An Entrepreneurial Update

To say that I am not a fan of our email system would be a gross understatement.

For those of you receiving multiple copies of this email, I apologize. It has now been sent back to me 3 times because the system can not handle the length of the message. The loyal readers in the crowd will know that this is far from the longest message that I have sent. Perhaps it is just too tired from having to support a full weeks worth of emails...

At any rate, here is this week's update:

There has been a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit emanating through the entire 8th grade this week which is very different than the typical things or more like odors emanating through any large group of young teenagers. All of the math classes have combined efforts in the library conducting research to develop and support a variety of business plans and models. Some of the students have been looking specifically at all of the financial implications and scenarios involved in car loans and how to determine the cost and overall value of the vehicles of which they would most like to purchase after completing their education and transitioning to the status of independent adults...allowing all of the parents to also hope and dream. Most of the others are collaborating in teams to develop prototypes and complete business plans in a "Shark Tank" type environment in which they will need to convince investors of the viability and strength of the investment. Their ideas are tremendous and the excitement has been infectious.

While we are on the subject of being infectious, remember we will not be upset with you or say mean things about you if your child stays home feeling sick. Health and safety really is our first priority. Learning simply is not as engaging or meaningful for a student struggling to make it through the day with an illness. It is in everyone's best interest to not expose the rest of the building as it just compounds how long individuals need to keep fighting through the dreaded symptoms. It is certainly not convenient to keep someone at home or miss any activity here at school, but the rest and recovery expedites the healing more than suffering through regular activity.

A couple of things to remember from last week's update to still keep on your radar:

• January 31, 2018 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 which you can access here. (If you are like me and look for any excuse to eat out...there is also a Day School Playground Fundraiser listed below for Tuesday night!)
• For those of you who missed the Challenge Success presentation "The Well-Balanced Student", 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.  
• Another upcoming event to keep on the calendar is the 8th Grade Parent Information Night at Westford Academy. It is scheduled for Wednesday, February 14 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.

Finally, on Friday, a few of our 6th graders were very excited to invite Mr. Mac, Mr. O'Connell, and me to join them in a team photo to advertise the Westford Jr. Ghosts Hockey upcoming game in Chelmsford this Sunday at 4:10pm. For all of the hockey fans out there, here is a link to the rest of their schedule and information about participating in the future: click here.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Chris

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

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.

Day School Playground Fundraiser

On Tuesday, January 30th (rescheduled from January 17th) at the Chipotle Mexican Grill on 174 Littleton Road, Suite #1 (Route 110), Westford, a fundraiser is being held to benefit the new Day School playground project. Between 4:00pm and 8:00pm just tell the cashier you are there to order dinner (eat-in or take-out) and to support the Day School playground project. The project receives 50% of the proceeds for the playground. Online orders and gift card purchases won't count toward this fundraiser. We look forward to your participation!