Superintendent Update: June 2024

Happy June Dedham Families and Community Partners!

On Saturday morning at 11:00am another Dedham High School graduation ceremony will begin. Another group of DPS alumni will be added to the distinguished list of past scholars and high-achievers.

At Senior Night earlier this week I was lucky enough to address the class of 2024. My speech included these words, “As your Superintendent I am honored to be among you this evening. Honored to know that Dedham Public Schools is sending young adults off to college, into military service, the trades, and workforce who have all learned determination, resiliency, empathy, and understand that the best rewards in life come from the extension of kindness and from intentional acts that build a better, more just world.”

This is vertical work and collaborative work. Every Dedham educator played an important role in the development of these skills. From Preschool to High School, hundreds of Dedham staff members worked together with parents and community partners to prepare the Class of 2024 for the future they are about to embark upon. Well done and thank you team Dedham!

As we begin to close out the 2023 - 2024 school year, many fond memories will begin to solidify. The year was FULL! Here is a brief recap of just some of the amazing opportunities that were provided for students and families…

* Hands-On Learning: Students were able to race cardboard boats, dissect squid, curate their own museum, author a cultural cookbook, put on a french "trashion show", and many, many more amazing opportunities.

* Learning from Experts: Student were able to learn from resident artists, visit local research labs, ceramics studios, local and state government buildings, and DHS spanish students got to exchange visits with students in Spain.

* Bringing Student Work into the Community: The Elementary Science Fair, 7th Grade Museum Project, MotherBrook Art Exhibit, Dedham StoryTellers, and the Youth Art Month social takeover put student work and talents in the spotlight.

* Students on Stage: Did you know that if you added up all the concerts, plays, musicals and local performance opportunities, DPS students collectively performed in over 35 productions this past year?

* Achievements & Honors: Among many other honors, this year we celebrated TVL Champion athletes, MIAA Tournament games, our first time with students representing DHS at the Mass Science and Engineering Fair and DMS at the METG Middle School Festival (drama).

*We Tried New Things! We hosted the first-ever DPS Curriculum night this past November; DHS launched a pilot student internship program that allowed selected seniors to spend the final 6 weeks of their high school career working in a field that closely aligns with their career goals; we piloted two potential new literacy curriculum programs and will be rolling out a new curriculum (CKLA) for K-5 in September; and we brought classroom highlights, photos and official District news to social media.

Now we make the most of the next 8 school days, then start planning for next year!

I wish you and your loved ones a safe, joyous and relaxing summer.

Best,

Nan

Ed Paris - Director of Teaching & Learning

Ed Paris, currently the Principal at Avery Elementary, will be taking on a new role as of July 1st, becoming the Director of Teaching & Learning for Dedham. Mr. Paris has been part of the Dedham team for 14 years, having worked as a Principal at both Riverdale Elementary and at Avery Elementary. Ed has a BA in Public and Corporate Communications from Westfield State University, an M.Ed. in Elementary Education from Cambridge College, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (C.A.G.S.) in Educational Leadership from Bridgewater State University. In this new role, Mr. Paris will be able to bring his energy and contagious enthusiasm for student learning to students across our schools and at all levels.

Avery Elementary Principal Search Progress

With Principal Paris moving into the Office of Teaching & Learning, the search for a new Avery Elementary school principal has become a priority, as we aim to try and find the next great Avery leader before the summer break. A Principal Search Committee has been created, made up of school leadership, Avery educators and Avery parent representatives. The Search Committee met this week to review the resumes submitted in interest for the position. From that list of over 15 candidates, they have selected 6 for in-person interviews.

Interview with the top candidates will be held on Monday, June 10th and Tuesday, June 11th, from which the committee will recommend two finalists for consideration. Finalist candidates will be invited to a half-day school visit on Thursday, June 13th. During the visit they will meet with Administration, Avery teachers, explore the school and classrooms in action. On Thursday evening, Finalists will conduct online Zoom Meet and Greet sessions with families - 6:30pm & 7:00pm. Zoom links will be shared with families next week.

At the end of the school year, we not only wish our DHS graduating class the best of luck on their next adventures, we also say farewell to those staff who will be retiring from Dedham Public Schools at the end of the year. Our school community thrives as the result of the dedicated 600+ educators and staff who show up everyday to welcome, support and encourage our students, and they have all been part of that effort over the years. *6 of these retirees have over 20+ years of service in Dedham! We wish all of our DPS Retirees well as they embark on their next chapters, and thank them for their time in Dedham Public Schools.

Thank You!

As the Dedham High School Class of 2024 celebrates this Saturday, they will hear from their classmates honored as Valedictorian and Salutatorian. Dalia and Colin have truly excelled academically, and their outstanding achievements are a source of great pride for Dedham High School and their families.

Valedictorian:

Dalia Smid is the Dedham High School Valedictorian for 2024. She is heading to Haverford College next year to study biology. At Dedham High, she has been recognized as an AP Scholar with honors, received the Harvard Club of Boston Book Award, and received the Seal of Biliteracy for Spanish. Dalia was involved in various activities in high school, including the Illustrated Journaling Club, National Honor Society, Jazz Band, Track, and Cross Country. You can read more about Dalia in this latest DHS Mirror article.

Salutatorian:

Colin Finkel is the Class of 2024 Salutatorian. Colin will study Mathematics and Statistics at the State University of New York Stony Brook as a member of the Honors College. Colin’s academic accomplishments include: achieving a 1600 score on the SAT and earning top scores of 5 on five Advanced Placement exams. Colin also dedicated himself to athletics, participating in Cross Country, Winter Track, and Tennis. You can read Colin's feature from the DHS Mirror here.

Dalia and Colin have truly excelled academically, and their outstanding achievements are a source of great pride for Dedham High School and their families. Congratulations to Dalia and Colin for their remarkable accomplishments!

Every year, Dedham 4th graders expand their understanding of Animal Adaptations through a hands-on dissection of a squid. This year, Greenlodge 4th graders piloted a new approach to "Squid Day" by teaming up with the DHS Marine Biology students. Greenlodge 4th graders visited the high school, where they were able to spend the morning exploring several learning stations staffed by DHS Juniors, who shared what they knew about marine life adaptations. The learning stations included a hands-on dissection of a squid, a creative writing station where students created a tale centered around a character using an adaptation, and an examination station where students took a closer look at mollusk shells to sort, characterize and identify various attributes. A great example of creating connections between our older and younger students!

At the end of May, 123 students from Dedham Middle School (and 14 chaperones!) embarked on a 3 day adventure to Washington, D.C.! The itinerary is filled from early morning to late in the evening filled with historical and cultural experiences around the city. Over the course of the visit, students visited the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Museum of African American History and Culture and Arlington National Cemetery. The students who were not able to travel for the trip also enjoyed a busy few days, with ziplining, climbing and team building, as well as some creative projects like designing protective egg drops and mosaic art! They were also able to pull together a week-ending kickball tournament.

For the past two years, the ECEC has been working with the Special Olympics of MA to be a Unified Champion School. As part of this initiative, they have pledged to make a commitment to support Inclusive Youth Leadership, Whole School Engagement and Unified Sports. implemented a Young Athletes program, which is a sport and play program for children with and without intellectual disabilities. The purpose of this program is for students to develop fundamental gross motor skills, improve their social and emotional skills, and learn healthy habits that they will be able to carry with them through life.

The program runs for 8-10 weeks starting in January each year and each Young Athlete is paired with a Unified Partner. The Unified Partners are recommended to this program based on their qualities of leadership and compassion. Each week the Young Athletes and their Unified Partners are introduced to new gross motor skills and at the conclusion of the program, each athlete and partner participates in a sport skills themed event called Unified Game Day. At the preschool and kindergarten level, Unified Game Day is a day that celebrates inclusivity by bringing together all students regardless of their differences or disabilities by developing connections, promoting understanding and allowing students to develop skills in a fun and supportive environment.

The Dedham Marauders had a successful Spring season! Congratulations to the DHS Boys & Girls Track teams for being Tri-Valley League Champions. The DHS Baseball, Boys Tennis, Girls Lacrosse & Softball teams also had stellar seasons, all qualifying for the MIAA Tournament.

Some notable athlete accomplishments that deserve recognition:

• Jayden Brown won the TVL Shot Put & Discus title and was the MIAA Div 5 State Discus Champion
• Dominik Dwyer went undefeated in Boys Tennis First Singles this season with a record of 16-0

We even saw some new DHS Spring Track School Records set this spring:

• 4x800: 8:48.18 - Levon Roussin, Zach Lemberger, Tommy O'Neill, Townsend Roussin
• 4x100: 44.72 - Paul Cole, Eyram Kplorfia, Greg McPherson, Niko Tiglianidis
• 400m Hurdles: 58.78 - Greg McPherson
• Girls Long Jump: Peyton Teehan 17' 5.5"

Fall DHS Athletics registration and information will be coming to incoming 9-12th graders via email on Monday!

Thanks to the incredible group of Juniors and Seniors who will be part of the DHS Link crew next year. Link Crew is a nationwide program designed to welcome and support 9th graders by connecting them with Link Leaders, who are positive, responsible, hand-selected 11th and 12th graders. They help kick off the year at Orientation Day, hosting tours, answering student questions and providing an upper class student connection, all with the goal of making students feel more comfortable as well as help them achieve success in their first year of high school.

Plan Ahead & Mark Your Calendars: 9th Grade Orientation Day on Wednesday, September 4th, 8:00-12:00, DHS Gym.

School may be out for the summer but the learning continues! Dedham Public Schools have dedicated pages by grade levels to support student learning over the summer. For our DMS and DHS students, be sure to check these pages - as there are some required Math & Reading assignments to complete before you return to school in September!

It's never too soon to start thinking about the next school year!! Yellow bus transportation is available to every eligible Dedham student. In order to secure a seat for your student a bus application must be submitted every year. The 2024-2025 Bus application is now available! Applications submitted before August 12, 2024 benefit from a discounted rate. Bus routes will be announced right before the first day of school.

*Please Note: This application is for grades 1-12 ONLY. Kindergarten bus applications are on Powerschool as part of the Kindergarten registration process.

Translated applications are available - please reach out to your school office for assistance. Applications can be printed and mailed back, or scanned and emailed to the DPS Transportation Coordinator at pasullivan@dedham.k12.ma.us

Through Museums for All, those receiving food assistance (SNAP benefits) can gain free or reduced admission to more than 1,300 museums throughout the United States simply by presenting their SNAP EBT (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Electronic Benefit Transfer) card. There are nearly 20 participating museums within 20 miles of Dedham! Learn more here.

The last day of school for the 2023 -2024 school year will be on:

Wednesday, June 20 - Half Day of School for Students

Early Release Day Dismissal Schedule

• High School……………………………...11:10am
• Middle School…………….……………..11:35am
• Elementary Schools…………………....12:00pm
• ECEC Morning Session... (Regular Dismissal) 11:15am
  
• ECEC Full Day Session.…….………………….12:00pm
  

• June 8: DHS Class of 2024 Graduation Ceremony
  
• June 9: DHS Graduation Rain Date
• June 11: DHS Undergraduate Recognition Night
• June 11: Kindergarten students visit 1st Grade
• June 12: 1st Grade information night for parents
• June 12 - 17: DHS Final Exams
• June 19: No School - Juneteenth
• June 20: Last Day of School (180 days + 1 snow day)

Stay on the lookout this summer as Dedham Public Schools will be going live with new webpages during the summer months! We hope the updated designs and information will make it easier for students, staff and families to stay connected to Dedham Public Schools.

Be Sure to Follow our Official Dedham Public Schools social media channels! Updates and information will continue to post during July & August! Facebook/Instagram: @DedhamPublicSchools

Superintendent Murphy is also known to share photos and insights from her adventures around DPS: Facebook: @DPSSuptMurphy