As with previous occasions of celebrating our respect for human difference, we are excited to honor February as Black History Month. Originally beginning in 1926 as “Negro History Week” by historian Carter G. Woodson, Black History Month was officially recognized by President Gerald Ford in 1976. PSB has often used this month to honor the achievements and history of African-Americans - and also as a reminder to continually elevate and integrate said history into all areas of our instruction throughout the year. We are grateful that the Hidden Brookline committee has supported us in this work, most recently in the renaming of the then-Edward Devotion School into the Florida Ruffin Ridley School in 2019. As such, I encourage you to engage our students and educators in this dialogue over the next few weeks and beyond.

We want to thank our community for their support in launching the at-home COVID-19 testing program that began last week. We have received over 4,300 responses from students and staff committing to weekly testing, and we appreciate your enthusiasm in keeping our community safe and healthy.

Participating students and staff are advised to perform their test on Tuesday evening once a week and report positive results by Wednesday morning. If you test positive, you must report your result and absence through this form here (www.brookline.k12.ma.us/hometestreport). You do not need to report any negative tests.

Students who opt-in to this program will begin receiving tests next Monday, February 7. Pre-K to 8th Grade students will receive kits from their homeroom teacher. Test kits will be delivered directly to classrooms every Monday. BHS students will receive their test kits at lunch periods directly from MCG volunteers. You only need to complete the form once. If you did not opt-in to testing last week, you can opt-in by completing this form here (www.brookline.k12.ma.us/hometestoptin). Please sign up by Sunday evening to be eligible to receive a kit on Monday.

If your student(s) is absent on a Monday or did not pick up their test kits, please ask your student(s) homeroom teacher to send your test kit home the following day or as soon as you return to school. High school students can check-in directly with the school nurse to pick up their test kits.

This week, we turn the spotlight on our Early Education classrooms! For the 2021-22 school year, the BEEP program was awarded a multi-year DESE Pyramid Model Grant that promotes healthy social-emotional learning for our youngest learners. One example includes incorporating zones of regulation, a color-coded system to help students identify their feelings and level of alertness throughout the school day. The Pyramid Model has been incredibly helpful for our district as we regain our footing from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are very grateful to BEEP Principal Dr. Regina Watts and her team for supporting this important work. Check out the full presentation of the Spotlight on Excellence here.