Superintendent's Update

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On most Fridays during the school year, the Office of the Superintendent will send an update to the community highlighting some of the excellent work being done by our students, educators and school leaders. The update will also include important announcements from the district’s central office.

These newsletters will also be posted on the PSB website.

The online registration application for students entering kindergarten with PSB for the 2025-26 school year opens on January 8, 2025.

Visit www.brookline.k12.ma.us/kindergarten to get started.

Kindergarten is an important milestone for everyone involved, and our staff is here to support families in this transition. The Office of Registration and Enrollment (ORE) is committed to ensuring that all families have a smooth and successful transition into their first day of kindergarten in Brookline. All families will have multiple opportunities to engage with our staff throughout the registration process and are happy to work to support each family with any specific needs they may have.

Please note that pre-registration for all other grades will open on March 1, 2025.

Thursday was a thrilling afternoon at the Roland Hayes School. Students tested their engineering skills by careening down the school's steep hill, at the Hayes Annual Soap Box Derby.

Students designed and built their cars under the watchful eye and keen guidance of Educational Technology Specialist Mr. Matt Durant and 5th grade teacher Mr. Matt Picard. These cars were put to test over and over again on Thursday. The weather conditions were brisk and the hill was soft and muddy, but that did not get in the way of the students and adoring race fans.

Earlier this month, the Hayes, Runkle and Ruffin Ridley Schools held mock trials along with their after-school partner Discovering Justice, a civic education non-profit that works with students to introduce them to the workings of the legal system. Mock trials are a wonderful way to help students explore the ideals of justice, and encourage them to engage in our democracy.

Hayes and Runkle held their trials at the Moakley Courthouse, while FRR held theirs at the Brookline District Court.

This year's case concerns students’ First Amendment rights and peaceful assembly. The student attorneys did an outstanding job pleading their cases.

Pictured above: The Florida Ruffin Ridley School's Mock Trial Team (media credit: Attorney Daniel Less from the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office)

FRR middle schoolers have been participating in Discovering Justice's mock trials since 2019. This year's team consisted of 15 students who participated in two different trials.

The FRR mock trial team would like to thank the team of attorney mentors from the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, who have volunteered to coach the team for the past seven semesters. They would also like to express their gratitude to the FRR PTO who has generously supported the program, making it free to all participants.

Brookline's Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is hosting a free summer camp fair on January 11, 2025 from 9am to 11am at the Florida Ruffin Ridley School cafeteria.

The fair will feature a variety of camp and program representatives who specialize in supporting children with special needs, providing families with valuable resources and opportunities to explore meaningful and fun summer options for their children.

PSB's Office of Student Services has organized a parent workshop, Navigating the Cyber World, on Wednesday, January 15 from 7pm to 8pm.

The workshop reviews the challenges and dangerous situations that may arise through use of the internet, social media, and smartphones. It is important for school staff and parents to be aware of the popular apps, social media sites, and programs used by youth online. This workshop explains the issues and possible consequences of cyberbullying, sexting, and revealing identifying information to strangers.

Cory Mashburn, M.Ed., has over 20 years expertise in the field of prevention services and more than 25 years’ experience working with youth and people with disabilities. He has overseen the planning and implementation of prevention programs within communities and schools in the New England Region, including substance use and abuse, bullying, cyber safety, and human rights. In addition, Cory has developed multiple health and wellness curricula in schools across the state of Massachusetts. He holds master’s degrees in educational leadership, project management and criminal justice, in addition to his bachelor’s degree in recreational management. As the father of two young children, he understands the importance of equipping youth, their parents, and their communities with the knowledge and skills to enable young people to become the best version of themselves.

Register

Are you looking for a high quality early childhood program that focuses on social emotional development, inclusion, early literacy, math and family engagement?

If yes, consider the Public Schools of Brookline's Early Childhood Program — BEEP! We offer Preschool and Pre-K classes for children aged 2.9 - 4.11 at various locations across Brookline.

BEEP is currently accepting applications for next school year (September 2025-June 2026). The application deadline is January 15, 2025. We are also offering a virtual information session on January 7 at 7pm for families that apply. For more information or questions, email us at beep@psbma.org.

Visit BEEP website

Locations and schedules

Our differences, our quirks, and our imperfections make us uniquely ourselves. It is good to be weird, and you just might have to be a little weird to be an artist. Weirdness, far from being a problem, is a strength that allows us to see the world differently and to have compassion for others.

The students in Ms. Vitti's seventh-grade classes learned about the Ugly Dolls creators, Sun-Min Kim and David Horvath, whose love story inspired their successful business. Horvath included drawings of weird characters in his letters to Kim, to make her smile while they were apart. In turn, Kim created soft-sculpture dolls based on these drawings.

To create their own ugly dolls, students began with drawings and then designed patterns that would bring the characters off the page and into the world. They learned basic sewing and embroidery stitches as they built their dolls and embellished them with buttons and contrasting stitching.

Each doll has a label attached describing the doll's name and backstory. Once you know someone's name and story, all the little eccentricities and weird traits transform into something unique and special.

The Visual Arts Department wishes you all a joyous holiday break. Stay weird everyone!

December 23-January 1: Winter Break – schools closed

January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day – schools closed

January 29: Lunar New Year (Category I Holiday) – schools closed

February 17-21: February Vacation — schools closed

April 18: Good Friday (Category I Holiday) — schools closed

April 21-25: April Vacation — schools closed

Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ and embodies the spirit of love and togetherness. It is a time for families and friends to gather, spread joy, and reflect on the spirit of love and giving.

Known as the Festival of Lights, Hannukah celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. It is marked by marked by the lighting of the menorah, the exchange of gifts, and the consumption of traditional foods.

Rooted in African heritage, Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration that highlights principles such as unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, and cultural pride. Each day focuses on a core principle, fostering community and reflection.

Brookline High School students will present an in-person concert as part of the Back to Bach Project featuring mainly classical instrumental music. The concert is open to all ages, and includes a quiz game with prizes.

When: Saturday, December 21 from 3pm to 4:30pm

Where: Brookline Public Library – Coolidge Corner location