SC met on September 17th at Broadmeadow Elementary School. Topics included a discussion with the School Resource Officers, an update about the start of school, information about another incident of anti-Semitic graffiti at the high school, the new Needham High School student sitting on School Committee, and an overview of the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey and its relevance to the Needham Public Schools.
The school committee welcomes Needham High School Junior Aidan Michelow to the committee! Aidan will represent the student voice in a non-voting capacity.
Superintendent Updates
Needham High School was named a Special Olympics Unified Champion School for the school’s athletic programming which includes students of all backgrounds
25 Needham High students have received a National Merit Commendation and another 7 students are National Merit Semi-Finalists.
The Needham Community is welcome to an Open House at the new Sunita L. Williams School on October 19th from 9-10:30 am.
The new school year has begun smoothly with new modulars in place and working well at Mitchell, Full Day Kindergarten also operating smoothly, and the New Sunita Williams school open with fewer traffic problems than anticipated. Dr. Gutekanst thanked the School Committee, Needham Police Department, and SWES school administration and staff for their foresight in anticipating many potential traffic problems.
School Resources Officers
The chief of police introduced two School Resource Officers, RJ Poirier and Adrienne Anderson.
These officers visit all schools in Needham, K-12, building relationships with students and troubleshooting when needed.
Adrienne has degrees from BU and UMass Lowell along with a professional chef certification
RJ Poirier grew up in Needham and has degrees in English, Criminal Justice and an MBA.
See the Memorandum of Understanding between Needham Public Schools and the Needham Police Department
Racist Graffiti at Needham High School
Dr. Gutekanst addressed the second graffiti incident at Needham High this school year. Students found swastika’s etched into a bathroom stall and reported this to the administration. Students and families were notified. Dr. Gutekanst stated that this is a challenging issue to handle and that speaking out about it and discussing it publicly is preferable to keeping silent.
MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey
Assistant Superintendent Mary Lammi presented the results of the most recent MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey. This survey occurs every other year and targets students in the Metro West area in grades 6-12. Approximately 95% of students respond.
The 2018-19 Survey noted the following emerging trends:
An increase in vaping
High levels of stress and anxiety
High levels of social media use outside school.
Needham schools plan to address these problems in three ways:
Expand awareness of issues among students, staff and families
Expand existing programs such as: - Anti-Bullying - Socioemotional Learning - Student led groups such as SALSA and SAFE
Continue the districts work towards “supporting positive inclusive school cultures”
More detailed information can be found in the packet and presentation.
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