The 2023-24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) launched on October 1. New and returning students who plan to attend college between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, should complete the FAFSA form as soon as possible. Massachusetts resources, including links to regional organizations and events that can help students and families complete the form, are posted at https://www.doe.mass.edu/financialaid/ and will be updated continuously. In addition, the U.S. Department of Education has helpful tips, such as “Seven Things You Need Before Filling Out the FAFSA Form,” “Eight Steps to Completing the FAFSA Form,” and “15 Myths We’re Busting About the FAFSA Process.”
Mr. Langone got a nice break from his usual routine as he accompanied Chef Mucciarone, Ms. Boisseau, and the Culinary Arts sophomores and juniors to the HPC Food Show at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut. In addition to more delicious free samples than anyone could imagine in one place, our students had the opportunity to interact with industry professionals and discuss their products and services in detail. And, as always, they represented WTA fantastically!
What’s more synonymous with Halloween than a festively carved pumpkin, all aglow with candlelight?
Hundreds of kids and their families will get the chance to test those creative skills at this year’s PumpkinFest, slated for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, rain or shine, on the athletic fields behind Amelia Park off South Broad Street in Westfield. Now in its sixth year, the event is organized by Westfield on Weekends, and according to Co-President Bob Plasse, more than 100 people volunteer their time to make this event happen.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2022/10/westfield-pumpkinfest-promises-fun-for-whole-community-next-weekend.html
Westfield Public Schools and the Westfield Police Department Release Drill Dates
Westfield Public Schools continues to update our school district’s comprehensive safety plan in conjunction with the Westfield Police and Fire Departments. A team of Westfield Administrators and other staff members representing every level from elementary to high school, has been working collaboratively with the Westfield Police and Fire Departments to make sure our students, staff, and families have a current, research-based, and educationally sound safety plan.
As part of our continued work with Westfield Police Department and our ongoing training for students and staff, both city departments working together will conduct lockdown drills in our schools the week of October 24-28 utilizing the enhanced lockdown procedures known as A.L.I.C.E. (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate). If you have any questions regarding our drills please contact Mr. Christopher Rogers, Administrator of Student Interventions and Safety for the Westfield Public Schools at 413-572-6397.
It's here! The new furniture we were able to obtain for the Stephen J. Pippin Library through the generosity of Bob's Discount Furniture and the efforts of Sarah Scott, our school librarian, arrived today. Special shoutout to Senior Custodian Mark Poulin and our Horticulture Technology Students for taking care of the pickup into our Construction Technology students for handling the assembly.
During the week of November 28, 2022, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of Westfield Public Schools. The Office of Public School Monitoring visits each district and charter school every three years to monitor compliance with federal and state special education and civil rights regulations. Areas of review related to special education include student assessments, determination of eligibility, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team process, and IEP development and implementation. Areas of review related to civil rights include bullying, student discipline, physical restraint, and equal access to school programs for all students.
In addition to the onsite visit, parent outreach is an important part of the review process. The review chairperson from the Office of Public School Monitoring will send all parents of students with disabilities an online survey that focuses on key areas of their child’s special education program. Survey results will contribute to the development of a report. During the onsite review, the Office of Public School Monitoring will interview the chairperson(s) of the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). Other onsite activities may include interviews of district staff and administrators, reviews of student records, and onsite observations.
Parents and other individuals may call Marc Oldenburg, Public School Monitoring Chairperson, at 413-314-6703 to request a telephone interview. If an individual requires an accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, the Department will make the necessary arrangements.
Within approximately 60 business days after the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide the district with a report with information about areas in which the district meets or exceeds regulatory requirements and areas in which the district requires assistance to correct or improve practices. The public will be able to access the report at http://www.doe.mass.edu/psm/tfm/reports/.
The Westfield Technical Academy recently earned Tree Campus Honors from the National Arbor Day Foundation! WTA is one of 70 elementary, middle, and high schools across the United States, and the only one in Massachusetts, to earn recognition through the Arbor Day Foundation’s new Tree Campus K-12 program. The Arbor Day Foundation is the largest membership nonprofit organization dedicated to tree planting. Its Tree Campus K-12 program, launched last year, encourages educators to create meaningful opportunities for students to interact with trees. In the first year of the program, more than 15,000 students participated in an Arbor Day celebration, and nearly 30,000 trees were planted. To earn this distinction, Westfield Technical Academy’s horticulture program had to meet four goals: Maintain a Tree Campus team dedicated to achieving recognition; create an education plan that connects students to trees and their global benefits; offer a hands-on experience that engages students in trees and the community and hold an Arbor Day observance to celebrate trees within the school or the community. Nate Sperry, our Horticulture Department Chair, said the school worked with Westfield Tree Warden Scott Hathaway to apply for the recognition. Sperry said on Arbor Day a student crew joined Hathaway and his city crew to plant 50 trees and 50 bushes at the site of the former Tekoa Dam, to help with bank forestation and restabilization of the area that was disturbed during the deconstruction of the dam. Congratulations to our Horticulture Department for a job VERY well done!
Among the native trees planted were red maple, river birches, gray birches, black sweet gum, and tupelos. The bushes were all sweet fern to help stabilize the dry and sandy bank.
“There’s usually more excitement when we plant a tree than putting in perennials and shrubs,” Sperry said. He said his student crews have planted trees at the WTA campus and several other city schools, for homeowners and for other customers in town. “We’re more than happy to plant trees anywhere,” he said.
Sperry said an upcoming project will involve two big pin oaks the city bought to replace ash trees on the Municipal Playground on Hubbard Street that have been infected by the emerald ash borer, a problem throughout the state. For this project, they will also be working closely with Hathaway.
“The idea of implanting really large trees requires equipment and quite a bit of detail,” Sperry said, adding that they will have to remove the stumps, and will probably grind them down and plant next to them.
GOLF
Westfield Technical Academy 21.5, McCann Tech 2.5
Four Tigers broke the 50 mark in a BC West matchup at East Mountain Country Club.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2022/10/the-westfield-news-scoreboard-tigers-golf-rebounds-for-eighth-win-of-season-more.html
Westfield Public School families may get $30 off their monthly internet bill and $100 off a laptop, tablet, or computer through a federal program called the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Learn more & apply at Affordableconnectivity.gov
If the Westfield Technical Academy boys soccer team goes on to win a championship this season, they may point to Monday’s home shutout as the turning point.
Westfield Technical Academy senior forward David Bulatov scored four goals and the Tigers went on to defeat Drury 5-0 at Jachym Field.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2022/10/david-bulatov-scores-four-goals-in-westfield-tech-boys-soccer-shutout.html
To all of our business and Community partners, if you haven't already, please consider joining the Westfield Education to Business Alliance (WE2BA) today. Working together, there is no limit to all the wonderful things we can do on behalf of our kids! For additional information, please don't hesitate to reach out to Pete Taloumis or me at (413) 572-6533. Thank you for your kind consideration!
Save the Date! We look forward to seeing you!
October 2022 SEPAC Meeting
On Tuesday, September 27, we were honored to welcome Governor Charlie Baker, Lieutenant Governor Karen and Polito, State Secretary of Education James Peyser to WTA, which served as the host sight for the awarding of the most recent round of Capital Skills Grants. We began with a tour of our Advanced Manufacturing Program after which we proceeded to Culinary Arts for a speaking program and the presentation of the grants.
During the presentation, Governor Baker awarded nearly $24 million in Skills Capital Grants to 14 different high schools - each receiving between $1 million to $2.5 million grants - which will enable them to modernize labs and significantly expand student enrollment in programs that provide career education. The funding for this round of grants was included in An Act Relative to Immediate Covid-19 Recovery Needs, passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, which included $100 million in state resources to provide capital improvement grants to vocational high schools and public schools operating career and technical education programs.
All awardees in this round were high schools, as required under the legislation. The high schools receiving grants will make strategic investments over the next two years to grow their career education programs to provide more learning opportunities for both traditional high school students and adult learners, with several schools expanding their Career Technical Initiative programs to offer more learning opportunities in the late-afternoon and evening.
WTA has received $1,014,665 for our Advanced Manufacturing and Electrical Programs which we will use to modernize and update infrastructure, purchase new equipment such as Proto TRAK Lathes and Mills, Haas Mini Mills, CAD Workstations, Fire Alarm, Burglar and Access Control Trainers, and launch a CTI training program.
We are beyond grateful to Governor Baker and his administration to for their ongoing and generous commitment to the growth and modernization of Career Vocational Technical Education here in Westfield and throughout the Commonwealth!
Please be advised that there will be no Lower Campus parking from the gymnasium to Construction Technology tomorrow, Tuesday, September 27, 2022. Lower Campus parking will resume on Wednesday, September 28, 2022.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!
On Friday, September 23, WTA hosted a visit from the Hartford Hospital Baystate Health Life Star Helicopter on Jachym Field. Crew Chief Stephen Irving and his team provided a presentation for our Aviation Maintenance Technology Students as well as a contingent of WTA Allied Health Students and a cohort from Westfield High School. In addition to seeing the state-of-the-art chopper up close, the student were able to hear from about how their work creates a nexus between aviation and health care. In addition to Mr. Irving and his team, special thanks go out to Mr. Galen Wilson, Aviation Department Chair, who arranged for and coordinated the visit.
On Thursday, September 22, Mr. Langone and Mr. Taloumis had the pleasure of attending the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce annual September Breakfast at the 104th Fighter Wing/Barnes Air Base. The keynote speaker for this year's event was Ron Bryant, President of Baystate Regional Hospital. which includes Baystate Noble in Westfield. Like Baystate Health Systems, the Westfield Technical Academy and the Westfield Public Schools are proud members of the Chamber, and we are grateful for their continued collaboration on behalf of our schools and the community at large!
BOYS SOCCER
Westfield Technical Academy 9, Gateway 1
Westfield Tech stayed unbeaten with a convincing victory, improving to 5-0-1. The Tigers will next hit the road at Hoosac Valley on Friday.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2022/09/the-westfield-news-scoreboard-westfield-tech-boys-soccer-team-stays-unbeaten-with-9-1-win-over-gateway-more.html
On Wedensday, September 21, the Massachusetts State Police landed their Eurocopter EC 135 Helicopter on Jachym Field to do a presentation for our Aviation Maintenance Technology Students as well as a contingent of Criminal Justice Students from Westfield High School. In addition to seeing the state-of-the-art chopper up close, the student were able to hear from the pilot and first office of how their arm of law enforcement relates specifically to Aviation and criminal Justice. Special thanks go out to the Massachusetts State Police for their generosity with their time and equipment and to Mr. Galen Wilson, Aviation Department Chair, who arranged for and coordinated the visit.
Five games into the 2022 season, the Westfield Technical Academy boys soccer team is nearly perfect.
Westfield won its fourth game in five tries, posting a convincing 10-0 victory over Pioneer Valley Christian Academy on Tuesday at Bullens Field.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2022/09/westfield-technical-academy-tigers-chase-pvca-boys-soccer-team-10-0-to-stay-unbeaten.html