Ms. Korey Bruno and the Westfield High School Show Choir visited us today to perform Holiday songs! They were spectacular!
Fort Meadow Families,
As this is the season for inclement weather, I wanted to send out a reminder that the District has a notification system that is used to inform families in the event of a delayed opening, early release, or school closure.
All families will receive a phone call between 5:30-5:45am. Information will also be posted on Channel 40, Channel 22, Channel 3, local access Channel 12 & 15, or by calling the School Information line 413-572-6417.
Please note: If there is a 2-hour delay, there will be no morning preschool session. Afternoon preschool will occur at the regular time, 12:30pm-3:00pm.
Please see the link below for information regarding School Messenger notifications from the District. This is a way for families to opt-in to receive text messaging. Please make sure your contact information is up-to-date in PowerSchool.
Link: https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:cb1248aa-91ec-305a-b63a-a4b2a86e2f55
Please remember, that if at any time, school is in session and you do not feel that it is safe to travel because of local weather conditions, please call the main office to let us know.
Thank you,
Jonathan Scagel, Principal
School principals and business leaders brainstormed about how they can help students prepare for careers at the Nov. 28 meeting of the Westfield Education to Business Alliance.
Area businesses have been working with teachers to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities and share information about career opportunities in their fields through the Adopt a Classroom program.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/11/westfield-school-business-leaders-brainstorm-on-how-to-link-students-to-careers.html
Holi-daze
Presented by Mad Science of Western New England and sponsored by Westfield Public Schools
Date: Tuesday, December 12th, 2023
Time: 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Where: Munger Hill Elementary School
33 Mallard Ln. Westfield, MA 01085
Please email Sarah Kotarski at
s.kotarski@schoolsofwestfield.org
to register
The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce’s Share the Warmth Coat Drive to benefit the children in Westfield public schools from pre-kindergarten to grade 12 will continue through Dec. 15.
In the spirit of giving, the Chamber is asking for new or gently used winter coats of all sizes. Hats, snow pants, boots, gloves, mittens and scarves are also welcome, along with donations of new socks and new undergarments.
Drop-off locations, all of which are in Westfield, include the Chamber office at 16 N. Elm St.; the Westfield schools office at 94 N. Elm St., Suite 101; Amelia Park Arena, 21 S. Broad St.; Shortstop Bar & Grill, 99 Springfield Rd.; Anytime Fitness, 415 E. Main St.; Results in Wellness, 93 Springfield Rd., Suite B; Richard’s Jewelers, 146 E. Main St.; Cannabis Connection, 40 Westfield Industrial Park Rd.; Betts Plumbing & Heating Supply, 14 Coleman Ave.; Westfield Bank, 300 Southampton Rd.; Rehab Resolutions, 1111 Elm St.; and Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport’s terminal building at 110 Airport Rd.
School Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski said he is thankful that the Chamber’s new director Amanda Waterfield and Chamber members are still supporting the coat drive.
“I love that the Chamber wants to continue doing this with us, and how the community comes together to support our students. This is the seventh year we’ve been doing this, and we never end up with leftover clothing,” Czaporowski said.
The coats and other winter clothing go to whatever school has pupils who need them. He said a lot of the clothing goes to the elementary kids, and adult sizes go to the clothing closets at both high schools.
Czaporowski said the schools added snow pants to their wish list this year, because it is one of the items that students often don’t have.
“I used to love making igloos. When I would go sit in my igloo, I loved having snow pants,” he said.
Czaporowski said schools are seeing the effects of price inflation on some families’ ability to purchase warm clothes for their students. He said the schools will accept both new and gently used clothing, because sometimes kids grow out of their clothes so quickly they do not show a lot of wear. The schools are asking that any undergarments and socks that are donated be new.
The clothing is also offered to new families that come to Westfield, some from milder climates. Czaporowski said when a new student comes in, the topic of adequate winter clothing is worked into the conversation.
“It’s also good for our recent immigrants to Westfield,” he said.
The final collection will take place at the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce Holiday Breakfast, 7-9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 15, at East Mountain Country Club, 1458 E. Mountain Rd. Czaporowski said the Westfield High School Chorus will perform holiday tunes at the breakfast.
For more information or to sign up for the breakfast, visit www.westfieldbiz.org or call 413-568-1618.
https://www.thereminder.com/Localnews/westfield/westfield-schools-coat-drive-continues-through-mid/
If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight" this morning, click on the link below. This week we spoke with Devin Streeter from the Gandara Center about all the programs and services available to Westfield students and families. Their Family Resource Center is located on 16 George Street in Westfield, and they can also be reached at 413-417-2020 if you would like to learn more. Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1dlbJ4BaVM
Today Fort Meadow walked to the Westfield Food Bank and donated several wagons full of non-perishable items. Special thanks to Ms. Turgeon for coordinating the annual Food Drive, and to all of our staff, families and community members who donated!
Good Afternoon,
Please remember that there is no school tomorrow, Friday, November 10th in honor of Veterans Day. On Veterans Day, we extend our deepest gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to all the brave men and women who have served our country with unwavering dedication and sacrifice. Their selflessness and commitment to defending our freedom and upholding our values deserve our utmost respect and honor. If you are a veteran, thank you, on behalf of our Fort Meadow Family!
If you missed the latest "Superintendent's Spotlight" this morning, please click on the link below. This week, we spoke with Westfield Technical Academy's School Resource Office Bryan Turgeon about school safety, threat assessments, and our most recent safety drills. Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WazZZHC4gIY
Mayor McCabe and Superintendent Czaporowski visited Fort Meadow today to surprise classroom teacher Kelsey Cottengim with an official citation for being honored as a 2023 Massachusetts Distinguished Educator by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Today we had a special visitor at Fort Meadow. Ms. Lucy from Commonwealth Mobile Oral Health Services (CMOHS) was here to provide dental exams, teeth cleaning and fluoride varnish to those students whose parents/guardians elected to participate in the program. The students did an amazing job and had fun letting Ms. Lucy count their teeth, clean their teeth with the "tickly toothbrush" and "paint" their teeth with vitamins. Thank you to CMOHS for bringing your services to Fort Meadow and also thank you to our school nurse, Jen LaPanne, for setting up this invaluable service for our students.
This is a reminder that if you signed your child up for the Commonwealth Mobile Oral Health Services program at Fort Meadow, services are scheduled for this Thursday, November 2nd, during school. If you have any questions, please reach out to our School Nurse, Jen LaPanne at 413-572-6544.
Dear Fort Meadow Families,
This is a friendly reminder that tomorrow, Wednesday, October 25, we will be holding Parent-Teacher Conferences all day. Students will not attend school tomorrow. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Scagel
Principal
This week we hosted a special STEM Day (part of our STEM week), and had students from the Westfield High School 10th grade biomedical anatomy classroom running STEM activity stations. Special thanks to Ms. Busby and Ms. Ayers (PreK-4 STEM Coach) for planning and setting up the activities!
As part of its continuing work with the Westfield Police Department and ongoing training for students and staff, the Westfield School Department will conduct lockdown drills the week of Oct. 23-27, using the enhanced procedures of what is called ALICE, which stands for “alert, lockdown, inform, counter, evacuate.”
Christopher Rogers, director of operations and safety, said Westfield has been using the ALICE protocol since 2014-15.
“It’s research-based, and it provides our staff and at the upper grades our students the ability to make decisions in real time based on the information they have that is critical to their safety,” he said.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/10/westfields-public-schools-will-conduct-lockdown-drills-later-this-month.html
Three- and four-year-olds at the Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center enjoyed fall crafts at their Fall Fest on Oct. 12. According to Principal Jonathan Scagel, the school year is off to a good start, with close to 170 enrolled and a lot of peers.
Fort Meadow, which is tuition-free for all students this year, offers a language based, integrated preschool program for students ranging in age from 3-5 years. Each class has a maximum enrollment of 15 children, with a goal of eight children who are typically developing, called peers, and seven who have diagnosed special learning needs.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/10/westfields-fort-meadow-preschool-launches-busy-season-with-fall-fest.html
Students are really enjoying our Fall Fest activities today! Looking forward to seeing everyone at Open House tonight!
