Franklin Avenue Elementary School

International Dot Day is a global celebration of creativity, courage, and collaboration. Our Grade 4 students recognized Dot Day by joining a virtual celebration. The author of the book “The Dot”, Peter H. Reynold read the story with a student volunteer, taught a few art lessons, and shared how he became an author and illustrator. This was a wonderful experience for our students!

Click here for the latest Newsletter from the Franklin Ave/Abner Gibbs Replacement School Project: https://myemail-api.constantcontact.com/Construction-on-the-new-Elementary-School-continues--September-2024-Newsletter.html?soid=1127583543316&aid=8RGxSkE_mGA

If you missed last week's Rock on Westfield with host Harry Rock, click on the link below. Guests Superintendent of Schools Stefan Czaporowski and Director of Curriculum and Instruction Susan Dargie talk with Harry about the 2024-2025 school year and more. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLyi7YDDK20

Westfield Public Schools and Offices will be closed on Monday, September 2, in observance of Labor Day. Have a great long weekend! Thank you.

To emphasize the importance of attending school, DESE's "Power of Presence" initiative asks you to submit a creative piece of artwork, music, photography, videography, writing, etc. to express why you attend school. We hope to hear from everyone:pre-K to adult students, families, school staff, educators, and administrators! Some examples include a short story about your school community, a painting of your favorite teacher, a photo of your classroom decorations, a video interview of your favorite teacher, a song you've been practicing for the school play, a testimonial about a new skill you learned - we are encouraging you to get creative! We will choose one entry to be featured this spring, highlighting you and your school community! We can't wait to see what you create and what makes your presence so powerful. This opportunity is open to all students, school staff, educators, and families in Massachusetts public pre-K-12 schools and adult learning classes. Deadline: December 20, 2024 To Submit: Complete the Entry Form (with included Media Agreement language) Attach your submission to the form. Deadline is Friday, December 20th, by 11:59 p.m. The creator of the entry that will be featured in the spring will be notified on or before January 10, 2025. https://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/attendance/?utm_source=DA-Commissioner%27s+Weekly+Update&utm_campaign=bcd0ba25fc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_08_26_08_11&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-bcd0ba25fc-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D

Thank you to St Joseph’s Church for their donation of school supplies. These supplies will be distributed to our refugee and McKinney Vinto families

Beginning on Monday, Aug. 5, hundreds of students entering Westfield Intermediate School, Westfield Middle School and Westfield High School this fall will have an opportunity to familiarize themselves with their new schools ahead of the first day at the schools’ transition programs. Unfortunately, all of the programs are filled, but there will be scheduled orientations for some of the schools later in the month. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/08/hundreds-of-westfield-5th-7th-9th-graders-sign-up-for-transition-programs.html

Jennifer Thielen’s third grade class at Franklin Avenue Elementary School dressed as colonists and British soldiers in an impromptu play about the Boston Tea Party on June 13, performing it four times for parents and the other students in the school. Thielen said the play came about when a field trip was canceled due to rain. Reading from a Reader’s Theater book in the classroom, the class decided to perform the play for the school. The students had recently dressed up as colonists for a trip to an open house at the 1735 Dewey House in town, where they had a booth and made butter, so they found it easy to get into character. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/06/westfield-third-graders-re-enact-boston-tea-party-after-field-trip-is-canceled.html

Oliver Brown, an Engineer and Designer from ST Math visited and chatted with fourth grade students at Franklin Avenue last week about his career. Students were able to ask him questions about how he helps create puzzles, where he went to college, and if he thinks ST Math can ever be “beat”. Oliver encouraged students to get into coding now while they are young and have fun with it. Students even got a sneak peak of new ST Math puzzles in the making! Fourth graders won this virtual visit with Oliver Brown when a group was awarded the prize for “Outstanding Math Game” at the One8 Applied Learning Student Showcase in May. Students programmed their own ST Math inspired game in ScratchJR titled “Mathsketball”.

Westfield Public Schools and offices will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, in observance of the Juneteenth Holiday. Thank you.

The Westfield Starfires are thrilled to announce that hometown hero and finalist of NBC's 'The Voice,' Madison Curbelo, will be performing at Bullens Field as part of the pre-game entertainment on Saturday, June 29th. In addition to her pre-game performance, Curbelo will also have the honor of singing the National Anthem. Curbelo, whose powerful performances on 'The Voice' captivated millions, will bring her incredible talent back to her roots in Westfield. This special appearance is a testament to her connection to the community that has supported her journey to national recognition. “I am so excited to be back in Westfield for my official homecoming event with the Starfires,” said Curbelo. “My Westfield community got me through every round of The Voice and it’s an honor to be able to connect with them again after this journey.” The festivities will kick off at 5:30 p.m. with Curbelo's pre-game performance, followed by her rendition of the National Anthem at 6:30 p.m., just before the first pitch. Fans will also have an exclusive opportunity to meet Curbelo during a special meet and greet during the Starfires game against the Worcester Bravehearts. The game is presented by Berkshire Heating & Air Conditioning. Tickets for the game are available by visiting https://ci.ovationtix.com/36043

If you missed the season finale of "Superintendent's Spotlight" this morning, please click on the link below. This week, we provide updates on the new elementary school project. Westfield Technical Academy Culinary Arts students also helped us celebrate National Strawberry Shortcake Day. Thanks for watching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyGaGLG1awI

The last day of school is on Monday, June 17. It is also an early release day. High school students will be dismissed at 11:00 a.m., Middle and Intermediate School students at 11:30 a.m., and Elementary School students at 12:15 p.m. Thank you.

Amelia Park Children’s Museum announces the opening of their new permanent train exhibit. The new nearly life-size train houses a three-level train table, crawl-through train tunnel, and conductor controls so children can roleplay driving a train. “Our train table has long been one of our more popular exhibits at the museum, so it’s very exciting to see an upgraded version installed on-site,” said Brianne Zulkiewicz, APCM’s Assistant Director. “We are excited to see how children choose to interact with the train’s new features and learn about train transport. In the coming months, we hope to build off of the enthusiasm for our new exhibit to educate our visitors about the history and importance of trains in our region.” The new train exhibit was made possible through financial support from Shurtleff Children's Services, Inc. and The Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED) through the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) Destination Development Capital (DDC) Grant Program. Amelia Park Children’s Museum is open Thursday through Tuesday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The museum is closed to the public on Wednesdays.

If you missed yesterday's "Superintendent's Spotlight", please click on the link below. This week, we were live from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield to talk with Kellie Brown all about the great things they have going on at the club. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYNr7FNzZlA

If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight" yesterday, please click on the link below. This week, we talked with Westfield Technical Academy Substance Abuse Counselor Kristine Hupfer and Westfield, MA High School Adjustment Counselor Carrie Fiordalice about student mental health on National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NksJZsQmko

We’re proud to announce that Franklin Avenue has been named a @PLTWorg 2023-24 Distinguished Launch School for their commitment to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW programs. This honor is given to a select number of elementary schools across the U.S. for providing broad access to transformative learning experiences for students through PLTW Launch, an elementary STEM curriculum. #AchievingExcellenceTogether

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/

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

Now that the solar eclipsed has passed, Westfield’s public schools are passing on the special viewing glasses to students in South America. Westfield school district Curriculum and Instruction Director Susan Dargie said the schools are working with the Holyoke Fire Department to collect glasses to be donated to Argentina and Chile, where an annular solar eclipse will be visible on Oct. 2. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/04/westfield-students-will-donate-used-eclipse-glasses-to-kids-in-south-america.html