Here's to the Fools...update! WPS 4-1-22
One might think that I enjoy April Fool’s Day…I can certainly present like someone who does not take himself seriously and some might say is eager to make a fool of himself. That would not be untrue. I have shared with many that my wife has repeatedly needed to remind me that although I was regularly working with adolescents, I myself was no longer one. But in truth, I typically do not care much for April Fool’s Day at all.
As I shared in my video update this week, it was rather foolish for me to think that I could read a book called Interrupting Chicken to a class of first graders without being interrupted. We had a great deal of fun bringing David Ezra Stein’s characters to life over at the Miller School in Mrs. Brache’s class. As I mentioned in the video, it is a wonderful book, but I wouldn’t recommend it for bedtime reading.
Something that was fun, sometimes silly, but not at all foolish was the STEM fairs that took place at JAC, Abbot & Day schools this past week. While I wasn’t able to make rounds to the exhibitions at all three schools, I did enjoy the wide variety of prototypes and experiments that were set up in the Abbot cafeteria.
On a much more serious note, the Wayland Diversity Town Hall event took place earlier this week. I was able to attend along with members of our School Committee, members of the Select Board, and other leaders and community members from Westford. The ability to connect with our counterparts from Wayland and some other communities, as well, was very helpful in increasing awareness and strengthening resources for us all in our efforts to confront racism and build communities that are welcoming and eager to celebrate differences.
Earlier in the month we held our first round of Restorative Community Circles and we are scheduling more very soon. We want to provide another opportunity for anyone not able to participate initially and provide another round for anyone wishing to extend the conversations. Additionally, we are planning a culminating event similar to our initial webinar to help bring some closure to the specific work being done right now, share feedback from the Community Circles, and discuss plans for continuing to prioritize dismantling bias and developing coherent anti-racist strategies.
During the February vacation, I reached out to our school community about a racist comment posted on a personal social media account of a WPS faculty member. It was extremely upsetting, insensitive and disrespectful to many members of our community. The individual responsible has separated from Westford Public Schools and is no longer an employee of the district. I greatly appreciate the efforts of staff members who have been able to provide support to students impacted throughout this process.
As we turn our focus towards the future, Westford Climate Action is inviting everyone to celebrate Earth Day throughout April: 3:31 WCA Earth Month Press Release.docx
A number of our students are participating in events leading up to the event. It is often challenging that Earth Day takes place during the school vacation week making it difficult for some students and families to participate in activities.
Finally, I have received a few concerns about people not actually utilizing the at-home rapid tests in the manner in which it is expected but in turn are storing the tests or sharing the tests with others. If you signed up to participate in the at-home rapid testing, please remember that the intent of the distribution is that students and staff will be regularly testing to monitor any potential exposure.
So, while we have covered a rather interesting range of topics in this update, even though April Fool’s is not really my thing, I am always happy to hear a good rendition of Send in the Clowns.
Isn’t it rich?