February 2026 Newsletter

• February Calendar at a Glance
• Junior Post-Secondary Planning
• Scholarships
• 2026-2027 Course Registration
• National School Counseling Week
• Class Updates
• Mental Health Resources
• College & Career Resources

On February 5, the Counseling Department will present a detailed overview of the post-secondary process to students in the PAC. That evening, a similar presentation will be shared with parents and caregivers. Starting the next day, counselors will begin visiting history classes to explore post-secondary planning and SCOIR in greater depth.

For a more personalized experience, counselors will be offering small group meetings with students and parents/caregivers throughout the winter and spring. These 1-hour sessions, facilitated by your child's counselor, will provide a more intimate setting to address individual concerns and questions. Each counselor will offer small group sessions at 8:15am, 10:30am and 1:15pm on specific dates. You must choose from the dates made available by your student’s counselor!

How to Secure Your Spot:

Registration links (through Sign-Up Genius) for the small group sessions will be made available via

email on February 6th. It will also be posted in Principal Twomey’s email that week.

We understand that busy schedules can sometimes limit your availability to attend a small group

meeting. To accommodate this, we have a video library featuring short, informative clips covering

everything related to the postsecondary journey.

Check out the Looking Ahead resource that shares important information about the college application process.

The Westford Academy Trustee and Community Scholarship applications will open on February 12, 2026. Each scholarship has its own criteria and application form. Only applications with a submitted timestamp from February 12 through March 9 at 2:30PM will be considered. This is a firm deadline with no exceptions or extensions. For a complete listing and instructions on how to apply, please go to the WA website, click “Counseling” and then click on “WA Trustee and Community Scholarships.” Here is the link.

Hi Westford Academy Students, Parents, and Caregivers,

As we begin the second half of the school year, it is time to look forward to the 2026-2027 academic year. We are pleased to announce that the new Westford Academy Program of Studies is now available online.

The guide is designed as a roadmap to help you navigate our academic offerings. As you begin this process, we encourage you to choose courses that appropriately challenge you, excite you, and help you grow, while maintaining a healthy balance with your extracurricular and personal commitments.

Scheduling At-A-Glance:

The scheduling process is a collaborative effort between students, families, teachers, and counselors. Here is the general timeline for the coming weeks:

• Review: Families and students should review the Program of Studies on the scheduling website to explore course descriptions and prerequisites.

• Scheduling Presentation: Counselors will meet with each grade level to explain the specific scheduling process and graduation requirements during advisory on February 11th.

• Teacher Recommendations: Current teachers will enter their recommendations for next year’s courses directly into PowerSchool.

• Student Selection: Students will complete the process by selecting their courses and finalizing their requests through the PowerSchool Student Portal during the window of February 26th (opens at 2:30pm)-March 6th (closes at 2:30pm). The override link will be available during that timeframe as well.

Key Resources in the Program of Studies

The online guide includes several tools to assist in your planning, including:

• Graduation Requirements: A checklist to ensure you are on track for your 117.5 required credits.

• Course Composites: Full listings for every department.

• Scheduling & Time Management Worksheets: Blank templates to help you visualize your week and manage your time effectively.

• PowerSchool Guide: Instructions on how to navigate the portal for course requests.

We hope you enjoy diving into the guide and discovering all the unique opportunities waiting for you at WA next year!

Sincerely,

Lauren Clark

Director of School Counseling, Westford Academy

National School Counseling Week 2026 (#NSCW26) is Feb. 2-6, 2026, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. The theme is: School Counselors Amplify Student Success. National School Counseling Week, presented by ASCA, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. Learn more about the role of this essential profession: https://www.schoolcounselor.org/role.

As part of our celebration for National School Counseling Week, the WA Counseling Department will be showcasing highlights about our program and fun photomontages on our Instagram (@WA_Counseling) each day during the week of Feb. 2-6!

In addition, the counseling office will have an appreciation box where students can leave kind notes for their counselors. There will also be small treats available in the counseling office for students to enjoy.

Please review the Class of 2026 Senior Timeline for an overview of what to expect during senior year.

The Senior Capstone provides seniors with the opportunity to apply what they've learned in school to the real world. Students may pursue an internship in a local business, community service, or complete a research project. The Capstone is the culmination of our School to Careers program, allowing students to delve into a career or research topic for the fourth quarter of senior year.

MANDATORY DATES:

February 3: Capstone Drop in Hours (Long block-optional)

February 9 (Monday) by 2:20 pm- ALL Capstone applications due (Community Service, Internship, Project)

April 9 (Thursday)- Capstone Orientation Meeting 12:30 pm

May 21 (Thursday) and May 22 (Friday)- ALL DAY- Capstone Presentations

June 2 (Tuesday) - Capstone Exhibition 9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Capstone runs from April 13 through May 20

Reminders:

• When you hear back from the college regarding their decision - accept, deny, defer, waitlist - please enter that into SCOIR as well.
• You should submit your application when you are ready - you do not have to wait for your school counselor to send your records.

• Don't forget to pay the one-time $8 transcript processing fee - you can pay here or cash to Mrs. Willsie

• Each college will most likely send you a login for an application portal. Please make sure to login and track the document status from the colleges’ side.

• You can see when a document was sent in your “My Colleges” section if you click on the college's tile. From there, scroll down and find the Application Document Status section.
• Please check SCOIR to see the dates when your counselor submitted the supporting documents and contact the college directly if it's been three weeks from the application deadline and the college is still telling you a document is missing. Please be patient!
• Make sure once you apply to a school, it is moved to the applied column.
• Due to the integration of SCOIR and the Common Application, midyear reports will be available to all Common App colleges on your list. Whether or not colleges decide to access them would depend on each school’s policy.
• If submitting test scores, you must send from CollegeBoard or ACT directly.

Each spring at the Junior Awards ceremony, the WA Counseling Office recognizes junior students for exceptional academic achievement and meaningful commitment to community service through the Book Awards program. These awards are sponsored by individual colleges and universities, which set their own criteria for selecting high school juniors to receive College Book Awards. Each award highlights a specific area of excellence—such as achievement in academics, leadership, political advocacy, music or the arts, or service to the community. The program aims to honor outstanding young individuals and encourage the development of future leaders with a broader global perspective.

If you would like to be considered for a Book Award, please complete the Book Award nomination form. Read each description and check which awards apply to you as a student and community member. This form must be completed and submitted by Tuesday, February 24th at 12pm. You’ll need to log in to your Westford account to complete the form.

Nominations will be reviewed by the Book Award Committee and winners will be announced at the Junior Awards ceremony in the spring. It is helpful to make sure you have either completed your activity section or uploaded a resume in SCOIR as well.

Please review the Class of 2027 Junior Timeline for an overview of what to expect during junior year.

The Counseling Department hosted a Parent/Caregiver Presentation on January 28. Please check it out if you were unable to attend.

Sophomore Timeline

Please review the Class of 2028 Sophomore Timeline for an overview of what to expect during sophomore year.

Please review the Class of 2029 Freshman Timeline for an overview of what to expect during freshman year.

WA School Counseling Website

Big Picture Presentation

Westford Academy has partnered with Cartwheel Care for the 2025-2026 school year. Cartwheel is a mental health service available via telehealth to students and parents/caregivers. For more information, please see Cartwheel FAQ handout here.

Cartwheel Webinars:

February 11 at 12 pm: Promoting Healthy Relationships with Food and Body in Schools

Many children find it hard to go to school because of anxiety or stress. Cartwheel's new School Avoidance program provides support to help you and your child overcome these challenges. Here is a handout in Spanish and English.

Through Cartwheel, your family has access to teletherapy, family check-ins, and psychiatric care with licensed clinicians. No waitlists, no hassle—just support when you need it.

If you have any questions, you can also reach out to your student's school counselor.

A NEW and FREE program for caregivers looking for self-paced education and tips about navigating adolescent substance use. This program is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public

Health, and can be completed on a computer/tablet or phone. Available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese!

iCare has four modules; Neurobiology of Substance Use, Industry Tactics and Media Literacy, Risk and Protective Factors and Effective Communication

Here is a FREE caregiver training from Think:Kids, the organization that supports training and implementation of Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS). The Collaborative Problem Solving® approach is an innovative parenting approach backed by science and rigorous research done in homes, schools, and clinical programs across the world. It is proven to meet the needs of all families and help children of all ages, including those with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Here is a link for the informational flyer in Spanish.

The parent support group, Westford Supportive Parent Solutions, is meeting the 3rd Tuesday of every month 6:30pm – 8:00pm. The group will be held at the Roudenbush Community Center, 3rd floor Recreation Department. The attached flyer has additional details.

Nicole Laviolette - Community Wellness Coordinator

NEW - Mobile Clinician Services

Westford has a no cost clinician to support residents on waitlists for mental health appointments.

If the intake determines that the Westford Mobile Clinician is the right fit for you, upt to ten sessions will be offered. The number and frequency will be determined by the clinician. in person and virtual visits are available.

Call for an intake screening:

Nicole Laviolette: 978-399-2503 or Alison Christopher: 978-399-2325

For more information : Mobile Clinician Description

The Massachusetts Partnership for Youth (MPY) Parenting Solutions has created a list of proven resources to help students' families thrive. Parents can watch or just listen to experts who get right to the point solving big and small challenges. Each Library includes 10-minute videos and handouts.

Click HERE to access the videos and handouts in each library.

Parents Supporting Parents: Family Learning Sessions held first Tuesday of the month from 7-8pm

Need additional support? Check out our Family Support Resources

Learn how to strengthen communication with your teen through active listening. This Newport Academy article shares five practical tips to help parents/caregivers build trust, empathy, and stronger connections.

No matter your age or income – community college is now free in Massachusetts if you have earned your high school diploma! The MassEducate and MassReconnect programs allow all Massachusetts residents who have not yet earned a bachelor's degree to attend a MA community college for free. No tuition. No fees.

For more information, please see HERE.

*There is a fee to enroll in a dual enrollment class as a WA student. Here is a link to learn about the dual enrollment program through WA.

SAT

March 14, 2026 test date

Deadline for registration 2/27/26 & late registration 3/3/2026

May 2, 2026 test date

Deadline for registration 4/17/26 & late registration 4/21/26

Register for SAT tests here

ACT

February 14, 2026 test date

Deadline closed

April 11, 2026 test date

Deadline for registration 3/6/26 & late registration 3/24/26

Register for ACT tests here

Free Practice SAT/ACT tests

Summit Educational Group: http://www.mytutor.com/students/practice-tests/ma

Kaplan: https://www.kaptest.com/sat/free/sat-practice

Boston National College Fair - Representatives from more than 275 colleges and universities will participate Monday April 27 and Tuesday April 28. Students can register here.

NACAC College Fair Schedule - virtual options too!

Sunday, February 1, 2026 1:00 PM - 6:00 Virtual College Fair

Post-Secondary Fair for Students who Learn Differently happening March 26. More information can be found here.

https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/learning-support-services

https://www.concordspedpac.org/Colleges-Disabilities.html

Also check out our website for more resources! https://www.westfordk12.us/wa/guidance/pages/information-students-disabilities

Westford Academy is proud to participate in the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy program. The Seal of Biliteracy is awarded at graduation to seniors who demonstrate literacy in two or more languages, a partner language as well as English. Please note that the partner language does not have to be one that a student has studied in the Westford Public Schools. The Seal of Biliteracy Program encourages students to develop their language skills and expand their cultural understandings to be better prepared to enter the workforce and contribute to a global society. Please see HERE for more information regarding the program. The deadline for this year is now closed.

The following colleges and universities have established policies to award college credit for the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy:

State Universities

• Worcester State University
• Bridgewater State University
• Salem State University

Community Colleges

• Bunker Hill Community College (PDF)
• Cape Cod Community College
• Massachusetts Bay Community College
• Middlesex Community College
• Mount Wachusett Community College
• North Shore Community College
• Northern Essex Community College

Bentley

If you have been awarded The Seal of Biliteracy in any foreign language, you may be awarded Intermediate Modern Language credit at Bentley. If you have been awarded the Seal of Biliteracy with distinction, you may be awarded Intermediate Modern Language II credit at Bentley.

https://www.bentley.edu/undergraduate/advanced-standing-credit

UMass Amherst

Beginning Fall 2024, UMass Amherst will award 12 credits for the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy and 15 credits for the Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction.

https://www.umass.edu/registrar/students/transfer-information/massachusetts-state-seal-biliteracy

2026 Christian A. Herter Scholarship application is now open.

Students must be nominated by February 13, 2026, and complete the online application and upload all required documentation by the application deadline, February 28, 2026.

Nomination and application information is available on the Herter Scholarship website.

College Affordable, an organization dedicated to helping Westford families navigate the financial aid process with personalized support, has partnered with WA. For additional information on family registration and free monthly webinars, please visit the links below:

February 12 - Incorporating Cost into College Search

March 13 - Q&A: Getting started for Juniors

https://collegeaffordable.org/westfordacademy/

https://collegeaffordable.org/webinar-schedule/

Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority is a state run organization, committed to helping students and their families plan, save, and pay for college and reach financial goals

Families can view webinar dates and times and register HERE. Webinars will be recorded and posted online for families who are unable to attend a live event.

February 10 @ 6:30pm: The Power of the U.Plan 2026

February 11 @ 4-6 pm: FAFSA Festival 2026

February 12 @ 6:30 pm: Six Keys to Finding a Good College Fit 2026

NEBHE’s Tuition Break program, the New England Regional Student Program (RSP), provides significant tuition savings to residents of the six New England states when they enroll at out-of-state public colleges and universities within New England and pursue approved programs.

The 2026–27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is now available to everyone. Click here for more information: https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/fafsa-support

Follow us on Instagram for important updates @wa_counseling

Email: laurenclark@westfordk12.us
Website: https://www.westfordk12.us/wa/counseling-department
Location: 30 Patten Road, Westford, MA, USA
Phone: 978-692-5570