Westfield Washington Schools Give Out First-Ever Rock Service Awards

On June 14, during the school board meeting, the Westfield Washington Schools Board of Trustees, in partnership with the Westfield Education Foundation, gave out Rock Service Awards to three community organizations who have gone above and beyond the call to support the mission of Westfield Washington Schools which is to provide rigorous and engaging experiences to prepare all children for their future.

Ashley Knott, executive director of the Westfield Education Foundation, said she is proud to be shining a light on these organizations.

“It’s been an honor and a pleasure to partner with these great groups to continue providing our Rocks with excellent academic and extracurricular experiences,” Knott said. “These organizations truly have a selfless approach to community and it shows in all the things they have done for our district and our kids. We can’t thank them enough for what they have helped us accomplish and we look forward to continuing these great relationships for years to come.”

Rebecca Olge, president of the school board, said it is important that the district highlight important community partners.

“The Westfield Washington Schools board of trustees wanted to recognize groups that contribute to our community and make Westfield a better place,” Ogle said. “These groups help nurture not just the students but our community as a whole. So, we’re very excited to start giving out this service award and continue with our culture of gratitude and recognition that we’ve brought to our school board meetings and to our district.

The following organizations were honored at the public meeting: Kiwanis Club of Westfield, Rotary Club of Westfield and Westfield Lions Club. Here are just a few of the ways these groups have contributed to the district and the community:

Kiwanis Club has partnered strategically with the Westfield Washington Schools to provide financial support to the Westfield Education Foundation, Care Closets, mental health awareness campaigns, scholarship programs for high school seniors and more. Additionally, they foster the development of in-school service leadership through initiatives like Service Over Self and Key Leader. Outside of the regular school environment, they support community groups like Student Impact, Carter’s Play Place, and AFS-USA.

Rotary Club of Westfield has consistently supported the school district, the community and the Foundation by volunteering and donating to programs and initiatives like teacher grants, Laugh It Off Grant teacher appreciation event, Meals on Wheels, Westfield Public Library book donation, Mid-West Food Bank, Interact, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), Youth Assistance, Student Impact, signage at school zones, Gaga Ball pits in elementary schools, 151st Street Roundabout, Christmas tree decorating at Cool Creek roundabout and more.

Westfield Lions Club has consistently supported the school district, the community and the Foundation by volunteering and donating to programs and initiatives like teacher grants, WHS Culinary program, WHS music programs, WHS Leos Club, student scholarships, WHS Hoosier Girls State, Diabetes Foundation of Indiana Open Doors of Westfield, Heart and Soul, Indiana Lions Eye Bank, Leader Dogs for the Blind and Indiana Law Camp.

The school board and the Westfield Education Foundation will continue to use this award as a way to show its appreciation and gratitude to the people and organizations in our community who show a Rock Strong commitment to our students, staff and community members.

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 8,800 students, in 2021-22, across six elementary, one intermediate middle and high school. The district employs more than 600 teachers and nearly 250 support staff. Westfield High School is ranked in the top 3 percent nationally by U.S. News and World Report, and has a graduation rate of 98.3 percent with 86 percent of its graduates continuing onto higher education.

For more information on Westfield Washington Schools visit www.wws.k12.in.us.