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Photo source: Billerica Public Schools. Superintendent Timothy Piwowar will host meet-and-greets with community members in September and October to learn about the district and community.
9-12-2023 5:02pm
New Superintendent of Westwood Public Schools Wants to Learn about Community in Meet-and-Greets
Darlene Cancell
Editor
On September 18th and 26th and October 3rd and 4th this year, Westwood residents have an opportunity to meet new Superintendent of Westwood Public Schools (WPS) Timothy Piwowar in a series of four meet-and-greet sessions: two in-person sessions in Westwood, one in-person session in Boston, and one remote session.
They are part of Mr. Piwowar's "entry plan" which he says serves a two-fold purpose. The superintendent wants to develop a better understanding of the district and community. He also wants to inform the district strategy for improvement for the next academic year.
The four meetings will be held as listed below, and include a Boston location which should be more convenient for parents of METCO students. The meetings are open to both WPS families and the rest of the community. There is no need to preregister. The upcoming meetings will be held:
- Monday, September 18, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Muffin House Café at 296 Washington Street in Westwood;
- Tuesday, September 26th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at METCO headquarters at 11 Roxbury Street in Boston;
- Tuesday, October 3, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Westwood Main Library at 660 High Street in Westwood;
- Wednesday, October 4, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., remotely via Zoom at the link found here.
“One of the goals is to help families get to know me better,” said Superintendent Piwowar, who came to Westwood after serving for 11 years as Billerica’s Superintendent of Schools. “In turn, I want to learn more about them, and hear their thoughts and ideas on what we are doing well and in what areas we can improve," he said.
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In a September 8, 2023 memo to School Committee regarding his entry plan, the superintendent states that he has already held more than 50 meetings.
"Since the beginning of the summer, my focus has been on conducting meetings with as many people as possible: district and school staff, municipal officials, elected/appointed members of town boards/committees, and other people in the Westwood community," wrote Superintendent Piwowar.
The new superintendent has indicated plans to visit schools and classrooms. "[V]isiting schools and classrooms is imperative to see first-hand what teaching and learning looks like across the district," he wrote. "It is also equally important to spend time talking with and observing students in other environments like lunchrooms and playgrounds to get a sense of the culture of each of our schools and the level to which all of our students feel a sense of belonging in their school communities," he continued.
Following his information gathering, meetings, and observations, Superintendent Piwowar plans to present his findings first at the November meeting of the School Committee, and subsequently with the broader community. In his presentation, he plans to address the following questions:
- What are the strengths of our school system?
- What are the biggest challenges that we face?
- What is important that we protect (or maintain) in our system?
- What are our biggest opportunities for growth in the future?
"From all of my initial impressions, the Westwood Public Schools is an amazing place for students, families, and staff. I am hopeful that the findings from my entry plan will provide an opportunity to not only reflect on our district’s successes, but also to support a thoughtful transition so that we can continue to grow in meeting the academic and social-emotional needs of all our students," wrote Mr. Piwowar.
Thanks to Westwood Public Schools for sharing its news with Westwood Minute.
