Westfield Public Schools

If you missed the latest "Superintendent's Spotlight" this morning, please click on the link below. This week, we spoke with Westfield Technical Academy's School Resource Office Bryan Turgeon about school safety, threat assessments, and our most recent safety drills. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WazZZHC4gIY

​Seventh and eighth grade students received a virtual visit from Representative Pease as he gave a presentation on Massachusetts state government and provided the students with an opportunity to ask questions. “This was great! Our eighth-grade class just finished a unit on state government,” says WVS history teacher David Castonguay. “Reading about how governments work is one thing, but listening to someone talk about their job and how it is done is more relatable.” "It was great seeing how engaged the students were as we talked about what I do and how our state government functions" says State Representative Kelly Pease About Westfield Virtual School Westfield Virtual School (WVS) is a public school that serves students in grades 6-12 in Westfield, MA. WVS follows the same curriculum and offers the same services as the in-person classrooms in Westfield. Students are provided all materials, including all technology, to work successfully from the comfort of their own home. IEP goals and 504 accommodations are supported, and credit recovery opportunities are provided for high school age students. Westfield Virtual School opens its virtual doors to any student that resides within the city of Westfield, MA and is enrolled in grades 6-12 for the 2023-2024 school year.

In three years, the Westfield High School chapter of Letters for Rose has grown to the second biggest in the nation, and the biggest in Massachusetts. The nationwide club was founded in 2020 by two high school students in Montclair, New Jersey, who couldn’t continue their volunteer visits to area nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic and became concerned about the seniors starting to feel isolated. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/10/card-writing-club-at-westfield-high-school-grows-to-nations-2nd-largest.html

Westfield High School juniors taking statistics and biomedical classes came to Southampton Road preschool on Oct. 19 to demonstrate scientific experiments with three- and four-year-olds for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Week. Stations were set up in the school’s STEM room at the school, where the preschoolers rotated from one activity to another in small groups, with the district’s curriculum team overseeing the activities. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/10/westfield-high-school-students-teach-science-to-preschoolers-for-stem-week.html

If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight" this week, please click on the link below. This week, we visited Highland Elementary School for STEM Week. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k4-h2sdeSI

As part of its continuing work with the Westfield Police Department and ongoing training for students and staff, the Westfield School Department will conduct lockdown drills the week of Oct. 23-27, using the enhanced procedures of what is called ALICE, which stands for “alert, lockdown, inform, counter, evacuate.” Christopher Rogers, director of operations and safety, said Westfield has been using the ALICE protocol since 2014-15. “It’s research-based, and it provides our staff and at the upper grades our students the ability to make decisions in real time based on the information they have that is critical to their safety,” he said. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/10/westfields-public-schools-will-conduct-lockdown-drills-later-this-month.html

Three- and four-year-olds at the Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center enjoyed fall crafts at their Fall Fest on Oct. 12. According to Principal Jonathan Scagel, the school year is off to a good start, with close to 170 enrolled and a lot of peers. Fort Meadow, which is tuition-free for all students this year, offers a language based, integrated preschool program for students ranging in age from 3-5 years. Each class has a maximum enrollment of 15 children, with a goal of eight children who are typically developing, called peers, and seven who have diagnosed special learning needs. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/10/westfields-fort-meadow-preschool-launches-busy-season-with-fall-fest.html

If you were not able to watch the latest "Superintendent's Spotlight" show this morning, please click on the link below. This week we spoke with Brian Dutko, Coordinator of Technology, and Lindsey Ayers, STEM Coach, about technology and our new technology plan for the district. Staff and students from the Westfield Technical Academy Culinary Arts Department also helped us celebrate National Pulled Pork Day. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=986ctr_J51o

Click here for the latest Westfield Public Schools District Newsletter: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1997/WPS/3618809/WPS_NEWSLETTER_2023-Q1.pdf

Click below to read the latest newsletter on the Franklin Ave/Abner Gibbs Replacement School Project: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Construction-on-the-new-Elementary-School-continues--October-2023-Newsletter.html?soid=1127583543316&aid=-82CiLBFwJw

PumpkinFest is back, rain or shine, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, on the athletic fields behind Amelia Park off South Broad Street in Westfield. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/10/westfield-on-weekends-pumpkinfest-promises-family-fun-amid-autumn-traditions.html

On Thursday, teachers and staff at Westfield High School were treated to the surprise grand opening of their very own “Recharge Room.” Several local businesses pooled their resources, time and talent to put together a comfortable, calming space for the school employees to relax and recharge during their day. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/10/businesses-donate-renovation-for-westfield-high-school-staff-to-recharge.html

If you missed the latest "Superintendent's Spotlight", please click on the link below. This week, our guests were Mrs. Korey Bruno and the Westfield High School Show Choir. The students performed several selections from their upcoming Fall Fest show and sounded amazing. Students and staff from Westfield Technical Academy's Culinary Arts Program also joined us to help celebrate National Apple Betty Day. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr3tL_Y3o_E

Good afternoon, If you have already started the process of completing the Back to School Forms, please complete the forms and submit online. If you need assistance in completing the form, please contact the main office at your child's school. Thank you, Westfield Public Schools

A nationwide test of the emergency and wireless alert systems will be conducted Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. ET, when a message will be sent to all cellphones, TVs and radios. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a news release in August that a message that reads, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed,” will be sent to all phones. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/national-emergency-alert-test-cell-phone-wednesday-text-rcna118468

Fran Smith has worn a lot of hats over the years. He has had a successful career in sales management, spearheaded the turnaround of fledgling newspapers around the globe, and is a husband and father. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/10/westfield-football-defensive-coordinator-fran-smith-celebrates-500th-game.html

Westfield High School has added basketball to its unified sports roster this year. “Unified” sports bring together athletes with and without disabilities to train and compete on the same team. Unified basketball is a sport approved by the MIAA, which sanctions high school varsity competitions in Massachusetts, and sponsored by the Special Olympics. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/10/everyones-included-on-court-with-westfield-high-school-unified-basketball-team.html

The Governor's Youth Advisory Council will give young people from across the Commonwealth the opportunity to advise the Healey-Driscoll Administration on innovative solutions to some of the critical issues we face today such as climate, education, mental health, gun violence, housing, and more. Please click on the image below for more information on how to apply.

If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight" yesterday, please click on the link below. This week, we met our Special Education Administrators and talked about some of the special education programming in the district. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXJRLwVJTMM

Our next SEPAC meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 5 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Tiger's Pride Restaurant in Westfield Technical Academy. Please click on "view image" for more information. Thank you!