[Superintendent's Update] Superintendent's Update

[Needham Public Schools Superintendent's Update]

Friday, August 29, 2008

Dear Parents and Guardians:

Welcome back to the 2008-09 school year! I hope and trust that you and
your family enjoyed some time together this summer to rest and relax.

Every school year seems to have its own set of transitions, full of hope,
anticipation, and sometimes a little anxiety.  My wife Karen and I sent
two of our daughters off to college in Washington D.C. this past week, one
to American University and the other to George Washington University. 
Like most parents, it is with a sense of pride and a bit of anxiety that
we said goodbye to our daughters as they begin a new semester so far away
from home. And next week our third daughter begins her high school career,
missing her siblings, but at the same time enjoying the extra space and
anytime access to the computer!  During the last week I have been reminded
of our common goals as parents and educators to prepare our students to be
confident, independent, and resilient.  

As we prepare for the opening of school on Wednesday, September 3rd (for
Newman students Monday, September 8th), please allow me to share a few
updates:

• Performance Report  The 2008 Needham Public Schools Performance Report
will be mailed out and should be in your home within the next week. The
report provides detailed information about Needham's schools, programs,
and student achievement. We are very proud of the report and hope you find
it valuable and useful.

•  PowerSchool: This month we learned a high school student accessed the
district’s electronic student information data server, PowerSchool, using
a teacher’s password that was obtained without the teacher’s knowledge.
Once in the system, the student exported and shared data which contained
high school student identification numbers, schedules, and high school
teacher rosters. Students and parents who obtained this data on the online
social networking site, Facebook, immediately notified us.  We recognized
this as an inappropriate and illegal activity and began an investigation
involving the district’s administrators and Needham Police.   While the
student investigation continues, the school staff is reviewing procedures
to ensure passwords are secure and an incident like this is not repeated. 
We are concerned about this breach in our security and will address this
episode aggressively to ensure that the integrity of PowerSchool is
maintained. While we are updating these routines, PowerSchool will not be
accessible to students and parents. Additional information, including
instructions for parents to access PowerSchool securely to update student
and contact information, will be mailed home within a few weeks. 

•  Newman Update  As you know by now, the Newman School community will
begin school three days later this year as a result of the construction
and remediation efforts underway this past summer.  Last winter the Newman
school community faced a failing heating and ventilation system. The
48-year-old system, much of it built into the concrete slab of the
building and inaccessible for repair, was blowing dust particles and
debris through the library and adjacent areas requiring the relocation of
some staff members who were developing allergic reactions and symptoms.
Additional adverse student and staff reactions in other areas of the
building led to the closing of three additional classrooms and the
library. The concern about the quality of the school's inside air, in
combination with the spring's pollen season, was problematic for the
Newman community. Ongoing testing was conducted and a Massachusetts
Department of Public Health report indicated that immediate efforts were
required to ensure the building occupants' health and safety. Quick action
in the spring by town officials resulted in a $650,000 appropriation by
Town Meeting to fund short-term remediation efforts and a longer-term
feasibility study. The study is being conducted by the Permanent Public
Building Committee (PPBC) to determine options for a permanent solution. 

Several medical, environmental and occupational health specialists have
been working closely with Principal Barbara Collins and members of the
school’s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Team to assess our progress, monitor the
ongoing work, and provide assurances that the building is safe and healthy
for all students and staff. At this point Principal Collins and I are
extremely pleased with the condition of the building and are both
confident that Newman’s students and staff will enjoy a productive and
healthy school year.

We will continue to collaborate with the town to address Newman’s
long-term needs, and our medical professionals will continue to work
throughout the school year to monitor air quality issues there.  More
information about the ongoing work at Newman can be found on the
district’s website: [
http://newman.needham.k12.ma.us/updates/remediationnews.htm ]Newman School
Remediation Updates

•  Focus on Teacher Growth & Learning  Throughout the summer school staff
participated in a variety of professional development programs designed to
enhance their knowledge and impact student learning.  Almost 400 teachers
and administrators participated in courses, workshops, curriculum
improvement projects, or developed additional skills to ensure teacher
collaboration through a 
[ http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/currclum/cu3lk22.htm
]Professional Learning Community  model.  Many talented people were
involved in learning new ideas and preparing curriculum better aligned to
standards and better directed for student learning and success.  

•  Core Values  Last school year the School Committee adopted four core
values that we believe provide the foundation for all our work in the
Needham Public Schools:

Scholarship
Learning. Every student engaged in dynamic and challenging academic
experiences that stimulate thinking, creativity, wellness and encourage
inquiry and continued learning. Staff improving their practice in an
environment that supports a high level of collaboration and learning
focused on helping every student learn and achieve.

Community
Working together. A culture that embraces communication, understanding,
and the promotion of human dignity as responsibilities all students and
staff have toward one another, their schools, and a diverse local and
global community.

Citizenship
Contributing. An environment that nurtures respect, integrity, compassion,
and service and where all members of the school community participate
fully. ~Working together, sharing ideas, and encouraging multiple
perspectives ensures a vibrant and caring community.

Personal Growth
Acting courageously. All students developing skills and confidence through
personalized educational experiences that build on student strengths and
emphasize reflection, curiosity, resilience, and risk taking.

Again this year we will strive to integrate these values into all of our
work with Needham’s students believing that there is no higher purpose for
the community than to ensure our children have an exceptional educational
experience that will empower them as learners and citizens.

We are looking forward to greeting your child and all the students
beginning next week. Let me take this opportunity to wish each young
person a successful school year!

As always, please contact me now and throughout the year with questions,
comments, and suggestions. I can be reached at 781.455.0400, extension 203
or [ mailto:dan_gutekanst at needham.k12.ma.us
]dan_gutekanst at needham.k12.ma.us

Enjoy the Labor Day weekend!

Sincerely,

Daniel E. Gutekanst, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools






-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.needham.mec.edu/pipermail/superintendents_update/attachments/20080829/e1c3266f/attachment.html