November APS Family Newsletter

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Welcome to November!

We hope the school year has been off to a positive start for you and your students. As we move into this month, we want to thank you for being an integral part of our APS community. In this issue, you'll find important dates, upcoming events, and a look at some recent highlights from our schools.

As we look forward to the Thanksgiving holiday, let’s take time to reflect on the support and sense of community that we’re building together. I am grateful for the dedication of our students, staff, and families who make APS a wonderful place to learn and grow.

I also want to share a couple of logistical items and resources with families as we enjoy this season of togetherness and gratitude:

1. Schools are Closed November 5th, Election Day, for teacher professional development and because our schools will be used for voting.
2. APS Shares Flexible Guidelines for supporting students and staff through the holiday season. These guidelines allow for local and individual decision-making while setting a baseline expectation for secular decor and school events. An overview of these guidelines for families can be found here.
3. APS Seeks Family Feedback: As many of you know, we survey families frequently to gain insights about your experience with the Arlington Public Schools. Survey information is used to plan and hold ourselves accountable to the goals we set for district and school improvement. We do our first round of these surveys in the fall, and we have adjusted the surveys this year in response to questions we have received from families. More information is below: we hope you will provide your input!
4. If your family is in need of support with things such as food, clothing, stable housing, attendance, mental health etc. please complete the APS Family Support Request Form and an engagement specialist from the Welcome Center will follow up with you.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Warmly,

Dr. Elizabeth C. Homan
Superintendent, Arlington Public Schools

Important district announcements

Ongoing wildfires in Massachusetts, including a 100-acre fire in Salem, have led to reduced air quality across our region.

Poor air quality can pose health risks, especially for young children, older adults, and individuals with respiratory conditions. To help families stay informed and protected, the Department of Public Health has created several resources with important safety tips, available in 15 languages:

• Wildfire Smoke Fact Sheet: Includes safety tips for high-risk individuals, such as moving activities indoors and having N95 masks on hand. Read more here.

• Poor Outdoor Air Quality Fact Sheet: Provides guidance on reducing exposure and monitoring air quality. Read more here.

We encourage you to review these resources and stay informed about air quality updates to keep your family safe.

Arlington High School, Ottoson Middle School, Gibbs School, and Menotomy Preschool will hold Parent-Teacher Conferences in November, with Menotomy Preschool holding theirs in December. These conferences provide a valuable opportunity to connect with teachers and discuss student progress.

This year we are using a new software program for conference signups. For complete details on each school's conference dates, times, and how to register, please visit our Parent-Teacher Conference information page.

Arlington Families – Help us Help You!

Our 2024 Family Survey is open, and has been adjusted in response to feedback. We partner with Panorama Education for these surveys; Panorama is an organization that conducts surveys nation-wide and questions and categories are statistically validated to ensure the reliability of results over time.

However, the data are only as useful as the response rate is representative! We need your feedback to help improve our schools and better support students and families. Your input is confidential and valuable in shaping our district’s future. You can complete the survey for each student in your family until November 15th by visiting the Panorama Family Survey Link.

We recently mailed your student's Spring 2024 MCAS results and you should expect to receive them within the coming days. This detailed report provides insights into your student's performance in core subjects, highlighting strengths and areas for growth, and offers valuable information for you and their teachers to support their learning journey.

We encourage you to take some time to review the results. For any questions, concerns, or to discuss next steps for your student's academic progress, please don’t hesitate to connect with their school principal or teacher.

With elections right around the corner students and families may feel heightened anxiety and stress. For some, these feelings may stem from the uncertainty and intense discussions that often accompany elections.

To support students and families, Cartwheel has prepared resources to help manage these feelings, recognizing that similar strategies are also valuable for navigating other challenging or uncertain situations. Trusted adults play a key role in guiding students through difficult moments, and these tools can support that effort:

• Family tip sheet: practical, age-appropriate strategies for reducing election-related anxiety for students, parents, and caregivers.
• Student worksheet: to help students identify, express, and manage their emotions.

These resources (also available in Spanish and Portuguese) can be a helpful foundation for promoting resilience and calm, no matter what the circumstances may be.

Here are additional resources on helping students and families manage election-related anxiety:

• How to Cope with Political Stress this Election Season from the American Psychological Association (APA)
• Supporting Students in Politically Charged Times from the National Association of School Psychologists
• Explaining the News to Our Kids from Common Sense Media

Arlington High School is excited to welcome international students to our community each year, creating rich intercultural learning experiences for everyone involved. These students bring new perspectives, enthusiasm, and friendships that enhance our community, and we are seeking Arlington families to help make this experience possible.

Our wonderful host families are an essential part of this program, opening their homes and hearts to students from around the world. Many past host families share that hosting has been a rewarding experience, creating lasting bonds that go well beyond the visit.

We are currently looking for families to host international students beginning in January 2025. Host families receive a monthly stipend and 24/7 support through our partnership with the Educatius Group.

Interested in learning more?
Please reach out to Maria Ribon from Educatius Group at maria.ribon@educatius.org or call/text her at 617-970-1999 for more details.

Events happening this month

We hope you'll join us for the AHS Drama Guild's production of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane: Adapted by Dwayne Hartford from the book by Kate DiCamillo this weekend. We have over 60 students involved in this show (cast, stage managers, musicians, technical crew, painters, etc.) who have worked really hard for the past couple of months.

The performances dates are:

• Friday, November 1 at 7:30 PM
• Saturday, November 2 at 2:00 PM
• Saturday, November 2 at 7:30 PM

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and children. Tickets can be purchased online (with a small service fee) or at the door. This show is appropriate for all ages.

🎨 Come celebrate the creativity of our student artists at Ottoson Middle School's first quarterly art show. Stop by to view a showcase of their work from this term.

🗓️ Date: Thursday, November 7, 2024
⏰ Time: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Ottoson Middle School

The Ottoson Department of Performing Arts invites you to a special one-act comedy performance of The Day the Internet Died. Join us for an evening of laughter and imagination as we explore life without the internet!

🗓️ Date: Friday, November 15, 2024

⏰ Time: 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Arlington High School

Admission is donation-based at the door. Cash, check, and Venmo are accepted.

Highlights from the previous month

Our Arlington Delegation recently returned from an unforgettable trip to Nagaokakyo, Japan, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our sister city partnership! Representing Arlington were Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Homan, Director of Communications Weslie Pierre, School Committee Chair Paul Schlichtman, Town Manager James Feeney, and Fire Chief Kevin Kelly.

During the visit, the delegation had the chance to connect with students, learn about Japanese culture, and explore the ways our communities continue to support each other. Dr. Homan shared a memorable experience with a third-grade class, where she learned a traditional Japanese dance and discovered the students' impressive design work on their newly constructed school.

This special trip strengthened the bond between Arlington and Nagaokakyo, building on the annual student exchanges that bring our communities closer together. 🇯🇵🤝🇺🇸

We will be reaching out to families who might be interested in hosting a Japanese student in the spring very soon! Stay tuned for more details.

Congratulations to Na Lu-Hogan, Mandarin teacher at Ottoson Middle School, for being named the 2025 Massachusetts Foreign Language Teacher of the Year by the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association (MaFLA)!

This honor celebrates Na’s commitment to advancing world language education and her inspiring work in fostering cultural understanding among students. Watch her full interview with ACMI below to hear more about Na’s achievements and how she continues to make a difference in our community.

On Tuesday, October 15, Arlington High School's History and Social Studies Department, along with student and community groups, hosted an impactful Civics and Voter Registration Day. Around 30 students registered or pre-registered to vote, while over 600 students attended at least one of the day’s panel discussions. Topics ranged from student rights to climate change, with insights from Arlington public officials, nonprofit representatives, and members of the AHS community, including students and faculty.

For the final session, the high school Speech and Debate Team led a respectful, substantive debate on Questions 2 and 5 from the Massachusetts ballot. More than 200 students also cast "mock ballots" for statewide races and shared feedback on the event. Notably, over 76% of respondents expressed a desire for more civics discussions at Arlington High. And to top it all off, a special guest—“Lady Liberty”—made an appearance to encourage students to register to vote!

Thanks to all of our panels and participants!

Arlington High School students Karen Yoda and Asahi Adachi are the visionaries behind the Bridge Project, a tutoring program founded to support multilingual learners (MLL). Drawing from their own experiences, Karen and Asahi created this program to connect elementary and middle school MLL students with high school tutors who often share a common language and background.

The Bridge Project fosters a supportive environment where students build confidence, friendships, and academic skills, while also strengthening connections between families and the school community. This initiative is already helping MLL students thrive both academically and socially! Visit their website to learn more!

• Nov 3: Daylight Savings - Please turn your clocks back one hour on Saturday night
• Nov 5: NO SCHOOL (Election Day) - School will not be open for students. This is a professional development day for teachers and staff.
• Nov 11: NO SCHOOL (Veterans Day)
• Nov 13: World Kindness Day
• Nov 14: School Committee Meeting 6:30 PM - 10 PM
• Nov 21: National Family Involvement Day
• Nov 27: Early Dismissal - There will be an early dismissal on 11/27 to start the Thanksgiving break. Bagged lunch will be provided.
• Nov 28: NO SCHOOL- There is no school in observance of Thanksgiving. 🦃
• Nov 29: NO SCHOOL- There is no school in observance of Thanksgiving.🦃

The District invites you to complete the APS Family Support Request Form. It is designed to give families an avenue to request support and helps the District and schools understand the needs and concerns of families in order to provide the most effective support and resources. Once you complete this form we will share your responses with school social workers and with the family engagement department to support your child(ren)/ family.

The APS Welcome and Resource Center sends out a subscription based monthly family newsletter which will include information about school and community based events and forums happening through our APS Family University, as well as resources and supports available to your family. To subscribe to this monthly newsletter please add your email address to this list.

OPEN

11/25 Monday 9AM - 3PM

11/27 Wednesday 9AM - 12PM

CLOSED

11/26 Tuesday

11/28 Thursday (Thanksgiving Day)

11/29 Friday

Who do I contact with questions and concerns?

Refer to our APS Communication Process Flier! This is your go-to resource designed to help you navigate any questions or concerns you may have regarding district matters. Clear communication is key to fostering a strong educational community, and this flier provides a straightforward guide for addressing specific needs. Whether your inquiries relate to curriculum, student services, or other district-related topics, this resource will direct you to the right person or department.