Welcome back – not only from a restful summer, but also to the 2023-2024 school year.
As the summer comes to a close and your children start another year of learning and achieving, I am excited to begin my second year as your Interim Deputy Superintendent of Student Services. We continue our commitment to child driven, family-centered, community-based approaches with priorities on equity and continuous learning.
To begin, I want to thank Director of Special Education Samantha Bracy and Director of Guidance and Clinical Services Maria Letasz for their leadership and support of PSB students and families. Both have accepted new professional opportunities elsewhere for the upcoming school year. We deeply appreciate Samantha and Maria’s many contributions to the well being of our students. We wish them all the best as they embark on the next stage of their professional journeys.
One important piece of the Special Education review process was to expand OSS staff to better serve our PreK-8 students and meet required mandates. Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, PSB will increase from two to three Directors of Special Education for PreK-Grade 8. Please join me in welcoming Rebecca McCabe who will serve the Runkle, Heath and Lincoln, and Anna Bauer-McTigue who will serve Baker, Lawrence, and FRR. Nadene Moll will remain with the Pierce, Driscoll, and BEEP communities, and Kristen Beaupre will continue to serve the out-of-district community as their coordinator. Last but not least, we welcome Robin Fabiano, our Director of Special Education for Brookline High School.
Through collaboration and team work, these organizational changes will give us the increased opportunities to maximize students’ learning and consider new ways to program for our students. I continue to be truly honored in working with the Office of Student Services Leadership team, a talented and dedicated group of professionals who have committed themselves to thinking about academic, social, and behavioral learning each and every day.
We continue to explore future paths for student services understanding that children come into their school communities with diverse histories, experiences, and needs. Our schools serve a critical function in addressing the diverse needs of our young people and continuous communication and strong partnerships go a long way toward keeping our students safe, making educational progress, and reaching their potential. I look forward to continuing our work together as we continue to shape a bright future for student services.
See you soon,
Liza O'Connell
Interim Deputy Superintendent of Student Services
Join Brookline Adult & Community Education (BA&CE) in welcoming acclaimed author and journalist Neal Thompson for this exciting virtual program where he will share his newest book, The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of An American Dynasty.
The First Kennedys is a story of sacrifice and survival, resistance and reinvention, based on genealogical breakthroughs and previously unreleased records. This is the first book to explore the inspiring true story of the poor Irish refugee couple Patrick Kennedy and Bridget Murphy, who escaped famine, created a life together in Boston, endured the city’s hostility to Irish immigrants and Catholics, and launched the Kennedy dynasty in America. During the program, Neal will discuss his book with Kate Clifford Larson, New York Times bestselling author of critically acclaimed biographies, including Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter.”
Co-sponsored with Friends of the JFK Birthplace and the National Park Service/John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site in celebration of the Kennedy site’s reopening at 83 Beals Street, Brookline. Register for the event here.
Brookline Adult and Community Education (BA&CE) is one of the oldest non-credit, public education programs in Massachusetts. Adult education has been a part of the Brookline community since 1832, beginning with the formation of the Brookline Lyceum Society. It is now one of the largest public programs in the state, with close to 1,000 courses and over 10,000 enrollments yearly. Today, BA&CE is the hub of an educational network serving students from more than 50 neighboring communities in the greater Boston area and beyond. A self-supporting program of the Brookline public schools, BA&CE’s operating budget is funded entirely from course fees.
Brookline Thrives is back, starting Friday, September 15!
Thrives is a FREE weekend food program for any and all school families who may benefit from additional food options for their children over the weekend. No qualification is necessary, but students must be registered to receive Thrives bags at school. Register Here.
To learn more about Brookline Thrives, please visit www.brooklinefoodpantry.org/brookline-thrives.html or email thrives@brooklinefoodpantry.org.
Celebrate Brookline Day at Coolidge Corner on Sunday, September 10!
Brookline Day is a large community event that involves many Brookline Town agencies, businesses, and partners, and is headed by the Brookline Recreation Department. This year is going to be the town's biggest celebration and best year yet!
We are planning the best vendors, games, inflatables, trucks, food, face painters, bands, prizes, and special activities, that we can find. Updates to the website will be made frequently between now and September 10th. Please visit this link (https://www.brooklinerec.com/259/Brookline-Day) regularly for the latest information and documents.
333 Washington Street, Brookline, MA
Phone: 617-730-2401