New Angier School Close to Completion
September 2015
Dear Families,
I hope you have enjoyed the beautiful summer. It is a great pleasure to welcome both our returning families and those new to our schools.
The start of the school year is a wonderful time for anyone involved in education because it allows us to develop new goals, build new relationships and embark upon new challenges. Our Systemwide Goals this year highlight both academic and social and emotional learning. While improving student achievement remains the most important part of our mission, we know it is also essential to focus on the social and emotional needs of our students. I look forward to updating you on some of our key initiatives over the course of the school year.
Newton administrators and teachers spend a great deal of time during the summer preparing for the upcoming year. Summer is also a time for our faculty members to focus on their own learning – something they do not have as much time for during the school year, when the emphasis is on teaching our students. This summer, our faculty and staff engaged in a broad range of professional work, including developing new curriculum, continuing work on existing initiatives, such as improving student writing, and participating in a range of professional learning focused on addressing the social and emotional needs of our students.
Those of you who have recently traveled on Beacon Street in Waban probably have noticed that the new Angier School is close to completion and will be ready for students in January. We are very pleased that the project is on time and on budget. When Angier leaves their temporary space at the Carr School at the end of December, Zervas staff and students will immediately leave their building to relocate to Carr. Like Angier, Zervas is expected to be completed in a year and half, with Cabot next in line. In the fall, we will update our long-range facilities plan as we continue the exciting work of rebuilding and renovating our school buildings.
One of the most important parts of my job is to be in our schools on a regular basis connecting with teachers and students. I also look forward to engaging with parents in the coming year in a number of ways. School Committee members will again join me for parent discussions in each of our 22 buildings. We look forward to sharing our opportunities and challenges and addressing your questions and concerns. Following a successful pilot last year, I also will hold at least two superintendent/parent book discussions over the course of the year on key educational topics.
As we begin again, please accept my best wishes for a wonderful school year.
Sincerely,
David Fleishman
Superintendent of Schools
