November 10, 2020
Dear Needham Public Schools Families,
Allow me to share the following invitations and updates:
•
Virtual Open House The School Committee will host an
Open House on Saturday, November 14th from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. This is an opportunity for families to provide feedback and ideas as we collaborate in navigating through the health crisis and ensuring all students continue to receive an excellent education. Here is the
link to the Open House. In the hopes of addressing as many questions as possible, School Committee Chair Andrea Longo Carter will facilitate the discussion using comments, questions, and suggestion gathered from this survey:
Comments, Questions, and Suggestions for Open House Discussion. Please take a moment to add your ideas so that the School Committee can address as many as possible during the Open House.
• District Survey In addition to the Open House, families have the opportunity to provide feedback and ideas about their child's experience with the hybrid and remote learning models through a District Survey. Families' responses will be compared with responses from our students and our faculty and staff in order to provide a comprehensive picture of strengths and areas that need attention as we continue through the school year. The survey will remain open until next Monday, November 16th at 5:00 p.m. . Please take 10 minutes now to complete the district survey at this link. Links to translated surveys can be found here: (ENCUESTA FAMILIAR (Spanish), ОБСЛЕДОВАНИЕ СЕМЬИ (Russian), PESQUISA DE FAMÍLIA (Portuguese), and 家庭调查 (Chinese)
• Needham Diversity Initiative Summit The theme for the
Diversity Summit this year is "Hate Has No Home Here - Beyond the Yard Signs" and this community event is being held virtually on Sunday, November 15th from noon until 5:00pm. The Summit brings together community leaders, friends, neighbors, and students to explore, foster, strengthen, and celebrate Needham's diversity. There is no fee to attend, but
registration is required.
• Veterans Day Any day is a good day to thank veterans for their service to our nation - however, it's particularly important on Veterans Day, November 11th. Initially, Veterans Day was meant to celebrate the end of World War I and usher in a world without war and conflict. It has evolved into a holiday honoring current and former members of the United States Armed Forces. I'd like to offer a heartfelt thank you to our veterans on behalf of the Needham Public Schools. We are grateful for their sacrifice, bravery, and the fine example they set for us all. (See how the High Rock School community acknowledges our vets here:
High Rock honors veterans)
• The 4 Ws! Even though our routines, family lives, and traditions may have been upended by COVID-19, it's comforting to know we can count on each other as partners in the complex work of mitigating the spread of the disease and reinventing the educational models needed to support our children. Let's keep our children and families safe: Wear a mask! Watch your distance! Wash your hands! Wait for test results before going to school!
Respectfully,