Hello and welcome to our first year as Westfield Technical Academy, or WTA. The school year is well underway and we are already bustling with activity. Our freshmen have completed their safety training and have now begun the process of “Exploratory” where they visit each of our technical programs for a full day, then choose six of shops for extended visits. This process is a key component in the WTA experience, and many students who come in thinking they want one shop, very often discover they are more comfortable with or interested in another. It’s an exciting time for both the freshmen and our instructors. The seniors also get to share advice with the incoming freshmen on program selection and career opportunities. Seniors are also in the midst of setting up cooperative education prospects and are already looking at their post-secondary options.
Over the last few years, WTA has been committed to expanding opportunities for our students in our academic and career technical areas. In academics, we have added several courses for students including Chemistry, Robotics, Practical Law, Band, Art, and Honors English and Math courses. Now that over fifty percent of our students are routinely attending college, we are offering a variety of dual enrollment courses with Westfield State University on our campus at no cost. In addition, all of our Career Technical Programs have also expanded articulation agreements with colleges and universities so that students graduate from Westfield Technical Academy with college credit from Holyoke Community College, Springfield Technical Community College, Westfield State University and Johnson and Wales University. We have expanded our Career Technical Programs as well. Two years ago, we added Programming and Web Development to our Information Technology Shop. This year, with a tremendous amount of community and advisory board support, we have added Aviation Maintenance Technology. We are only the third school in the country to offer this exciting program to high school students.
WTA has also expanded opportunities for our students in the area of extracurricular activities. We are excited to welcome our own Athletic Coordinator this year. This position signals the growth in our sports offerings as we have recently added coed cross country, intramural volleyball and through a cooperative arrangement with St. Mary’s High School, boys’ lacrosse. For our students that prefer not to participate in sports, we have community oriented clubs like Skills USA, Future Business Leaders of America, Friends of Rachel, You Lead, and Medical Reserve Corps. In addition, last spring we started a Westfield Technical Motor Sports Club for students interested in all facets of car racing. Students in Automotive Technology, Collision Technology, Manufacturing, and Graphic Arts worked collaboratively to build our car that has already raced at Stafford Motor Speedway.
WTA very much appreciates how our students are actively involved in the community and we want to be a part of that too. That’s why we have opened our doors for various community events, including parent seminars, private luncheons, Dickens Days and Into the Arts. This fall, we have a full lineup of community activities planned. On September 24, we debuted our very own weekly radio program, Tiger Talk, on WSKB 89.5 FM. The show will air every Thursday from 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. and will feature all things Westfield Technical Academy from our academic and technical programs to extracurricular activities and athletics. Tune in if you can. On September 30, the Westfield Police Department and Westfield Public Schools will present about Rachel’s Challenge in our auditorium. Rachel’s Challenge is a character building and anti bullying program based on the life and writings of Rachel Joy Scott. WTA will also host two Candidate Forums sponsored by the Westfield Newsgroup and the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce. The forum for City Council candidates will be held on October 20 and the forum for Mayoral candidates will be held on October 27 in our auditorium. Both evenings will have a candidate meet and greet from 6:30 p.m.—7:00 p.m. and then a formalized forum from 7:00 p.m.—8:30 p.m. These forums are free and open to the public. On Thursday, October 22 at 7:00 p.m., take a trip back to the Golden Age of Radio as Westfield State University’s WSKB 89.5 FM presents an adaptation of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds live on the stage of our auditorium. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. Proceeds will benefit the high school band program and the Whip City Band. Finally, our annual Craft Fair will be held on Sunday, November 29 from 9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m. with proceeds going toward school supplies and scholarships for our graduates.
Westfield Technical Academy is proud of the opportunities that we’ve added for our students to better themselves and their community. However, we must also recognize that the support we receive from our Superintendent, Central Office Staff, School Committee, City Council, Westfield State University, our partners in business and industry, and members of the community is invaluable. We simply wouldn’t be able to offer the various opportunities for educational and personal growth that our students benefit from without this collaboration. Thank you, from everyone at WTA.
Stefan Czaporowski
Principal
Westfield Technical Academy
