<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><div class="gmail_default">Dear Needham Public Schools Families:</div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">As we conclude a busy and productive school year, allow me to share the following updates:</div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default"><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><b>• Congratulations, Retirees! </b>Join me and congratulate 17 teachers and staff who are retiring this year.  We celebrated them at the Needham Golf Course recently and you will find information about our retirees in the </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K6-lX-M9mfxP5-bZQ6Pd2vdfIFalNDUl/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" style="background-color:transparent;text-decoration-line:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">event program</span></a>. </p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><br></span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><b>• 10 Minutes with Monica Staley and Linda Burke</b> I had the privilege to interview two of our exceptional teachers, kindergarten teacher Monica Staley and high school art teacher Linda Burke.It’s a wonderful conversation and I hope you can watch the brief </span><a href="https://youtu.be/f9NiUSx8KSM?feature=shared" target="_blank" style="background-color:transparent;text-decoration-line:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Ten Minutes With video</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">.</span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><br></span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><font color="#000000" face="georgia, serif"><b>• No More Empty Seats in School! </b>The end of a school year is not the best time to talk about students missing classes, but nevertheless I encourage parents to read m</font><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline">y most recent </span><a href="https://npssuperintendent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" style="background-color:transparent;text-decoration-line:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Superintendent's Blog </span></a>which <span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline">focuses on the very real problem of student absenteeism and chronic absenteeism. Next September brings a fresh opportunity for staff and parents to work together to assist students who struggle with high rates of absenteeism.</span><b><br></b></span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><b><br></b></span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><b>• Congratulations to Students and Staff!</b> Kudos to Broadmeadow teacher </span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Jacqui Murphy who received an Outstanding Special Education Teacher Award from the National Association of Special Education Teachers. Jacqui was one of 13 teachers nationwide and one of only two people in Massachusetts to be recognized. You can read more about Jacqui </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zbR9VBe02gzyOibl0TzqOLO6RB60Ckpa/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" style="background-color:transparent;text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">here.</span></a></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><br></span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Awesome teachers empower incredible students! Three NHS junior schola</span><font face="georgia, serif"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">rs, </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Jessica Brayer, Molly Perlman, and Alexandra Weiss</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> had their </span></font><a href="https://nhd.org/en/2024/06/05/national-history-day-celebrates-student-projects-showcased-at-cultural-institutions-in-washington-d-c/" target="_blank" style="background-color:transparent;text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">National History Day project</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> on display this week in the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington. It’s a great academic honor to have our students recognized in this way!</span></p><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default">Finally, congratulations to the 421 members of the Needham High School Class of '24 who graduated this past week on Memorial Field. We are proud of them and wish them continued success as their futures unfold.<br></div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">Let me also take this opportunity to thank our teachers, staff, parents and families for working together to help nurture our students' development and learning.  We understand that you have entrusted us with your children, and we hope to always focus on their wellbeing, growth, and success.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">Here's to a safe and restful summer!</div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="georgia, serif">Dan Gutekanst</font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="georgia, serif">Superintendent of Schools</font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="georgia, serif">Needham Public Schools</font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="georgia, serif">1330 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492</font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="georgia, serif"><i>He/His/Him</i></font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="georgia, serif">781-455-0400 x11203</font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="georgia, serif"><a href="mailto:dan_gutekanst@needham.k12.ma.us" target="_blank">dan_gutekanst@needham.k12.ma.us</a></font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><br></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="1">ATTENTION: If you speak a language other than English, language assistance services are available to you free of charge. Contact your child’s school for assistance.</font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="1">Chinese (Simplified): 请注意：如果您的母语不是英语，我们将免费提供您语言辅助服务。如需协助，请与您孩子 的学校联系。</font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="1">Spanish: ATENCION: Si usted habla un idioma que no sea el inglés, hay servicios de asistencia lingüística disponibles gratis. Contacte la escuela de su hijo para asistencia.</font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline"><font size="1">Russian: ВНИМАНИЕ: Если вы не говорите на английском языке, для вас доступны бесплатные языковые сервисы на вашем языке. Обратитесь за помощью в школу, в которой учится ваш ребенок.</font></span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div>