[Superintendent's Update] Superintendent's Update

[Needham Public Schools Superintendent's Update]

Dear Needham Families:

Welcome to the 2011-12 school year!  I certainly hope you and your family
enjoyed a restful summer break and a smooth transition to the new academic
year.

We have welcomed almost 5,500 students into the Needham Public Schools
over the last few weeks, and we successfully opened a satellite campus for
Newman's Preschoolers and Kindergartners at Pollard.  The logistics have
been challenging, and we still need to improve the efficiency of our
transportation plans for our Newman families (who have been exceptionally
patient and gracious throughout!).  Overall, I am impressed with the
enthusiasm of our students and the hard work of teachers and
administrators who spent days and weekends setting up classrooms.  I am
especially grateful to the Pollard and Newman school communities for
enduring last minutes delays and schedule disruptions as we prepared for
the opening of school. 

As we approach the third week of school, allow me to share some
information and updates:

•  Coordinated Program Review  The Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education (DESE) recently completed a Coordinated Program Review
(CPR) of our district's Special Education, English Language Learner, and
Title I programs as well as a Civil Rights compliance audit.  If you would
like to access and read the report and the district's plan to address DESE
recommendations, click onto the [
http://rwd1.needham.k12.ma.us/special_education/ ]NPS Special Education
Webpage  and you will find the reports on the left under Parent Resources.
 Additionally, the School Committee will discuss the DESE reports at its
meeting on September 20th.

• 2011 Performance Report  has been mailed out and should have arrived
in your home within the last couple of weeks. 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.  

•  Emergency and Weather-Related Communication System  The school
department has deployed a notification system that will allow us to phone
and email parents about school emergencies and weather-related school
closures.  Please make sure you have updated contact information in [
https://powerschool.needham.k12.ma.us/public/ ]Power School to ensure we
have the most current information for your student and family.  

•  Superintendent's Blog  You may find my latest posting (my challenge
to the staff in a new school year) on the NPS website:
http://npssuperintendent.blogspot.com/ 

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

Sincerely,

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







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