[Superintendent's Update] Superintendent's Update

[Needham Public Schools Superintendent's Update]

Dear Needham Families:

Allow me to share the following updates:

•  Come and Meet Your School Committee at an Open House this Saturday,
October 25th  The Needham School Committee will hold its fall Open House
on Saturday, October 25th at Needham High School. The Open House will be
held from 9:00 until 10:30 a.m. in the library and provides an informal
opportunity for parents and members of the community to drop by and
interact with the School Committee.  The high school's Annual Craft Fair
will take place on the same day in the gyms, so stop by the fair and then
visit the School Committee for coffee and conversation. They are eager to
meet you!

•  What is the Town Facilities Master Plan?  Over the last year the Town
has engaged the services of an architectural firm, HKT, Inc., to help
provide guidance and planning around several Town and School building
projects as part of the Facilities Master Planning process approved by
Town Meeting.  The Permanent Public Building Committee (PPBC) will hold an
important presentation about the developing plan on Monday, November 24th
at 7:00 p.m. in the Needham Library.  Several critical School and Town
projects will be discussed, including Hillside, Mitchell, and Pollard, and
I urge parents to attend and become informed about the issues and
challenges ahead.

•  What are the District Goals?  The School Committee recently adopted
the  [
http://Rwd1.needham.k12.ma.us/superintendent/documents/2014-2015DistrictGoals.pdf
]2014-15 District Goals plan.  This plan guides the work of the schools,
and the administration will share an update with the School Committee
about progress later this winter and again in June.  Please click on the
link to view the goals and actions steps.

•  Digital Citizenship for our Students  The School Committee also
adopted a new [
http://Rwd1.needham.k12.ma.us/superintendent/documents/StudentResponsibleUseofDigitalResourcesPolicy.pdf
]Responsible Use of Digital Resources Policy 
to ensure the appropriate use of technology in our schools and to assist
students to become responsible digital citizens.  Over the coming weeks
the school staff will be sharing this policy with students in an
age-appropriate way to help students understand their responsibilities
regarding the use of technology in the schools.  Parents will eventually
be asked to acknowledge with a signature that they, too, have read and
understand the new policy.

•  Google Mail Transition  On November 4th the Needham Public Schools
staff will transition to Google Mail.  Staff email addresses will not
change and, ideally, parents and community members will not notice
anything different about sending or receiving emails to/from school
personnel.  However, any transition away from one system to another
sometimes has unexpected glitches, and I will ask for your patience and
understanding as we make this move.  Beginning on November 4th, if you
experience a problem with sending or receiving school emails, please call
the appropriate school office to alert.

•  Upcoming Parent Workshops and Conferences  The Needham Schools and
parent groups will sponsor upcoming workshops and a lecture series:
	- Annual Middle School Conference  On Saturday November 22nd, the High
Rock-Pollard PTC is hosting its annual half-day Middle School Parenting
Conference with strategies for helping your adolescent make smart choices
and develop healthy attitudes. Mark your calendar to attend The Glass IS
Half Full: Positive Approaches to Your Middle School Parenting
Challenges for practical tips from educators, community youth leaders
and youth development experts on parenting approaches; helping teens avoid
risky behaviors; using technology responsibly; talking about sexuality;
and learning about your teen.  Registration for the half-day
conference at Pollard is now open. Check the PTC website for more
information:  [ http://www.highrockpollardptc.org/index.php?page=homepage
]High Rock/Pollard PTC Parent Workshop 

	- Needham Talks  An exciting free parent lecture series called Needham
Talks will be open to all Needham Elementary School parents.  The series
is funded by a multi-school NEF grant entitled Fostering Resilience and
Social-Emotional Wellness in Needham’s Elementary School-Age Children:
SY2014-2015 Parent Lecture Series.  All five elementary schools will be
participating in this bi-monthly parent lecture series.  The series will
be advertised by the elementary schools through the bulletins and PTC
emails.  Registration information can be found here:   [
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/needham-talks-2014-2015-needham-elementary-school-parent-lecture-series-registration-12709523527
]Needham Talks:  Parent Lecture Series 

Thanks for your ongoing support and for sharing the best students in
Massachusetts with us each day!   

As always, you can be in touch with me via phone (781.455.0400, x203) or
email:  [ 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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