WESTFIELD – Multiple presentations by students and staff of the Westfield Public Schools opened the School Committee meeting on Monday night, all of them interesting and energetic, and worthy of the time allotted to them.
Leading off, 23 fourth and fifth graders from the Paper Mill chorus, led by music teacher Janice Longstreeth sang The Paper Mill School Song. The chorus, a volunteer activity which holds practice Tuesdays before school begins, has 53 members this year, and has performed at The American Inn and North Middle School, as well as having spring and winter concerts. Longstreeth, who penned the school song, has been leading the chorus since the school began in 1991.
“She’s made it to be the cool thing to do,” said parent Katie Winslow of her daughter Lillian’s teacher.
Principal Joanne Hentnich of Fort Meadow School accepted a $500 check from Ben Hogan, Keith Eagon and Rick Paul of the Fire & Iron Firefighters Motorcycle Club. Paul, a paramedic and firefighter from Westfield, said over four years the club has raised more than $2,000 for software for the school’s autism programs.
“We feel very strongly about giving back to our community,” Paul said.
(Left to right) Susan Dargie, WPS director of curriculum and instruction, Westfield State University’s Dean of Faculty Dr. Stephen Adams, Dr. Jennifer Hanselman, associate professor of biology, Dr. Jim Wright, professor of mathematics and WPS Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Scallion. Westfield Public Schools and Westfield State Unversity are embarking on a two-year Title IIB grant to train elementary teachers in the science and math standards. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Vincent Baker, North Middle School guidance counselor and liaison for the Wright Flight after school program introduced seventh-grader Suvin Sundararajan and eighth-grader Kealyn Matuszcak to speak about Wright Flight.
Sundararajan said he joined the aviation after-school program due to his passion for flying, influenced in part by his father, who he said made parts for the Mars Rover. He said he learned in the course about the history of planes, jet engines, and computer models that make the critical parts of the plane work together.
“It opened up possibilities. I don’t know which (career) to decide on now,” the seventh-grader said.
The payoff at the end of the program is a half hour of flight time for students that perform well in the class room, on a flight simulator and on the final exam.
Ben Hogan, Keith Eaton and Rick Paul of the Fire & Iron Firefighters motorcycle club present a $500 check to Fort Mill Principal Joanne Hentnick at the School Commitee meeting. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Matuszcak said she joined the program in the eighth grade. She said the teachers were outstanding, and flying the plane was “terrifying,” but the instructor helped her through it.
“I’d really like to get my pilot’s license before my driver’s license,” Matuszcak said. She also has a plan to merge her interest in interior design with flying, by designing jet interiors, saying it would be her “dream job.”
Wright Flight volunteer William Coughlan said the focus of the non-profit organization is on educating kids about aviation, with an opportunity to fly at the end of the course. He said parents pay for the program, and many volunteers, sponsors and in-kind donations also make it possible.
“The students know more at the end of the course than 99% of people know about airplanes,” Coughlan said, adding that there is also an Aviation II program for high schoolers.
Susan Dargie, director of curriculum and instruction, announced a new state grant in partnership with Westfield State University. The $33,000 Title IIB Mathematics and Science Partnership grant will train 30 teachers in grades 3-8 throughout the district in the implementation of science and math standards.
Dargie introduced Dr. Jennifer Hanselman, associate professor of biology at Westfield State, and Dr. Jim Wright, professor of mathematics, who designed the course and will be the lead instructors. Westfield State Dean of Faculty Dr. Stephen Adams also joined them at Monday’s meeting.
Hanselman said the program will focus on the next generation of science standards and help to provide a depth of knowledge across the grade levels.
The course begins with a 3-day workshop at Westfield State in June. There are 24 hours of online follow-up throughout the summer. Teachers will continue throughout the academic year with sessions held on the existing professional development days. A second year of funding was also proposed that would be awarded this Fall.
Also introduced by Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Scallion at the meeting was Dr. Adam Garand, the district’s newly appointed administrator of special services and student support services. Garand, whose appointment was approved unanimously by the School Committee, will replace Patricia Burns, who will be retiring in June after leading the department for five years.
Garand is currently the director of special education for Greenfield Public Schools. He was chosen by a committee comprised of teachers, a school committee member, parents and administrators. He then met with Scallion and incoming Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski, who both endorsed him highly. He is seen as a strong fit for Westfield based on his experiences, his creativity, his vision and his collaborative style, Scallion said.
Garand said he is looking forward to coming to Westfield, and commented to the School Committee on the enthusiasm and energy he has encountered throughout the district.
