[Superintendent's Update] Superintendent's Update

[Needham Public Schools Superintendent's Update]

Dear Parents and Guardians:

A couple of updates to begin the week:

•  Middle School Musical/Concerts  As I am sure you know, Needham's
students are exceptional theatrical and musical performers.  Beginning
February 3rd , Pollard students kick off a new season of musical theater
in the Needham Schools with three performances of the musical, Working. 
For ticket information and a calendar of other school musical
performances, please go to the Fine and Performing Arts website: 
http://rwd1.needham.k12.ma.us/FPA/ 

•  Weather Related School Delays/Cancellations  As you may recall, I
notified parents this past fall that the school district implemented a new
phone and email messaging system that would alert NPS parents in the event
of a weather related school cancellation or school emergency.  We also
continue to use the district's website and local media outlets to alert
parents and students about [
http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/district/no_school_info.htm ]NPS Weather
related school closing information. (The Town of Needham has a separate
emergency notification system for town-wide emergencies.  For more
information about the town's system, please click this link: 
http://www.needhamma.gov/index.aspx?NID=1249)  

I have received feedback from parents who wish not to receive automated
phone messages notifying families about weather related school
cancellations/delays but who do wish to receive automated messages about
school emergencies.  

If you would like to opt out of the weather related school
cancellation/delays and not receive these messages:

1. Please log onto [ http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/powerschool/index.htm
]PowerSchool and click on Update Information.  
2.  On the Student Data Update page ensure all personal/family contact
information is correct, then click submit to continue.
3.  On both Parent/Guardian pages,  verify information and click submit to
continue.
4.  On the Emergency Contact page verify information and click submit to
continue.
5.  On the Copy Student Data page follow the on screen instructions.
6.  On the next page titled "Other" your home phone appears in the box,
and you simply have to delete it and no calls will be made for weather
related school cancellations/delays. 	Click submit to continue. You will
receive calls for other school emergencies.  Alternatively, you may change
the number in that box to a phone number more convenient to you 	and your
family.
7.  Contact the school secretary if you have a question or problem with
your PowerSchool account.

If you want to continue to receive automated messages about weather
related school cancellations/delays, you do not need to do anything.  All
families will continue to receive automated phone messages and emails in
the event of a school emergency. 

Finally, some parents have suggested that the automated phone messages
should arrive earlier in the morning and some suggested they arrive later.
 It takes the system about 45 minutes to make all of the calls, so I will
continue to send out the message between 6 and 7:00 a.m. knowing that some
families may receive it after 6:00 a.m. and some before 7:00 a.m.

New England winters are tricky, and this one is no exception!  Please know
that I will continue to make decisions about school cancellations/delays
that are based on the best weather information available and only after
consulting with public works/safety officials.  Whenever possible, I want
us to hold school unless I believe it would be unsafe or dangerous to do
so.  The upcoming Newman School repair project does not impact my
decisions around whether or not there will be a school cancellation.  We
have five "snow days" built into the [
http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/calendars/index.htm ]NPS 2010-11 School
Calendar  but if we needed to do so, we could extend a day or two beyond
that.  Like you, though, I am praying for the arrival of an early spring!

Many thanks for your support and patience.  As always, please feel free to
contact me with questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Dan Gutekanst

Superintendent of Schools
781.455.0400 x 203
dan_gutekanst at needham.k12.ma.us 

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