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.”

Learn more about Roland Hayes here, from our own Young Scholars!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MyhdW04fd4

To read past Community Notes, click here: link

Our Attendance Line --- 617-879-4540

Our DESE school profile is here: link

A huge thanks to Ms. Stewart and Ms. Stanton for making sure our annual Field Day was a success!

For many of us, Field Day always came at the end of the year. Lots of folks ask, "Why does your school do it so early?" By having it in the fall, we prioritize community building! Students spend all day long on mixed grade teams, so all of our kids spend the day mingling, helping each other, playing together, and thus building really sweet bonds school-wide that carry them through the year ahead.

We also sincerely thank the PTO and our many parents who contributed so generously to the day. Our Hayes crew ALWAYS pulls through and we are grateful!

Check out the Field Day synopsis below:

We hope your middle schooler will consider joining us for this inaugural event!

When a small crew of middle schoolers asked me last spring if putting on a dance was possible, my response was, "Yes! BUT, you're in charge ..." And in charge they are (along with a crew of dedicated parent volunteers). We are excited to see how their efforts materialize in what will certainly be a fun night for all.

The Scholastic Book Fair will be in the library 10/26-10/30. Flyers should come home this week!

Don't forget to:

1. Set up your child's e-wallet: You can add digital cash to their e-wallet starting today so they don't have to carry cash to school. This is highly recommended.
2. Support students in need: Each year, we support a number of students in the school by purchasing their books for them or contributing when a child is a little short of what they need. Every penny gets spent and it makes a huge difference to our students! Please consider making a donation.
3. Support your child's teacher: If teachers make an e-wallet, they will share that information with you. You can donate to it so they can buy books for the classroom.

Useful info:

• Students will come during the week with their class and teacher. Families can come in Monday-Thursday 2:30-3:00 p.m. (and 7:30-8:00 a.m. Monday-Friday as Mrs. Anderson's schedule permits — no guarantees!).
• You can also shop online 10/13-11/5.
• Proceeds go towards purchasing new materials for the school library.

If you have further questions about the fair, please reach out to Hayes librarian Lindsay Anderson lindsay_anderson@psbma.org. If you have technical questions about setting up an ewallet, contact Scholastic 877-245-0903.

You may have noticed that the field at Hayes School has been hard to keep in good shape. Because it gets very little rest between uses, has no irrigation, and sits in a heavily shaded spot, the grass struggles to recover. This has come up in past conversations with the school and students.

At several other fields around town, including Cypress at BHS, Fisher, and Soule, the Parks & Open Spaces team has had great success restoring the grass using turf blankets. These are protective covers that help the grass grow back strong. We will be trying the same approach at Hayes.

To do this, the field will be fenced off starting at the end of October and will stay closed until spring. During this time, students can use Little Field or Eliot Playground for outdoor play and activities. Our teachers will be mindful of using these spaces on occasion.

We really hope this works!

For more PTO news and events, please visit: https://www.hayespto.org/newsletters/22351

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“This is My Brookline” is Calling All Hayes Artists

At this year's Hayes Night @ Booksmith on Friday 11/6, we will be selling greeting card packs featuring Hayes student drawings inspired by the theme This is My Brookline.

If your child would like to include their drawing, here's the steps to do it:

1. Create an Artwork: Make a drawing, painting, or collage based on the theme This is My Brookline.

2. Artist's Info: Separately, share the student's full name and grade (and how they should be listed on the card).

3. Submit: Drop off the physical original in the PTO mailbox at the school office or email a high-quality scan of the artwork to contact@hayespto.org.

4. Deadline for Submissions: Friday, October 30th.

Join us in celebrating our student artists and raising money for the PTO!

The PSB 26-27 calendar: link

October is:

• ADHD Awareness Month: Shares education and advocacy for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
• Down Syndrome Awareness Month: Builds acceptance and inclusion for individuals with Down syndrome.
• Filipino American History Month: Honors the history and culture of Filipino Americans.
• Italian-American Heritage Month: Highlights Italian culture and contributions in the United States.

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• Monday, October 19th: School Council, 8:15-9:30am

• Monday, October 19th: Model UN, 11:15am-12:02pm

• Monday, October 19th: Rainbow Club: Grade 3, 11:20-11:50am

• Monday, October 19th: Homework Club, Room 210, 2:30-3:30pm

• Wednesday, October 21st: GSA, 10:35-11:12am

• Wednesday, October 21st: Volleyball Game, Girls Home vs. Driscoll, 3:15-4:15pm

• Thursday, October 22nd: Art Barn Performance for Grades 1-3, Auditorium, 8:30-9:15am

• Thursday, October 22nd: Art Barn Performance for Grades 4-6, Auditorium, 9:45-10:30am

• Thursday, October 22nd: Young Scholars, Room 209, 2:30-3:30pm

• Thursday, October 22nd: Homework Club, Room 210, 2:30-3:30pm

• Friday, October 23rd: PEP, 8:05-8:30am

• Friday, October 23rd: Project Reboot - Middle School, 8:30-10:00am

• Friday, October 23rd: Middle School Dance, 5:30-8:30pm

• Monday, October 26th - Friday, October 30th: Hayes Book Fair

• Monday, October 26th: Homework Club, Room 210, 2:30-3:30pm

• Wednesday, October 28th: GSA, 10:35-11:12am

• Wednesday, October 28th: Volleyball Game, Boys Home vs. Baker, 3:15-4:15pm

• Thursday, October 29th: RISE Parent Coffee, 8:00-9:00am

• Thursday, October 29th: AAPI, 10:35-11:12am

• Thursday, October 29th: Young Scholars, Room 209, 2:30-3:30pm

• Thursday, October 29th: Homework Club, Room 210, 2:30-3:30pm

• Friday, October 30th: Yearbook, 8:00-8:30am

• Monday, November 2nd: Model UN, 11:15am-12:02pm

• Monday, November 2nd: Rainbow Club: Grade 5, 11:20-11:50am

• Monday, November 2nd: Homework Club, Room 210, 2:30-3:30pm

• Tuesday, November 3rd: School Closed: Schools closed for students (PD Day: Teachers and Paras report)

• Wednesday, November 4th: PreK-6 Early Dismissal @ 12:40pm

• Wednesday, November 4th: GSA, 10:35-11:12am

• Wednesday, November 4th: Volleyball Game, Girls Home vs. Lincoln, 3:15-4:15pm

• Thursday, November 5th: Young Scholars, Room 209, 2:30-3:30pm

• Thursday, November 5th: Homework Club, Room 210, 2:30-3:30pm

• Friday, November 6th: PEP, 8:05-8:30am

• Friday, November 6th: METCO Connections Grades 6-8 Lunch Group w/ Ms. Terry and Ms. O'Shea, 10:50-11:22am

Field Trips:

• Tuesday, October 20th: 2Sou Trip to Brookline Fire Station #4, 10:00-10:25am

• Tuesday, October 20th: 2S Trip to Brookline Fire Station #4, 10:30-10:55am

• Monday, October 26th: Grades 6-8 Attend the Boston College Women’s Hockey Game, 10:00am-2:00pm

The school is bustling! Below are some pics from inside out classrooms; from science labs to self-portraits, our students are very busy here at Hayes!

Last month, our Hayes School Model UN team competed at Tufts Law School, and they did us proud! Despite a rainy weekend, nothing dampened their spirit. Grade 8 students Gaby W. and Rocky O. won best delegates, which is quite an honor in such a competitive field.

For those unfamiliar, Model UN is an academic program in which students take on the role of delegates representing countries in a simulation of the United Nations. Before each conference, students research their assigned country’s positions on issues like climate change, public health, and international security. At the meet, they debate, negotiate with other delegations, and work together to draft resolutions, all while staying true to the perspective of the country they represent. Along the way, students build public speaking, research, writing, and collaboration skills, and they gain a deeper understanding of the world.

Our Model UN is facilitated by the intrepid Ms. Terry, our 6/7 Social Studies teacher – thank you!

Congratulations to our delegates on a great showing!

Over the course of the school year, opportunities from the Brookline Teen Center (BTC) will be posted here. We hope that your kids will take advantage of this space, the BTC team, and their programming.

The Brookline Teen Center invites you to their second annual Taste of Brookline event at the BTC, following the wonderful success of last year’s gathering.

Come enjoy delicious offerings from some of Brookline’s most beloved eateries, and take the opportunity to visit the BTC and see where many of our students spend time after school, on early release days, and during school breaks. They’re working hard to make sure Brookline families know about this resource, which gives young people a welcoming place to be together, explore their interests, and stay safe and engaged when school ends.

I hope you will check it out!

Last week I had the experience of a lifetime when I joined a delegation of Massachusetts public school educators to visit schools in Helsinki, Finland and both Tallin and Tartu in Estonia. My presentation on the experience is here: link

I am most grateful to the staff that cared for the school in my absence, in particular my excellent Vice Principal, Mr. Patel. Delving deeply into my field work was made infinitely easier because I knew Hayes was in very excellent hands.

My trip helped me fine tune my perspective on the work we do here; I feel a renewed energy to prepare our students for the complex, interconnected, and joyous world around them. A strong start at Hayes School can be, I think, the perfect place to launch the next wave of mindful, justice-oriented global citizens committed to better and better outcomes for us all.

~ Asa

This parcel of land that our school sits upon is a special and sacred place.

Before this place was a Town, before our school was here, before this neighborhood was called “The Settlement” or “Chestnut Hill,” and before this land was a farm, this land was held by the Massachusett, the people Indigenous to this place. The Massachusett were the caretakers of this site, living full lives, raising families, and burying their dead right here. We recognize and honor this history, and seek to create thoughtful land stewards and citizens for generations to come.

As a public school, our primary objective is to ensure access, membership, and participation of all community members in our care; with this land acknowledgment we state our willingness to work towards that vision where all feel a true and abiding sense of belonging.

Roland Hayes School

The Public Schools Of Brookline | A METCO Partnership School

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

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