[Superintendent's Update] Superintendent's Update

[Needham Public Schools Superintendent's Update]

Dear Needham Public Schools Families:

As we prepare for the last few days of school and summer, allow me to share
the following updates:

*• Health and Safety*  With great thanks to our students and staff, the
Joint Committee on Health and Safety, and the ongoing support of families,
we have successfully kept schools open, healthy, and safe throughout the
year.  COVID cases have come down locally and within the schools
<https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1q4-g_7MabN8FQT_2zFC_yGy-FIEetFcj/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=103927596265011240038&rtpof=true&sd=true>,
and we have been able to unwind some of the protocols that had become
commonplace in our schools and classrooms.  Next school year I anticipate
that we will continue a mask friendly learning environment for students,
staff, and school visitors but will drop the daily attestation protocol.
Of course, we will follow guidance and requirements from the Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and MA Department of Public
Health (DPH) as we plan for the new school year.  Additionally, in the fall
the Joint Committee on Health and Safety will continue to advise me about
issues that may come up regarding the district's response to COVID health
and safety issues.

*• New Assistant Superintendent for Instruction & Innovation  *I am
extremely pleased to share that Dr. Carmen Williams, formerly an educator
in South Bend, Indiana, will become the district's new Assistant
Superintendent for Instruction and Innovation beginning July 1st.  You may
read the announcement here: Dr. Carmen Williams
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Qp6tUcPB6d0wyG02Cv28VSVk8ICkjJRSgVTElWEIC04/edit?usp=sharing>

*• Superintendent's Blog  *My latest post about the tragic shooting in
Uvalde can be found here: The right to a full and productive life is at the
core of our nation's principles <http://npssuperintendent.blogspot.com/>

*• 10 Minutes with...  *Please watch my latest ten minute video, an
interview with our newly appointed Assistant Superintendent of Instruction
and Innovation, Dr. Carmen Williams: 10 Minutes with Carmen Williams
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfD0YchVggs>

*• Student Historians and Scholars  *National History Day  Two Needham High
students, Claire Smith and Aideen Milligan, were selected to have their
National History Day project entitled The Lowell Mill Strike of 1836
<https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/national-history-day-2022-virtual-showcase/3o0BqdCxiKe6mrvy#r/1408012>
placed virtually in the Smithsonian Museum of American History!  Only two
schools from Massachusetts were selected, NHS and Hingham High School.
This is a huge honor for our students and their teachers who helped prepare
and guide them. You can learn more about the National History Day 2022
awards here:  NHD 2022
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1POMSO9_VxBrWYL2ecVgKjYqv-IICHsFq/view?usp=sharing>

*• Congratulations Unified Sports and Boys Volleyball!  *Congratulations to
our NHS Unified Track Team
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nUUGSIRnK4uq0iQ2bcnfAYtOigBatzLMdlZCFXoxIrI/edit?usp=sharing>
for their big wins at the state championship recently. I also want to
congratulate the NHS Boys Volleyball Team
<https://twitter.com/NPS_Supt/status/1537222194073194496?cxt=HHwWgMCiqZzcp9UqAAAA>
for winning, for a second year in a row, the Division I State Championship!
These students and their coaches should be proud of their efforts and the
athleticism and sportsmanship they have demonstrated all year.  We are
proud of you!

I hope all families and our staff enjoy a well earned summer vacation.
Rest, relax, and rejuvenate!

Respectfully,

Dan Gutekanst
Superintendent of Schools
Needham Public Schools
1330 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492
*He/His/Him*
781-455-0400 x11203
dan_gutekanst at needham.k12.ma.us

ATTENTION: If you speak a language other than English, language assistance
services are available to you free of charge. Contact your child’s school
for assistance.

Chinese (Simplified): 请注意：如果您的母语不是英语，我们将免费提供您语言辅助服务。如需协助，请与您孩子 的学校联系。

Spanish: ATENCION: Si usted habla un idioma que no sea el inglés, hay
servicios de asistencia lingüística disponibles gratis. Contacte la escuela
de su hijo para asistencia.

Russian: ВНИМАНИЕ: Если вы не говорите на английском языке, для вас
доступны бесплатные языковые сервисы на вашем языке. Обратитесь за помощью
в школу, в которой учится ваш ребенок.
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