Westfield High School

If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight" yesterday, please click on the link below. This week, we met our Special Education Administrators and talked about some of the special education programming in the district. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXJRLwVJTMM

Our next SEPAC meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 5 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Tiger's Pride Restaurant in Westfield Technical Academy. Please click on "view image" for more information. Thank you!

CALLING ALL LOCAL STUDENT ARTISTS! The City Clerk's Office invites local students K‐12 to enter the Westfield Elections' Coloring Contest. The first of hopefully many coloring contests will be to design your own ‘I Voted’ sticker. Winning artwork will be used in Westfield Election materials, promotions and outreach and exhibited through the City. The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2023. A completed entry form must accompany each sticker design. Official details and entry form can be found here: "I Voted" Sticker Design Competition | Westfield, MA - Official Website (cityofwestfield.org) Need a paper copy? Stop by the City Clerk's Office, 59 Court Street, Room 210 between 9AM-5PM. https://www.cityofwestfield.org/895/I-Voted-Sticker-Design-Competition

At the School Committee meeting on Sept. 18, Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski and School Business Administrator Shannon Barry asked members to approve the creation of a new Arts Gift Account, for monetary gift donations to the district earmarked for the arts. Czaporowski said he was contacted by the trustees of the estate of Gerald Patrick, a Westfield alumnus who had a successful career as a professional artist and designer. The trustees said Patrick left a $100,000 donation to the arts programs in the schools in his will. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/09/estate-of-artist-raised-in-westfield-donates-100k-for-arts-in-city-schools.html

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

Please join us to learn about current trends in student substance use and to identify available school and community resources and interventions

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.

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.

Westfield High School will be hosting our Freshman Orientation this Thursday, August 24. Please join us from 9-11 for a program tailored to our newest Bombers!

Approximately 20 incoming Westfield High School freshmen are meeting staff, learning their way around and having fun at the school’s free two-week summer transition program. Participants Raeghan McGrath and Gabriella Melo were at the school early waiting for the doors to open. “It makes me nervous to start high school,” said McGrath. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/08/incoming-freshmen-learn-to-navigate-whs-at-transition-camp.html

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

Freshman Orientation is August 24th from 9-11 am. Please join us to tour the school, meet your teachers and principals, and speak with current students about life at Westfield High School! Please email Ms. Lacas with questions t.lacas@schoolsofwestfield.org.

We are excited to announce that Unified Basketball is coming to Westfield High School this fall. Unified sports are teams that combine athletes with and without disabilities. They are supported by the MIAA and Special Olympics as school sports. Here at Westfield High, they are also recognized as a Varsity sport. The head coach will be Jim Sanford with Carolyn Busiere, Donna Santabarbara, and Lisa Stawasz as assistant coaches. Practices will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00-3:30 in the gym starting Tuesday, September 5. The season consists of 4 games and concludes with a Jamboree. The season will wrap up just prior to Thanksgiving. Uniform shirts will be provided and team members may wear their own black athletic shorts/pants. Those wishing to join the team need to register in Family ID prior to the start of the season. Copy and paste the link below to access the registration: Westfield Public Schools Fall 2023 Athletics Registration | ArbiterSports (familyid.com) Please note that a current physical must be on file with the athletic department to participate. Registration is free. Please let us know if you need assistance with the registration process. There will be an informational meeting on Thursday, August 31 at 6:00 in the gym. Please join us

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

Students from Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy who signed up for the Westfield Promise early college program in their junior year, accompanied by their families, gathered in the WTA cafeteria on June 15 to learn more about the program and to meet each other. Tara Bean, student services counselor, said 48 students from WHS and 48 from WTA, doubling the number in that school from last year, have signed up for the partnership with Westfield State University. Many of the students will be the first in their families to go to college. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/06/westfield-promise-open-house-encourages-students-to-enter-stretch-zone.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