At the November 26 School Committee Meeting there was a discussion of the Portrait of a Needham Graduate (High Rock Interdisciplinary Election Lesson), Needham Education Fund Fall Grant Awards, School Committee Policies (Zero Emission First Vehicle Policy Recommendation; Rescission of Outdated Policies), and Proposal of 2025-2026 School Calendar.
School Committee Comments
● Connie Barr participated in the Learning for Literacy class at High Rock, where students act as entrepreneurs a la Shark tank. Excellent scholarship and creativity.
Superintendent Comments
● On December 3, Boston University Professor Dr. Jill Walsh will speak to families about distracted learning and the impact of phone use in schools. Parents are encouraged to attend. Location: Broadmeadow School.
● Needham Girls Cross Country athletes honored at today’s meeting – state
champions! Greta Hammer is the first NHS Cross Country athlete to qualify for a National meet (Nike Cross Nationals)!
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Portrait of a Needham Graduate Presentation (High Rock Interdisciplinary Election Lesson) Presented by Brooke Kessel/K-8 Social Studies chair, Randi Garon/High Rock SS studies teacher, Sarah Leftin – High Rock math teacher, Borkeny Sambou – Gr 6-8 Math chair, and High Rock Students Emma B, Gabriel, Lucia A, Teddy D
- Showcased how the High Rock math and social studies department collaborated to create the election interdisciplinary project. The following goals were incorporated:
- Math: students analyzed data sets of electoral votes to build fractions and convert to percents
- Social Studies: students learned about the history, function, and purpose of the Electoral College
- Simulation: students simulated the electoral process by voting for their favorite candy. They learned the difference between popular and electoral votes.
Needham Education Fund Fall Grants Presented by Aubrey Goodman, NEF grant co-chair and Katie Alwart, NEF grant co-chair and co-president.
Five grants awarded (totaling $30,713):
1) Middle School Humanities Teachers Attend National Conferences (High Rock,
Pollard) – awarded to Liz Welburn and Brooke Kessel
2) Teen Mental Health First Aid Instructor Training (High Rock, Pollard, Needham
High) – awarded to Denise Domnarski and Sara Shine
3) What Is Normal Anyway?: A (Stigma-Obliterating) Disability Film Series (District-
wide) – awarded to Jenn Scheck-Kahn, Sasha Yampolsky, Meera Sunder, Andy
Wizer, and Diane Simmons
4) Creative Dance Residency (Eliot) – awarded to Jo-Anne Bagley & Valerie Maio
5) Empowering Student Voices: A Technology Innovation Space (Needham High) –
awarded to Sam Bookston and Joshua Yankell
Learn more at the Needham Education Foundation website.
School Committee Policies
Policies that are no longer pertinent or are outdated, will be discussed throughout the year and eventually rescinded. All policies can be found on page 35 of the packet. One is:
- Zero Emission Vehicle Policy: prioritizes battery-electric and fuel cell vehicles for Town operations, followed by plug-in hybrids, hybrids, and alternative fuel vehicles. Adopting this policy supports Needham’s Climate Leader Community certification and eligibility for federal grants.
Proposed 2025-2026 School Calendar
Dr Gutekanst presented the proposed calendar. Draft of proposed 2025/2026 calendar can be found on page 46 of the packet. Highlights:
- First day of classes: August 27
- Final day of classes: June 16
- The rest is similar to this year’s calendar
- No classes / Professional Development Day: Wednesday before Thanksgiving
- Graduation: June 7
School Committee members noted that there are only 3 full weeks of school between first day of class and winter break, and wanted to see if we could think differently about the structures in place. Discussion followed on various ways to shift calendar in order to increase the number of full weeks in the Fall, not having an early release day during a short week, etc. Specifics will be discussed. School Committee will vote on the proposed calendar in January / February.
School Committee Comments
● Connie Barr: Participated in community meeting at Newman school. Wonderful
experience.
● Alisa Skatrud: shoutout to the success of NHS sports teams, and two arts events (Fiddler on the Roof; NHS Winterfest concert Dec 6)
● Mike O’Brien: great to see the various grades participate in the Fall choral concert
The next School Committee Meeting will be December 10, 2024 at 6:30pm.