Friday, November 8, 2019

Good afternoon,

Just another reminder: In the spirit of Challenge Success the Veteran's Day weekend will be HOMEWORK FREE.  Teachers will not be requiring any homework to be due on Tuesday, November 12th.  That said, if a long-term project was assigned in Qtr. 1 and is due in Qtr. 2 work may continue on that project but it cannot be due on Tuesday, November 12th.

In addition, the Thanksgiving Day break will also be HOMEWORK FREE.

Grades for the first quarter will be available at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 @ 2:00 PM.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Late Bus Reminder

Just a reminder that the late buses are available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  The buses leave WA from the Flag Lobby no later than 3:05 PM.  If your student needs to find out which bus they should take, the bus routes are posted in the Main Office.

From the Westford Academy Guidance Department

Sophomore and Junior students received a Google Classroom announcement with a survey link to select career speakers they'd like to meet at the Career Exploration Breakfast which will be held on December 5.  Every effort will be made to place students in two of their top three choices for this mandatory event. The deadline for students to submit their selection is Wednesday, November 13 by 2:00 PM. After that, students will be assigned careers based on availability. 

SEAL OF BILITERACY:  Information Meeting

Do you have questions about the Seal of Biliteracy?  On Tuesday, November 19th at 6:30 PM in the WA Lecture Hall (Room 144), there will be an information meeting for parents of seniors who are interested in qualifying for this state-level recognition (please note:  there will also be a meeting for students...students should stay tuned for more information via the morning announcements).  After a brief overview of the Seal of Biliteracy Program, parents will have the opportunity to ask questions.  For more information about the Seal of Biliteracy, please click the WA Seal of Biliteracy link (or search the WA World Language Department webpage) or contact Sharon Charbonnier, World Language Curriculum Coordinator, at scharbonnier@westfordk12.us.  

School Trip to Greece: July 2020

Dear Families, I’m excited to announce that our Epic trip to Greece is “A Go!” we still have spots left to fill up our tour bus! Please attend a meeting to meet the students who are already committed and the chaperonesDecember 16th at 8:00 PM in room 239 to learn more about this once in a lifetime program.  Bring a friend to this opportunity to step outside the classroom and gain a new sense of confidence, experience a new culture, and see the world from a different perspective. This trip is open to all juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. Juniors, this will be your last chance to participate in this incredible international education experience. Check out our tour enrollment page at www.eftours.com/2288650ff and click on “Stay in the loop”.

Parent Volunteers/CORI Applications

A reminder that parent volunteer CORI requests for the 2019-2020 school year are only done through December 2019.  As of January 1, 2020, CORI's are only done on an emergency basis. If you plan on volunteering during the 2019-2020 school year, you need to be CORI'd by January 1. If you even think there may be a chance that you will be volunteering in some capacity at Westford Academy, please come to the Main Office at Westford Academy between the hours of 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM to complete a CORI application.

Class of 2020 – Holiday Bazaar Silent Auction

This year the Class of 2020 will be holding a silent auction at the Westford Academy Holiday Bazaar on December 7th.  They are looking for donations from the community for auction items. Examples of past donations include themed baskets, tickets to sporting events, signed memorabilia, gift cards to local establishments, gift certificates for goods or services for your personal business or businesses that you are affiliated with, etc.  If you would like to donate to this event, please contact Wendy Croteau at wcroteau@westfordk12.us or John Nidzgorski at jnidzgorski@westfordk12.us.  All donations should be turned in to the advisors by Wednesday November 27th.  Thank you in advance for helping support the class of 2020!

ACT Math Prep Course

Roudenbush is offering an ACT Math Prep Class.   The course will run for four weeks on Wednesday nights starting on November 13th.  For a full course description, and to register, please visit the Roudenbush website: https://www.roudenbush.org/events/act-mathematics-prep-course

Friends Advancing Music Education

Friends Advancing Music Education is a non-profit 501(c)(3) all-volunteer parent organization that supports music students, teachers, and programs of Westford Public Schools K-12. Founded in 1983, FAME believes incorporating music into a child's education cannot be understated.  There is a heap of incontestable research showing that an education rich in music improves students' cognitive function, boosts IQ, focus and overall academic performance. FAME activities would not be possible without the efforts of committed volunteers throughout our community. Join us to help keep the nationally-renowned WPS music program a treasured resource for this and future generations of student musicians. You can support WPS Music & FAME by attending school concerts, purchasing tickets for one of FAME's fundraising events, donating money to support the scholarship fund, or join FAME volunteers by committing 2 hours a month. Find out more about FAME and how we can work together to support OUR music students! Monthly meetings are on 1st Tuesdays, 7pm in Room 108 at Westford Academy. In order for FAME to continue to thrive, we need your ideas--and your help putting them into action. Thank you in advance for your support!  Contact us by email fame.westford1@gmail.com

Compost Driver Volunteers Needed

Would you like to help our schools compost their fruit & veggie scraps at Westford Academy? We need volunteers to transport bags of fruit & veggie scraps, twice-a-week, from the Crisafulli and/or Blanchard school over to Westford Academy, where students make compost. Volunteers can sign up even if they can only commit to transporting food scraps once or twice a month. Compost drivers get free bags of compost! If interested, contact Sharon at westfordcommunitycompost@gmail.com 

Westford Parent Connection

Do You Ever Wonder What Your Teens And Tweens Are Thinking?

Have teens and tweens in your life? Either at home or in your classroom? You may often wonder what’s going on inside their heads. What are they worried about? What makes them anxious? Do you wish they’d share more with you? Join the Westford Parent Connection on Wednesday, November 13, at 7:00 p.m. to hear Jon Mattleman present The Secret Life Of Teens And Tweens. Jon is a mental health counselor and trainer with more than 30 years of experience working with young people, parents, families, and educators. Jon delivers practical advice in an often humorous, always compassionate manner. He teaches anyone who cares about young people how to better understand, engage, and communicate with teens and tweens. He covers a wide variety of topics in the process, including depression, anxiety, suicide, “acting out” behaviors, drug and alcohol use and abuse, and more. Want your teens and tweens to talk to you? Come to this presentation! This event – at the Stony Brook Middle School – is free and open to the public, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors. For more information about Jon, go to https://www.jonmattleman.com/.

And then, on Tuesday, November 19, join the Westford Parent Connection and the Westford Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) for a screening of the highly anticipated film, Intelligent Lives. Intelligent Lives stars three pioneering young American adults with intellectual disabilities – Micah, Naieer, and Naomie – who challenge perceptions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college, and the workforce. This is one of the area’s first screenings of this important film. The screening with then be followed by a panel discussion, with panelists Melanie Perkins (Intelligent Lives producer), Sophia Johannson (MA Families Organizing For Change), and Jenny Lawton (Westford Public Schools). For more information, go to https://intelligentlives.org/. This event also begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Stony Brook Middle School and is free and open to the public.

Lastly, the Westford Parent Connection has its next book discussion group gathering on Tuesday, December 12, at 10:00 a.m. at the J.V. Fletcher Library in the Mary Atwood Room. The book being discussed is Michele Borba’s Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed In Our All-About-Me World. A limited number of books will be available at the front desk for check out. Registration is not required. Questions? Go to https://westford.org/wpc/

Have a great Veterans Day Weekend!  Jim Antonelli