Friday, May 8, 2020
Good afternoon,
I hope all of you are healthy and safe. Have a great weekend and please take care of your Mother this weekend. Breakfast is bed is a great idea! A homemade card with a message of appreciation and love! Gift cards to hair and nail salons for when they open, an EVEN better idea!
***Remote Learning Plan- Parent(s) / Guardian(s) please encourage your student to visit with teachers during posted office hours.***
IMPORTANT NOTICE:Regarding Virtual End of Year Ceremonies:
OPT-OUT: If you do not want your student to be recognized for privacy purposes please email me directly at jantonelli@westfordk12.usby May 15, 2020. We will simply exclude your students name and award from the virtual presentation and send the award to the address in our student management system. Ceremonies will be available on the World Wide Web and locally for one week.
*** UPDATE: NHS Virtual Ceremony- May 21, 2020 at 6:30 PM ***
LAST NIGHT NOTICE:
Hello Westford,
We hope that this note finds you and your family healthy and safe during these unprecedented times.
So many people have been adversely impacted and our hearts go out to anyone that has been hurt by the pandemic.
We are writing to you today to discuss one group that has been badly impacted by the current situation. The Westford Academy Class of 2020 has lost many of the rites of passage that they were about to enjoy after 12 years in the Westford school system. Many of you are aware but the Class of 2020 has had their senior capstone project cancelled, their trip to Disney cancelled, their traditional Boston prom has been cancelled, graduation and Last Night will likely look different to what other Westford Academy graduates have experienced for years. Much of their senior year has been robbed from them and unfortunately there is no getting these precious moments back.
The Westford Academy Last Night Committee is trying to do something for this class that has lost so many of memories and experiences that they should have looked forward to and should have been able to enjoy.
Last Night has been celebrated with the WA graduates for over 25 years. Although Last Night likely can’t happen in its traditional format this year, one component can. Among the activities that normally occurs during Last Night (graduation night), is a raffle for the seniors. Typically, the raffle committee would purchase or have donated approximately enough raffle items to award approximately 1/3 of the class a raffle item the night of graduation.
To give a little something to the class that has lost so much, we are going to do a virtual raffle and our ultimate goal would be to have a raffle item for each of the 423 graduating seniors.
How can you help?
We have created a number of wish lists for the class of 2020 and if you would like to help bring a little joy back to this class, please take a look and see if you are able to donate a raffle gift to the class.
Any gift you might be able to donate large or small is greatly appreciated. Maybe even team up with others to sponsor a raffle gift. We understand that this may not be possible for all, depending on how they may have been adversely impacted by the pandemic and that is okay. Last Night is normally funded through generous donations of Westford Families and area businesses. Through a history of strong support from the community Last Night has been able to be held without needing any funding from the school system. Donations from individuals are more important this year as the economic challenges facing our local businesses are likely to limit what contributions they can make. Local businesses normally make up a large percentage of our raffle gifts.
We appreciate your consideration in helping us give to this class, if you can please spread the word.
Amazon Wishlist:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3R5BI48UJSQO8?ref=cm_sw_em_r_wl_dp...
Walmart Wishlist:
http://www.walmart.com/lists/view-events-registry-items?id=19e1e36e-5904...
Bed, Bath & Beyond:
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/giftregistry/viewregistryguest/54...
Cash donations are also welcome see below link:
You can also mail a check to – payable to “Last Night”:
WA Last Night
P.O. Box 4079
Westford, MA 01886
Many thanks for considering helping us give to this class.
Any questions, gift ideas or concerns, please feel free to reach out to either of us.
Warmest regards,
Christine Saro and Kristin Cressman
Last Night Raffle Committee Co-Chairs
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
From Special Education:
Please visit the WPSS District's website and click on the Social Emotional Health and Wellbeing link. There is a variety of information available to help support families during this most difficult time.
Parents of seniors in National Honor Society:
Please encourage your child to complete their individual slide so it can be added to the Senior Celebration video that National Honors Society is preparing.
A message from theJ.V. Fletcher Library
The J.V. Fletcher Library is collecting a digital archive of community members’ experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic in real time. There are multiple ways you can participate and submit your experiences to this archive. Record and submit a daily digital journal, or submit photos, or both! A staff member will review your submissions and get back to you. Please be aware that all submitted journals and photos will be assumed submissions to the archive. Go to westfordlibrary.org, click Research, and click COVID-19 Digital Archive.
President Obama to celebrate the Class of 2020:
DATE: May 16, 2020
Class of 2020, the Obamas are here to celebrate your graduation: After receiving dozens of requests from students around the globe, former President Barack Obama will be holding a televised graduation event for high school seniors missing their graduations due to the coronavirus pandemic. “The Obamas are pleased to announce that they will participate in multiple virtual commencement celebrations for students, families and educators,” the former president’s office said in a statement. The May 16 event, “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020” will be a one-hour multimedia event on all major TV networks and will feature guests, including LeBron James, Malala Yousafzai and the Jonas Brothers. The former president will also share a message that same day for HBCU students in a two-hour livestream event, “Show Me Your Walk, HBCU Edition,” and will be joined by the former first lady for YouTube’s “Dear Class of 2020.”
Have a great weekend! HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! Jim Antonelli