Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center

Please click here to read the Fort Meadow April Newsletter: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:d98f9f63-45f9-4c6d-adc5-8dc1949ef7f4

All kids ages 4-12 are welcome to participate in POP Club, a fun, free program that encourages kids to discover the abundance of fresh local produce at the market. Kids exercise their own buying power while exploring the market, trying new fruits and vegetables, learning about where their food comes from, and participating in weekly activities. How POP Club works: Sign up at the POP Tent on any Thursday between June 6th - August 22nd. Each time kids attend the market, they receive $2 in POP Bucks to spend on fruits, vegetables, or seedlings at the market. Kids can choose between spending their POP bucks or saving them for a larger produce item. Kids can participate in weekly activities like planting seeds, learning about pollinators, movement activities, and more. https://www.farmersmarketwestfield.org/pop-club-for-kids/

Members of the community are invited to immerse themselves in the work of talented art students of all ages adorning the walls of Westfield High School at “Into the Arts” Saturday, April 27, and then gather in the gym and enjoy student musicians from elementary to high school perform in “Bandtastic.” Artwork by students in second and fourth grades on up will be on display from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. throughout the school, and at 1 p.m. in the gym, musicians from elementary, intermediate, middle and both high schools will be showcased. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/04/westfield-student-artists-musicians-getting-ready-for-combined-showcase.html

What an exciting day here at Fort Meadow! It's Transportation Day! Thank you to all of our friends in the community who volunteered their time to bring their vehicles here for the day! A tremendous experience for all of the preschool students!

Now that the solar eclipsed has passed, Westfield’s public schools are passing on the special viewing glasses to students in South America. Westfield school district Curriculum and Instruction Director Susan Dargie said the schools are working with the Holyoke Fire Department to collect glasses to be donated to Argentina and Chile, where an annular solar eclipse will be visible on Oct. 2. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/04/westfield-students-will-donate-used-eclipse-glasses-to-kids-in-south-america.html

Today, we are hosting our 12th annual St. Jude Trike-A-Thon at Fort Meadow to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Each classroom will participate in a gross motor group with Ms. Roy, the physical therapy assistant. This group includes some tricycle safety lessons and approximately 10 minutes of tricycle riding. Our students are excited to participate in this fun event!

Lauren Cadigan, supervisor of science, technology and engineering for Westfield schools, and K-6 STEM coach Lyndsey Ayers, said they are ready to distribute more than 5,700 solar eclipse safety glasses, a pair for every student and staff member in the public school system. Any leftover glasses will be given to the preschools at the YMCA and Boys & Girls Club. “Students won’t get them until Monday,” Cadigan said. She said 3,000 of them were donated from UMass Amherst, and the district purchased the rest. Administrators made sure these glasses have been tested to protect eyes from the intense rays of the sun. https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2024/04/safety-glasses-pinhole-viewer-project-have-westfield-pupils-ready-for-eclipse.html

Tonight's SEPAC Meeting is now being held virtually only. Thank you.

The much-anticipated solar eclipse is just days away and areas schools are preparing their students to have a front row seat for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “This is called a pinhole viewer…and some classrooms, we provided instructions, so that teachers can create these, and kids can use them and safely view the eclipse with things they have at home,” said Lauren Cadigan, supervisor of Science Technology and Engineering at Westfield Public Schools. Throughout Westfield Public Schools, teachers have received resources ranging from directions on how to create a pinhole viewer, reading materials, maps, and more. Some of the masterminds behind it are Cadigan and Pre-K through Grade 4 STEM Coach Lindsey Ayers. “I think students are more excited about learning when they can see something in real life. We’re excited about that real-life experience,” Ayers added. However, preparations for the eclipse are extending outside of the classroom too. Across the district, after-school sports practices and games have been cancelled so students can take in the eclipse. To view the eclipse, you need the right lenses to protect your eyes. Elementary school students were given eclipse viewing glasses, but teachers throughout the district had the chance to request them. We’re told the demand was so high that by Monday, the district plans to order and distribute nearly 3,900 pairs about 2,500 pairs were donations from UMass Amherst. “I hope we inspire the next generation of scientists. As always, we try to create a space where all kids, if they want to be, can be successful in STEM and can see themselves in stem,” Cadigan noted. https://www.westernmassnews.com/2024/04/03/schools-preparing-use-eclipse-learning-moment-students/?fbclid=IwAR1lAUd35NgO0rf-OqlCMdx5WBr0Y8gDgwaR-im7MpVClfrp_NcbRewMTO0_aem_AUtfRf3DEHnxeT87bc9iDiYdtPrI8iY9RQl8fnC4CRYKFiYJL5XLsB50hz-u0fQjjidQwBTV9qq_ayNSw1VdGzUQ

Dear Families, We are excited about the solar eclipse happening on Monday, April 8, 2024. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun. The moon is much smaller than the sun, but because it is so close to the Earth it can appear to partially or completely block the image of the sun, causing darkness. Looking up at the solar eclipse can only be done with special glasses designed especially for a solar eclipse. All students will be given eclipse sunglasses that meet the requirements for filtering damaging light from the sun. We ask that you please review the importance of not looking directly at the sun with your child, before April 8 as the peak of the eclipse will be taking place outside of school hours. To help our students stay safe, Westfield Public Schools sports games and practices have been canceled for April 8th. Remember, do not look up during this time unless you use the special glasses. Sunglasses do not protect the eyes during an eclipse. Sincerely, Stefan Czaporowski, Superintendent of School

A reminder that schools are closed tomorrow, March 29, for Good Friday. Thank you. Have a great weekend!

In Massachusetts, students with attendance rates consistently above 95% in pre-kindergarten through grade 3 outperformed students with lower attendance rates during any year between pre-kindergarten and grade 3 on the grade 3 MCAS tests.

Preschool educators from WPS, the Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA, and Amelia Park Children's Museum gathered for a STEM Professional Development session with Instructional Coaches Lindsey Ayers & Kelly O'Sullivan. Teachers prepared to implement another "It STEMs from a Story" unit (Spring Edition) utilizing resources from Project Lead the Way. It was a great opportunity for collaboration among early childhood community partners in Westfield.

Click below for the Quarter 3 Newsletter from Westfield Public Schools. https://www.schoolsofwestfield.org/documents/district/district-newsletters/quarter-three-newsletter/598820

Tryouts are currently being held for Gator Swim Club's spring and summer season! Gator Swim Club is a nationally-ranked USA Swim Club based right here at Westfield High School. We accept swimmers as young as 6 years old, of varying ability levels. We even offer a discount for Westfield High swimmers looking for somewhere to train when the high school season ends! For more information about the club, visit us at www.westernmassgators.com, or follow us on instagram @westernmassgators. To arrange a tryout, contact Coach Tom Avila at (978) 771-0332 or CoachTAvila@gmail.com

Many WPS teachers in grades PK-12 attended the annual Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Spring PD Day at WPI, organized by the Mass Learning Project. Teachers attended sessions that focused on curriculum mapping, collaborating, networking, utilizing artificial intelligence, and helping students solve meaningful problems through authentic skills. Teachers left the day feeling prepared and inspired to continue facilitating applied learning with their students through PLTW.

Thank you to all that attended our Westfield Business to Education Alliance (WE2BA) meeting this week at Westfield Technical Academy. This month, we finalized preparations for our annual Career Expo and Job Fair on March 13, Elementary School Career Days in the spring, and Project Based Learning Experiences for students at our Intermediate and Middle Schools in June. Attendees were also treated to an omelet station provided by WTA's Culinary Arts students. We are very grateful for our business partnerships that offer our students authentic learning experiences throughout the school year.

A reminder that there is no school for students on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Thank you!

Students from Paper Mill, Munger Hill and Fort Meadow participated in a community project, organized by Mona Rastegar, over their winter break. On February 20th, students were invited to meet in the Childrens' Room at the West Springfield Library between 9:00am-11:00am. Students colored cancer ribbons that will be displayed at Cancer House of Hope. #AchievingExcellenceTogether

STEM Day at Fort Meadow - Westfield High School Students from Ms. Blocher’s 9th and 11th grade Honors Chemistry and Biology classes are running STEM activities for our preschool students. It’s an exciting day here at Fort Meadow!