Broadmeadow Buzz
March 27, 2024
Broadmeadow Families,
Next week we will host an evening “Community Coffee” on Zoom for families to attend. The Zoom will begin at 7pm. You are invited to come and have a conversation with Andy about this year and our preparations for next year. Potential topics include:
Developing a School Improvement Plan for 2025 and beyond
Classroom Placement for the 2024/2025 School Year
Curriculum and Instruction
Social and Emotional Learning
Community Coffee on Zoom
Wednesday, April 3 at 7pm
(Click here to join the coffee)
Meeting ID: 328 427 2328
Passcode: dSmN3f
Have a wonderful weekend. We will see you in April!
Do good. Be kind.
BUILDING VISITOR POLICY
- Community members who visit Broadmeadow must enter through the front door. Please ring the bell to your left when you arrive. All visitors must check-in at the office and sign our visitor log.
- After ringing the bell, families who arrive to drop off student materials are asked to label all items with their student’s full name and teacher name and place them in the bin on the office counter. The office will facilitate getting materials to the student’s classroom.
- Families who arrive to pick up students early will be asked to wait outside for their child to exit the building.
CORI FORMS FOR VOLUNTEERS
Any adult who volunteers at a school event will be required to complete the CORI review process at least 4 days in advance of their visit. Completed CORI and Confidentiality forms (linked below) can be dropped off at the office or emailed to Roberta Redpath.
- CORI FORM: Please complete both sides of the CORI form being sure to include the last 6 digits of your social security number. A copy of a license or passport is also required order for the CORI to be processed.
- CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT: In addition, please return a copy of a completed confidentiality form with your CORI documents.
School News
Yellow School Bus Registration Begins on April 2nd!
Dear Families,
2024-2025 yellow bus registration for students residing in Needham will open on 4/2/24 at 8am. We will again be using MySchoolBucks for bus registration. Please note that there are different service fees depending on what form of payment you choose. Those differences are noted when you begin registration on MySchoolBucks. Please also note that you must put in a payment method in order to complete your registration, regardless of eligibility for free transportation. If you are eligible for free transportation, we will remove the fee when we process the registration on our end.
Click on the link below for more details and instructions regarding how to register your student(s) for the yellow bus if you live in Needham.
Bus Registration - Needham Routes
Please note that the links to MySchoolBucks and other registration forms will not "work" until 4/2/24 at 8am.
If you qualify for free and reduced lunch, please remember that you need to apply for free and reduced lunch annually. When you apply, you must check the box on the application that permits Nutrition to share the information with Transportation, so that we may waive your fee when we process your bus registration. Failing to do so will result in delayed processing of your bus registration.
If you intend to have a student ride the bus you must register for the bus, regardless of eligibility for free transportation or participation in the Free and Reduced Lunch program.
Thank you,
Shane Marchand
Transportation Director
Needham Public Schools
781-455-0400 X11234
Please subscribe to our Transportation listserv https://lists.needham.k12.ma.us/mailman/listinfo/transportation
or
Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/NeedhamPSTrans
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Register Now for Summer Explorations!
Summer Explorations 2024 offers classes for rising grades 1-9 students. Classes for rising grades 1-5 are held at Sunita Williams. Classes for Rising grades 6-9 are held at High Rock.
WEEK 1 : July 8 - July 12
WEEK 2 : July 15 - July 19
WEEK 3 : July 22 - July 26
WEEK 4 : July 29 - August 2
Enroll in any or all weeks.
Many of our classes have filled -- grab your spot today!
Summer Explorations Registration link
Summer Explorations Catalog link
Did you know that most of our Summer Explorations Instructors are Teachers and Staff of Needham Public Schools? We celebrate having such highly talented and extremely qualified Instructors. It is very likely that your student will see many familiar faces this summer, creating a comforting, creative and joyful experience for all!
Summer Explorations is open to ALL students, not just Needham residents. Invite your out-of-district friends and family to join in on the fun!
Scholarship assistance is available for students with financial hardships. No student will be denied access into an NCE program because of inability to pay. Any student on scholarship is eligible to join one week at a reduced rate. Those with hardship may apply for 60% off one NCE week per session, per student. Those participating in the State Public Assistance Program may receive 85% off one NCE week per session, per student. To apply for Scholarship Assistance, please contact NCE by May 15, 2024.
For questions regarding Summer Explorations registration and/or scholarships, please contact:
NCE Office: 781-455-0400 x5 -or- NCEsummer@needham.k12.ma.us
Scholarships: NCE Program Coordinator, Rita_Jarvis@needham.k12.ma.us
24-25 Placement
Up until Sunday, April 21st, guardians have the OPTION of offering feedback to the school in regards to their child's classroom placement for the 2024-2025 school year.
On our end, the process for developing class groupings involves input from the entire Broadmeadow faculty. We take a multi-tiered approach and include input from the current classroom teacher, special education liaisons, specialists, guidance team members, and administration. The faculty works for several weeks to create class groups that are balanced for learning style, ability, support required and social-emotional development. Last year we created this video which provides greater insight into our process and hopefully helps you have a deeper understanding of our practice.
In general, the open communication that you've had with your child's teacher over the course of the year supplements what our faculty knows about your child and provides the information that we need to complete the student placement process. However, on occasion, you as a guardian may wish to submit information regarding special or unusual circumstances that you want us to consider and about which you think that the classroom teacher may not already know. If you are so inclined, please complete this survey by Sunday, April 21st
Please note the following:
Guardian input will be considered as one part of a large, complicated and thoughtful process;
We do not accept requests for children to have (or to not have) specific teachers;
All Broadmeadow faculty will be able to read what you submit;
Classroom assignments will be emailed to families during the summer.
Are you moving, or do you have a child transferring into or out of Broadmeadow?
If you will be moving to a new address, enrolling a child into grades 1 thru 5, or leaving the district to attend private school, please be sure to notify Roberta Redpath via email at:
roberta_redpath@needham.k12.ma.us or 781-455-0448 x306.
Anyone moving within the Broadmeadow district or within Needham must also communicate directly with the town registrar, Penny Belezos (penny_belezos@needham.k12.ma.us) in order to officially change your address in powerschool. School secretaries are not able to make these changes, and can mail documents only to the address listed in powerschool.
Contact Information for Family Support
Andy Garlick, Principal
Chanit List, Assistant Principal
Laurie Blakely, K-2 Guidance
Katie Lizotte, 3-5 Guidance
Jacqui Murphy, Connections Guidance
Health News
SEASONAL ALLERGIES
Please start your student’s usual allergy regime BEFORE symptoms start in order to alleviate symptoms
Email or call me if your student is experiencing bad allergies on a particular day. Accommodations can be made in order to decrease exposure to pollen.
If your student is experiencing symptoms worse than their typical allergy symptoms and the symptoms are disturbing sleep and play, PLEASE consider keeping your student home.
Please note I DO NOT have allergy eye drops or antihistamines in the health office. If you forget to administer an essential medication, you need to come to school to administer the medication to your student.
Consider a hat and sunglasses to keep the pollen out of eyes and off of faces.
Consider skipping outdoor activities on high pollen days and/or windy days that blow pollen around. You may have to sacrifice baseball/soccer/ lax so your student can be more comfortable in school.
REMEMBER TO SEND IN:
Weather appropriate change of clothing- store in backpack
Water bottles- reusable. As the weather gets warmer, students will need them!
MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS
Please keep me in mind when your student has their annual physical- send a copy into school for their medical files (required in K and 4th grades)
All “orders” expire June 30th. That means if your student has an appointment with the allergist/psychiatrist/pulmonologist etc, the provider should give you updated allergy or asthma action plan and/or medication order dated after June 30.
Community News
Bring Your Ideas! NEF Accepting Spring ’24 Grant Applications
The Needham Education Foundation (NEF) is now accepting applications for small grants, up to $5,000, and large grants, up to $15,000, for the benefit of the Needham Public Schools. Needham Public School educators, administrators, or community members — including students and parents — are eligible to apply. All applications are due by Friday, April 5, 2024.
The NEF seeks applications for innovative programs that connect with the curriculum or the district goals in meaningful ways. The NEF also encourages schools to copy a grant that was funded at another school through the Express grant program or work together with multiple schools through the Multi-School grant program, which offers up to $3,000 per school.
Contact Sarah Winig at nef@nefneedham.org or talk to your NEF School Rep if you have any questions or would like guidance. To see what the NEF has funded in the past and to apply online, please visit: www.nefneedham.org/grants.