Westfield High School

The 40th annual Sons of Erin Colleen Ball was held at Tekoa Country Club on Friday with 12 contestants. Ciara Catherine Morgan Johnson-Corwin, 17, a senior at Westfield High School, was chosen as the 2023 Westfield colleen. Her court will be Kelly Elizabeth Burns, 19, Shannon Marie Corbett, 17, Cailyn Grace Crean, 17, and Sarah Margaret Moriarty, 18. The colleen and her court will embrace a yearlong journey as they represent the city and the Sons of Erin. Congratulations! https://www.masslive.com/living/2023/02/westfield-sons-of-erin-chooses-colleen-honors-st-pats-award-recipients.html

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.

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

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

Rain. Snow. Fog. Icy hills. Soft spots. Rough patches. Perfect conditions. It is apparent now each and every time out that no matter the weather, Westfield girls skier Jenna Renaudette will be left standing somewhere high atop the leaderboard when the skiers cross the finish line at Berkshire East. For the fourth straight race, Renaudette cracked the top five. Renaudette finished runner-up Thursday night on the slopes, clocking in at 33.75 on the Giant Slalom course. Mohawk’s Addie Loomis won the race in 32.61. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/01/the-westfield-news-scoreboard-bombers-jenna-renaudette-claims-2nd-at-pviac-ski-race.html

While the Westfield swim team is overjoyed at being back in their home pool, it now puts them in the unenviable position of competing in five meets in eight days. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/01/westfield-boys-win-girls-fall-in-latest-swim-meet.html

Westfield Public Schools will have an early release day on Wednesday, January 25, due to the predicted snowfall in the afternoon. High Schools will dismiss at 11:00 a.m., Middle, Intermediate, and Virtual Schools at 11:30 a.m., Elementary Schools and Southampton Road Preschool Program at 12:15 p.m. Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center will be closed. The Westfield YMCA after school care program is also cancelled. Please drive safely.

The city granted $500,000 it received from the federal government in the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund of the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, to fuel assistance and food security programs. The Greater Westfield Food Pantry will get $200,000 over four years, the city said Monday in a news release. The Food Pantry provides groceries to approximately 1,200 people per month, with 51% of those clients being children and 14% being elderly. The city also gave Valley Opportunity Council $300,000 to expand home heating assistance programs. Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program — LIHEAP — funded by the state and federal governments provides up to $1,319 per household to assist with heating costs incurred from November through April. The Westfield Food Pantry is at 101 Meadow St. For additional information on receiving food assistance, please call 413-572-0802 or visit its website at www.westfieldfoodpantry.org. For questions related to the Westfield Fuel Assistance Program, residents should call the Valley Opportunity Council Welcome Center at 413-534-2466 or email Jessica at jking@valleyopp.com. https://www.masslive.com/business/2023/01/westfield-gives-500000-in-arpa-money-to-food-heating-programs.html

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is inviting students, parents, education professionals, and community members to participate in a survey that will provide feedback on the MCAS program and help inform improvements. The Department is seeking stakeholders’ input in several areas, including communications and support, data and reporting, and release of test questions. The survey will close at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 27. Please contact mcas@doe.mass.edu with any questions. https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7072286/Future-Directions-MCAS-General-Survey

Behavioral Health Network Inc., which merged with the Carson Center eight years ago, has opened a new BHN WellBeing Center with expanded hours, expanded service, and walk-in care in its offices at 77 Mill St. in Westfield. The BHN WellBeing Center, along with one that opened at 417 Liberty St. in Springfield, are part of a statewide network of Community Behavioral Health Centers, or CBHCs, and are intended to shorten wait times for individuals seeking behavioral health treatment with MassHealth and Health New England insurances. The hours for walk-in care at both locations are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those seeking care can also call 413-301-WELL (413-301-9355) to be connected to services or visit bhninc.org for more information. https://www.masslive.com/news/2023/01/walk-in-behavioral-health-care-clinic-opens-in-westfield.html

It was a banner day for one Westfield wrestler. Westfield senior captain Tristen Connors (152 pounds) went 4-0 at the Central High School duals. Connors pinned Milford’s Travis Poplaski in the second period, and then Keene’s Damon Greer, Lincoln-Sudbury’s Ethan Belanger, and Pinkerton Academy’s Cam Morrow, all in the first period. “It was the best I’ve ever seen him wrestle,” Westfield wrestling coach Chris Malinowski said of Connors. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/01/the-westfield-news-scoreboard-bombers-wrestler-tristen-connors-goes-4-0-at-central-high-duals.html

WPS is Hiring! Be a part of Westfield Public Schools! We are hiring multiple positions across the district including substitute teachers, substitute nurses, classroom and 1:1 paraprofessionals, school custodians, and many more opportunities that can be found on our district website at www.schoolsofwestfield.org.

The Department of Mental Health has launched a new Behavioral Health Help Line that people can call or text at 833-773-2445. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in more than 200 languages. The help line can help individuals and families navigate the behavioral health system and access treatment, including mobile crisis services. Please click on the link below for more information. https://www.masshelpline.com/

Reminder: Westfield Public Schools will be closed on Monday, January 16 for the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. Thank you.

The Westfield High School wrestling team improved to 7-1 with multiple victories this past weekend. The Bombers won again, again, and again at a super quad meet at Smith Vocational on Saturday. Freshman Joe Krause (113 pounds) highlighted the Bombers’ 48-24 win over the Gateway Gators, defeating Logan Haley with a first period pin. Westfield then went on to defeat Smith Voke, 42-21. Josh Castell (126), Octavian Artin (132), and Cooper McNamara (170) all won by first period pins. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2023/01/the-westfield-news-scoreboard-westfield-wrestling-continues-to-pick-up-wins.html

Westfield High School has restarted its Drama Club after a three-year hiatus and is back this month with a new director and a new type of show. WHS graduate Madison Curbelo, who will graduate from Berklee College of Music in May, started her new role at the Drama Club’s director at the end of November. https://www.masslive.com/news/2023/01/westfield-high-school-drama-club-is-back-from-hiatus-with-cabaret-new-director.html

The 24th annual High School Science and Engineering Fair on Feb. 9 in the Westfield High School gymnasium is a day to celebrate the science and engineering cycles and hard work of students at both WHS and Westfield Technical Academy. Judges are being sought to score projects and engage with high school students as they share the results of their work. Judging takes place from 7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 9, beginning with registration and orientation. Lunch will be provided by WHS culinary students at the end of the fair. https://www.masslive.com/news/2023/01/westfield-seeks-volunteers-to-judge-projects-at-high-school-science-fair-feb-9.html

If you missed "Superintendent's Spotlight" this morning, please click on the link below. This week we talked with MIAA Coach of the year Tyler Wingate, New Westfield High School Assistant Principals Dr. Tonia Bonner and Mr. Andrew Joseph, as well as staff and students from the WHS Preschool Program. In our last segment, a very talented Westfield Technical Academy Culinary Arts student demonstrated how to make homemade whipped cream in recognition of National Whipped Cream Day. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDP778HeVUU

Join us this morning from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. on WSKB 89.5 FM, WCPC cable channel 15, or westfieldtv.org for the next episode of "Superintendent's Spotlight". This week we will be talking with Principal Chuck Jendrysik about Westfield High School. Thanks for watching!

Please note that our regularly scheduled School Committee Meeting on January 3, 2023, has been postponed until Monday, January 9, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you.