Dear Parents and Guardians: I hope those families celebrating Passover and Easter enjoyed peaceful holidays this past week. Please allow me to update you on a few items: When I arrived in Needham this past summer I presented the School Committee with my plan for getting to know both the Needham Public Schools and the Needham community. I promised them at the time a report about what I learn about the system and to share ideas about areas for growth and improvement. I shared my update to the School Committee at their last meeting and have subsequently posted this report on the Needham Public Schools website in the News section: http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/ I am hopeful parents and community members will access the report, review it, and share your ideas and comments with me. It is my expectation that the report will be a good first step toward identifying appropriate next steps and goals for the Needham Public Schools. I welcome your feedback. Please tune into the Needham Channel beginning April 12th for the newest broadcast of "Needham Schools Spotlight" and watch a program about student leadership and initiative within the Needham Public Schools. Nine terrific young people representing the elementary, middle, and high school levels joined me for a discussion about student leadership inside and outside the classroom and why it is so important. Please go to the Needham Channel's website for specific broadcast times and information: http://greisnet.com/tnc.nsf/Page%202!OpenPage Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 10th, is Election Day in Needham. Remember to vote! As always, contact me at dan_gutekanst@needham.k12.ma.us or 781.455.0400, extension 203 if you have a question or comment. Sincerely, Daniel Gutekanst Superintendent of Schools