South Middle School leadership team: Special Education Supervisor Kari Kells, Assistant Principal Peter Lurgio, Assistant Principal Jessica Kennedy and Principal Paul Newton. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – The School Committee began with a presentation by the leadership team at the South Middle School, including Principal Paul Newton, Assistant Principal Pete Lurgio, Assistant Principal Jessica Kennedy and Special Education Supervisor Kari Kells.
Lurgio spoke about goal-setting at the school. Teachers selected goals for themselves this year in professional practice and student learning. One goal was positive community with one family per week. 2000 post cards were printed up by Westfield Technical Academy to send positive notes home; Newton said 1800 have been used.
School Committee member Cindy Sullivan said she has received a lot of feedback from the post cards that teachers have been sending out.
Another goal was to form a student leadership team. They brought in motivational speakers, and each team of teachers selected eight student leaders, including one English language learner and one Special Education student. Teachers Jen Johnson-Corwin and Peg Hill also started an after-school club with the student leaders, which they hope to continue next year, Lurgio said.
Jessica Kennedy said professional development focused on teaching and learning. A facilitator was brought in to lead, and teachers said they appreciated being a part of the planning process. Newton said it was a collaborative effort with all of the grade 7 and 8 teachers in both middle schools, and thanked Chris Rogers, administrator of student interventions and Susan Dargie, director of curriculum for their help in the planning.
South Middle School also formed a “critical friends” partnership with Agawam Junior High School, to give teachers a chance to share ideas. Newton said they plan to approach three or four other area middle schools to join them.
Kari Kells spoke about the focus on inclusion in the school. The goal is to assign a special education teacher to each academic core team, and allow students as much time with their peers as possible. Newton said there are seven teams of teachers, and the students will be spread out throughout all of the teams. He said students that need to will still have separate classes. “We’re hoping to follow the most inclusive model,” Newton said.
Newton said next year the new Westfield Middle School will have five person teams teaching core subjects. He said two English language arts courses will be offered, one focused on reading and one on writing. ELA teachers will also work with science, math and social studies teachers to incorporate threads from those classes.
Electives will include health, physical education, computer applications and digital literacy. Spanish will be offered to all students without an entrance criteria restriction. Band, chorus, art and wood shop will also be offered.
Newton, who began last summer, ended the presentation with his appreciation. “Thank you all for letting me be here in Westfield. This has been a wonderful year,” he said.
Other presentations before the School Committee included Westfield Technical liaisons Payton Mactavish and Jared Fournier in their last spirited report before graduation on June 7.
Westfield High School Principal Charles Jendrysik also introduced to the committee senior Eric Grigoryan, whose PSA “Irreversible” received first place in Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni’s “Stop the Swerve” contest, earning $10,000 for WHS to spend on new equipment for the technology department.
“Even if you’re the one drinking and driving, you can affect someone who’s been clean their whole lives,” Grigoryan said about the project.
Grigoryan will also be participating in the Future Business Leaders of America Digital Production competition, and will be going to Maryland at the end of June with four other WHS students who are competing in other FLBA categories.
