Dear Needham Public Schools Families: For those families celebrating the Festival of Lights, Happy Hanukkah! I hope the season is joyful for you and your families. Allow me to share the following quick updates: *• Needham Education Foundation (NEF) *The NEF continues to support innovation and learning in the Needham Schools! Most recently the NEF funded almost $68,000 in various grants for our elementary, middle, and high schools. Please support the NEF this holiday season and recognize a teacher by purchasing holiday cards available through the NEF website: NEF 2018 Teacher Appreciation Cards <https://www.nefneedham.org/support/teacher-appreciation-cards/> *• Needham Schools Spotlight * The most recent Needham Schools Spotlight highlighting the issue of gender equity and sexual harassment in the schools can be viewed on public access television and found here: Needham Schools Spotlight <http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/news/what_s_new/needham_schools_spotlight> *• Superintendent's Blog *My recent post about the 2018 District Survey results can be found on the NPS website: Superintendent's Blog <http://npssuperintendent.blogspot.com/> *• Winter Weather is Here! * Information about weather-related school closings can be found here: Information about weather-related school delays and cancellations <http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=18652412>. I also strongly encourage parents to follow me on Twitter in order to receive the most timely information about weather-related school delays or closings. While I will continue to notify the media and send out emails and phone calls to interested families, it takes time for all of the messages to make it through the queue; Twitter is simply quicker! More information here: Twitter: @NPS_supt <https://twitter.com/NPS_Supt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Eembeddedtimeline%7Ctwterm%5Eprofile%3ANPS_Supt%7Ctwgr%5E363937393b636f6e74726f6c&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.needham.k12.ma.us%2F> *• Student Scholars *Finally, let me acknowledge and congratulate two Needham High School seniors, Anna Friedman and Ethan Lee, both of whom recently received the prestigious *Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents 2018 Award of Academic Excellence*! This award is presented annually to two outstanding seniors in each high school in the Commonwealth. Both Anna and Ethan model the district's core values, particularly around scholarship, and they are deserving of this award. They also happen to be amazing and caring young people whom we are all very proud to know and honor. Congratulations, Ann and Ethan! As always, feel free to contact me with questions or comments: 781.455.0400, ext. 11203 or dan_gutekanst@needham.k12.ma.us Sincerely, Dan Gutekanst Superintendent of Schools