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.

Greetings PSB Community,

“Sometimes you want to go, where everyone knows your name…”

Our goal is to continue building a strong community. When we come together—families, teachers, students, and community—we create an environment where everyone thrives and excels. A sense of belonging fosters support, collaboration, and growth, allowing us to face challenges as a united front. It's through this collective effort that we not only enrich the learning experiences of our students but also create lasting bonds that uplift the entire community.

Equally important is the need to prioritize safety in every aspect of our school environment. A safe community is a thriving community. We are committed to ensuring that our schools remain places where students feel secure, both physically and emotionally. By working together, we can create a culture of vigilance and care, ensuring that everyone—students, staff, and families—has the peace of mind to focus on what matters most: learning, growing, and building a bright future.

Cheers,

Linus J. Guillory

Superintendent of Schools

*****

On Monday, September 16, a female student was walking between Brookline High School buildings on Tappan Street when she was inappropriately touched by an unidentified man. The student notified school staff, who contacted Brookline Police. Brookline Police continue to investigate this incident and are seeking to identify a suspect. Please see our statement on the incident below.

Please see below a statement shared with the Driscoll community regarding harassment experienced by a staff member.

Many of you may have heard of the latest social media trend known as the “Zipper Challenge” on TikTok. While social media trends often seem harmless, this particular challenge is causing significant concern for school staff and anxiety for our students. Please visit the link below to see a message shared by the Lawrence school.

The Public Schools of Brookline (PSB) has reviewed the allegations described in the Complaint the Henry family filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR). On Friday, September 13, the PSB provided a response to OCR as required. Please visit the link below to read our full statement.

The Cypress is Brookline High School's student-run newspaper since 1893. As an independent non-profit organization, they rely on subscriptions from Brookline community members to keep the 131-year-old paper running.

Please consider supporting The Cypress by purchasing a $30/year subscription. You will receive a print issue at your doorstep each month during this school year.

Your subscription would not only support the pursuit of student journalism in Brookline, but would also ensure that future PSB students have the opportunity to get hands-on journalism experience upon reaching high school.

To ensure you're on the list for their first issue in October, please fill and submit the subscription form below by Tuesday, October 1. If you have any questions, please feel free to email them at bhscypress@gmail.com.

An estimated 5,000 children go to the emergency room every year due to backpack injuries. The following tips can ensure your child's backpack is packed and worn properly so as to avoid back pain and injury:

• Make sure your child's backpack sits an inch or two above their hips. The backpack should also have padded straps.
• Distribute weight evenly. Load the heaviest items closest to your child's back and balance materials so they can easily stand up straight.
• The backpack should always be worn on both shoulders so that the weight is evenly distributed.
• If there was only one strap, the hip belt should be worn to take strain off of neck and shoulder muscles.

The BHS Senior College Essay workshop, offered with support from the BHS PTO, is a great opportunity for rising seniors to get help on their college essays. This FREE workshop, led BHS faculty and community volunteers, is designed to assist students with their college essays, no matter what stage they are at in the writing process. Over 3,000 BHS students have used this workshop to get started on or improve their college application essays.

This is also a rewarding opportunity for BHS parents and community members to support our students in their college application process.

The workshop will be held on Saturday, September 28 from 9am to 12:30pm at BHS. Please use the link below to sign up as a student or volunteer.

The Brookline Department of Public Health and Human Services will be hosting Family Flu Clinics for all residents aged 6 months and up at the following locations:

• The Baker School (205 Beverly Rd) – Wednesday, October 9th, 4:30 - 6:30 PM
• Brookline High School (Schluntz Gym - 115 Greenough St) – Sunday, October 20th, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• The Ridley School (345 Harvard St) – Thursday, October 24th, 4:30 - 6:30 PM

Pre-registration is required. Please bring a valid ID and all insurance cards. Wear short sleeves or a loose-fitting shirt for easy access. If you are feeling unwell, we ask that you stay home.

Artists' Trading Cards (ATCs) are miniature artworks made and traded by artists all over the world. They are used as a way to experiment with new materials and explore ideas quickly. Artists trade these cards to inspire each other, spark collaborations, and start collections of other artists' works.

The middle schoolers in Ms. Goldstein-Wiess' classes at The Lincoln School began making ATCs exploring different styles and materials with each card. Students created cards to represent themselves and their interests and they made abstractions using watercolor pencils. Some students made "party-people" collages using magazine cutouts, some wrote in Kanji using ink and brushes, while others explored creating blackout poetry with found text.

Getting back into the focused mindset of school can be difficult. ATCs are a great way to get the ball rolling and get the creative juices flowing. In short order, students created their own galleries of small work to launch the new year and inspire the seed of an idea for future projects.

October 3: Rosh Hashanah (Category I Holiday) – schools closed

October 14: Indigenous Peoples' Day – schools closed

November 5: Professional Development Day – no school for students; teachers and paras report

November 11: Veterans Day – schools closed

November 27-28: Thanksgiving Break – schools closed

Autumnal Equinox marks the moment when day and night are nearly equal in length. The sun shines nearly equally on both hemispheres, simultaneously marking the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

Please come to the first of the 24/25 Music Collective/Band Room open mics. You can play with your band or solo. We have drums and amps.

When: Friday, September 20 at 7pm

Where: Band Room (Room 120), Brookline High School

These open mics are fundraising events for The Music Collective's spring trip to the Netherlands. Entry fee is $2 (or more if you wish).