The Shamrock Blast 01/30/25

After 44 years of dedicated service in education, Dr. Paul Kaiser, Superintendent of Westfield Washington Schools, has announced his decision to retire, effective July 1, 2025. Throughout his tenure, Dr. Kaiser’s leadership has helped guide our district through periods of growth and achievement, leaving a profound and lasting impact on the Westfield community.

We are also pleased to share that Dr. John Atha, currently the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, & Learning, will succeed Dr. Kaiser as Superintendent. Dr. Atha’s vision and dedication to academic excellence will lead our district into its next chapter.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Kaiser on his remarkable career and welcoming Dr. Atha for his appointment as incoming Superintendent.

IMPORTANT REMINDER! We are approaching the final days for consumable fees.

This year's consumable fees have been posted to your students' PowerSchool account. All fees should be paid in full by Saturday, February 1, 2025. Please log into PowerSchool to pay. Device repairs will be added as they occur.

Most fees for middle school students have been uploaded into PowerSchool. All special class fees will be added the week of March 24 due to ongoing schedule changes.

Westfield High School trimester 1 fees and trimester 2 fees have been added to your student’s PowerSchool account. Trimester 3 fees will be added the week of March 3.

If you would like to sign up for a payment plan, please email luedkes@wws.k12.in.us. Invoices have been sent to the email address provided in PowerSchool. You will need your student ID to open the invoice. Fees can also be viewed and paid through your parent PowerSchool account. Please know there is now a .041% processing fee to pay with a credit card.

If you would like to pay by check, please make sure you have your student's name in the memo line. Cash and check payments should be sent to:

Westfield Washington Schools

Attn: Accounts Receivable

19500 Tomlinson Road, Suite B

Westfield, IN 46074

IMPORTANT REMINDER! We are approaching the final days of enrollment for 2025-26 TOTS and All Aboard. Enrollment will close February 5.

The Early Learning Center offers childcare for Westfield Washington Schools teachers and staff, starting at 12 weeks old up to 3 years old. Beginning at age 3, Westfield families must have an older child enrolled in Westfield Washington Schools to be eligible. The All Aboard Pre-K program is open to any Westfield family with a child who is 4 years old by August 1, 2025, and fully toilet trained. Enrollment is limited with priority placement given to currently enrolled families.

Additional information, including a parent information video, can be found in the links below. The Virginia F. Wood Early Learning Center is located at:

19500 Tomlinson Road, Suite A

Westfield, IN 46074

On Tuesday, Westfield Middle School's eighth grade boys basketball team read several short stories aloud to Oak Trace students! This served as both a team-building activity and a way to connect with some of our elementary students.

Last Saturday, our alumni came together for a spirited homecoming night as the Rocks faced Muncie Central. Guests enjoyed a spaghetti dinner, games, and prizes, with one lucky Shamrock winning a basketball signed by Westfield alum, Braden Smith!

The Rocks secured a win over Muncie Central at the varsity basketball game with a final score of 46-33.

Photos by Ella McGrath, Rocks Media House intern

Kindergarteners at Carey Ridge had an exciting visit from special guest Miss Liz the Science Wiz, who taught them all about emperor penguins! Thanks to a grant from the Westfield Education Foundation, students explored the world of ornithology—learning how penguins thrive in Antarctica’s icy conditions. To learn more about Westfield Education Foundation grants, click the link below.

On Friday, the girls and boys basketball teams honored the Lady Rocks seniors and breast cancer survivors and fighters at the 13th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game against Brownsburg. The boys secured a 57-31 win with strong defense, while the Lady Rocks battled hard but fell 45-36 in a close game.

Photos by Ella McGrath, Rocks Media House intern

Whether you can't make it to a game or you want to give your relatives a chance to watch your kid play, Westfield Sports Network has you covered. WSN is a student-driven group that produces and does commentary for Rocks athletic events.

Check out the list of upcoming matches below and be sure to share the links with friends and family.

All previous and future stream links can be found on the IHSAA TV website. Just search "Westfield."

Come out to support all of our Rocks athletic teams. Whether you want to watch a varsity game, a JV matchup or middle school showdown, you can click the buttons below to see where our Rocks will be.

On January 14, the WWS Board of School Trustees approved a revised 2025-26 school calendar due to road closures around the LIV Golf tournament at The Club at Chatham Hills from August 15-17, 2025. These closures will make it nearly impossible for school buses to operate in that area, so schools will be closed for students and staff on Friday, August 15, 2025.

Here are the key changes to the revised calendar:

• The August 15 school day will now be moved to November 6 which will also be the last day of the first trimester.
• November 6 was originally scheduled as a Teacher Work Day.
• November 7 will remain a Teacher Work Day (grades 7-12) and a Parent Conference Day (grades K-6).
• September 24 will be an Asynchronous eLearning Day for students and a PD Collaboration Day for Teachers.

These changes ensure that we can effectively manage the impact of the tournament on our school operations while maintaining educational excellence.

Thank you for your ongoing support and flexibility as we strive to provide the best possible experiences for our students and staff.

As winter continues, it's important to stay informed about Westfield Washington Schools' inclement weather procedures. Please visit our website below to learn more about school closures and delays. Additionally, the City of Westfield encourages residents to stay weather-aware by reviewing their treatment plan for winter weather and checking the interactive snowplow map.

Stop by the Rock Shop this week to pick up this stylish Westfield Crew Neck Sweater! Perfect for any and all Westfield events, this extra-cozy sweater will be sure to keep you warm and comfortable.

The Rock Shop is a student-run, student-operated shop with student-designed items. So, in addition to getting the latest apparel, you're also helping students get real entrepreneurship experience before they even graduate!

Do you want to make an impact on the future leaders of our community? Join us at Westfield Washington Schools, where you can truly make a difference!

The Rock Strong Award presented by the Westfield Education Foundation is a quarterly award, given out at each school and operations to recognize teachers, instructional assistants, instructional coaches, building secretaries, bus drivers, substitute teachers, food service staff and operations staff for the great work they do for our children and our community!

Each quarter, all schools and operations will review nominations from staff, students, families and the community and select someone who represents its values and culture to receive the Rock Strong Award and a special gift.

FCCLA Foodies Rock is a fully functioning foodservice operation that is student centered and fostered through the Westfield High School Culinary Arts program. Our members are highly trained in customer service, hospitality, culinary techniques, food safety and sanitation. Foodies Rock holds a Food Permit by the Hamilton County Board of Health, Advisors Nikki Heflin and Bryan Ferreira are ServSafe Manager certified, and will follow the National Restaurant Association’s Guidelines for food preparation. Chef Heflin and Chef Ferreira each have over 20 years of industry experience, and love guiding their students in making both the optics and cuisine for your event out of this world! Check out this full list of opportunities to work with FCCLA Foodies Rock and book today!

Inquire with Chef Nikki Heflin for booking

whsfoodiesrock@wws.k12.in.us

317-701-4440

You're invited to bring your children to a free dental clinic at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis this Saturday, February 1. This clinic is for children ages 3-10 and includes dental screenings, cleanings, and other preventative services plus activities, dental kits and oral health books. For follow up questions, please reach out to Katherine Prestin, Oral Health Educator at kprestin@health.in.gov

Westfield Washington Township is offering Safe Sitter classes! Safe Sitter is a medically accurate childcare curriculum that gives young adolescents the skills to be safe, nurturing babysitters. Mrs. White will teach important life skills- business, medical and safe habits- in this high quality course. Babysitters know how to keep children safe and how to respond in an emergency. Graduates will receive a Safe Sitter certification. Please bring a sack lunch. These classes fill up quickly so don't delay!

Westfield Magazine has compiled an ongoing list of community events, opportunities, festivals, parties, tours and more! All of the events are in our local area, and there is something for the whole family.

Each month, incoming Superintendent Dr. John Atha invites community members to Westfield High School to chat with him about anything on their minds. Learn about how the district operates from a chief executive or ask questions about upcoming construction projects.

Upcoming Dates

• February 27, 2025
• March 13, 2025
• April 17, 2025
• May 1, 2025

Westfield Washington Schools is one of the fastest growing school districts in the state of Indiana. With an “A” rating from the Indiana Department of Education, WWS enrolled nearly 9,700 students, in 2023-24, across six elementary, one intermediate, middle, and high school. The district employs roughly 1,500 staff members. Westfield High School is ranked in the top 3 percent nationally by U.S. News and World Report, and has a graduation rate of 97.2 percent with 86 percent of its graduates continuing onto higher education.

Email: comms@wws.k12.in.us

Website: wws.k12.in.us

Location: 19500 Tomlinson Road, Suite B, Westfield, IN, USA

Phone: 317-867-8000

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westfieldschools

Instagram: @westfield_washington_schools

Twitter: @WWSweb