Community Notes

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

A three-day weekend is ahead; we observe the Veterans Day holiday tomorrow. Here is this year's White House Veterans Day proclamation: link

With "The Community Notes" going out every two weeks now, the content below feels more important than ever to connect with. Thanks for reading!

School Renaming Town Meeting Presentation Coming Up!

We will most likely be presenting our renaming proposal at Town Meeting on either November 16th at 7pm OR December 5th at 7pm.

We do not have a final date yet, but it will be one of these two nights. I hope many of you will join us at Town Meeting and support this effort! The vote will happen on the spot, so we will know if our efforts succeeded that night.

• The copy of our Warrant Article is here: link

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Each week, we report updates on the renaming process here. Past "Community Notes" newsletters can be found here:

https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/domain/718

The "School Name: History & Resources" website page is also updated regularly:

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

If you are not completely satisfied with your child’s student portrait and would like another try, you have the opportunity or a retake on: 11/17/23

Please return the undamaged portrait package to the photographer on Retake Day. Retake packages will be distributed at the school approximately 3-5 weeks following Retake Day.

Apple! Pumpkin! Pecan! Please bring in a pie… or two or three… to support Brookline Food Pantry’s Thanksgiving dinners for residents of Brookline.

Pies can be homemade or store bought. We have pie boxes. Please drop off in Heath’s lobby on Thursday 11/16, Friday 11/17 or Monday 11/20.

Thank you for your support!

Brookline Food Pantry

If you are planning to apply to private schools, please be aware of three things:

• The PSB uses our own forms for the recommendation process. Please send the requests to the appropriate staff via the independents school's portal (ie, Ravenna). That will alert us to your request. We will then use our forms to communicate with the private schools to which you are applying.
• Please provide addressed, stamped envelops to the front office for every school to which you are applying. We will send the completed forms directly to the schools.
• The firm deadline for staff to complete recommendation forms is is January 10th, 2024. After this date, staff will not be able to complete letters of recommendation.

Ms. Watkins, our school psychologist, and Ms. Ovadia, one of our school counselors, presented "Childhood Anxiety: Definition & Strategies" this morning. We hope that the parents who attended left with deeper understandings and strategies to try at home. Here is a great, quick guide on supporting children experiencing anxiety, created by one of our amazing counseling interns, Isabelle Sullivan:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LMS0W65jhhjHBVzUpAfmrPbWqHr8OjvP/view?usp=sharing

We hope these strategies are helpful. If you need further support and guidance, please let us know. We can help!

The Book Fair is back! December 4th - 8th. Students will attend with their classes during the school day (homeroom teachers can communicate with you about what day that is). Families are welcome to shop after school 2:30-3:00 Monday-Thursday (the fair closes at lunch on Friday). There is also an option to purchase items online. All the information will be on the flyer coming home in the next 7-10 days.

Also in the coming week, look out for outreach about how to set up a digital e-wallet for your child (if you don't want them carrying cash). There will also be information sent about donating to a communal school e-wallet which funds purchases for students who otherwise would not be able to buy anything.

Funds raised at the Book Fair go towards purchasing items for the library, students, and school community.

Many thanks,

Lindsay Anderson, Librarian

The 5th annual Science Fair date will take place on Saturday, MARCH 2, 2024! And you don’t want to miss participating. Last year was amazing:

• 91 participants, K through 8th grade – our highest number to date
• 52 projects – exploring volcanoes, molecular gastronomy, musical dogs, thermochromic materials, Brookline birds, electric cars and so much more
• 14 volunteer judges – all parent-scientists from our school!
• Over 300 guests, despite a massive snowstorm

So get excited to join us as a participant or a supporter! Here’s some early info – stay tuned for more:

INSPIRATION & INFORMATION: Check out the Fair website early and often for with lots of helpful resources for young scientists and their assistants!

WORKSHOPS: 4 Zoom sessions to get direction, answers, and encouragement from Science Fair volunteers. Planned dates and broad themes:

• Workshop #1: Week of December 11, 2023 – “Observe: Choosing a Project”
• Workshop #2: Week of January 1, 2024 – “Plan: Research and Design”
• Workshop #3: Week of January 22, 2024 – “Explore: Experimentation and Investigation”
• Workshop #4: Week of February 5, 2024 – “Explain: Communication and Presentation”

CONTACTS: Reach out to Vice Principal Patel, Theodora Konetsovska (3rd & 6th) or Eli Silk (8th) with questions

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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Brookline Booksmith Night (Save the Date)

Save the date to support a beloved local business and our school PTO for holiday shopping and more at the Brookline Booksmith on the evening of Monday, November 27 from 5:30-7:30 pm. The night is an annual tradition and a really lovely family night out for all! If you can't make it in person, we expect there to be an option to shop online too.

https://heathpto.org/calendar/event/39439344

Specialist Teachers Wishlist

Each year, the Heath PTO shares a wishlist of supplies that the specialists need for their classrooms. Please visit the wishlist and contribute where you can. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

https://heathpto.org/wishlist

Fall Grants Under Review

Thank you to all Heath community members that submitted proposals for the 2023 Fall Grant Cycle. We received 19 proposals! The deadline for submission was last Monday. We will be reviewing all of the proposals shortly and expect to send out decisions in December.

I leave you with a loving kindness mantra, to repeat to yourself and give to others:

May I/you be healthy,

May I/you be well,

May I/you be at ease,

May I/you be light,

May I/you be happy,

May I/you be peaceful,

May I/you be strong,

May I/you be safe.

May it be so.

I'll reconnect in this space late November, before we leave for Thanksgiving break.

~ 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

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

Heath School

The Public Schools Of Brookline | A METCO Partnership School

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