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Roland Hayes School
The Community Notes ~ December 8, 2023
Our North Star
“When children and teachers feel engaged, safe, and supported we have room to grow and learn through collaboration and risk-taking with our peers.”
Previous "Community Notes" can be found here: https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/domain/718
"The Community Notes" is sent every other week. Thanks for reading!
Dear Roland Hayes School Community
Hanukkah, the festival of lights, has begun - rejoice! May the next days bring peace, connection, and joy to the Jewish folks in our community who observe the holiday. Chag urim sameach!
- Enjoy this amazing song by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings: song
- Did you see these very fun Hanukkah activities page on Google's homepage? Check it out here: link
- And, here is a video all about Hanukkah, for those who'd like to know more: link
There is much to celebrate and I hope you will do just that! We love you!
________________________________________
Festive Sweets Party: Last Appeal for Support!
Let's celebrate our teachers and staff this holiday season and give them festive sweet treats on Monday, December 11th! Please bake or purchase cookies, brownies, bars, cupcakes- anything that can be picked up to enjoy. Involve your kids! We encourage notes and drawings of appreciation, too!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B49AEAE28A13-46334686-2023
All treats can be delivered to the Hayes Lobby 8-10 am on Monday, December 11th. Please add labels for nut allergies. Also, write your name on the bottom of the dish if you would like to claim it at the end of the day. Clean platters will be available for pick up in the lobby at dismissal.
If you would like to donate funds to help us buy sweet treats, please submit through Pay Pal or Venmo to one of us:
Pay Pal: kplsawatzky@gmail.com
Venmo: @Robin-Gilula or @Katharine-Sawatzky
Thank you!
Robin Gilula and Katie Sawatzky (Parents in 5Perk, 6-1 and 6-3)
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B49AEAE28A13-46334686-2023
Grade 2 Food Drive - Next Week!
Dear Roland Hayes School Community,
In connection with our social studies unit about community wants and needs, the 2nd grade is running a food drive to benefit the Brookline Food Pantry. Please consider donating healthy, non-perishable items from December 11th through the 15th. Bring any donations to the main lobby.
Check out our short promotional video for more details and information.
Thank you!
~ The Second Grade teachers & students
Help Needed: Party Planning!
A new school name requires a celebration! If you are interested. in joining the School Renaming Party Planning committee, will you let us know by filling out this one question survey?
Link to survey: https://forms.gle/LYq8DY2QT8rkntNC6
PLEASE Label Your Child's Things - Especially Their Coats!
If you can do one thing this weekend, please make time to label your child's winter coat. Our Lost and Found is already full of coats with no names. If we find items with names on them, we return these items to their owners. No label? Then it sits in a pile of stuff in our Lost and Found.
Since you are getting that sharpie out, will you go ahead and write your child's name on their lunch box, water bottle, and backpack?
We thank you very sincerely.
5th -8th Chorus Performs at P-Bruins Game
Last Sunday 39 of our 5th-8th graders performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing" on the ice at the Providence Bruins hockey game. The "PBruins" are the farm team for the Boston Bruins in the NHL
By singing this song at "Hockey is for Everyone Night," our students represented the Black National Anthem. Hayes students are the FIRST EVER to do this at any AHL/NHL event in the country! (Our first time was last year.)
More About Roland Hayes
There is so much to learn about Mr. Roland Hayes, our namesake, and his times. This piece from NPR, "How a Reconstruction-era singing tour changed popular music" (https://www.npr.org/2023/11/19/1214042422/how-a-reconstruction-era-singing-tour-changed-popular-music) highlights the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a group in which Mr. Hayes grew into his voice.
This connected and expansive Atlantic piece, "The College Choir That Changed the Course of American Music," also spotlights the Fisk Jubilee Singers (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cy1Yfvl9yTPXE9IoyNjH_7Ge0uPINukR/view?usp=sharing) which sheds great light on the choir, our times, and the world that nurtured Roland Hayes.
(With thanks to Town Meeting member Perry Grossman for sending these along!)
From Mr. Goldner's 7th Grade Science Classroom
Check out this amazing student work from Mr. Goldner's science class:
"Recently we wrapped up an exciting project called 'Sensing Our World' in which 7th graders designed and built models of sensing systems. This was the culmination of several weeks learning about electronics, C++ coding and sensors (using the Arduino platform).
Check out this website in which you'll see images of the student work as well as short screencasts they created that document their work in this project.
Hopefully the students now have a firmer understanding of the various ways that sensors are used in our everyday life, and that we've 'cracked open the hood' to begin to reveal the magic of electricity and how people manipulate electrons to do all sorts of cool things for us!"
-----
Mark Goldner (he/him/his)
7th & 8th Grade Science Teacher
From Our PTO
Our PTO's Website is here: https://www.heathpto.org/ We hope you will check it out for upcoming events, ways to support out school, and much more!
____________________
Holiday Gift Giving
This is the time of year when many families show their support via gift giving. The teachers are grateful for these gifts of appreciation. We also remind you all of the limits to gift giving; please
read the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission guidance on gift giving to public school teachers and staff, found here: link. Thank you!
Specialist Teachers Wishlist
Each year, the Heath PTO shares a wishlist of supplies that the specialists need for their classrooms. Please visit the wishlist and contribute where you can. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Save the Dates for PTO Community Events in the New Year
A whole bunch of parent volunteers are working behind the scenes to plan some great community events for our school in the new year. Make sure to save the date for the Science Fair (Sat., 3/2), International Night (Fri., 4/5), and Mayfair (Sat., 5/11). Will send more details about these events and more over the coming months.
Other Continuing and Upcoming Events:
- Holiday Toy Drive through 12/11 – be sure to bring in those unwrapped, new toys on Monday!
- Winter Variety Show for K-3 students on 1/24 – more info to come, but start practicing those magic acts now!
Save the Date! International Night!
SAVE THE DATE! Roland Hayes School International Night is Friday, April 5th, 2024.
There will be many forthcoming opportunities to volunteer for our beloved community event.
2024-25 Kindergarten Info Session
Private School Recommendations
If you are planning to apply to private schools, please be aware of three things:
- The PSB uses our own forms for the recommendation process. Please send the requests to the appropriate staff via the independents school's portal (ie, Ravenna). That will alert us to your request. We will then use our forms to communicate with the private schools to which you are applying.
- Please provide addressed, stamped envelops to the front office for every school to which you are applying. We will send the completed forms directly to the schools.
- The firm deadline for staff to complete recommendation forms is is January 10th, 2024. After this date, staff will not be able to complete letters of recommendation.
Get Out Your Beakers! Science Fair 2024!
The 5th annual Science Fair date will take place on Saturday, MARCH 2, 2024! And you don’t want to miss participating. Last year was amazing:
- 91 participants, K through 8th grade – our highest number to date
- 52 projects – exploring volcanoes, molecular gastronomy, musical dogs, thermochromic materials, Brookline birds, electric cars and so much more
- 14 volunteer judges – all parent-scientists from our school!
- Over 300 guests, despite a massive snowstorm
So get excited to join us as a participant or a supporter! Here’s some early info – stay tuned for more:
INSPIRATION & INFORMATION: Check out the Fair website early and often for with lots of helpful resources for young scientists and their assistants!
WORKSHOPS: 4 Zoom sessions to get direction, answers, and encouragement from Science Fair volunteers. Planned dates and broad themes:
- Workshop #1: Week of December 11, 2023 – “Observe: Choosing a Project”
- Workshop #2: Week of January 1, 2024 – “Plan: Research and Design”
- Workshop #3: Week of January 22, 2024 – “Explore: Experimentation and Investigation”
- Workshop #4: Week of February 5, 2024 – “Explain: Communication and Presentation”
CONTACTS: Reach out to Vice Principal Patel, Theodora Konetsovska (3rd & 6th) or Eli Silk (8th) with questions
Upcoming Events
Monday, December 11th: Rainbow Club! Grade 3, 11:20-11:50am
Wednesday, December 13th: Grades 6-8 GSA, 10:50-11:20am
Wednesday, December 13th: Model UN, 11:20am-12:05pm
Wednesday, December 13th: Term 2 Closes for Grades 6-8 Interim Progress Reports
Thursday, December 14th: Young Scholars, 2:30-3:30pm
Thursday, December 14th: 2024-25 Kindergarten Information Session via ZOOM, 7:00-8:30pm (see flyer above)
Friday, December 15th: PEP - Perseverance Activity, 8:05-8:30am
Tuesday, December 19th: AAPI Affinity Group, 10:50-11:20am
Wednesday, December 20th: Grades 6-8 GSA, 10:50-11:20am
Wednesday, December 20th: Model UN, 11:20am-12:05pm
Thursday, December 21st: Young Scholars, 2:30-3:30pm
Thursday, December 21st: Term 2 Interim Progress Reports Published for Grades 6-8
Friday, December 22nd: K-8 Early Dismissal @ Noon
Monday, December 25th - Monday, January 1st: School Closed for Winter Break: Return on January 2, 2024
Field Trips:
Thursday, December 14th: Grade 4 Trip to The Harvard Museum of Natural History, 8:05am-2:00pm
In Closing
The winter season is upon us, thus a poem about change feels apt:
Rebirth by Alex Elle
There will be moments when
you will bloom
fully and then
wilt, only to be born again.
if we can learn anything from
flowers it is that resilience is born
even when we feel like we are
dying.
Winter offers up many moments to burrow into our selves and our homes with the people we need around us the most. May that connection bring comfort and joy, nurturing us for the winter months ahead.
~ Asa
Contact
Dr. Asa Sevelius, Ed.D. | Principal
Email: asa_sevelius@psbma.org
Pronouns: he/him
Mr. Kirtan Patel | Vice Principal
Email: kirtan_patel@psbma.org
Pronouns: he/him
Previous "Community Notes" can be found here: https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/domain/718
The "School Name: History & Resources" website page is here:
https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/renameheath
Website: https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/Page/17
Location: 100 Eliot Street, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467
Phone: 617-879-4570
Roland Hayes School
The Public Schools Of Brookline | A METCO Partnership School
Dr. Asa Sevelius, Principal & Mr. Kirtan Patel, Vice Principal