Day School News
December 4, 2021
Dear Day School Community,
The Day School received a grant from Project Lead the Way to provide transformative learning experiences in science and technology. The programs provide an engaging, hands-on classroom environment and empower students to develop in-demand knowledge and skills they need to thrive. PLTW also provides teachers with the training, resources, and support they need to engage students in real-world learning.
This school year, students will be participating in three innovative technology classes with PLTW lead teacher Kira McGann:
Grade 3-Programming Patterns
Grade 4-Input/Output Computer
Grade 5-Robotics/Automation
Beginning in January, Ms. McGann will be providing professional development to grade three teachers who will then pilot one of the science modules in their classrooms. Grade 4 and 5 teachers will pilot science lessons in the 2022-2023 school year. For more information about these innovative science opportunities, please visit the PLTW website: https://www.pltw.org/our-programs/pltw-launch
Sincerely,
Chris Louis Sardella, Principal
Hilary Sturgis, Assistant Principal
Norman E. Day Elementary School
News from the School Nurse
Mandated Screenings
After a year hiatus due to COVID, the State-mandated screenings are back. Information on the screenings may be found online under the "Parent" section of the Day School website (https://www.westfordk12.us/ds) or in the Student Handbook on page 49.
Grade 3 - vision, hearing
Grade 4 - vision, height, weight
Grade 5 - vision
Postural (scoliosis) screening for Grade 5 students is on an opt-in basis only.
The school nurse has begun vision screening. A parent may opt their child out of any screening by emailing your preference ASAP to ccarpenter@westfordk12.us
COVID Vaccines for Students
Please send in proof of COVID vaccination when your children have completed their second shot. Vaccinated children are exempt from close quarantine restrictions and may remain in school UNLESS they develop symptoms. Parents will still be notified if their child was a close contact in school, but will just need to look for symptoms. Send in a copy of the vaccine either by email to ccarpenter@westfordk12.us or hard copy.
Thank You!
A BIG Thank you to all the parents who donated clothing for the clinic. The response was wonderful!
Vaccine Clinic for 5-11 year olds
Westford Health Dept has 50 DOSES of Pfizer vaccine for the 5-11 year old’s AVAILABLE: Please use link below to book appointment; No Walk-in’s please.
FIRST DOSE ONLY
LOCATION: Westford Academy Cafeteria
DATE: Wednesday, December 15, 2021
TIME: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
VACCINE: Pfizer 5-11 year old
Please use the link below to book your appointment for the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine for the 5-11 year olds
https://home.color.com/vaccine/register/westford
After the first dose a text/email reminder will be sent to you by COLOR to book the second dose appointment for January 5.
SECOND DOSE CLINIC
LOCATION: Westford Academy Cafeteria
DATE: Wednesday, January 5, 2022
TIME: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
VACCINE: Pfizer 5-11 year old Second vaccine dose clinic only
Flu Mist Clinic
Westford Health Department has doses of FLUMIST available for seasonal flu. This flu vaccine is for ages 2-18 years old. If interested please contact the Public Health Nurse at 978-399-2548 to schedule an appointment.
Cheryl Carpenter, MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN
Norman E. Day Elementary School Nurse
(978) 692-5591 ext. 3655
Fax (978) 692-8476
she, her, hers
PTO Events
Chipotle_flyer.pdfJoin the PTO for our Chipotle fundraiser on Wednesday, December 8th from 5pm - 9pm! Dine in or take out at the Westford location using code XHPNNZQ and 33% of your purchase will be donated to the fundraiser. This is a great opportunity to support the Day School PTO while taking a night off from cooking!
Day School Holiday Shop
The Holiday Shop is coming to Day School on December 6th - 10th. Students will have the opportunity to pick out gifts for family and friends while experiencing the joy of giving!
Earlier this week, a Holiday Shop flyer and budget envelope was sent home to help students plan their shopping lists. Volunteers will be on hand to assist students with their purchases next week.
For the Love of Erika Toy Drive
November 15 – December 10, 2021
A donation of box for new toys is set up in the Day School lobby. Friday, December 10 is the last day to donate. Thank you for your generosity.
For the Love of Erika is a toy drive in memory of Erika Gould, a Westford resident who passed away in 2005. Since then, FTLOE has delivered more than 25,000 presents to children in various hospitals and shelters throughout New England, as well as hosting holiday parties for families in shelters and the Department of Children and Families.
100% of monetary donations will go toward the purchase of gifts. The need for toys is immense, and in order to meet the goal of delivering toys to 4 hospitals, 10 shelters, and DCF, the goal is to raise least $5,000 by December 10th.
Any donations are greatly appreciated! Donations can be through the GoFundMe page (gofundme.com/fortheloveoferika2021), or checks made out to: For the Love of Erika, 3 Cutter Lane, Westford MA. For any further questions, please feel free to reach out to Taylor Goodman-Leong at tgoodmanleong@gmail.com. For current updates, please refer to our Facebook page: facebook.com/theloveoferika.
Full Day Kindergarten Proposal
This Monday night there will be a presentation to the School Committee regarding a proposal to use ESSER III funds to help WPS establish tuition free Full Day Kindergarten for all of our families beginning in the 2022-2023 school year. The initial survey regarding ESSER III funds was shared earlier in the year and this proposal will highlight the long range plan to build and sustain this important foundational program.
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Millennium's Conf. Room B or watch on Westford CAT
Child Search
If you know of any child attending public or private school, or who is homeless or has left school, and could benefit from a special education evaluation under Chapter 766 or educational services under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, please contact the Special Education Department in Westford. (978-692-5560 ext. 2111)
Every effort will be made to contact the parents to advise them of their rights under these laws.
Stony Brook Theatre Arts Proudly Presents: Matilda Jr.
Come see this family friendly production featuring over 100 Stony Brook students in the cast and crew! Tickets are available at https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/58880
Groups may purchase tickets seated together, but the ticketing software will put two empty seats in between each block of tickets purchased for social distancing purposes. All patrons must be masked.
WA Annual Holiday Bazaar
Tis the season to be shopping! Come experience Westford Academy’s 52nd Annual Holiday Bazaar on December 4th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM! Admission is $2 with senior citizens and children under 4 admitted free of charge. This is an entirely student run event with all proceeds benefiting Westford Academy's Student Council. With a new layout to accommodate one way travel, designated eating areas, over 200 crafters and vendors, the bazaar is filled with holiday gifts, desserts, international foods, games, music, homemade crafts, and fun for the whole family. It’s the perfect way to start off the holiday season! Please note: masks are required inside the building.
Westford SEPAC
Join the Westford SEPAC on Tuesday, December 7th at 7pm for a Zoom presentation by Leslie Bock, Mediator for the Bureau of Special Education Appeals.
This public meeting is open to all parents and families of students with special needs who live in Westford or who have a child attending school within the district, as well as to other interested parties.The meeting will be held via Zoom;
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87504877728?pwd=Q05JZTc1MWwzY1lFMWtzUDE4cDlIQT09
The SEPAC has also published its schedule for the 2021-2022 school year. You can find the list of meetings and workshops here.
What is the SEPAC? Massachusetts statutes and regulations require that every school district in the state establishes a SEPAC. This public body serves as an adviser to the School Committee on matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities. In addition, the SEPAC has a duty to meet regularly with school officials to participate in the planning, development, and evaluation of the district’s special education program.
For more information on SEPACs, please visit the Federation for Children with Special Needs’ MassPAC page.
The Westford SEPAC also encourages community members to follow our Facebook page or sign up for our mailing list to get information about upcoming Westford SEPAC events, as well as topics that the SEPAC Board of Directors believes is of interest to families of students with special needs in our community.
WEF Thank a Teacher
Give The Gift That Keeps On Giving! Can’t find just the right gift to show your appreciation for the wonderful job your child’s teacher or special staff member has done? Consider sending a WEF note to your favorite teacher, counselor, teacher’s aide, school nurse, office staff member, or principal. It’s the perfect way to say thank you and support innovation at Nashoba Valley Technical High School and in Westford Public Schools at the same time!
Proceeds from these notes will be used to fund grants for innovative educational programs for NVTHS and WPS. This is also a great idea for class gifts!
Just make a tax-deductible donation (minimum of $10 per honoree) to the Westford Education Foundation and we will send your honoree an email from WEF with a personalized note. The email will state your name and your message, but will not disclose the amount of your gift.
Note: Donations made to WEF in honor of NVTHS and WPS staff members comply with the state ethical regulations for gift-giving and acceptance. The Westford Education Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization that promotes excellence in education. We fund grants to teachers, staff, and the community for innovative educational initiatives, professional development, and life-long learning ventures.
Visit our website at https://www.westford.org/wef for more information on the programs we have funded in your school. All of this would not be possible without the support of our community and people like you.
Please visit https://www.westford.org/wef/thank-a-teacher_winter/ to complete your donation. You can complete your donation using your PayPal account or credit card. You will receive a confirmation email when your note is delivered. Questions? Contact WEF at wef@westford.org. Thank you!
Please check to see if your company has a matching gift program. Your gift may be doubled, or even tripled! Check with your human resources office for a matching gift form to submit with your donation.
Westford Education Foundation P.O. Box 535 Westford, MA 01886 978-418-9179 wef@westford.org
Westford Public Schools have an urgent need for substitute teachers. Would you consider being a substitute teacher?
Although Westford prefers substitutes to hold a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree, we welcome applicants who have completed 2 years of undergraduate work or other life experiences. Substitutes do not have to be certified in the field of education.
Questions may be directed to the HR Department at 978-692-5560 X2108 - Please apply HERE.
Got Sneakers?
Recycle Sneakers and Raise Money for our School
Did you know that in the U.S., roughly 200 million pairs of shoes and sneakers end up in landfills each year?
Did you know that more than 600 million people worldwide don’t even own a pair of shoes?
The GotSneakers recycling organization will help us to recycle our sneakers! We will ONLY accept athletic sneakers and sports related footwear. Ideally, unused and gently used sneakers will raise the most money for our school. But, if you have sneakers with holes, mold/mildew or detached soles, GotSneakers will take them as well. By participating, you’ll help keep sneakers out of landfills while also putting shoes on the feet of people living in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, West Africa, and Europe. Some of the unusable sneakers will even be made into new athletic surfaces! Your old sneakers will make a huge difference; reducing what we throw away and raising money for our school is a win-win!
Please drop off all donations to the box outside near the Day School’s main entrance doors. We encourage you to bring all non-athletic shoes/boots to the drop-off bin in the St. Catherine’s Church parking lot, to Savers in Nashua, or to other local thrift shops for resale. Thanks so much for your support!
Learn to Skate and Learn to Play
Nashoba Youth Hockey is very excited to share the return of our Winter Learn to Skate and Learn to Play programs. Registration for both programs are available on the NYH website - www.Nashobahockey.com
Learn to Skate
Dates: Begins January 9 and runs for 10 consecutive Sundays
Time: 3:30pm to 4:30pm
Location: Nashoba Valley Olympia in Boxboro
Cost: $150
Learn to Play
Dates: Begins January 8 and runs for 10 consecutive Saturdays
Time: 7:40am to 8:40am
Location: Skate 3 Ice Arena in Tyngsboro
Cost: $200
