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THE WESTFIELD NEWS

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2015 - PAGE 7

Obituaries

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Helen A. Bayless WESTFIELD — Helen A. (Bonyeau) Bayless, 81, of Westfield died Monday December 14, 2015 in Westfield. She was born in Westfield on September 20, 1934 to Albert and Louise (Nordstrom) Bonyeau. Helen attended local schools in Westfield and worked at W.T. Grant and later retired from Old Colony Envelope after many years of service, both in Westfield. She was a caregiver for her mother and oldest sister during the time of their illnesses. Helen was the widow of Charles Bayless who died in 1981 after 30 years of marriage. She leaves her son Mark E. Bayless of Rock Springs, GA, two daughters Charlotte Robienczak of Westfield and Bonnie Osowski of Mansfield, three brothers, Albert, Daniel and Ronald “Butchie” Bonyeau and a sister Eileen Mayhew all of Westfield. Helen also leaves eight grandchildren, Jeffrey, Jessica, Bobby, Eddie, Adam, Kyle, Brian and Timothy, and four great grandchildren, Liam, Gavin, Sebastian and Noah. She was predeceased by an infant son Raymond Todd Bayless, a brother Richard Bonyeau and three sisters Katherine Tomei, Mary McConnell, and Roberta Bard. The funeral will be Saturday December 19th at 10 a.m. from the Firtion-Adams Funeral Service, 76 Broad Street, Westfield followed by burial in Pine Hill Cemetery. Calling hours will be Friday from 4-7 PM at the funeral home. Donations may be made to St. Jude Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105 or Shriners Hospital for Children, 516 Carew St. Springfield, MA 01104. firtionadams.com

Winter solstice to be observed at UMass ‘sunwheel’ AMHERST — Residents of western Massachusetts are being invited to mark the winter solstice outdoors by gathering around the UMass-Amherst sunwheel. The university has invited the public to assemble around the Stonehenge-like outdoor circle, whose standing stones line up with the locations on the horizon of the rising and setting sun at the times of the solstices and equinoxes. The winter solstice marks the date when nights are longest and days are shortest in the Northern Hemisphere and the sun rises and sets at its most southerly location along the horizon. Gatherings will be held at 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 21. UMass astronomers, who built the sunwheel, said the events will be canceled in the event of heavy rain or snow. At the hour-long gatherings, UMass Amherst astronomers discuss the astronomical cause of the solstice. They explain the seasonal positions of Earth, the sun and moon, why the earliest sunset occurs about two weeks earlier and the latest sunrise about two weeks later, building the sunwheel and the design of other calendar sites such as Stonehenge and Chankillo. They will also answer other astronomical questions. If it is clear, a solar telescope will be set up to safely observe the surface of the sun, and there may be an opportunity for a telescopic view of the gibbous moon at the evening session. Even though the instant when the sun is most southerly occurs at 11:48 p.m. local time on Dec. 21, sunwheel visitors who stop in on their own will be able to see the sun rising and setting over the winter solstice stones from roughly Dec. 16–26. This is because at the solstice (which means stationary sun) the sun appears to rise at a fixed spot on the southeast horizon and to set in a fixed southwest direction for more than a week. Teachers can earn certificates of participation for attending seasonal gatherings at the sunwheel. Contact Stephen Schneider at schneider@astro.umass.edu for more information. The UMass sunwheel is located south of McGuirk Alumni Stadium, just off Rocky Hill Road (Amity St.) about onequarter mile south of University Drive. Visitors to the sunwheel should be prepared for freezing temperatures and wet footing.

Russell COA Holiday Party RUSSELL — The Russell Council on Aging will have a holiday party Thursday, December 17th at noon, at the senior center. A catered lunch of roast pork and dessert will be served. The cost for Russell Seniors is $8.50 per person. The cost for all other guests is $10.75 per person. Please bring a wrapped gift, under $5, appropriate for either gender, for a grab bag gift exchange. Please mail or drop off payment and reservation slip by Monday, December 14th, to the Russell Council on Aging, 65 Main St., P O Box 407, Russell, MA 01071. For more information, please leave a message on the Russell COA information line at (413)862-6205, or e-mail Carrie Florek at cfrcoa@gmail.com.

VIPS seek volunteers WESTFIELD — Are you a community member, parent, or college student? Do you have some extra time and a desire to help children? An hour a week can truly make a difference to help Westfield schools! Volunteers in Public Schools of Westfield (VIPS) would like to match YOU with a request for help from one of our schools. Volunteers work at assignments at the request of and under the direction of a teacher or staff member. VIPS is currently searching for volunteers in our elementary, middle and high schools. We are looking for Classroom Assistants, Lunchroom Monitors, Door Greeters, Enrichment Facilitators and Math or Reading Tutors. Training is provided as needed. VIPS will work with you to match your availability and school preference. All interested in volunteering must complete an application, a Criminal Offender Records Information form and training before they begin to volunteer. Training appointments are available to fit your schedule. Please call VIPS at 572-6345 or email vips@schoolsofwestfield.org to make an appointment or for further information.

Wisam Isam, one of the Arabic tutors at HIghland, graduated from Westfield High, and is in ROTC at Westfield State University. Isam, who is originally from Iraq, recently became a U.S. citizen.”It’s nice to see kids at the high school level that are graduating and want to come back,” ELL Coach Sue Moore said. (Photo by Amy

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“It’s wonderful. Definitely a learning experience,” Howard said. “I wouldn’t do anything else.” Prior to coming to Highland, Howard had completed student teaching in Chicopee. This is her first full-time teaching job. Currently, along with the newcomers, there are 158 ELL learners at Highland Elementary, or 40 percent of the student body, according to Moore. State law says that they must have equal access and opportunity for education, and a certain number of mandated minutes in ELL. All of the content teachers (e.g. reading, math and social studies) also receive Sheltered English Immersion (SEI), which gives them background, method and tools to work with the ELL students, and is attached to their license. “It’s extremely fulfilling, but exhausting for the teachers,” Ruszala said. “They’re being asked to differentiate from non-English speaking to gifted.” The largest groups of ELL students by numbers in the Westfield district are Russianspeaking, coming from the Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Latvia, and Russia. Next largest are Bhutanese refugees that came through Nepal. Next largest are Arabic speaking, mainly from Iraq. Spanish-speakers are the smallest population by numbers in the ELL program. Ruszala said there are currently 35 ELL students at South Middle School, and 40 at the high school, and the numbers are growing with the new students that came this fall, many who were refugees from extremely needy families. “For high school students the gap is greater,” she said. “When I have a 17-year-old coming from Tanzania with little schooling, from a refugee camp with no running water, (that student) is so far behind.” Westfield has a refugee school impact grant from the Office of Refugee Resettlement that pays for bilingual paraprofessionals and short term tutors. The district also hires refugees as bi-lingual paraprofessionals. Manning said Highland has two Nepali, two Arabic, two Spanish and two Russian-paraprofessionals. “Some will get mentors. Some will get academic support,” Ruszala said. “That’s where a newcomer program at the secondary level is needed.” Students that come in kindergarten or first grade, by contrast, transition out of the ELL program by the time they’re in fifth grade. The district also receives support from Title III in a combined effort of the federal and state government to provide assistance for language instruction for limited English proficient and immigrant students, and from Title I, a federal grant program that provides financial assistance to schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families. “We’re very proactive, and try to anticipate changes before they happen,” Ruszala said. “I’m proud of it. Our ELL sub-group has met and exceeded our goals for the past three years.” “As far as being in the school, I think we all feel very lucky,” Moore said.

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Continued from Page 5 $5,000 cash pending a January 11 hearing after being arraigned on charges of unarmed robbery, brought by Westfield police. Shari O’Brien, 22, of 237 Maple St., East Longmeadow, was released on her personal recognizance pending a February 4 hearing after being arraigned on charges of receiving a stolen motor vehicle, brought by Westfield police. Victor M. Sanchez, 28, of 413 Pleasant St., Holyoke, was released in lieu of $200 cash pending a February 4 hearing after being arraigned on charges of operating a motor vehicle with license suspending amended to subsequent offense and safety glass violation, brought by Westfield police. Arabelis Martinez, 27, of 79 Leary Drive, Holyoke, had charges of utter false prescription, brought by Westfield police, dismissed. Berge Bernadeau, 38, of 95 Cliffwood St., Springfield, was released in lieu of $300 cash pending a February 5 hearing after being arraigned on charges of number plate violation, not having inspection sticker and operating a motor vehicle with license suspended, brought by Westfield police. Can You Help Sarah?