Westfield Technical Academy

School Principal’s Day, celebrated on May 1st every year, is a time to recognize and appreciate the dedicated leaders who guide our schools. Principals play a crucial role in shaping the educational experience, fostering a positive learning environment, and supporting teachers, students and families. Thank you to all our building Principals for all that they do each and every day for our schools.

Horticulture technology at Westfield Technical Academy is getting ready for its popular Annual Spring Plant Sale on Tuesday, May 6, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, May 7 and 8, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Friday, May 9, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If any plants are left over — they are often sold out — the sale will be open on Saturday, May 10, from 9 to 11 a.m. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2025/05/annual-spring-plant-sale-at-westfield-technical-academy-begins-may-6.html

The United States Attorney’s Office will be hosting a virtual internet safety presentation for all adults who wish to keep children safe online. Assistant United States Attorney Luke Goldworm and Victim Witness Specialist Lauryn Mackey will be joined by Special Agent Andrew Kelleher from Homeland Security Investigations Child Exploitation and Digital Forensics Unit to present a Webex Webinar: Keeping Kids Safe and Secure Online: A Project Safe Childhood Presentation for Parents Wednesday, June 4th from 6:30 – 7:30 pm. A Q & A session will follow the presentation. The presentation will bring awareness to how predators are sexually exploiting children online and how to keep them safe. Advanced registration is required. You may register for the webinar at the link below: https://usao.webex.com/weblink/register/r4617269953953d7a4aaa839f6c3e110b

Munger Hill’s first grade students are learning about plants with WTA students in the Horticulture program, fostering real world connections, deeper understanding, and motivation - the hallmarks of relevant learning. Jennifer Kubic, Rebeccca Conroy, and Sandy O’Connor, Grade 1 teachers at Munger Hill, and Vicky-Lynn Toro, Horticulture teacher at the Tech Academy, have brought their students together twice before. During the first and second years of the collaboration, Ms. Toro and her students visited to help plant flowers in the beds in front of Munger Hill. In the second year, a visit to WTA was planned, but due to unforeseen circumstances, that trip did not happen. This year, everything about the collaboration was coming up roses! The first-grade students were able to visit WTA, where they toured the greenhouses and shop areas. The students also had the opportunity to see the hydroponic greenhouse, where vegetables are grown without soil! Every first grade student was able to plant both an herb and a flower—one to take home and one to leave at WTA! Ms. Toro and her students will return to MH in May to help plant the flowers that stayed behind. These will be added to the front flower beds of the school. Students had the opportunity to think about whether they may want to have a career related to horticulture, and the trip was the perfect kick off for the Grade 1 Life Science Unit focusing on Plant Traits and Survival. As an added bonus, Mrs. Kubic ran into a former student she had at Fort Meadow, and he is thriving in the Horticulture program!

No EBT Card Access April 26-27: The state Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is changing Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) vendors. As part of the transition, families will not be able to use their food benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP) or withdraw cash benefits (Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children, TAFDC; or Emergency Aid to the Elderly Disabled and Children, EAEDC) from 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 through mid-day on Sunday, April 27. No food purchases can be made during this time.

Spring Vacation starts on Monday, April 21, 2025, and ends on April 25, 2025. School resumes on Monday, April 28, 2025. Have a safe and enjoyable break!

Westfield Public Schools and Offices will be closed on Monday, April 21, in observance of Patriots Day. Thank you.

At the School Committee meeting on April 7, Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski and Human Services Director Michael Morris introduced Dr. Gregory Rosenthal as the search committee’s pick to be the new administrator of special services and student support services. Rosenthal will replace Debra Ecker, who is retiring after serving five years at the top special education post and previously as a supervisor. Rosenthal is the current director of special education and student services for the Douglas Public Schools. Before to that role, he had a similar one with the Northbridge Public Schools. He has also worked as a special education teacher and administrator in public schools and out-of-district private special education schools. He has led professional development on topics such as differentiated instruction, student engagement, and co-teaching, said Morris. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2025/04/dr-gregory-rosenthal-hired-as-new-administrator-of-special-services-in-westfield.html

Young adults ages 14-25! Are you in high school or out of school? Are you looking for a job? Come to our Job Fair to explore paid and volunteer opportunities through one of our many job and career pathways. Tuesday, April 22, 2025 1:00 P M – 4:00 PM MassHire Springfield Career Center Dress to Impress Bring your resume For list employers go to www.masshiresprinfield.org/YouthWorks For more information contact: Phylis Gedeon—pgedeon@masshirespringfield.org/413-858-2818 Katherine Perkins—kperkins@masshirespringfield.org/413-858-2831

At the Credit for Life Fair on April 10 at Westfield High School, the students entered the gymnasium in two shifts, with upperclassmen from Westfield High School visiting first, followed by Westfield Technical Academy, Gateway Regional and St. Mary’s High School. The interactive event of the Western Mass. Credit for Life Committee, co-chaired by Melissa Taylor of Berkshire Bank and Linda Saltus, formerly of MassHousing, teaches students real-world budgeting and money management skills. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2025/04/students-learn-real-life-costs-at-credit-for-life.html

High school seniors should complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or, for students who are eligible non-citizens, the Massachusetts Application for State Financial Aid (MASFA), by May 1, the priority deadline for state aid. Both can make higher education more affordable. All federal and state student aid and some private sources require completion of the FAFSA. The FAFSA or MASFA are required for students to access MassGrantPlus for four-year colleges and to access no-cost community college through MassEducate. https://www.mass.edu/osfa/programs/massgrantplus.asp

The School Committee Budget Review Meeting scheduled for Monday, April 14, 2025, has been postponed to Monday, April 28, 2025, at Westfield intermediate School at 6:00 p.m. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause. Thank you.

Hear ye, hear ye! Amelia Park Children’s Museum invites you to join our tea party on Friday, May 9th. Come dressed as fairytale royalty or your favorite fantasy character. Adorn yourself with jewels and designs, paint a teapot, and decorate a mask (we provide the supplies). Your reign lasts from 10am to noon, with light refreshments beginning at 11am. Regular admission fees apply. Members of Amelia Park Children's Museum are admitted free of charge. Amelia Park Children's Museum is located at 29 South Broad Street in Westfield, MA and is open 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Thursday-Tuesday. The museum offers hands-on learning for children ages 1-7 in a safe and welcoming environment. Cost of admission is $8 per person. Grandparents and seniors are admitted at a reduced rate of $4. For those who present a valid EBT card, the rate is $2 per person (up to 6 people). Questions? Call us at (413) 572-4014 or email us: fun@ameliaparkmuseum.org. Learn more about the museum at ameliaparkmuseum.org.

Recently, thirty-one students from Westfield Technical Academy’s ‘Flying Tigers’ Aviation program were given a tour of American Airlines (AA) at Boston’s Logan International Airport. The tour was arranged by AA pilots Captain Chris ‘Biggs’ Bigelow (USAF retired and WTA Aviation Advisory Board member) and Captain Bradley Nordgren (Prior Army aviator and AA Chief Pilot) in conjunction with Mr. Galen ‘Chief’ Wilson (WTA Aviation Dept Head). Through many hours of coordination and airport security protocols the students were able to view, amongst other things, up-close a Boeing 777 aircraft. After a superb AA in-briefing and lunch, provided by AA, the students split into six groups and then were off to tour the facility. Here’s how it went - The students were given a tour of the aircraft cockpit by two senior AA pilots. The pilots informed the students on such systems as aircraft flight control, communications, electronic flight instrument system, navigation systems and engine control/monitoring systems, just to name a few. Each student was given a chance to sit in the left (Captain’s) or right (First Officer’s) seat while simultaneously briefed on the cockpit’s instrumentation and glass (monitor screens) cockpit functions by AA senior captains. Students were also introduced to the cabin of the aircraft by two flight attendants. The flight attendants (FA) explained their role in customer service, passenger protection and flight safety. The FA’s also explained the training that goes into being an FA along with their ‘typical’ flight schedule. The students then went outside and toured the exterior of the aircraft. They also took turns getting inside the cargo area and the avionics bay, where they saw the line-replaceable units (LRUs) that make up the electronics used in the aircraft for navigation, weather monitoring, surveillance and control. Lastly, the students went to the aircraft maintenance facility where the AA technicians service/troubleshoot/repair up to eighteen aircraft per night. The technicians were able to explain their day-to-day life, all-the-while answering many questions from the students. The technicians were AWESOME! The students and faculty of WTA ‘Flying Tigers’ would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to American Airlines for such an informative and memorable day – THANK YOU!

The annual Career Expo & Job Fair took place on March 27 in Scanlon Hall at Westfield State University. More than 400 students from Westfield High School, Westfield Technical Academy, St. Mary’s High School and White Oak School connected with over 65 area employees to explore career pathways, network with professionals, and gain valuable insights into their futures. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2025/04/students-engage-with-area-businesses-at-westfield-career-fair.html

If you missed this morning's "Superintendent's Spotlight", please click on the link below. This week, we recognized Paraprofessionals Appreciation Day with staff members from Westfield Intermediate School. We also celebrated National Chocolate Mousse Day with staff and students from Westfield Technical Academy's Culinary Arts Department. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPjl3gSL2xk

On March 11, students from 13 schools in District 6 for SkillsUSA MA competed in a written competition for a chance to head to the State Leadership and Skills Conference in May. WTA had 34 students that medalled in the district competition, the most of any of the participating schools. The first and second place medalists will advance to the state competition on May 1, 2 and 3 in Marlborough. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2025/03/westfield-technical-academy-is-sending-30-students-to-state-skillsusa-competition.html

DPW Deputy Superintendent Casey Berube, in a collaborative project with city stormwater coordinator Noel Lioce-Marra, seniors in the horticulture department at Westfield Technical Academy and John Raymaakers of J.L. Raymaakers and Sons Construction, began installing a rain garden at School and Elm Streets this week. The plantings will be done by horticulture students later in the spring. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2025/03/dpw-installs-rain-garden-on-school-street-with-wta-horticulture-and-raymaakers.html

Patrick Kennedy, band director for Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy and lead music teacher for Westfield Public Schools grades 5 to 12, will be receiving the Massachusetts Music Educators Distinguished Service Award in a ceremony on Thursday, March 27, at the DCU Convention Center in Worcester. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2025/03/patrick-kennedy-to-receive-the-mmea-distinguished-service-award-on-march-27-in-worcester.html

On the afternoon of March 13, Westfield Technical Academy played its annual student vs. faculty basketball game to support the Robert P. Ollari Memorial Scholarship fund. According to assistant Principal Kevin Daley, the students narrowly beat the staff by five in a hard-fought battle watched by over 570 students and staff, including Mayor Michael McCabe and Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski. The tournament raised over $1000 through donations from staff, students, and the raffle. WTA awards a $1000 scholarship each to two deserving seniors to use towards college or the workforce upon graduation. If anyone would like to donate to the scholarship, checks may be made out to the WTA Rob Ollari Scholarship Fund and mailed to Westfield Technical Academy ℅ WTA PVO-Ollari Scholarship, 33 Smith Ave., Westfield, MA 01085. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2025/03/wta-students-beat-faculty-in-tourney-to-support-robert-ollari-memorial-scholarship.html