We have had a wonderful school opening this fall! I have visited many classrooms in each school and I can assure you the energy is high and the focus clear as students and teachers get to know one another and settle in for a great year of learning. The high school athletic teams are enjoying a successful fall season; Pollard students spent part of a school day this week discussing the impact of bullying and cyber-bullying; and almost 300 young "engineers" at Hillside developed and designed tools and technology as part of that school's engineering extravaganza last weekend. It's a real honor and joy to work with such talented students, teachers, and coaches!

• School Committee Open House The Needham School Committee will hold its fall Open House tomorrow, Saturday, October 26th at the Mitchell Elementary School located 187 Brookline Street. The Open House will be held from 9:00 until 10:30 a.m. and provides an informal opportunity for the School Committee to hear from parents and community members. Principal Mike Schwinden will also be available to take you on a tour of the building to explain some of the space challenges Mitchell has as the district's enrollment continues to climb. Enjoy a cup of coffee and say hello to your School Committee, ask a question, or make a suggestion. They are eager to meet you!

• Committee on Extended Time A committee representing teachers, administrators, and the School Committee met recently to propose an extension of the school day that would provide new programming for elementary students and additional collaboration and planning time for all teachers, K-12. The report is available here as a PDF: Extended Time in the Needham Public Schools , and I encourage parents to read this important report and provide feedback.

• Congratulations Professional Status Staff! Congratulations to our teachers who were honored recently at the Needham Golf Club for achieving Professional Status after three intensive years of mentoring, supervision, and hard work in the Needham Schools:

• Needham Schools Spotlight The latest program, featuring School Committee Chair Joe Barnes and Vice-Chair Michael Greis, is available on cable or you can watch it here: http://www2.needham.k12.ma.us/nhs/TV-nps/index.htm

• Stay in Touch This Year! You may find the Superintendent's Blog here: http://npssuperintendent.blogspot.com/ And you can follow me on Twitter as well: https://twitter.com/@NPS_Supt It is my intention to use Twitter as an additional way to announce weather related school closings, so please follow me to stay informed and updated.