Search Results

On October 14, Dr. Gutekanst posted an updated on the Portrait of a Needham Graduate project on his blog. Since spring of 2018, a group of 53 community members and NPS staff have met for several full-day workshops to develop a vision for education in Needham. The group has read articles, watched videos, heard presentations, and engaged in facilitated discussions to draft a framework, and are now seeking input from the wider community. Members of the committee are spending the month of October meeting with school and community groups to present information and solicit feedback from as many stakeholders as possible. The final group working session will take place on November 16, 2018, at which point the group will consider next steps, informed by feedback they have received from the community. Recommendations will be presented at a School Committee meeting in Spring 2019. Read Blog Post > Download list of Competencies > Take Survey (by 11/15/18) > Review P.O.N.G. Resources > Draft List of Competencies: Creative Problem Solving Students will be able to analyze relevant information and design innovative solutions to improve outcomes. Resilience Students will be flexible, adapt to change, and persist to accomplish difficult tasks by overcoming academic and personal barriers to meet goals. Cultural Responsiveness Students will understand and respect their own andother cultures, possess bilingual skills, and act to ensure fairness and access. Metacognition Students will direct their own learning, ask for help when they need it, and work toward lifelong learning goals. Communication Students will articulate ideas effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts. Empathy Students will demonstrate understanding of others’ perspectives and needs and listen with an open mind to understand others’ situations. Collaboration and Teamwork Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams. Information Acquisition and Literacy Students will apply effective reading skills to acquire knowledge, incorporate effective writing skills to convey understanding, and use technology skills & digital tools to explore and exchange ideas. Citizenship Students will understand governmental processes and exercise the rights and obligations of citizenship at local, state, national, and global levels. Content Competency Students will develop and draw from knowledge in academic disciplines, and transfer knowledge to other situations. Disciplines include, but are not limited to: Science, Math, History, Language, Arts. Personal Responsibility Students will act responsibly and ethically to build trust and lead. Wellness Students will engage in healthy and positive practices to promote physical and mental wellbeing. #Portrait

Last night Needham held a Special Town Meeting to address 16 warrant articles. Among those were two that are directly related to Needham Schools: Article 11: Emery Grover Feasibility Study (approved) The Emery Grover school administration building is in need of significant repairs, and has been on the town's Facilities Master Plan for many years. $130,000 was approved to evaluate options for the building: 1) full renovation/addition; 2) preservation of facade only with new construction behind; 3) full demolition and new construction; or 4) sale and relocation to leased or purchased space. This work will update and expand on a previous feasibility study conducted in 2013. A previous request for the study was deferred at the May Annual Town Meeting due to concerns over using CPA (Community Preservation Act) funds for the study, which is no longer the funding source. By approving this article at Special Town Meeting, the project is still on schedule for the next phase to be presented at the 2020 Annual Town Meeting. 2013 Emery Grover Feasibility Study > Article 12: Mitchell Modular Classrooms (approved) $1,350,00 was approved for the construction of two modular classrooms at the Mitchell School, which are necessary to accommodate the start of full-day Kindergarten in the fall of 2019. Art and music classes will be housed in the new classrooms. Construction begins this spring. September 18 Mitchell Modular Update > Others articles of interest: Article 8: Consulting Assistance for Needham 2025 (approved) The goal of the N2025 project is to gain a better understanding of the impact of commercial and residential growth on town infrastructure, including: traffic, roads, transportation, water, sewer, technology and school facilities. The N2025 Committee is comprised of two members each from the Finance Committee, School Committee, Select Board, and Planning Board. $75,000 was approved to be pay for expert advice as needed. Article 10: Public Safety Building Construction (approved) Town Meeting unanimously approved an article to build two new fire stations and a new police station for a total of $66 million. The project still needs to be approved by town voters in a Prop 2-1/2 debt exclusion override on November 6 (Ballot Question 4). In the coming weeks there will be numerous information sessions to explain the projects to voters and answer questions. More information can be found on the Town of Needham website. Special Town Meeting Warrant > Watch October 10, 2018 Special Town Meeting > #TownMeeting #budget #Mitchell #FullDayK

The 10/2 meeting had a full agenda, including a presentation from HS Student Advisory, a Human Resources update, a presentation on a potential Early Child Care Program, the FY 2020-25 Capital Plan, and approval of the 2019-20 School calendar. Detailed information on all discussion items can be found in the packet from this meeting. Download packet > Watch meeting > High School Student Advisory to the School Committee The 10/2 school committee began with a report from the Needham High School Student Advisory to the School Committee. This group of six high school students connect with and advise the School Committee several times a year. Early Child Care Program Diane Simmons, Director of Planning, Communication, and Community Education, shared a proposal for an Early Childcare program for NPS teachers, staff, town employees and the community. This fee based program would provide care during the school year for infants and toddlers. Human Resources Update Dr. Alex McNeil, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, presented information about the district’s efforts to hire qualified teaching staff. A priority identified by the REAL Coalition Sub Committee on Hiring and Employment Practices is to increase the diversity of NPS staff. FY2020-24 Capital Plan For everyone curious about the districts long-range capital plans, take a look at FY2020-2024 Draft Capital Improvement Plan include in the packet. It provides a glimpse into capital improvement needs over the next five years, from tech, to building renovations, to furniture and more. 2019-20 School Calendar The first day of school will be September 3, the Tuesday after Labor Day. Interesting to note — there will be no more delayed openings due to the start of full-day Kindergarten! #HighSchool #CapitalPlan #REALCoalition #HumanResources

Last night marked the first official school committee meeting of the year. Agenda items included updates on the High School expansion, proposed modular additions for Mitchell, and the start of work on the FY20 school budget. Download packet > Watch the meeting > High School Renovation Needham High School principal Aaron Sicotte provided an update on the High School expansion project. New classroom space is slated to open at the end of October, and the extensively renovated A Gym will be completed by the end of September. Renovated interior spaces include a new science lab, special education room and kitchenette (for life-skills lessons and cultural activities). Mitchell Modular Classrooms Two new modulars are being proposed for the Mitchell School to allow for the implementation of Full Day Kindergarten in all 2019. These modulars will house Mitchell’s art and music programs, freeing up space for additional classrooms while also investing in the school's art programming. This expenditure will be up for vote at the October 10th Special Town Meeting. FY20 Budget Work on the FY20 budget started over the summer and will continue through the winter. At this meeting, the School Committee voted to approve budget guidelines. One small step in the budget planning process, stay tuned for more information about the budget later this fall. #FullDayK #budget #Mitchell #HighSchool

Last Thursday, the Needham School Committee held a meeting and book discussion in the High Rock School library. Agenda items included preliminary discussions of the FY20 budget — which includes a focus on Full-day kindergarten — and a vote on an October 2018 Special Town Meeting Warrant Article request for construction of Mitchell School modular classrooms (cost still to be determined). Subcommittee assignments were made: Broadmeadow — Susan Neckes Eliot— Aaron Pressman Hillside Michael Greis Mitchell — Heidi Black Newman — Connie Barr High Rock / Pollard— Matthew Spengler High School — Andrea Longo Carter The School Committee also spent two hours discussing Beverly Daniel Tatum's book Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? as part of their focus on equity in the Needham Public Schools. The author will address Needham Public School staff on November 21st. Download packet > #equity #budget

Many Needham Schools have been under construction over the summer. This week Dr. Gutekanst posted an update on his blog. Highlights include: Sunita L. Williams is still on track to be open for the 2019-20 school year. The High School will not be ready for the start of school due to unexpected delays. The hope is that the expansion area will be ready a few weeks into the school year. Mitchell is getting a new playground. Broadmeadow is having new flooring installed. Pollard bathrooms are being renovated. Blog Post: "Caution! School Construction Zone in Needham"

On Tuesday, June 5, Assistant Superintendent Mary Lammi was joined by several members of the district's REAL (Race, Equity, Access, Leadership) Coalition to give the School Committee an update on initiatives and goals stemming from the recent Equity Audit. The REAL Collation was formed to provided leadership and guidance on eliminating barriers to racial equity and supporting the advancement of all learners in the Needham Public Schools. In addition to administrators, the REAL Coalition has now been expanded to include parents, teachers, students, and school committee members. The Committee has identified six key areas and has formed a subcommittee for each: 1. Communications and Community Engagement 2. Culture and Climate 3. Professional Learning 4. Curriculum, Programs, and Data 5. Policies, Procedures, and Practices 6. Hiring and Employment Practices In a detailed presentation, the group discussed the progress in these areas, as well as future goals. The plan is for the work of the REAL Coalition to be ongoing, with periodic progress reports to the School Committee over the coming months. Equity Progress Report, June 2018 > Watch the presentation (starting at 48:00) > #equity #report #REALCoalition

The 2018 Annual Town meeting concluded on Wednesday, May 16. Among the over 40 articles voted on by Town Meeting Members were several that impact Needham Schools. ANNUAL TOWN MEETING ARTICLES: Article 16: FY19 Operating Budget (approved) The school operating budget (primarily salaries and expenses) of $71,105,943 was approved within the town's operating budget. This represents a 4.03% increase over the previous year's budget, driven primarily by contractual salary increases and expanded student support services in the areas of special education, guidance, nursing, and English Language Learner (ELL) programs. Also included were additional staffing to support increased enrollment, and late buses for middle and high school students participating in after-school activities. The detailed budget report is available on the NPS website, broken into four parts: Table of Contents Budget Message Details by Level Performance Statistics Article 28: Emery Grover Feasibility Study (referred) The Emery Grover school administration building is in need of significant repairs, and has been on the town's Facilities Master Plan for many years. In 2013, a feasibility study was conducted that explored the options for administrative space: renovation of Emery Grover, purchase of a commercial property, or new construction on another site. This year, $70,000 was requested to "refresh" the 2013 study, with a focus on the cost to renovate/reconstruct the existing building. Because Emery Grover is a historic building on the national registry, the request was to use Community Preservation Committee (CPC) funding. The article was NOT approved, and was instead referred back to the Select Board for further consideration. Discussion centered primarily around concerns that by using CPC funding, the town had already decided the best course of action was to renovate the existing building, rather than explore other options that might be less expensive. A revised article related to Emery Grover will most likely appear on the warrant for Special Town Meeting this fall. Article 30: Memorial Park Building Construction (approved) Although not technically under Needham Public Schools, many high school athletic programs make use of the Memorial Park Building. $6,250,000 was appropriated for the new structure, which will include separate spaces for both home and visiting teams, restrooms for teams and park users, and a concession area, along with storage and meeting space for town groups. Article 32: General Fund Cash Capital (approved) This article , which appropriates funds for one-time smaller capital improvements, included several school-related projects, including: Pollard Blue & Green Gym Upgrades ($540,000) Pollard Phased Improvements Feasibility Study ($65,000) School Furniture & Equipment ($60,500) School Phone System Replacement ($319,000) School Photocopier Replacement ($84,190) School Technology Replacement ($303,600) SPECIAL TOWN MEETING ARTICLES: These are articles that were not ready when the Annual Town Meeting Warrant was published, but were included in the warrant for Special Town Meeting, which always takes place on the second Monday of May. Article 5: Mitchell School Locker Replacement (approved) $70,000 was appropriated to replace the current lockers, which are both broken and too narrow for students to use. Article 6: Mitchell School Modular Classrooms (approved) $210,000 was appropriated for study and design of two modular classrooms to accommodate Full-Day Kindergarten in September 2019. Additional funding will be requested at the Special Town Meteing in the fall for actual construction costs. Article 7: High School Expansion (approved) Due to an accelerated construction scheduled and rising construction costs, an additional $431,000 was requested for the High School renovation project. Town Meeting Warrant > Special Town Meeting Warrant > Watch 2018 Town Meeting: Night 1 > Night 2 > Night 3 > Night 4 > #TownMeeting #budget

Needham is currently in the middle of its annual Town Meeting, which takes place each May. All town expenditures, including school funding, must be approved by Town Meeting members — each of the ten precincts in town is represented by 24 Town Meeting Members. Whether it is the school operating budget (primarily salaries and expenses), one-time capital improvements (furniture and equipment replacement, repairs), or large building projects, all spending must be voted on and approved by Town Meeting, and considered in the context of the overall town budget. The School Committee works with the Town Manager, Finance Committee, and Select Board to put together funding requests that meet the needs of the students while also staying within the overall budget of the Town. It is a long negotiation that begins in September of each year, and there are always items that are desired but can't be funded in the next year. Even with all of this work to develop and prioritize reasonable spending requests, it is ultimately up to Town Meeting to approve those requests. Usually they do... but sometimes they don't. Concerns around increasing taxes, taking on too much debt, and general overspending means that not all requests are approved. Why are we telling you all of this? There are many community members who would like to see more investment in our schools and students. While it is important to be giving your input to the Superintendent and School Committee, the funding decisions are not theirs alone to make. What can you do? Contact your Town Meeting members and tell them what YOU think should be prioritized. Better yet, become a Town Meeting member yourself, and cast your own vote. List of Town Meeting Members > #budget #TownMeeting

The 2018 Annual Town Meeting begins tonight, and part of the budget request is funding for modular classrooms at Mitchell, which are necessary to accommodate full-day Kindergarten at that school. This has generated some more general discussion around space planning and enrollment projections, which School Committee Chair Aaron Pressman addressed in a recent post to the Needham Facebook Page. Among the main take-aways: Enrollment projections are based on work by both a professional demographer hired by the town and the Full-day Kindergarten Study. Projections DO take into account both current and future residential building projects. Restricting is not being discussed at this time. The town receives funding from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for school projects, but can only apply for one project at a time. After the Sunita L. Williams School project is completed, Needham can re-apply for MSBA funds to rebuild Mitchell (planned for 2028 completion), and then Pollard (2030). Demography Study (November 2017 )> Full-Day Kindergarten Report (February 2018) > Aaron Pressman's full post: "Hi. I’m the chairman of the school committee. I’ve been on the school committee for five years and in town meeting for about 15 years. I noticed that there’s been a lot of discussion here lately around the new apartment projects, the capacity of various schools, and the possibility of redistricting, some stimulated by our plan to add modulars at the Mitchell school. I wanted to offer some facts and some background materials to inform the discussion. And while I’m not here to have an argument, I’ll try to answer questions you have below. We also welcome your feedback via email at schoolcommittee@needham.k12.ma.us "The town employs a professional demographer who tries to model how school enrollment will evolve in the future. While school enrollment across Massachusetts has been flat or declining over the past few decades, Needham‘s has increased and looks to keep on increasing, at least for a few more years. This is the most recent demography report: http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/UserFiles/Servers/Server_64429/File/Departments/Administrative/Business%20Office/construction%20Projects/Needham%20MA%20Demographic%20Study%2019-33%20(2).pdf "Another great document to take a look at is the full day kindergarten study by Dore Whittier Architects that we received a few months back. The study took the enrollment projections, which include assumptions about the big new apartment complexes, and looked at how they would impact available space in each of the elementary schools over the next 10 to 20 years. http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/UserFiles/Servers/Server_64429/File/Departments/Administrative/Business%20Office/construction%20Projects/2018.02.21%20FINAL%20Report%20Combined.pdf "The School Committee has not discussed redistricting to this point. If you look at the space projections in the full day K study, you’ll see that some schools are projected to actually have extra space in coming years, while the Eliot School looks like it’s facing a crunch around 2025. Again, this is just based on projections, some for apartment projects that haven’t even been built yet, so I think we may have to have to see how things play out. "People have also been discussing when the Mitchell School will be rebuilt, as it’s the last of the five elementary schools to get an overhaul. A few years ago, we went to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which reimburses us about 30% of the cost of school construction, and told them we needed to rebuild Hillside, Mitchell and the Pollard Middle School. They have limited funds and many requests and they told us we could do Hillside first and then come back and re-apply for Mitchell and Pollard. "So we're doing Hillside–that's the new Sunita L. Williams school going up on Central Ave. And in our current capital plan, we are looking to do Mitchell next. But it’s still uncertain when the MSBA will put us back in their queue given that they have many requests from other towns. Also keep in mind that Needham has some non-school building projects on tap, some of which are extremely important, like the upcoming police and fire building projects. "That’s why if you look at the school department's most recent long-term capital plan you see that a new Mitchell school is scheduled to be ready to open in 2028 and a renovated Pollard school in 2030. And again those are estimates, which depend on the MSBA schedule and the schedule of the town's other buildings." #budget #report #FullDayK #enrollment

Needham Public Schools is conducting it's biennial parent survey though May 7th. Principals from each school have sent school-specific links to families, with a goal of 100% participation Feedback received on the survey enables the district to recognize strengths, respond to areas needing improvement, and measure progress toward the District Goals. Since 2001, the district has been gathering information and sharing the cumulative results with staff, parents, and the community. Information gathered from the 2016 survey resulted in action steps by the district. A few examples: In response to requests for improved transportation service, the School Committee approved funding for the addition of school buses and a late bus; school space issues were addressed; more STEAM programs were added; and the process was launched for community involvement in developing a Portrait of A Needham Graduate. Findings from the 2018 survey will be presented to School Community next fall. Some of the previous survey results are available on the NPS website: 2016 Survey Results > 2013 Survey Results > 2009 Survey Results > 2007 Survey Results > 2005 Survey Results > #report #survey

The agenda for the 4/24/18 meeting included NEF Spring Grants, the Pollard School Improvement Plan, and preparation for Town Meeting. Download packet > Watch the meeting > Public Comments During the public comments, NHS student Dora Evans raised the issue of the state of disrepair of the high school auditorium, which includes issues with lighting, the sound system, and seating. She advocated for repairing this space in the near future so that it can be used by both high school students and the community at large. Though SC does not usually respond during Public Comments, Dr. Gutekanst addressed the comments. He whole-heartedly agreed with Ms. Evans that the town has not maintained the facility as it does others, and stated he had just that day met with the facilities manager and the town manager to discuss renovations to be made over the summer to address some (though not all) of the issues raised. He will update SC on progress later this spring or in the fall. Election of Officers The Committee elected officers for the coming year: Aaron Pressman - Chair Michael Greis - Vice Chair Dan Gutekanst - Secretary Needham Education Foundation (NEF) Spring Grants The NEF presented six grants that had been awarded for the spring for a total of $32,125, including three professional development (PD) opportunities and also funding for five members of the Portrait of a Needham Graduate group to attend a conference over the summer. SC members were excited to see that the NEF is supporting PD opportunities, which can have a meaningful impact on students for years to come, and also help with staff retention. Pollard School Improvement Plan Principal Tamatha Bibbo was joined by parents, students, and teachers from the school council to present highlights from their 2015-2018 plan. (Full plan contained in SC packet.) Student Feedback for teachers At least once a year, students will have an opportunity to provide feedback to teachers, which will then be part of the teachers annual evaluation. Student Opportunities The Washington DC trip, community service requirements, and STRETCH program are all contributing to building community and reducing stress in students. The "Breakfast on a Cart" program has been a huge success. Available to all students, this program is an inclusive way to ensure students are not starting their day hungry (the payment system is same as lunch — pay by pin and financial assistance for those in need) , and has become a bit of a "hot spot" for kids to hang out in the mornings. Digital Citizenship and Social Media Through an NEF grant, Dr. Jill Walsh has been hired to develop programming around social media use specific to Pollard students. The initiative includes curriculum development, PD for teachers, and parent education. Coding The 7th grade technology classes have started using a program called CoSpaces to help students learning coding through drag-and-drop programming and virtual reality. Accelerated Math Curriculum An audit will be conducted to assess new accelerated math program, getting feedback from students and families. They will be looking at HS performance and if current placement data points are working. Town Meeting Preparation In addition to overall school budget, funding will be requested for Mitchell modulars, Pollard improvement feasibility study, and supplemental NHS construction funds. Town Meeting Warrant > Special Town Meeting Warrant > School Budget Request > Additional Business Changes to school policy approved Adrienne Garrido Scholarship approved A public hearing on school choice was provided — no comments for the public #budget #NEF #Pollard #schoolimprovementplan