<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style=""><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif">Dear Needham Public Schools Families:</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif">Allow me to share the following brief updates and information:</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>• Academic Accolades</b> Once again this year, Needham High School seniors have been notified by the College Board that they are being recognized for their performance on the <a href="https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/interior.aspx?sid=1758&gid=2&pgid=405" target="_blank">PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test: </a>  <i>Semi Finalists:</i> Samuel Cooperman, Benjamin Fogler, Ryan McCarthy, Lilly, Meyi, Anaya Sharma, and Arlan Zbarsky. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><font face="georgia, serif">Also, kudos to <span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline">Needham High School students who took part in this year's <a href="https://nhd.org/en/">National History Day Competition</a> in Washington DC in June. </span><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline">Dean Mostafa, Lincoln Maxwell and Jacob Heckman finished in the top ten projects nationally and won a Massachusetts Outstanding Entry Award for their website on the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. Additionally, Chloe Crable, Josephine Calzada and Emma Hua were interviewed by PBS NewsHour about their </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6gMDB5b-3I" target="_blank" style="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"><font color="#0000ff">documentary</font></span></a><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;color:rgb(0,0,255);vertical-align:baseline"> </span><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline">on the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment.</span></font></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><b><font face="georgia, serif">• 10 Minutes with...</font></b><font face="georgia, serif" style="font-family:georgia,serif"> <span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline">One year after our first conversation, <b>Rabbi Jay Perlman</b> & <b>Dr. Huma Farid</b>, both members of the Needham Clergy Association, join me to discuss how we can continue to support our Muslim and Jewish students & families during a time of war and unrest in the Mideast. Watch the “10 Minutes with…” video here: </span><a href="https://tinyurl.com/sns7ec2h" style="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">https://tinyurl.com/sns7ec2h</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline"> or access the Podcast here: </span><a href="https://tinyurl.com/568v5u5x" style="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">https://tinyurl.com/568v5u5x</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline"> </span></font><br></div><font face="georgia, serif"><div class="gmail_default" style=""><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></div><b>• Needham School Committee</b>  I am often asked where one can learn more about the role and responsibilities of the School Committee.  Please check out the district's website for information: <a href="https://www.needham.k12.ma.us/district_info/school_committee">Needham School Committee FAQ</a></font></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif">Finally, to our students, families, and staff celebrating Rosh Hashanah, <i>Shana Tova! </i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif">Respectfully,</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><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>