SEPAC Meeting Cancelled
March 18, 2026
The presentation will be rescheduled, date forthcoming.
Have you ever wondered where your school food comes from? This week, we're excited to shine a spotlight on the farms and local food businesses that help bring delicious, locally sourced foods to our students!
First up: CommonWealth Kitchen and their Feeding Futures K–12 initiative!
CommonWealth Kitchen is partnering with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to transform USDA food commodities into delicious, ready-to-use foods for school cafeterias. Through this innovative partnership, they combine ingredients schools already receive through federal food programs with locally grown Massachusetts produce, creating flavorful menu items while supporting local farmers and helping school districts stretch their food budgets.
CommonWealth Kitchen is Massachusetts' first and only approved manufacturer of its kind, making it possible to bring more locally sourced ingredients into school meals across the state!
And we're excited to be part of this initiative! On Tuesday, November 10, we'll be serving CommonWealth Kitchen's marinara sauce, made with a blend of USDA-provided tomatoes and locally grown Massachusetts tomatoes, processed right in Boston! 🍅❤️
But that's not all! Our November 9–13 Local Spotlight also features:
🥬 Mixed greens from Little Leaf Farms in Devens, MA
🍎 Apples from Klein Kills Farm in Germantown, NY
🥕 Carrot sticks from Joe Czajkowski Farm in Hadley, MA
🥬 A special Harvest of the Month spotlight featuring KALE from Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA
🍟 Ranch-seasoned fries at our flavor stations, featuring Southern New England Spice Co.
🍕 Gluten-free pizza crust from Ugly's Bakery
We're proud to be part of a growing effort to connect students with local farms, food producers, and the people who make our regional food system stronger.
Every meal is an opportunity to support local agriculture, celebrate our food community, and help students discover where their food comes from! 💚
#FarmToSchool #LocalSpotlight #FeedingFutures #CommonWealthKitchen #SupportLocalFarmers #MassachusettsFarms #SchoolNutrition
Homework battles. Shutdown. “I don’t care.” Sound familiar?
Join Cartwheel, our virtual mental health partner, and psychologist Emily Edlynn, PhD, for a free webinar on what's really behind their motivation challenges — and practical strategies to help your child get started and stay engaged.
📕 Helping Kids Get Started: Supporting Motivation for School, Homework, and Learning
🗓 Wednesday, November 18 | 7–8pm ET
👉 Register here: CARTWHEEL WEBINAR
We’re celebrating Kale as our Harvest of the Month! This leafy green powerhouse is packed with nutrients and makes a delicious addition to a healthy, colorful plate.
Looking for a fun and tasty way to enjoy your harvest?
Healthy eating can be delicious, too! Let's celebrate fresh, local foods and enjoy all the goodness this month's harvest has to offer.
🥬 Eat fresh.
🍕 Try something delicious.
💚 Celebrate the harvest!
#HarvestOfTheMonth #Kale #EatFresh #GlutenFreePizza #UgglysPizza #HealthyEating #FarmToTable
It’s Massachusetts Farm to School Month, and we’re celebrating the local farms and food partners that help bring fresh, delicious foods to our students! 💚
This week’s Local Spotlight features some wonderful local favorites:
🥬 Mixed Greens — Little Leaf Farms, Devens, MA
🥦 Broccoli — Bardwell Farm, Hatfield, MA
🍎 Red Delicious Apples — Kleins Kill Farm, Germantown, NY
🍅 Cherry Tomatoes — Warner Farm, Sunderland, MA
🍐 Harvest of the Month: Pears — Fix Brothers Fruit Farm, Hudson, NY
We’re also adding a little extra fun to the week with a local Craisins® spotlight from Ocean Spray! ❤️ Cranberries are a Massachusetts favorite, and students at Roberta Doering Middle School can explore a variety of flavors at our special Craisin Bar! From cherry to raspberry and watermelon, students can discover new flavors and enjoy a fun, flavorful food experience. 🍒🍉
A big thank-you to our local farmers, food partners, and school nutrition teams for helping connect our students to the food they eat and the people who grow it. Together, we’re cultivating healthy habits and celebrating the amazing agricultural community around us! 🌾
#AgawamPublicSchools #LocalSpotlight #FarmToSchool #SNAofMassachusetts #MassachusettsFarmToSchool #MAFarmToSchoolWeek #OceanSpray #Craisins #HarvestOfTheMonth #SchoolNutrition #EatLocal
We’re celebrating another week of fresh, local flavors in Agawam Public Schools! 💚 Our Local Spotlight highlights the farms and local businesses that help bring delicious food to our school cafeterias.
This week’s featured products include:
🥬 Mixed Greens from Little Leaf Farms in Devens, MA
🥦 Cauliflower from Plainville Farm in Hadley, MA
🍎 McIntosh Apples from Pine Hill Orchards in Colrain, MA
🍐 Pears from Fix Brothers Fruit Farm in Hudson, NY, featured as our Harvest of the Month!
🍔 Burger Patties from North Elm Butcher Block in Westfield, MA
🧂 NEW: FLAVOR STATIONS ARE COMING TO ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS! 🎉
We’re excited to introduce Flavor Stations throughout our district, giving students new ways to explore flavor and discover how seasonings can transform a meal! We’re proud to feature locally made spices from Southern New England Spice Company in Chicopee, MA. These locally sourced flavors will help bring a little extra excitement and creativity to our school meals. 🌿✨
Farm to School is about more than the food on our plates. It’s about supporting local farms and businesses, introducing students to fresh ingredients, and building a stronger connection between our schools and the communities around us.
Thank you to our local farmers and partners for helping us make school meals fresh, flavorful, and fun! 💚
#AgawamPublicSchools #FarmToSchool #MassachusettsFarmToSchool #LocalFood #SchoolNutrition #HarvestOfTheMonth #SupportLocal #FlavorStations
Agawam Public Schools Food Services is celebrating National School Lunch Week, October 12–16, 2026, with a special Local Food Spotlight! 🌱❤️
We’re proud to highlight the amazing farms and local businesses that help bring fresh, delicious produce to our school cafeterias! 🥕🥬🍅
🌟 This week’s Local Food Spotlight features:
🥬 Mixed Greens – Little Leaf Farms, Devens, MA
🍎 McCoun Apples – Pine Hill Orchards, Colrain, MA
🍅 Cherry Tomatoes – Warner Farm, Sunderland, MA
🥕 Carrot Sticks – Czajkowski Farms, Chicopee, MA
🫑 Green Peppers – David Mokrzecki Farm, Hadley, MA
❤️ Red Peppers – Farm at Millers Crossing, Hudson, NY
Buying local helps support our farming community while giving students opportunities to enjoy fresh produce and discover where their food comes from. We’re grateful to our local farmers and partners who help make these connections possible!
Thank you for helping us celebrate fresh food, local farms, and healthy school meals! 🎉
❤️ Agawam Public Schools Food Services — serving up fresh food and community connections!
#F2SMonth #MAF2SMonth #FarmToSchool #LocalFood #AgawamPublicSchools
Local Spotlight October 5-9! in Agawam Public Schools! We’re excited to highlight the amazing local farms and growers who help bring fresh, delicious food to our school cafeterias. 🥕🥬🍅
This week, our students are enjoying carrots from Czajkowski Farms in Chicopee, cherry tomatoes from Warner Farm in Sunderland, cucumbers from Plainville Farm in Hadley, romaine lettuce from Atlas Farms in Deerfield, salad greens from Olivia’s Organic in Berlin, NY, and McIntosh apples from Pine Hill Orchards in Colrain! 🍏
And to celebrate Harvest of the Month, we’re featuring pears from Fix Brothers Fruit Farm in Hudson, NY. 🍐
We’re proud to support local agriculture while giving our students the opportunity to taste fresh, seasonal foods grown by farmers in our region. Every bite is a connection to our local farms and our community! 💚
Friendships can be one of the best parts of childhood — and one of the most painful. If you’ve watched your child navigate friend drama, social exclusion, or the pressures of group chats, you know how hard it can be to know when to step in and what to say.
Join Cartwheel, our virtual mental health partner, and licensed counselor, author, and Washington Post contributor Phyllis Fagell, LCPC, for a free live webinar:
Friend Drama, Group Chats, and Social Exclusion: What Parents Need to Know
Thursday, October 15, 7–8pm ET
Register Here
You'll leave with a clearer picture of what children and teens need from the adults in their lives to navigate friendship challenges, build resilience, and maintain healthy relationships.
See this attached flyer for additional details.
Please forward your letter of interest and resume to Liz Moulton, emoulton@agawamed.org
This week, we’re celebrating LOCAL FOOD and the farmers, growers, and producers who help bring fresh, delicious food to our students!
Buying local helps support our community, strengthens our local food system, and gives students an opportunity to connect with where their food comes from. From fresh fruits and vegetables to locally produced ingredients, we’re proud to include local foods whenever we can in Agawam Public Schools! 🥕🍓🌽
We believe that serving local food is about more than what’s on the tray—it’s about supporting our neighbors, educating our students, and building a stronger, more sustainable community. 💚
Thank you to all of our local farmers and food producers for helping us bring LOCAL FOOD to our schools!
Agawam Food Services is proud to serve fresh, local food to the students of Agawam! We’re excited to highlight the farms, growers, producers, and local partners who help bring fresh food to our school meals. 🥕🥛🍓
👀 Watch for our LOCAL SPOTLIGHT each week to learn more about where your students’ food is coming from and the local people who help make it possible!
Supporting local food means supporting our community — one delicious meal at a time! ❤️
A new school year is here, and so is mental health support for our students and families.
Through our partnership with Cartwheel, families have access to individual teletherapy for students in grades 3+, parent and caregiver guidance, and more — appointments are available within days, with no waitlists. Care is available in multiple languages and is free with Medicaid.
Cartwheel has expanded additional programs that provide support to students and families :
School Avoidance: For students struggling to attend or stay at school, and families who need support.
Screens & Social Media: For students and families caught in the pull of screens, social media, and digital stress, impacting school engagement and well-being.
Big Behaviors, Big Feelings: For students experiencing intense emotions, emotional overwhelm, or behavior challenges affecting daily life at school and/or home.
Learn more at http://www.cartwheel.org/families
As a new school year begins, many parents find themselves wondering: is my child doing okay? How would I know if they weren’t?
Join Cartwheel, our virtual mental health partner, and educational psychologist Linda Price, M.Ed., CAGS, and youth mental health advocate Mallory G. for a free live webinar:
Growing Together: Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health This School Year
Wednesday, September 16, 7–8pm ET
Register Here
You’ll leave with a clearer picture of what typical mental health development looks like, how to recognize common challenges, and how to know when your child may need
additional support. Mallory will also share her own story of navigating emotional distress as a young person — and finding the support and coping skills that helped her thrive.
Presented in collaboration with Minding Your Mind.
Any questions please reach out mdejesus@agawamed.org
The weather couldn't rain on our parade this morning—we had an incredible convocation led entirely by our students. A big shoutout to our stellar MCs, Devin and Sam, and every student volunteer who helped organize the event. Mayor Johnson and Superintendent Martin gave great welcoming remarks, but our students undoubtedly stole the show! Thank you to our School Committee members and City Council members for attending Convocation and helping us kick off the school year.
A new school year is here, and so is mental health support for our students and families.
Through our partnership with Cartwheel, families have access to individual teletherapy for students in grades 3+, parent and caregiver guidance, and more — appointments are available within days, with no waitlists.
Care is available in multiple languages and is free with Medicaid.
Learn more here: Cartwheel
Think your child or family could benefit from support? Complete this simple interest form to get started.
