Friday, May 31, 2019

Good afternoon,

What an AWESOME day at W.A.!  Our seniors presented their Capstone Projects to the school community and members from of the greater Westford Community.  I must say that the presentations and the internships experiences appear to be getting better each year.  Congratulations to all of seniors for completing their Capstone Experience and thank you to all of the parents/guardians that visited with us today.

Following the exhibition our seniors moved into the Performing Arts Center for the Yearbook Celebration.  The year book was dedicated to Rajiv Paluri and the two class advisors (Tracy NcLaughlin and Karen Halloran) who have worked tirelessly to guide and support the Class of 2019. You could feel the emotion and excitment in the air this afternoon.

We then collected over 400 Chromebooks and power cords, but we still have 38 Chormebooks to be returned. If yoou senior hads NOT returned their Chromebook they will need to see Mr. Lambert in the Help Desk Center outside of the cafe.  We need ALL Chromebooks back by the close of school on Tuesday.  Thank you very much and have a great week.  One more week until the BIG DAY!

Bus Passes 2019-2020 School Year

Bus Pass registration begins on Friday, May 31. Late registration charge applies as of July 15.  In order to obtain the appropriate number of buses and avoid overcrowding buses at the start of the school year, all registrations must be received before July 15.  As of July 15, a $30 per-student late registration charge will be applied.  Additional busing information and online registration may be accessed via the Westford Public Schools website at https://www.westfordk12.us/district/transportation.

The bus pass fee for school year 2019-20 remains the same as for 2018-19: 

1 student: $275

2 students: $550

3 or more students: $750 (family cap)

Bus passes will be mailed to home addresses prior to the start of school in August.

Questions may be emailed to bus@westfordk12.us.

Seniors - Celebrate Your Achievement - Lifetouch Photography

Honor your graduation with Commencement Photography!

Visit events.lifetouch.com to sign up and receive notification when your proofs are online and ready to order.

Everyone will be photographed

Photos will be online at events.lifetouch.com then days after the ceremony

Complimentary proofs mailed to Graduates

No obligation to purchase

View and order your images at events.lifetouch.com

Graduating Students: Lunch Account Refunds

Please contact Colleen Wallace, Food Service Director, cwallace@westfordk12.us  for lunch account refunds for graduating students or to transfer funds to siblings.  These requests should be made in writing (email) before the end of this school year. Additionally, there is a lunch fund in each school for students in need to which you may donate the account balance.

Graduation Details - June 7, 2019

Graduation will be held on Friday, June 7, 5:30 PM, on the Westford Academy Alumni Field  (First rain date: Saturday, June 8, 5:30 PM. Second rain date: Sunday, June 9, 2:00 PM) NO TICKETS ARE NEEDED and you may bring an many guests as you wish!  Our seating is first come, first served. We rent 1,800 chairs in addition to having the use of our bleacher seats. We have plenty of handicap parking and have a handicap/elderly drop-off area.  There will be people assisting with traffic flow and parking.

Reminder from the Library:

It's time to clean out lockers, and check under beds!

This is a friendly reminder that all WA library books are due back by June 1st.  Thank you for your help!

Christin & Suzanne

Library Media Specialist

Westford Academy

Westford Academy's Good, Good Compost on sale!

Our students and community have been hard at work making Good Good Compost from school fruit & vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, leaves & wood chips. Our premium compost has been lab tested, screened and bagged and is now available for sale. Give your gardens and lawn really good compost to feed the soil and make your landscape thrive. Each bag contains one cubic foot and sells at $12/bag. Buy 4 bags or more and get free delivery. To arrange sale and delivery contact: compost@sustainablewestford.org

Turfburners Speed and Conditioning

Turfburners Speed and Conditioning will hold summer training sessions at Westford Academy for any Westford students in grades 8-12. Training sessions begin June 19 and run through August 8, meeting Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings from 8 - 9:00 AM. Each session will include warm up, movement prep, strength training, and conditioning.

Registration Form: https://www.westfordk12.us/wa/friday-email/files/turfburners-speed-and-c...

NATIONAL LEARN TO ROW DAY - FREE ROWING LESSON!

Saturday, June 1, 9-12:00 PM @ Forge Beach. Come down to Forge Beach on Saturday morning where adult community rowers and WA Crew members will be on hand to give you a tour and show you the ropes. You'll learn about the equipment, basic rowing technique, and then get out on the water to give it a try! Open to ages 12+, no experience or athletic ability required. Rowing is a full-body workout that builds both strength and cardio capacity. It is a low-impact, life-long sport with both recreational and competitive opportunities for all ages. Many WA Crew athletes go on to row competitively in college -- perhaps it's your next fall sport? Come see what it's all about! Year round programs are available from Westford Community Rowing and Westford Academy. More information at  http://www.westfordrowing.com/ 

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.  More information can be found on the Last Night website at www.walastnight.org

Digital photo deadline has been extended to Sunday, May 5th. Small group shots are preferred for the slide show (two to four people are best).  Larger group shots can be included in the Facebook group. Please be sure to label all students in all photos.  Please email your digital photos to ann.brazinski@gmail.com.

The New England Patriots Return to WA!

The New England Patriots return to WA on Monday, June 3th.  The Westford Academy Athletic Boosters Club will host the annual “New England Patriots vs. Westford” charity basketball game.  At least six (6) New England Patriots players will lace up their basketball shoes at Westford Academy at 7:00 PM to compete in a basketball game against players from the Westford area.  The Westford team will be comprised of members of the Westford schools' faculty, students and Westford community members. In addition to the main event, there will be a chance for autographs during halftime.  In prior years, Westford hosted Malcolm Butler, Julian Edelman, LeGarrette Blount, James White, Duron Harmon,  Joe Andruzzi, Patrick Chung, Logan Mankins, and Rob Gronkowski! Doors open at approximately 6:30 PM. For tickets, please call (978) 692-6516…. Ask how YOU can play!

Westford Cultural Council Logo Contest 2019

Eligible Applicants: Current high school and college students residing in Westford, MA

Award: $200

Timeline: Open submission from: May 1 - May 31

Deadline: 6:00 PM on May 31, 2019

About the Westford Cultural Council: The Westford Cultural Council (WCC) is a volunteer-led committee appointed by the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Westford.  The WCC's mission is to enhance the quality of life in the Westford community by supporting arts, humanities, and sciences programs held in Westford, and by Westford artists, arts organizations, schools, and community organizations.  The Westford Cultural Council promotes the availability of cultural experiences in Westford through an annual grant awarded by Massachusetts Cultural Council. These grants can be used support a variety of projects and activities within Westford - including exhibits, festivals, field trips, short-term artist residencies, or performances in schools, workshops, and lectures.  More information about the WCC can be found at: https://www.westfordma.gov/627/Cultural-Council. 

How the Logo will be Used: The logo will become the property of the Westford Cultural Council and be used on the WCC website, social media accounts, press releases, and other promotional materials. Logo Design Contest Rules: All current high school and college students who are residents of Westford are eligible to participate. The logo submission must be in .PNG file format. Any software program may be used to create the design. The logo MUST include “Westford” and “Cultural Council” in the logo design. The logo should be versatile enough to be used on a website, brochures, stationary, press releases, etc.  Make sure the logo is recognizable when resized and will look good in black and white. No copyrighted or trademarked images should be included in submissions. Logo designs must be submitted to Westford Cultural Council no later than 6:00 p.m. Friday, May 31, 2019.

Voting Process: The members of the Westford Cultural Council will determine the winning logo design.  

All entries will be judged based on the following criteria: Artwork's relevance and clarity in design, overall creativity and concept, visual appeal / impact

Entry Information: The logo design should be electronically submitted on an 8.5x11” page along with the following information: Contact Information: Name, Westford mailing address, Email address, grade and school name, information about the logo design (Description of what the logo signifies or the meaning behind your design). Submissions should be emailed to WestfordCulturalCouncil@gmail.com by 6:00pm on Friday, May 31, 2019. Winners will be notified by August 31, 2019. 

'Hit a Homerun for Habitat' at Fenway Park

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell is partnering with Friends of Rajiv Paluri to host a Red Sox Night! Purchase discounted upper bleacher tickets for game on Wednesday, September 4th, 2019 at 7:10 PM, Red Sox vs Minnesota Twins. At just $30 per ticket, this fundraiser is a great way to enjoy a night at Fenway with friends & family, while supporting the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell & The Rajiv Paluri Memorial Foundation. To order by mail, download order form http://bit.ly/homerun4habitatform 

To order tickets online, http://bit.ly/homerun4habitat

Order deadline is May 31st; e-tickets will be emailed to all purchasers week of June 10-14th. For more info, contact Heidi Tierney at htierney@lowellhabitat.org or (978) 692-0927.

Have a great weekend!  Jim Antonelli