September 27, 2023

Dear NPS Families,

It has been truly exciting and humbling to begin to see the breadth and scope of programs and resources available to the Newton students. I continue to visit schools, seeking to build my understanding of Newton schools on the way instruction, assessment, programs, staffing, and budgeting are organized. My observations and conversations are forming my report to School Committee of my first 120 days on the job, which will conclude at the end of October. They also inform the formulation of these district goals, which serve as a bridge between the prior district goal and a future 3-5 year strategic plan for the district.

I wanted to thank you all for hosting me at 34 meet and greets across the city. These times to meet with you and get to know the villages of Newton, your neighborhoods, and hear your voices directly is so critical to the work of the superintendent. I am looking forward to knowing more, so if you still want to host a meet and greet, contact my colleague, Carolyn Campo at campoca@newton.k12.ma.us.

If you have not yet given me feedback on your experience or shared your ideas for NPS before now, I invite you do so by answering this question in our ThoughtExchange tool:

What should we keep, change or revise about Newton Public Schools?

For the next few months, I will be focusing on our staff–seeking to hear their voices and see them in action. A focus on high-quality culturally responsive instruction is our district’s core mission and front of mind for me.

Staff I have met with since July –both in meet and greets and in 1:1 meetings– have shared their post-pandemic experiences and needs–and their overwhelming worry for our profession and our students.

Starting this week, we have partnered with Boston College’s inTASC technology research group to follow up on some of these worries and concerns. The Boston College research team will map technology use in the district and will simultaneously map student and staff well being and habits. InTASC studied NPS for different reasons in 2009, 10 (technology use) and 2016 (1:1 pilot at Bigelow MS). Now, building on the prior data sets, this study seeks to track teacher and student technology use, health and well-being, habits and pedagogy. The findings will help our long-range plans and support our staff and their needs.

School visits afford me the chance to see teachers and staff in action, see class sizes, student challenges and successes, review facilities and hear directly from staff about their challenges and triumphs. Each day of visits, I document what staff bring to me and try to solve issues or celebrate the strong teaching I am seeing. I have never been in a district where I have seen such a high level of student engagement, participation and mutual care for classmates and staff. There is, quite, honestly, a palpable joy in all of our schools. Despite this being a weird, tense time in our district relations, my job is to serve the staff so that together we may serve the children. I am squarely focused on that mission, and on advocacy for all the resources we need to support our staff. In doing so, we make anything possible for our students.

By now you have read the letter from the school committee on this matter. Having no experience in this type of situation, I too am learning, as I am also learning how to navigate the way this community approaches negotiations. A strong, fair and sustainable contract is everyone’s shared interest. As your school superintendent, my job is to ensure that school operates for students in the manner it should and that children are not impacted while all parties figure out the next generation contract. As an educator colleague, I want to advance our profession and advocate for the best programs, processes, pedagogy, pay and opportunities for staff. This, of course, happens in an ecosystem of many parts and when many passionate individuals come together in such an ecosystem, there are conflicts to be solved. We are in the problem-solving process now.

The Superintendent's Secret Sauce podcast will feature the staff, students and programs of the Newton Public Schools. The "secret sauce" is the kind of excellence that pushes a system to be more than a good system and culture, but to be an excellent one.

There are a few great episodes out. Highlights include:

• A podcast featuring Elena Baskakova, a senior at Newton South, whose passion for math has taken her to leading the Mathcounts team at Oak Hill, to teaching at an innovative platform called Daily Challenge Live, to Poland for the Math Kangaroo International Camp. Despite these accolades, Elena remains humble and committed to sharing her joy of mathematics with younger students.

• A podcast detailing the vitality of our theater programs in Newton Public Schools. Nathan, Robbie, Gracie, and Sarah discuss their favorite productions, the incredible theater teachers at Newton South, and the ways in which theater can build community.

Listen to all episodes here:

Superintendent’s Secret Sauce Podcast on Spotify

This podcast will be short, clear overviews of important programs, staff profiles, student updates, community connections and key snippets for Newton community members to get to know our learning organization. In these episodes of students, they all make clear the deep and important impact that our teaching staff have on them as they find their passions and their place for belonging in the Newton Schools.

Have ideas for features? Email me at nolina@newton.k12.ma.us

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September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. All month, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness and to discuss this highly stigmatized topic. In addition to shifting public perception, this month is used to spread hope and vital information to people affected by suicide.The goal is to ensure that individuals, friends and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and to seek help. For more information, view the following resources:

Suicide Prevention Month - National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Suicide Prevention Week

Suicide Prevention Resources

Monday, October 2nd is National Custodian Appreciation Day. Our buildings would not function without our dedicated crew of custodians working across 23 school buildings and administrative offices. If you see a custodian at work on Monday, be sure to say thank you for all the hard work!

Below is a pic of the crew at Oak Hill. Thank you!

Join students from around the world in celebrating International Walk-Ride-Roll Day on Wednesday, October 4. Newton Safe Routes to School and Massachusetts Safe Routes to School are great resources to help you and your student find safe, fun, and healthy ways to get to and from school!

Portrait of a Graduate

Newton Public Schools is in the process of developing our Portrait of a Graduate. What is a Portrait of a Graduate? It is a collective vision that articulates our community’s aspirations for ALL of our students. This is a first step in framing and articulating a clear vision for our school system.

Who will develop it?

The Portrait will be developed by the community in the form of a “Portrait Design Team.” The design team will include individuals across and throughout Newton. The team will consist of approximately 50 percent community members and 50 percent NPS educators.

While the design team will lead the process, feedback and information will be sought from the entire community in the form of surveys and community sessions. So, please do not worry if you cannot commit to being a part of the Design Team. You will have other opportunities to provide feedback and input!

What is the process?

Our timeline is about four months, which includes four Design Team Meetings. The Design Team will explore the following themes to create the competencies of the Newton Portrait of a Graduate:

1. Examine how the world has changed and the implications for students.

2. Discuss the competencies students need to thrive today and tomorrow.

3. Identify and contextualize the competencies that should be a part of a shared, local vision for our district.

4. Discuss how to make our Portrait of a Graduate a reality for every student.

Can I apply to be a member of the Design Team?

Yes, we welcome your interest and encourage you to apply. Just a note that It will be important that you can commit to the four design team meetings, currently scheduled for January 17th and 18th, February 8th, and March 4th. All meetings begin at 6:00 p.m.

To indicate your interest in participating as a member of the Portrait of a Graduate Design Team, please complete this Google Form.

Portrait of a Graduate Design Team Interest Form

Our Portrait of a Graduate will serve as the North Star for our schools, bringing our community together with a shared vision. It will be locally developed and globally positioned with a shared aspiration that all of our students have an educational experience that prepares them to be lifelong learners and contributors.

We look forward to your participation!

The roll out of the new elementary literacy curriculum has begun in our elementary schools. We have received a few questions about the curriculum and the future of literacy instruction in the district. To provide background and answer questions, we created this document:

Literacy Curriculum Background and FAQ

In the coming days, you will receive more information on early literacy screenings in the district and reports you will receive from your student’s school. These reports are in line with new statewide early literacy screening administration and reporting procedures.

Please watch your email for more information. Parent conferences in the fall will provide a starting point for discussion about these screenings with your child’s teacher, but there will be opportunities for additional conversations as the reports are sent out throughout the year.

MCAS Parent/Guardian reports will be available to all families on Friday, September 29, 2023. You will receive an email from the district with instructions on how to access the report. You will log into Aspen to view your student’s report.

A detailed analysis of districtwide MCAS results will be shared at a School Committee meeting later this fall.

Some of you may have noticed updates to our K-12 student attendance and absence procedures. Please know that these updates are NOT changes. They are clarifications to ensure alignment across levels and compliance with school committee and state guidance.

Please review the document linked below for clarification on absences that are considered excused and unexcused. We have also included an FAQ to answer common questions we have received. Find it here:

Student Attendance and Absence Procedures.

Please login now to Aspen to update your student’s contact information and permissions. This review must be done every year so that the district has accurate and up-to-date information on addresses, emergency contacts, health records, and permissions. Please update all records and permissions by Friday, September 29th. See below for directions.

Directions for Updating Student Information and Permissions

If you believe you may qualify for financial assistance, or if any of the fees present a financial hardship, please visit our financial assistance webpage. You may apply for financial assistance using our Aspen student information system portal.

More information regarding fees can also be found on the NPS fee website. For help with MSB or questions regarding fees, please contact the business office at 617-559-9025 or email feepayments@newton.k12.ma.us.

Attention Middle Schoolers! We've got an exciting lineup of activities waiting for you! Whether you're interested in Bike Maintenance, Coding, Strength and Conditioning, Silk Painting, Dungeons & Dragons, Basketball, or Robotics, we've got something for everyone after school. Join us to connect with fellow students and explore your passions. Don't miss out – visit our website now for more information and secure your spot today!

Congratulations to Newton North High School for receiving National Banner recognition from Special Olympics North America! North successfully achieved national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy and respect! The athletes, partners, students, coaches, volunteers, teachers, staff and administration at Newton North High School have all played key roles in creating a social climate where everyone feels included and respected for who they are.

North is 1 of only 22 schools in Massachusetts and among 205 schools nationwide to achieve this status for the 2022-23 school year. Well done, Newton North High School!

Congratulations to Micah Klein, Rishi Prabhu, William Yanhs, Luis Carvalho, and Isabella Dugan for their selection as a top three video in the Freshman/Sophomore category for the 2023 MassDOT Safe Streets Smart Trips High School Video Contest. Their video, “4 Feet,” will be honored at this year’s MassDOT’s Moving Together Conference on October 4th.

We are currently recruiting for open positions and would love to hear from you. Visit our JOB POSTINGS page for detailed information and application instructions.

We need School Nurses! Join the City of Newton Health and Human Services Team as a School Nurse to support the health and well-being of Newton Public School (NPS) students. The City is hiring full-time and part-time Nurses. School Nurses work during the school year, have summers off, and follow the NPS school year calendar. Substitute School Nurses (part-time) work as needed, with a minimum commitment of ten (10) hours per week.

Apply to be a School Nurse

Newton’s Health and Human Services staff are hosting four (4) community flu clinics at Newton City Hall War Memorial Auditorium (1000 Commonwealth Avenue on the second floor; follow the signs to the War Memorial Auditorium). Appointments are preferred, but we welcome walk-ins. Insurance information is requested, but not required. For more information on the flu vaccine click here. If you have any questions contact Newton Health and Human Services Department at 617-796-1420. Interpreter services available.

Community Flu Clinic

This clinic is open to anyone over 6 months. Regular and high-dose (65+) vaccines will be available.

• Tuesday, Oct. 17, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

• Monday, Oct. 23. 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Register here.

Senior Flu Clinic

This clinic is intended for seniors but is open to anyone over 18. Regular and high-dose (65+) vaccines will be available.

• Friday, Oct. 6, 10:00 a.m. to noon.

• Friday, Oct. 13, 10:00 a.m. to noon

Register here.