Sawhney for Lexington

News/Views

Stronger students, Stronger schools, Stronger town

Happy Holidays and Happy New year 2025!

Will resume Jan 6th 2025: Office Hours with Deepika Sawhney (10-11am EST every working Monday till March 2025)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84312600624?pwd=l3BtLNJQZbRWtWayvLSFawYqDHmTJA.1

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Passcode: LPS

(Request: Please Lexington residents, or Lexington Public School community only)

Reports/Memos authored as graduate school assignments or thoughts on issues pertinent to Lexington Public Schools. Please note my views evolve when presented with fresh research, insights or community input.

Links to Finance Sub Committee meetings minutes (more to be added)

Other reports

Statements to town groups:

  • League of Women Voters: Candidate statement in answer to their question: What do you foresee will be the major issues confronting the School Committee during the period of construction and transition to the new High School?

  • ABCL: Statement in response to their question emailed to all candidates

  • Merriam Hill Candidate forum: statement and answers to questions emailed prior.

Graduation speeches for Lexington High School graduations, given in the years:

  • 2021: This was the first in-person graduation after the Covid lockdown. The class graduated in four large groups with each student sitting, masked, surrounded by empty space, away from their peers. Families were scattered in the arena in small groups, and cheering was muted. The speeches were televised and available as a link. We had just endured a grueling year. Families were sending off their children to distant places. I hoped my speech (as a mother and a School Committee member) highlighted their importance to our families, school community and town.

  • 2023 : The graduation ceremonies had now regained their former busy-ness in schedule and audience numbers. Many of us were becoming empty nesters. It was an honor and privilege to speak to the graduating class. Therefore, I reached out to parent-caregivers to tell me what they would want to say. Many of their words were incorporated into the speech including the suggestion to keep it short!

News articles:

2017 Letters to the Editor Lexington Minuteman: Candidacy Announcement

Dear Editor

I am incredibly proud of our Lexington Public School system and our community. We pick critical projects, brainstorm and then pressure test solutions through town wide debate. It is a comforting affirmation of our participatory democracy.

This approach helps children prepare for life because they closely observe what we do. They are a product of our school system and the environment. Lexington children are artistically, athletically, and academically, some of the best in Massachusetts. Can we educate them to be the best citizens too?

These thoughts and more have made me decide to run for the School Committee in March. I have lived in Lexington for over 20 years and have children in the middle and high schools. I have volunteered in many roles such as room parent, science fair organizer, and PTO president. I serve on the Site Council for Diamond and coach the Science Olympiad team and Science Bowl teams. Our children have excelled at state and international levels. I coached a First Lego League (FLL) robotics team which won the Research Prize at the World Competition 2017 in St. Louis, out of field of over 30,000 teams worldwide. In addition to Lexington, I have volunteered in Dorchester and Lawrence schools. I currently serve as a grants committee member of the Hestia group- a philanthropic organization working in inner city schools. I believe in the equitable distribution of the greatest asset of all: education. 

We are challenged by issues of enrollment, capital demands, student stress, and diverse needs while imparting quality education. These we must diligently address. However, we can also aspire to create a resilient, engaged and compassionate student community. 
 
I will work towards that goal if given the mandate to join the Lexington School Committee this March.

Yours truly
Deepika Sawhney

PK Shiu