Dear Arlington Public Schools Families,

Welcome to November!

We hope you and your students have had a wonderful start to the school year. In this month's newsletter, we feature a few important announcements about upcoming events, important dates to remember, and a celebration of our APS Principal Team as we close out October and Principal Appreciation Month.

In the month of November we will continue to thank our Veteran's for their services as well as celebrate Native American Heritage Month.

Sincerely,

Dr. Elizabeth C. Homan

Superintendent, Arlington Public Schools

October was National Principal Appreciation Month and we are so thankful of our wonderful principals and everything they do for students each and every day!

This month offers us time to cherish, celebrate, and honor Indigenous peoples' diverse cultures, traditions, and histories - and to acknowledge the extraordinary impact of their sacrifices for and contributions to our present society. Native American Heritage Month is also an important time to spread education about tribes - increasing our awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges, and the duty we all have to honor their legacy.

We invite you to learn more about ways you can celebrate and support the Native American community here, where the authors share that:

• "Though Native Americans make up about 2.5% of the total U.S. population, their history and contributions are of critical importance to the nation’s history. Unfortunately, much of it has been forgotten or overlooked historically. As a result, misconceptions surrounding Native peoples and Native culture have led to the perpetuation of harmful, misinformed 'celebrations' — especially surrounding Heritage Month and the Thanksgiving holiday. November is an opportunity to grow our understanding of Native cultures and traditions: to learn about how historical traumas like colonization and genocide have impacted Native peoples throughout history — and continue to do so today."

As Native American Heritage Month unfolds this year, it calls upon us to continue building bridges of understanding among all members of our community. Thank you for joining us in this celebration that encourages us to learn, appreciate, and unite in the shared tapestry of our nation's history and future.

Sincerely,

The DEIBJ Department

The School News app by Edlio is an activity feed for alerts, news, and events from APS. It’s a simple way to view the school news feeds and calendars. The app is free to download to your iOS or Android phone and quick to set up:

• Go to the App Store or Google Play and search for “School News by Edlio” to install.
• Open the app and search for Arlington Public Schools; tap “Add School.”
• Enable push notification by going to the Alerts tab and tapping “Enable Notifications.”

All of the news and events posted to our website are posted on the app for easy access.

Within the next week, we will be asking APS Community members (staff, students, and families) to join Strategic Plan Working Groups. Participants in Working Groups will be join us for 2 hours per month on Thursday afternoons to plan and implement initiatives in our 5-year Strategic Plan. Please consider whether you want to join one of the working groups for a $600 stipend, and watch for the application to be sent out in the next several days!

The Autism Division of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) administers the Children’s Autism Waiver Program (AWP), which provides one-to-one interventions through a service called Expanded Habilitation, Education (intensive in-home services and supports) to help children with autism who exhibit severe behavioral, social, and communication challenges. The Program Open Request Period will be held from October 16 – 31, 2023. Families of students aged from birth to 9 years old are eligible to apply. Visit the DDS Autism Waiver Program website for more information and applications, which are available in nine different languages. Please share with families in your school or district who may benefit from this program.

We hope you'll join us for the AHS Drama Guild's production of Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood: Teen Edition this weekend! We have over 50 students involved in the production (actors, stage managers, stage crew, set construction & painting, etc.), and they've worked very hard on this show for the past two months. Check out this quick video about our crew Setting Up the Stage! The performances are as follows:

• Friday, November 3 at 7:30 PM
• Saturday, November 4 at 2:00 & 7:30 PM
• Location: Arlington High School Auditorium, 869 Mass Ave. Arlington

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students. The show is appropriate for ages 12+. We encourage audience members to purchase tickets online in advance, but we always have tickets available at the door if you make a last-minute decision to attend!

Arlington Community Education (ACE) is pleased to offer employees discounted tuition for the 2023-2024 programming year. Town of Arlington and Arlington Public School Employees are eligible to enroll in one Arlington Community Education class per term (Fall, Winter, and Spring) at a 30% discount (excludes materials and supplies). Some classes are excluded. If you are a Town of Arlington employee and are interested in taking advantage of this discount, you can learn more here. You can browse ACE's Catalogue of Courses at the link below.

Join Cartwheel and guest speaker Lori Getz to learn strategies and specific language you can use that will help break down walls and get everyone in your family having meaningful conversations about the role technology plays in emotional, mental, physical and relational health and wellness. In this interactive session, you will learn how to get your whole family on the same page and even STOP the screen time conflicts. We'll discuss: online privacy and personal safety, dealing with digital drama, gaming and physical fitness, social media dilemmas, the role technology plays in relationships. Learn more about it here.

We're moving! On November 13, 2023 all APS administrative offices that are currently located at 869 Mass. Avenue on the 6th floor will relocate to 14 Mill Brook Drive and have a separate entrance from the high school.

Arlington's SEPAC is a volunteer group of parents, guardians, and caregivers who are here to support families in navigating the resources and services available to your child. We also advise the district on matters pertaining to the education and safety of students with disabilities. To learn more, visit this link or the SEPAC website below!

• November 4th: Daylight Savings- Please turn your clocks back one hour on Saturday night.
• November 7th: Election Day- Although it is election school will be open for students, staff, and voting.
• November 10th: NO SCHOOL- There will be no school in observance of Veteran's Day, which is Saturday, November 11th.
• November 11th: Veteran's Day
• November 13th: World Kindness Day
• November 15th: Education Support Professionals Day
• November 22nd: Early Dismissal - There will be an early dismissal on 11/22 to start the Thanksgiving break. Bagged lunches will be provided.
• November 23rd: NO SCHOOL- There is no school in observance of Thanksgiving.
• November 24th: NO SCHOOL- There is no school in observance of Thanksgiving.

Jillian Russo, PsyD will be presenting: “Crabby Kids: What To Do When My Kid Starts Snapping.” She will focus on developmental trends in childhood irritability, how childhood irritability impacts mental health disorders and what practical strategies parents can use to understand and support emotion regulation. All information for this parent webinar (and others!) can be found on this website.

The APS Communication Process Flier is your go-to resource for direction on all your questions and concerns regarding district matters. We believe that clear communication is vital for building a strong and thriving educational community. We encourage you to consult this tool when wondering who to go to first with your question or concern.