Dear Westfield Middle School Students and Families,
While we do not celebrate Halloween as a school community with any specific event or activity, Westfield Middle School traditionally allows students to wear costumes to school for Halloween; therefore, students can wear Halloween costumes Thursday, October 31st only. However, all students must follow the guidelines below to maintain appropriate standards that respect our educational setting.
Costume Guidelines:
-All regular dress code requirements regarding length and coverage still apply.
-Costumes must be school appropriate.
-Costume preparations must be completed at home. (No dressing or applying of make-up, colored hairspray, etc. once students arrive at school).
-Costumes must allow students to fully participate in all classroom activities. Inflatable costumes are not permitted.
-Costumes that depict violence, gore, or horror are not permitted.
-Absolutely no props that contain simulated weapons of any kind (e.g., pretend swords, guns, grenades, knives, etc.)
-Masks or costume hoods are not permitted.
-Costumes that can be offensive or perpetuate a stereotype of someone’s culture, gender, heritage, or religion are not permitted.
Students wearing costumes that violate these guidelines will be asked to change into their regular clothes. Caregivers will be contacted, if necessary. Thank you for taking the time to discuss these expectations with your student(s). We look forward to a festive and respectful Halloween day!
Sincerely,
Principal McMillan
Volleyball Club with Coach Skorupski will be starting on Monday, October 28th in the gym from 2:35 - 4pm for the returning 8th graders only. Starting Monday, November 4th, anyone wanting to join the Volleyball Club can just show up and join; no sign ups required. Volleyball Club will run on Mondays from 2:35 - 4pm. Please have appropriate gym clothes and sneakers, and please arrange a ride home in advance.
Please click on the following link to view the October newsletter, "The Howler," from Westfield Middle School. Thank you! -Principal McMillan (https://secure.smore.com/n/dje6z)
Did you know that the center of Westfield was once a swamp? And that our city played an important role in the American Revolution? Mr. Strycharz' 8th grade Digital Literacy students learned about the history of Westfield from Cindy Gaylord, Chair of the Historical Commission and retired 5th grade teacher. Students took pictures of statues, historical landmarks, and architecture, which they will use for a project in class.
Click on the image below to view that latest newsletter from the WPS Health Services Department. Thank you!
Please review the following for important information regarding tonight's dance.
Dance Information:
-Additional concessions will be sold by the Builders' Club. Students are welcome to bring cash for this.
-Students can be dropped off by the cafeteria beginning at 5:45 p.m.
-Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and will close at 6:15 p.m.
-Students cannot leave the dance early.
Parking/Pick Up Information:
-In an effort to ensure a safe evening dismissal with 300+ students, please follow the protocol below for parking.
-The dance ends at 8:00 p.m. sharp. All rides should arrive no later than 7:55 p.m.
-Both pick-up locations (front bus loop and main parking lot) will have one-way traffic. Please enter from W. Silver Street.
-There will be multiple one-way traffic lanes. When one lane fills, please proceed to the next lane.
-When students depart at 8 p.m., please STAND OUTSIDE of your vehicle to greet your child. We will know you're ready when families are in their vehicles.
-PLEASE WAIT until your lane is dismissed. We recognize this might take 10-15 minutes, but this is to ensure students' safety in a dark parking lot.
-Once your lane is dismissed, you will depart by Amelia Park.
-See attached photo for visual of parking lot.
Thank you,
Principal McMillan
Our students - with the help from Mrs. Scott, our librarian - were super crafty these past few weeks making Fairy Houses from natural elements! These houses were on display at the Stanley Park Whimsical Fairy Walk this past weekend. The students loved making these charming houses for this community event.
Westfield Scout Expo
Learn more about the WMS Chapter of National Junior Honor Society!
Westfield on Weekends’ PumpkinFest will return from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 19 on the athletic fields behind Amelia Park off South Broad Street.
“A goal of any community event that brings people together is just that, bringing people together to interact in a world which is so online, so divisive sometimes,” said WOW President Bob Plasse. “It is so important for us to offer opportunities for us to play together and actually to work on a project and collaborate together.”
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/10/pumpkinfest-set-to-return-with-madison-curbelo-performance-food-trucks.html
Click on the link below for the latest edition of "Superintendent's Spotlight". This week, we talked about the new IEP and more with our Special Education Leadership Team. We also celebrated National Angel Food Cake Day with staff and students from Westfield Technical Academy's Culinary Arts Department. Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np4jTwSqU8k
We hope to see you at our Open House tonight from 6-7:30 p.m.! Food trucks will be available before, during, and after for you to purchase dinner.
Click on the image below for more information about the 16th Annual Westfield Scout Expo being held on Saturday, November 9. Thank you!
The WMS Open House will take place this Thursday, October 10th from 6-7:30 p.m. You're welcome to drop in at any time and we encourage you to bring your student so they can show you around the building. Food trucks (Wandering Waffles, TJ Popcorn, North Elm Butcher Block, and Vlad's Pizza) will be available beginning at 5 p.m. in the front of the school for you to purchase dinner before, during, or after the Open House. Also, please be sure to stop in the library for the book fair. We look forward to seeing you!
WMS Community, we’re almost at 1k followers! Please Like and Follow our Facebook page, as well as SHARE our recent Pep Rally post to be entered to win a Dunkin’ gift card! Enjoy a cup o’ Joe on us as the cooler season approaches. Winner to be selected and announced next Thursday.
https://www.facebook.com/share/HRH6eKk7HCHjQ5uY/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
First pep rally: success! In an effort to boost school spirit, we started hosting pep rallies during the 23-24 school year. The students loved them, so we are continuing them this year, too. The Principal’s Council planned several competitive games, including hungry hippo, knockout, musical chairs, and head/shoulders/knees/toes/CUP! We saw it all…face paint, costumes, and 8th grade painting Principal McMillan’s head. We can’t wait for the next spirit week and rally! Check out the comments for videos.
Fall Fest Dance tickets will be sold tomorrow at lunch, as well as next week. Tickets are $7.
October is National Principals Month, and we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the amazing principals who lead our schools. Their dedication, passion, and commitment shape the educational experiences of our students and foster positive school cultures.
Every day, our principals inspire teachers, staff, and students to strive for their best. They navigate challenges with grace and create environments where every student can thrive. This month, join us in recognizing and thanking these remarkable leaders.
To our wonderful principals, thank you for all that you do. Your leadership and tireless efforts make a profound difference. Let’s all take a moment to #ThankAPrincipal and show our appreciation for their invaluable contributions to our schools and communities.
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 emergency operations plan.
As part of our continued work with Westfield Police Department and our ongoing training for students and staff, our city departments working together will conduct lockdown drills in our schools the week of October 15-18 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, Director of Operations and Safety for the Westfield Public Schools at 413-572-6495.
WMS Families: The Principal's Council is seeking donations of pumpkins and corn stalks for our upcoming Fall Fest Dance on October 18th. If you are able to donate, please email Principal McMillan at jesse.mcmillan@schoolsofwestfield.org. You can also drop them by the Main Office any time. Thank you!
