"But you're already committed to a college, why do you care so much?" Despite late nights spent poring over Psychology and AP European History notes and hours spent on math homework and equations, the question still lingers in the back of my head. The mentality of needing to succeed combined with...

Westford Academy is implementing Wayfinder, a curriculum program designed to help students with life skills, in advisories for the first time this school year. According to Westford Public Schools Director of Special Education and Social Emotional Learning Gerard Coughlin, the program was incorporated...

As the bell chimes at 8 a.m. instead of 7:35 a.m., students are starting their day at a calmer pace and with fewer bleary eyes. The 2025-2026 school year marks the first year of Westford Academy’s implementation of later school start times, following nearly two years of debate since Oct. 2023. The...

The bell rings and the hallways flood with students, their laughter joining in with a chorus of sounds. Surrounded by the constant bustle of high school, it can be difficult to notice the note of nervousness in someone’s laugh, the slight frown on someone’s face. But amidst this buzz, there is one...

Junior year is known for the intense pressure it puts on students with more challenging classes and daunting decisions regarding life after high school. Additionally, with Advanced Placement (AP) tests, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), American College Testing (ACT), and college tours, it can be stressful...

At WA, most students' days are filled with challenging classes and an incredibly heavy workload. For many, this can lead to feelings such as burnout, which cause long term strain on the body and the mind, or even just an overall feeling of mental exhaustion. Although it may not seem so, there is a solution...

Every year when February rolls around, students are tasked with selecting their classes for the following year. Though to some this may not be stressful, there are a handful of students that have to answer the same questions every year: am I really interested in this class or am I just taking it because...

With 17 years as a member of Westford's Board of Health, 22 years as Stony Brook Middle School's nurse, and a lifetime of being a mental health advocate under her belt, Sue Hanly is beginning a new chapter in Woburn after being a trailblazer for mental health awareness in Westford. Earlier this month,...

The state of Massachusetts adopted a new set of guidelines for health and physical education this September, after a Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) vote. The new frameworks, replacing the 1999 version, provide more comprehensive standards regarding physical education, and introduces...

Content Warnings: Suicide, Anxiety, and Depression Dear Evan Hansen is one of the most popular musicals of the 21st century. It has received a novel adaption and as of September 24, 2021, it received a movie adaption with an all-star cast. Dear Evan Hansen is a musical about mental health and the...

It’s hard for me to describe the effect of what a cartoon horse has taught me about mental illness, empathy, and being a good person. BoJack Horseman is an animated Netflix original show that explores a plethora of prevalent issue, such as intergenerational trauma, depression, drug and alcohol addiction,...

After hours of studying and hard work, Senior Isabella Xu has been announced the co-valedictorian of the class of 2020 alongside Grace Pu. Not only has she performed exceedingly in academic classes, but she has also gone above and beyond in her extra-curricular activities.  Determination and perseverance...