Notes from the Head of School

Happy Friday!

*BIG NEWS!!! Our very own Mrs. Armstrong has won the Albert E. Trieschman Direct Service Award through the Massachusetts Association for Approved Private Schools. Tara is so deserving of being recognized for the amazing work she does with our students, staff and families. Congratulations Tara!

*On Wednesday, our 11th & 12th graders visited Westfield High School for the Credit For Life Fair. Students were given a scenario of being 25 years old with a salary and a credit score. They had to obtain housing, furniture, a car, insurance, utilities and more! Did they end the task with money left over or did they need to interview for a part time job to make ends meet? It's always an eye opening and fun morning!

*Congratulations to Scarlott S. on a successful weekend of performances in Legally Blonde Jr. at the JaDuke Theater. She was awesome! She also celebrated a big birthday today!

*Congratulations to Ainsley P. who, once again, placed in the Stop The Swerve contest through the DA's office. Ainsley's billboard entry "Don't Press Your Luck" won an honorable mention and $250 for technology for the school!

*The Fishing Club will begin again the week after vacation! See Mr. Gumina for a permission slip.

*I am passing along information about a Family Fishing Festival being held as a memorial for a family member of a former White Oak student. We would love for a group of White Oak community to attend wearing White Oak t-shirts to support this lovely event! See you there!

*We had 2 awesome career spotlights this afternoon! Thank you to Mr. Cestola who talked about his career in finance and Mr. Callan who spoke to the group about his career in Physical Therapy.  We appreciate you sharing important information about 2 great career paths!

**On Wednesday, the DA's office will be here to present: "Just Once" to Grades 9-12:

This is a presentation that addresses the dangers of experimenting with drugs and the risk of taking prescription medications, that includes:

• A 24-minute documentary that tells the story of drug addiction and recovery through former students that attended local high schools, their parents, and experts in the field.
• A guest speaker who shares their personal story of their battle with addiction.

Although this is a heavy topic, it is an important conversation. You may opt your high school student out of this presentation by emailing me before April 15th.

*NEXT WEEK IS SPRING SPIRIT WEEK!

*As of today, the last day of school will be June 23rd with a 1 PM dismissal for students!

*Don't forget to order your Wonka Jr. tickets! The order form is attached to this email. You can also buy a shout out for the cast and crew that will be published in the Playbill. That form is attached too!

*We have many great events coming up:

-Willy Wonka Jr. on May 1st & 2nd - get your golden tickets!!

-Prom - May 9th - tickets are on sale now!

-Science Fair - May 15th - see flyer for details - this is always an amazing event!

-Graduation - Monday, June 1st at 1:30PM- formal invites have gone out to families.

Have a great weekend!

Jody

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Happy Thursday!

*Check out the new artwork in the cafeteria! We have some really talented, creative students on campus!

*The Student Council helped pull off an April Fool's Day prank - imagine if these green jumpsuits were the new school uniforms? Students and staff alike were stunned for a quick second before I announced "April's Fools"!

*On Wednesday, a group of 10th & 11th graders ventured to Westfield State University for a career fair. Over 55 local businesses were there to speak to students about their jobs. Students had Bingo cards with questions to ask at each table to prompt conversation. Then, they got to eat in the dining hall! It was a great event!

*Last Friday was another successful Acts of Hesed leadership lesson! Look at these happy faces with the animals in such a wonderful, supportive environment.

*Mrs. Luongo's class took data on what the teachers were wearing last Friday on secret Pirates and Princesses Day. They graphed the data. Mrs. Mercier's class has been doing some wonderful research in environmental science!

*Mrs. Lynch arranged a following directions scavenger hunt for her OE class this week. Each student was given a set of directions that they had to follow to get them to a specific location. When they found an egg, there was a magic ticket in there for prizes! Each student was required to do one silly thing in their directions - like skip down the hallway, wave to teachers in a classroom and even dance in the hallway! These students did a great job following their directions around the school.

*Our Senior Lauren B. was interviewed about her Gold Award Girl Scout project for The Westfield Evening News and MassLive!

*On April 15th, the DA's office will be here to present: "Just Once" to Grades 9-12:

This is a presentation that addresses the dangers of experimenting with drugs and the risk of taking prescription medications, that includes:

• A 24-minute documentary that tells the story of drug addiction and recovery through former students that attended local high schools, their parents, and experts in the field.
• A guest speaker who shares their personal story of their battle with addiction.

Although this is a heavy topic, it is an important conversation. You may opt your high school student out of this presentation by emailing me before April 15th.

*We have many great events coming up:

-Spring Spirit Week - April 13th - 17th - fun new themes- see flyer below

-Willy Wonka Jr. on May 1st & 2nd - get your golden tickets!!

-Prom - May 9th - tickets are on sale now!

-Science Fair - May 15th - see flyer for details - this is always an amazing event!

-Graduation - Monday, June 1st at 1PM

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Jody

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Happy Friday!

*Well, the staff had some fun this week with a Secret Spirit Week! Some students questioned the boring outfits we wore on "Monochrome Monday", but weren't quite sure... "Tacky Tourist Tuesday" getups really made them question what was happening, as staff simply said, "I need sunshine" or "I'm just dreaming of my favorite vacation spot"...They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, and our staff proved that by dressing like the students on Wednesday. Thursday appeared to be a normal day, but teachers had a secret phrase! Did students hear teachers say the word, "locenually"? And we ended the week with Princesses and Pirates Day. If the students were unsure before... it was very clear that the teachers were having a fantastic time with their own secret spirit week!

*Two of our seniors started an internship at the Whip City Animal Sanctuary this week! They will be responsible for feeding and watering the animals, general clean up and giving the animals attention. The animal sanctuary is open to the public on weekends - check their site for days and times.

*Play participants and the set design crew have started meeting after school. You know what that means! Our spring production of Wonka Jr. is creeping up! Make sure to mark your calendar for Friday, May 1st!

*Mrs. Mercier's 7th grade science class made bird feeders from materials they recycled!

*As I see job opportunities posted for the spring and summer, I will share them in my Friday emails for students and families seeking summer employment.

*The Parent Advisory Group met Wednesday morning to hear Tara Armstrong present recent research on the changing landscapes of technology and health for the neurodivergent community. Thank you to the parents who participated in this important conversation.

*On Thursday, the 7th and 8th grade classes went to the Holyoke Mall for a few rounds of bowling and lunch! This was a great opportunity for class bonding and to practice sportsmanship. And Mrs. Lynch and Josie met the Easter Bunny!

*Prom tickets will be on sale next Wednesday, April 1st at morning break and lunch. Tickets are $75 each. Prom is open to students in Grades 9-12. Students are allowed to bring a guest from outside of school in grades 9-12 with a signed permission slip. Dinner, dancing and a photo booth will make the "Once Upon A Time" Prom an evening to remember!

*The Stop the Swerve event is next Thursday, April 2nd. The Hampden County District Attorney's office will present their "Stop The Swerve" event at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. I have attended this event many times and it always proves to be educational and frankly a little shocking as students get to experience simulated drunk, drugged and distracted driving. There is also a presentation for parents on the liability of hosting teen parties. White Oak entered a billboard idea into their contest. I hope you will consider attending this event and supporting this really important educational source. (See attached flyer) - if you don't have parent conferences scheduled that night!

*UPCOMING MCAS DATES:

-Wednesday, April 1st- Grades 5 & 8 ELA

-Thursday, April 2nd- Grade 7 ELA

Have a great weekend!

Jody

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