August 30, 2013

Dear Newton Families,

Whether you are new to Newton or returning to our system, welcome to the 2013-14 school year. This is a wonderful time of year for those of us who are privileged to work in the Newton Public Schools because it allows us individual and organizational renewal.

While our school buildings were not filled with students over the past two months, it was an especially busy time for our district. Adding classroom space at the middle and elementary school levels has been a major priority and we are thrilled that we have completed a permanent addition at Day Middle School and added modular classrooms at several elementary schools. As a result of these additions and the teachers that we were able to add through the operating override, many grade levels will begin with some of the most favorable class sizes that Newton has seen in a number of years. I am also pleased to let you know that we have additional technology at all levels of the district, which is especially exciting given the innovative ways it is being used throughout the system.

Summer is also a time for our educators to engage in their own learning and July and August were filled with professional work in areas such as curriculum, assessment, and technology integration. We were also able to complete our very thorough hiring process. On Monday, I had the good fortune of welcoming over 150 dynamic new educators to our system.

It is clear that Newton is a very good school system as measured by a number of indicators, both quantitative and qualitative. From my perspective, the most important indicator of a school system is the degree to which we are openly addressing the areas where we need to improve. Over the summer, I spent significant time with the School Committee updating our system goals, which will be finalized and distributed next month.

Building partnerships with Newton’s families is vital to a successful school experience for our students and we will continue to make this a priority in the coming year. We look forward to keeping you well informed of our goals, challenges and accomplishments. Best wishes for a productive and rewarding school year.

Sincerely,

David Fleishman
Superintendent of Schools