Lauren Cadigan, supervisor of science, technology and engineering for Westfield schools, and K-6 STEM coach Lyndsey Ayers, said they are ready to distribute more than 5,700 solar eclipse safety glasses, a pair for every student and staff member in the public school system. Any leftover glasses will be given to the preschools at the YMCA and Boys & Girls Club.
“Students won’t get them until Monday,” Cadigan said. She said 3,000 of them were donated from UMass Amherst, and the district purchased the rest. Administrators made sure these glasses have been tested to protect eyes from the intense rays of the sun.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/04/safety-glasses-pinhole-viewer-project-have-westfield-pupils-ready-for-eclipse.html
Tonight's SEPAC Meeting is now being held virtually only. Thank you.
The much-anticipated solar eclipse is just days away and areas schools are preparing their students to have a front row seat for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“This is called a pinhole viewer…and some classrooms, we provided instructions, so that teachers can create these, and kids can use them and safely view the eclipse with things they have at home,” said Lauren Cadigan, supervisor of Science Technology and Engineering at Westfield Public Schools.
Throughout Westfield Public Schools, teachers have received resources ranging from directions on how to create a pinhole viewer, reading materials, maps, and more. Some of the masterminds behind it are Cadigan and Pre-K through Grade 4 STEM Coach Lindsey Ayers.
“I think students are more excited about learning when they can see something in real life. We’re excited about that real-life experience,” Ayers added.
However, preparations for the eclipse are extending outside of the classroom too. Across the district, after-school sports practices and games have been cancelled so students can take in the eclipse.
To view the eclipse, you need the right lenses to protect your eyes. Elementary school students were given eclipse viewing glasses, but teachers throughout the district had the chance to request them. We’re told the demand was so high that by Monday, the district plans to order and distribute nearly 3,900 pairs about 2,500 pairs were donations from UMass Amherst.
“I hope we inspire the next generation of scientists. As always, we try to create a space where all kids, if they want to be, can be successful in STEM and can see themselves in stem,” Cadigan noted.
https://www.westernmassnews.com/2024/04/03/schools-preparing-use-eclipse-learning-moment-students/?fbclid=IwAR1lAUd35NgO0rf-OqlCMdx5WBr0Y8gDgwaR-im7MpVClfrp_NcbRewMTO0_aem_AUtfRf3DEHnxeT87bc9iDiYdtPrI8iY9RQl8fnC4CRYKFiYJL5XLsB50hz-u0fQjjidQwBTV9qq_ayNSw1VdGzUQ
Adopt-a-Classroom alert! Second graders from both Franklin Ave and Abner Gibbs Elementary Schools visited John Raaymakers and Allison McMordie at a job site where they were able to observe changes to the land along the bank of the Little River. Students learned about the importance of safety meetings (hard hats included), natural causes of erosion, and how contractors and engineers work together to design solutions to prevent erosion. This real-world experience is related to what students have recently learned in a Project Lead the Way Module titled "The Changing Earth". This partnership not only extended students' understanding of science concepts, but also introduced them to career options in their own hometown.
A reminder that schools are closed tomorrow, March 29, for Good Friday. Thank you. Have a great weekend!
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.
Click below for the Quarter 3 Newsletter from Westfield Public Schools.
https://www.schoolsofwestfield.org/documents/district/district-newsletters/quarter-three-newsletter/598820
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
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.
Thank you to all that attended our Westfield Business to Education Alliance (WE2BA) meeting this week at Westfield Technical Academy. This month, we finalized preparations for our annual Career Expo and Job Fair on March 13, Elementary School Career Days in the spring, and Project Based Learning Experiences for students at our Intermediate and Middle Schools in June. Attendees were also treated to an omelet station provided by WTA's Culinary Arts students. We are very grateful for our business partnerships that offer our students authentic learning experiences throughout the school year.
A reminder that there is no school for students on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Thank you!
Click here for the latest newsletter and pictures from the Franklin Ave/Abner Gibbs Replacement School Project: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Construction-on-the-new-Elementary-School-continues--February-2024-Newsletter.html?soid=1127583543316&aid=Xp4s0TEfBtI
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, our city departments working together will conduct lockdown drills in our schools the week of February 26 - March 1 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.
Schools will be closed starting Monday, February 19, 2024 - Friday, February 23, 2024, for our Winter Recess. Have a happy and safe winter break!
Five teachers with decades of experience and one teacher new to the profession were surprised in their classrooms on Monday by Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski and members of his central office team with this year’s Grinspoon Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award.
“Surprising our deserving staff members with the Pioneer Valley Teaching Excellence Awards is truly one of the highlights of our school year. Recognizing staff for their outstanding work with our students and contributions to the school community is something that I look forward to,” Czaporowski said.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/02/westfield-schools-celebrate-6-recipients-of-excellence-in-teaching-awards.html
Due to the significant snowstorm being forecast for tomorrow, February 13, Westfield Public Schools and offices will be closed. Thank you.
If you missed this morning's "Superintendent's Spotlight", click on the link below. This week, we talked with Franklin Avenue Elementary School Principal Chris Tolpa about some of the great things happening there. We also took some time to recognize International Paczki Day. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3UzHCTNCkM&fbclid=IwAR3c1VEGwr2CvN0brBLgELrCVWH3T6g4FyJG0Fbw-03gEafFNomdGMvrivk
Thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Commission, author Renata Bowers has been teaching Franklin Avenue Elementary School’s third grade how to be effective storytellers. She, staff, students, and parents celebrated their progress in an hour-long ceremony before the end of the school day on Feb. 1.
In the lesson, Bowers said, students were asked to identify “everyday heroes,” who help them with their problems. Identifying those people helped them “become part of telling more good stories,” she said. They were also asked to identify the good things that can come from a problem. Bowers said this helped them not be scared of their problems but start thinking about solutions.
https://www.masslive.com/news/2024/02/childrens-author-works-with-westfield-kids-to-find-their-inner-storyteller.html
Westfield’s Public Schools are hosting a “Countdown to Kindergarten” information and registration night in the Westfield Middle School cafeteria, 30 W. Silver St., on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Families of prospective kindergartners may attend anytime between 6 and 7:30 p.m., and may bring the kids. The snow date is Feb. 8.
Assessment and Accountability Director Christine Shea said the district’s goal is to get as many kindergartners registered as possible, to help plan for the 2024-25 school year.
“That way, we know who’s coming. We can have them come to screenings in May, invite them to play dates in the summer, and be ready to welcome them to school in the fall,” Shea said.
There will be information for families, with central registration staff and translators available to answer questions and to register children for kindergarten. Children must be 5 years old by Sept. 1, 2024, to enter kindergarten in the fall.
Shea said families can bring their paperwork with them and learn what else they need. A list of paperwork needed for registration is available at www.schoolsofwestfield.org/page/required-enrollment-documents.
Families are encouraged to bring their prospective kindergartner with them. There will be a school bus outside for children to climb onto and explore, and inside will be a family “photo booth,” art kits with crayons and coloring books, raffle prizes and more.
Between 6 and 7 p.m. each elementary school will have a table where families can meet their future principals and teachers. Partners such as the Boys & Girls Club and the YMCA, will also have representatives on hand, so families can connect and learn more about before- and after-school programs.
The evening is also an opportunity to ask questions about transportation, to hear about school lunches and see a sample menu.
Shea described the evening as the kickoff for kindergarten registration. She said if families miss it, they may register online, or visit the central office welcome center in the Westwood Building on the first floor of 94 Elm St., Westfield.
The Countdown to Kindergarten is sponsored in collaboration with the Westfield Coordinated Family and Community Engagement grant and community partners. For more information, call Sarah Kotarski at 413-572-6439 or email s.kotarski@schoolsofwestfield.org.
For translation assistance, call Laura Surprise at 413-642-9320 or email l.surprise@schoolsofwestfield.org.
https://www.thereminder.com/localnews/westfield/kindergarten-info-night-planned-on-feb-6-in-westfi/