Dropoff Areas:

• Capuano:
  • Buses drop off on the Franklin Street side.
  • Parents and guardians can park in the neighborhood if they want to walk to the building.
• Edgerly:
  • There are accessible spaces are located on the Bonair Street side of Edgerly.
  • Parents and guardians can park in the neighborhood if they want to walk to the building.

We strongly recommend taking advantage of rolling drop-off on Otis Street beginning at 7:45 a.m.

Walking or Biking to School: Routes & Safety

Recommended Walking or Biking Routes 

Our team of mobility professionals has been working to ensure students and their families can safely make use of Somerville’s walkability, public transit, and bike options.  

Visit these links for maps, resources, and details: 

• Safe Routes to School
• Map of recommended McGrath Highway crossings and MBTA stops

Consider organizing a walking school bus or bike train with other students/parents and guardians: Learn how

Taking SPS Shuttle Buses: Information & Schedules

Students in AIM Program 

Bus service will continue as usual. Students will be dropped off and picked up at the Edgerly. 

Students in Newcomers Program (MLE) 

Bus service will continue as usual for eligible newcomer students in grades 5 and 6.  

Grades PK to K 

All PK and K students who need service will receive seats on new SPS shuttles that will run between 115 Sycamore Street and Capuano (details below). We anticipate that shuttle service will begin during the week of September 11th, and we will update families on the start date and pickup and drop-off schedules soon. 

Grades 1 to 6 

New SPS shuttle bus service will run between 115 Sycamore Street and the Edgerly. Shuttle passes will be distributed to students in grades 1 to 6 based on the preliminary criteria described below.  

We anticipate that shuttle service will begin during the week of September 11th, and we will update families on the start date and pickup and drop-off schedules soon. 

While we hope to be able to provide shuttle bus transportation for as many WHCIS students as possible, we are working to determine how many students in grades PK to 6 will definitely need to use this service. SPS is currently contacting families of students in grades PK-6 to assess need. 

• Preliminary criteria: 
  • All students in grades 1-3 who live more than 0.8 miles from the Edgerly Building and need service will receive seats on the shuttles. 
  • Additional students in grades 1-6 will be accommodated as follows: 
    • We will begin by using eligibility criteria to prioritize students who have a high need for transportation. Again, our hope is to be able to support as many students as possible.  
    • Eligibility criteria includes, but is not limited to,: 
      • students who have mobility challenges,  
      • students with medical needs, and  
      • students who do not have access to trusted peers or adults to accompany them on their route to and from school. 

Grades 7 and 8  

Students in grades 7-8 will not be eligible for the shuttle, but will receive free MBTA passes. 

SPS Shuttle Bus Guidelines 

• Only students who have been issued a bus pass may ride the shuttle bus.  
• The shuttle bus will be available for students who plan to use this service to get to school every day. Students will not be able to use the shuttle on an intermittent basis. S 
• Shuttles will run from Sycamore Street in the morning and back to Sycamore Street by 3:30 each afternoon. Students who participate in afterschool programming will not return to Sycamore Street in the afternoon. 
• Somerville Parks & Recreation staff will provide programming for students between school dismissal and when the buses return to Sycamore Street, around 3:30 p.m. 
• There is no late bus. If a student misses the bus in the morning, the caregiver is responsible for bringing the student to school. If a student is late to school, the student will be put on the bus in the afternoon.  
• In order to ensure a safe dismissal, caregivers must notify the transportation coordinator 24 hours in advance if the student is not going to ride the bus in the afternoon.  
• Adherence to these guidelines is extremely important to guarantee predictable and safe routines for all our students. SPS reserves the right to discontinue transportation services if these guidelines are not followed. 

Using Public Transit: Passes & Resources

Resources, maps, and information about free MBTA passes are now available online. These will be updated as necessary.

Students:

The MBTA is free for kids 11 and under who are accompanied by an adult. Students can receive free Monthly LinkPasses for unlimited travel on the bus, subway, Commuter Rail Zone 1A, and Charlestown and East Boston Ferries. All Somerville Public Schools students in grades 7-12 will receive an M7 Student Pass. These passes allow unlimited free travel on MBTA buses and subway lines during the school year.

Parents & Guardians:

Low-income parents and guardians can receive free MBTA passes under a pilot program that runs through June 30, 2024. Contact your school’s School-Based Family and Community Liaison to learn about eligibility and availability. This pilot program is currently running until June 30, 2024.

All Maps: Overview & Resources

Safe Routes to School maps provide an overview of the surrounding neighborhood, associated safety resources, building entrances, and more.  

• Edgerly   
• Capuano 
• Map of recommended McGrath Highway crossings and MBTA stops

An additional, interactive map provides guidance for students and families traveling from other parts of the city with suggested routes for crossing McGrath Hwy, MBTA bus stops, and community path access points.  

Additional resources: 

• Somerville bikes map 
• Traffic calming map 

Food Service and Recess

Capuano

All students at the Capuano have access to the outdoor space, including a turf field and age appropriate play structures.

Edgerly

Breakfast for students who need it, lunch, and snacks will be provided in the cafeteria. The prep kitchen for the district will be relocated to another building. A smaller kitchen at Edgerly is being updated for lunch service. 

There will be full recess schedules at Edgerly, and students will have access to three outdoor areas and a gym for indoor recess: 

• A tot lot with sandboxes and other play features for younger students on the Bonair Street side. 
• A play lot with garden beds, benches, painted pavement games and more on the Cross Street. side. 
• A courtyard with play features, a basketball hoop, Adirondack chairs, painted pavement games, Off-the-Wall area, and more on the Otis Street side. 

Students will have access to the field and play structures at the East Somerville Community School

Specialists & After School Programs

Specialists

WHCIS Specialist teachers will visit and hold classes at both the Edgerly and at the Capuano. All WHCIS students will continue to work with their WHCIS specialist teachers.

Capuano After School Programs

• WHCIS PK and Kindergarten students enrolled in Community Schools will participate in the program at Capuano.
• Students enrolled in off-site afterschool programs at locations such as the Elizabeth Peabody House, YMCA, and Mystic Learning Center, will be picked up from Capuano and brought to their afterschool sites.

Edgerly After School Programs 

• WHCIS students in grades 1-6 enrolled in Community Schools will participate in the program at Edgerly.
• Students enrolled in off-site afterschool programs at locations such as the Elizabeth Peabody House, YMCA, and Mystic Learning Center, will be picked up from the main office at 8 Bonair Street and brought to their afterschool sites. 

Important Dates

Updates, Contacts, & More

Contact Us

WHCIS

• Main Office Phone: 617-629-5680
• Report an Absence: 774-613-0616 (NEW PHONE NUMBER)

Administration

• Principal Courtney Gosselin: cgosselin@k12.somerville.ma.us
• Interim Assistant Principal Isabel Barros: ibarros@k12.somerville.ma.us
• Secretary: Nancy McWeeny: nmcweeny@k12.somerville.ma.us

Specialists

• Art: Shannon Rogers
• Library: Debra Dixon
• Music: Kristen Stier
• Physical Education: Benjamin Senecal
• Theater: Jennifer Miller

Liaisons

• Karla Cabrera kcabrera@k12.somerville.ma.us | 617-629-5680
• Mary Lou Sturniolo msturniolo@k12.somerville.ma.us | 617-629-5680

Updates

Click these links to read the regular email updates we've been sending to families.

• 3/22/2024 WHCIS Update
• 12/13/2023 MSBA Update
• 11/3/2023 School Logistics Update - WHCIS at Edgerly
• 8/20/2023 School Logistics Update - WHCIS at Edgerly
  • Spanish, Portuguese, or Haitian Creole
• 8/20/2023 School Logistics Update - WHCIS at Capuano
  • Spanish, Portuguese, or Haitian Creole
• 8/20/2023 Asbestos Management Activities at Winter Hill 115 Sycamore Building
• 8/10/2023 Winter Hill Community Meeting (Full Recording)
• 8/9/2023 Transportation Update
  • Spanish, Portuguese, or Haitian Creole
  • We ask that students and families who will have a hardship in getting to/from Edgerly or Capuano to please fill out this form to better inform our efforts.
• 8/7/2023 City Closes Winter Hill Community Innovation School Building Temporarily
• 8/5/2023 WHCIS Community Update: AIM Classes Cancelled for Remainder of Summer
• 7/28/2023 Community Update: SY 2023-2024

Past Community Meetings

Recording of previous community meetings and past community updates are included below: 

• 4/8/2024 Edgerly Phase 2 Renovation Updates
  • Slide Deck
• 8/26/2023 Transportation Update
  • English
• 7/21/2023 Community Update: SY 2023-2024
  • English
• 6/27/2023 WHCIS Community Meeting for families of students enrolled in the Winter Hill Community Innovation School
  • Meeting Recording. Passcode: WQ4d9k?i
• 6/20/2023 Community Update: WHCIS classes off-site 2023-2024
  • English, Spanish, Portuguese, or Haitian Creole
• 6/11/2023 Community Update: School site updates, action items
  • English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole
• 6/8/2023 Principal Newsletter to Families
• 6/7/2023 Community Update: schedules, important contact information
  • English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole
• 6/6/2023 Community Update: community meeting, temporary school sites
  • English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole