Friday, February 1, 2019 | Westford Public Schools

Good afternoon,

What a great week of activities we had at Westford Academy! On Tuesday evening parent organizers from our Challenge Success Program hosted a special event called Story Telling. The evening hosted 7 guest speakers who took the "non-traditional path" to where they are today in life. Some took gap years after high school while others practiced law and now work as a school counselor, and another began in the busness world and ended up teaching middle school English. The evening was filmed by Westford CAT and I hope to send you a link soon. It was a very worthwhile event and it demonstrated that taking one single path is not for everyone. Once the video is edited and released I will send the link to all of you. I hope that you will take the time to watch it as a family.

On Wednesday night NOWA (No One Walks Alone- A Mental Health Awarenwss Club), a student run organizartion hosted a panel discussion on mental health and the stigmas that goes along with the disorder. The two advisors Steve Cunha and Micaela Violette did a great job working with the organization and its founder Izzie Redman. Under Izzie's leadership and vision the NOWA Club created a safe environment for people to talk about mental health. Thank you to all of the panelists, the members ot NOWA, and Mr. Cunha and Ms. Violette for all of the effort and time.

Whew, you thought that was it?!? Not yet! On Thursday from noon-2:00 PM ex Celtics player Chris Herren addressed the entire school regarding drug and alcohol abuse and how it affected his life. Chris Herren created an organization called Project Purple and several students at Westford Academy have embraced this organization and have committed to be drug and alcohol free. Grades 11 and 12 were In the main gym and grades 9 and 10 were seated in the PAC. We did a simulcast from the gym to the PAC and also to the students at Nashoba Tech. You could "hear a pin drop" in both locations. It is not often that we hold ALL-SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES, however Chris Herren's message is one of "pain, perseverence, and courage". One of Chris' earliest speaking appearences was at Westford Academy back in 2010. Since then he has addressed over 1 million students. Chris has also addressed law enforcement officials, military personnel and professional athletes. We did notice that over 150 students were dismissed yesterday, and I am sad that some students chose not to listen to Chris Herren's message. That of course is a family decision.

Following the day presentation Chris came back in the evening to meet with community members, parents, students and various groups from surrounding towns. Again, you could "hear a pin drop" in the Performing Arts Center. Chris shared his story for approximately 90 minutes and then opened up to audience questions. I want to thank all of the organizations that helped to sponsor having Chris Herren to Westford Academy. In particular, I would like to thank Brian Roark K-12 Health Wellness Coordinator and Melanie Jozokos, Project Purple Advisor. In addition, I would like thank our audio visual technician Mark Miller for all of the technical work to make the simulcast work in a variety of locations. There were many sponsors for the event, which I will post next week. My fear Is I will leave a group out, so I need to cross-reference my list. :-)

Tonight at W.A. the National Honor Society will host the "Empty Bowl" in the cafe at 6:00 PM. It is an NHS fund-raiser to support the Westford Food Pantry. Students created beautiful ceramic bowls in their ceramics class to serve soup in for all patrons. Come by, pick a bowl you like, fill the bowl with soup and take the bowl home for $15! What could be better on a cold New England evening?!? BTW- make a night of it by watching a basketball game in the gym (starts at 7:00PM).

Finally, tomorrow evening the Westford Academy Asian Culture Club presents the Lunar New Year Festival at W.A. Dinner is a 4:30 followed by a 6:30 performance in the Performing Arts Center. Happy New Year!

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Class of 2020 Parents/Guardians:

You are invited to our Junior College Planning Night on Tuesday, February 12th at 6:30 PM in the Westford Academy PAC. The Guidance Counselors will review the entire process for post-secondary planning, including the college search process.

Graduation 2019 - Seniors - Cap and Gown Orders

Balfour will be in the upper cafeteria on February 4th and 5th during all four lunches to measure seniors for their graduation gown and to take orders for seniors to purchase their cap, gown and tassel. Caps are $5, gowns are $11, and tassels are $2.00 ($18.00 total for all three.) Each student may select their choice of either maroon or white gown. Please make checks payable to Balfour.

LAST NIGHT 2019

WA Last Night 2019 is the all-night, substance-free celebration for our Westford Academy graduating seniors, which will be held on Friday, June 7th 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, please see the Last Night website at www.walastnight.org

Donations to support Last Night can be made online at www.walastnight.org/donate or please send your contribution to: WA Last Night 2019, PO Box 4079, Westford, MA 01886. All gifts are tax-deductible.

Last Night Needs Volunteers! Help is always needed at the event, but you can also volunteer before the event. To volunteer in any capacity, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Cindy McKeen at volunteer@walastnight.org.

French exchange program: Parent/Guardian/Student Meeting

For students who are interested in participating in the 2019-2020 French exchange program with a school near Rouen, France, there will be an informational meeting for parents/guardians and students on Monday, February 11, 2019 @ 7:00 PM in the WA Lecture Hall (room 144). Students will host their peers from the French school in the fall (October 2019) and will then travel to France next winter (February 2020). During this initial meeting, students and their families will learn about expectations of the exchange program, view a preliminary itinerary for our trip to France, and receive application and enrollment information. For students who have not yet applied, they will be asked to complete an application and schedule an interview with one of the French teachers. For students who have already applied and been accepted, enrollment information with Prometour, the tour company, will be shared. If you have questions or are unable to attend this evening parent/guardian meeting, please contact Sharon Charbonnier (scharbonnier@westfordk12.us or 978-692-5570 x2128). Merci!

Have a great weekend! GO PATRIOTS! Jim Antonelli