Roland Hayes School

Our North Star

“When children and teachers feel engaged, safe, and supported we have room to grow and learn through collaboration and risk-taking with our peers.”

Previous "Community Notes" can be found here: https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/domain/718

The "Community Notes" is sent every other week. Thanks for reading!

No school tomorrow in observance of Good Friday and Easter weekend. For those who celebrate, enjoy! Easter typically harkens in springtime and right now on our campus there are signs of new life everywhere as the daffodils and crocus start to pop out all over.

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😎 Solar Eclipse on August 8 😎

On April 8, a partial solar eclipse will be visible in our area. The eclipse here in Brookline will start at 2:16pm and peak observing will be between 3:25-3:35 pm. Given that it is mostly outside of school hours, we will not be viewing during school hours. That said our PTO has purchased enough viewing glasses so that each student can take home a pair.

We remind you and will remind students “do not look directly at the sun.” This NASA site has a simple design and a short exploratorium video explaining a little about how pinhole viewers work; indeed, a pinhole viewer is the safest way to view the partial solar eclipse.

Feel free to join us on the school grounds after school on the 8th to safely check out the solar eclipse, wearing glasses that allow for safe viewing or trying out your homemade pinhole viewers.

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Student Work Showcase

Grade 6 Character Brunch

From Mrs. O'Shea, Grade 6 ELA teacher: "We had a character brunch as a culmination of our largest writing, Literary Analysis. Students analyzed short stories, developed theories, then wrote essays about a wide range of characters. To celebrate this hard work, and to show off how well they knew their stories, students dressed up and embodied a character at a brunch!"

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18jEqoghwn6wbS3Wtn1InTiRyf1mYr0ksiWW2kZg-Rzg/edit?usp=sharing

Grade 3 Book Creator Projects

Here are 3F's Book Creator books. This project is part of their non-fiction writing unit. Students wrote about a topic they are an expert on. Mrs. Ferstler and Mr. Durant, out Education Technology Specialist, worked closely together with the 3F crew to polish these exciting projects. Kids love to share their stories and expertise; using tech like Book Creator makes it super exciting! Enjoy!

👉👉👉 https://forms.gle/cBz71ki6ykM3s5o26 👈👈👈

Deadline: Sunday, May 5th

It is time for us to look ahead and begin planning for the 2024-2025 school year. Parents often ask how class placements are made and what role families may play in the process. This google form is meant to answer those questions, explain the process used at our school, and gather feedback from you.

Each spring, teachers, staff, and administrators work to form classes for the following school year. We invite you to join this process at home. While it is not necessary, nor is it expected that parents communicate regarding class placement, if you have information about your child’s social-emotional or learning needs that you think we do not know, please complete this google form by Sunday, May 5th.

We are unable to honor requests for specific teachers; letters that name a teacher will not be considered.

This feedback can help us get as much perspective as possible during this process. Additionally, this information can be helpful to next year’s teacher as they work to gather information about their students prior to the start of the school year. If you want to remind us of any past concerns you’ve had, please take a minute to do that in this questionnaire, too.

After we receive this information, teachers, specialists, our guidance counselors, and administrators will work together to form new class cohorts. We consider many factors while doing this important work. While making these classes, we consider the academic strengths, learning styles, academic needs, friendships, level of independence, and collaborative skills of the individual child and the group as a whole. Please know we give this process protected time and great consideration. It is our goal to form classes of learners that support and challenge each other. Moreover, although our teachers employ a range of styles, they teach under the same umbrella of shared core values, curriculum, and best instructional practices. You can be sure that professionals who know your child well will be putting great thought into their learning environment and peers for the upcoming school year. It is important that we respect this multi-step process and the outcomes that result.

Barring unforeseen situations, changes to class placements will not be made after they are announced.

We appreciate your and your child’s input and value your collaboration as we build our learning communities for the upcoming school year.

👉👉👉 https://forms.gle/cBz71ki6ykM3s5o26 👈👈👈

Deadline: Sunday, May 5th

No concrete details to share yet, but we are making plans for a school renaming celebration on June 3rd (which is also Roland Hayes' birthday). Watch this space for updates!

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The new school name on the front of the school and on the mats in our big gym will get replaced this summer. In lieu of permanent changes, we will hoist a banner with our new school name soon, after we figure out the logistics to safely hang it. Look for that change very soon.

Spirit Wear will also be available soon. The mock-ups of available items look great!

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This beautiful greyscale portrait of Roland Hayes was created by one of our parents, Jon Zurawski. Thank you, Jon, for such a thoughtful rendering.

MCAS testing for students in Grades 3-8 will be taking place very soon. Please see the MCAS dates here. If you have any questions, please reach out to kirtan_patel@psbma.org

• Friday, March 29th: School Closed: Day of Low Attendance (Good Friday)

• Monday, April 1st: MCAS: Grade 5 ELA Part 1

• Monday, April 1st: Rainbow Club!, 11:20-11:50am

• Tuesday, April 2nd: MCAS: Grade 3 ELA Part 1

• Tuesday, April 2nd: MCAS: Grade 4 ELA Part 1

• Tuesday, April 2nd: Day of Silence

• Wednesday, April 3rd: METCO Connections Breakfast/Game, 7:30-8:00am

• Wednesday, April 3rd: Grades 6-8 GSA, 10:50-11:20am

• Wednesday, April 3rd: Model UN, 11:20am-12:05pm

• Wednesday, April 3rd: K-8 Early Dismissal @ 12:40pm

• Thursday, April 4th: MCAS: Grade 3 ELA Part 2

• Thursday, April 4th: MCAS: Grade 4 ELA Part 2

• Thursday, April 4th: Zones of Regulation Presentation (for parents/caregivers), 8:15-9:00am

• Thursday, April 4th: Young Scholars, 2:30-3:30pm

• Friday, April 5th: PEP - Advocacy Book, 8:05-8:30am

• Friday, April 5th: PTO Community Meeting (in person), 8:15-9:00am

• Friday, April 5th: Term 3 Closes for Grades 6-8 Report Cards

• Friday, April 5th: International Night, 5:30-8:30pm

• Monday, April 8th: Rainbow Club!, 11:20-11:50am

• Monday, April 8th: MCAS: 6th-8th ELA Part 1

• Monday, April 8th: Solar Eclipse Watch Party!, 3:00-4:00pm

• Tuesday, April 9th: MCAS: Grade 5 ELA Part 2

• Tuesday, April 9th: AAPI Affinity Group, 10:50-11:20am

• Wednesday, April 10th: MCAS: 6th-8th ELA Part 2

• Wednesday, April 10th: Deadline to Complete entering grades/reports into Aspen for Grades 6-8 Report Cards

• Wednesday, April 10th: Grades 6-8 GSA, 10:50-11:20am

• Wednesday, April 10th: Model UN, 11:20am-12:05pm

• Thursday, April 11th: K-6 Early Dismissal @ 12:40pm

• Friday, April 12th: Term 3: Grades 6-8 Report Cards Published to Parent Portal

• Monday, April 15th - Friday, April 19th: School Closed: April Vacation

• Tuesday, April 9th: 3L Trip to Visit Frederick Law Olmsted Home/Office, 8:30am-2:00pm

• Wednesday, April 10th: 3F Trip to Visit Frederick Law Olmsted Home/Office, 8:30am-2:00pm

If you are curious to learn more about The Zones of Regulation and how you can support your child through this model, please join Ms. Ovadia (“Ms. O.”), K-2 School Counselor, and Ms. Watkins, K-8 School Psychologist, for a special presentation. During the presentation Ms. O. and Ms. Watkins will explain what the Zones of Regulation is and will offer practical strategies on how to easily incorporate concepts from the Zones of Regulation into your everyday parenting style.

WHEN: Thursday April 4th 8:15-9:00 a.m. in the Hayes School library.

During this presentation you will receive information about the Zones and tips on how to talk to your child(ren) using Zones language. You will also receive a list of resources and a flier with practical tips. If you cannot attend and are interested in receiving information from the presentation, please email Alissa Ovadia (alissa_ovadia@psbma.org) or Jen Watkins (jennifer_watkins@psbma.org

Our PTO's Website is here: https://www.heathpto.org/ We hope you will check it out for upcoming events, ways to support out school, and much more!

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PTO Meeting on Fri 11/5, 8:15am (Please plan to attend)

We are meeting in person in the school cafeteria after dropoff. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Please join us.
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Hayes International Night is Friday, April 5th! Volunteers Needed!

International Night is just around the corner. We need volunteers to help during the event to make it run smoothly. Please sign up: https://heathpto.org/calendar/event/42170438

So far we have 32 Nation Guides signed up! Still thinking about being a Nation Guide?

Please sign up here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScaqjbZ2Guz3a1oXnUDIBXrwKdLlsMrcuffd5kvbv6RrBWbRQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Are you an International Night newbie or just want to relive the memories? If so, please check out photos from 2023:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EgKLeM4KovMoquZb6

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Mayfair Planning Committee (Volunteers Needed)
Mayfair will be on Saturday, May 11. The planning committee still needs a few gracious people to help lead or be on a committee for Food, Games, Coordinating Volunteers, or Communications/Marketing. Email Tiff Rinne (tiffanyrinne@gmail.com) if you can help. https://heathpto.org/calendar/event/50739936

Grade 8 students, in addition to MCAS tests in English language arts, mathematics, and science, will also participate in an MCAS grade 8 civics field test.

In order to administer a new grade 8 civics test in the future, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must try out new test questions before the test becomes operational and scores can provided to parents, schools, and districts. Our students' participation is important and allows the state to build a valid and reliable test. It is important that all selected students – in this case, our 8th graders – participate in the field test to ensure a representative sample of students from across the state.

If you have questions about this MCAS civics field test, please contact your child’s guidance counselor, David Chaet at david_chaet@psbma.org

The Brookline Center Offering: Outpatient Parenting Programs

The flyers below outline new offerings from The Brookline Center for Community Mental Health. Perhaps one is a great fit for you and your family? https://www.brooklinecenter.org/

Looking for a great sport to play with a fantastic group of people? Consider Brookline Youth Softball!

I found this podcast from Radio Atlantic to be very useful. Maybe you will, too?

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/radio-atlantic/id1258635512?i=1000649980531

"[Host] Hanna talks to her child Jacob about the thing they've argued the most about: being on their phone.

Then, Hanna sits down with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. In his new book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, Haidt argues there is a direct tie between the wide distribution of smartphones and a rise in depression, anxiety, and loneliness among young people.

After which, Hanna asks Jacob: Did I ruin your life?"

Parenting is hard! Take some time this weekend to give yourself a little grace and ease.

~ Asa

Dr. Asa Sevelius, Ed.D. | Principal

Email: asa_sevelius@psbma.org

Pronouns: he/him

Mr. Kirtan Patel | Vice Principal

Email: kirtan_patel@psbma.org

Pronouns: he/him

Previous "Community Notes" can be found here: https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/domain/718

The "School Name: History & Resources" website page is here:

https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/renameheath

Website: https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/Page/17
Location: 100 Eliot Street, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467
Phone: 617-879-4570

Roland Hayes School

The Public Schools Of Brookline | A METCO Partnership School

Dr. Asa Sevelius, Principal & Mr. Kirtan Patel, Vice Principal