Westfield Public Schools Adapt to Redistricting and Suffer A
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TONIGHT Few Clouds. Low of 21. Search for The Westfield News The Westfield SearchF A CHforI LDTheIS WestfieldTO KEEP ALNewsIVE HIS INBORN News “I Westfield350.com The Westfield SENSE OF WONDER HE NEEDS THE News , Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns COMPAN“TIMEIONSH IS IPTHE OF AT ONLY LEAST ONE ADULT WEATHER WHOCRITIC CAN SHARE WITHOUT IT, REDISCOVER ING TONIGHT WITH HIMAMBITION THE JOY, EXC.”ITEMENT AND Partly Cloudy. MYSTERYJOHNOF THE STEINBECKWORLD WE LIVE IN Search for The Westfield .” News Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com — RaCHEL CARSON Westfield350.comWestfield350.org The WestfieldNews Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHERVOL. 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75 cents VOL.87 NO. 310 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2018 CRITIC75 Cents WITHOUT TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.comYEAR IN REVIEW VOL. 86 NO. 151 WestfieldTUESDAY, JUNE Public 27, 2017 75 cents Schools adapt to redistricting Bruce Scheible, President of Westek, with the cakes topper, which was largely painted by his daughter Allison. (Photo by and suffer a Peter Currier) Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski and Kevin Sullivan at a devastating loss School Committee meeting in June. North and South Middle Schools. Westfield’s 350th By AMY PORTER During the discussion on new names, WPS Superintendent Correspondent Stefan Czaporowski said that although the term Intermediate WESTFIELD – The Westfield Public Schools spent the first School was not being well received by staff, many other dis- Anniversary half of 2018 finalizing plans for redistricting, including clos- tricts were using it. ing Russell Elementary School, changing the remaining five “I did a lot of research. 5-6 elementary schools to K-4, moving grades 5/6 into the former Intermediate schools are North Middle School, and grades 7/8 into the former South becoming quite popular. My cake debuts Middle School. The summer was spent finalizing the bus proposal would be Westfield By PETER CURRIER schedules, on professional development, hiring and orienting Middle School and Westfield Correspondent new staff, and in some cases providing pre-orientation to stu- Intermediate School,” said WESTFIELD- The Westfield 350th Anniversary cake has dents. School Committee member been installed on Park Square green in an effort by several Two weeks into the new schedule and new schools for thou- Diane Mayhew at the time. local businesses to have a centerpiece for the city’s milestone sands of Westfield Public School students, the district suffered “I think the word birthday. a devastating loss with the unexpected passing of School Intermediate makes sense, The process of baking a cake is typically quite simple. All Committee Vice-Chair Kevin J. Sullivan at age 52. Stunned because if you use you need are some eggs, flower, and perhaps some water and and saddened, the School Committee carried on with the goal Intermediate, you can keep oil. It becomes a little more complicated when the cake is 15 of providing the best educational experience for the district’s Middle School. It is an inter- feet tall, 25 feet wide, and the flour, eggs, water and oil are students. As Kevin Sullivan was known to say, “It’s all about mediate step between. I think Westfield Intermediate School replaced with wood, PVC, wires, pipes, lights, and paint. the kids.” the word intermediate is going principal Katherine Bourque The design and construction of the cake was a collabora- to be tough for one year,” was excited to have the stu- tion of Westek, Kleer Lumber, Atlantic Plywood Corporation, 2018 in Review Mayor Brian P. Sullivan said, dents visit on Step Up Day. the Lumber Center, Elm Electric, Betts Plumbing and and the recommendation was Heating Supply, Westfield Gas and Electric, and the Westfield In early February, final redis- made. The new names of Department of Public Works. tricting plans for the elementary Westfield Intermediate School and Westfield Middle School The ‘recipe’ for the cake began forming in June, when schools were presented to the were finalized by a vote of the School Committee in May. Harry Rock, President of the Friends of the Westfield 350th School Committee. Changes The schools held an ambitious “Step Up Day” on Monday approached Westek to begin designing the cake. Justin announced included keeping all morning, June 11, transporting 2,400 students to the new White, Project Manager from Westek, said that designing the 128 students from Russell schools they would be attending in September. WPS cake from the 1969 version was difficult due to lack of refer- Elementary School together and Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski said they had done Step ence. sending them to Highland Up days before, but never on this large of a scale. In the past, “There are no plans left over from the 1969 cake,” said Elementary. Changes were also each elementary school sent their fifth grade students on dif- White as he began fitting the first layer over the fountain on made to the English language ferent days to visit the middle schools. the green, “No drawings, no plans, nothing.” learner groups, with ELL stu- This year, all fourth and fifth grade students, approximately dents consolidating into mir- 850, visited the newly-named Westfield Intermediate School, The pieces of the cake were constructed by Westek using School logos were designed rored programs in two schools, and about the same number of sixth and seventh grade stu- their labor and some of their workers. On Thursday, Westek by Westfield Technical Highland and Munger Hill. dents went to Westfield Middle School. workers, DPW employees, and Westfield Gas and Electric Academy Graphic Arts. workers spent several hours placing the first layer over the The previous October, the New logos were on display at the schools, the Westfield fountain on the green. The first two layers are cut into quar- School Committee had voted Intermediate School Polar Bear (along with a life-sized cos- ters, the third and fourth layers are cut into thirds, and the unanimously to house grades 5/6 at North Middle School, and tumed one greeting the students), and the new Westfield fifth layer is two halves. 7/8 at South Middle School. Following that vote, School Middle School Wolves. Committee member Cindy Sullivan said both schools would See 350th Cake Debuts, Page 7 be renamed. In April, a subcommittee tackled renaming the See Year In Review, Page 8 Two escape Granville house fire By GREG FITZpaTRICK fire within 15 minutes and the While Ripley reported that the Correspondent two occupants in the home were homeowners noted that they had GRANVILLE – According to able to get out safely without any been watering the tree, the Chief Chief Matt Ripley, the Granville injuries. reiterated that constant mainte- Fire department received a call at “At this time, we’re not certain nance of a real tree is very impor- approximately 8:30 p.m. of the exact cause,” said Ripley. tant during the holiday season, Thursday night for a house fire Despite not knowing the exact and not doing so can result in a on Main Road. cause, Ripley believes that a fire. Upon arrival, firefighters dis- power strip that was used for the “It’s important that you water it covered that the fire was near a lights on the tree may have con- regularly and make sure it doesn’t Christmas tree in the home’s liv- tributed but will not know for dry out,” said Ripley. “Always The Granville Fire ing room, with some heavy heat certain until the Massachusetts make sure you use the appropri- Department responded The interior of the cake. The electric cables were installed to the fire around 8:30 by Paul Asselin. The wooden struts were donated by the and smoke damage. Fire person- Fire Investigators Unit completes ate electrical power strips.” nel were able to knock down the their investigation. p.m. on Thursday night. Lumber Center. (Photo by Peter Currier) New 9-1-1 text 911 system experiences system to benefit all 15th Penguin By GREG FITZpaTRICK outages across the country Correspondent By PETER CURRIER SOUTHWICK – Starting December 14 the Plunge fast Correspondent Massachusetts State 911 Department is now WESTFIELD — 911 callers allowing people to text 9-1-1 instead of just call- throughout the country experienced ing 9-1-1. approaching technical difficulties and outages According to the State 911 Department, when throughout the day Friday from both there’s an emergency citizens can now text “911” By PETER CURRIER in the to or recipient field of the text message, Correspondent cell phones and landlines. and the message will automatically be sent to the WESTFIELD- The 15th annual Penguin According to the Massachusetts nearest dispatch center. The individual is also Plunge will take place Saturday, January 26th government website, many 911 call- asked to include the town name and the address at Hampton Ponds in Westfield. ers did not make it through to a dis- or location of where they are in the body of the The plunge, which takes place on the last patcher. Instead, some heard a fast The City of Westfield police head- text. Saturday in January of each year, is a fund- busy-signal, a recording saying, ‘all quarters located on Washington St. With the text to 9-1-1 system using SMS raiser done to benefit the Amelia Park circuits are busy’ and some were con- (WNG file photo) (Short Message Service), people are required to Children’s Museum. Each year, the event is nected to an emergency call center have a text or data plan on their mobile device in done in dedication to a certain cause or event. they did not intend to connect to.