It’s no secret — Westwood students love their parents. With all the support and encouragement they give, our students can’t say enough wonderful things about them. But what do the parents have to say about their kids? This week, we gave Westwood parents an opportunity to share stories and send messages to their children.

We all did some pretty funny things when we were little — there’s no doubt about that! Some of us even turned those things into lifelong passions that are still being pursued today. When asked, Westwood parents shared stories about their kids’ childhood antics that became the sport that they love:

“I would say that she still runs around and tumbles and flips everywhere, she’s always done that. She started it when she was really little off the couches and in the living room. We got her a trampoline early on, put her in gymnastics early on, and she still loves to tumble!” Brenda Wiggin said about her daughter, cheerleader Blake Wiggin ‘18.

“Ian, from the moment he could hold something, always had a ball in his hand. That was even his first word! He’s always playing ball now too, football and baseball,” Katie Lee said about her son Ian Lee ‘16, receiver on the varsity football team.

Students have always had certain character traits that made them who they are, and continue to act upon these mannerisms:

“She’s more eloquent than most adults I know, then and now,” Mark Dombrowski, father of band member Shea Li Dombrowski ‘19, said.

There are endless things that separate Westwood students from the crowd, from their academic goals and athletic capabilities to their self-confidence and enthusiastic demeanor. Some things never change, and Westwood parents agree that being one-of-a-kind is what has always set their kids apart:

“Mackenzie’s always been a unique individual,”  Rachael Zintgraff, mother of Mackenzie Zintgraff ‘16, said. “From the very beginning she was very confident with herself no matter what her appearance was. She knows what she wants, what she’ll put up with and what she’ll tolerate, and she’s ready to go ahead and communicate that very verbally to somebody.”

The parents here at Westwood have always shown unwavering love and support for their kids and their interests. A few wanted to send out special messages to their kids, complimenting their accomplishments and imparting a few encouraging words:

To Jaikem Murphy ’18: “We are proud of you for coming out on this football field and taking care of business, keep up the good work, you’re a great athlete and you’re going to succeed in whatever you try and do! Go Jaikem!” Rhoda Murphy said.

To Cooper Carroll ’17: “Cooper, we’re really proud of you, even though every year you get hurt, you persevere and you keep goin’ hard. Keep at it buddy!” Debbie Carroll said.

It’s obvious: our parents are amazing. They always pick us up when we’re down and lift us up to do our best in everything we do. Thanks to all the outstanding parents at Westwood — we love you!