Thursday, December 20, 2018 | Westford Public Schools

Good morning,

I hope all of you are able to enjoy the break with family and friend. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Challenge Success - Why College Engagement Matters More Than Selectivity

We know stress can be high during the college admissions process. For research-backed reasons on why HOW you go to college may be more important than WHERE you go, check out the @ChallengeSuccess white paper: A Fit Over Rankings: Why College Engagement Matters More Than Selectivity. We hope these findings will help students (and parents) take a deep breath and relax! https://bit.ly/2A0ztMq?fbclid=IwAR11CfxeLyAyRHpbq-3m0lMTNsEHqfH12GR4xGOx... ]http://bit.ly/2A0ztMq

The Assessment Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

The Assessment Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) will be on Friday, January 11th at 7:30 AM. Interested students should contact

Mr. Doherty in the Guidance Department.

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/donateor 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.

Westford Parent Connection Offers Three Programs In January

The Westford Parent Connection kicks off the new year with three parenting programs for residents of Westford and surrounding towns.

Ben Speaks: Losing A Child To Suicide- Wednesday, January 9, 2019

In a fleeting moment of despair, Benjamin Giovangelo chose to end his life less than a week after his 18thbirthday. Benjamin struggled with bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) from a young age. His family suffered, too, in part because of the stigma surrounding mental illness. From this horrific tragedy, his mother, Judy, has devoted her life to creating new and innovative solutions for struggling young people to express themselves. Her organization, Ben Speaks, provides positive channels of expression for young people and their families and communities. For more information about Judy, go to http://www.benspeaks.org/. (A snow date of Thursday, January 10, will be used if needed.) Judy's presentation will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Stony Brook Middle School auditorium, 9 Farmer Way, Westford. The event is free and open to the public.

Stop The Cycle Of Bullying - Thursday, January 17, 2019

It seems nearly impossible to escape childhood without being bullied. With the advent of technology, bullying is more pervasive than ever. Kids can be incredibly cruel to each other. What are parents to do? Dr. Elizabeth 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. For more information about Dr. Englander, go to https://www.englanderelizabeth.com/. (A snow date of Wednesday, January 30, will be used if needed.) Dr. Englander's presentation will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Stony Brook Middle School auditorium, 9 Farmer Way, Westford. The event is free and open to the public.

Rebound: The Chris Herren Story- Thursday, January 31, 2019Chris Herren, a basketball legend from Fall River, Massachusetts, dreamed of one day playing for his hometown team, the Boston Celtics. An All-American, Chris broke scoring records, was recruited by top colleges, featured in Sports Illustrated, and became the focus of an acclaimed book, Fall River Dreams. Herren realized his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA when he was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 1999 and was traded to the Boston Celtics after his rookie season. He then lost it all due to substance abuse.

Enjoy the break! See yo inu the new year. Jim Antonelli