- Upcoming Dates and Reminders
- Westford Academy
- Nashoba Valley Technical School
- Women's History Month
- Neurodiversity Celebration Week
- Middle Level Education Month
- Community Resources
- Conversational Cooking Group
- Flowers to Empower
- Articles, Webinars, and Resources for Students/Caregivers
- Social Media Awareness
- Social Media Influencers
- Wizz App
- Requesting Parent/Team Meetings
- PowerSchool
The Nashoba Valley Technical High School admission decisions will be released on March 15th.
URGENT: Accepted students need to let Nashoba Valley Technical High School know about their decision to join the incoming Freshman class by March 31st.
If you have any questions contact directly:
PATRICIA BLACKSTOCK
Admissions/Guidance Coordinator
Leadership Team
978-692-4711 ext. 11118
In 1987, Congress passed a resolution designating March as Women’s History Month to correspond with International Women’s Day on March 8. Women’s History Month focuses on the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.
This month Westford Public Schools will be participating in Neurodiversity Celebration Week from March 13-19. As a community, this celebration is intended to build awareness and appreciation of neurodiverse individuals. Each of our schools will be conducting age appropriate events and or activities such as exploring specific literature or read-alouds, introducing learners to famous neurodiverse individuals, and or sharing fun facts and information through special announcements and events. Many of our classrooms already include curriculum throughout the year that helps to highlight the importance of building this awareness and we are excited as a community to bring this dedicated focus to everyone’s attention during a unified week of celebration.
Middle level education is essential in adolescents' growth and development. A middle school creates a positive environment for adolescents to develop socially, emotionally, psychologically, and academically. Students at this age are discovering their identities, increasing their self-awareness, and experiencing new environments and opportunities. At this age, students need all the support they can get. It is important for educators, parents/caregivers, and other supportive adults to guide and empower adolescents.
Association for Middle Level Education - This year the theme is The Empowered Student.
Conversational Cooking Group
Flowers to Empower
Flowers to Empower is a youth leadership program for local girls.The program is beginning its second season, and we are so proud of all that last year’s team accomplished. Attached is a short video that will tell you or any potential Farm-hers more! We are a non-profit, Westford based organization, backed by the Rotary, and led by Elizabeth Almeida.
We are starting to recruit and onboard new members (Farm-hers). We are a welcoming and inclusive organization, and our program is open to girls in 6th – 9th grade.
Here are a few of the characteristics to identify girls that would be a good fit:
- Girls looking for a challenge, self-starters with enthusiasm to learn new things
- Girls who demonstrate leadership potential and are interested in learning about business and entrepreneurship
- Girls who may not have found “that thing”, maybe sports isn’t for them, but they like the outdoors
- Girls new to the area, those isolated during Covid, or maybe just haven’t found the right friend group
We're inviting you, and anyone interested in learning more, to our Information Night on March 20th, 2023. To RSVP with a parent for the March 20th informational meeting email: flowers2empower@gmail.com
A few additional items that might be helpful to know are:
- All activities are free and self-funded by our flower-farming business
- We expect Farm-hers to work one session (3 hr) a week in the garden or supporting our flower business
Please feel free to reach out with any questions.
Joy Stickel (stickel.joy@gmail.com)
Christine Berthold (christine@freshstartfoodgardens.com)
National Mental Health Hotline
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.
Click Here for more information.
bryt Family Engagement Team
Parents Learning with Parents (PLP)
March 15th, 7pm
Ready [or not] to Launch: Preparing for your Child’s post-high school chapter
Speakers: TBD
Be aware of Social Media Influencers
Andrew Tate is an influential social media influencer who is currently trending. He rose to notoriety when he was on the TV show Big Brother. The overall values he promotes relate to masculinity (of the toxic variety) and misogyny, but he also frequently comments on the virtues of wealth. In addition, he was arrested with his brother in Romania on charges of human trafficking and sexual assault, and is currently still in custody. Many kids are making comments that come from him or his ideas. It is important to be aware of who you follow on social media and the potential for their messages to influence you. Beyond Andrew Tate, the influence of parasocial relations with social media influencers is undeniable; kids (and adults!) can form strong, one-sided connections with popular, public people.
What can you do?
Be aware of the trending social media influencers and address any behaviors or comments that are inappropriate. Monitor your social media use. As a parent make sure that you are aware of how your child is interacting on social media and what they are being exposed to. As a teenager be aware of how social media is negatively or positively (yes, social media can be a great tool, if you use it wisely!) influencing your feelings, thoughts and behaviors.
!!!WIZZ APP - Warning!!!
Wizz is a free social networking app that enables users to chat live online with strangers from around the world. It features a swiping system in users can browse through profiles to choose someone to chat with, similar to popular dating apps for adults such as Tinder. The use of foul language is frequent, and while the app's guidelines prohibit sexual or violent content, some questionable topics can slip into the chats. Some users' bio images are also sexually suggestive. There is also a lot of Catfishing (fake profiles) used to extort kids.
The required age to download the app is 12+. You are asked to provide a profile picture, name, location, and interest when signing up. Once you friend someone, you can exchange photos and videos with that person. Usually a person will ask if they have any other forms of social media (Snapchat, Instagram, ect) and try to extort them from there.
Not sure how to access your student's schedule and/or Progress Report? Please see below:
- Use your device (Go to: https://westford.powerschool.com/public).
- Download the 'PowerSchool Mobile' app on your phone - see image on the right for how to access your account. Once logged on, click on the "My Schedule" icon in the left nav and you'll see your student's schedule.
BMS Counseling Department
Julie McCoy - 7th Grade School Counselor
Paige Leone - 8th Grade School Counselor
Jodie Voutselas - 6-8 School Adjustment Counselor
Jen Schaffer - School Counseling Administrative Assistant
Website: https://sites.google.com/westfordk12.us/bmsguidance/school-counseling-home
Location: 14 West Street, Westford, MA 01886
Phone: (978) 692-5582