CNS News | April 2019
Happy Spring! It has been a busy year, with more still to come. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of everything going on across the Needham School system — but CNS is here to help!

Below you will find highlights and links for some hot topics, including Portrait of a Needham Graduate, Equity and Inclusion, Full Day K and more. In addition, you can find summaries of recent School Committee meetings and links to many NPS resources on our web site. We also post regularly on Facebook and Twitter if you prefer your news to come straight to you.

Would you like to help CNS keep the Needham community informed and engaged in discussions about our schools? Consider joining the CNS Board — you can start by emailing us, or fill out our online application.

Hilary Bruel & Liz Lee
Co-Chairs, Citizens for Needham Schools
District News
School Committee Open House – Saturday, 4/6, 9-10:30am, Pollard 
Town Election – Tuesday, 4/9
Racial Equity in Action Community Forum – Wednesday, 4/24, 6-8pm, NHS
Annual Town Meeting – Monday, 5/6

Portrait of a Needham Graduate
The district has provided an update on the "Portrait of a Needham Graduate" project, including a short video and information sheet which outlines their vision for Needham students, and which will serve as the basis of the District's Strategic Framework and Annual District Goals. The Portrait will be presented to School Committee later in the month for approval. Community members are invited to join SC at an Open House this Saturday, April 6, 9-10:30 am at Pollard, to share their thoughts and questions about the P.O.N.G. process.
Full Day Kindergarten
With the full support of both the Select Board and the Finance Committee, School Committee has included almost $2 million in next year's budget to cover the cost of implementing Full Day Kindergarten for the 2019-2020 school year. The funds will be appropriated at the May Town Meeting, and it is anticipated to pass with strong support.
"Racial Equity In Action" Community Forum
NPS will host a forum to provide an update on the successes and challenges since the March 2018 Equity Report, and also an opportunity for community members to ask questions and share feedback. The forum will be facilitated by the REAL Coalition, and CNS is proud to be one of the supporting community partners, along with Needham Diversity Initiative and Needham Human Rights Committee.
Wednesday, April 24, 6:00-8:00pm, Needham High School Cafeteria
Needham Town Election
Needham's Town Election will be held next Tuesday, April 9, in advance of the Annual Town Meeting in May. Some races are competitive, so be sure to do your research before heading to the polls. In-depth voter information can be found on the League of Women Voter's website ( LWVN-needham.org).

School Committee
The race for school committee is uncontested, with three incumbents running for three spots: Connie Barr (11 years), Andrea Longo Carter (4 years), and Aaron Pressman (6 years.

Other Town Boards
There are competitive races: Assessor, Library Trustee, and Board of Health.

Town Meeting Members
Among the 10 precincts, there is a mix of competitive and uncontested races. Some precincts even have open spots, allowing for write-in candidates to be elected:
• Competitive Races: B, C, D
• Open Spots: A, F, H, I, J
CNS News
Apply to Be a CNS Board Member
CNS is seeking board members who are politically and civically engaged with an interest in issues related to education and the Needham school system. The Board engages in robust conversation and welcomes diverse viewpoints. CNS Board members serve a three-year term and responsibilities include attending 5-6 CNS Board meetings, watching and writing summaries of 2-3 SC meetings, and engaging with and providing NPS-related information to the community on an ongoing basis via social media, school meetings, and your personal network.
Resources at Your Fingertips
If you haven't visited the CNS website recently, we recommend you take a look! We've added new content and new features to make information easily accessible for you:

Calendar - You can now find both the school calendar and the dates for this year's school committee meetings.
Helpful Links - The NPS website is vast, to say the least. We've collected some of links we think are most useful all in one place.
SC Meeting Highlights - We have brief summaries of each SC meeting, with links to detailed information and the Needham Channel recording.
Updates and Recaps - We are also have recaps of Town Meeting and updates on on various district initiatives — and the whole website is searchable. So if there's some school-related information you are trying to find, start at the CNS website... we may be able to help you!

Stay Connected
CNS is committed to keeping you informed of all school related news. Follow us on social media to find out the latest news fast:

Facebook - Get updates right in your feed, including agendas for upcoming School Committee meetings
Twitter - We share and retweet school-related info