Growing up, I loved going back to school. Of course, I loved the freedom and fun of summer, but there was always something special about reuniting with friends, trying on new sneakers, covering new books and returning to the structure of the classroom.

I still feel that excitement now as my daughter prepares to enter 8th grade. Like a lot of you, we learned who her teachers would be recently, we noted the back-to-school night on the calendar, and we went on the school supply run. It is more fun watching her get excited than it was getting excited myself when I was a kid. And I’m especially happy and proud to know that she is going to school in one of the best towns in the state for education; it is one of the primary reasons families like mine come to Westfield.

Just this year, Niche ranked Westfield schools as an A+, noting it to be within the top 3 percent of schools nationally. This is with good reason. As recently as 2019, one of our six outstanding elementary schools was awarded the prestigious National Blue Ribbon as an “Exemplary High Performing School.”

Last year, for the fifth consecutive year, Westfield schools were honored as one of the “Best Communities for Music Education” by the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation.

Our high school newspaper, Hi’s Eye, was awarded first place by the American Scholastic Press Association for their journalistic content.

The high school participates in the “No Place for Hate” program to promote acceptance and encourage inclusivity. We have a robust theater department, access to state-of-the-art technology resources, and innumerable clubs. Our athletic department fields teams of elite players who often continue their sports at the next level, as well as encourages kids who just enjoy the game and the camaraderie. I plan to help continue to improve field access for athletes, band members and cheer squad so that they can practice and compete on safe, high-quality surfaces without wasting time waiting or traveling when they could be studying.

Sometimes I feel so lucky to live here and be able to provide this first-rate educational opportunity for my family, but then I remember that it isn’t luck that created this outstanding academic infrastructure here in Westfield. It took hard work by parents, volunteer board of education members and devoted teachers and professionals to create this. My own husband sat on the Board of Education. I recognize and appreciate the work that goes into the success of a community, and I will work in my capacity as a Ward 2 council member to bring that same Blue Devil commitment to the town as a whole.

Wishing all of our students and educators success as we start the new academic year!