[Superintendent's Update] Superintendent's Update

[Needham Public Schools Superintendent's Update]

Sunday, March 15, 2020



Dear Needham Public Schools Families:



You may know by now that Governor Baker, in consultation with Commissioner
Riley, decided this evening that Massachusetts schools will close for a
three week period beginning tomorrow due to the spread of the Coronavirus
(Covid-19).  This news does not change anything for us in the Needham
Public Schools, at least not immediately. We will work in the coming days
to understand what we must do beyond the two week closure we have already
announced.


For the health and wellbeing of our community, we are continuing with plans
to keep our schools closed at least through April 7th. We know how
disruptive this is to everyone’s lives, yet we recognize the need to follow
the guidance set forth by the CDC <https://www.cdc.gov/>, Department of
Health <https://www.mass.gov/orgs/department-of-public-health>, Needham
Public Health <http://www.needhamma.gov/85/Public-Health>, and our School
Physician. We are encouraging “social distancing” (staying out of large
groups and maintaining 6 feet of separation at smaller gatherings) to lower
the risk of transmission of illness to others. We urge families to limit
their childrens' play dates and  to consider ways that they can have
appropriate and healthy interactions with their peers.  This is an
important though difficult lesson not only for our students but also for
the adults who care for them. Together, we will do our part to mitigate the
spread of COVID-19.



Tomorrow, Monday, March 16th, our dedicated staff at every school will
be preparing
appropriate enrichment activities to help students remain engaged while
school is not in session. They will be gathering materials and preparing
online resources for student access. In addition, staff will be
coordinating plans to remain in touch with students and families
periodically during the week of March 23rd to assist with accessing
enrichment activities and to check in on how students are doing. More
details about enrichment activities available will be shared by your
child's principal.



All school buildings, including the administrative building, will be closed
at 3:00 pm on Monday and remain closed through April 6th. Needham Public
Schools staff will be working remotely from home to plan curriculum units,
engage in professional learning, and collaborate virtually with colleagues
in preparation for schools to reopen. Since it is important for all of us
to stay connected, staff will be checking and returning emails throughout
the week.



A number of additional resources are being put in place, including:



 • Information from the Needham Office for Special Education
<http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/departments/student_support_services/special_education>
is available on the district website.


• The Needham Public Schools Nutrition Services department is collaborating
with Needham Community Council
<http://needhamcommunitycouncil.org/food-pantry/> to provide food for the
community during the school closure period. Families are urged to call
781-444-2415 for assistance.



• Needham Public Schools Nurses will be in their Health Offices on Monday,
March 16 between 8 am and 10 am so you can pick up your child’s medication
if necessary.


• I strongly urge families to sign up for a Twitter account to stay abreast
of necessary school information.  I will be sending updates on Twitter that
will be easily accessible and informational.  It takes only a few minutes
to set up an account, and I expect this way of communicating will be
beneficial for students and families.  Click the link to set up an account:

https://twitter.com/@NPS_Supt



I assure you that we are committed to prioritizing safety, health, and
wellness during these unprecedented times.  Rest assured that Needham
Public Schools will keep all of our children and families at the forefront,
providing ongoing support, guidance, and education. Please feel free to
contact me via phone (781-455-0400, x11203) or email:
dan_gutekanst at needham.k12.ma.us .



Respectfully,



Dan Gutekanst

Superintendent
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.needham.k12.ma.us/pipermail/superintendents_update/attachments/20200315/c6473fee/attachment.html>