Friday, March 6, 2020 | Westford Public Schools

Good afternoon,

Superintendent Olsen will be sending out some communications today regarding a conference call we just finished with the Department of Education and the Department of Public Health. (Topic: Coronavirus) Please stay tuned for this important information.

CONGRATULATIONS ~ Westford Academy Theater Arts – SECONDARY ED

Westford Academy Theater Arts – SECONDARY ED
Westford Academy Theater Arts' production of SECONDARY ED was named WINNER of the Preliminary Round in the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild's State Festival this weekend. With this recognition, WATA will advance to one of seven Semi Final sites across the Commonwealth and perform at Joseph Case High School in Swansea on Saturday March 14 at 1:30 pm. In addition to the production's advancement, eight WATA students were recognized for their outstanding individual achievement and were named to the All Star Company including:
PAUL DAVIS and SADIE GREEN for Excellence in Technical Design: Lighting Design

ALEX FRANKLIN and CORDELIA REDMOND for Excellence in Technical Design: Original Music Composition

ALEX ROSS for Excellence in Acting

THOMAS SANDERS for Excellence in Acting

JARAMIE CATALDO and LUCY XIAO for Excellence in Ensemble Acting

WATA will present SECONDARY ED on Thursday, March 12 at 8:00 pm in the Westford Academy Performing Arts Center

Seniors – From the Guidance Department

Dear Seniors & Parents, As we enter the final month of your high school classes (before Capstone begins), we wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that your academic performance continues to be relevant and important for several reasons. We acknowledge the existence of the "senior slide" but caution you against taking this to extremes. Counselors submit final grades to colleges - and if any of these grades have dropped noticeably from where they were when the college agreed to admit you, there is a possibility that the college could reconsider their offer of admission or any scholarship/grants they have awarded. Additionally, low grades in your classes may jeopardize your ability to participate in the Capstone experience.

We respect and appreciate how hard you have worked over the past three and a half years, and the temptation to take it easy as the year ends, and felt it was important to remind you about the dangers of easing up a bit too much!

Thank You,

The WA Guidance Department

Westford Parent Connection Upcoming Events

Tuesday March 10

Just a reminder that WPC will be having a discussion on depression this coming at Millennium from 7-8:30. All are welcome.

Wednesday March 11

Westford author Craig Miller will discuss his book titled "This is How it Feels". They will also be showing a film "The S word”- about shattering the silence around suicide. https://theswordmovie.com/; http://www.thisishowitfeels.com. Event held in collaboration with See A New Sun Foundation and Team Forever Young.

Save the Date! Tuesday, April 14

Rallying Resilience Against Depression - Collaborative Approaches to Identify and Alleviate Depression

Stony Brook Middle School Auditorium

9 Farmer Way, Westford MA

Everyone at some point has been sad, lonely, or depressed. The feeling may be transient for most people, but can be devastating for others, to the point where it has a life-altering impact. Certain elements that arise during each phase of life can make the strongest of us more susceptible. In particular, adolescents worry about grades and college admissions, the risk of hefty debt by graduation, increasing fears of school shootings, experiments with substance abuse and other concerns. Bring your friends to this FREE forum! Sponsors are the Upper Merrimack Valley Medical Reserve Corps and the Westford Health Department.

P R E S E N T E R S:

Alison Christopher, LICSW and Jon Mattleman, MS

This special forum is for anyone who would like to get an up-to-the-minute snapshot of mental health issues affecting our region's youths and those who love them, and how to help. Hear about depression at various stages throughout the life cycle, with a focus on the daily lives of our local teens.

6:15 pm Registration and light refreshments

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Presentations and Q&A

Registration in advance

All events are FREE and are held at the Stony Brook Middle School, 9 Farmer Way, Westford at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information, visit our website atwww.WestfordParentConnection.com.

Rallying Resilience Against Depression - April 14th - Stony Brook Middle School
https://www.westfordk12.us/wa/friday-email/files/rallying-resilience-aga...

Seniors - Chromebooks- ATTENTION PLEASE!
Any senior student not using their Chromebook during their Capstone experience, please return it to Mr. Jewell.

Senior Chromebook Check in on March 13th

All seniors participating in the One-to-World Program need to return a working Chromebook as one of the requirements for graduation. The purpose of this checklist is to clarify these expectations, providing students with the time to hand in any device that may need repairing before the June deadline, to ensure all students meet their graduation obligations. On March 13, we will be checking each student’s device against the expectations listed below and will be advising each student whether their device is in good working order or if the device needs to be handed in for repair.

Please be aware that students will be responsible for the cost of repairs if the device is not insured.

• Chromebook is accounted for and has a power cable

• The device turns on

• The screen is not cracked and is working correctly

• The hinges are not broken in any way

• The keyboard is fully in tact

• Any scratches or cracks are minor and only cosmetic and do not impact the integrity of the upper or lower casing.

• There are no markings or scratches deliberately defacing the device.

WA Trustee and Community Scholarships
Reminder for all graduating seniors: The WA Trustee Award and Community Scholarship application process for the Class of 2020 is underway. The firm deadline for submitting all applications is Monday, March 23 at 2:00 PM. Only applications with a submitted timestamp from March 2 - 23 will be considered. There will be no extensions or exceptions! Detailed information and instructions for applying are on the WA website, click Guidance, click on the Senior & Trustee Scholarship link.
https://www.westfordk12.us/wa/trustees-westford-academy/pages/trustees-a...

Current 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students: Course Requests
Counselors are currently processing your course requests. All communication regarding these requests will be emailed to your westfordk12.us email address. Please make sure to check it on a regular basis.

LAST NIGHT 2020
WA Last Night 2020 is the all-night, substance-free celebration for our Westford Academy graduating seniors, which will be held on Friday, June 5th 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

Habitat for Humanity 13th Annual Dream Builders Gala
Friday, March 13th , 6:00 PM at UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, Lowell. Student volunteers (ages 16 yrs+) are needed for gala fundraiser from 4:00 - 10:00 PM. Community service hours provided by Habitat Lowell in exchange for your time supporting a worthy cause! Contact Heidi Tierney at htierney@lowellhabitat.org if interested, by March 6th. Gala Tickets Also Available! More info about event, https://Build2020.givesmart.com

WA Spring Training BASEBALL Clinic * Note Change*
Session Dates: Monday, April 20; Wednesday, April 22; Friday, April 24
Session Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Westford Academy 2020 “Spring Training” Baseball Clinic

Registrations are now being accepted for the WA Spring Training Baseball Clinic During April School Vacation Week!

Clinic Details:

Eligibility: All baseball players ages 6-12

Session Dates: Monday, April 20; Wednesday, April 22; Friday, April 24

Session Times: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Location: Westford Academy Gymnasium, 30 Patten Rd, Westford, MA. Clinics may be partially run outdoors pending both weather and field availability.

Pricing*: $85 for 3 sessions, $65 for 2 sessions, or $35 for 1 session.

*All proceeds go to the WA Baseball program and WYBSL, and all participants will receive a 'Westford Baseball' t-shirt which is included as part of the registration fees

Registration Link for all Clinics:

http://WYBSL.com/registration

Have a GREAT WEEKEND! Jim Antonelli