Westfield Public Schools

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is providing COVID-19 vaccination clinics in several communities during School Vacation Week, April 18–24, 2022. Anyone ages 5 and older can get a COVID-19 vaccination or booster at these clinics. You do not need an appointment. Vaccination is free and you do not need an ID or health insurance. Families are welcome! Various giveaways will be offered at most clinics. Please click on the link below for more details. Thank you. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/school-vacation-week-covid-19-vaccination-clinics

Westfield Technical Academy 17, Gateway 0 (5 inn.) Westfield Technical Academy senior pitcher Dacota Durkee and sophomore Deven Werbiskis combined to throw a five-inning, no-hitter Monday in Huntington. This is the second straight year the Tigers have traveled to Gateway for their season opener and come away with a win by way of the no-no. Congratulations! Go Tigers! https://www.masslive.com/highschoolsports/2022/04/the-westfield-news-scoreboard-dacota-durkee-deven-werbiskis-throw-combined-no-hitter-for-westfield-technical-academy-more.html

Tune in Thursday morning, April 14, to WSKB 89.5 FM, WCPC Channel 15, or westfieldtv.org from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. for "Superintendent's Spotlight". This week, we will be joined by Kellie Brown and Bo Sullivan to talk about the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield. Join us if you can! Thanks for listening and watching!

A high school career fair was held Thursday at Westfield State University. More than 400 juniors and seniors from Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy had the chance to speak with at least 75 different businesses that signed up for the fair. School officials said the fair allows students to broaden their outlook on certain career paths. https://www.westernmassnews.com/.../08/town-by-town-april-7/

If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight" this morning. please click on the link below. This week, we had a live broadcast from the WE2BA Career Fair for students from Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy at Westfield State University. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwAWkDLLpvM

Westfield State University, Westfield Public Schools, and the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce partnered Thursday to bring back the High School Career Expo and Job Fair for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Seventy-five local businesses and organizations had booths in the Woodward Center on the Westfield State campus Thursday morning, including Westfield Bank, Fly Lugu, Westfield Gas & Electric and Whip City Fiber, Wright Flight, the Westfield Police and Fire departments, and dozens more. Four hundred students from Westfield Technical Academy and Westfield High School filed through in search of career and networking opportunities. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/04/westfield-state-university-chamber-of-commerce-partner-to-bring-back-career-expo.html

Come to the Westfield High School Show Choir Spring Gala on Friday, April 29, 2022, at 7pm to help raise the funds to bring this fantastic group to the 2022 Hershey Park Choral Festival. In association with Westfield on Weekends, Inc. and well-known Director of Choral Activities, Korey Bruno, this night promises to be true entertainment for all. A wall of lottery tickets raffle, lively entertainment, community gathering and more at the Westfield High School will show this incredible group of committed and talented students how proud the City of Westfield is of them. The "Rocketmen to Earth, Wind and Choir" Spring Gala promises something for everyone! With one click on the link below, you can purchase seats, raffle tickets or sponsorship. Questions? Please contact the WOW Creative Arts Center at wow.creativeartscenter@gmail.com or (413) 579-5967. https://www.westfieldonweekends.com/rinnova-events/whs-show-choir-gala?fbclid=IwAR1P8Vy8mX1TNWwC7RRlQHJUTSItZdhemOSIhnCtofMu_ucHUR3xGoO6PYI

The Major League Baseball regular season has not arrived yet, but one local ballplayer just delivered like a pro. Westfield junior flame-throwing right-hander Josh Mayo struck out 19 batters in tossing a no-hitter as the Bombers shut out the Chicopee Pacers 6-0 Monday at Bullens Field on a cool, somewhat blustery day in what will likely go down as one of the most memorable opening day victories in team history. Congratulations. Go Bombers! https://www.masslive.com/highschoolsports/2022/04/westfield-junior-pitcher-josh-mayo-tosses-opening-day-no-hitter-records-19-ks.html

In March, Westfield Technical Academy graphic arts junior Rymma Mkrtchian entered a statewide bookmark contest sponsored by the Massachusetts School Library Association, on the invitation of WTA librarian Donna Rollins, a member of the MSLA. Rollins sent out the information to all the students and said about 10 took out applications. Only Mkrtchian came back with a bookmark that she designed, which Rollins faxed in. Her design was selected as one of two second place prize winners for grades 7-12, and the only winner from Western Massachusetts. Congratulations! https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/04/westfield-technical-academy-junior-places-2nd-in-statewide-bookmark-design-competition.html

Westfield High School English teachers Jill Keenan and Joseph DeChristopher started on March 23 in their new roles as interim assistant principals through the end of the year. WHS Principal Charles Jendrysik said they will fill some temporary openings on the administrative team. “I’ve been in the classroom for 30 years. I’ve always been curious about the other side of the school, said Keenan, who teaches 10th and 11th grade. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/03/westfield-high-school-teachers-tapped-for-interim-administrative-roles.html

The Elementary School Building Committee met online on March 22 after “a bit of a break,” with the designer showing more detailed drawings of the building’s exterior and interior, and a schedule for the next six months starting to form. Even though construction won’t begin on the school until next winter, there will be physical evidence of work beginning “any day,” when the two houses that were purchased by the city next to the Armory at 131 and 129 Franklin St. (Route 20) are razed to make room for the new school https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/03/westfield-ready-to-raze-houses-on-franklin-st-new-school-site.html

Westfield Middle School students ran a donation drive last week to collect money to help refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and donated the funds to a church that has become the center of the local donation effort for Ukrainians. WMS National Honor Society students and other student volunteers raised $780 in a weeklong money collection drive. The students stood outside during morning drop-offs to ask parents for any change they could donate to the cause. They also collected funds during lunch and had a bake sale during last week’s school band concert. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/03/westfield-middle-school-students-raise-money-for-ukraine.html

Westfield Technical Academy performed well at the District SkillsUSA competition on March 16, said chapter advisor and Allied Health instructor Maureen Baillargeon. “We had 49 students participated, 20 students won and 13 will move on from this competition. We also have four or five that are signed up for leadership competitions,” Baillargeon said. Congratulations! Go Tigers! https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/03/thirteen-westfield-tech-students-qualify-for-state-skillsusa-competition.html

If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight" this morning, please click on the link below. This week we talked with members of the Westfield High School Show Choir. The students also performed live on the show and did a wonderful job! Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw9vQ3R-AkY

Westfield public schools raised $3,690 to benefit Ukrainians from a Dress-Down Day event across the district earlier this month. Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski said that the district is donating the money to Save the Children, an organization that helps children that have lived through conflict zones or are refugees. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in at least 2.5 million Ukrainians fleeing the country, about half of whom are children, according to Save the Children. Czaporowski said that the organization was chosen as the charity of choice in part because it uses a significant percentage of the donations to help refugee children, whereas some charities take a significant cut for their own expenses.

Tune in Thursday morning, March 17, to WSKB 89.5 FM, WCPC Channel 15, or westfieldtv.org from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. for "Superintendent's Spotlight". This week we will have WHS Chorus Director Korey Bruno and the WHS Show Choir. The students will also be performing live music! Join us if you can! Thanks for listening and watching!

Happy Pi Day! Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. Pi Day is an annual opportunity for math enthusiasts to recite the infinite digits of Pi, talk to their friends about math, and eat pie.

Click on the link to watch this morning's "Superintendent's Spotlight". This week, we caught up with City Health Director Joe Rouse in the first half of the show. In the second half hour, we were updated on the Westfield Virtual School by Principal Thom Osborn. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i446UzWrnY4

A reminder to families that Friday, March 11, 2022, is a Professional Development Day for staff. There is no school for students. Thank you.

Tune in Thursday morning, March 10, to WSKB 89.5 FM, WCPC Channel 15, or westfieldtv.org from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. for "Superintendent's Spotlight". In the first half hour, we will be talking with Westfield's Director of Public Health, Joe Rouse. In the second half hour, we will be joined by Westfield Virtual School Principal Thomas Osborne. Join us if you can! Thanks for listening and watching!