The Play Ball Foundation, a great partner of OGPS, was profiled in the Boston Globe for their fantastic contributions to middle school sports in Boston. Play Ball has born instrumental in creating football, volleyball, double dutch, and basketball teams at OGPS. However, their greater impact has been their tremendous support for many of our 8th grade students who Will be matriculating at prestigious private high schools in the fall.

To read this great recognition, click here.

OGPS is starting its transformation in anticipation of the Spring Art Show. Performances start at 5:00, first floor art gallery open at 4:30. Hope you can make it!

VH1′s Save the Music Foundation highlighted Orchard Gardens in their Annual Report for 2011. Orchard Gardens’ music program has benefited significantly from its association with Save the Music. Our turnaround work would be that much more difficult without their generous support of our arts program.

To read the report, click here.

Our partners, the National Center for Learning & Time and their Massachusetts affiliate, Mass 2020, recently released a new case study, “Transforming Schools through Expanded Learning Time: Orchard Gardens K-8 Pilot School.” This case study highlights the successes from year one of the Turnaround, as well as offering other schools a chance to replicate some of our successes.

To download the report, click here

Orchard Gardens has been selected by the President’s Council on the Arts and Humanities to be part of the Turnaround Arts Initiative. The Turnaround Arts Initiative highlights eight schools around the country for their incorporation of the arts into their successful turnarounds. This recognition is a testament to the amazing arts team assembled at OGPS, and to the over 800 artists-in-residence that we have at Orchard Gardens. Our Turnaround Arts Initiative page can be found here. To read the President’s Council on the Arts press release, click here.

This is an amazing honor that will help our students to further their artistic talents with the resources of the White House behind them. World renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and dancer Damian Woetzel are partnered with Orchard Gardens for the next two years to support arts instruction, integration, and opportunities.

To learn more about our extensive Arts program, click here.

The OGPS Lions Boys Basketball Team are the new Boston citywide champions. After a stellar regular season, the Boy’s team worked hard, played as a team and brought back a championship to 906 Albany St. A victory celebration and ticker tape parade are planned for Friday, April 13th!

Ms. Dottin’s first grade class had the honor of performing Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” for Governor Deval Patrick at the State House. A video of their rehearsal is below!

Five OGPS 8th grade students won a city-wide art contest sponsored by Citizens Bank to honor the life and memory of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jymaal Caldwell, Victor Matos Garcia, Kezia Miller, Yivuett Rodriguez, and Brianna Silva (not pictured above) each received $1,000 COD’s for their great work. Their art teacher, Mr. Plunkett, accompanied the students to the awards breakfast.

The Boston Globe’s coverage of the event and our aspiring artists can be found here

Through our partnership with Citizen Schools, some of our middle school students had the opportunity to present their WOW! to co-owner of the Celtics, Steven Pagliuca. The program, “Managing the Celtics,” was profiled in the Boston Business Journal.

To see some pictures from the event, click here.

Orchard Gardens is continuing to be recognized by outsiders for the great work of our students, faculty, and staff.

To read more from the Boston Herald click below:

OGHerald