• Flu Update Currently, about 4% of students and faculty/staff in the Needham Public Schools are experiencing symptoms of the H1N1 influenza. Daily surveillance is monitoring the incidence of student and staff absences and influenza like illness. Your cooperation with keeping ill children home and not giving them fever reducing medications prior to school is very important in preventing the spread of flu germs among classmates and adults. We encourage healthy children to continue attending school during this flu outbreak.

In an effort to prevent widespread disease from the H1N1 flu in the school community, the Needham Health Department is planning to administer the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Injectable Vaccine to children in grades K-12 with parent consent. The vaccination clinics will be held during the school day and staffed by school and town medical staff and volunteers. If you did not receive information about the vaccination clinics and a consent form, please contact the school nurse immediately. All vaccine consent forms must be submitted by Monday November 9, 2009. If you have not completely filled out and returned the vaccine consent form to school, your child will not be vaccinated.

The first flu vaccine clinic held at Eliot this past week was successful and the children tolerated the vaccination with resilience and smiles. Plans for flu clinics to be held in each of the schools are being prepared and will be implemented as soon an adequate vaccine supply is available. Since delivery of the vaccine is arriving in unpredictable and limited quantities, the scheduling of the clinics may occur with a few days notice for schools and parents. You will be informed prior to the day your child is scheduled to receive the vaccination.

• Newman Renovation Parents and members of the community continue to ask if there will be additional opportunities to learn more about the proposed Newman renovation project. I have been invited to speak at a few upcoming events that you are welcome to attend:

-Monday, November 9th Citizens for Needham Schools (CNS) is sponsoring an informational program about the project at the Needham Historical Society. Selectmen, School Committee members, and I will present an overview of the plans and answer questions.

A 20 minute cable show highlighting the planned renovation will also broadcast beginning this weekend according to the following schedule: Channels 3, 26, and 31: Sunday at 10:00 p.m., Monday at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. Check out the The Needham Channel website for more information. We will also have it available online next week. Folks may also visit the school department's website: Newman Renovation Updates to learn about the project.

• 2009-10 District Goals The Needham School Committee recently approved goals for the school district. The goals will guide the NPS staff as we work together to improve our schools and student learning this year and beyond. Please visit the school department's website and click on the link on the front page to download a pdf: http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/