Get ready for Westfield K-8 STEAM Night on Monday, April 29 from 6:30-8:00p at Wilson, hosted by the PTC Gifted Education Committee. A registration link will be activated Monday, April 15 at 7p on the PTC Gifted Education page. https://sites.google.com/westfieldnjk12.org/wps-ptc-ptso/ptc-gifted-education
Last chance to join a community session on the 2024-25 school district operating budget. Tonight (April 11) at 5:30-6:30p. Link to virtual session: https://www.westfieldnjk12.org/article/1546278 Hope you can join, as Westfield voters prepare to go to polls next Tuesday, 4/16.
One day, there will be no holocaust survivors alive to bear witness to what happened during this period of time. You may have watched a "60 Minutes" profile of a new technology that lets children interview a Holocaust survivor who may no longer be alive. Our fifth graders recently had this experience with two survivors of the Auschwitz concentration camp. The technology is so lifelike that we did not even tell the students they were interacting with a digital image of Hanna Wechsler or Mark Schonwetter for the first interview. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9tZnC4NGNg)
Finally - a picture that needs no caption!
The April 16 budget vote and board election is fast approaching. Please consider attending one of the district's last two community engagement sessions to have your questions answered before going to the polls. The virtual sessions are Wednesday, April 10 from 12-1 p.m. and Thursday, April 11 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Links to both sessions can be found on the Budget Vote Portal under Community Engagement.
We had enough April showers! This is another masterpiece birthday board created by Josephine Cirigliano. We are lucky!
We love it when our former students come back to talk to our children about the important life lessons they have learned when they look in the rear-view mirror. Sometimes, when they hear it from an alum, it sounds so much better than when we say it.
This is Giovanni Rosado, our district's expert on heating and ventilation. This week Gio is replacing valves in several of our classrooms after discovering the underlying cause of an irksome and long-term issue. He did a lot of problem-solving and went above and beyond to help us. We love Gio.
The Federal Reserve Board met today and decided to keep interest rates steady.
A wildly successful performance of The Cat in the Hat. Is there a better way to learn how to read with fluency and expression?
Our second graders enjoyed the Dinosaur Rocks program. They learned all about paleontology and got to dig out fossils.
Fifth graders listened to the story “What do you do with a Problem?” and did a cup stacking challenge to see if they could persevere through it. And work together! Another lesson brought to us by our guidance counselor, Jaime LaRosa.
We had a wonderful Cultural Fair last Saturday. To see so many colorful clothes, and so much delicious food and drink, and so many parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings, was just spectacular. How humbling to see the 26 countries that make up our Washington community. Our threads of treasure.
Hundreds of pretzels were bought and sold after school. The proceeds of these sales and the riches from our lunchtime school store help fund fifth-grade programs such as making sandwiches for St. Joe's Social Service Center and a scholarship to a Washington alum graduating from high school.
Staff members from Roosevelt Intermediate School visited our fifth graders to preview what sixth grade is like and answer our questions about middle school. We learned some French and found out about all of the essential things to know about middle school, such as food in the cafeteria and combination locks.
Enjoy your Spring Break!
Boy and Girls -- Start your Engines! Our Cub Scouts held their annual Pinewood Derby on Saturday. The scouting programs at Washington School help teach our boys and girls what it means to be a good citizen, how to give back to our community, the joy of learning new skills, and some fun activities (sleepovers at The Intrepid and Franklin Museum).
Ride, Sally Ride. Our third graders learned how to conduct research and write a biography -- of famous women. They shared their hard work with a special guest, and served them tea. Timelines created using our Chromebooks, along with handmade dolls of the famous women, were on display for all to admire.
March 28 deadline for Rotary and Steengrafe nominations is approaching! Don't miss the opportunity to select a favorite PK-5 educator for the Philhower Award and a deserving staff member in the district for the Steengrafe Award. https://www.westfieldnjk12.org/article/1491926
We are never quite sure who gets the better deal when Skipper comes to visit!
