Westfield River Elementary School

New student orientation schedules, opening dates and other important information have been announced for Westfield Public Schools.

Westfield High School invites all incoming freshman, new and transfer students and their parents and guardians to attend a freshman and Parent Orientation on Monday, Aug. 25, from 9-11 a.m. This will be an opportunity to get acquainted with the school and programs that are offered at Westfield High School.

Westfield Middle School is inviting incoming seventh graders to an orientation on Aug. 25 at 5 p.m., where they will meet administration, receive general school information, student schedules, and participate in a self-guided tour of the building.

An orientation for new students to Westfield Intermediate School is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 19 at noon. There will be a short information session followed by a fun scavenger hunt around the school. New students will get to explore the building, find their classrooms, and discover many of the great things WIS has to offer.

Elementary schools in the city are also scheduling playdates for entering kindergarteners and preschoolers.

Highland Elementary is having a pre-K and kindergarten playdate on Wednesday, Aug. 27, at 9:30-10:30 a.m. for pre-K and 11 a.m. to noon for kindergarten. Come and meet the other students and their families and enjoy a fun time with chalk and bubbles and special guests Spiderman and Moana.

Munger Hill Elementary School is hosting Preschool Popsicle with a Principal at the school playground on Monday, Aug. 25, from 5-6 p.m.; and Kindergarten Popsicle with a Principal in the school playground on Wednesday, Aug. 27, from 5=6 p.m.

Paper Mill Elementary will have a Kindergarten playdate on the school playground on Monday, Aug. 25, from 5-6 p.m.

Southampton Road Elementary will have a preschool and kindergarten playdate on Tuesday, Aug. 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the school playground.

Westfield River Elementary’s Kindergarten playdate is on Tuesday, Aug. 19, from 4-5 p.m. outdoors in the back courtyard. Please enter by the side lot through the cafeteria.

https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2025/08/new-student-orientations-and-school-start-dates-announced-for-westfield-schools.html

Join us on August 15 from 10am - 12 pm and 2pm-4pm for a Free Back to School Backpack Event for students in grades Pre-K through 4th grade at Jacyhm Field.

Now in its 10th year as an organization, Girls on the Run Western Massachusetts is capping off another year of its programming on June 8, with its annual 5K Girls on the Run celebration, this time at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Girls on the Run Western Mass. is proudly celebrating its 10-year anniversary, marking a decade of empowerment, growth and positive impact in Hampden, Hampshire, Berkshire and Franklin counties. Since its establishment in 2015, the program has flourished, touching the lives of over 12,650 girls in over 85 schools and community sites. Among those sites are Westfield River and Munger Hill elementary schools in Westfield and Powder Mill School in Southwick, according to the organization’s website. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2025/05/girls-on-the-run-set-to-celebrate-10-years-of-building-confidence-and-making-memories.html

Wednesday, Second Grade students at Westfield River Elementary put their STEM skills to the test! As part of a Project Lead the Way module, students tackled a real-world challenge: preventing erosion during a flash flood. Working in teams, they designed and tested solutions using land models, simulating flash floods and measuring erosion. From vegetation to retaining walls and diversion pipes, students applied creative engineering strategies while building their collaboration and communication skills. A special thank you to the professionals from J.L. Raymaakers & Sons, Inc. who joined us today to provide feedback and help students connect classroom learning to real-world problem solving! In addition, Sam Horton and DJ Hunter, Communication majors from Westfield State University, captured the event as part of their final project. 🎥 They interviewed students and teachers about their experience with PLTW and documented the hands-on excitement as designs were put to the test. We can’t wait to see the final project they create! 🎬

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.

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

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

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.

Fourth-grade students and families are invited to Westfield Intermediate School for an information session to begin the transition to 5th grade at WIS. The WIS Information Night is scheduled for Monday, May 12 at 6:00 pm in our auditorium. Please note that this information night does not include tours of the building, but it is a great opportunity to learn more about WIS and meet the administration team.

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.

If you missed this morning's brand new "Superintendent's Spotlight" about our English Language Learner Program, click on the link below. This week, we had the pleasure of meeting a few of our EL students from Afghanistan, Ecuador, and Ukraine. Thanks for watching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPuO36CcpNM

Dear Families and Community Members, Westfield Public Schools received notification from PowerSchool that we have not been affected by the cybersecurity incident they became aware of on January 7, 2025 that occurred on December 28, 2024. Westfield’s IT Department and the WPS Data Department have done internal checks, and have not found any data inconsistencies or concerns. Please reach out to Christine Shea if you have any questions at christine.shea@schoolsofwestfield.org or (413) 642-9320. Stefan Czaporowski Superintendent