Roland Hayes School

Community Notes, June 18, 2026

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

Principal for the Day

Remy in 1R served as the Principal for the Day on Wednesday. He made the morning announcements, served lunch, visited classrooms, had a behind-the-scenes tour of the school, and more. Here is my interview with Remy:

"What is the very first rule you would make for the school today, and what happens if a student breaks it?"

Don’t run in the cafeteria. If they broke the rule, they would have to go eat lunch somewhere else.

"If you could change the school lunch to anything you want, what are we eating today?"

Spaghetti with sauce. With mango.

"What is the most interesting spot in the school that you got to see today during your behind-the-scenes tour?"

The middle school classrooms where kids were learning. I helped Asher with his Shakespeare poem!

"If the school mascot came to life right now, what job would you give them to help you run the school?"

Deliver messages for people all over the building.

"What is the hardest part about being the boss—making the morning announcements or serving lunch to everyone?"

Making the announcements was pretty tough! I was nervous!

“Would you like to be a principal when you grow up?”

No.

Some pics of the day are below (from top to bottom): answering an important phone call, prepping for lunch service with Ms. Leamey, and meeting his constituents where they are at.

Staffing Updates

Ms. Kim Herbert, Grade 1 teacher, will take a one-year leave of absence next year. We will soon start the process of finding her replacement, and can't wait to have her back on the team in the 2027-2028 school year.
Ms. Jamie Simons, KC paraprofessional, will leave Hayes school after ten years of service. Her impact on our school has been profound; she will be very missed.
Ms. Theresa Girardi has announced her intent to leave Hayes, as well. Ms. "G" has been with us for 6 years and helped us to launch our RISE program. We are grateful for her dedication and service these many years and will miss her very much.

Art Show!

Our Art Show was a mighty one this year! Ms. Hockensmith, our Art teacher, made the impossible possible, pulling a piece from every child in the school to showcase their emerging talents. One of the joys of the showcase is seeing how children respond to all the pieces. So many "oooos" and "ahhhs." They may dolefully languish on the benches of the MFA, but here there is no languishing – the kids get up close with the art and really see the details, celebrate the artists, and aspire to the next level of work they will do when they get older. Congratulations to them all on their stunning pieces.

Check out the pieces below from: Evelyn (8), grade 4 students, Levi (7), Lola (8), Ahuva (7), and Brandon (3).

JuneFair Thank you!

WE DID IT!

Congratulations on the best

Mayfair-turned-JUNEfair-turned-JuneEXTRAORDINAIRE ever!

A very special thanks to Jelayna Marrero & Matt Killeen. These two took up the reigns and really made JuneFair come to life. Their thoughtful touches, heavy lifting, and generosity of spirit made all the difference - our sincere thanks!

Many, many others donated their time and energy, as well, including:

Adam Simmons
Adam Grossman
Alissa Ovadia
Alma Aldrich Casas
Ana Maria Ramos
Anabelle Skalleberg
Anat Biran
Andrea Niu
Andrea Young
Angelica Rona
Arielle Calmas
Artie Jones
Ashley Harmon
Avery Forman
Barbara Diecker
Bharati Kochar
Brad Lassey
Caitlin Kobus
Caity Tingue
Cameron Kraemer
Charles Tingue
Carolina Tirado
Chris Weeks
Christine Kmiec
Christine Stellar
Clementine Feau
Courtney Renkes
Dalaphone Pholsena
Daniel Ko
Daryl Donatelli
Dave Manganiello
Edward Forman
Ella Sarosiek
Elpida Peristepolou
Erica Wotzak
Evelyn Kmiec
Francesca
Gabi Essber
Ganchimeg Bayarsaikhan
Giovanni Ibanez
Greg Feldman
Gwen Garban
Hermela Ayele
Indira Balmasheva
Jamie Morocco
Jason Gell
Jelayna Marrero
Jen Kwan
Jennifer Donatelli
Jennifer Niloff
Jess Toochin
Jessalyn Toochin
Joelle Essber
Jon Zurawski
Jozef Ozieblowski
Judy Cheng
Juli Sullivan
Jungyeon Kim
Karli Payne
Kate Driscoll
Kathie Huang
Kevin Pham
Kirtan Patel
Lilee Whoriskey
Lily Siedlecki
Lisa Kang
Lisa Yuen Rhoads
Love De Jesus
Maggie Canniff
Manti Thakuria
Marci Joy
Margaret Monteith
Marie Leamey
Mark Wotzak
Matt Killeen
Matt Trivella
Meghan Baker
Melissa Finkelstein
Michael Mello
Miriam Pappas
Nadezhda Solopova
Nate Verter
Nathalie Roberts
Niki Shroff
Pam Wells Rockhead
Prachi Biwalkar
Robin Gilula
Sara Canovas Nunes
Sarah Trumbore DiMascio
Sarah Dretchen
Sarah Burg
Sarah Lassey
Seriniti Ragland Blevins
Shai Biran
Sophia Mason
Stephanie Freeman
Steve Morrison
Steve Wong
Suqun Luo
Thad Roberts
Theodora Konetsovska
Tommy Renkes
Vena Priestley
Vishal Parekh
Willow Siedlecki
Yen-Lin Chen
Yuri Matsumoto

School Council: Thanks & Openings

Our school council wrapped up another great year. Thank you to our Council members, each of whom has served their three year terms with dedication and thoughtfulness:

Lindsay Anderson, Librarian
Jennifer Watkins, School Psychologist
Kim (Sontag) Herbert, Grade 1 Teacher
Hang Yee Hung, Paraprofessional
Anabelle Skalleberg, Parent
Nathalie Roberts, Parent
Lara Mego, Parent
Lynda Roseman, Community Member

In the fall we will need to find new members for the school council. I hope that if you are interested that you will reach out to me and/or anyone of the above mentioned.

We appreciate the consideration, your time , and your ideas.

Summer Announcements: Class Placements, School Supplies, etc.

The end of the school year is fast approaching! As we prepare for the upcoming school year, here are a few key timelines to keep on your radar:

Class Placement Announcements: Families with students in grades K–5 can expect to receive class assignment notifications in mid-August.
Middle School Schedules: Middle School schedules and cohorts will be released later in the summer (late August) once the scheduling process is finalized.
Staffing Updates: Directives regarding any summer staffing shifts—including welcoming new team members and internal role changes—will be formally announced over the summer months.
School Supply Lists: To help you plan ahead, supply lists will be released in mid-August to coincide directly with class placement announcements.

Stay tuned for more updates throughout the summer as we look forward to another wonderful school year ahead!

Summer Reading

Soon your child will receive a summer reading flyer with recommendations curated by the Brookline school librarians. Your child is not required to read these lists, but they can serve as a great kicking off point as you plan for summer reading. Reading daily over the summer is crucial at all age levels, so please help your child make a plan that works for them.

Explore the summer reading webpage which has book lists, printables for tracking reading, and helpful resources! As always, if you have questions, please reach out to lindsay_anderson@psbma.org

Notes From Our PTO

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

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HAWK FUND SY25-26 is Almost Here

SAVE THE DATES!

JUNE 8-19 is the HAWK FUND campaign - Hayes School’s annual fundraising effort.

We’ve had an amazing year, let’s set ourselves up for a successful next year.

WE ARE '26-27!

Moving? Going to a New School? Please Let Us Know Your Decisions ASAP

Are you moving? Is your child attending a different school next year? Please let us know your decisions ASAP as we are already beginning to manage enrollment needs and class placements for the upcoming school year. Thank you!

Withdrawing your student is easy and you can find out how to here: https://www.psbma.org/students-families/registration/withdrawing-your-student

Upcoming Events & Field Trips

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month
June is Caribbean-American Heritage Month
Juneteenth is June 19th - TOMORROW!

___________________

Tuesday, June 23rd: Graduation Breakfast, Cafeteria, 9:00-11:00am
Tuesday, June 23rd: GSA, 10:35-11:12am
Wednesday, June 24th: 8th Grade Graduation, 4:00-6:00pm
Friday, June 26th: Cycle 2: K-5 Progress Reports Publish
Friday, June 26th: Term 4: Grades 6-8 Report Cards Published
Friday, June 26th: Last Day of School, Noon Dismissal

Field Trips:

Monday, June 22nd: 8th Grade Graduation Activities: Six Flags, 8:45am-6:00pm
Tuesday, June 23rd: 3rd Grade Trip to Franklin Park Zoo, 8:30am-2:00pm
Tuesday, June 23rd: Second Grade Field Trip to Fisher Hill, 9:00-11:45am
Wednesday, June 24th: Rain Date: Second Grade Field Trip to Fisher Hill, 9:00-11:45am
Thursday, June 25th: Grades 6/7 Trip to Showcase Cinema, 8:30am-1:30pm

Student Work Showcase

What an incredible day at the 5th and 6th-grade track meet last week! The energy was absolutely electric from the first whistle to the final relay. A huge thank you to all the runners, to Coach Ikonne, and all of families who came out to make it such a fun, high-energy, and memorable day.

Special kudos to Madison P and Aya A who placed first in their categories! Very well done!

From the Brookline Teen Center

Community-Based Opportunities & Resources

Girls Basketball Clinic

Anyone and everyone is welcome! We hope you'll give it a try!

Brookline's Summer Eats Program

PSB Food Services, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Education and Project Bread, is proud to bring the Summer Eats Program to Brookline this June.

We are hosting the Summer Meals Kick-Off Festival on Tuesday, June 30, from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Brookline Avenue Playground. The event will feature activities, music, free food, games, giveaways, and more!

Kids and families will get an opportunity to provide feedback on menu items by voting for items they would like to see on future school menus.

From June 30 to August 14, free breakfast and lunch will be provided on weekdays to all children and teens ages 18 and under at the Brookline Ave Playground (575 Brookline Ave). No identification or registration is required.

Summer Eats is a federal nutrition program designed to ensure that all youth (18 and under) have access to healthy meals and snacks during the summer, when school is not in session. This year, due to a Grant from the Brookline Community Foundation, we will be feeding teens over 18 and adults. For more information: https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com.

In Closing

The last day of school fast approaches; this is the final Community Notes of the year! We all wish you a wonderful summer – it is well deserved! I hope your children enter into a joyful, feral state – playing hard, lots of outside time, plenty of creative moments, some good books, lazy days ... whatever it is, please make the most of it.

I will leave you with these "rules for being human":

You will receive a body.
You will learn lessons.
There are no mistakes, only lessons.
A lesson is repeated until it is learned.
Learning lessons does not end.
“There” is no better than “Here.”
Others are merely mirrors of you.
What you make of your life is up to you.
Life is exactly what you think it is.
Your answers lie inside of you.
You will forget all of this.

12. You can remember it whenever you want.

May the above advice serve as a guide as we move through this universe together.

Happy summer, everyone!

~ Asa

Our Land Acknowledgement

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