Superintendent Michael Cipolla called the open house a “great event.”

At their regular meeting this month, Westfield Academy and Central School Board of Education members extolled this year’s open house as, possibly, the best ever and the most well attended.

Several board members expressed their appreciation to the staff for hosting an openhouse that offered “something for everyone.” Faculty members who spoke during the period of public comment also praised the event.

“I thought the Open House was great,” said staff member Robert Dyment. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this busy with parents and kids.”

And faculty member, Kendra Bills said, “Thank you to everyone who made that happen.”

District Superintendent Michael Cipolla agreed with their assessment. “The open house was packed,” he said. “It was a great event for our families.”

Elementary Principal Molly Anderson noted this year’s event seemed to provide something for every member of the family.”Open House was a very busy night, and a very warm night,” she said. ”

Anderson noted many people went down the hill where the fire department, Westfield Police and the department of public works were all on hand to meet with students and showcase their vehicles. The District and PTA also sponsored a petting zoo. “So there was a little something for everyone down there,” she said.

The event was held on Wednesday, Sept. 6, from 6 to 7:30 pm, with a picnic and activities outside near the bus garage, a chance for students to meet their new teachers and pick up their schedules and the opportunity for older students to obtain their lockers and drop off their supplies.

In a related matter, Cipolla reminded board members that there was a table set up at first Friday with informational items regarding the proposed capital project. “We had a table set up last Friday and a lot of folks were interested in what the capital project was all about,” he said. “The board can expect to hear a lot more about it over the winter.”

Cipolla also told the board that WACS will be focusing on agricultural and environmental science this year. “Over the past few years, our district has developed a higher level of STEAM courses and curriculum. We understand the importance of providing additional opportunities for our students to gain exposure and success in pathways that meet their interests and industry demands,” he said.

Cipolla told board members that these skill based programs are essential to the educational process at WACS. “Our programming (k-12) covers vast offerings across grade levels to include animation, AR/VR, coding, drones, engineering, cyber security, artificial intelligence and robotics,” he said. “Recently, our District appointed Clare Foley, who has an environmental background and is a certified science teacher.”

The goal is to expand STEAM offerings to incorporate a deeper look at the environmental aspects of science and agriculture, Cipolla explained. Staff will be visiting local schools, as well as Windsor Central School District that have established agriculture programs, he said. “We are eager to partner with our community to further develop opportunities for our students in the areas of agriculture and environmental science,” he added.

In other business, secondary Principal Corey Markham reported that opening day was “very typical” this year. There were the usual problems with sixth-graders learning to use combination locks and things of that sort, he said.

In her report, Anderson told board members that STEM instruction is expanding in the elementary school, and there is a new program in pre-K called “On My Way.” “We are very excited about this program,” she said.

Anderson also told the board that she has set some particular goals for this school year. “I’ve established several goals for the year,” she said. “The three main areas of focus this year include increasing student attendance, emphasizing literacy, and family/community engagement.”

Director of Instruction Special Education Lauren Harper told board members that everything went smoothly on opening day, and the staff is “anxiously awaiting” the grades 3 to 8 ELA and Math test results. “These results will enable us to make good decisions moving forward,” she said.

At the conclusion of the meeting, board member Tom Tarpley spoke about making sure students understand what happened on Sept. 11, 2001. “It’s to a point where all the students in the school were born after that day,” he said. “It’s important that the district teach about the heroism that was displayed on September 11.”

Tarpley went on to say that WACS should encourage heroism and a willingness among students to be police officers, firefighters and first responders. He referred to the message that WACS put on its web site, which said:

“Today, September 11th, we remember all of those who lost their lives 22 years ago due to the tragic events that occurred in our Nation. We ask that you join Westfield Academy and Central School District in remembering and honoring all families, first responders and members of our armed forces who served and continue to serve our Nation.”

“Thank you for talking about that subject and making sure it is not forgotten,” Tarpley added.