Westfield Public Schools

Just before school broke for the holidays, Westfield Virtual School students enjoyed an in-person school-wide gathering at the school’s offices on the fourth floor of the Westwood Building on North Elm Street in Westfield. Students from all grade levels and their families were welcomed to participate and create gingerbread houses, said school secretary Nicole Argiro. While learning time on a normal school day is done remotely, students at Westfield Virtual School have social opportunities with their peers multiple times every month, Argiro said. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/12/westfield-virtual-school-started-holiday-season-with-in-person-gathering.html

The children in the Children’s Corner Laboratory Preschool in Westfield High School decorated cookies and gingerbread houses and had a surprise visitor, all before the holiday break. Classroom teacher Torrie Hodovanec said she collaborated with the high school culinary teacher Ekaterina Nesmelova and her students in the classroom next door who prepared cookie dough for the children to cut out into shapes. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/12/holiday-festivities-wrap-up-2022-for-the-childrens-corner-preschool-at-whs.html

If you missed last week's Westfield High School Holiday Chorus show, click on the link below. The students sounded amazing! thanks for watching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ffuh39wADVQ

The month of December at Abner Gibbs Elementary school was filled with music and special activities, said Abner Gibbs Principal Erika Masciadrelli. The holiday concert featured the fourth grade band led by Gina Clark, and fourth grade chorus led by chorus teacher Makenzie Carvalho. Students in each grade level learned songs in their music classes that they also performed in the concert. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/12/abner-gibbs-students-lead-up-to-the-holiday-break-with-concerts-rewards.html

This time of year, everyone is always talking about the weather: record temperatures, the chance of snow, and the extra layers needed to stay warm. Folks even keep statistics about the weather. Jacob Kapinos’ students in the Statistics and Probability class at Westfield High School designed a random sample of 50 dates during the winter months (Dec. 1 to Feb. 28) from 1975 to 2021. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/12/westfield-high-school-statistics-students-study-winter-temps-make-hats.html

The Westfield Planning Board approved three special permits and site plans at its meeting on Dec. 20, clearing the way for the new school on Franklin Street. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/12/westfield-planning-board-approves-new-school-cell-antennas-contractors-shops.html

The Southampton Road Elementary School K-Kids spent their Friday morning before-school meeting time on Dec. 16 decorating holiday-themed placemats that they delivered to the Westfield Senior Center this week. The 15 fourth graders in the K-Kids club, a youth affiliate of Kiwanis, meet on Fridays at 8:30 a.m. to plan community service projects for the year. Club advisor Joanne Hewins said the student-led club elects officers and runs its own meetings. Officers this year are President Brady Panis; Vice President Jonny Yvon, Treasurer Robert Strange-Skribiski and Secretary Brynn Whalen. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/12/elementary-school-k-kids-bring-holiday-cheer-to-westfield-senior-center.html

Allison McMordie, the City Engineer in Westfield, has visited Mrs. Lewis’ second graders at Abner Gibbs Elementary on several occasions so far this school year as part of our Adopt a Classroom program at Westfield Public Schools! Allison taught students about the engineering process of our own famous Green Bridge and challenged students to build their own bridge with specific constraints. Their models had to stand up to wind, rain, and support a a certain amount of weight. Allison plans to return to Mrs. Lewis’ classroom in the spring when they begin learning about erosion.

Please click on the images below to read the second District Quarterly Newsletter of this school year. Happy Holidays from all of us in the Westfield Public Schools!

The Westfield Public Schools saw the Food Pantry's request for help and quickly created a "festive dress down day" to raise some money. All the schools and administration combined raised $1,089 for the pantry and had some fun while doing it. Here are a few pictures from the Intermediate school.

Over the past two weeks, the guidance departments of Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy, along with the Hampden County Drug Task Force, have sponsored assemblies in each of the high schools and an informational meeting for the community at large on drug overdose awareness, and in particular the online availability of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. The events were organized by school adjustment and substance abuse counselors Kristine Hupfer at WTA, Carrie Ann Fiordalice at Westfield High School, and Community Resource Officer Lt. Eric Hall in coordination with the Hampden County district attorney’s office. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/12/westfield-police-medics-warn-of-overdose-risk-from-fentanyl-laced-drugs.html

If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight" yesterday, click on the link below. This week we talked with Athletic Director Greg Vouros about fall and winter sports at WTA and WHS. WTA Culinary students also helped us celebrate National Cupcake Day. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyvgqhAZVAM

Join us this Thursday, December 15 from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. on WSKB 89.5 FM, WCPC cable channel 15, or westfieldtv.org for the next episode of "Superintendent's Spotlight". This week we will be talking with our Athletic Director, Greg Vouros, about winter sports at Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy. Thanks for watching!

Designers of Westfield’s planned new elementary school were far enough along to talk about color palettes and interior design at a Dec. 8 building committee meeting. Architect Bert Gardner of Caolo and Bieniek Associates presented up-to-date drawings of the interior finishes of the school, highlighting aspects of the design, which is considered 90% complete. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/12/decor-of-new-elementary-school-will-reflect-westfields-natural-features-history.html

Westfield Public Schools Special Education Director Debra Ecker and James O’Neill, the schools’ lead manager of autism, social-emotional and behavioral services gave an update on their programs to the School Committee on Dec. 5. Westfield offers a wide range of special education programs; inclusion programs where students are educated in general education classrooms with accommodations and access to grade level curriculum; partial inclusion, where students are pulled out of mainstream classes for academic instruction and services with special education teachers, and substantially separate programs, where students need special education teaching more than 60% of the day. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/12/westfield-special-education-team-reports-full-programs-challenges-in-staffing.html

Generosity was in the air at the festive annual Westfield Middle School holiday staff meeting on Dec. 8 in the school cafeteria. Holiday songs were performed for staff by the school band and chorus, snacks prepared by colleagues were shared, toys were brought in for the Westfield Police Cadets charity drive, and a gift from the administration team was given to a military family. The centerpiece of the celebration was the long-awaited “reveal” of the “Recharge Room” for staff, donated by area businesses. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/12/westfield-middle-school-staff-party-gives-receives-holiday-spirit-at-recharge-room.html

On Dec. 3 at the YMCA of Greater Westfield, Jillian Battles once again achieved her goal to stuff 800 “goodie bags” for members of the Armed Forces and veterans as a thank-you for their service. “Yesterday was absolutely amazing! So many volunteers turned out to help Jillian stuff her 800 bags for our troops and veterans. It was so beautiful to see so many from the community come together,” said her mother Jen Battles. Battles, a sophomore at Westfield High School, was joined by students from the Leaders Club, the Key Club, the Westfield YMCA Wave Swim team, the National Honor Society and members of the Westfield High School staff. Westfield Mayor Michael McCabe, state Rep. Kelly Pease, Medic Now Foundation representative and City Councilor Nicholas Morganelli, Dave Sutton of One Call Away and many veterans and their families also joined in. The reusable bags, donated by Big Y, were stuffed with instant coffee, hot cocoa, boxes of tea, ramen noodles, gummy bears, granola bars, trail mix, Rice Krispie treats, cookies, crackers, hard candies, toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss picks, disposable razors, lip balm, deodorant, hand sanitizer, tissue packets, decks of cards, pens, pencils and puzzle books and blankets or throws. They were brought to Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield to be sent to military bases. “Dave Sutton from One Call Away was an absolute godsend helping us get the bags to Barnes and also to the various locations for our veterans,” Jen Battles said. She said their friend Tom Heavren was another “godsend,” packing 111 bags into his minivan and delivering them to the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. He then returned to load again and bring the rest of the bags to One Call Away to be distributed to veterans’ organizations. The Battleses thanked Big Y, J.L. Raymaakers, Crestview Construction, Mestek, Advance Manufacturing, Westfield Stop & Shop, Westfield Bank, Sarat Ford, Bigelow Tea, Westfield Gas & Electric, Little Debbie McKee Foods, West Springfield Costco, Westfield Home Depot, Westfield Walmart, Albanese Candy, Shortstop Bar & Grill, Baystate Dental, Kasperowski Family Dentistry, MGM Springfield, Fitness First and many private donations that helped make the effort possible. Her mother said for every “yes” that Jillian heard when asking for donations, she had about six “no’s,” because she doesn’t have nonprofit status for the project. “It didn’t discourage her, though. She continued to email and call and pound the pavement asking in person, hoping for that one ‘yes.’ Because every little bit adds up to a whole lot in the end. Our troops and veterans should never, ever have to struggle for anything and they deserve nothing but the best,” said Jen Battles. Extra donations will be split between the local veterans’ food pantries at One Call Away and Project New Hope. Jen Battles said Jillian plans on doing this every year and hopes to get the community even more involved. At the end of the day, Jillian was presented with a Good Deed award from the American Legion Post 124 Auxiliary for her efforts on behalf of the troops and veterans. https://www.thereminder.com/localnews/westfield/westfield-hs-sophomore-stuffs-800-goodie-bags-for-/

If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight" this morning, click on the link below. This week, in the first half hour, we talked with staff from Westfield Intermediate School about their PBIS systems. In the second half hour, we caught up with Westfield's Director of Public Health Joe Rouse. We also recognized all of the cruciverbalists in our midst. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLIV6sY23vQ

At the School Committee meeting on Dec. 5, Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski sought and received approval for three overarching goals he has for the district over the next several years. The first goal is to strengthen student learning through Multi-Tiered Support Systems in order to improve student academics and attendance and have fewer disciplinary referrals. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/12/superintendent-has-lofty-goals-for-westfield-special-education-equity-programs.html

Join us this Thursday, December 8 from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. on WSKB 89.5 FM, WCPC cable channel 15, or westfieldtv.org for the next episode of "Superintendent's Spotlight". This week, in the first half hour, we will talk with Westfield Intermediate School Principal Greg Miller. In the second half hour, we will catch up with Westfield's Health Director Joe Rouse. Thanks for watching!