<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style=""><div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font face="georgia, serif">Dear Needham Public Schools Families:</font></div><div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></div><div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font face="georgia, serif">Allow me to share a few updates as we kick off the April break:</font></div><div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></div><div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><i>•  </i></span><b style="font-family:georgia,serif">Community Equity Forum </b><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"> The Needham Public Schools Race, Equity, Access, & Leadership (REAL) Coalition will facilitate a forum to update the community on our efforts on Wednesday, April 24th, 2019 in the Needham High School Cafeteria from 6:00-8:00 p.m.  Please join us as we share our challenges and opportunities to lift learning for all Needham's students.</span><br></div><div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></span></div><div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>•  Needham Schools Spotlight  </b>Please check out the latest cable show, <a href="http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/news/what_s_new/needham_schools_spotlight" target="_blank">Needham Schools Spotlight</a>, featuring a conversation with seven amazing NHS students who lead Students Advocating for Equity (SAFE).  These students share candid and insightful comments and ideas about why talking about race, bias, and a positive and inclusive school culture are important.  It's a 28 minute video that is worthwhile to watch!</span></div><div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><br></div><div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><b style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:12.8px">• School Bus Transportation </b><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:12.8px">Bus Registration for the 2019-20 school year is now open. Please be sure to register for a seat on the bus as soon as possible because seats do fill up! </span><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:12.8px"> </span><u style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:12.8px">While the deadline to register is May 15th, many bus routes fill up well before that date, so please complete your form early.</u><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:12.8px">  You must register whether or not you are purchasing a bus pass or are eligible for free transportation.  More information and forms can be found on the district's website:  </span><a href="http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/departments/business__operations/transportation/transportation_forms" target="_blank" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:12.8px">NPS Transportation Information and Forms</a><br></div><div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><b style="font-family:georgia,serif">•  Kudos and Congrats to our Musicians!  </b><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Recently several of our student musicians  earned top awards in the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors (MICCA) Concerts.  These awards are quite prestigious and highlight the scholarship, creativity, discipline, and artistry of our students. Congratulations to them and their dedicated teachers:</span><br></p><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></p><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="georgia, serif">-  Pollard <b>8th Grade Band</b> and <b>Wind Ensemble</b> both earned <b>GOLD </b>medals under Mr. Heldt's direction.<br></font></p><div style=""><font face="georgia, serif" style="">-  The <b>NHS Chorus</b> <b>& Chamber Strings</b> earned <b style="">GOLD </b>under Mr. VanderWoude's direction.</font></div><div style=""><font face="georgia, serif" style="">-  The <b>NHS Concert Band</b> earned a <b>SILVER </b>and the <b>Symphonic Band</b> earned <b>GOLD</b> under the direction<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> o</font>f Ms. McLallen.</font></div><div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font face="georgia, serif">-  The <b>8th Grade Treble Chorus</b> and <b>Select Choir</b> both earned <b>GOLD</b> medals under the direction of  Ms. Grina.</font></div><div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:12.8px"><div><br></div><div><p style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;color:black">Finally, I hope you enjoy a restful April break with families and friends.  For those families celebrating Passover and Easter, I wish you, your family, and friends a joyful and peaceful holiday.  </span><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></p></div><div>As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments:  781.455.0400, extension 11203 or <a href="mailto:dan_gutekanst@needham.k12.ma.us" target="_blank">dan_gutekanst@needham.k12.ma.us</a></div><div><br></div><div>Respectfully,</div></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:12.8px"><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><font face="georgia, serif"><font color="#000000"><br></font></font></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><font face="georgia, serif"><font color="#000000">Dan Gutekanst</font></font></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><font face="georgia, serif"><font color="#000000">Superintendent of Schools</font></font></div></div></div><p style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><br></p></div></div>