Franklin Avenue Elementary School

If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight" this morning, click on the link below. This week we talked with our Director of Curriculum and Instruction Susan Dargie about our curriculum renewal process and our new Social Emotional Learning Curriculum PreK-12. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL0RBFEBDVk

While we were expecting a cooler day on Friday, September 8, the latest forecast from the National Weather Service predicts that the Heat Index tomorrow will remain between 95-100 degrees. The Heat Advisory also remains in effect. As a result, Westfield Public Schools will dismiss staff and students early again tomorrow. 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. Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center will be closed. Thank you.

We invite all families to come to our first Franklin VIRTUAL PTO meeting tonight at 6:00 p.m. Please join us by using the link below. We need your support to make great things happen for our kids! meet.google.com/sko-jmxv-quk

Hello Families, We are excited to announce that all back-to-school forms and medical information will be completed through the PowerSchool Parent Portal and SNAP Student School Health Portal this fall rather than using paper forms. You should have received 2 emails with instructions about how to do this today. If you did not receive two emails, please check your SPAM folder. If you don't receive either of these emails, please contact your child's school

This evening's SEPAC Meeting is postponed (September 7). We apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you.

Good afternoon, There is a heat advisory in effect for our area on Wednesday, September 6 and Thursday, September 7. Heat indices are expected to reach between 95-100 degrees. These temperatures make teaching and learning especially difficult in the majority of our buildings that are not air conditioned. For that reason, Westfield Public Schools staff and students will be dismissed early the next two days. High schools will dismiss at 11:00 a.m., Intermediate and Middle Schools at 11:30 a.m., and Elementary Schools at 12:15 p.m. Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday as well. Sincerely, Superintendent Czaporowski

There is a heat advisory in effect for our area on Wednesday, September 5 and Thursday, September 6. Heat indices are expected to reach between 95-100 degrees. These temperatures make teaching and learning especially difficult in the majority of our buildings that are not air conditioned. For that reason, Westfield Public Schools staff and students will be dismissed early the next two days. High schools will dismiss at 11:00 a.m., Intermediate and Middle Schools at 11:30 a.m., and Elementary Schools at 12:15 p.m. Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday as well. Sincerely, Superintendent Czaporowski

A reminder that schools are closed on Monday, September 4, 2023, for Labor Day. Schools will reopen on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. Thank you.

We are so excited to welcome back our students next Wednesday, August 30. Our doors will open at 9 a.m. and like last year, a free breakfast and free lunch will be available to all of our students every day. What a wonderful year it will be!

Westfield Public Schools is hiring: Speech and Language Pathologists Special Education Teachers ESL Teachers Paraprofessionals Click on the link below to view our current openings. Thank you! https://www.schoolspring.com/jobs?employer=11953&fbclid=IwAR1GNsNa8Kvxp-JJN--3K6AuBq0q3d6vHQUsWwUIrmfgXYI1N6IrLcygiMg

Click below for the latest newsletter from P3 Project Planning Professionals who are working on the new Franklin Ave/Abner Gibbs Replacement School Project and to sign up to receive email alerts about progress on the construction. https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Construction-on-the-new-Elementary-School-continues--July-2023-Newsletter.html?soid=1127583543316&aid=I1JZJHddeBs

There has been some real progress on the construction of our new school building. Two new truckloads of steel are delivered to the Franklin Street site each day and used to construct the foundational structure of what will be Franklin Avenue's and Abner Gibb's students' new state of the art facility for learning. If you would like to keep up with the progress being made, the link is below to access the contractor's newsletter. You can even sign up for these newsletters to be sent to you personally. https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Construction-on-the-new-Elementary-School-continues--July-2023-Newsletter.html?soid=1127583543316&aid=I1JZJHddeBs

Christine Shea, Westfield public schools’ director of assessment and accountability, said 152 new English language learners moved into the district this past year. English language learners are students whose native language is not English and who are not yet able to complete ordinary classroom work in English. According to state and federal laws, each school district must arrange for them to receive instruction from certified ELL teachers trained specifically to work with students still learning English. Most of the new families in Westfield are coming from Ukraine, a total of 102 students this past year, some from the same families. Other students are from Russia, Moldova and Turkey, and 15 are from Afghanistan, families that are still trickling out after the end of the U.S. occupation. There are also several families from Ecuador that recently arrived. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/07/families-from-ukraine-afghanistan-among-english-learners-in-westfield-schools.html

With school ending today, the Westfield Athenaeum is offering a fun program with prizes that is aimed at helping children and teens stay engaged with reading over the summer months. The Athenaeum’s annual Summer Reading Challenge program has reading challenges for all ages, complete with different levels of activities. One program is for children up to grade 6, and a second one is for teens from grades 7-12. There’s even a reading challenge for adults who want to join their kids in summer reading. All participants are challenged to read at least 20 minutes a day. Reading challenges run from June 26 to Aug. 12 — at least 1,000 minutes of reading, total. Signups are being taken at westath.beanstack.org/reader365. The Athenaeum uses a program called Beanstack, which allows participants to sign up, track their reading and earn extra raffle tickets toward prizes online instead of using a paper log. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/06/summer-reading-programs-for-youth-adults-begin-next-week-at-westfield-athenaeum.html

A reminder that Westfield Public Schools are closed on Monday, June 19. Tuesday, June 20 is the last day of school, and it is 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 a.m. Thank you.

If you missed the season finale of "Superintendent's Spotlight" this morning, please click on the link below. This week, we talked about the new elementary school project timeline, progress, and shared photos and drone footage of the work completed so far. You can actually see the footprint of the building already. Westfield Technical Academy Culinary Arts students also helped us celebrate National Fudge Day. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Cf6fPKjKqE

Did you know students in grades 4,7, and 10 are required to submit a physical exam within 30 days of school entry. Students in grades K-12 are also required to be fully immunized against certain diseases. Please click on the image for more information.

All year long, parents worry about the safety of their children, especially when they are in school. That’s why Westfield Public Schools started a new safety program to provide extra pairs of eyes on students this year. It’s a pilot program called “school safety attendants” featuring volunteers who are retired or current military personnel or first responders. In exchange, they receive an incentive that may motivate others to join for the upcoming school year. Volunteers from the “school safety attendants” program in Westfield are showing up in the schools every day, connecting with kids, and making a difference. The program was born from joint efforts by the Westfield Public Schools, State Senator John Velis, and the city’s Veterans Affairs Department. Stefan Czaporowski, Westfield’s school superintendent, and Christopher Rogers, the director of student interventions and safety, told Western Mass News the goals of the program are simple. “They are building relationships; they are another set of eyes and ears in the building, and often times when there is a safety issue in the school, it is known that something is going to happen somewhere,” said Czaporowski. “So, this is just another trusted adult for our students to confide in and maybe even prevent something that might happen that way.” This program is also the result of multiple safety concerns that have come up in recent years because of the many mass shootings in schools across the country. “We have protocols in place, we have systems in place, and I think, and while this—I don’t know that this is going to deter it, but we hope it does— we hope it’s a deterrent, knowing that there is another adult in the building who is, you know, trained in identifying threats,” said Rogers.” On Wednesday, Western Mass News got a chance to see one of the volunteers in action at the Southampton Road Elementary School. Carl Schwarzenback, a military veteran told us he first decided to volunteer so he could spend more time with his son Lincoln, and he really enjoys the experience. “Teachers focus on teaching, counselors can focus on counseling, the administrators can focus on administrating, and I can be there to focus on talking or just listening, that’s it through the day,” said Schwarzenback. “Walking, getting my step count in, saying hi to kids, high fiving. It’s, it’s a lot of fun actually.” Volunteers are eligible for up to $1,500 off their property taxes. Czaporowski told us they started with three schools participating this year, but they are hoping to have more volunteers and reach all six of their elementary schools next year. https://www.westernmassnews.com/2023/06/14/getting-answers-westfield-public-schools-spearheads-new-school-safety-attendants-program/

Franklin Avenue's field day will take place on Friday, June 16 at Municipal Playground. Students should remember to bring a bathing suit and towel. Caregivers should apply sunscreen before sending students to school.

Join us on Thursday, June 15, from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. to WSKB 89.5 FM, WCPC cable channel 15, or westfieldtv.org for the last new episode of "Superintendent's Spotlight" for the 2022-2023 school year. This week, we will catch up on the amazing progress being made on the new elementary school building. Thanks for watching!