Notes from the Head of School

Happy Friday!

*On Wednesday, a crew cheered the Springfield Thunderbirds hockey team to victory! It was fun to be at a school day game and the students had a great time! Big thanks to the parents who helped out!

*Also on Wednesday, MAAPS (Massachusetts Association For Approved Private Schools) held a wonderful event at the Edward Kennedy Institute in Boston to celebrate the 50th anniversary of IDEA - the federal Special Education law. The venue was turned into a living history of Special Education development in Massachusetts, including the foundation of schools like White Oak. We were thrilled to have 2 students join us. Ainsley, a senior and an aspiring lawyer, learned about the longstanding fight for rights for all students and sat on the replica senate floor in awe. Jo, a Junior, had the privilege of introducing 2 of the speakers at the event. A portion of her journey was shared on a floor-to-ceiling video screen. It was so awesome to watch her be part of such a special day- she shined! Kevin C. had entered a piece of his artwork into the "I put the 'I' in IDEA" project which was displayed. It was an important event and I am so proud that White Oak School was well represented there. Please consider joining the MAAPS Action Network to continue advocating for Special Education rights at the state and federal level by visiting the MAAPS website.

*On Thursday, our wonderful reps from the Hampden County DA's Community task force came to talk about social media safety and rules. The focus for Grades 4-7 was what information should not be shared online (name, address, school name), keeping passwords safe, and why you should only talk to people you know online. Ainsley presented this information as part of her responsibility with the Youth Advisory Board. For grades 8-12, the conversation included social media safety, the consequences of sending and receiving inappropriate content, and the laws concerning cyberbullying. This is an important conversation that we revisit with the DA's office every year in addition to the work we do in Oral Expression classes.

*Thursday night a large group (almost 40!) attended a performance of Hamilton at The Bushnell in Hartford. It was a late night, but everyone agreed that it was worth it to see the epic show!

*School pictures are ready! Visit mylifetouch.com to log in or create an account, find your student and order pictures. Retakes will be on December 3rd!

*Reminder - our lockdown drill will take place next week in cooperation with the Westfield Police Department.

*Please share the PAC's RaiseRight gift card fundraiser information! The flyer is attached. Next week we will announce a December fundraising challenge!

*Mrs. Fuda's science class has an exciting project in the works! Stay tuned to see what's coming...

*Seniors: don't forget to gather and bring in gift cards for the upcoming calendar raffle fundraiser. Bring them to Mrs. Williams or Ms. C.

*The Helping Hands Club is still collecting non-perishable and personal care items to donate to the Common Goods food pantry on the Westfield State campus. There is an orange bin in the cafeteria for donations. Items needed include: canned goods, dry boxed items (cereal, pasta, rice), peanut butter, shampoo, soap, deodorant.

That was a busy short week! One more full week before Thanksgiving break- it will be a productive one!

Have a great weekend!

Jody

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