Teacher Margaret's "View From My Window" - May 11th

Dear Friends,

I am thrilled to announce our faculty choice for our One Community, One Book Summer Reading Program. Our book was selected to align with our 2023-2024 year-long theme “We Seek to Create an Earth Restored”. Everyone from our youngest two-year-olds to our rising 8th-grade students will read (or have read to them!) Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer.  

Wonder Walkers is a Caldecott Honor Book exploring the intersection of imagination and the natural world. In early September Micha will give our students a live presentation via ZOOM on how she works with collage and her writing process in creating Wonder Walkers. In selecting this book the faculty committee believes it is accessible to all ages and provides older students with ample opportunities for thoughtful discussion and exploration. 

As extensions to Wonder Walkers, students rising into 3rd through 5th grades will also read Hoot by Carl Hiassen. For some of our younger students, having their parents read the book with them or listening to the audio version will help them enjoy this story of children trying to save some owls.

Students rising into 6th through 8 grades are to also read Wild Oak by C.C. Harrington. This book won the Schneider Family Book Award for Best Middle-Grade title in 2023.  Wild Oak is a story of healing, courage, and a touch of magical realism within a Cornish forest.

Finally, for all of the adults in our community, I invite you to read World of Wonders by Aimee Nezkukumatathil. In early September I will host a coffee and conversation time for us to talk about this amazing book together. I hope you will enjoy all of these books. My family used to listen together to our summer reading books as we took longer car rides.  Look for more information about the full summer reading and math programs for our students on our website in early June. 

Westfield does community really well. Our wonderful volunteers are part of the web that makes this learning place so successful.

I want to thank all of the Room Parents who made sure class celebrations and class plays were well supported.  I want to thank the officers of Parents and Guardians Council, Sandra, Kylene, Gretchen, and Jessica for their leadership this year. These are the people who keep grade-level families up to date on events and happenings in school.

We have created new events and reimagined old ones to serve our families today. These fund-raisers and friend-raisers have helped families build friendships within and across grades. Each of these events had its own team of volunteers ensuring its success.

Thank you to our wonderful librarians, Jessica, Mandy, Casey, Michelle, and Carolyn who have helped us curate our collection for Westfield’s students and have fostered a love of reading in our Prek through Second Grade library patrons.

Thank you to Shantay for helping with our successful Friends Council Membership Renewal.

Thank you to the parents who helped make the Golf Outing and A Taste of Our Towns so extraordinary, Gretchen, Kristina, Nora, Megan, Lauren, Danielle, Tricia, and Cindy. And also to all the families who contributed to the class baskets that were such a hit.  

Warmly,

Margaret

Queries for May Meeting for Worship

Announcements:

• Friday May 12th PreK Art Show
• Friday May 12th, Middle School Production, Alice in Wonderland 7:00pm in the auditorium
• Saturday May 13th, Middle School Production, Alice in Wonderland 2:00pm in the auditorium
• Monday May 15, 2nd and 3rd Grade PBL Presentation “Reduce, Recycle, Repurpose”
• Thursday May 18th “8th Grade Shark Tank Presentations”
• Friday May 19th Field Day

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