To translate this newsletter, click on the word translate at the top if the screen and select your language.

Dear Brown MS Community,

This Sunday evening begins the eight day celebration of Hanukkah, the festival of lights. I wish all that are celebrating, "Hanukkah Sameach!" The pervasiveness of antisemitic events this past year is horrifying. These acts impact our community whether the events are local, across the country or online. We stand in solidarity with all of our Jewish community members. It is my hope that each of you celebrating Hanukkah are able to find some light in the darkness.

One ray of light at Brown this week happened yesterday. The truck from the Brookview House came to Brown, and students loaded it up with wrapped gifts for the residents at the shelter. It is a truly heart warming event with the students bringing the gifts down to the front lobby and loading them in the truck. We have done this community service event each year for over twenty years, and it never gets old! The students simply love it. "Research shows that giving can boost your physical and mental health in numerous ways." Evidence of the benefits can be seen below in the video and photos from yesterday's event. To read more about the benefits of giving, you can read this short article from the Cleveland Clinic. A special thank you goes out to all of our team teachers for organizing the students, and especially Mary Radonich and Chaffe Toulmin for running the whole event again this year!

The Lysaght household will be full again tomorrow because both of my children will be home from college. They are certainly ready for a break from their studies! I am excited to have them back for an extended time. Hopefully they can fit us in between reconnecting with friends and sleeping in.

Best,

Kim Lysaght, Principal

Today teachers handed out report cards to all students. Look for a goldenrod colored paper in their back packs or binders. You can also access them by logging into Aspen. Parents can log in using your Aspen ID (typically last name first name with no spaces between). Students can log in using their username and password. The report card PDF appears in the Published Reports list.

Teachers spend a lot of time deliberating over the comments they put onto students' report cards. While the letter grade gives you some information about a student's mastery of the material, teacher comments are essential to gain a clearer picture of what is working and what needs attention. Please be sure to discuss the report card grades and comments with your child and return the signed, bottom portion to their homebase teacher next week.

Friday, December 23: Last day of school before winter break (full day).

December 24 - January 2: No school for winter break

Tuesday, January 3: School resumes

Friday, January 27, 8:45AM - Superintendent and School Committee meeting - Brown Library

We realize that some of our students will be leaving prior to the last day before break due to travel plans. Please understand that teachers are not required to supply plans ahead of time for students leaving early for vacation. We recommend students go onto schoology to see what they missed and get the work they missed upon their return.

Alumni Holiday Jazz Concert

Thursday, December 22 at 7 PM

Newton South Seasholes Auditorium

Recent grads join the award-winning South jazz groups onstage for a festive evening of swingin' holiday hits.

Community members and Brown Middle School families are invited to attend!

Tickets available at the door, $10+ suggested donation. Proceeds allow our music groups to participate in spring music contests and festivals, as well as supplement our small budget for sheet music and instrument purchases and maintenance. Thank you for your support. (Graphic by Amanda Chung, NSHS '23)

Family-Teacher conferences began this past week. If you have not yet had a chance to sign up, please follow the directions below.

1.) Team Teacher Conferences: Because there are a limited number of conference slots, please only choose one of the team teacher conference options below. Please understand that taking two team conference slots prevents another parent from getting a team conference.

Team Teacher Option 1: Math and Social Studies Teachers

OR

Team Teacher Option 2: ELA and Science Teachers

2.) Multi-Team Conferences: Choose to meet with any of the teachers listed below:

• Fine and Applied Arts Teachers (music, engineering, drama, or art)
• Health and Wellness Teacher
• Physical Education Teachers
• World Language Teachers (French, Spanish or Chinese)
• ELL Teachers

Directions:

1. Go to Family-Teacher Conference Information 2022-2023.

2. The document is organized by grade level and subjects.

3. Locate your child’s teacher on the document.

4. Once you have located your child’s teacher click on the Sign Up Genius link. Follow the onscreen instructions to sign up for conferences. Please use your name AND your child’s name when you sign up for conferences. All conferences will be on google meet.

If you need an interpreter for the conference please contact Katherine Lobo or Mary Radonich (ELL teachers) at lobok@newton.k12.ma.us or radonichm@newton.k12.ma.us or call the office 617-559-6900.

• Por favor ligue para o professor de ELL na escola de seu filho se precisar de um tradutor para esta conferência.

• LLE- אם ברצונכם לתרגם תופס זה, בבקשה התקשרו למשרד תוכנית ה

• Пожалуйста, свяжитесь с офисом программы ELL по телефону если вам нужен

• перевод этого документа.

• 假如你需要這份文件的翻譯本，請打電話給ELL計劃辦公室

• このお知らせの翻訳が必要な場合はELLプログラム事務局

• までお電話ください。

• 이 서류에 대한 번역이 필요하시면 ELL 프로그램 사무실 로 전화주시기 바랍니다.

• Si usted desea que esta conferencia sea traducida, por favor llame la profesora de su hijo.

Our 8th graders had a fabulous time last Friday night at their school dance. Thank you to all of the chaperones and a special thanks to Jen Anderson for being the advisor for the dance planning committee. Here are a few pictures you may enjoy.

Ursa Major is Brown Middle School's literary magazine run by eighth graders. It has been a student run staple in the Brown community for many years. It is dedicated to showing the writing and artistic creativity of our students in the Brown community. Students are encouraged to submit works of writing, memes, art work, music, podcasts and more! Please click on this link to see what it is all about.

A special thanks to Becky Cohen, 8th grade ELA teacher and Felicia Quesada Montville, Librarian, for advising them!

There have been some changes to our after school clubs and activities as the seasons change. Please click the link below to view the most up to date schedule. There may be a new activity that your child would enjoy! (There are late buses (4:15PM) available for any children that have a bus pass.)

• Click here to view the schedule of after school activities.

The middle school activity fee covers all school-sponsored, extracurricular activities within the middle schools, known as Triple E, not including athletics. The annual one-time fee allows students to participate in an unlimited number of Triple E activities.

$60 per student per year not including drama

$100 per student per year if student participates in drama

Payment Options

• Pay online at www.MySchoolBucks.com.
  
  Click Here for Directions.
  
  

• Mail the application and check to: Business & Finance, Newton Public Schools, 100 Walnut Street, Newtonville, MA 02460
  
  

• If you wish to apply for a financial waiver, please complete an application located in Aspen. For more information on financial assistance, visit https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/1072

If payment or financial waiver is not received at time of registration, an invoice will be issued to your student’s MySchoolBucks account.

Contact feepayments@newton.k12.ma.us or 617-559-9025 for assistance

Our interim Superintendent, Kathy Smith, and a school committee member will be coming to Brown on January 27 at 8:45AM. The purpose of the meeting is to share information and answer questions you may have about NPS. Please join us in the library for a chance to hear from them directly.

If your student is considering applying to private schools we are happy to support their applications. Please click here to read about the process for applying to private school. Following these guidelines allows us to meet your application deadlines.

As you shop for the holidays, please consider using amazonsmile. This program donates a portion of the proceeds to Brown PTO. Just designate Charles E. Brown Middle School PTO as your charitable recipient. The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of your purchase price for eligible purchases towards our PTO. Click the picture below for a direct link to the site.

For more information about how this works, click this link to the PTO website.

NPS has recently updated their non-discrimination protocol and reporting process. Here is a link to a document that gives an overview of the process and how to report incidents. If you experience an incident that you feel needs to be reported, you can contact the school directly or you can fill out this Online reporting form.

• What is discrimination?

  Discrimination includes, but is not limited to, excluding from participation, denying the benefits of, or otherwise discriminating against individuals on the basis of a Protected Class, or any other category protected by state or federal law.

  
  

• What is harassment?

  Harassment includes, but is not limited to, unwelcome, inappropriate, or illegal physical, verbal, written, graphic, or electronic conduct that relates to an individual’s actual or perceived Protected Class, that has the purpose or effect of creating a hostile education or work environment. Examples of harassment include, but are not limited to, conduct that denigrates, demeans, or stereotypes a person and/or group based upon disability, gender identity, national origin, ethnic background, ancestry, race, color, religion, or sexual orientation. Sexual harassment is also included in this category.

  
  

• What is retaliation?

  Retaliation includes, but is not limited to, coercion, intimidation, interference, punishment, discrimination, or harassment against any member of the school community in response to that member’s oral, written, formal or informal reporting or filing a complaint, cooperating in an investigation, aiding or encouraging another member to report or file a complaint.

If you have not already done so, please be sure to update your student information on Aspen. It is important that we have correct contact information for school to home communication. Click here for Student Information Update instructions.

School Hours:

8:20AM - 2:50PM - Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri.

8:20 AM - 2:05PM - Wed.

Click here for the NPS 2022-2023 school calendar.

Click here for the Brown Middle School 6-day rotation calendar for 2022-2023 with early release days and days of the cycle.

To report a student absence call: 617-559-6980

Brown Middle School

125 Meadowbrook Road

Newton, MA 02459

Absences: 617-559-6980

Main office: 617-559-6900