January 4, 2013

Dear Newton School Community,

Since I last wrote to you two weeks ago about school security, we have continued to focus on issues of school safety and security and are now preparing to make an important change in our procedures. In making this change, we have consulted with the Mayor, Police Department, principals, and our district safety team. We have also studied the safety procedures in other school districts and examined a 2008 security assessment of our schools conducted by the Newton Police Department.

In recent years, all of our schools have instituted changes designed to improve school safety. For example, all pre-K-8 schools have instituted keyless entry systems. In addition, all pre-K-12 schools have installed shades and locks on classroom doors. At the high school level, we have placed security cameras in key locations. Our principals continue to ensure that all staff are instructed and trained to respond to any crisis by implementing lockdown drills, shelter-in- place procedures, and evacuations. Further information regarding safety and security in the Newton Public Schools, including information on our emergency procedures, can be found at: http://www3.newton.k12.ma.us/emergency_response.

We must continue to improve our safety practices and procedures in a thoughtful m

anner. There are sensible security measures that we can implement while preserving the sense of community that is a hallmark of the Newton Public Schools. We plan to install a buzzer and camera system as quickly as possible in our pre-K-8 buildings that will enable the schools to be locked during the school day through dismissal. We will maintain our current practice of keeping the front door open during drop-off time so that parents can take their children into school at the start of the day. While parents and visitors may still be able to enter during the school day, they will have to be allowed in after using the buzzer and being identified by school staff. We will communicate to you when our current front-door policy will change, and you will receive information regarding procedures for after-school programs after this issue is further examined.

Both the Mayor and School Committee are supportive of this decision. It is also important to note that a majority of our peer districts now either have these types of systems or have plans to install them in the near future.

In the coming weeks, we will continue to assess our safety and security procedures in all of our buildings, including the high schools. Please note that we will be certain to communicate frequently as we proceed. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Sincerely,

David Fleishman
Superintendent of Schools

Become a Newton School Volunteer and hear these words from a student. Tutor a 2nd – 5th grade child in basic mathematics concepts once a week for 30-45 minutes.

• Select your preferred school, grade, day, and time.
• Play special math games that reinforce skills and help students gain confidence and c
  Workout Finishers

  ompetence.

• Training, Everyday Math books and learning materials, and ongoing support are provided.
• No teaching experience is needed.

For more information, please contact Ellen Bender at 617-559-6131 or at ellen_bender@newton.k12.ma.us.

Learn about assistive technology tools which support students who struggle with Executive Function skills. Karen Janowski from NPS, will present a variety of technology tools which support skills necessary for school success, from elementary through high school. The focus will be on tools for managing executive function skills across the grade spectrum.

Karen writes: “As an Assistive & Educational Technology Consultant, my passion is to remove the obstacles to learning for all students. It is important to make the curriculum accessible to all learners and provide opportunities for struggling learners to demonstrate what they know using principles of universal design.”

Karen writes a blog http://teachingeverystudent.blogspot.com/ and an Universal Design for Learning-wiki describing free tools http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com/.

Everyone is welcome to attend! Questions, contact Eileen and Lisa at info@newtonpac.org. Networking beginning at 7:15 pm.

Thursday, January 10th, 7:30 to 9:00 pm
100 Walnut Street, Newtonville
Room 210

Newton Parent Advisory Council (NewtonPAC) for Special Education meetings are free and open to all people interested in learning more about special education.

Dear Newton Community,

It is hard to believe that it has been a week since the tragedy in Newtown.  It has been a very tough time for all of us, staff, students and families.   On Monday, I shared with you that we would act thoughtfully and swiftly in reviewing our safety and security plans.  Over the course of the week, I have spent a significant amount of time reviewing safety and security with the Mayor, Interim Police Chief and all of our building principals.  Our District Safety Team also met earlier this week to discuss areas that warrant our attention.

After many hours of discussion, we have a list of items that we will be considering over the next couple of weeks.

• An examination of all of our safety procedures (evacuation, fire and lockdown drills, perimeter lighting, etc.)
• An assessment of our identification and sign-in policies
• A serious look at implementing a buzzer and camera system at each of our Pre-K-8 schools
• A review of our current practice of permitting parents to enter our Pre-K-5 schools during drop-off and pick-up.

I expect that we will review other items as well, but I wanted to give you a sense of the topics that came to the forefront during our discussions.  Please understand that our review of these practices will be thorough and vigilant and should give you a sense of how seriously we take school safety and security.   I also want to inform you that I have received a lot of feedback from parents on this issue and the feelings vary on where we should go from here.  A broad spectrum of suggestions has been shared ranging from significant security changes to minor tweaks.  I appreciate hearing the wide array of opinions on a matter that is so important.

Given the critical nature of this issue, it is hard to imagine that we will not make some shifts in our current practices. In order to make you as familiar as possible with our existing procedures, we will be providing information on our website immediately after vacation about how we conduct evacuation, lockdown, and fire drills, as well as other safety practices.

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, we will also continue to work in close partnership with the Mayor and the Newton Police Department as we strive to make everyone in the Newton community feel as safe and secure as possible when they send their children to our schools.  I promise to keep you well informed as we move forward.

Best wishes for a peaceful 2013.

Sincerely,

David Fleishman
Superintendent of Schools

December 17, 2012 – 4:33pm

Dear Newton Community,

As I was sending my children off to school this morning, I could not help but think about what other parents were feeling as they were sending their children back to school after the horrific tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. We each process this heartbreaking event in different ways as we try to come to terms with the unimaginable.

Over the course of the day, I visited classrooms and checked in with administrators across the district. As I expected, our highly skilled and dedicated faculty and staff did a remarkable job implementing the plans that were developed over the weekend to ensure that the day was largely filled with normal routines. I also observed our mental health professionals working to support students who were struggling today as well as families with questions.   I want to assure families that we take your children’s safety and the security of their schools very seriously. We are thoughtful and vigilant as we review and practice emergency protocols with students and staff throughout the year. We work closely with the police and other public safety and health officials to address school safety and security.

Earlier today, I spoke with both Mayor Setti Warren and Acting Police Chief Howard Mintz and have asked the police department to review all of our safety procedures and systems within the next several weeks.   Every school in the district has an emergency plan that is reviewed by the Building Safety Team. Principals ensure that all staff are aware of and trained to respond to any crisis, including lockdowns, shelter in place, and evacuations. At the elementary and middle school levels, we have instituted a keyless entry system, and installed new locks and window shades for classroom doors. All doors, except for the main door, are locked. In addition to these measures, at the high school level, we have put in numerous security cameras in key locations. The District Safety Team will be meeting this week to review our current plans.

As President Obama stated last night, the challenges in addressing such shocking events are multi-faceted and complex. We need to do everything possible to ensure that we provide not only safety and security for our students, faculty and staff, but also to provide first-rate mental health, social and emotional support. Our goal is to make everyone in the Newton community feel as safe and secure as possible when they send their children to school.

Finally, a number of people have asked how we can come together as a City at such a difficult time. I want to let you know that there will be a vigil at the War Memorial at City Hall on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. to honor the victims from Newtown. As we remember the children and adults from Sandy Hook, let us also wish for a peaceful 2013.

Sincerely,

David Fleishman
Superintendent of Schools

In the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, CT, health professionals here in Newton have uploaded some links to informative resources for parents of school children and other community members. They are located here: http://www3.newton.k12.ma.us/news/DavidFleishmanmsg

On November 17, 2012, 33 teams from the Greater Boston area competed at the FIRST Lego League robotics regional qualifier event hosted at Newton North.

Two Newton teams, the Ligercubs and Pause4Effect, are made up of students from Day Middle School, while a third team, the CaBOTs, has members from both Bigelow and Day Middle Schools. All three teams won major awards at the competition, and all three qualified for the State Championship that will be held at Worcester Polytechnic Institute on December 15, 2012.

“The kids were simply amazing,” said coach Tim Strayer, and explained

that through the FIRST program, student teams must complete a full research project and demonstrate core values of good collaboration and innovation. “These kids have really done science,” Strayer added. “They have been exposed through immersion to the skills of defining a problem, setting requirements, researching solutions, differentiating their solution, and assessing its practicality.” Students also devote on average 8-10 extra hours per week for over two months designing, constructing, and evaluating their robotics project.

Stay tuned for updates on the State Championship!

School Committee Meeting
Monday, December 10th, 7:00 pm
100 Walnut St., Education Center, Frazier Room (#210)

Agenda available here: Agenda