Westfield Public Schools

The horticultural technology staff and students at Westfield Technical Academy are ready for their annual Spring Plant Sale, beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 7, and continuing through Friday, May 10, or until plants are sold out. The plant sale takes place at the Greylock Street entrance to the school, next to the Municipal Playground. Department head Nathan Sperry encourages gardeners to come early. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/05/early-birds-get-best-selection-at-westfield-tech-plant-sale-starting-tuesday.html

BOYS VOLLEYBALL Westfield def. Saint John’s (Shrewsbury), 25-12, 25-18, 25-18 Westfield swept Saint John’s (Shrewsbury) on May 2 to remain unbeaten. The Bombers improved to 13-0 overall, 6-0 North. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/05/the-westfield-news-scoreboard-bombers-boys-volleyball-enjoy-sweeping-success.html

The Westfield High School softball team may have had an eye toward the weekend, but they had to work extra hard to finish off the school week. Westfield survived an extra inning thriller on the road Friday, escaping Hampshire Regional with a 3-2 win in 10 innings. Bombers senior Moja Premny delivered the game-winning hit in the top of the 10th. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/05/westfield-softball-escapes-hampshire-with-3-2-win-in-10-innings.html

There is something historic happening on Montgomery Road in the City of Westfield. On Thursday, the Westfield High School boy's lacrosse team defeated Minnechaug at home, 11-7, to improve to a club best 11-0 record and capture the Valley Wheel title (6-0). It is the best start in school history for the program. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/05/westfield-boys-lacrosse-holds-off-minnechaug-11-7-to-continue-best-start-in-school-history-at-11-0.html

On the third day of the third annual Chef Showdown at Westfield Technical Academy, a collaboration between the culinary arts department and radio and television broadcasting, a division of graphics arts, the teams had been narrowed down to two who were competing for the win. The competition had started with two teams of six on the first day. The winning team that day was broken down to six lead chefs on the second day, who each chose an assistant from the other teams. On the second day, the chefs chose a culture to celebrate through food, such as East Asian, African and Caribbean. The top two teams then advanced to the finals on the third day, where they also chose a sous chef and assistant. On that day, culinary arts teacher and chef Eric Rogers brought in a huge fresh salmon for the teams to prepare. Judges on the last day were Chris Smigel, executive director of hospitality at MGM Springfield and Shortshop Bar & Grill chef Monica Guarnieri, who ducked into the kitchen to help other culinary students who were preparing desserts for a catering job. “I couldn’t sit and wait,” Guarnieri said as she helped the students to make various cookie bars for a Westfield on Weekends volunteer appreciation event later that day. “They’re doing great! They have a good attitude and want to learn,” she said. On Team One in the competition were Nella Dovganyuk, head chef, Elayna Carlson and Aidan Gomez, all juniors in culinary. On Team Two was Ilianis Rivera, Grayson Ventura and Julian Suggs, all sophomores. Also helping in the kitchen was culinary arts teacher Nick Leslie, who is in his first year as instructor at WTA. A former chef at Arbors Assisted Living, Leslie served as a judge in the competition last year. Smigel said this is his second year participating as a judge. “It’s phenomenal to not only get culinary students to show what they’ve learned, but to allow another class to do a full production,” he said. Digital media teacher Steve Forni, whose student crews were filming and recording audio, interviewing and taking still photographs, said the production was going great. He said all of the students were sophomores and juniors from both shops. “It all depends on the buy-in of the culinary students,” he said. Initially, he added, the students did not want to participate, but “they did a total 180, and are now totally into it.” Forni said from the graphics perspective, a lot goes into the production. “This is the third Chef Showdown. It’s not perfect, but won’t ever be perfect. They’ve done a good job improvising,” he said. Team One then emerged with food to be judged. On the menu was firecracker salmon with a julienne squash and carrot medley, and a lemon cheesecake mousse and almond crumble. After sampling the food, the judges were impressed. “Overall, the taste was very good. The presentation fit the season, and the salmon was cooked very well,” Smigel said. He suggested tossing the peaches in oil first to keep them from going brown. He also complimented the balance in the dessert, which he said, “wasn’t too sweet.” Guarnieri agreed that the salmon was perfectly cooked, although she said she didn’t get enough “firecracker” from the spice. She complimented the students on the lime garnish, which she said brought out the flavor. “The dessert knocked me out of the park with the balance of cream and crumble,” Guarnieri, a baker, said, adding that the whole presentation was nicely done. “Good job, guys!” she said. Team Two made salmon primavera with garlic bread, pasta vinaigrette, a Brazilian limeade and cupcake. Guarnieri said again, everything was very good, although the limeade was a little bitter. “The salmon was very nicely cooked — perfect,” she said, adding that the pasta vinaigrette was different, but she liked how the vinegar acid went with the salmon on the plate. She said the cupcake tasted fresh and the buttercream was beautiful. Smigel said he agreed almost entirely. “The salmon was cooked lovely,” he said, also noting the acid from the balsamic vinegar, which “always plays well with salmon in general.” Smigel said the cupcake was probably the favorite thing he had all day, and the top had a nice crunch. Both judges agreed they had a hard decision to make, when asked how the teams performed. They said one team did well on certain things, and the other team did well on opposite things, and it would be very close. The winners will be announced on Westfield Community Television, where all three episodes of the Chef Showdown will be aired on its YouTube channel in the coming weeks, according to Westfield Community TV engineer Ken Stomski, who served as a technical troubleshooter during the production. Post-production will now be entirely in the hands of the broadcast media students. https://www.thereminder.com/localnews/westfield/westfield-culinary-media-students-mix-for-chef-con/

On Wednesday, the Westfield High School baseball team saved the best for last. Westfield sophomore pitcher Josh Wagner tossed a three-hitter, striking out nine batters and senior Ethan Johnson delivered a pinch-hit, walk-off base hit to lift Westfield to a thrilling 1-0 win in the bottom of the seventh inning at Bullens Field. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/05/ethan-johnsons-walk-off-hit-lifts-westfield-baseball-to-dramatic-1-0-win-over-west-side.html

The hits keep on coming and that’s only one of the things that Westfield Technical Academy baseball coach Bob Eak likes most about his team’s 8-1 start. Westfield Tech clubbed 12 hits in just four innings, five of the extra base variety, and Tigers freshman pitcher Jo Jo Pouliot tossed a two-hitter, recording nine strikeouts over four innings of a mercy-shortened 20-4 win against High School of Science & Technology on Tuesday at Bullens Field. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/05/westfield-technical-academy-baseball-clubs-sci-tech-to-start-8-1.html

What is the best medicine to remedy a three-game losing streak? How about a blowout victory. Westfield’s Gabi Ritter scored six goals and delivered one assist, and Kara Racicot (3 goals, 3 assists) and Kayli Bush (2 goals, 4 assists) each tallied six points as the Bombers soared to a 20-3 win over Hampshire on Monday in the Whip City. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/04/westfield-girls-lacrosse-ends-slide-with-convincing-victory.html

All kids ages 4-12 are welcome to participate in POP Club, a fun, free program that encourages kids to discover the abundance of fresh local produce at the market. Kids exercise their own buying power while exploring the market, trying new fruits and vegetables, learning about where their food comes from, and participating in weekly activities. How POP Club works: Sign up at the POP Tent on any Thursday between June 6th - August 22nd. Each time kids attend the market, they receive $2 in POP Bucks to spend on fruits, vegetables, or seedlings at the market. Kids can choose between spending their POP bucks or saving them for a larger produce item. Kids can participate in weekly activities like planting seeds, learning about pollinators, movement activities, and more. https://www.farmersmarketwestfield.org/pop-club-for-kids/

The weather was beautiful for the Westfield Middle School Arbor Day ceremony on April 26, and the planting of the first of 50 trees on the school’s campus, donated by the Greening the Gateway Cities program. During his remarks at the ceremony before a tulip tree was planted in the front of the school, Principal Jesse McMillan said the project started when he was speaking to School Committee member Kathleen Hillman last fall about ways to enhance the school property. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/04/westfield-middle-school-plants-1st-of-50-trees-on-campus-at-arbor-day-ceremony.html

If you missed yesterday's episode of "Superintendent's Spotlight", please click on the link below. This week we talked with Westfield Middle School staff and students about Arbor Day, the Westfield Middle School Band, and more. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8YXR5IKV-A

If it seems like the Westfield High School baseball team had another big game to play, that’s because they did. Westfield beat another quality opponent Thursday, shutting out Pope Francis on the road 7-0. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/04/josh-wagner-nick-lenfest-help-westfield-silence-pope-francis-7-0.html

Sarat Ford Lincoln in Agawam has donated a brand-new Ford Mustang GT convertible to help students at Westfield Technical Academy learn the automotive industry. “It’s really cool. It’s going to be awesome for us to look at it and work on it. It’s just going to be amazing,” said Junior Nicholas Platt. The 2024 Mustang GT contains lots of new technology that will help these students learn what comes inside a new vehicle. “It has all the new technology that all the new cars coming out now have. Everything is electronic. It’s got modems, it’s remote. They’re awesome,” said Jeff Sarat of Sarat Ford Lincoln. “To have a car that’s this modern with all the computers, sensors, it’s going to open up a huge door for advanced diagnostics for our students,” said Dustin Raney, Head of the Automotive Technology Department. Right now, there is an automotive tech shortage. The partnership between Sarat and the school helps train the next generation of auto workers and get them started in careers as soon as possible. “Our primary goal is to create a student that we can send out into the industry that’s going to succeed well in a beginner’s role, said Raney. “I want to work on cars as a living. I want to possibly own my own shop, but if not, just work for another shop. This is what I want to do. This is why I’m here. I get to work on cars every day and it’s amazing,” said Platt. The car will be on display at the upcoming WTA Motorsports Club car show on May 18th at Chauncey Allen Park in Westfield. https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/sarat-ford-lincoln-donates-2024-mustang-gt-to-westfield-technical-academy/

Members of the community are invited to immerse themselves in the work of talented art students of all ages adorning the walls of Westfield High School at “Into the Arts” Saturday, April 27, and then gather in the gym and enjoy student musicians from elementary to high school perform in “Bandtastic.” Artwork by students in second and fourth grades on up will be on display from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. throughout the school, and at 1 p.m. in the gym, musicians from elementary, intermediate, middle and both high schools will be showcased. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/04/westfield-student-artists-musicians-getting-ready-for-combined-showcase.html

The Westfield High School baseball team found the solution to ending to their first losing streak of the season. His name is Colin Cusack. Westfield senior pitcher Colin Cusack scattered five hits, two walks, and two runs, striking out four over seven innings; and the Bombers played a bit of small ball to defeat rival Pittsfield 5-2 Tuesday at Bullens Field. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/04/colin-cusack-westfield-turn-back-rival-pittsfield-5-2.html

The USS MASSACHUSETTS is scheduled for commissioning in 2025. As part of this event, the Commissioning Committee invites middle and high school students within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to participate in a essay contest. Twelve winners will be awarded, invited to the commissioning ceremony in Boston, MA, have their essays framed and permanently installed within the submarine and will be invited to the post reception ceremony. Clink on the link below for more information. Follow the rules and guidelines and submit your essay before 15 June 2024. https://www.ussmassachusetts.org/essay

While some students were taking a break from school during April vacation week, others were having fun in school, playing math games with cards and legos, building bridges (literally, with popsicle sticks) and winning raffle prizes at lunchtime during the Math Acceleration Academy and the Newcomers Academy held at Westfield Middle School and Highland Elementary. The academies are run through grants from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for students in third through 10th grades. The programs for third and fourth graders are held at Highland, under the supervision of Westfield Intermediate School Vice Principal Rena Piper. A total of 75 students enrolled in the Math Academy at WMS, and 105 at Highland. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/04/students-have-fun-in-school-during-spring-break.html

Don’t miss this week’s match as Westfield High School goes up against Rockville High School on the campus of Westfield State University this Saturday at 7pm, only on New England Public Media!

After a process that included a survey of the school community on desired characteristics of a principal and written feedback on meetings with finalists, Westfield Public Schools has announced that Michael Atkins has been offered and accepted the role of principal of Paper Mill Elementary School. He will start on July 1. Atkins is currently principal of Mittineague Elementary School in West Springfield. Prior to this role, he was an assistant principal in West Springfield for seven years and an elementary classroom teacher for 14 years. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/04/westfield-hires-new-principal-for-paper-mill-elementary.html

Aniyah Bailey delivered a walk-off hit in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the defending Division 1 state champion Taunton High School softball team to a dramatic 4-3 victory Wednesday, handing Westfield its first loss of the season. It was a game worth remembering though for one Bomber. Westfield junior pitcher Shea Hurley celebrated her 500th career strikeout, striking out 14 Taunton batters. She entered the game needing just 10 Ks to reach that hallowed milestone. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/04/bombers-pitcher-celebrates-milestone-lauded-for-effort-in-extra-inning-loss.html