WESTFIELD – Since the beginning of the school year, several letters have been missing from the sign at Franklin Avenue Elementary School, according to Westfield Public Schools Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski and Franklin Avenue Principal Frances. St. Peter.
Frances St. Peter, principal of Franklin Avenue Elementary School who will be retiring in January. (WNG File Photo)
“Sometime in mid-September, we noticed the “L” (from school) missing from our front facade. Shortly after we noticed that the “F” in Franklin was loose. A few weeks later we noticed the “F” was now gone and the “E” was also missing. We had the custodian up on the roof and he couldn’t find any of the letters. We weren’t sure what happened as it seems too high to climb up to,” said St. Peter. In early October, they found the missing “E” in the bushes by the front door.
St. Peter said this prompted the discussion to try to figure out how to replace the letters and stabilize the signage. “Human Resources Director Paula Ceglowski was visiting one day and I explained the story to her. She took the “E” over to WTA and (WTA Principal) Joe Langone and his amazing team remade the letters. I found out on Friday that they were ready to go and they were even going to hang them for us,” she said.
A student noticed the new letters for the Franklin Avenue school spelled out the word ELF.
Czaporowski said that two shops at Westfield Technical Academy got involved to help. Students in the Manufacturing Tech department made new letters to replace the missing ones, and Construction Tech will be installing them before the holidays.
Last week, after the letters were finished, a student at WTA noticed the letters spelled the word “ELF.” Could it be a bit of holiday mischief? Maybe, and a nice present for Franklin Avenue Elementary School and its retiring principal, thanks to the students at Westfield Technical Academy.
“We are thrilled that the elf in Paula Ceglowski, Joe Langone, Gary Nadeau and Wayne Bush from the WTA are putting our name back together. Since I’m retiring in January, it’s also fitting that we complete the task of proudly displaying our full name above the Franklin Avenue front doors once again, solidly attached for years to come,” St. Peter said.
