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!

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

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

Happy Friday, Hayes folks! To begin, I want to acknowledge how intense and overwhelming the current budget discussions and decisions are on us all. Thank you for watching the complex (and long!) School Committee meetings, advocating for our schools, and participating in difficult and curious conversations. I wish I had a crystal ball and could foresee the outcome of these decisions, but will participate and advocate as I can - just as we all are. In our PTO meeting this morning, those who attended engaged in a complex conversation about the budget and worked together to make meaning and understand impacts. This organic conversation was one of so many happening now – at the dog park, on playgrounds, in formal meetings, during public comment. What emerges during each and every conversation is the passion and dedication to our public schools and a laser-like focus on what is best for our students. Let's continue to spread the message to "keep students at the center of our work" broadly and work toward sound decision-making and equitable outcomes for our schools.

-----

Library News!

From Mrs. Anderson

Today, we surpassed 10,000 books checked out from our library this year! That's so exciting! Think of all the reading, learning, and fun had from those 10,000 checkouts! And, funnily enough, it was the same date last year when we surpassed 10,000 as well...

-----

Science Fair Thanks!

I know that thankfulness for the many folks who labored to ensure we had yet another outstanding Science Fair has been expressed many times across several forums. But ... here we go again! THANK YOU!!!!!!! To the organizers, judges, parents, and especially our risk-taking/curious/civic minded youth who had such a strong showing at the Fair.

The true strength of our community is the spirit of giving: "time, talent, and treasure," as the saying goes. We are fortunate to have all three in abundance. The volunteer efforts absolutely have a direct and lasting effect on our students. 10,000 thanks!

https://brookline.news/photos-the-fizz-factor-of-bath-bombs-turning-food-waste-to-paper-and-a-giant-whale-at-the-hayes-school-science-fair/

-----

Independent School Decisions

if you applied to an Independent School and were accepted, please let us know if you will be withdrawing from Hayes at the end of the school year. We request this information so that we can 1) work to provide a smooth transition for your child, and 2) manage our enrollment in each grade level. Thanks!

👉👉👉 https://forms.gle/dYEoT3i3GrX4ZJQA9 👈👈👈

Deadline: Sunday, April 13th

It is time for us to look ahead and begin planning for the 2025-2026 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, April 13th.

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/dYEoT3i3GrX4ZJQA9 👈👈👈

Deadline: Sunday, April 13th

MCAS testing for students in Grades 3-8 begins March 31st. The testing schedule is here: link

If you have any questions about MCAS, please ask your child's classroom teacher and/or Mr. Patel or me. We'll be glad to help.

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

______________________

Get Your Hayes SPIRIT WEAR!

Order your favorite items today, and show off your Hayes pride every day!

The store is open now - closing on March 21st.

Free delivery to the classrooms or free shipping over $100.

Store link here: https://www.airosports.com/hayes

Huge gratitude to Lindsay Merowitz (1st & 5th) for leading this effort for a second year in a row!

______________________

International Night, April 4

We need more Nation Guides - please join the celebration here. Deadline is March 31.

We have the most impressive list thus far - AAPI, Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Poland, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkiye, Ukraine, and Vietnam!! Thank you!

• March is Women's History Month!
• Both Holi and Purim celebrations began yesterday and continue into today! If you celebrate, enjoy!
• Ramadan continues! The Eid celebration comes at the end of March, something to look forward to!
• The joyful celebration of Purim began last night.
• And, the period of Lent has begun, with the many observance and celebrations that come along in the timeframe

-----

MCAS testing for students in Grades 3-8 begins March 31 and goes until June 3. The testing schedule is here: link

-----

Celebrating the Crossing Guards makes a real difference in letting them know how much they are appreciated. Throughout March, you have the opportunity to recognize these everyday heroes by nominating them for the MA Safe Routes to School annual Crossing Guard of the Year Award.

Did you know that the award is presented at the State House in June – honoring their work and value during the MA Safe Routes to School Annual Awards Ceremony? It’s a wonderful way to highlight their vital role in keeping students safe every day.

Our school has nominated Crossing Guards in the past few years and doing so again this year would mean a lot to the wonderful people who serve our community with smiles and a focus on safety!

Click this link to submit a nomination and access a printable Thank You card that students can personalize and share with their Crossing Guard anytime.

Deadline is soon: March 19.

Our Pet Rocks

7th Grade | Science (Geology) | Canva

https://sites.google.com/psbma.org/petrocks/home

The Chemistry of Baking

8th Grade | Science (Chemistry) | BookCreator

https://read.bookcreator.com/library/-OFcCAZuo2nwJsf9gGQD

Historical Fiction

7th Grade | ELA | BookCreator

https://read.bookcreator.com/library/-OK7nNylfILD83R3S5G1

Poetry Collections

8th Grade | ELA | BookCreator

https://read.bookcreator.com/library/-OJyJ_lfvvoBwaV_KbOK

Footprints is a free Brookline neighborhood indigenous history walking tour is written and conducted by members of the Town of Brookline’s Indigenous People’s Celebration Committee and members of First Parish in Brookline.

Sources include indigenous authors and local historians, including Barbara Brown (Hidden Brookline) and Thomas Green (Massachuset tribal nation) who is a local historian and part of the Tribal Council of the Massachuset at Ponkapoag. We are constantly updating the script and welcome feedback and suggestions.

The tour has been given about 12 times in the past few years and it has been well received. It is about 1 mile in length with some hills and wooded paths. Plan on 2 hours.

Our next tour is scheduled for Saturday March 22 (Rain Date March 29) at 2 pm. We will meet at the corner of Chestnut and Walnut Streets in Brookline.

Please email us at brooklinefootprints@gmail.com if you are coming. You are encouraged to bring friends and others who you think would be interested. Please have them contact us directly so we can keep track of the number on the tour.

We will cancel the tour in the event of inclement weather.

PLEASE RSVP BY WEDNESDAY MARCH 19 IF YOU ARE COMING. You will get a confirmation notice via email by Thursday March 20.

Thank you for your interest!

Here is our new website: https://brooklinefootprints.com/

Thank you all for the connection, advocacy, and thoughtfulness ~ not just during this difficult budget season, but all year long. I am very pleased and proud to be a member of such a special community.

Take care of yourselves this weekend!

~ 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