Dear CAAL Parents,

Lexington is among the best school districts in Massachusetts. All nine Lexington Public Schools have earned top accolades for academic excellence. However, academic stress has become a key concern among students, parents and faculties. A town-wide initiative is underway to reduce stress for our students and help them enjoy a healthy school life. EdCAAL is participating in this effort. We want to share some good information with you

In August, the Lexington Community Coalition Youth Initiative promoted Vicki Abeles’ book, Beyond Measure: Rescuing an Overscheduled, Overtested, Underestimated Generation. Beyond Measure is a groundbreaking book for parents, students, and educators on how to revolutionize learning, prioritize children’s health, and re-envision success for a lifetime.

To date, 50-plus members of the LPS leadership team have read the book, and are using it as a platform for discussion and planning. New and returning LHS faculty and administrators attended screenings of the film. This month, LHS student screenings will take place, with a special student/parent screening for this year’s freshman class.

Outside the schools, efforts are in place to engage the community-at-large in this important discussion. On Tuesday, September 27^th from 7-9 pm at the Lexington High School Library, the Lexington Community Coalition will host a community book club discussion, focusing on Chapters 2 and 3 of the book, on time and homework. This will be followed by an October 18^th screening of the film and discussion with the author Ms. Vicki Abeles herself at the Cary Memorial Hall (7-9:30pm).

The Chinese community is known for its tradition of learning, hard work, and academic excellence. We highly encourage our parents to participate in these events to learn, gain new perspectives, and help our children grow healthily to achieve long term success. As a symbol of endorsement for this initiative, EdCAAL has purchased 3 copies of the book to share among CAAL members. Please reply to this email if you want to borrow the book. Copies of the book are also available at Cary Library. You can also buy the book from Amazon.

For more information about the film, please visit the film’s website at http://beyondmeasurefilm.com/ or view the trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4LTV8jat2o&feature=youtu.be. You can also follow the conversation locally by going to https://www.facebook.com/LexingtonIsBeyondMeasure/.The film ticket on Oct 18^th can be purchased at Beyond Measure Tickets.

Best Regards,

EdCAAL (CAAL Education Committee)