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
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
A reminder that Westfield Public Schools are closed on Monday, June 19. Tuesday, June 20 is the last day of school, and it is an early release day. 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 a.m. Thank you.
Did you know students in grades 4,7, and 10 are required to submit a physical exam within 30 days of school entry. Students in grades K-12 are also required to be fully immunized against certain diseases. Please click on the image for more information.
All year long, parents worry about the safety of their children, especially when they are in school. That’s why Westfield Public Schools started a new safety program to provide extra pairs of eyes on students this year.
It’s a pilot program called “school safety attendants” featuring volunteers who are retired or current military personnel or first responders. In exchange, they receive an incentive that may motivate others to join for the upcoming school year.
Volunteers from the “school safety attendants” program in Westfield are showing up in the schools every day, connecting with kids, and making a difference.
The program was born from joint efforts by the Westfield Public Schools, State Senator John Velis, and the city’s Veterans Affairs Department.
Stefan Czaporowski, Westfield’s school superintendent, and Christopher Rogers, the director of student interventions and safety, told Western Mass News the goals of the program are simple.
“They are building relationships; they are another set of eyes and ears in the building, and often times when there is a safety issue in the school, it is known that something is going to happen somewhere,” said Czaporowski. “So, this is just another trusted adult for our students to confide in and maybe even prevent something that might happen that way.”
This program is also the result of multiple safety concerns that have come up in recent years because of the many mass shootings in schools across the country.
“We have protocols in place, we have systems in place, and I think, and while this—I don’t know that this is going to deter it, but we hope it does— we hope it’s a deterrent, knowing that there is another adult in the building who is, you know, trained in identifying threats,” said Rogers.”
On Wednesday, Western Mass News got a chance to see one of the volunteers in action at the Southampton Road Elementary School. Carl Schwarzenback, a military veteran told us he first decided to volunteer so he could spend more time with his son Lincoln, and he really enjoys the experience.
“Teachers focus on teaching, counselors can focus on counseling, the administrators can focus on administrating, and I can be there to focus on talking or just listening, that’s it through the day,” said Schwarzenback. “Walking, getting my step count in, saying hi to kids, high fiving. It’s, it’s a lot of fun actually.”
Volunteers are eligible for up to $1,500 off their property taxes.
Czaporowski told us they started with three schools participating this year, but they are hoping to have more volunteers and reach all six of their elementary schools next year.
https://www.westernmassnews.com/2023/06/14/getting-answers-westfield-public-schools-spearheads-new-school-safety-attendants-program/
We had a fabulous Field Day on June 13th! Thank you to Mr. Mike Racicot who organized this year's events and a huge thank you to all the parent volunteers who helped to make this such a wonderful day. The students had an amazing time and it was such a fun way to spend the day.
If you missed this morning's episode of "Superintendent's Spotlight", please click on the link below. This week, we spoke with Senator John Velis about the mental health crisis and what he is proposing to increase services for students. We also celebrated National Doughnut Day with some treats from Mrs. Murphy's. Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_zpfDQZVi0
If you missed the latest episode of "Superintendent's Spotlight", click on the link below. On last week's show, we talked with Food Services Director Rachel Kania about all our school breakfast and lunch program. We also talked about some famous people named George on National George Day. Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XjU0WMpDBM
Munger Hill Elementary School second graders put on their Wax Museum on Thursday, May 25. Each student chose a subject and researched their lives over the past four weeks. They dressed as their subject and brought them to life, sharing the details that they learned through their research. Guests to the museum had to push the button on their arms to bring the "statues" to life and hear the reports.
"Tom Brady," "Amelia Earhart," "Lionel Messi," "Eric Carle" and more were present at the Grade 2 Wax Museum! This was the culmination of a four-week research project that the second graders participated in. The students chose a subject, read informational texts to find facts about them and their lives, and then they dressed up as their subject and shared the information with families and special guests who were able to visit the Museum this week.
It was a wonderful afternoon and we are so proud of our scholars and the amazing work that they did. We also want to give a shout-out to the Grade 2 team for all of the hard work that goes into this project, it was truly amazing!
Westfield Public Schools Quarterly Newsletter is out now, you can read it by clicking here: https://www.schoolsofwestfield.org/o/wps/page/district-newsletter for updates from our various departments and important dates and events coming up.
Join us on Thursday, May 25, an hour early, from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. to WSKB 89.5 FM, WCPC cable channel 15, or westfieldtv.org for a brand-new episode of "Superintendent's Spotlight". This week, we will talk with Food Services Director Rachel Kania about Westfield EATS, our school breakfast and lunch programs. Thanks for watching!
If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight" yesterday, please click on the link below. This week, we spoke with Principal Alexandra Clines about Munger Hill Elementary School. Westfield Technical Academy Culinary Arts students also helped us recognize "I Love Reese's Day". Thanks for watching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCXBxI4WJ9I
Tune in on Thursday, May 18 from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. to WSKB 89.5 FM, WCPC cable channel 15, or westfieldtv.org for a brand-new episode of "Superintendent's Spotlight". This week, we will talk with Munger Hill Elementary School Principal Alexandra Clines and Instructional Technology Specialist Valerie Tettemer about their Book Creator Program and more. We will also take some time to recognize "I love Reese's Day". Thanks for watching!
Tune in on Thursday, May 11 from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. to WSKB 89.5 FM, WCPC cable channel 15, or westfieldtv.org for a brand-new episode of "Superintendent's Spotlight". This week, we will talk with State Representative Kelly Pease about recent happenings at the Massachusetts State House. We will also take some time to recognize "National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day". Thanks for watching!
Children’s Mental Health Week is dedicated to increasing public awareness about the triumphs and challenges in children’s mental health and emphasizing the importance of family and youth involvement in the children’s mental health movement!
Today is School Lunch Hero Day! We are so grateful to Miss Chris, Miss Amy, Miss Mary, and Mrs. Green for going above and beyond for our students each and every day! They not only take care of our food needs, but they take the time to get to know the students, talk with them, check in with them, and really make the school a welcoming place each day! They are so amazing and we are so lucky to have such a fabulous team here at Munger!!
On Friday, April 28th we celebrated the amazing student teachers who have been working in our classrooms this spring! Students and staff surprised them with an appreciation assembly to show them how wonderful we think they have been!
Thank you so much to Ms. Deacon (music), Ms. Mandy (ELS), Mr. Tom (PE), and Ms. Hopkins (Grade 1) for all you help and support! You were so amazing to work with and we wish you the best of luck as you start your teaching careers!
It's Teacher Appreciation Week! Thank you to all our teachers for their hard work and dedication to the students in our schools.
On May 4, 2023, Westfield Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) will hold the 2023 Shining Star Ceremony in Tiger’s Pride at Westfield Technical Academy at 6:30 pm. Nominations for Shining Star recipients are for those educators and support personnel who go the extra mile to serve the Westfield District Schools’ special education community and inspire others to do the same. This Recognition of Excellence in Supporting Special Education is an important way for the community to thank those who through dedication, creativity, patience, and
determination help students receiving special education to experience success.
The special education department appreciates the hard work and dedication of educators and support personnel for all that they do for our students. We also appreciate all of your support in ensuring that your children succeed