Friday, March 22, 2019 | Westford Public Schools

Good afternoon,

A full slate of material for you to read through today. Reminder that the Town Meeting begins tomorrow at 10AM at the Abbot School.

MCAS Testing for Sophomores on Tuesday and Wednesday- CHROMEBOOKS required for all students.

I apologize for the phone system at W.A.. Thank you for your patience. We are working hard to remedy the problem. Please feel free to email a teacher, guidance counselor, or administrator if you have any questions. (Email first initial w/ last name @westfordk12.us)

News from the Guidance Department

This week, the Guidance Counselors visited all ninth grade Health classes to present an adaptation Break Free from Depression, a program developed by Boston Children's Hospital that educates teens about stress and depression. This is an educational program to increase students' knowledge of depression, their confidence in identifying signs and symptoms related to depression, and their ability to access resources.

Westford Academy uses this program because we recognize that today's children are at risk for depression. Nearly one million American adolescents suffer from depression each year, and more than 75% of these individuals will not be diagnosed and will not receive treatment. Left untreated, depression can lead to deteriorating school performance, strained relations with peers and adults, high rates of absenteeism, school dropouts, and substance abuse. Our goal is for students to have accurate information on depression, be equipped with tools to readily identify signs and symptoms of depression in adolescents, as well as have the skills to access resources and supports in the school and community. Should you have any questions, please contact your student's Guidance Counselor.

Juniors and Junior Parents -

Junior Parent Meetings have begun! The entire guidance department is looking forward to working with you and your child as he/she begins the college process. Prior to scheduling the meeting, students are required to complete the following:

Junior Questionnaire: Each counselor emailed out an individual link for their students on their caseload. We ask that students are detailed, providing us with as much information as possible for each question. If more information is needed, the questionnaire will be returned to the student, asking them to expand upon their responses.

Add colleges to “Colleges I'm Thinking About” list in Naviance

Once these tasks are complete, please have your child reach out to his/her guidance counselor to schedule the meeting.

As a reminder, Guidance Department updates can be found regularly on the WA Guidance Blog (waguidance.blogspot.com). Please sign up to receive emails when the blog is updated using the "Follow by Email" box on the right side.

Reminder: Please sign up to receive text updates from Remind. Text 81010 and use the appropriate code for your class, which can be found below.

Class of 2019: @wa19

Class of 2020: @waghost20

Class of 2021: @wa21

Class of 2022: @wa22

WA's Got Talent Show- TONIGHT!!!

The Class of 2020 is hosting this year's WA's Got Talent Show. Come out and support our talented group of students performing that night!

Date: Friday March 22nd

Time: 7:00 PM

Place: Westford Academy PAC

Ticket Price: $5 in advance, $7 at the door

Students can purchase tickets in advance through Mr. Nidzgorski in Room 237 or Mrs. Croteau in Room 241.

Comedic Hypnotist: WA DECA

Mark this on your calendar: Frank Santos, Jr., the Comedic Hypnotist is back again at Westford Academy. He'll be performing on Friday, April 5 in the WA PAC from 7:00 - 8:00 PM. Tickets are on sale for $10 each. You can purchase tickets through a DECA student or contacting John Rogers at jrogers@westfordk12.us. The last 5 performances have been Sold-Out, and we are, again, reserving tickets to guarantee you (and yours) attendance at the event. Let me know how many tickets you'd like, and you can pick up and pay for them at our “Will-Call” table the night of the show. It is family-friendly entertainment and laugh out loud funny! This is a fundraiser to help 38 DECA students travel to and attend DECA's International Competition in Orlando in April.

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.

20th Annual Westford Road Race

Sunday, May 5, Marks The 20thAnnual Westford Road Race. The Westford Charitable Foundation reaches a significant milestone in 2019: the Westford Road Race is being held for the 20thyear! For two decades, runners have come from all over to participate in the Family Fun Run and the USA Track & Field sanctioned and certified 5K and 10K races. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised and given back to the community to support a wide variety of local causes. Want to participate in what is sure to be a big celebration? Pre-registration (if completed before April 21) is $15 per person for the Fun Run, $25 per person for the 5K race, and $30 per person for the 10K race. After April 21, the cost increases to $30 for the 5K and $35 for the 10K. (The price for the Family Fun Run remains $15 per person.) The first 600 pre-registered runners are guaranteed t-shirts. All entries are nonrefundable. Runners can register at http://roadrace.westford.org/regform.htmlor can register the day of the event from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at the Abbot School. The Westford Road Race is held in memory of Cindie Davis Holub. For more information - about the courses, start times, numbers, and so on - go to http://roadrace.westford.org/or contact Westford Charitable Foundation founder Lori Cogliano at lcogliano@lycos.com.

Westford Troop 95 Electronics Recycling Fundraiser Saturday, April 6th

Ready for Spring Cleaning? Clean out your house and support Westford Troop 95's 4th Annual Electronics Recycling Fundraiser! Our event will be held Saturday, April 6th from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Miller School (1 Mitchell Way.) Please see our website for items accepted and nominal fees charged:

[ http://www.westfordtroop95.com ]http://www.westfordtroop95.com

Proceeds benefit Troop 95. Thank you for your support!

Bamboo Fundraiser: Support WA Student Athletes

Looking for a way to support Westford Academy's Student athletes and enjoy a great meal at the same time? On Wednesday March 27th, Bamboo will donate 20% of you purchase if you mention WA Athletic Boosters when you order. It is valid for eat-in or take-out at dinnertime. It's a great opportunity not to have to cook, have a great meal, and support our athletic programs.

Have a great weekend. Jim Antonelli