As we anticipate the holiday season, I want to express my hope for you and your families get to enjoy some down time and relaxation. Before the Winter Break begins, let me share a few updates below.

As the year draws to a close, those of you celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah, I want to wish you all a joyous holiday season!

Respectfully,

Dan Gutekanst

Superintendent
Needham Public Schools
dan_gutekanst@needham.k12.ma.us

Diane Simmons, Director of Strategic Planning and Community Engagement, outlined the development of a new strategic plan (2025-2030) at last week's school committee meeting. Two stakeholder sessions, featuring diverse voices, explored future trends and identified key areas for improvement. This included input from students, educators, and community members, as well as experts from various fields. See the full presentation here. More information, including a draft plan for the school committees consideration will be available in Spring 2025.

We recently presented our FY2026 School Budget Proposal to the School Committee. Key areas of focus include enhanced student support services, strategic staff reallocation, and investments in technology and curriculum development. This budget prioritizes the district's commitment to empowering learners and aligns with the strategic plan. You can view the presentation here.

Needham Public Schools is committed to enhancing literacy instruction for all students. My recent 10 minute video and latest podcast features a conversation with Dr. Carmen Williams and Lisa Messina on Literacy in our schools. We are piloting four new curriculum programs in our elementary schools. These programs are designed to improve students' reading and writing skills, particularly in foundational skills like phonics and phonemic awareness.

To learn more about these programs and how they will benefit your child, join us on January 28th at 6:30 PM at Broadmeadow School for the Community Forum on Literacy Curriculum Adoption.

The Needham Girls Cross Country team, led by Coach Sue McNatt, achieved a historic victory by claiming the Division 1A championship title at the Northfield Mountain state meet on November 9th, outperforming top teams like Lexington, Weymouth, Cambridge Rindge and Latin, and Newton North. Junior Greta Hammer led the team to victory with a first-place finish and also qualified for the Nike Cross National Meet in Oregon, making her the first Needham cross country athlete to reach this prestigious level of competition. To see more click here.

Recently, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) invited the Town of Needham into the next phase of the process that could result in a new or renovated grades 6-8 middle school. The town now needs to form a project team, select a project designer, and conduct a feasibility study to determine if a renovated 7-8 school or a renovated/new 6-8 middle school is appropriate. The MSBA will work with the town throughout the process and could potentially help fund a portion of the construction costs. The community and faculty will be involved in the design process as early as this spring and summer. More information about how the Pollard project fits into the School Committee's overall School Facilities Master Plan can be found here: School Facilities Master Plan

Get ready to be inspired! Watch as Needham's own astronaut, Commander Suni Williams, takes students from Sunita L. Williams Elementary School on a virtual tour of the International Space Station. Learn about life in space, the latest NASA missions, and the future of space exploration straight from the source.

In the event of severe winter weather that may require the closing or delayed opening of Needham Public Schools, I will do my best to make a decision by approximately 5:30 AM. Unless it is abundantly clear what the weather conditions will be, I am often reluctant to call off school the evening before a storm is predicted because New England weather is fickle. Once a decision is made, alerts will go out via email, phone, and on local TV. The quickest way to find out is on X (Twitter) where I also post the information. For more information on school cancellations and delayed openings: click here

Don't miss out on the incredible music and theater performances happening right here at Needham Public Schools. Add the Fine and Performing Arts (FPA) calendar to your device to stay up-to-date on all the exciting events happening throughout the year.

As the holiday season approaches, we celebrate the diverse cultures and traditions within our Needham Public Schools community. Click the button below to learn more about the upcoming holidays on our calendar.