It's been almost an entire school year since the new 8:00 a.m. start time was implemented at Westford Academy, and its positive outcome can already be seen throughout the halls and classrooms of our school as students and staff have adjusted their schedules to this change and gotten used to the extra...

A gentle silence settles over Westford Academy’s senior parking lot as the frenzy of students rushing home after the last bell slows to a stop. A few remaining cars from the student drop-off line drift by, signaling the end of the school day. The only thing setting this day apart from any other afternoon...

Dean Betsy Murphy gathered a group of students to plant 100 tulip bulbs donated by Emerson Health on Thursday, Oct. 23.  People from many different clubs including Pride Club, Cirrus Club, Best Buddies, and WA Medical Brigades were asked to come to the planting. This event was organized by the Yellow...

Throughout history, the topic of mental health has been unapproachable. As a result of religious intolerance and superstitions, for the longest time, those with mental health issues were blamed, rather than being treated for chemical imbalances that are associated with the disorders. Despite this, within...

College has been a worry in the back of my mind for as long as I have been attending school, and as I near the end of high school, discussions surrounding the subject have grown more unavoidable. The reason for the pervasiveness of the topic is no secret; college is a crucial period in the lives of students...

As a result of new technology and social media, present-day teens have struggled noticeably with more mental health issues than past generations. Students nowadays cannot seem to turn the digital versions of their social lives off, and it drains them. In order to address this issue, 10th grade honors...

As she tapes down the last corners of the poster, Alexis Cournoyer explains what the life-size coloring sheet is doing against her classroom door. A couple days earlier, some of her students had requested something to color to calm down. Soon after, she brought the poster as a way for them to stop by...

For many students and teachers, Wendy Pechacek is a familiar face, whether she's been a guidance counselor or a person to go to for advice, she has been a pillar of WA's staff for twenty-one years of leadership. Pechacek, WPS's 6-12 Coordinator of School Counseling, will be concluding her career at the...

New start times for the 2021-2022 school year have been proposed in order to lift budget constraints in Westford Public School district. The Westford School Committee will vote on the final timings at their meeting on March 8. This vote will decide whether or not Westford Academy's current start time...

Westford Academy is known to many for its rigorous academics, but with constant academic, social, and at-home pressures, many students struggle with mental health issues. WA provides many resources, but how commonly known they are to students varies. Westford Academy's school psychologist, Steve Cunha,...

As school is back into full swing the effects of COVID-19, Hybrid as well as Remote learning and levels of workload have affected student's mental health for better or for worse. Additionally, the accessibility to Westford Academy's resources to help manage student mental health seems to be unknown among...

The past month has been anything but normal for the students at WA. COVID-19, more commonly known as the coronavirus, has hit the US and has interrupted the daily lives of pretty much every citizen. Schools across the country including WA have been closed, and families are ordered to quarantine themselves. With...