On April 8th,
Needham voters, once again, stepped up to support the community’s students and
schools by passing an override to extend the school day and provide new and innovative
programming for elementary students.
I want to commend and
thank parents and the community for their incredible and ongoing support of the
Needham Public Schools! I am honored to
work in a community where citizens, including neighbors, parents, staff, and
Town Boards—especially the School Committee, Finance Committee, and Selectmen—work
so hard to understand the issues and collaborate closely to identify creative
solutions, especially when it comes to addressing the needs and aspirations of
our young people. Thank you for providing the resources we will need to extend the
school day at the elementary and middle school levels and offer additional
elementary programs, including the arts, technology, and Spanish.
Now the hard work begins
if we are to be prepared for the opening of a new school year in September!
In the weeks and months
ahead I will share with parents, students, and staff the details around
programs and schedules as they become available. Currently administrators and teachers are
working to plan new programs, hire the teachers required at the elementary
level, and plan for the teacher and staff training needed to implement the
extended day program in a meaningful and successful way. We are excited to tackle this work, knowing
that we have a unique opportunity to infuse innovation and new levels of
collaboration into our school day for all students and staff.
One significant change
that parents and students must prepare for at all levels is a change in the
daily schedule, particularly at the elementary and middle school levels. Please refer to the new time schedule below:
Needham Public Schools 2014-2015 School Start & End Times
|
SCHOOL
|
STUDENT DAY
|
|
Preschool
|
8:45 - 3:10
|
|
Broadmeadow
|
8:20 - 2:45
|
|
Eliot
|
8:20 - 2:45
|
|
Hillside
|
8:20 - 2:45
|
|
Mitchell
|
8:20 - 2:45
|
|
Newman
|
8:45 - 3:10
|
|
Broadmeadow, Eliot,
Hillside, Mitchell Kindergarten a.m./ p.m.
|
8:20 - 11:03/12:02 -2:45
|
|
Newman Kindergarten a.m./ p.m.
|
8:45 - 11:28/12:27 - 3:10
|
|
High Rock
|
7:40 - 2:10
|
|
Pollard
|
7:50 - 2:20
|
|
Needham High School
Monday-Thursday
|
8:00 - 2:35
|
|
Needham High School
Friday
|
8:35 - 2:35
|
Beginning in September
2014 the elementary school day will be 25 minutes longer, and the middle school
day will end ten minutes later. In
addition, each Friday morning at Needham High School, classes will begin at 8:35
a.m. to give teachers and staff time to meet and plan together. And while NHS will only participate in a few
early release professional development days, the elementary and middle schools
will continue to have scheduled early release and delayed opening professional
development. This means that while
elementary and middle school students will be dismissed early on some days,
high school students will remain in classes until the conclusion of the school
day, 2:35 p.m.
Over the summer
principals will send out additional information about schedules and
meetings. If you have specific
questions, please contact your child’s school directly for more information.
Thanks again to a generous and involved community that invests wisely in our
most precious resource: Needham’s young
people!
