Friday, September 27, 2019 | Westford Public Schools

Good afternoon,

Just a friendly reminder that our Back to School Event is next Thursday, October 3, 2019. Please review the details for the event and have your student fill out their schedule for you to follow. No skipping classes! :-) We look forward to seeing you. Enjoy the wonderful fall weather this weekend!

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS:

WA Guidance Department: Early Action Policies and Procedures

The WA Guidance Department was notified on September 27, 2019 that the University of Massachusetts at Amherst has implemented new Early Action policies and procedures. Previously, the student application deadline was November 5th and all supporting documents (transcripts, recommendations, etc) were required by November 20. The later deadline for supporting documents allowed high school counselors the ability to send transcripts that included Term 1 grades. According to the new policy that was just implemented, ALL documents associated with a complete application are now required by November 5. First quarter grades will no longer be considered if a student applies Early Action with the November 5 deadline. Seniors will be evaluated on their final grades from freshman, sophomore and junior years. Senior year classes (with no grades) will be included on the transcript. UMass will no longer be deferring students from Early Action to Regular Decision. They will be making a final decision on each application (admit, waitlist, or deny) at the time students apply. UMass Amherst admissions advised the following: Any student who has below a 3.5 GPA and/or 1200 SAT should strongly consider applying through Regular Decision. They were also clear that this does not guarantee admission for any student with a 3.5/1200 or above as there are many factors that are taken into consideration. If you have any questions or concerns about the new policy, UMass Admissions is encouraging prospective students and their families to contact their office directly.

Parents of Freshmen:

The Class of 2023 will have a table set up in the Bell Lobby during Back to School Night on Thursday October 3rd. We invite you to stop by to sign up for a parent email list to receive updates and notifications throughout the school year. You can also pay for your student's class t-shirt if you have not done so already. Payments are due no later than Friday October 4th. We look forward to meeting you!

English SAT Prep Course

Roudenbush is pleased to offer an English SAT Prep Course taught by WA English teachers Lynn Bonakdar and Emily Coates. The class begins October 7th and includes all course materials. For more information and to register, click here.

This SAT preparatory course is designed to help students of all levels improve their scores on Reading and Writing & Language section of the SAT. Students will practice SAT test-taking strategies, grammar, close reading and writing skills, and work through real SAT practice questions and prompts in both untimed and timed situations. *The course fee includes all course materials.

Monday October 7th from 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Tuesday October 15th from 6:00 – 8:00 pm *Please note this is a Tuesday due to Columbus Day*

Monday October 21st from 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Monday October 28th from 6:00 – 8:00 pm

AP Exams – Final Registration

Students planning to take an AP exam(s) this coming May are reminded that as of Monday, September 30th a late fee will apply to all registrations. The final deadline to register is October 11th. All registration information can be found on the WA Guidance website: https://www.westfordk12.us/sites/g/files/vyhlif5181/f/uploads/ap_registr...

Financial Aid Night: Parents

Tuesday October 22, 2019, 6:30 PM PAC (Westford Academy)

This seminar, presented by the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) and hosted by WA Guidance Department will provide information and clarity on the entire college financial aid application process. You’ll learn about financial aid applications (FAFSA, CSS Profile) and types of financial aid, the factors that determine eligibility and a Q&A to wrap up the event.

Nurses Clinic

If your child has a life threatening allergy, please have them bring 1 epipen to the clinic along with the epipen paperwork that was sent out over the summer. If you have misplaced these forms they can be found on the WPS website under health forms. Please Note: Students will not be allowed to attend any field trips without the proper documentation and medications. Feel free to call the clinic if you have any questions.

Summit Educational Group

Parents and Students, on Wednesday, October 16 at 6:30 PM in the Westford Academy Cafeteria, Summit Educational Group will present a free seminar on the educational testing landscape including the SAT versus the ACT. This presentation is designed to help guide attendees through how the SAT and ACT have changed in recent years, place the changes in historical context, and reflect on testing recommendations for students. Students and parents are welcome to attend.

If you are interested in learning more, please join us!

Girls Soccer - September 28th game - in honor of former Coach Jeff Haight

The Westford Academy Girls Soccer team will be dedicating their September 28th game in honor of Jeff Haight. Coach Haight was long time soccer coach and teacher that recently passed away from a courageous battle with cancer. The Saturday 9/28 game will be played at Westford Academy Trustees Field at 7:00 pm against Newton South. The JV game will be played prior at 5:30 pm. Please save this date (9/28) and we hope to see you there to watch our student-athletes compete in honor of Coach Haight.

School Trip to Portugal - April 2020

The art department is hosting a 10-day trip to Portugal in April 2020. There are still spots available. If you are interested in learning more about this wonderful travel opportunity for your child, please visit eftours.com/2148462CK or contact Ms. Bolotte at lbolotte@westfordk12.us.

Earn Community Service Hours at Friends of East Boston Camps Fall Festival!

Where: At East Boston Camps in Westford

When: Sunday October 6, 11:00AM to 5:00PM

Volunteer Work: Face painting, Beading, Donut Stringing, Lanyards, Tattoos, Potato Sack races, Pumpkin Painting, Hula Hoops, Blongo Ball, Ring Toss, Corn Toss, Other activities. If you are interested in volunteering for 2 hours or more please contact Marcia Stokes at 978-846-5339 or Stokes4marcia@gmail.com by Wednesday September 15!

Compost Driver Volunteers Needed

Would you like to help our schools compost their fruit and veggie scraps at Westford Academy? We need volunteers to transport bags of fruit & veggie scraps, twice-a-week, from the Crisafulli and Blanchard schools over to Westford Academy, where students make compost. Compost drivers get free bags of compost! If interested, contact Sharon at westfordcommunitycompost@gmail.com

You're invited! WA Athletic Boosters – Come Meet the Athletic Director

The WA Athletic Boosters are hosting a social event to "meet the Athletic Director" at Bamboo Restaurant, on Wednesday, October 9th at 7:00 PM. Jeff Bunyon will provide us with an update on great changes that will be coming to the Westford Academy Trustees Field. Please join us for some light refreshments, drinks and discussion. Whether your son or daughter is a fall, winter or spring athlete, please take this opportunity to meet with Jeff Bunyon and to discuss WA athletics. Booster members will be in attendance if you'd like additional information about upcoming events, volunteering opportunities, WA team requests, and recent athletic equipment purchases. All money raised by the WA Athletic Boosters goes back to all athletes at WA, through scholarships, purchased equipment or events/banners/letters/pins, etc. We are actively seeking new members to keep our amazing organization going. We provide support to all WA athletic teams, provide senior scholarships to 30 to 40 seniors as well as helping with any requests from Billy Bombaci - our trainer, or Jeff Bunyon- our athletic director. We hope to see you there and we welcome all new members!

Nashoba Youth Hockey Beginner Programs

Here’s your chance to experience your child’s second “first step!” Nashoba Youth Hockey’s fall sessions of Learn to Skate and Learn to Play Hockey start the weekend of October 12th. NYH’s goal is to create a fun environment that builds proficiency on the ice, while fostering both good sportsmanship and good citizenship. Both beginner programs are staffed by experienced coaches and several youth hockey players. We are excited to share that, due to a special grant from the KDK Foundation, our Learn to Play program is free to residents of Westford. Please visit www.Nashobahockey.com for more information about our programs and to register.

Westford Parent Connection Kicks Off Its 19th Season

It seems nearly impossible for young people to escape childhood without being bullied. With the advent of technology, bullying is more pervasive than ever. The Westford Parent Connection kicks off its 19th season with Stop The Cycle Of Bullying, with Dr. Elizabeth Englander, on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. at the Stony Brook Middle School. Dr. Englander – popular speaker, educator, and author – is the founder and executive director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC) at Bridgewater State University. She is a wealth of information, which she delivers in a straightforward, compassionate way. Parents will learn valuable techniques that they can use immediately to support their children’s social and emotional well-being. Due to the generosity of its sponsors, the Westford Parent Connection is able to offer all of its programs free of charge. For a full list of this year’s programs, check out https://www.westford.org/wpc/docs/WPC_General_Flyer_2019-2020.pdf. In addition, the Westford Parent Connection is launching a book discussion group this year. The first meeting – scheduled for Thursday, October 17, 2019 – will discuss Frank Bruni’s Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote To The College Admissions Mania. The discussion will be held at the J.V. Fletcher Library at 10:00 a.m., and is open to the public. A limited number of copies of the book are on hold at the front desk for those who wish to borrow them. For a complete list of books to be discussed, check out https://www.westford.org/wpc/docs/WPC_Book_Discussion_Group_2019.pdf. For more information, go to https://www.westford.org/wpc/ or contact Mary Anne Seraphin at mary.anne.seraphin@gmail.com.

Have a great weekend! GO PATRIOTS! Jim Antonelli