In a presentation to the School Committee on March 25, Franklin Avenue Elementary School Principal Chris Tolpa talked about the school’s collaboration with different organizations in the community that bring the students unique opportunities they would not otherwise have.
“It’s something we’re very proud of and I strive for every day as a leader [to involve] our community and all its organizations,” Tolpa said.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/03/franklin-avenue-elementary-school-staff-students-excited-about-collaborations.html
In Massachusetts, students with attendance rates consistently above 95% in pre-kindergarten through grade 3 outperformed students with lower attendance rates during any year between pre-kindergarten and grade 3 on the grade 3 MCAS tests.
Students from the Westfield Technical Academy (WTA) Aviation program are intently listening to Ms. Colleen D'Alessandro, New England Region Regional Administrator. Ms. D'Alessandro is the principal Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) representative for the six New England states: Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
WTA’s FAA students will play an incredibly important role in keeping people safe while flying. Upon graduation, and as a licensed FAA technician they will perform inspection checks, troubleshoot, repair and maintain aircraft, and ensure that aircraft continue to function as expected, and safely.
Preschool educators from WPS, the Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA, and Amelia Park Children's Museum gathered for a STEM Professional Development session with Instructional Coaches Lindsey Ayers & Kelly O'Sullivan. Teachers prepared to implement another "It STEMs from a Story" unit (Spring Edition) utilizing resources from Project Lead the Way. It was a great opportunity for collaboration among early childhood community partners in Westfield.
Click below for the Quarter 3 Newsletter from Westfield Public Schools.
https://www.schoolsofwestfield.org/documents/district/district-newsletters/quarter-three-newsletter/598820
Click on the link below for the latest episode of "Superintendent's Spotlight". This week, we spoke with winning Science Fair students from Westfield, MA High School about their incredible projects. Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlBy_4ohHN4
After successfully duplicating the classroom via the internet, the Westfield Virtual School is looking at an online version of another pillar of high school: sports.
“It’s essentially playing video games, but you’re doing it competitively,” Principal Stacy Burgess told the Westfield School Committee recently. E-sports, she said, “has really grown throughout the nation.”
She said staff at the school, a Westfield public school that serves grades 6-12 via computer, are excited about adding extracurricular activities and volunteer opportunities to their offerings, including a student council. She said the school already hosts in-person social events so that the students can get to know each other and make social connections.
Additionally, students enrolled at Westfield Virtual School can compete in the usual varsity sports by playing on Westfield High School teams. But getting sweaty isn’t for everyone, Burgess said at the March 4 meeting of the School Committee.
“It provides an opportunity for all students — not every student is athletic,” she said of e-sports. “Some students really enjoy playing video games.”
E-sports is more than just playing video games, however. Though competitors may be using the same software and controllers that the average teen plugs into his or her Xbox or Playstation for an impromptu gaming session at home, an e-sports program is a real team.
“You have a coach. There’s a curriculum you teach,” Burgess said. She added that there are also restrictions: the school wouldn’t sponsor an e-sports team for an inappropriately “violent or dangerous” video game.
Like traditional sports at traditional schools, e-sports would allow students to express themselves in a non-academic way within the Westfield Virtual School community, Burgess said. It also allows avid gamers to compete online within a regulated league, rather than against anonymous strangers.
Not everything at the virtual school is online. Burgess said once a month, she tries to have an in-person event, sometimes “out in the community” such as an ice skating day at Amelia Park Arena.
“They really are the best day of the month when it happens, because the kids are so happy and excited to be together and see their friends in person,” she said.
Westfield Virtual School’s enrollment has increased from 64 to 98 since November, Burgess said. As a local public school, enrollment is open to Westfield residents only. She said there are only nine virtual schools in the state, most of them in eastern Massachusetts. School Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski said there is a bill on Beacon Hill to allow out-of-district students to attend local virtual schools.
Families choose the virtual school for a variety of reasons, Burgess said. Some students cannot leave the hospital or home for medical reasons. Some have anxiety or other emotional reasons for not attending class in person. Some have been expelled from in-person school. Some are gifted and talented teens who work better with the project-based learning model of online education.
“We really accept all students,” Burgess said.
As the enrollment grows, the school staff is growing, from the equivalent of 13 full-time positions to 15 this year. One of the new positions was a staff member to work with students whose first language is not English.
Burgess said it takes a special kind of teacher to succeed at virtual instruction.
“You have to be ‘better than the average bear,’ because it’s that much more challenging to engage the students” through a screen, she said. When hiring staff, administrators pay special attention to the candidate’s ability to form personal relationships and support a student.
The school shares some of its academic staff with Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy. The virtual school staff are based in the Westwood Building on North Elm Street, the same building as the School Department central offices.
https://www.thereminder.com/localnews/westfield/e-sports-teams-being-considered-for-westfield-virt/
On March 13, Southampton Road Elementary School students from preschool to fourth grade participated in an obstacle course of the circulatory system, as part of the American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge.
The students practiced jumping, balance and gymnastic skills, while hearing about how the heart is a muscle that gets stronger with exercise. Physical education teacher Kate Bust said the focus of the AHA challenge is on healthy habits that can help keep hearts healthy.
“I focus on nutrition, sleep, drinking water and physical activity. In our PE classes, we have been focusing on our cardiovascular health, learning jumping and jump rope skills,” she said.
Before Joanne Hewins’ third grade class went through the obstacle course, Bust explained to the students that the four chambers of the heart are like a house with four rooms, and talked about the circulatory system, the relationship between the heart and lungs, red blood cells and blood vessels, and the jobs they all do every time the heart pumps 100,000 heart beats a day.
“You guys have so much power over your body,” Bust said. “The more you exercise, the stronger your heart gets.”
She said choices over decades keep the valves and aortas open, “such as the veggies and fruit in the cafeteria — to eat them or skip them. Poor choices build plaque, make the opening smaller and the blood goes slower. An athlete’s heart rate will be lower because the heart gets better at doing its job, and doesn’t have to work as hard.”
The obstacle course had obstacles labeled as arteries, heart valves and aortas that the students had to crawl through, jump over and somersault down as they carried foam pieces representing oxygen and carbon dioxide to the correct buckets. There was also a heart rate monitor so they could check themselves at the end.
The third and fourth graders also watched a hands-only CPR video, and by the end of the week had a chance to practice on life-sized stuffed animals.
As part of the challenge, Southampton Road Elementary School students raised more than $2,400 for the American Heart Association through an online fundraiser.
https://www.thereminder.com/localnews/westfield/obstacle-course-helps-teach-heart-health-to-westfi/
Yesterday, Westfield High School sent a group of five students to the Chemistry Olympiad at UMass, a chemistry competition put on by the American Chemical Society. Approximately 50 students from Western MA participated. In the 60-question multiple-choice assessment. Among the top six scorers, were WHS students Conner Gelinas and John Doyle.
Conner and moved on to the next stage where they completed some short answer problems as well as a lab practical. Their results in this part will determine if they take the national exam to compete in the International Chemistry Olympiad in July.
It was great to see WHS students perform so well alongside other Western MA schools. Congrats to Conner and John!
If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight this morning, please click on the link below. This week, we spoke with students from Munger Hill Elementary School about their new Student Council. Westfield High School Assistant Principal Andrew Joseph joined us to tell us about pi on Pi Day, and Westfield Technical Academy Culinary Arts staff and students helped us to celebrate the day with some freshly made chocolate cream pie. Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtSyZgbck-8
Students in grade 11 from Westfield, MA High School, Westfield Virtual School, Westfield Technical Academy, and St. Mary's High School participated in our 6th Annual Career Fair at Westfield State University this morning. After the event, students were treated to lunch at the Dining Commons on campus. Special thanks to Westfield State University, Westfield Gas + Electric/Whip City Fiber, the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, and the over 75 businesses in attendance for making this even a success again this year!
On Friday, March 8, Westfield High School participated in the Region 1 Science and Engineering Fair. Our students from Westfield did extremely well, placing first overall, Tegan Chisholm- Godshalk will attend the International Science Fair in Los Angeles in May. Seven teams moved on to the Massachusetts Science Fair at Gillette on April 5th. Of those seven teams, five received special awards in the categories of life science, engineering, and a special designation from the Air Force!
Last week, Westfield Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski and Science, Technology and Engineering Supervisor Lauren Figy Cadigan met with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to present their application for a Career Innovation Pathways designation for a manufacturing engineering curriculum at Westfield High School.
Cadigan said the project has been in the works for four years.
“We’ve had a three-course pathway. This would be a five-course pathway, focused on getting kids industry experience,” she said. “We’ve been in the process of putting the structures in place for this to be a possibility for four years.”
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/03/westfield-high-school-applies-to-state-to-help-fund-more-engineering-courses.html
City officials hope changes to the parking lots at Westfield Middle School will solve its “significant traffic problem,” and that state money can pay for most of the cost.
City Engineer Alison McMordie and middle school Principal Jesse McMillan presented their plan to the Westfield School Committee on March 4. It results in a net addition of 12 spaces across the school’s two parking lots, as well as several safety features and a “bioretention” basin to divert stormwater from drains that carry runoff pollution to streams and rivers.
Because of the positive impact on rivers and the middle school’s location in an environmental justice neighborhood, and because it is based on a previous proposal that included a partnership with a student from Westfield State University, McMordie said the $635,000 project ticks several boxes and has a good chance of qualifying for a state grant.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/03/changes-eyed-for-safety-environment-at-westfield-middle-school-parking-lot.html
Today, for the first time since the pandemic, the Westfield High School Band hosted its Pops Concert Senior Citizen Luncheon through our partnership with the Westfield Senior Center. MGM Springfield donated more than 150 lunches for guests as well. The band was amazing, the food was delicious, and all attendees had a special afternoon. Thank you to MGM for their generosity and support! As a district, we are extremely happy to bring this tradition back to the city.
All this week Highland Elementary School has been celebrating Read Across America with unique spirit days. Thursday staff and students dressed like their favorite book characters. It was so much fun to see all of the amazing costumes! Our halls were filled with Harry Potter, Willy Wonka, Fancy Nancy, mice who love cookies, Pete the Cat, Ms. Frizzle, and even the girls from the Babysitter's Club! #AchievingExcellenceTogether
Tryouts are currently being held for Gator Swim Club's spring and summer season! Gator Swim Club is a nationally-ranked USA Swim Club based right here at Westfield High School. We accept swimmers as young as 6 years old, of varying ability levels. We even offer a discount for Westfield High swimmers looking for somewhere to train when the high school season ends!
For more information about the club, visit us at www.westernmassgators.com, or follow us on instagram @westernmassgators. To arrange a tryout, contact Coach Tom Avila at (978) 771-0332 or CoachTAvila@gmail.com
If you missed this morning's "Superintendent's Spotlight", please click on the link below. This week, we had the Westfield Intermediate School Choir on the show. The students sang two songs for us and were also able to help us celebrate National Flapjack Day, with assistance from Westfield Technical Academy staff and students from the Culinary Arts Department. Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMyPgAFv0tw
Many WPS teachers in grades PK-12 attended the annual Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Spring PD Day at WPI, organized by the Mass Learning Project. Teachers attended sessions that focused on curriculum mapping, collaborating, networking, utilizing artificial intelligence, and helping students solve meaningful problems through authentic skills. Teachers left the day feeling prepared and inspired to continue facilitating applied learning with their students through PLTW.
The city’s longest-running annual music event returns Friday as the Westfield High School Band presents its 71st pops concert, “Night & Day: Music from Stage and Screen.”
Evening performances are at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 8-9, in the high school gymnasium at 177 Montgomery Road, Westfield.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/03/westfield-high-school-readies-for-night-day-pops-concerts-friday-saturday.html