We were thrilled to host the a cappella group Back Track Vocals from NYC for a special school-wide assembly. The performers offered a fantastic blend of entertainment and education, engaging students in interactive demonstrations of vocal percussion and beatboxing. We extend our sincere gratitude to the PTO and Cultural Arts Committee for their dedication to bringing such high-quality enrichment programs to our school community.
This week in math, 2nd graders explored partial sums method, a different way to visualize and solve multi-digit addition. By breaking numbers apart into hundreds, tens and ones, students gained a deeper understanding of place value. They had a great time practicing the steps on their slates and are becoming much more confident in their calculation skills!
With the incredible support of our PTO and parent volunteers, our students participated in various meaningful community service projects. Student projects included assembling care bags and decorated cards for Hope 4 Paws Humane Society; creating personalized coasters and cards for Mobile Meals of Westfield; donating personal books, crafted bookmarks, and wrote reviews to create gift-wrapped surprises for the Bridge of Books Foundation; and assembling essential toiletry kits and supportive cards for Refugee Assistance Partners of NJ. We are proud of their dedication to giving back!
Yesterday, Class 4L had a special visit from Mrs. Elahi who taught the students about the beautiful traditions of Ramadan and Eid, highlighting the significance of giving back to those in need. Taking that lesson to heart, the class spent the morning creating special goodie bags for pediatric patients. We are proud of our students for spreading joy and supporting our local community! For our families celebrating Eid today, we wish you a joyous and blessed celebration.
Today, we were thrilled to welcome a group of Westfield High School athletes, all our own Jefferson alumni! They spent the afternoon reading stories to our students and lead discussions on the importance of sportsmanship. It is always a proud moment to see our former students return as such positive role models. Thank you to Dr. Andzel for organizing this event for our school community!
This week we were honored to host a wonderful visit from renowned Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall. Ms. Blackall captivated our students with stories of her life in Australia and shared the unique inspirations behind her celebrated books. As a talented illustrator, she engaged the children in helping her sketch a cartoon alien. The room was filled with creativity and excitement! A huge thank you to our librarian, Ms. Harrigan, and our PTO for hosting such a memorable event.
On St. Patrick's Day, our school was full of festive spirit. It was a joy to see our students and staff decked out in green, and our first graders had a particularly magical experience. Students shared their creative leprechaun traps and discovered how their classrooms had been transformed by a mischievous overnight visitor. All classes also participated in a Shamrock hunt around the school. It was a fun day!
Our multipurpose room was transformed for our annual Multicultural Night! It was a truly spectacular evening filled with the sights, sounds, and flavors of our diverse community. We would like to extend a huge thank you to our PTO and the Multicultural Committee for their tireless hard work in organizing such a seamless event. Thank you to everyone who participated in making this night a beautiful tapestry of our school’s culture!
It is Read Across America week! On Tuesday, our entire school community participated in a coordinated "Drop Everything and Read" (DEAR) session. A special thank you goes to Mrs. Harrigan for organizing this school-wide event and fostering such a wonderful love for reading!
We had an incredibly successful Math and Science Night. It was a joy to see our students’ curiosity in action! A huge thank you to the teachers, volunteers, and families who made this event possible. Your dedication created an unforgettable experience for the children, who truly had a blast exploring, experimenting, and problem-solving together.
This week, we were deeply honored to host Holocaust survivor and educator Maud Dahme. Our 5th graders were joined by their peers from Wilson School for this incredibly moving presentation. As Mr. Latessa shared in his introduction, “For all the lessons that we teach in class, today those lessons come to life in a firsthand account from somebody who was there.” Ms. Dahme’s story is a powerful reminder of the tragedies of the past and the vital importance of being an upstander for others today. We are profoundly grateful to Ms. Dahme for entrusting our students and staff with her story.
Our students in grades 1–5 have been busy pouring their hearts into a special Valentine’s Day community outreach project. Each grade level is creating handmade cards for a specific local group ( Complete Care at Westfield, Westfield Senior Housing, Mobile Meals of Westfield, Kean University Be the Change, and Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside) to brighten their day. Thank you to our teachers for organizing this outreach activity. We are so proud of our students for using their creativity to give back to our amazing community!
Our SOUPer Bowl canned food drive was truly out of this world! We are so proud of the overwhelming generosity shown by our students and families. Together, we collected a staggering 3,692 food items!
A huge congratulations to top classes with the most donations:
1st Place: Class 3Z
2nd Place: Class 2K
3rd Place: Class 3L
Because of your kindness, we were able to provide significant donations to Grace Church, the Westfield Food Pantry, and Feeding America. Thank you for helping us tackle hunger and support those in need!
A huge congratulations to top classes with the most donations:
1st Place: Class 3Z
2nd Place: Class 2K
3rd Place: Class 3L
Because of your kindness, we were able to provide significant donations to Grace Church, the Westfield Food Pantry, and Feeding America. Thank you for helping us tackle hunger and support those in need!
Class 2W had an absolute blast exploring the world of Non-Newtonian fluids today! Our young scientists discovered that Oobleck breaks all the rules—it behaves like a solid when you squeeze it, but flows like a liquid when you let go. It was fun morning of discovery!
There is nothing quite like "Buddy Time." Class 1A and Class 4L came together to participate in the Kindness Challenge. They started by listening to Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch; a perfect story about how one small act can change everything. Afterward, the buddies collaborated to write heartfelt notes to their loved ones.
Our 1st and 2nd graders are thriving with our Heggerty and Fundations programs! They are having a blast tapping out sounds and marking up words. It is exciting to watch them build their phonics skills—they are well on their way to becoming great readers!
We are proud to recognize four 5th-grade winners of the annual MLK, Jr. Essay and Poetry Contest. These students demonstrated exceptional effort and insight through their writing. The winners will be honored at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Service held at First Congregational Church of Westfield this coming Monday. We congratulate our students on this well-deserved distinction and commend them for their dedication to honoring Dr. King’s legacy.
We had a fun assembly led by Mrs. Naylor and our talented 5th Grade Orchestra. Their performance was amazing. It is clear these students have dedicated many hours to practicing their craft! We wish everyone a fun and restful winter break.
Our first graders in 1MK and their families teamed up for a special "Winter Penguin" craft day with a mission of giving. Using just rice and socks, students created three adorable penguins: one to keep, one to gift to a loved one, and one to donate to a child in need. These handmade penguins are on their way to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to spread some comfort and holiday cheer! Thank you to Mrs. Kosciuk and all the families who joined us for this meaningful day of service!
Class 2K students and parents teamed up for a festive "sock snowman" craft with a meaningful twist. For every snowman kept, one was created to be gifted away! These crafts, along with handmade holiday cards, will be donated to the Center for Hope Hospice in Scotch Plains to brighten the holidays for residents and their families. Great job, 2K, on such a successful and selfless project!
