Rooting Students in Indigenous Knowledge
Through an NEF grant, all 3rd grade students are hearing from Annawon Weeden, a cultural educator and performing artist with the Mashpee Wampanoag, Pequot, and Narragansett tribes, on contemporary and traditional Wampanoag life. Students will get to see and touch different artifacts, learn Wampanoag words, and create corn husk dolls.
These experiential presentations are specifically designed to reinforce the Social Studies curriculum on Indigenous perspectives and the Science curriculum on environmental stewardship.
Workshops are being held in each 3rd grade classroom at all Needham elementary schools in December and January.
Annawon Weeden is bringing his stories to life.
One student commented, “It was really fun! We got to touch turtle shells and real wampum beads, and got to see a game with deer feet.”
Read more about the workshops with Annawon in this article by Needham Local.
NEF Funds 6 Fall Grants Totaling $34,051
At the Needham School Committee meeting on November 18, 2025, the Needham Education Foundation (NEF) announced the recipients of 6 grants totaling $34,051 in its Fall grant cycle.
Awarded grants include:
Rooting Elementary Students in Indigenous Knowledge – All Elementary
Third-grade students will experience hands-on workshops with Annawon Weeden, a presenter and performing artist affiliated with the Mashpee Wampanoag, Pequot, and Narragansett tribes. The workshops will provide an immersive introduction to the traditional ways of life and culture of the Wampanoag and surrounding tribes, while reinforcing the 3rd grade social studies and science curriculum.
— Awarded to Brooke Kessel, K-8 Social Studies Department Chair; Elise Morgan, Elementary Science Center Coordinator
VOX BOOK Listening Center to Support Kindergarten Literacy – Broadmeadow
Each Kindergarten classroom at Broadmeadow Elementary School will receive a collection of Vox Books, which are hardcover picture books with a full audio recording. The classroom collections will allow students to access the Kindergarten unit themes independently, enhancing literacy acquisition, and providing students with the option of a quiet reading activity. This is an Express grant of a Spring 2025 grant at Newman.
— Awarded to Claudine Shaby, Raymond Skyer, Deanna Scott, Rachel Lewis, Kindergarten teachers
VOX Books to Support Students’ Independent Reading Practices – Eliot
Each kindergarten and first grade classroom at Eliot Elementary School will receive a collection of VOX Books. These books will help support early elementary students build independence and stamina during independent reading as they learn and master phonics and early reading skills. This is an Express grant of a Spring 2025 grant at Newman.
— Awarded to Tonielise Tepfer, 1st Grade Teacher
Inspiring Storytellers: A Visit from Author Peter H. Reynolds – Mitchell
Author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds will visit Mitchell Elementary School for an all-school author visit, featuring a schoolwide presentation on storytelling and creativity, followed by a writing workshop for 5th grade students. His inspiring work will help students see themselves as storytellers, empowering them to use their words to express who they are and what matters to them.
— Awarded to Jennifer Guardino, Librarian; Colleen Soldato, 5th grade teacher
Origami Tales: Origamido – Newman
Each 4th grade classroom at Newman Elementary School will experience a hands-on presentation with Origamido. The presentations will introduce students to two ancient Japanese art forms: folktales and origami, and use both to explain the abstract mathematical concepts of geometry. The presentations will be customized to connect with Needham’s 4th grade geometry standards. This is an Express grant of a 2013 grant at Eliot.
— Awarded to Lindsey Sawyer, Math Coach
Developing PONG Competencies to Support LGBTQIA+ – All Elementary
All K-5 classrooms in the Needham Public Schools will receive five picture books, with each book exemplifying one of the Portrait of a Needham Graduate competencies. In addition, the collection will be intentionally curated to reflect diverse characters, family structures, and experiences, including those within the LGBTQIA+ community. The books will reinforce the competencies in a developmentally appropriate way, while the diverse characters will help students see both their own experiences reflected and gain new insights into the lives of others. The collection will be a valuable resource for fostering a sense of belonging, promoting empathy, and increasing understanding among all students in the Needham Public Schools.
— Awarded to Jennifer Potter, Librarian; Denise Domnarski, Director of Physical Education, Health, and Wellness; Jamie Singelais, Director of English Language Learner Education; Ray Skyer, Kindergarten Teacher, Broadmeadow; Joey Vespa, Instructional Assistant, Newman; Jennifer Collings, 5th Grade Teacher, Broadmeadow; Elizabeth Silva, Math Coach, Broadmeadow; Heidi Smith, 4th Grade Teacher, Broadmeadow
Gallery 450 Makes Space for Creativity
In 2019, the NEF funded a multi-faceted grant for the art department at Needham High School. In addition to an artist-in-residence working with both students and staff, the grant funded the materials to establish a permanent gallery space in the new wing of the high school. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the opening of the gallery space was delayed until the spring of 2022. Since then, student exhibits are held multiple times per year, enliving the space and showcasing student talents for the whole school community to enjoy.
Needham Local attended the opening of the Fall 2025 exhibit, “Exploring Space.” Read more in their article Holding Space for Student Creativity.
Attendees enjoy the student art at the opening of the newest exhibit, “Exploring Space,” in Gallery 450 at Needham High School. (Courtesy of Cameron Morsberger, Needham Local)
NEF Founder Honored with Bench Dedication
We were honored to celebrate the dedication of a memorial bench at the Emery Grover Building on November 6, 2025 in honor of Ralph E. Leader, the founder and first president of the NEF. Thirty-five years ago, Ralph and the original board members established the Needham Education Foundation with the support of then-Superintendent Fred Tirrell – laying the foundation for an organization that has had an immeasurable impact on education in Needham. We are grateful for their vision and proud to continue their work today.
The dedication ceremony included brief remarks from Dr. Daniel Gutekanst, Needham Public Schools Superintendent; Christine Hoffmeister, one of Ralph Leader’s daughters; and Marissa Traeger, one of the current NEF co-presidents. Many of Ralph Leader’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were in attendance, as well as a few of the original board members.
Read Needham Local’s coverage of the ribbon-cutting ceremony at: needhamlocal.org/2025/11/nef-founder-honored-with-bench-dedication.
Chris Hoffmeister, Ralph Leader’s daughter, and NEF Co-President Marissa Traeger cut the ribbon to unveil the bench, with Superintendent Dan Gutekanst. (Courtesy of Cameron Morsberger, Needham Local)
Chris Hoffmeister, daughter of Ralph Leader, speaks at the bench dedication. (Courtesy of Cameron Morsberger, Needham Local)
A plaque on the new bench outside the Emery Grover building honors Ralph Leader. (Courtesy of Cameron Morsberger, Needham Local)
At a meeting in July 1990, some of the first NEF board members review brochures that will be mailed town-wide to introduce the new foundation. Ralph Leader is seated, third from the right.
The original NEF logo from 1990, designed by Louise Condon and Bob Larsen, and the list of original board members.
Vox Books for Newman Kindergarten
Through an NEF grant, Newman Kindergarten students are growing their reading skills with a set of Vox books. Each hardcover picture book has a built-in audio player, allowing students to listen to a story and follow along — without needing an extra device like a tablet or computer.
The ability for students to read and listen to the VOX books multiple times aids student understanding, especially for students learning English.
All five Newman Kindergarten classrooms received a starter collection of 18 Vox books that support the four main curriculum units.
The VOX books have been a success in the classroom
“The VOX books offer a quiet, independent way for students to learn about community…Students are able to listen to and enjoy the books during centers time and have expressed excitement and joy about what they have been reading and listening to.”
“I have a student who often becomes over-stimulated during centers …having VOX books offers this student an appropriate alternative to the busy activities that can be too much to handle.”
NEF Funds 8 Spring Grants Totaling $45,261
At the Needham School Committee meeting on May 20, 2025, the Needham Education Foundation (NEF) announced the recipients of eight grants totaling $45,261 in its Spring grant cycle.
Awarded grants include:
Meeting Literacy Needs of All Learners Through Specialized Instruction – All Elementary Schools & High Rock
Professional development for K-6 special education and general education staff on innovative, evidence-based literacy practices for students with dyslexia and other reading disabilities. By building teacher capacity in a variety of instructional practices, educators can better meet the diverse needs of these students, as well as provide benefits to all students through Tier I classroom interventions.
— Awarded to Lisa Messina, Director of Literacy, and Stephanie Wyman, Director of Special Education
Bringing Design Thinking to Teachers in Needham Public Schools – District-wide
Two-day, professional development workshop for up to 30 teachers across the district to promote hands-on, design-centered learning at all grade levels in collaboration with NuVu School in Cambridge. The training will be customized for Needham and held in Needham High School’s Da Vinci Workshop.
— Awarded to Hans Batra, Da Vinci Workshop Specialist/Director and Chris Gosselin, Director of Instructional Technology and Innovation, K-12
METCO MassArt Summer Partnership – Pollard Middle School and Needham High School
Expands the scope and impact of the partnership between Needham METCO and MassArt Youth & Teen Programs by funding program fees for five Needham METCO students to fully participate in MassArt’s summer Creative Studios program. Creative Studios is an exciting and immersive two-week program for young artists of all abilities, entering grades 7–9 who want to deepen their understanding of the visual arts.
— Awarded to Joanne Allen-Willoughby, METCO Director, and Jennifer Kilson-Page, METCO Elementary Coordinator
Empowering Middle School Voices: A Podcasting Mobile Lab – High Rock Middle School
Establishes a mobile podcast lab at High Rock Middle School to foster student creativity, collaboration, communication and technological skills. Funds will support the purchase of podcasting equipment and other materials to create a mobile lab.
—Awarded to Erin Mack, Technology Integration Specialist, and Ethan Miller, ELA Teacher
Large Print Books for Inclusive Literacy – All Elementary Schools
Funds the purchase of 95 large print books that will be shared across all elementary libraries to increase accessibility and improve reading experiences. The large print format provides a larger font size and more white space on the pages, which reduces eye strain and supports better focus and comprehension while reading. While these resources are essential for students with visual impairments, all readers, including those with learning differences and attention difficulties can benefit.
— Awarded to Jennifer Guardino, Mitchell Librarian, and Jennifer Murray, Newman Librarian
Vox Books to Support Kindergarten Curriculum Units – Newman Elementary School
Collection of 18 Vox books for each of the five Kindergarten classes at Newman Elementary School. Vox books are hardcover picture books with full audio recordings, which will be available in the classrooms to support the four main Kindergarten curriculum units: animals & their needs, construction, community, and our earth. The collection will include fiction, nonfiction, and Spanish book titles.
— Awarded to Sigrid Methot, Kindergarten Teacher
Kinesthetic Learning in the Classroom – Newman Elementary School
Funds the purchase of 2 pedal desks and 2 pedal exercisers to be used by a 3rd grade classroom at Newman Elementary School. These pedal desks will allow students to incorporate movement into their learning environment. Movement has been shown to greatly improve learning in all students, but especially in elementary students.
— Awarded to Kristie Maheras, Grade 3 teacher
SPOT Social Emotional Learning Curriculum – Sunita Williams Elementary School
“A Little SPOT of Emotion” Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Educator’s starter kits for each of the intensive learning center (ILC) classrooms where students need more individualized support and modified curriculum. The kits focus on self-management, self-awareness, responsible decision making, social awareness, and relationship skills, with the use of books, stuffed animals, flashcards, and directed lesson plans.
— Awarded to Erica Spiegel, Special Educator/ BCBA
What’s Normal Anyway? A (Stigma-Obliterating) Disability Film Series
This Fall 2024 grant funded four evenings of disability education for the Needham community, with a film screening followed by a panel discussion exploring the film’s topics and how they affect or influence the experiences of youth in Needham (where over 1,000 students, or one in five, receive special education services in the schools).
The films included:
- The Ride Ahead, about a young man navigating life while having a genetic disorder that affects his mobility and communication.
- In A Different Key, in which families with autistic children look to Don Triplet, the first diagnosed person with autism, as a role model.
- The Right to Read, about young students who struggle to develop essential reading skills.
- The Disruptors, where renowned CEOs, athletes, and entertainers share their experiences of having ADHD and the challenges they faced, and now credit their ‘differently wired brains’ for some of their greatest successes.
The films were well attended by many people affiliated with the Needham schools and the town including the Needham Disability Commission, Needham Select Board and School Committee members, Needham educators and administrators, Needham Diversity Initiative, Progressive Needham, as well as Needham parents of kids with and without disabilities.
Grant recipient Jenn Scheck-Kahn, along with committee members Meera Sunder, Andy Wizer, and Sasha Yampolsky, noted “Our goal with the series was to remove barriers for inclusion, to center the experiences of people with disabilities, to create closer connections between the disability and non-disability community, and to educate policy and budget makers about the experiences of people with disabilities.
Including a student with a disability on the panels was especially enlightening. Our literacy event featured an extraordinarily articulate student with dyslexia in the fifth grade. She described her experiences of being othered and excluded as well as her experiences of working hard to do things that are easy for other kids and her wish for a disability curriculum in the NPS. So many times the audience erupted in applause. Later her mother told me how much her daughter needed that, how meaningful it was for her daughter to be validated and celebrated by a room of supportive adults. I hope this experience is one she’ll carry with her long into adulthood.”
A parent shared that “[her child] said he learned more about his disabilities from the films than he had elsewhere and having watched them, he’s hungry for more. The films have sparked a search for identity. I do not think this would have happened if we’d watched the films at home. The films were more important because we watched them together with strangers who also valued what they were learning. Although we talk about disabilities and his disabilities in our home, he’s not been in a room of people where these topics are discussed in public and by adults. Breaking that silence removed the stigma; it elevated the value of the conversation. He truly felt that people attended to know about him; being there made him feel special and supported.”
Scheck-Kahn remarked “Many parents shared how much of themselves and their families are in the films. Some who are very involved in the autism community said that we showed the best film on autism that they’ve ever seen. Most moving for me was, when watching The Ride Ahead and The Disruptors, I heard the audience erupt in laughter after a person with a disability said something funny. Those moments felt like proof that stigma was being obliterated and in the most joyful way.”
2025 Trivia Bee
NHS Teachers take first place in the NEF’s 2025 Trivia Bee
On Wednesday, March 12th, the NEF held its 34th annual Bee, the fifth year featuring trivia, with 50 teams and over 350 participants and attendees. Teams included students and teachers from each of Needham’s schools, local businesses and community organizations, and over a dozen family and neighbor teams. The evening started with an opportunity to meet Officer Rocket and Officer Ghost, the Needham Police Department’s Community Resource dogs, and to take team photos and purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win one of ten themed baskets with items donated by local businesses.
Mike “Sarge” Riley, the public address announcer for the New England Patriots and Revolution and a veteran Boston sports radio personality, kept the evening lively and fun as the event host, sharing fun facts about many of the teams or bantering with the student teams seated in front.
After 5 spirited rounds of trivia, including categories such as science, entertainment, geography, and Needham history, there was a two-way tie for first place between the NHS Teachers “Chat GPT” team and the NHS Capstone Students “The House of Rowse” team. The teachers just edged past the students to take first place. There was also a six-way tie for 3rd place, with the “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” team earning the spot.
Creativity abounded with the naming of the teams, including the Best Team Name category winner, “Brainy Bunch” from the Needham Community Council. There were also a number of teams in custom t-shirts, Bee antenna headbands, and fun outfits, though none as committed as the “Wicked Smart Mitchell Teachers” from Mitchell Elementary School in their Wicked costumes.
Competition was also fierce among the elementary teams, with the “Trivia Beans” team from Newman Elementary School earning the title as the top-scoring elementary team this year, with the other Newman team “Fantastical Five” coming in a close second. They will get to display the top-scoring elementary team trophy at Newman Elementary until next year’s Bee.
The event was recorded by the Needham Channel and will be available for viewing on April 3rd.
Team and Event Pictures:
1st-NHS Teachers
2nd-NHS Capstone Students
3rd-Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader
Top-Scoring Elem Team-Newman
Best Team Name-Brainy Bunch
Host Mike Riley
2025 Raffle
Trivia Bee Trophies
Bee Co-Chairs
Broadmeadow Friends of Officer Rocket
Queen Bees
Needham Fire Department
Mitchell Master Minds
Leader Bees
Wicked Smart Mitchell Teachers
Needham School Committee
Mitchell Student Team
Smart as Can Bee
Photo Booth
Pollard Teachers
Raffle Winner
Teams and Spectators
Newman Teams
Whats Normal Anyway
NEF Funds Three Winter Grants Totaling $15,069
At the Needham School Committee meeting on February 25, 2025, the Needham Education Foundation (NEF) announced the recipients of three grants totaling $15,069 in its Winter grant cycle.
Awarded grants include:
7th Grade Yoga Integration Experience
A yoga integration experience for 7th grade students at Pollard Middle School to enhance the social studies unit on Ancient India, deepening their understanding of the history, mythology, and purpose of yoga practice. This experience supplements the concepts of mindfulness and meditation as used by Hindus and Buddhists as a religious practice currently being taught as part of the curriculum unit.
— Awarded to Joshua Sanders, 7th Grade Social Studies Teacher
Audiobooks for Broadmeadow Library
A collection of Playaways, or audiobook players, for the Broadmeadow Elementary School community which offers a screen-free, accessible option for all students. Audiobooks help students develop listening comprehension skills, explore texts beyond their reading level, and connect with different cultures or experiences in a meaningful way. These Playaways will be available to the entire Broadmeadow community and also available for inter-library loan to the other Needham school libraries.
— Awarded to Jennifer Potter, Broadmeadow Librarian
Video Games as Literature Course
A full-year, twelfth-grade course for Needham High School students to explore the literary aspects of video games and gaming culture, fulfilling their senior year English requirement. Students will study video games’ potential as a storytelling medium by learning how they function as a literary form, applying traditional literary analysis and critical theories to the stories they tell. Students will read novels related to video games and digital spaces to promote cross-media analysis and synthesis, non-fiction texts that examine the storytelling features of video games and play those games to experience their stories first-hand in a critical, supportive, academic community. Students will also have the opportunity to design games that tell powerful stories. Funds will be used to purchase novels, video games, and consoles for collaborative classroom exploration.
— Awarded to Chris Farnsworth, Needham High School English teacher
NEF Funds Five Fall Grants Totaling $30,713
At the Needham School Committee meeting on November 26, the Needham Education Foundation (NEF) announced the recipients of five grants totaling $30,713 in its fall grant cycle.
Awarded grants include:
Middle School Humanities Teachers Attend National Conferences
Fifteen High Rock and Pollard Middle School ELA and Social Studies teachers will attend their respective national conferences, National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and National Council for Social Studies (NCSS). It will be the first time that ELA or social studies teachers from all three grade levels attend a conference together, allowing them to engage in ongoing professional conversations about their learning and implementation in their classrooms.
—Awarded to Liz Welburn, ELA Chair, Grades 6-8 and Brooke Kessel, Social Studies Department Chair Grades K-8
Teen Mental Health First Aid Instructor Training
Teen Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) instructor training will be provided to six Health and Wellness teachers at High Rock, Pollard, and Needham High School. By equipping these educators with the skills to identify and assist students experiencing mental health challenges, the aim is to foster a more supportive school environment. MHFA is an evidence-based curriculum that teaches teens how to support a friend or peer struggling with mental health issues.
–Awarded to Denise Domnarski, K-12 Director of Physical Education, Health and Wellness and Sara Shine, Director Needham Youth and Family Services
What Is Normal Anyway?: A (Stigma-Obliterating) Disability Film Series
Four evenings of disability education will be funded to benefit the Needham community, with each evening including a documentary screening followed by a panel discussion taking the topics raised in the films and exploring how they affect or influence the experiences of youth in Needham, where over 1,000 students, or one in five, receive special education services in the schools.
–Awarded to Jenn Scheck-Kahn, Parent; Sasha Yampolsky, Parent; Meera Sunder, Parent; Andy Wizer, Community Member; and Diane Simmons, Director of Strategic Planning and Community Engagement
Creative Dance Residency: Giraffes Can’t Dance
A creative dance residency for the kindergarten students at Eliot Elementary School will explore social emotional learning concepts through literacy, movement, and music. Students read the book Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees and learn about Gerald, a giraffe who struggles with confidence, and a community that works to learn acceptance while dancing together in the jungle.
– Awarded to Jo-Anne Bagley, Kindergarten Teacher
Empowering Student Voices: A Technology Innovation Space
A dedicated Technology Innovation Space will be created at Needham High School to foster student creativity, collaboration, and technological proficiency. Grant funds will be used to purchase high-quality podcasting equipment, including microphones, mixers, headphones, stands, and sound-dampening equipment to cultivate students’ digital literacy skills, inspire innovative thinking, and promote authentic learning experiences, all while building skills in using professional technology equipment.
– Awarded to Sam Bookston, Technology Integration Specialist and Joshua Yankell, Technology Integration Specialist, Needham High School