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Child comfort and support kits for children in homeless shelters, donations of Spanish language books for an aftercare program, and collections of granola bars and other nutritional treats for service men and women and first responders were among the many creative efforts undertaken during Community Service Week in the Westfield Public School District.

As part of a Historical Fiction unit, 5th graders in Westfield Public Schools read "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry, a historical fiction novel that follows a friendship between a Jewish girl and a Christian girl in Copenhagen and their journey to freedom during World War II. Recent virtual presentations on the Holocaust provided students with important real-life context to these classroom experiences.

Save the Date! On Tuesday, April 13, 2021 from 7:00-8:30 p.m., the Westfield Public School District, in partnership with the Westfield Education Fund (WEF), will host a virtual community learning night for parents of elementary and middle school students. The event will be interactive and will focus on learning practical strategies for having conversations about race with children. Those interested in attending can learn more and register for the event by visiting the Racial Literacy page under “Family Resources” at www.westfieldnjk12.org.

Wednesday, April 14 is the deadline to submit nominations for the 2021 Charles Philhower Fellowship Award. The award was established in 1993 by the Rotary Club of Westfield to recognize an outstanding full-time elementary teacher in the Westfield Public Schools and to honor the late Westfield Rotarian and former School Superintendent Charles Philhower.

Since the summer of 2012, students and staff have looked forward to attending STEM Camp. Unfortunately, due to the health and safety concerns relating to COVID-19, the district will not be offering the camp this summer. The district has discussed alternatives such as a virtual camp but remote STEM Camp would not come close to the experiences we have provided over the years. We look forward to when we can offer our popular in-person STEM Camp in the future.

The Westfield Board of Education has hired a consulting firm to conduct the search for a new superintendent. Community members and district staff are encouraged to complete a short survey to provide input as to the educational characteristics, leadership style, and values that are important for the position. Read on to access links to the surveys.

Students and our visual and performing arts staff continue to find creative ways to produce art and music, even in this virtual world. Read all about it in the December/January issue of Arts a la Carte.