Friday, April 28, 2023
Good afternoon,
I hope all of you had a good week. This afternoon we have opened the PowerSchool Portal in order for all of you to review 3rd Quarter Grades. I wanted to thank all of you again for your patience and understanding with the change from iPass to PowerSchool. It has been a slow and somewhat steady process, with some glitches along the way. Change can be difficult, but we all believe that the new student information system will be better for our entire school community.
We are about to welcome May and say good bye to April. May will be a very busy month with the Junior Cotillion, Senior Prom, Advanced Placement Exams, MCAS Exams, etc. That said, the end of the year is coming quickly and let’s hope we get some great weather in May for all of the festivities we have planned ahead.
Next week I will be sending out a survey regarding the academic award ceremonies. Your feedback will be appreciated as we are planning these ceremonies. There is a lot of work that goes into each event, and we want to make it is something that everyone enjoys and appreciates. Thank you in advance for your time.
Teacher Appreciation! National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8 – 12, 2023
Give The Gift That Keeps On Giving! Can’t find just the right gift to show your appreciation for the wonderful job your child’s teacher or special staff member has done? Consider sending a WEF note to your favorite teacher, counselor, teacher’s aide, school nurse, office staff member, or principal. It’s the perfect way to say thank you and support innovation at the Westford Public Schools!
Proceeds from these notes will be used to fund grants for innovative educational programs in Westford. This is also a great idea for class gifts! Just make a tax-deductible donation (minimum of $10 per honoree) to the Westford Education Foundation and we will send your honoree an email from WEF with a personalized note. The email will state your name and your message, but will not disclose the amount of your gift.
Donations made to WEF in honor of WPS staff members comply with the state ethical regulations for gift-giving and acceptance. The Westford Education Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization that promotes excellence in education. We fund grants to teachers, staff, and the community for innovative educational initiatives, professional development, and life-long learning ventures.
Visit our website at https://www.westford.org/wef for more information on the programs we have funded in your school. All of this would not be possible without the support of our community and people like you.
Please visit https://www.westford.org/wef/teacher/ to complete your donation. You can complete your donation using your PayPal account or credit card. You will receive a confirmation email when your note is delivered. Questions? Contact WEF at wef@westford.org. Thank you!
Please check to see if your company has a matching gift program. Your gift may be doubled, or even tripled! Check with your human resources office for a matching gift form to submit with your donation.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
To the Parents/Guardians of Graduating Seniors
If your graduating senior has money left on his/her lunch account, you may request a refund or a transfer of funds to a sibling. Please contact any of the following Food Service Department employees in writing:
Requests must be in writing and should be requested by June 9th of this school year. Requests received after June 6th cannot be processed until September, 2023.
Junior Job Shadow
Job Shadow day is scheduled for Tuesday, May 16. For students that have secured job shadows, emails have been sent to their job shadow site mentor to confirm placement and expectations.
For students that have not secured a job shadow placement yet, an email has been sent today with additional information. If you do not secure a placement before May 5, you will be scheduled as in-house for job shadow day, and you must be in school on May 16. While at school, those students will participate in a number of activities including completing career assessments, resume development, college research, and more.
Questions? Concerns?
Please contact Mrs. DeMagistris (sdemagistris@westfordk12.us) via email.
From the Counseling Department
To Parent(s)/Caregiver(s) of Freshmen and Sophomores: The Counseling Department will hold an informal “Coffee and Conversation with a Counselor” on Thursday, May 11 from 7:45 am- 8:30 am at WA (specific location to be determined based on RSVPs). We will have a short presentation discussing the overview of the four years at WA from a counseling perspective. We’ll also touch on the transcript and courses, as well as school/life balance and mental health. We welcome your general questions! Please complete this google form(https://forms.gle/pDUuTc3yXevzW2D7A) to RSVP by May 8.
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society will hold their Senior Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, May 18th at 6:00 PM in the PAC. Family members and friends of seniors are welcome to attend.
Class of 2024 - Trip to Plum Island
The Class of 2024 is heading to Plum Island on Thursday, June 22nd to celebrate summer! We will leave WA at 8am and return at 5pm after a day at the beach and in Newburyport. Permission slips can be printed from our 2024 Google Classroom OR picked up in Room 203. The cost of the trip is $25, payable using MySchoolBucks or by bringing cash or check (made out to Westford Academy) to Mrs. Bonakdar in Room 203. Permission slip and payment are due no later than May 12th.
ATTENTION ALL PARENTS, GUARDIANS & CAREGIVERS FOR THE CLASS OF 2026!!!
The Freshman class will be going to SIX FLAGS NEW ENGLAND for their end-of-year trip on June 21st after students take their last final exam.
Please see the permission slip below. If you child would like to participate in the class trip, please complete the permission slip and send it in with payment of $90 (cash or check made out to Westford Academy). They can hand in the permission slip with payment to Mrs. Jozokos in room 111 before school or after school. ***Permission slips WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT PAYMENT, they must accompany one another - unless there is a special circumstance. If any family has a financial hardship, please reach out to myself, Melanie Jozokos (mjozokos@westfordk12.us) or Michael Towers (mtowers@westfordk12.us) and let us know. No student will be denied access to the class trip due to financial hardship.
All permission slips and payment are due NO LATER than May 19th.
Please reach out to Mrs. Jozokos or Mr. Towers with any questions.
https://www.westfordk12.us/wa/principals-corner/files/class-2026-six-fla...
WA Athletic Boosters Senior Sports Banquet - May 21st - 5 - 8:00 PM @ WA
REMINDER: The deadline to RSVP for the banquet & fill out your certificate for the WA Athletic Boosters Senior Sports Banquet is WEDNESDAY MAY 3.
Dinner will be provided by Paul's Diner. Seniors are free and guests will be $25/person. Cash or checks (made payable to "WA Athletic Boosters") may be left with Danielle Mendonca in the WA Office
This Banquet is open to ANY Senior who participated in athletics (any level) during their time at WA.
To participate, please provide the following information on the google form by MAY 3 2023 .
RSVP information for the banquet
Information for your sports certificate
This is your own memento of WA Athletic involvement! What do you want it to say?
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeNdsJIsZTIvS84E-dbijjnR5mskrxH...
Westford Education Foundation 2023 Graduation fundraiser!
Celebrate our Westford Academy 2023 grads with balloons, yard signs and banners. A great gift to your child, friend, babysitter or student! The fundraiser runs until May 19th so get your orders in! Thank you for your support. Follow WEF on Facebook for the most up to date information. https://www.westford.org/wef/2023-wa-graduation-fundraiser/
ARPA After School and Camp Assistance Applications 2023
Through ARPA funding we are proud to announce that we will be reviewing/accepting applications for the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 for one free week of Kids Club Summer (starts June 26th, 2023) per child OR $400 per child for the Recreation Department After School Program (starts August 30th, 2023). Eligibility for this program is income and Westford residency based.
The information on the application will be used to determine your family’s eligibility for assistance based on your present gross household income that falls at or below 300% of the federal poverty level (the following income eligibility chart is located on page 3 of the application). The application can be found here: https://westfordma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12733/FINAL-ARPA-Afterschool-...
Applications should be emailed to Regional Community Health and Wellness Coordinator, Brittany Nash at bnash@westfordma.gov or hand-delivered to the Westford Town Hall, Health Department Attn: Brittany Nash. Applications are funded on a first-come, first basis. For any questions, please email bnash@westfordma.gov or call Brittany Nash at (978) 399-2564.
SENIOR PARENTS - Graduation VIP Raffle to support WA Last Night 2023!
The Last Night Committee is raffling off 2 Graduation VIP Packages. Tickets are $20 each and we are only selling 200 tickets. Each package includes:
Two reserved parking spots located in the Senior parking lot near WA Alumni field.*
Six premier reserved seats near the front of the audience on the left-hand side of the stage.*
*exact location to be determined by WA administration during graduation setup
Don’t let Graduation day stress you out! Buy some raffle tickets at the link below for your chance to win a worry-free trip to this year’s graduation! The raffle is open until April 30th or whenever tickets sell out. https://walastnight.org/raffle
LAST NIGHT 2023
WA Last Night 2023 is the all-night, substance-free celebration for our Westford Academy graduating seniors, which will be held on Friday, June 2nd starting at 10:00 PM. With almost 100% participation, Last Night is a highlight for WA graduates. It takes over 300 volunteers and many, many generous donors to make this evening a success. Parents of all students from K to 12, are encouraged to volunteer. For more information on how to sign up to volunteer, to donate, or to buy a raffle gift off our Amazon wish list, please see the Last Night website at www.walastnight.org. Seniors may also register for the event (May 15th deadline), submit photos for the event (April 30th deadline), and sign up for a Graduation VIP Package Raffle at this site.
SAT Mathematics Prep Course at Roudenbush (100% online)
Instructor: Lori Ditto
Contact Information: dittotutoring@gmail.com
Roudenbush is pleased to offer an SAT/PSAT Mathematics Prep Course taught by Lori Ditto. This 100% online (via Zoom) SAT Mathematics Preparatory Course is designed to help students of all levels and abilities improve their scores on the mathematics sections on the SAT test. Students will not only be exposed to the mathematics curriculum covered on the SAT test, but they will also learn strategies for taking standardized mathematics tests. Students will take actual SAT practice tests where answers and methods for solving problems will be discussed. Cost $190 (6 hrs. of instruction).
Dates: Tuesdays: 5/16, 5/23, 5/30 6:00-8:00pm
For more information and to register, go to the Roudenbush website:
https://www.roudenbush.org/service-page/sat-psat-mathematics-prep-via-zoom
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Lori is a College Mathematics Professor who also taught Mathematics at Westford Academy. She earned her Undergraduate Degree in Chemistry with a minor in Business Administration from Merrimack College and her Graduate Degree in Education from Simmons College. Lori has been facilitating SAT Test Preparatory classes and privately tutoring students in math and science for 25 years.
WA Lacrosse Supporters
Thank you to all who joined us for the many fundraisers we held this season. We have one final event to help raise awareness for mental health:
The Westford Academy Varsity Girls Lacrosse Team will be hosting a Mental Health Awareness game on Friday, April 28, 2023, at 6:00 pm vs Lowell on the WA turf. This game will be played in honor of Morgan’s Message, an organization dedicated to the memory of Morgan Rodgers.
“Morgan’s Message strives to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics. We aim to expand the dialogue on mental health by normalizing conversations, empowering those who suffer in silence, and supporting those who feel alone.”
Admission to the game is free, but please consider a donation at the door. If you can’t attend the game but would like to make a donation to Morgan’s Message, you can send a venmo (@morgansmessage). Please mention WA Girls Lacrosse in the memo if you choose to donate via Venmo.
J.V. Fletcher Library – Teen Events
The J.V. Fletcher Library is hosting two upcoming events: a Teen Library Lounge on 5/18 from 6-8pm, and Open Study Hours for Finals on 6/12, 6/13, and 6/14 from 2-10pm.
Have a great weekend!
Respectfully, Jim Antonelli