Supporting Your Child in the 2020-21 School Year

Dear Elementary Families,

I hope you had a restful and enjoyable holiday break. As you are well aware, we are experiencing a school year like none other and the challenges for elementary families are particularly acute.

We know that supporting elementary students in hybrid and remote learning is not easy given the pressures adults face in their daily lives, as well as the inevitable conflicts and tensions that arise when working with young children. At the same time, we know that the pandemic has offered children and families newfound opportunities for shared learning and greater student independence. 

To provide you with additional support as you navigate this challenging year, I am writing to invite you to a forum that will focus on supporting you and your elementary students’ school experience. The Supporting Your Child in the 2020-21 School Year forum will take place on Wednesday, January 20 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Zoom.

We have gathered together four Newton educators who have extensive experience working with elementary school students and are elementary parents themselves. The forum will feature:

Becca Brogadir, Principal, Ward 

Dr. Lynn Chachkes, Psychologist, Cabot and Zervas

Dr. Arthur Fergusson, Coordinator of Therapeutic Services 

Jesse Krotick, Coordinator of Elementary Support and Stabilization

They will share with you their expertise in elementary education and social emotional support structures, as well as provide advice and recommendations for supporting your student’s learning this year. They will also answer questions you may have related to helping your student in both hybrid and remote learning environments.

Please register in advance for this forum via this Google Form. You can also use the form to submit questions to be answered during the presentation or the Q&A session. 

We hope to see many of you at what should be a thought provoking and useful discussion.

Sincerely,

David Fleishman

Superintendent of Schools