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Community Notes
September 8th, 2023
Community Notes ~ September 8, 2023
Our North Star
“When children and teachers feel engaged, safe, and supported we have room to grow and learn through collaboration and risk-taking with our peers.”
Previous "Community Notes" can be found here: https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/domain/718
Dear Heath/Roland Hayes School Community
We welcome you all to a new school year. Whether this is your ninth year or your first year here, we hope that you will find your place in this beloved community and work towards making this an incredible place for our children to grow.
I hope many, many of you will be here tonight - in 30 minutes! - for the Ice Cream Social! Our thanks to our incredible PTO for putting together this fun, relaxed way to connect and celebrate the year to come.
Thank You!
Every year the staff looks forward to the Welcome back Luncheon hosted by our families. This year was no different! Thank you to all who contributed such a beautiful spread for us.
In particular, we thank Katie Sawatsky, Robin Gilula, Bharati Kochar, Sylvia Eash, Lisa Kang, Aruña Chong Quiroga, Eli Silk and - again - all the families who donated funds and food. It was truly a team effort and teachers and staff were very grateful.
Birthday Announcements
We are starting a new tradition this year of announcing birthdays during morning announcements. Kids (and staff) will hear their names and then be able to be celebrated in class and come to the office for a birthday pencil and lots of cheers from the Main Office team.
We recognize that there may be reasons you do NOT want your child's birthday recognized. If you do not want your child's birthday announced, please let me know by sending an email to me directly at asa_sevelius@psbma.org
Understanding Grades 7 and 8 Schedules
A few families and students have been wondering why each child in Grade 7 and Grade 8 are assigned to both a Homeroom and an Academic section.
When designing our 7th and 8th grade schedule this year, we have built in a twist that allows us to mix up students each day. Each child in grades 7 and 8 is assigned to two sections each day - an A, B, C cohort (labeled "Homeroom") and an X,Y, Z cohort ("Academic section"). By doing this, the groups of students are able to mix up over the course of the day and kids are able to work with a wider variety of students. These sections do not connote any particular level of a class, but simply allow us to churn the social and academic dynamics over the day.
We have designed our schedule this way in past years and found the impact to be very positive for our students.
Open House Schedule
Here you will find our Open House schedule, a time for families to see the classrooms, hear about the year ahead, and connect with other families and the teaching teams. More details to come directly from teachers, but for now, mark your calendars!
School Renaming Efforts: Ramping Up for What is Next
On Monday night, the Naming Committee meets to review and discuss our name changing efforts. What to join this open meeting? Find more information here:
https://www.brooklinema.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=13429
We have also submitted our Warrant Article to the Town to "see if the Town will vote to change the name of the school located at 100 Eliot St, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 from the 'Heath School' to the 'Roland Hayes School.'" Town Meeting begins this fall and our petition will be heard then.
Each week, we report updates on the renaming process here. Past "Community Notes" newsletters can be found here:
https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/domain/718
The "School Name: History & Resources" website page is also updated regularly:
Emergency Responders on Campus
Emergency responders – police, ambulances, and fire trucks - come to our school for a variety of reasons. For example, yesterday we had our first fire drill Thursday and this morning we had a minor medical emergency that required an ambulance. When unexpected emergencies happen, we will reach out to let you know that our amazing First Responders were on campus.
If your child has an emergency, you will hear directly from school staff immediately. If an emergency happens that involves the entire community, you will also hear from us directly. Otherwise, know that our team is excellent, working to make sure everyone is safe, and working hand in hand with Brookline's best.
Upcoming Events
- Monday, September 18th: Grade 5 Open House, 8:15-9:00am
- Tuesday, September 19th: Kindergarten Open House, 8:15-9:00am
- Wednesday, September 20th: Grade 1 Open House, 8:15-9:00am
- Thursday, September 21st: Grade 2 Open House, 8:15-9:00am
- Monday, September 25th: School Closed: Day of Low Attendance (Yom Kippur)
- Tuesday, September 26th: Grade 4 Open House, 8:15-9:00am
- Wednesday, September 27th: Heath Picture Day
- Thursday, September 28th: Grades 6-8 Open House, 8:15-9:15am
Also, it is never too early to start planning for Storybook Character Day! See the announcement below and get your creative juices flowing!
In Closing
Thanks to everyone for a great Week One. We recognize how much it takes to get ready for school (packing lunches, reminders to brush teeth, checking homework, and more) and we appreciate your children just as they are.
I also want to name a few folks I have been especially thankful for these past weeks as we have opened school:
- Our custodial team (Dave, Mark, and Raphael) have done magic making sure the school is tip-top for opening
- Our Cafeteria Manager Ms. Marie Leamey is leading her team in making sure our students are well fed each day
- Ms. Millet, our school secretary, is my right-hand person as we prep and plan each summer. Without her I'd be lost!
This isn't the first times I've thanked them, and it won't be the last. I hope you'll do the same if and when you see them!
Here is to a great year ahead!
~ Asa
Contact
Dr. Asa Sevelius, Ed.D. | Principal
Email: asa_sevelius@psbma.org
Pronouns: he/him
Mr. Kirtan Patel | Vice Principal
Email: kirtan_patel@psbma.org
Pronouns: he/him
Previous "Community Notes" can be found here: https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/domain/718
Website: https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/Page/17
Location: 100 Eliot Street, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467
Phone: 617-879-4570
Heath School
The Public Schools Of Brookline | A METCO Partnership School
Dr. Asa Sevelius, Principal & Mr. Kirtan Patel, Vice Principal