Westfield Intermediate School principal Katherine Bourque was excited to have the students visit on Step Up Day.
WESTFIELD – Westfield Intermediate School sixth grade science and math teachers Matthew Wroth and Maureen Callahan will be holding a Summer – “Moving up to Westfield Intermediate School” – Transition Program on the mornings of August 6 to 9 for incoming fifth and sixth grade students, to help to orient them to their new school, new building and new process.
Wroth said the summer transition program actually started years ago with then teacher Mary Madru for incoming sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. When Madru retired, Wroth continued the program for a year, but then stopped due to scheduling conflicts.
This year, he and Callahan thought it would be important to run it again. Planned for the week are stress relief games and scavenger hunts designed to help students to get to know their new school. They will also learn about agendas, student planners, lockers and locks in a no-stress atmosphere.
The summer program will be similar to Step up Day, which the district ran on June 11, when all 850 fourth and fifth grade students visited the Westfield Intermediate School. Wroth said the summer transition program will be a more low key experience, “just to get the layout of the building and the schedule, and to calm their nerves about the new building and the new process,” Wroth said.
Wroth said students will also have the opportunity to meet future classmates, along with the custodians, secretaries, vice principals and WIS Principal Katherine Bourque who they will be seeing every day once school starts, all of whom will be at the school during the summer transition program.
Pre-registration is required for the summer transition program, which will be held Monday through Thursday, August 6 to 9 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the school library on 350 Southampton Road. The cost is $55 for materials, supplies and snacks, and the deadline to register is Tuesday, July 17.
Wroth said the program, which is limited to 30 stdents is almost full, but if there is enough interest, they are looking to add a second week Monday to Thursday, August 20 to 23, also from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., so they are still taking names. Contact the school or Matt Wroth at [email protected] for more information.
Wroth said he would have asked the sixth grade English language arts teachers to participate as well, but they both happen to be getting married this summer.
