Due to the forecasted snowstorm tonight and tomorrow, Westfield Public Schools and Offices will be closed tomorrow, Monday, February 23, 2026. Please stay safe. Thank you.
Westfield Public Schools and the Westfield Police Department Release Drill Dates
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 March 9-12 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 or c.rogers@schoolsofwestfield.org. Thank you!
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 March 9-12 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 or c.rogers@schoolsofwestfield.org. Thank you!
Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski has announced the appointment of Daniel Paquette as the new principal of Westfield Technical Academy, replacing Bruce Hastings, who will be retiring at the end of the school year. Paquette has served as assistant principal at the school for the past two-and-a-half years. He will begin his new role on July 1.
Paquette received his bachelor’s in history from Fitchburg State College, his master’s in education from Our Lady of the Elms and his master’s in school administration from Westfield State University.
Before joining WTA, Paquette served as an assistant principal at Westfield High School for six years and as an assistant principal in Palmer for one year. Before entering administration, he spent thirteen years as a social studies teacher at Chicopee Comprehensive. He has also served as a head tennis coach and assistant football coach.
Czaporowski said the appointment follows an intensive and comprehensive search process led by a dedicated 12-member interview committee. The committee included representation from WTA staff, students, parents/guardians, district office administrators, and a School Committee member who devoted many hours to reviewing applications, selecting semifinalists, and conducting formal interviews with four candidates.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to all who served on the committee for their time, professionalism, and commitment to the future of WTA,” Czaporowski said.
“Paquette is a familiar and respected leader at Westfield Technical Academy, having served as assistant principal since August 2023. His deep roots in Westfield Public Schools and extensive administrative background made him the clear choice for this role,” Czaporowski said.
“We are confident that his leadership will continue to strengthen WTA as ‘the place to be’ and advance excellence for both students and staff.”
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2026/02/new-principal-chosen-for-westfield-technical-academy.html
Paquette received his bachelor’s in history from Fitchburg State College, his master’s in education from Our Lady of the Elms and his master’s in school administration from Westfield State University.
Before joining WTA, Paquette served as an assistant principal at Westfield High School for six years and as an assistant principal in Palmer for one year. Before entering administration, he spent thirteen years as a social studies teacher at Chicopee Comprehensive. He has also served as a head tennis coach and assistant football coach.
Czaporowski said the appointment follows an intensive and comprehensive search process led by a dedicated 12-member interview committee. The committee included representation from WTA staff, students, parents/guardians, district office administrators, and a School Committee member who devoted many hours to reviewing applications, selecting semifinalists, and conducting formal interviews with four candidates.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to all who served on the committee for their time, professionalism, and commitment to the future of WTA,” Czaporowski said.
“Paquette is a familiar and respected leader at Westfield Technical Academy, having served as assistant principal since August 2023. His deep roots in Westfield Public Schools and extensive administrative background made him the clear choice for this role,” Czaporowski said.
“We are confident that his leadership will continue to strengthen WTA as ‘the place to be’ and advance excellence for both students and staff.”
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2026/02/new-principal-chosen-for-westfield-technical-academy.html
Westfield Technical Academy celebrated its 19th Annual Pinning Ceremony on Feb. 13, which honors Allied Health students who have successfully passed their Certified Nursing Assistants certification. The ceremony, filled with tradition, recognizes the compassion and dedication the students have demonstrated on their pathway to care for people at their most vulnerable.
This year, the five students who completed the training, Karley Bullock, Alexandra Durfey, Yarianna Merced, Emilia Rohan and Laura Talbot have a wide range of goals in the healthcare field.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2026/02/westfield-tech-honors-cna-graduates-in-pinning-ceremony.html
This year, the five students who completed the training, Karley Bullock, Alexandra Durfey, Yarianna Merced, Emilia Rohan and Laura Talbot have a wide range of goals in the healthcare field.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2026/02/westfield-tech-honors-cna-graduates-in-pinning-ceremony.html
Reminder: There will be no school for students from February 16–February 20 due to Winter Vacation. Have a wonderful break and stay safe!
Click on the link below to view the latest "Superintendent's Spotlight" featuring students from the Westfield High School/Westfield Technical Academy Hockey Team. We also took time to recognize National Paczki Day. Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoZtkh_KjZQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoZtkh_KjZQ
Westfield Public Schools and the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce are thrilled to announce that the Annual Career Expo & Job Fair will be held on April 1, 2026, at Westfield State University, and we hope you will attend!
Businesses will have the opportunity to engage with students in conversations about your career and industry and recruit students for internships and jobs.
Eleventh-grade students from Westfield High School, Westfield Technical Academy, St. Mary’s High School, and White Oak School will be in attendance.
Please click on the flyer below for more information and to register. Thank you!
Businesses will have the opportunity to engage with students in conversations about your career and industry and recruit students for internships and jobs.
Eleventh-grade students from Westfield High School, Westfield Technical Academy, St. Mary’s High School, and White Oak School will be in attendance.
Please click on the flyer below for more information and to register. Thank you!
“Being present every day is the first step toward achievement.” #AchievingExcellenceTogether
This week on "Superintendent's Spotlight", the Westfield High School Show Choir stopped by the studio to give us a preview of their upcoming Disney inspired Cabaret Show that will be held on Thursday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m. at Westfield High School. Tickets are only $10.00. Westfield Technical Academy's Culinary Arts Department also helped us celebrate National Homemade Soup Day. Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYrrHkCOF_M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYrrHkCOF_M
We are pleased to announce that Westfield Public Schools will offer tuition-free preschool for Westfield residents for the 2026-2027 school year. If your child will be 3 or 4 years old by September 1, 2026 and you are interested in having your child attend WPS preschool, please complete this interest form. If you have more than one child eligible for preschool, please complete a separate form for each child.
All 3 year old preschool classrooms will be held from Monday through Friday for 2.5 hours, either in the morning or afternoon. The morning program will run from 9:15 am to 11:45 am and the afternoon program will run from 12:45 pm to 3:15 pm.
All 4 year old preschool classrooms will be held from Monday through Friday from 9:15 am to 3:15 pm each day.
This form will remain open through Friday, March 20, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Families will be notified on or before Thursday, April 2, 2026 if their child has been selected.
Please contact Jonathan Scagel, Preschool Program Supervisor, at (jonathan.scagel@schoolsofwestfield.org) with any questions.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XmEKoihDwnMvWVCE3mxwJUkcHZNwrvGU-Us8IP2kQIU/edit?usp=sharing
All 3 year old preschool classrooms will be held from Monday through Friday for 2.5 hours, either in the morning or afternoon. The morning program will run from 9:15 am to 11:45 am and the afternoon program will run from 12:45 pm to 3:15 pm.
All 4 year old preschool classrooms will be held from Monday through Friday from 9:15 am to 3:15 pm each day.
This form will remain open through Friday, March 20, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Families will be notified on or before Thursday, April 2, 2026 if their child has been selected.
Please contact Jonathan Scagel, Preschool Program Supervisor, at (jonathan.scagel@schoolsofwestfield.org) with any questions.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XmEKoihDwnMvWVCE3mxwJUkcHZNwrvGU-Us8IP2kQIU/edit?usp=sharing
National School Counseling Week 2026 (Feb. 2-6), sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), highlights the essential contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems and the tremendous impact they have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. Take a moment to thank your school counselor(s). #AchievingExcellenceTogether
Three hundred students from Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy presented their science and engineering projects in the WHS auditorium to over 100 judges, scientists, industry professionals, and educators with backgrounds in science and engineering at the 25th annual High School Science and Engineering Fair on Jan. 29.
“It was an incredible day. It’s always rewarding to see our students so engaged in their work and excited about presenting it to the judges. Our Science Fair is truly a community effort, and as a school community, we have so much to be proud of. Our students and the students who joined us from WTA really produced some impressive projects,” said WHS Principal Charles Jendrysik.
During the four hours of judging that morning, which was covered live by Westfield Community Television, coordinator and science teacher Christina Smith said the science standards in the Westfield high schools allow students to progress all the way to the International Fair.
Winners who will be moving on to the regional fair were announced with balloons at a public viewing that evening and the next day during school.
WHS science teachers Jakob Wyman and Renee Sweeney said 15 projects from WHS and two from WTA were selected by the judges to move on to the regional fair, with five projects selected as alternates. Sweeney said Westfield has 15 slots altogether at the regional fair.
The project that was scored the highest by the judges went to WHS junior Giovanni Santaniello with his project on “Mycoremediation — utilizing pleurotus ostreatus var. Columbinus (oyster mushrooms) to degrade plastic.”
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2026/01/student-scientists-share-findings-at-25th-high-school-science-engineering-fair.html
“It was an incredible day. It’s always rewarding to see our students so engaged in their work and excited about presenting it to the judges. Our Science Fair is truly a community effort, and as a school community, we have so much to be proud of. Our students and the students who joined us from WTA really produced some impressive projects,” said WHS Principal Charles Jendrysik.
During the four hours of judging that morning, which was covered live by Westfield Community Television, coordinator and science teacher Christina Smith said the science standards in the Westfield high schools allow students to progress all the way to the International Fair.
Winners who will be moving on to the regional fair were announced with balloons at a public viewing that evening and the next day during school.
WHS science teachers Jakob Wyman and Renee Sweeney said 15 projects from WHS and two from WTA were selected by the judges to move on to the regional fair, with five projects selected as alternates. Sweeney said Westfield has 15 slots altogether at the regional fair.
The project that was scored the highest by the judges went to WHS junior Giovanni Santaniello with his project on “Mycoremediation — utilizing pleurotus ostreatus var. Columbinus (oyster mushrooms) to degrade plastic.”
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2026/01/student-scientists-share-findings-at-25th-high-school-science-engineering-fair.html
Stop by Tiger's Pride Restaurant at Westfield Technical Academy this Friday, January 30, 2026, between 10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. for a terrific lunch prepared by our talented students. Please call 413-564-3123 for more information. Thank you!
Click on the link below for the latest episode of "Superintendent's Spotlight". This week, we talked with staff and students from Munger Hill Elementary School about PLTW - Project Lead The Way, Building Thinking Classroom, and Student Discourse. Staff and students from Westfield Technical Academy's Culinary Arts Program stopped by to help us celebrate National Blonde Brownie Day too. Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPuD5C0CtzY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPuD5C0CtzY
Join us for lunch today and tomorrow at Tiger's Pride Restaurant at Westfield Technical Academy from 10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Please call 413-564-3123 for more information. Thank you for supporting our students.
Area businesses are encouraged to attend the Westfield Education to Business Alliance (WE2BA) meeting, co-sponsored by the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce and Westfield Public Schools, on Jan. 28, 8-9 a.m. at Tiger’s Pride Restaurant in Westfield Technical Academy.
This meeting will focus on ways in which the business community can both support and gain from the work of high school students as they head into their prospective careers.
Kevin Daley, assistant principal at WTA, will talk about cooperative education and the students in the various shops who are ready to go to work.
“The WTA Cooperative Education Program is pivotal to career development and the success of many of our students. It provides opportunities to acquire real-world job experience while earning credits towards graduation working 30-40 hours a week. These opportunities foster career skills, lead to potential full-time employment, all while earning money and building their resumes with our local businesses,” Daley said.
“Currently we have over 55 Grade 12 and Grade 11 students participating in the program with anticipation of more in the next few weeks, with hopes to reach 100 by the end of June,” Daley said, adding that in order to be eligible, students must meet academic, attendance and discipline requirements, and receive a positive recommendation from all of their teachers. He said all 11 of WTA’s career technical education shops are actively looking for business participation.
Patricia Healy, Reed Career Center counselor at Westfield High School, will talk about internships, job shadows and work-based learning at WHS. Healy said she is looking for businesses to partner with WHS seniors in an internship and/or job shadowing opportunity. Students who intern commit to 10 hours per week.
The area's most popular are healthcare, electrical, construction, social work, and esthetics, and are all in need for the second semester. Healy said she plans to review her process of how students are assigned and monitored each week. Healy said she has 40 seniors signed up for internships starting at the end of January.
Also on the agenda are internet technology services available at WTA, and how businesses can support Link to Libraries.
“WE2BA offers a unique opportunity for members of the business community to engage with our students. Businesses can offer job shadowing or internship experiences, or they can adopt a classroom. It can be an ongoing relationship or a one-time experience. We’re looking for all kinds of businesses to participate, because the experiences seem to be very rewarding on both sides,” said Amanda Waterfield, executive director of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce.
“The connections that come out of WE2BA allow students to explore industry or career options that may resonate and inspire them, while giving businesses the chance to inform and shape their future workforce. The chamber members who are active in WE2BA are having a meaningful impact on our classrooms, with a far-reaching ripple effect. I would encourage anyone who is looking to make a difference to join us for the meeting to learn more,” added Waterfield.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2026/01/area-businesses-are-invited-to-engage-with-high-school-students.html
This meeting will focus on ways in which the business community can both support and gain from the work of high school students as they head into their prospective careers.
Kevin Daley, assistant principal at WTA, will talk about cooperative education and the students in the various shops who are ready to go to work.
“The WTA Cooperative Education Program is pivotal to career development and the success of many of our students. It provides opportunities to acquire real-world job experience while earning credits towards graduation working 30-40 hours a week. These opportunities foster career skills, lead to potential full-time employment, all while earning money and building their resumes with our local businesses,” Daley said.
“Currently we have over 55 Grade 12 and Grade 11 students participating in the program with anticipation of more in the next few weeks, with hopes to reach 100 by the end of June,” Daley said, adding that in order to be eligible, students must meet academic, attendance and discipline requirements, and receive a positive recommendation from all of their teachers. He said all 11 of WTA’s career technical education shops are actively looking for business participation.
Patricia Healy, Reed Career Center counselor at Westfield High School, will talk about internships, job shadows and work-based learning at WHS. Healy said she is looking for businesses to partner with WHS seniors in an internship and/or job shadowing opportunity. Students who intern commit to 10 hours per week.
The area's most popular are healthcare, electrical, construction, social work, and esthetics, and are all in need for the second semester. Healy said she plans to review her process of how students are assigned and monitored each week. Healy said she has 40 seniors signed up for internships starting at the end of January.
Also on the agenda are internet technology services available at WTA, and how businesses can support Link to Libraries.
“WE2BA offers a unique opportunity for members of the business community to engage with our students. Businesses can offer job shadowing or internship experiences, or they can adopt a classroom. It can be an ongoing relationship or a one-time experience. We’re looking for all kinds of businesses to participate, because the experiences seem to be very rewarding on both sides,” said Amanda Waterfield, executive director of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce.
“The connections that come out of WE2BA allow students to explore industry or career options that may resonate and inspire them, while giving businesses the chance to inform and shape their future workforce. The chamber members who are active in WE2BA are having a meaningful impact on our classrooms, with a far-reaching ripple effect. I would encourage anyone who is looking to make a difference to join us for the meeting to learn more,” added Waterfield.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2026/01/area-businesses-are-invited-to-engage-with-high-school-students.html
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts will be hosting a Webex Webinar Keeping Kids Safe and Secure Online: A Project Safe Childhood Presentation for Parents. The webinar will take place on the evening of Tuesday, February 3rd at 6:30 pm in a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations Digital Forensics/Child Exploitation/Cyber Crime Unit. The registration flyer is attached. Advanced registration is required, and the capacity of the Webex webinar platform is 1000. In the event we reach capacity, those who are unable to register can email USAMA.PSCOutreach@usa.doj.gov to be put on the list for the next webinar.
Registration can be done either via the attached flyer or the link below.
Webinar topic: Keeping Kids Safe and Secure Online: A Project Safe Childhood Presentation for Parents
Date and time: Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 6:30 PM | (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Register link:
https://usao.webex.com/weblink/register/r83f7d49f6565b65bce8bb420f1cfef7c
Registration can be done either via the attached flyer or the link below.
Webinar topic: Keeping Kids Safe and Secure Online: A Project Safe Childhood Presentation for Parents
Date and time: Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 6:30 PM | (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Register link:
https://usao.webex.com/weblink/register/r83f7d49f6565b65bce8bb420f1cfef7c
Join us for the next WE2BA meeting and learn more about exciting opportunities to connect education and business in Westfield!
A reminder that Westfield Public Schools are closed on Monday, January 19, 2026, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday. Thank you.
This week, on "Superintendent's Spotlight", we talked about our "Countdown to Kindergarten" event being held on February 3 at 6:00 p.m. at Westfield River Elementary School. Staff and students from Westfield Technical Academy's Culinary Arts Department also stopped by to help us celebrate National Strawberry Ice Cream Day. Thanks for watching.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp3evPWLEGA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp3evPWLEGA