Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Oh, what a beautiful...update!

So, this could indeed be a first, but this update is coming to you from the Great Plains of Oklahoma!  Thus, the nod to Rodgers & Hammerstein not to mention the time difference which is making it morning back in Westford by the time this is indeed sent.  After wrapping up a great week at Stony Brook, I joined my family as we jumped on an evening flight out west to attend a family wedding on Saturday.  Although it was dark when we landed, I already miss the foliage as the trees are few and far between out here.  The clean energy seems to have taken hold well as many of the oil rigs I have seen in the past have now been replaced by wind turbines...the wind sure is sweepin' down the plains!

It is easy to forget how diverse the landscape of our country is or how we really live in an area carved out of the wilderness until you venture out of New England.  While it is not all the way out in big sky country, the trip to Washington DC for our 8th graders in the spring is often the first opportunity some of our students have to visit a different region of the US.  They are always surprised by the difference in architecture and overall design of the city and how the city seems to be full of 8th graders from all over the country making the same trip to explore our nation's capital.  Some of our students are only able to participate in the trip due to the generosity of donated support from other families.  At the parent information session for the trip, the chaperones mentioned to the parents that they could include donations to help defray the cost for others if that is something that they would like to do.

Speaking of something full of 8th graders, Dee Bus has asked us to remind everyone that due to the fact that the busses are running near full capacity this year, they can't allow students to ride on different buses in the afternoon to visit other students houses.  So, we will not be able to provide students with bus passes to ride on different busses other than their own.  

Something we would like to fill beyond capacity is our Room to Read book collection box in the lobby.  A Westford Academy student reached out to us for help in collecting used books that could be sold at the WA Bazaar to raise money for a very worthwhile organization called the Room to Read Foundation which is focused on helping to build schools in third world countries and empower young women through education in these countries.  Books of any genre are appreciated and can be placed in the collection  box in the lobby.

Spreading the word about other good things, I have included more specific information below about the SEPAC schedule for this year, but wanted to include information about the organization in the main body of the update:

About the Westford Special Education Parent Advisory Council
The Westford Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is a government-mandated volunteer organization made up of parents.  The SEPAC serves as a resource for families of children with special needs from preschool through high school, serving all Westford schools.  The mission of the Westford SEPAC is to work for understanding of, respect for, and support of all children with special needs in the community.  Each academic year, the SEPAC hosts a workshop on the rights of parents and students in special education. In addition, the SEPAC hosts informational workshops on a wide variety of topics of interest to our members.  All workshops are free and open to the public.
SEPAC membership is free and open to parents and guardians of children with special needs and anyone interested in special education in Westford.  Send an email to WestfordSEPAC@yahoo.com for additional information or to request to join our distribution list.

Visit us on the web at www.westford.org/sepac to see our current schedule.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend and that the weather out west here does not preclude me from returning east on Sunday.  My son wore his Patriots sweatshirt tonight and until I stepped off the plane I had forgotten that outside of New England people tend to exhibit disdain rather than praise for the current World Champions...there's no place like home.

Chris

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Surprise...it's an update!

So, that was a very short week and you may have been hoping that I would have nothing to say...surprise!  

Students anxiously rushed out of here at dismissal as they knew Progress Reports would be available this afternoon through the iParent Portal.  Gone are the days of hoping to intercept the mail delivery...in order to hand deliver the good news in person!  On the PDF of the Progress Report you should notice students were given grade ranges and comments in the 4 or 5 academic courses that they have everyday based on their individual schedules.   We did not include grades from the Integrated Arts classes that rotate on our 6-day cycle as they have still only been able to meet a few times so far in our year.

We have successfully completed a few fire drills this year already with one taking place yesterday.  We decided to have the drill while the 6th graders were outside after lunch to give them an opportunity to experience the drill when they are not already sitting in one of their classes and assess whether or not they would be able transition to their advisory locations without direct instruction.  Everyone did very well and it gave us all a few extra minutes of sunshine in the afternoon on a beautiful fall day...no one seemed upset.  Sometime in the next month before the weather gets too uncomfortable, we will hold an A.L.i.C.E. drill as another important aspect of our regular WPS safety procedures.  I will inform the students prior to holding the drill so that questions can be addressed by me or their teachers.  By now, all three grades currently in our building have been able to participate in one of these drills in one of our district schools with great success.  Any student new to our district will have an opportunity to discuss the protocols of the drill ahead of time, as well. One of the important parts of the drill is to respectfully and maturely discuss problem solving strategies to potentially harmful scenarios in an effort to minimize anxiety that can understandably be associated with an activity of this kind. Through discussion, evacuation scenarios, and sheltering in place options, students and staff are empowered to make informed decisions based on the information provided.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Continuing the thread of communication and safety, I have been asked by central office to include the following as a reminder in my next parent message:

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).

Every effort will be made to contact the parents to advise them of their rights under these laws.

Thank you for assisting us in this important matter.

Have a wonderful weekend!


Chris

Friday, October 2, 2015

Blustery Update

The way in which the weather can affect a building with over 682 students is indeed a natural phenomenon. The humidity earlier in the week combined with odd temperature shifts created very interesting condensation in some parts of the building and not being able to step outside for a few minutes after lunch to commune with nature created some rather grumpy rooms.  While the temperature was less than ideal,  we managed to fire up the grill and cook outside today.  So, we still had our cook-out only we ate-in...basically, in effort to keep from chasing plates and napkins all over the property.  The lunch staff did a great job still trying to create a cook-out atmosphere and everyone went outside for an extended amount of time following each lunch which helped to salvage the event and remind everyone why eating inside was a good idea :?)

The 6th grade Curriculum Night was very well attended this past Tuesday and there was a great response in terms of parents signing up to help some of our volunteer organizations.  The Westford Troubadours provided glorious music as parents entered the building and although a few parents did get lost during the night, I did not see anyone in tears!  

Next Tuesday, October 6th, we will be hosting the 7th & 8th grade Curriculum Night.  We will follow a very similar schedule as last year in which I will meet with the 8th grade parents at one time and the 7th grade parents at a different time to help stagger the evening and the traffic in the building.  This year, 8th grade parents will meet with me in the Auditorium at 6:30 and then proceed to meet with teachers.  The 7th grade parents will travel all the way up to the third floor at the beginning to meet with teachers starting at 6:30 and then make their way eventually to meet with me in the auditorium towards the end of the evening.  The event should conclude just before 8:00 PM.  Students will be bringing home copies of their specific evening schedule with them on Tuesday.  The Troubadours have graciously offered to provide music again from 6:15-6:30 as parents arrive and there will be tables set-up in the lobby with information from the WMSPTO, SEPAC, & WASA.  If a schedule of the evening does not make its way home to you, do not fear, we will have additional copies available, as well.

Also on October 6th, our School Advisory Council will be holding its first meeting of the year from 2:30-3:30 in the Stony Brook conference room.  Following this first meeting, the regularly scheduled meetings will continue to take place on the first Tuesday of each month from 2:30-3:30 and will be posted with the Town Clerk according to open meeting regulations. It is a public meeting and anyone is welcome to attend.  The agenda for the October 6, 2015 meeting will include electing one of the parent members to serve as co-chair for the 2015-2016 school year, reviewing the 2014-2015 School Improvement Plan, and discussing potential goal items for the 2015-2016 School Improvement Plan.

Have a wonderful weekend,


Chris