Dear Hunnewell Parents,
I’m reaching out to share some meaningful work our staff engaged in during our Wednesday afternoon professional development this week—work that I believe aligns closely with our shared goal of creating a supportive, inclusive, and thriving learning community.
Our focus was on Relationship Mapping, a practice centered on ensuring that every student feels known, valued, and connected to the adults in our school. We took a deliberate and thoughtful approach to mapping out the relationships between our students and staff members, identifying where strong connections exist and where we need to strengthen ties. The goal of this process is simple yet powerful: every student should feel a personal sense of belonging and know there are trusted adults who care about their well-being.
The research behind this work is clear—students who feel connected to their school community are more likely to experience academic success, emotional stability, and social confidence. These connections become especially critical during moments when students face challenges.
As we move forward, this commitment to fostering meaningful connections will continue to shape our priorities and guide our actions. We know that building these relationships takes intentionality and collaboration, and we invite your partnership in this effort. Whether it’s through family conversations, check-ins with teachers, or participation in school events, we value the role you play in nurturing the bonds that help our students thrive.
We look forward to sharing more about this work in the coming months and welcome your thoughts and ideas as we strengthen our school community together.
NWEA MAP
WPS elementary schools have expanded our use of the NWEA MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) Growth online assessment from mathematics to grades 3, 4, and 5 in math and reading in each school.
Our district goal is to implement high-quality assessments to understand and support your child’s learning in reading and math. The purpose of the assessment is to identify a student’s strengths and needs in reading and math with a high level of validity and reliability. This assessment is used as one measure to assist teachers with planning curricular extensions and identifying areas for support.
The MAP Growth assessment is an online, adaptive assessment that is taken on students’ iPads, typically in one instructional period. The assessment adjusts the question items to the individual student depending on the student’s responses. It provides easier or more complex questions until the student’s instructional zone of learning has been identified. The assessment results will be used by teachers to help design their instructional planning for students. More information about NWEA MAP Growth can be found at: https://www.nwea.org/family-toolkit/.
We appreciate your continued support. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions.
Dare to Dream,
Mr. Dees
Upcoming Events
Jan 11th: BINGO Night 5-7 pm
Jan 15th: All School Assembly 11:30 am-12:00 pm
Jan 16th: Hunnewell School Council Meeting 10:15 am
Jan 20th: MLK Jr. Day – No School