A Chore of an Update

It was great to see many of you at the Challenge Success presentation this past Tuesday night. However, your kids might not be as happy you went especially if you connected strongly with Presenter Jon Kleiman's stance that chores are a very important part of regular expectation for our children...and that they shouldn't get paid for doing them! Probably not the information students were expecting to hear with a title like the Well-Balanced Student, but in the big picture it all made sense. For those of you who missed it, a recording of the original presentation made by founder Dr. Denise Pope is available to us for three weeks, free of charge (now through February 7th). To watch the video, parents must register with Vimeo (free) to create an account. Then they will be able access the video and enter the promo code westford18 when prompted for payment.

According to the research presented by Challenge Success, Playtime, Downtime and Family Time (PDF) is critical in the development of the well-balanced student. All three help foster a student's ability to manage the competing demands on his or her focus and schedule throughout adolescence. Throughout the year, we will share resources with our families regarding strategies and research that supports how playtime (or genius time as some have called it) and downtime strengthens skill development and provides avenues for transferability that allows us to maintain high standards and expectations while developing the resilience students need for their futures. Authentic Positive Family Time nurtures a student's sense of belonging and support which research credits with higher outcomes of confidence and independence. If your family is anything like mine, we always enjoy a good excuse to go out to eat together or bring take-out home and take a break from the regular demands of meal preparation and or the clean-up involved with meal preparation. To that end, on January 31, 2018 (I still have to use 2018 as often as possible to break the habit of using last year's digits) Panera Bread is sponsoring a fundraising event for our Washington DC Scholarship Fund. If you visit the Westford location between 4:00pm - 8:00pm that evening, they will donate a percentage of the sales to help with the 8th grade trip. You will need to show them the flyer attached below or you can access it here as well.

Another upcoming event to keep on the calendar is the 8th Grade Parent Information Night at Westford Academy. It is scheduled for Wednesday, February 14th from 6:30pm - 8:00pm in the Westford Academy Performing Arts Center. Building tours will be available from 6:00pm - 6:30pm for interested parents. All curriculum coordinators will be in attendance for the general presentation and then will stay after for individual questions. To get a preview of the process, go to the Westford Academy Program of Studies and follow the links on the page starting with Freshman Course Listing.

No more easing into 2018, next week we rip the band-aid off and go for a full five days of school :?)

With plenty of PDF, I believe everyone is up to the challenge!

Chris

Dr. Christopher Chew
Principal
Stony Brook School
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 692-2708

TEEN Nights are BACK! Our second Teen Night is for seventh grade students on Friday, January 26th.

VOLUNTEERS are needed to make it a successful night. Please see the sign up genius link to volunteer. It's a fun, fast evening and we'd love to have you join us. Feel free to email Barbie Goodhue with any questions: click here.

Sign up Genius link: Click here.

Westford Academy presents Disney's madcap comedy, Peter and the Starcatcher. February 2, 3, 4, 2018.

Before Wendy… before he was Captain Hook… before a boy was given the name Peter Pan…and before there was a Neverland, there was a Starcatcher Apprentice named Molly, a pirate named Black Stache, and a nameless orphan…and they are about to be thrown together in a perilous (and wildly hilarious) adventure on the high seas. But, of course none of this actually exists, unless you are prepared to use your imagination.

Westford Academy Theater Arts is proud to present the highly inventive Peter and the Starcatcher - a play by Rick Elice (Jersey Boys - Addams Family) based on the 2004 novel by humorist Dave Barry and suspense writer Ridley Pearson and directed by Luke Jorgensen.

Performances are February 2nd & 3rd at 7:00pm and February 3rd & 4th at 2:00pm. Tickets are available online (click here) and at the Box Office at Westford Academy on Thursdays from 5:00pm - 7:00pm.