MACARTHUR MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL & WORLD KINDNESS DAY
Monday, November 13th was World Kindness Day! Throughout the month of November, students from MacArthur School were encouraged to complete acts of kindness and record them on boomerangs. Why Boomerangs, you ask? You may have heard that kindness, like a boomerang, will always come back to you. Students recorded more than 1,700 acts of kindness throughout the month of November. Classes with the highest participation rate received MacArthur Kindness awards during our November All School Assembly!
MULTILINGUALISM AS AN ASSET CONVENING
The U.S. Department of Education celebrated the importance of multilingualism with the launch of new resources. During the convening, US Education Secretary Cardona stated, "Let's build a future where every student in America is multilingual, where every young person understands that their native language is an asset, and learning more than one language is a superpower." #EDRaisetheBar
HENY TARAZ, CHALLENGE TEACHER, ELEMENTARY
Each month, we will spotlight an educator or staff member in Waltham.
Tell us about yourself and your role.
I am a neuroscientist, educator, writer, and artist. I serve as the lead Challenge program teacher at Waltham Public Schools and teach at FitzGerald and MacArthur elementary schools.
The Challenge program provides weekly services to academically advanced students who are demonstrating the need for more challenging academic curriculum and content.
How long have you been with the district?
I have been working at Waltham Public Schools for almost 14 years.
What do you love about your job?
Children are at the very heart of my work as educator, writer, and scientist. It is truly a pleasure to be present in the same orbit as my students during my tenure here at Waltham Public Schools.
What do you love most about working with children?
I admire and endeavor daily to embrace their natural wonderment and sense of curiosity. Observing the process of learning in any individual is truly a phenomenal experience, hence,
I value and whole-heartedly encourage my students to be curious and creative.
What do you enjoy about working in Waltham Public Schools?
I appreciate the sense of community, diversity, and collaborative spirit at Waltham Public Schools. It is a privilege to be a part of this special community and learn from everyone.
Tell us something most people would not know or you feel is unique about yourself professional or personally.
That would be the realization of a deeper perception. I am truly humbled by all that surrounds me and I feel profoundly grateful for all the elements in my life. I sincerely believe that in order to accomplish anything positive in the world, one must genuinely be human and that is what I strive for and hope to be.
What do you like to during your free time?
I love spending time with my family, conducting research, writing, and developing my art in different forms. It is astonishing just how much wisdom the field of neuroscience can afford us in terms of educating and parenting. I am excited to share my research, knowledge, and experience by extracting these pertinent insights and making them accessible in the form of a nonprofit neuroscience website that will be available soon at www.neurosciencecompass.com
Preschool Application for 2024-2025 Available
The Special Education Department will begin accepting applications for the Integrated Preschool Programs at the Stanley and Northeast Elementary Schools for the 2024-2025 school year. Children whose parents or legal guardians reside in Waltham and will turn 3 or 4 years old on or before September 1, 2024 are eligible to apply. More information including the online applications for all Integrated Preschool programs can be found at this link (https://www.walthampublicschools.org/o/wps/page/waltham-public-schools-preschool-programs) on the Waltham Public Schools District website. Applications must be submitted no later than January 15, 2024.
WALTHAM AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM
Who Is Eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program?
A household is eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program if the household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if a member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:
- Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
- Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income internet program;
- Participates in one of these assistance programs:
- Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, including at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision schools.
- SNAP
- Medicaid
- Federal Housing Assistance, including:
- Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program (Section 8 Vouchers)
- Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)/Section 202/ Section 811
- Public Housing
- Affordable Housing Programs for American Indians, Alaska Natives or Native Hawaiians
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- WIC
- Veterans Pension or Survivor Benefits
- or Lifeline;
Waltham Special Education Parent Advisory Council
The WSEPAC is a state mandated and supported advisory group of parents, guardians, teachers and administrators working in partnership to promote an innovative environment where children with learning challenges have equal access to educational opportunities, while ensuring that our schools strive to improve educational outcomes for all children. Membership is open to all interested parties; voting membership is limited to parents or guardians of special needs students residing in Waltham with or without an IEP or 504 Plan, as well as students over the age of 14.
Contact us at walthampac@gmail.com
This year our monthly meetings will be held virtually on the following dates:
December 20
January 17
February TBD (school vacation week)
March 20
April TBD (school vacation week)
May 15
These meetings will be from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. and can be accessed at Waltham SEPAC.
