Westfield Middle School

Principal Jesse McMillan said during a visit last week to Westfield Middle School, motivational speaker Terrence Lee Talley’s message of hope and resilience was well received.

Talley, who is from Minnesota, spent the day in Westfield on Jan. 22 giving four presentations, one to seventh-grade students in the auditorium and one to eighth-grade students, leading a staff meeting at the end of the day and an evening event for families at 6 p.m.

One of the topics Talley touched upon was mental health concerns in middle school and navigating teasing and bullying. McMillan said the school has a social-emotional curriculum that Talley’s message reinforced. “We needed to provide a unified message of hope, resiliency, and supporting one another — even people you don’t know.”

The overall theme of the assembly was don’t give up reaching out to others, no matter what life situations they’re going through, and encourage people to keep going, not only the people you know, but the ones you don’t know, he said. “Sitting in an auditorium with 350 kids — 700 in the school — can guarantee you that someone is weathering a storm. Be mindful of that in daily interactions. You don’t know what people are going through inside and outside of school.”

https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2026/01/you-could-hear-a-pin-drop-said-wms-principal-about-recent-assemblies.html

Reminder! Our motivational speaker is here at WMS tonight at 6 p.m. in the auditorium. Ask your students about his message today. It was powerful. You won’t want to miss it! I hope to see you there. -Principal McMillan

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

A friendly reminder! Please join us Thursday in the WMS auditorium for a special presentation with Terrence Talley. Families and students will experience his inspiring message focused on hope, kindness, and making a positive impact. Please click on the following link to reserve a ticket for THURSDAY, JANUARY 22ND AT 6 P.M. in the WMS AUDITORIUM: https://forms.gle/csuHzjjHQcKyZq338 This event is open to all WPS families! We hope to see you there! Thank you, Principal McMillan

Thank you to the Westfield High School students and Career Center staff for visiting with our 8th graders to share pathway options and real-life experiences! Their time, insight, and encouragement helped our students start thinking about the many opportunities ahead.

A reminder that Westfield Public Schools are closed on Monday, January 19, 2026, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday. Thank you.

Big smiles, comfy seats, and great conversations 🍽️✨ Our students are loving the new cafeteria furniture, making lunchtime even better!

Regular school attendance is one of the strongest predictors of student success. When students come to school each day they learn new skills, stay connected with teachers and classmates, and access the supports they need to thrive. Chronic absenteeism can make it hard to catch up — but every day missed is also an opportunity to improve. Let’s work together — families, teachers, and neighbors — to make sure every student can be present, safe, and ready to learn. #AchievingExcellenceTogether

Yesterday on "Superintendent's Spotlight", we recognized National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day with guests Captain Eric Hall and School Resource Officers (SRO) Jim Summers, Bryan Turgeon, and Mike Csekovsky. Staff and students from Westfield Technical Academy's Culinary Arts Program also helped us celebrate the day with a homemade breakfast treat. Thank you to our School Resource Officers for all the support that they provide to our staff, students, and families. Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0tMtzPnGnU

Mark your calendars! We're excited to announce that motivational speaker Terrence Talley will be visiting our school this month! Terrence is a dynamic speaker delivering powerful messages of hope, resilience, and encouragement to students and communities.

We invite you to join us for a special evening presentation in the auditorium where you can experience Terrence's inspiring message alongside your children. His mission is simple but powerful: to give every student hope and empower them to give hope to others. As Terrence says, "What happens to a student today will affect your community tomorrow."
This is an event you won't want to miss!

Please click on the following link to reserve a ticket for THURSDAY, JANUARY 22ND AT 6 P.M. in the WMS AUDITORIUM: https://forms.gle/csuHzjjHQcKyZq338

Thank you,
Principal McMillan

Due to the current weather conditions, Westfield Public Schools will operate on a two-hour delay schedule today, Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Please drive safely. Thank you.

SEPAC

Join us for the virtual PTO meeting tonight! No experience necessary. We're looking for interested families to help support our school and students.

Monday, January 5 · 6:00 – 6:30pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ihr-cnha-vyd

🌟 Show up. Learn. Grow. Repeat. Every day in school = one step closer to your goals! #EveryDayCounts

A reminder that today, December 23, is an early release day for students.
• High Schools: 11:00 a.m. dismissal
• Middle & Intermediate Schools: 11:30 a.m. dismissal
• Elementary Schools: 12:15 p.m. dismissal
Thank you!

Click here to view the December newsletter from WMS: https://app.smore.com/n/h8xre0

Please click here for the District's Second Quarterly newsletter for the 2025-2026 School year. Thank you!

https://www.schoolsofwestfield.org/documents/district/district-newsletters/2025-2026/quarter-2/23361217

🌟 Show up. Learn. Grow. Repeat. Every day in school = one step closer to your goals! #EveryDayCounts

🎶 What an unforgettable month of music! Our holiday concert season was a tremendous success, thanks to the incredible talent, hard work, and heart of our students, and the extraordinary dedication of our music instructors. Our chorus has grown exponentially, filling the stage with beautiful harmonies and contagious energy. Our band program has become so large, we now separate groups by grade level, a true testament to our students’ passion for music and the strength of our program. We are incredibly fortunate to have Mr. Emken, our outstanding band instructor, and Mrs. Cipoletta, our inspiring chorus instructor, leading the way. Their commitment goes far beyond the school day. This month alone, they brought music into the community, including the beautiful performance at the Greek Orthodox Church earlier this week with our concert band. A heartfelt thank you to Mr. Emken, Mrs. Cipoletta, and each and every one of our talented students. Your dedication, teamwork, and artistry made this holiday season unforgettable.🎄🎵

The Principal's Council is excited to announce a spirit week beginning next Monday and leading up to break!