12/18/23 - 12/22/23 Weekly Update

Newton South Students and Families:

We're in the last week of school for 2023! As this year comes to a close, we hope that you get a chance to recharge, relax, and spend time with your family and loved ones. As a reminder, progress reports were posted to the homepage of Aspen and also in the Documents folder as "NSHS Term 2 Midterm Comments 2023-2024". Once we get back from break, we will have a couple of weeks until the end of Term 2 on Friday, January 12.

We have a few highlights for this week:

This only applies to grade 10 students.

Before Thanksgiving, Julie McDonough sent a letter to all grade 10 families informing them of the School Connectedness Survey that we will administer. Here is a copy of the letter that was sent to families.

This survey helps us ensure that each school in our district is a welcoming, supportive, and safe space for all our students. The survey is confidential and the data will not be disclosed outside of NPS, with the exception of Newton city officials focused on youth and education, who may receive district-wide summarized results.

Newton South will administer this survey on Monday, December 18 during the Advisory period. As stated in the letter, the survey will take about 15 minutes to complete, and your student may voluntarily opt out or may choose to skip any questions they feel uncomfortable answering.

Did you know that you can scan a barcode on your phone during lunch to save time in the line? You can do so using the Stocard app and following these instructions:

Monday 12/18 - Groutfit vs Rainbow
Tuesday 12/19 - Country vs Country Club
Wednesday 12/20 - Students vs Teachers (dress like the other!)
Thursday 12/21 - Ugly Sweater vs Dressy Sweater
Friday 12/22 - Blue vs Orange

Please note that Weekly Updates are only released the Sunday prior to a week that we have school. As such, there will not be a Weekly Update published on Sunday 12/24, but there will be one on Sunday 12/31 (as we have school on Tuesday 1/2/2024).

Five more wakeups to go! We hope you enjoy your week and have a great holiday and New Year!

Sincerely,

Jason Williams (he/him)
Vice Principal

Newton South High School

As we did during the Thanksgiving season, we want to pass along some resources from the City of Newton Social Services Department Community Resources page in case families find themselves in need and would benefit from directions on where to find help:

Tuesday, December 19: LGBTQ+ Awareness Day

Thursday, December 21, 7pm: Alumni Holiday Jazz Concert

Newton South Seniors: As a reminder, the parking lottery was opened for seniors on Tuesday, December 12. Please look out for an email from that date from Mr. Williams with regards to parking, and let the main office know if you have any questions.

The Term 2 Wellness newsletter can be found here.

On December 19, 2023, the GSA will be hosting a LGBTQ+ Awareness Day. They will have events in the Lecture Hall during A, B, and F blocks and a session in Gym B during G block.

See below for a list of activities taking place:

On the 19th, during Lion Block in the student center, the sophomore class officers will be providing free hot chocolate and $5 freshly made waffles with a varied topping bar.

*This is catered towards the sophomore class, but others are welcome to support us in our fundraising efforts for the sophomore dance.

The Fashion Club wants to give back to our community by collecting clothing through December 18-January 12th to the Planet Aid Donation Box. We ask students for clothes that are in good condition and please no undergarments or shoes.

Please note that only students can access these boxes.

We are collecting new toy donations to support the Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Jimmy Fund Clinic also accepts gift cards up to $25. These donations will be given to children and teen patients during the holiday season and also to celebrate birthdays and milestones such as final treatments. Suggested donations include craft kits, Play-Doh kits, Legos, toddler toys, board games, Matchbox cars, pop-its, Melissa & Doug toys/crafts, Fisher Price & Little People. Please bring all new, unwrapped toys to the donation box in the lobby. Donations will be accepted until December 22nd. Thank you!

The most recently released district newsletter was on Wednesday, December 6. You can access it here.

The term 2 Counseling newsletter was sent to families on Friday 12/8 and can be found here.

All seniors in the Class of 2024 are encouraged to apply for the

Newton South Local Scholarships

Opened Friday December 1, 2023

Local scholarships are awarded through Newton South High School and through the generosity of individual and business donors, community organizations and memorial funds.

To apply, 1) complete the online application 2) Get a recommendation from someone outside Newton South. The links for these steps are below.

The application deadline is Friday February 2, 2024.

Based on the criteria of each scholarship, recipients will be selected and notified. While some scholarship awards are announced in March/April. Most will be received in early June.

Links:

Local Scholarship Application

Local Scholarship Recommendation Form (share this link with your recommender)

Questions?

Please contact Ms Sabet, NSHS Scholarship Coordinator

As the weather turns cold, The Newton Food Pantry Teen Ambassador Program is collecting winter gear to distribute to Newton Food Pantry clients! Donate mittens for snowy days, thick socks to protect kids’ toes from the cold, or any of the other listed items. Spread some love this winter and drop off new or gently used winter hats, scarves, mittens, gloves, snow pants, jackets, and socks (new only) in sizes from kids to adults from Jan. 8 to Jan. 19, 2024. Thank you!

Use this form to report an absence:

• Cutler

• Goldrick

• Goodwin

• Wheeler

Attendance Standard for the 2023-2024 School Year

Attendance Standard FAQs

District Procedures Regarding Attendance

We will excuse up to two college visits per term in term 3 and 4 for juniors, and anytime during the year for seniors.

Our academic honesty protocol can be found here. This protocol is taken directly from the district's Rights & Responsibilities Handbook.

Bus Schedules

Boston Bus Schedules

Cell phones should not be seen or heard in class, and should be in a student's pocket, backpack, or door holder in the classroom. Consequences include a verbal warning, the teacher temporarily taking the phone, etc. If you need to contact your student during school, you should go through the house office, as students will not be able to check their messages during class.

We aware aware and mindful that students may need a cell phone for vital functions such as glucose monitoring. If you have any concerns, please reach out to your house office and work with them to find a solution that works best for both parties.

Please see the following letter from the Newton South Faculty Council regarding cell phone use.

• Year at a Glance: Overview of the 2023-2024 school year
• Term 2 Calendar: This calendar has more specific dates and times. One will be released each term.
• Lunch Schedule for Semester 1. Classes are assigned lunches based on what wing of the building they are in.
• Public Calendar of Events: We keep an updated calendar of events on the school website - this is a combination of events from the NPS calendar and our individual school's calendar.

Sign up for Newton Community Education college prep and enrichment classes this fall! From arts to academics, NCE programs empower your child to learn, grow, and connect. NCE classes can also inspire their passions and boost confidence. Preview our wide range of classes in the Teens At-a-Glance. Secure your teen's spot now at www.newtoncommunityed.org!

The SAT coordinator is Namal Sadiq. She can be reached at sadiqn@newton.k12.ma.us.

The AP coordinator is Brandon Johnson. He can be reached at johnsonbra@newton.k12.ma.us.

Did you know that South has a school store?

The South store is centrally located right next to the Student Center and is open several blocks throughout the week.

Come check out our different selections of Seltzer, Snacks, and South gear - or just come by to say hi!

We accept cash, debit/credit cards, and Apple Pay.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Students use MyFlexLearning to sign up for WIN blocks.

All students are assigned to a space.

• If you do not sign up for a WIN by the day before that WIN occurs, you will be pushed to a teacher's WIN based on available space. You will be pushed to a Wednesday WIN on Tuesday afternoon, a Thursday WIN on Wednesday afternoon, etc. If you continuously do not sign up for WIN block, we will follow up with you and determine a strategy to make sure you are making the most of this important time on learning period.
• If your teacher is absent the day of your WIN, you will be unscheduled from that WIN and pushed to another space.
• You have up until an hour before a WIN block starts to reschedule; after this, your WIN assignment is locked.

The library is not freely open during WIN block. To be in the library during this block, you must be signed up with a teacher who is assigned to this space. We will ask teachers to not send you to the library, as the library will send you back to the class from which you came.

List of Clubs & Activities at Newton South

Athletic Calendar