Abner Gibbs Elementary School

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

Tonight is the Thunderbird's Game! 7:05PM Order your tickets by clicking this link: https://springfieldthunderbirds.formstack.com/forms/abner_gibbs_pto?fbclid=IwAR1Q5XUumdfCZGxx1l9-L8IsD3eK_DgQ37Nr0XI2IG3o0pGPpT31RjNTKyc&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Willy Wonka Auditions January 18 & 20 Boys and Girls Club of Westfield

Ice Ride! December 10 - 9:30am Registration 7am - 9:30am

Substitute Teachers Needed! Click link to apply! LONG TERM SUBSTITUTE TEACHER - ABNER job in Westfield, Massachusetts http://www.schoolspring.com/job?4100529

Holiday Concert Schedule! Grades K - 2 (10:00am) Grades 3 - 4 (2:00pm) Band/Chorus (6:00pm) Families are welcome! Please bring a donation of a non-perishable food item for our food pantry!

SOARING News, Dec, 2022

Lacross Registration open until 12/31/22!!

December Family Night Science Behind Superheroes 12/06/22 by Mad Science. at Munger Hill - 6:30 -7:30pm Email: l.kennedy@schoolsofwestfield.org to register!

If you missed last week's "Superintendent's Spotlight", click on the link below. In this episode, our District Instructional Leadership Team explains our Multi-Tiered System of student Support. We also recognized National Play Monopoly Day. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Owb4DOsO4Y

The Westfield School Department’s Thanksgiving meal drive went into overdrive this year, with co-chairs Sue and Ralph Figy and Eileen and Jimmy Jachym ordering and delivering turkeys and all the fixings to a record-breaking 230 families this year, 80 more than anticipated. Ralph Figy said the district coordinated with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield, which is providing 100 meals for area families. The school volunteers put together 230 meals, so that between them 330 families would receive meals. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/11/thanksgiving-effort-goes-into-overdrive-to-help-families-in-westfield.html

Share the Warmth Coat drive is ON! From now until Dec. 14th, visit any of our participating members locations to make a donation to benefit Westfield Public School students.

A custodian at Westfield Abner Gibbs Elementary School has been vacuuming illustrations into a rug each morning to bring smiles to third-grade students. Hank Kimball has adopted it as a routine, creating flags, trees, sailboats, and even 22News with the vacuum cleaner. 22News visited the school and spoke with Hank and the students about how this all began. The artist behind these uplifting illustrations told 22News why he began creating them. “It started with me just making the lines in the carpet with the vacuum cleaner, somebody said they really liked how it look so clean and stuff,” said Westfield Abner Gibbs Custodian, Hank Kimball. “One day I was doing it and I was like you know what let me just try a little design.” Hank adds, “it affects the children in how excited they are about it and I just thought, oh wow, that’s amazing.” It has been an experience for the students to see his work every morning as they enter the classroom. “They’re walking around the carpet trying to be careful and figure it out, and it’s like this little brain teaser,” said Carolyn Laframboise, Westfield Abner Gibbs Elementary School 3rd grade teacher. “It makes me happy and gets my mind ready in the morning,” expressed Westfield Abner Gibbs Elementary School 3rd grader Jon Baahre. While this rug has been used as a focal point for reading time, the illustrations have now brought an additional meaning to it. Hank’s art will continue to be shared with this class and many others in the future. https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/westfield-elementary-school-custodian-uplifts-students-through-rug-art-creations/

With the weather turning cold and stormy this week, School Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski is getting ready for another season of deciding when to call a snow day. It is not a call that he makes by himself, however. “We look at the weather forecast, which is a pretty good guide, although not always 100% accurate,” he said. “We check with the Maintenance Department, the Westfield Police Department, [school Transportation Director] Pam Kortarski, who checks with the bus company, and area superintendents,” Czaporowski said. ”We try to make the call as early as possible to not inconvenience families.” https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2022/11/many-factors-influence-snow-day-call-westfield-school-superintendent-says.html

Tune in this Thursday, November 17, 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 are talking with our Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Director of Special Education, and our Director of Assessment and Accountability about our Multi-Tiered system of Support. Thanks for watching!

The newest thrift shop downtown, Blessed Buys, has expanded its offerings and has made the decision to donate a portion of its profits during the holidays to families in need with children at Abner Gibbs and Franklin Avenue elementary schools. Blessed Buys volunteer Cindy Gaylord said that the shop had been exploring how to help charities and causes in Westfield that may not get as much attention as some more prominent ones, like the soup kitchen and food pantry. Instead of donating to a specific charity, they decided on giving directly to families in need. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2022/11/congregational-church-thrift-store-will-donate-some-profits-to-school-families.html

Share the Warmth! Coat donations can be brought to Westfield Middle School from 3-3:30 on November 30th. See attached flyer.

Just a reminder about our Harvest Dance TOMORROW from 6 - 7:30pm. See attached flyer for information! https://5il.co/1k3zo

Westfield Public Schools and Offices will be closed on Friday, November 11, for the observance of Veterans Day. Thank you.

Tune in this Thursday, November 10, 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 are talking with our Director of Curriculum and Instruction and our Substance Abuse Counselors about the results of our youth risk survey that administered last spring. Thanks for watching!