Westfield Technical Academy

Five veteran teachers and one teacher new to the profession were named 2023 Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award winners in Westfield this week. Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski surprised the winners at their schools on Feb. 7. Winners have demonstrated exemplary teaching practices and have had a strong impact on their students; they’ve inspired and motivated others, engaged their students’ families, and gone above and beyond in the classroom and school community. https://www.masslive.com/news/2023/02/westfield-superintendent-surprises-6-educators-with-excellence-in-teaching-award.html

If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight" this morning, please click on the link below. This week, we talked with staff, students, and judges that participated in the annual Westfield Public Schools Science, Technology, and Engineering Fair. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZKK_bY2Tbg

This week, we celebrate National SkillsUSA Week! We are proud to have an active SkillsUSA Chapter here of 105 members this year here at WTA which includes 92 students, 11 shop advisors and 2 administrators. To date, our students have participated at a Fall State Leadership Conference this past November, during which Senior Aaron Liu received his leadership pin. Our senior members will be participating in a "Seniors Advancing in Leadership" conference on February 9th focusing on Career and College Readiness after High School. Additionally, 69 students from WTA and other technical schools in the surrounding area will compete in district-level competition here at WTA on March 14. Students who compete successfully at districts will advance to state-level competition in late April. Congratulations to all our WTA Skills Members for their hard work and dedication, and special thanks to Mrs. Maureen Baillargeon for her continued service as our Chapter Advisor.

Don't forget to tune in this Thursday, February 9 from 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. to WSKB 89.5 FM, WCPC Cable Channel 15, or westfieldtv.org for a crossover episode of "Superintendent's Spotlight" and "Tiger Talk". This week, we will be broadcasting live from Westfield High School during our Annual High School Science Fair. We will be talking with staff, students, and judges about the incredible projects from students at WHS and WTA. Thanks for watching!

Last week, Mr. Chretien's and Mr. Davenport’s U.S. History II Classes participated in Springfield Museums’ presentation of "Us & Them: Discrimination During the Holocaust and Today", during which the students learned about the experiences of local Holocaust survivors. The students used primary source materials to track the progression of hate from prejudice to genocide, and they also learned the difference between "bystanders" and "upstanders". We are grateful to Sarah Christensen from the Springfield Museums who did a wonderful job with her presentations on this important topic!

This week, we celebrate National School Counseling Week, which highlights the impact that school counselors provide through their work in helping students succeed. School counselors focus on positive ways to enhance students’ academic, career, and social/emotional development. They are a valuable part of our educational team. They support the entire school community by helping to create more positive academic, vocational, and social-emotional experiences for our students. I know I speak for everyone when I say how truly fortunate we are to have Carol Groom, Andrea Arvanites, Casey Keefe, Kristine Hupfer, and Michael Quinn as part of our family!

Tune in on Thursday, February 9 from 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. on WSKB 89.5 FM, WCPC cable channel 15, or westfieldtv.org for a crossover episode of "Superintendent's Spotlight" and "Tiger Talk". This week, we will be broadcasting live from Westfield High School during our Annual High School Science Fair. We will be talking with staff, students, and judges about the incredible projects from students at WHS and WTA. Thanks for watching!

In case you were unable to tune in this morning, follow the link below to today's action-packed episode of "Tiger Talk Live". While Mr. Langone was proctoring MCAS Retests, Mr. Daley and Mrs. Groom were joined by Mr. Langone's Executive Administrative Assistant Kelly Liptak; student wrestlers Joshua Castell, Ethan Connors, and Tristan; and skiiers Rudy Charland and Owen Freeman. And THE Vince Escarpita rounded out the proceedings with our Sports Corner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJa9Vo9trmk&list=PLnSwTu8SRtqIA3xtNAnD_rQFSd8aXozvH

February is National Career Technical Education Month. Celebrate with us here at WTA, where we put education to work!

Hello WTA Family! We begin the month of February here at the Academy on the heels of our annual Joint School Committee/General Advisory Committee Meeting, which was held on January 17. As part of that meeting, our Mayor and the members of the Westfield School Committee had the opportunity to tour our technical programs; interact with our staff, students, and community and business partners; and experience first-hand our technical programs’ many successes and accomplishments. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Mayor Michael McCabe, Mrs. Kathleen Hillman, Mrs. Diane Mayhew, Ms. Heather Sullivan, Mr. Timothy O’Connor, Mr. Bo Sullivan, Mr. Michael Tirrell, Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski, and General Advisory Committee Chair Jeff Amanti for their on-going and steadfast commitment to the mission and work of WTA. I also want to recognize City Councilors James Adams, Brent Bean, Michael Burns, Ralph Figy, and William Onyski for their presence and support. In a word, we simply couldn’t do it without your support. Thank you! Among other things, February brings with it the celebration of National Career Technical Education Week, which will take place from February 13 to 17. As part of our observance here at the Academy, we will begin the week with our annual National Technical Honors Society on Tuesday, February 14, at 12:45 in the auditorium. We will also resume our tradition of “Adopt a School” on Thursday, February 15, when a cohort of our students, accompanied by their CTE Teachers, will head to Abner Gibbs to do live demonstrations and to read to all grade levels. We thank Principal Erika Masciadrelli for hosting us, and we are looking forward to spending the morning as part of the Abner Gibbs Community of Learners! As a reminder, all Westfield Public Schools will be closed from Monday, February 20, through Friday, February 24, for Winter Vacation. Happy Valentine’s Day, and, as always, please know how grateful I am for all that you do on behalf of WTA! Regards, Joe Langone

The First Veteran Appreciation Luncheon hosted by Westfield Veterans Services took place Wednesday at Westfield Technical Academy. The goal is to show our military vets some much needed admiration for their service. Moving forward, lunch will take place on the first Wednesday of every month until May and will have dining space for up to 60 vets. On behalf of the Veterans Council, we want to thank Elm Electrical for sponsoring the lunch, Westfield Technical Academy Tigers Pride Restaurant for making a great meal, and Westfield High School Band providing some spectacular entertainment! Veterans that would like to sign up for the March luncheon, please call 413-572-6247.

Don’t forget to tune into WSKB 89.5 FM this Thursday and every Thursday morning from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. to join Mr. Langone, Mr. Daley and Mrs. Groom for “Tiger Talk Live: The Carol, Kev, and Joe Show”, which features all things WTA, from our academic and technical programs to extracurricular activities and athletics. And remember, You’re in the flow with Carol, Kev, and Joe!”

The Westfield Education to Business Alliance (WE2BA) is currently seeking area businesses and employers to sign up for the Career Expo and Job Fair sponsored by Westfield Public Schools, the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, MassHire and Westfield State University. The fair will be attended by more than 500 juniors and seniors from Westfield High School, Westfield Technical Academy and St. Mary’s High School, 8-11:30 a.m. on March 16 at the university’s Woodward Center. Westfield Gas & Electric is providing transportation for the students, who will have lunch in the university dining commons. https://www.masslive.com/news/2023/02/westfield-high-schools-chamber-seeking-businesses-to-sign-up-for-march-career-fair.html

Please consider attending our Westfield Public Schools English Learners Parent Advisory Committee!

ATTENTION ALL AREA EMPLOYERS Sign up for our annual Westfield Education to Business Alliance (WE2BA) Career Expo and Job Fair sponsored by Westfield Public Schools, the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, Mass Hire, and Westfield State University. Engage in conversations with our students about careers and industries and recruit local students for internships and job opportunities. This is a FREE event that will be attended by over 500 local high school students. Scan the QR code or click on the link below to be a part of this yearly event and meet employees of the future. The deadline to sign up is Friday, March 10. Thank you for your support! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd82tz-vb-5UK9rRUPvmmz3fTMkEPWZAYABB0JtEea0d55Vew/viewform

This past Thursday, January 26, Mr. Taloumis accompanied Culinary Arts Students Ava Cree, Hayden Martial, and Aidan Fanska to the Natick, MA National Guard Barracks where they participated in the MRE Challenge, sponsored by the National Guard and SkillsUSA. During the challenge, the contestants demonstrate their culinary and sanitation knowledge as well as their ability to utilize and be creative with military-issue MREs. The contestants also prepared servings of each of the following courses, with one plate for display, and one for tasting and judging: appetizer, entrée , dessert , 12oz beverage (hot or cold). The competitors were judged on the following criteria: proper use of commercial tools, utensils, and equipment; "mise-en-place" skills; menu planning and preparation; proper portioning, plating and garnishing of finished products; teamwork; safety and sanitation.

If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight" this morning, click on the link below. This week we talked with New Westfield Middle School Principal Jesse McMillan and Lauren Paret, the new Dean of Students., all about the middle school. In our last segment, we were joined by Westfield Technical Academy Culinary Arts students who helped us celebrate National Peanut Brittle Day. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHjGueTSCck

In case you were unable to tune in this morning, follow the link below to today's action-packed episode of "Tiger Talk Live". Mr. Langone, Mr. Daley, and Mrs. Groom were joined by our athletic coordinator, Karen Gomez, Student Athletes Xavier Barros, Brady LePage, Sophia Paredes, Jake Balser, Andrew Galczynski, Mike Wescott, Sam Slattery, Sara Shoemaker, Olivia Pease, Kailyn Hawley, and Kristin Nutting, and Big Al Rogers and Vince Escarpita for a WTA Sports Extravaganza! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPvCJE10zeU&list=PLnSwTu8SRtqIA3xtNAnD_rQFSd8aXozvH&index=1

It wasn’t an ESPN Classic but it was darn near close. Westfield basketball was on full display Tuesday night when the St. Mary’s Saints traveled across the Whip City to take on the Westfield Technical Tigers in what ended up being one of the best high school boys' basketball games between the two teams in nearly a decade. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/01/westfield-technical-academy-boys-basketball-rallies-past-st-marys-to-win-classic-ot-thriller-75-72.html

Don’t forget to tune into WSKB 89.5 FM this Thursday and every Thursday morning from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. to join Mr. Langone, Mr. Daley and Mrs. Groom for “Tiger Talk Live: The Carol, Kev, and Joe Show”, which features all things WTA, from our academic and technical programs to extracurricular activities and athletics. This week, we will have an all WTA Sports Extravaganza, featuring our athletic coordinator, Karen Gomez, a bevy of WTA Student Athletes, and Big Al Rogers and Vince Escarpita, who will round out the proceedings with their take on the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat in our weekly Sports Corner. And remember, You’re in the flow with Carol, Kev, and Joe!”