Football is just one of the many sports opportunities
that Needham High School offers its students.
Needham
Public Schools
Striving to nurture a community-school partnership that creates excited
learners, demands excellence and fosters integrity, Needham schools
are enjoying the present and planning for the future. Each school’s
staff dedicates many hours inside and outside the classroom to preparing
21st-century citizens who love to learn. The District also participates
in METCO and welcomes students from Boston to its schools.
From classroom to playground, Needham’s students receive the encouragement
they need to learn and surpass their previous standards of performance.
Parents are active participants in all aspects of education at the four
elementary schools, the middle school and the high school. Take a closer
look at just a few of the many exciting activities students are enjoying
every day.
Elementary
Schools
(Grades Kindergarten through Five)
Broadmeadow School opened its new school and playground in 2003. This
community of families, educators and learners has chosen PRIDE (to be
peaceful/safe, respectful, inclusive, diverse, encouraging) as its foundation.
John Eliot School, built in 1956, creates an educational environment
where each child is encouraged to be inquisitive, confident and disciplined.
Specialists in health/wellness,
art, music, media, reading, speech/language, school adjustment, special
education, Spanish, physical education and English as a Second Language
supplement students’ academic education. Fourth graders recently
received top scores in the state for their critical-thinking skills.
Hillside School welcomes parents’ help in bringing quality creative
arts programs to its classrooms. The computer lab in the school’s
media center provides excellent technology experience for all grade
levels. Newman School students enjoy their Springfest, Mayrathon, Winter
Concert and Newman Patriots Parade each year. Physical education is
a high priority here, with two baseball diamonds, two soccer fields
and two playgrounds.
The Early Childhood Center at Newman challenges and stimulates the individual
needs of young children with many child-centered activities. Children
ages 3 to 5 have fun while learning in this four-day program. The gym
and playground are designed to promote motor development for this age
group.
Middle
School
Pollard Middle School
(Grades Six through Eight)
Using a four-teacher, cluster-learning format, Pollard’s students
receive quality education in core subjects. There are electives in fine
and performing arts, technology, and wellness. Pollard After School
(PAS) clubs and activities complement the daily classroom experience.
High
Schools Needham
High School
(Grades Nine through 12)
When its original building opened in 1930, Needham High School was already
planning for the future. Additions took place in 1955 and 1967. Today,
the school focuses on learning, with core values of thinking, respect
and communication. Needham High School serves more than 1,400 students.
In addition to learning in the classroom, students have several other
opportunities to grow and mature. Requirements for graduation include
the Community Classroom Learning Program, comprised of volunteer service,
internship, experiential learning and work experience in Needham and
the greater metropolitan Boston area; the senior research and presentation
project; and credits in fine and performing arts, health/physical education,
and foreign language. Special projects, such as the World War II Oral
History Web site, challenge students on a daily basis.
Needham High offers more than 50 clubs and organizations for sports,
special interests, social concerns, academics and the arts. Athletic
and academic teams participate in league, state and national competitions.
Sports opportunities for boys include football, basketball, soccer,
cross-country, track, swimming, ice hockey, lacrosse, tennis and volleyball.
Girls can choose from soccer, volleyball, cross-country, swim and dive,
basketball, gymnastics, track, ice hockey, lacrosse, and tennis. Field
hockey, golf, cheerleading, wrestling, skiing, baseball and softball
are also available. The annual Thanksgiving Day football game against
Wellesley High School, which began in 1905, is the oldest continuous
rivalry of its kind in the country.
Norfolk
County High Schools
Minuteman Regional High School serves eastern Massachusetts students
in grades nine through 12. The 69-acre campus in Lexington is the home
for learning in academics, high technology and careers. Divisions include
Academic, Technical, Commercial and Human Services, Construction, and
Power. Students may also earn college credits and prepare for college
study in biotechnology and engineering.
The school also offers after-school programs for area middle school
and high school students and career development programs for adults.
As part of their education, students provide restaurant, automotive
and childcare services to the public.
Norfolk County Agricultural High School, founded in 1916, offers a progressive
agricultural education, a strong academic curriculum and work experience
to students in grades nine through 12. The campus includes the 150-acre
Hilltop Farm as well as the main campus in Walpole. In this positive
learning environment based on mutual respect and dignity, students pursue
education in agricultural mechanics, animal and marine science, and
plant and environmental science. One-half of each school day is devoted
to academics, the other half to a vocational program. Athletics are
also part of students’ education, with basketball, volleyball and
cross-country for boys and girls; boys’ basketball and soccer;
and baseball, softball and cheerleading.
