Friday, March 1, 2019
Good afternoon,
Important letter below regarding MCAS testing for parent/guardians of grade 9 and grade 10 students.
MCAS Letter 2019
https://www.westfordk12.us/wa/friday-email/files/mcas-letter-2019
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Caps & Gowns - Class of 2019 - Graduation
Seniors who have not ordered their caps and gowns for graduation, please use the link below to place your order online as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please see Mrs. Langille in the Main Office. And please note that this year, graduates may select either maroon OR white caps and gowns.
https://buildagrad.com/westford
News from the Athletic Director: Winter Athletics Season Standings
*Swim & Dive- WA Girls continued their dominance winning both the DCL and Division 1 MIAA State Tournament! The WA Boys also had tremendous success finishing 4th in the DCL & 4th in the State.
*Wrestling- WA Wrestlers completed a terrific season by winning the DCL Championship and had several wrestlers qualify for the MIAA State Tournament!
*Basketball- WA Girls qualified for the MIAA State Tournament and will be playing at Franklin tomorrow 2/27 at 6:30 PM. WA Boys fell 1 game shy of qualifying for the MIAA State Tournament but finished their season by beating Chelmsford in convincing fashion!
*Cheer- WA Winter Cheer was once again back on the sidelines spreading school spirit at several Boys/Girls Basketball & Hockey games.
*Gymnastics- WA Gymnastics completed a great season and had a few gymnasts qualify for the MIAA State Tournament last week. We also had 1 gymnast qualify for the New England Championship on 3/9!
*Indoor Track- WA Indoor Track finished their season and had several athletes qualify for the Division 1 MIAA State Meet!
*Alpine Ski- WA Girls & Boys Skiers that qualified will be traveling to Wachusett Mountain tomorrow 2/27 at 4:00 PM to compete in the MIAA State Tournament!
*Nordic Ski- WA Girls & Boys Skiers that qualified will be traveling to the Notchview Reservation on Thursday 2/28 at 10:00 AM to compete in the MIAA State Tournament!
*Ice Hockey - WA Girls qualified for the MIAA State Tournament and will be playing against Lincoln Sudbury tomorrow 2/27 at 8:00 PM at the Valley Sports Arena in Concord, MA. WA Boys also qualified for the MIAA State Tournament and will be playing against St. John's Prep on Thursday 2/28 at 8:00 PM at the O'Brien Ice Arena in Woburn, MA.
I would like to thank all the teachers & staff that I saw this winter at different events. I know that the student athletes love seeing their teachers in the stands cheering them on. Your presence has a positive impact on both the athletes and the student body. Congratulations to all our dedicated Westford Academy Athletes on a GREAT winter season!
Jeff Bunyon, WA Athletic Director
WA Athletics Update:
*Indoor Track (UPDATE)- The WA sprint medley team of Wes Chung (12), Ben Trotter (12), Tom Germann (12), and Phil Holmes (11) qualified to compete at the New Balance Indoor Nationals meet in New York during the weekend of March 8-10. Wes & Phil will be running the 200m legs, Ben will be running the 400m leg, and Tom will be running the 800m leg.
*Nordic Ski (UPDATE)- The MIAA State Tournament was postponed for today and will be held on Tuesday March 5th
*Girls Ice Hockey (UPDATE)- WA Girls Hockey beat Lincoln Sudbury last night 4-3 to advance to the next round of the MIAA State Tournament (Date/Time-TBD)
WA Trustee and Community Scholarship Applications
Reminder to all graduating seniors: The WA Trustee and Community Scholarship applications opened on March 1st. The FIRM deadline is Wed March, 20 by 2:00 PM - no exceptions or extensions. For detailed information and instructions, please refer to the WA website, under Guidance, click on Trustee Awards & Senior Scholarship Listing & Applications link.
https://www.westfordk12.us/wa/trustees-westford-academy/pages/trustees-a...
Thank you,
Mrs. Karen Halloran
Guidance Counselor
WA Scholarship Coordinator
Nutrition Information Workshop
The Westford Academy Athletic Department will be sponsoring a Nutrition Information Workshop in the WA PAC at 11:30 on Thursday March 14th. This is an early release day for students and all WA students and student-athletes are welcome and encouraged to attend. The workshop will take place from 11:30 -1:00 PM concluding with a question & answer session. Dr. Nancy Clark MS RD will present "Fueling for School, Sports & a Busy Life"
Topics will include:
-Sports Nutrition
-Weight Management
-Personal Health
All are welcome!!
The WA Honors Orchestra
The WA Honors Orchestra will be performing a program centered on student solos and compositions at 7:00 PM on Friday, March 8th in the PAC. The orchestra will also be presenting a special performance of Dmitri Shostakovich's Sinfonia for String Orchestra op. 110a dedicated to "The Memory of the Victims of Fascism and the War". Tickets will be available at the door and are $5 for adults and free for students, seniors, faculty, and staff.
Ghostwriter: Graduation 2019
Dear Senior Parents/Guardians:
The end of your child's high school career is near! We know you have many different ways to commemorate the occasion, but we'd like to offer another possibility. The staff of the student newspaper, The WA Ghostwriter, invites you to purchase a graduation shout-out for your son or daughter. ~We publish a printed June edition of the newspaper that is distributed at graduation. Since it features a list of the graduates' college destinations, it tends to be a hot commodity! We are selling four different shout-out spaces this year.
Deadline for submitting all materials and payment: April 4, 2019
The Ghostwriterstaff will design your shout-out at no additional cost!
Photos that work well:senior portraits (that you have a release for), baby pictures, candids, close up and clear photos
Photos that do not work well:Iphone photos, blurry or unfocused photos
Message example: “We are so proud of you Sam! We know you will do well in college and succeed at UConn! We hope you always stay true to yourself and follow your dreams! Love, Mom and Dad”
If you would like to purchase a shout-out, please fill out the Google form here: https://goo.gl/forms/s9CoFOiC6IxCgp2b2
Feel free to email me with any questions!
Janet Fonden
English and Journalism Teacher
WA Ghostwriter Adviser
LAST NIGHT 2019
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: 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.
Westford Parent Connection
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Westford Parent Connection had to cancel Dr. Elizabeth Englander's event previously scheduled for January 17, 2019. Fortunately, Dr. Englander is now back on. She will present Stop The Cycle Of Bullyingat 7:00 PM at the Stony Brook Middle School, 9 Farmer Way, Westford on February 28, 2019. Dr. Englander is the founder and director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC) and is a psychology professor at Bridgewater State University. She is very knowledgeable and presents a wealth of information and practical, compassionate advice. Her presentation is free and open to the public due to the generosity of our sponsors. For more information about her, please go to https://www.englanderelizabeth.com/.
The remaining 2019 programs include:
What Emotional Abuse Looks Like, with Jody Marchand, Wednesday, March 13
Prepared Parents, Protected Kids: When A Will Is Not Enough, with David Feakes, Wednesday, March 27
Raising Kids You'll Love To Live With, with Bonnie Harris, Tuesday, April 9
Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Friendship, Popularity, And Social Cruelty In Childhood, with Dr. Michael Thompson, Tuesday, April 30
In addition, the Westford Parent Connection has an opportunity to win $1,000.00 as part of MillTown Plumbing's Helping Handsprogram. Every month, MillTown selects a few local non-profits and asks these organizations to spread the word. Whomever receives the most votes at the end of the month wins $1,000.00. You can vote once a day, every day, until the end of February. Please help us win! We are sure to put the money to good use. https://milltownplumbing.com/milltowns-helping-hands/For more information about the Westford Parent Connection, check out the organization's website at http://www.westford.org/wpc/or contact Mary Anne Seraphin at mary.anne.seraphin@gmail.com.
Have a good weekend. Jim Antonelli