Greetings from Westford School

Growing hearts and minds for a better today and tomorrow: Every day, every way, every one

I am thrilled to welcome our students back to school on Wednesday, August 30th, marking the beginning of the 2023/24 school year. The school day will run from 8:15 am to 3:15 pm this year. Please note that the buses carrying our high school students will not arrive until 3:45 pm. Yes, the three Westford bus routes will transport K-12 students together. If your child is a bus rider for the afternoon route, they will stay in their classroom with para-professional supervision for an additional 30 minutes as they wait for the bus. During this time, they will remain engaged in their regularly scheduled activity, such as recess or academic choice, under the care of a familiar adult. This arrangement allows our classroom teachers to support car riders at 3:15 pm and attend to their professional responsibilities before the end of the day. At 3:45 pm, the para educator supervising the bus riders will walk them to their buses for dismissal. For safety reasons, only bus riders will be dismissed at 3:45 pm. To ensure a smooth dismissal process, reduce traffic congestion on Brookside Road, and adhere to safety protocols, we kindly request that car riders arrive no earlier than 3:10 pm. This will help us manage the dismissal effectively and keep all students safe.

We will begin the school year by teaching the routines and expectations necessary for students to meet academic and social expectations. Our social and emotional learning standards and academic standards are integrated and we provide students time each day to independently practice skills and reflect on their learning. Your child will be reading books that act as mirrors that reflect aspects of self and books that act as windows to show the larger world around them. This is an important part of being a connected, kind community of learners who can perspective take and contribute to a more equitable society.

Additionally, we know that independence, confidence, interest, and engagement are key components in students meeting our high academic and social standards. As teachers kick off the first six weeks of school teaching routines and expectations, you will hear your child talk about our three school-wide expectations. We expect all students to be 1) Safe, 2) Kind, and 3) Responsible. All teachers will teach students what it means to be safe, kind, and responsible in their classroom and throughout the school environment. Students will work as a community to determine classroom celebrations when they meet their classroom behavior goals. I am confident in our team's approach to teaching expectations and our system of intervention. There will be much to celebrate with you this year, both academically and socially, as we meet each student where they are and build both strong classroom and school communities of engaged learners.

This year we are excited to share that Elizabeth Ploof is our new 5/6 Literacy teacher. Hannah Danis and Annie Davis will serve as our Learning Specialists for students in grades 5-8.

School Hours - Please note the change in the school day!

8:15 am -3:15 pm except on Wednesdays. All students are dismissed at 2:15 pm on Wednesdays. Buses will transport students at 2:15 on Wednesdays without a delay.

Students arriving to class after 8:25 are considered tardy.

AM Car Rider Arrival:

Students arriving by car are assisted by school adults in getting to their classrooms. We ask that parents avoid parking in the fire lane as it encourages other cars to pass and creates a safety hazard. If your child needs a longer goodbye in the morning, we ask that you park in the designated parking areas and walk your child to the entrance. Several adults at various points greet and assist students to ensure a smooth transition. We understand that our youngest students may need support getting out of the car and ask that you practice with your student so that we do this effectively to avoid backing up traffic on Brookside.

If you need to meet with the classroom teacher, we ask that you schedule a time outside morning drop-off as this impacts our ability to meet the expectation that all classroom teachers greet and welcome all students at the classroom door. We recognize that it is beneficial, especially with our youngest learners, to have key details as the day begins. So, please feel free to share via email with the classroom teacher, or any adult assisting drop-off, things like your child needs breakfast that morning or didn’t sleep well the previous night.

PM Car Rider Dismissal:

Dismissal for car riders is at 3:15. If your child does not need to ride the bus, please pick your child up at the front circle and do not plan to arrive before 3:10. After speaking with the State Police, we are not allowed to back up traffic on Brookside Road waiting for school dismissal and traffic is allowed to pass any parked car. This isn’t safe, so I highly recommend that you arrive no earlier than 3:10. We can run car dismissal in 10 minutes and we cannot get all students out until 3:15 so arriving early doesn’t speed up dismissal time and there is no incentive to get in line early as it backs up traffic. Classroom teachers will support car rider dismissal. If you need to meet with the classroom teacher, we ask that you schedule a time outside of pick up times as this creates a traffic issue and unintentionally encourages cars to drive around parked cars creating a safety issue. If your child needs additional time or support, please park in an available parking space and meet your child in the pickup line in person.

Classroom Orientation: Friday, August 25, 1:00-3:00pm

First student day: Wednesday, August 30 early dismissal car and bus pick up at 2:15

No School: Labor Day - Monday, September 4

Open House: October 5, 6:00-7:00pm

No School: Inservice - Friday, October 6

No School: Indigenous People’s Day - Monday, October 9

No School: Family Conferences - Friday, November 3

School Pictures: TBD

During the school year, your child will be exposed to books that serve as mirrors, reflecting aspects of their own identity, as well as books that act as windows, offering insights into the broader world around them. Our focus on equality should be visible in all that we do. We take our vision of “all means all” to heart. We will provide your child with tools specific to their needs, including a wide range of books and texts that cater to their interests. We are intentional about the books we purchase and the lessons we teach. Word study forms the foundation of reading skills in the K-2 grade spans, and we utilize Fundations as a rich phonics program. We are exploring an integrated reading and writing program in grades 3-4 this year and will continue with a humanities focus in grades 5-8. Much of our professional development this year will be in the area of utilizing national math practices. Instead of school-issued homework, we encourage you to read to your child daily, have them read to you, or read independently. Research indicates that homework can be ineffective and stressful for many students, especially in early grades. Additionally, we encourage playing developmentally appropriate games with your child as a great way to practice number skills, cooperative play, and turn-taking, fostering independence, confidence, interest, and engagement in their learning journey.

We ask that families inform the school of any changes in how a student is picked up, or dropped off, or if the student needs to be dismissed early through a signed and dated note- an email is appropriate. We understand that there may be times when families need to make a change and a written email or note isn’t possible. Please call the main office before 2:15 pm (1:15 pm on Weds), if this is the case. Please note that phone messages and emails requesting changes after 2:15pm cannot be honored in order to ensure safety, as there is no guarantee we have adequate time to respond. Student safety is a top priority and this level of communication and documentation is essential in accounting for all students and keeping everyone safe.

We seek to partner with families in practices specific to healthy snacks and cell phone use. Our intent is to set students up for success in their learning and social interactions to build a strong community of connected learners. We want to make sure that school and student celebrations and whole-class snacking experiences align with the nutritional criteria championed by USDA practices. We've noticed a rise in the consumption of chips and high-sugar items being brought into the classroom and consumed in the hallways at the middle school level, which can disrupt the learning process. To address this, we're encouraging alternatives such as whole-grain crackers, low-fat string cheese, yogurt, popcorn, fruits, and baked tortilla chips, setting the stage for focused learning without the subsequent sugar crash. It's worth noting that many students choose to enjoy breakfast at home and then partake in free school breakfast for a mid-morning snack, aligning seamlessly with our guidelines.

We are appropriately addressing the challenges created by allowing access to cell phones during the school day. This year we will be collecting students’ personal devices such as cell phones upon arrival and returning them at dismissal. This is a change from asking them to keep them in their lockers. You can find information concerning the reasoning behind not allowing access at school and detailed expectations and procedures about personal devices here. Frankly, the social pressure and the marketing pressure to connect on social media are too much for a middle school student to resist during the school day. It distracts from learning and creates unnecessary challenges to staying connected to their learning community with no obvious benefit. We provide each student with a school-issued device for learning. We ask that if you need to reach your child or if your child needs to reach you during the school day that they ask permission to use any one of our landlines or even quick access to their cell. We sincerely appreciate your partnership in cultivating an environment that fosters the growth of our students and the practicing of healthy habits.

As we prepare for the fall and winter seasons of the 2023/24 school year, we want to ensure that our students have meaningful and enriching experiences in after-school activities. To facilitate this, we kindly request you to complete the Google form: "Westford After School Activities: Athletics, Clubs, & Activities 2023/24 v.2 ASAP and no later than August 7th (for soccer participation). Even if you have already responded to a previous form, we ask that you review your responses and update them as necessary, as the questions have been modified. Again, we want all soccer participation indicated on the survey by August 7th.

Please note that EJRP also offers after-school care including activities for students in grades K-5.

This year, there are few significant changes to our after-school activities including adding robotics as an option for 4th grade students, providing opportunities from 3:15-3:45 for bus riders, and and update on transportation for away games. Click here for more details.

Contact: EWSD Transportation Department

• Hunter Eddy is the Director of Transportation and Mike Frisbie is the EWSD Lead Transportation Dispatcher. Inquiries concerning transportation should be directed to the transportation team at 802-857-7077 or via Email

Link to sign up for bussing:

2023-2024 EWSD Essex Westford School District Bus Sign-Up

EWSD bus behavior guidelines, student-parent handbook, and bus stop safety tips.

• Bus Routes & Details

• Three (3) routes will provide transportation for all K-12 students who wish to ride the bus. Busing does not include PreK.

• Buses will arrive by 8:15 at the beginning of the school day and then continue on to EHS to drop off high school students. Westford students will exit the buses in the back parking lot.

• Busses arrive from EHS (with EHS students) at 3:45, which is 30 minutes after student dismissal. We have arranged for bus riders and only bus riders to be supervised 3:15-3:45.

• The length and times of routes will be determined by the number of stops. The transportation office will send out routes and stop times in mid to late August once they have all the family signup information and all the possible drivers hired. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you fill out the transportation survey so we can accurately plan routes.

Students are expected to attend school Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:15 am to 3:15 pm and Wednesday 8:15-2:15. The EWSD attendance policy, including tardy procedures, is outlined in the student handbook. We are returning to typical attendance procedures where we support students in increasing their tolerance for attending school with mild illnesses. Our full-time school nurse will work with families as needed to support students. Since the pandemic, the number of students absent for a large number of school days has significantly increased. Please work with us to ensure your child attends school regularly and schedule family vacations during school closures to support a pattern of consistent attendance. Making up work is not equivalent to being in class learning with one’s peers and we do not ask teachers to prepare work for students while on vacation. Students enrolled in public school are expected to attend the classes and programs offered at school, and EWSD does not support absences related to private experiences such as the Forest School.

We ask that families communicate with us when their child is absent. You are welcome to email the classroom teacher and copy Terri Martin, Office Manager, or use the online reporting form found on the Westford Home Page (click here). If your child is absent for 10 days, the attendance policy will be mailed to you along with a request to discuss the impact on learning and any needed support. It is our policy to connect formally even if the school nurse is aware of a chronic health condition so that we can partner with you and your child’s healthcare providers to create a plan for consistent school attendance. The goal is always to partner with families to create healthy attendance patterns and problem-solve circumstances that are making attending school difficult.

EWSD Child Nutrition Services provides nutritious meals that meet specific, high nutritional standards. Vegetarian options are available along with the ability to meet other special dietary needs. Click here for Breakfast and Lunch menus. We are thrilled to continue to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students and EWSD is requesting all families complete the household income form (digital form or paper version). This information is used to determine which schools and students qualify for a multitude of programs and benefits and enables the Agency of Education to report important student data.

The EWSD Office for Learning was given an update from the Agency of Education in August that we can expect student results sometime after September 16th. We look forward to examining these results and making meaning of this information and will share them with families when they are available.