December 6, 2023

Dear NPS Families,

Each year, student-led clubs and organizations sponsor cultural and social awareness days at both high schools. These days are designed to raise awareness and provide information about specific issues, cultures, and global topics of interest to high school students.

Most importantly, these days are created for students by students. They give students voice and agency to lead on an issue or topic that is of importance to them. It also provides the entire school community with an opportunity for learning, engagement, and connection. Also in the mix is the desire for all types of students to see themselves in the student group representations of the school.

At both high schools, the days are set up so that teachers/staff sign their classes up for sessions that occur during a specific block in the high school schedule. We share this with you so you can review the offering of days and talk about them with your family. This advance notice allows you (families and caregivers) to determine how to frame the conversation your family would like to have about the topic areas and decide how your child might participate. Please know that as a learning community committed to helping our children live and lead in an increasingly diverse, complex and changing society, we expect students to take on new learning options, even if they seem different or hard for them to understand at first. In the sessions I have observed at South, staff model asking questions, exchanging diverse perspectives, and disagreeing and agreeing in discussions. These are key skills for students’ futures in work and study.

Students have significant First Amendment Rights in schools and may exercise their rights freely, subject to time/place/manner restrictions (e.g. student clubs, places designated by schools for clubs and student displays.) The First Amendment applies to public schools and schools cannot censor student speech that does not disrupt the educational process. Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969). These rights can only be limited in certain special circumstances (e.g. incites violence).

Student organizations, affinity groups, and clubs have the ownership of these days and staff intervention and support is limited because of the clear delineation that this is student-based expression/activity. District policy guides the vetting of speakers for classroom instruction, but cultural days are a balance of staff review and the student group's right to free speech and expression.

We take pride in student leadership and in our role of supporting them as they explore their identities and educate the student body. Dialogue and collaboration of this type is necessary to build community and understanding within a diverse learning organization such as Newton Public Schools. Exposure to learning of this type, and the companion conversations with families and caregivers, are training for the future of leadership and work in our increasingly complex world.

Below are the proposed days for schools thus far this year. You can expect each high school principal to share specific details about each of the days as they come up in the school year. Dates and events are subject to change so please see your school’s weekly e-blasts for updates and details.

SOUTH

• October 10, Hispanic Heritage Day

• December 6, Disability Awareness Day

• December 19, LGBTQ+ Awareness Day

• March 8, Black Culture Day

• March 22, Asian Culture Night

• April 8, Jewish Cultural Expression Day

• April 10, AAPI Day

• April 26, AWARE Day (mental health awareness)

NORTH

• December 8 - Civics Day. C&F Block Options.

• February 1, Asian American Culture Day: Thursday,

• February 16, BLAC Day, Black Leadership Advisory Council

• March (TBD) Women's History Month Student Panel

• April 12, ToBeGLAD (LGBTQ+ cultural day)

• January 26, HLU Day (Hispanic and Latinx Culture Day)

• Jewish Culture Day (TBD)

• “MENA Day” Middle East & North Africa Culture Day: TBD

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ELPAC (English Learner Parent Advisory Council) meets in person this week. ELPAC is for ELL and former ELL families districtwide. ELPAC collaborates with schools and the district to improve ELL programming and support bilingualism. All are welcome to join this community meeting!

Date: Thursday, December 7, 2023

Time: 6:30-8:00PM

Location: 100 Walnut Street, Newton (the Education Center for Newton Public Schools) Room 111

ELPAC Meeting Agenda will include:

• NPS Gift policy

• Project Literacy (presenter: Janet Saied, Director)

• Holiday Events

• ELL Adults

Please note: no childcare is provided; however, children ages 5+ are welcome to join. ELPAC will include a children’s table of activities.

Interpretation will be provided in some languages. Please contact Lauren Harrison, Assistant Director of ELL Programs at harrisonl@newton.k12.ma.us or 617-559-6141 for more information.

More information can be found at the NPS ELPAC website including future meeting dates. For general ELPAC questions, please email the co-chairs, Angie Kim and Li Yin, at npselpac@gmail.com.

The documentary film "Reaching Across Borders," will premiere on December 14, 2023. This 9-min documentary highlights the lasting impact of the in-person exchange between Newton Public Schools and Beijing Jingshan School. The premiere serves as a celebration of the re-launch of the program following COVID.

When: Thursday, December 14, 2023

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Where: The Wilson Chapel, 234 Herrick Rd., Newton

The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Hanukkah starts on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar. Because this calendar follows the lunar (or moon) cycle, the holiday begins on a different date each year. Usually, Hanukkah starts in late November to mid-December.

In 2023, Hanukkah starts the evening of December 7 and ends on December 15. At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah lighting. The menorah holds nine flames, one of which is the shamash (“attendant”), which is used to kindle the other eight lights. Often called the Festival of Lights, the holiday is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, traditional foods, games and gifts.

Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate!

Inclusive Schools Week is an annual event celebrated during the first week of December. It aims to recognize and appreciate the efforts of teachers, administrators, students, and parents in creating inclusive environments within schools. By fostering inclusivity, these individuals contribute significantly to the development of a more inclusive society.

During this week, educators, students, and parents have the opportunity to engage in discussions about inclusive education and plan for the future. It serves as a platform for schools and communities to embark on or continue their journey towards providing a high-quality education for all children, regardless of their abilities, gender, ethnicity, language, or health status.

Since its inception in 2001, Inclusive Schools Week has gained participation from thousands of students, families, and educators across the United States and globally. The event is proudly sponsored by the Inclusive Schools Network and Stetson & Associates, Inc.

This year, Inclusive Schools Week is December 4-8th and the theme is “Draw Me In!”. Read on for more information and details!

Congratulations to Brendan Amedio, School Counselor, Assistant Department Head for Counseling at Newton North, for receiving the Outstanding Educator Award from the University of Chicago!

For more than three decades, the University of Chicago has asked incoming students of the College to nominate teachers “whose guidance has helped them along the path toward intellectual growth.” These nominations are used to recognize Outstanding Educators across the country. Brendan was nominated by Newton North Class of 2023 graduate Max Zuckernik.

These teachers exemplify the values the Outstanding Educator award promotes: “thoughtfully approaching instruction, sharing an infectious love for learning, and caring for students both inside and outside of the classroom.”

They were recognized at a virtual ceremony for their enduring contributions to their students. Congrats, Brendan!

Early literacy screening assessment letters were released to families in Aspen on Tuesday. This universal screening assessment in kindergarten through grade 3 provides information about skills related to successful reading and helps teachers understand a student's risk of facing reading challenges, including the risk of dyslexia. They are required by Massachusetts regulation 603 CMR 28.03(1)(f).

If you have a student in grades 1-3, you may access the results of their assessment through Aspen. The directions for document download are linked here. Kindergarten literacy screening assessment letters will be released in January 2024.

ST Math is a program used in all elementary schools, K-5 as part of Tier 1 instruction, integrated with Investigations3, the core curriculum. The unique math supplement program uses a series of games starring JiJi, an animated penguin that introduces math visually.

Students must figure out how to help JiJi get past a variety of obstacles (each representing an important mathematical concept) by building bridges, filling in holes, and so on.

Check out a few pictures below to see ST Math in action in our classrooms!

Thanks to the generosity of our community, GELF has been providing equitable access to international trips for Newton Public School students since 2008. In 2024, 170 students will travel as a part of one of 9 planned trips to Argentina, France, Guadeloupe, Italy, Nigeria, Portugal (UNESCO), Prague, and Spain.

By donating today, you can make global travel a reality for a friend’s child, a neighbor or someone who you don’t know but who will be a contributing member of the future world.

GELF is a 501(c)3 organization and accepts PayPal, QR code (see above) or check. Checks should be made payable to GELF, and mailed to:

GELF

Newton North High School

457 Walnut Street

Newton, MA 02460

GELF

Newton South High School

140 Brandeis Road

Newton, MA 02459

SAVE THE DATE! 2024 GELF Gala will be held Thursday, March 28, 2024. There is much to celebrate about GELF. We can't wait to see you at this meaningful and fun event! Sponsorship opportunities are available; contact Star Lew (lewy@newton.k12.ma.us), for more information.

Did you know that your old clothing and shoes can be kept out of the landfill and be re-used, repurposed, upcycled, or sent to a fabric converter? Even worn, torn, and stained items have recovery value. It's also the law: in November 2022, Massachusetts banned textiles from our trash stream.

Newton Public Schools is in its second year of making it convenient to donate your textiles with their partnership with Helpsy, a for-profit Certified B Corp with an environmental mission. Last school year the school-based Helpsy bins collected 237,924 pounds of textiles and are on track to exceed that this year! Textile donations to the school bins also generate a small amount of revenue for NPS, which will likely be used for sustainability work within the district.

Helpsy takes all clean textiles, stuffed animals, linens, bags, shoes and other items that are on their list and will reuse higher grade items. Look for your nearest school Helpsy bin here.

Staff from Helpsy recently visited with the Underwood 5th grade green team to tour their sustainability program and to present information about textile recovery. The presentation included this National Geographic video.

Looking to get involved in sustainability work or add a Green Captain to your school? Reach out to Green Newton School Connections at schoolconnections@greennewton.org to learn more!

To assist us with planning for the coming year, we ask that families with students eligible to enroll in kindergarten in the 2024-25 school year, please complete this short online survey to let us know your plans for your child’s school registration.

Providing this information now helps us to plan for staffing and support in your child’s potential school for the upcoming school year. Even if you will not be registering your child to attend kindergarten in the Newton Public Schools or are unsure, information about your plans is incredibly helpful for our planning for the year ahead.

Below please find a timeline for kindergarten registration:

• November 7, 2023: Kindergarten Census Survey open. Please complete.

• February 29, 2024: New Kindergarten Parent/Guardian Information Night virtual webinar for all families enrolling a student for the first time in the Newton Public Schools. Links to the webinar will be posted on our kindergarten registration page in late February.

• March 1, 2024: Our online registration system will be open for kindergarten registration. Please register your kindergarten-age child by March 22, 2024, so that we can plan staffing and programming for the year ahead.

Whitsons Leadership Change

Newton Public Schools is pleased to share that our new Whitsons General Manager started on Monday, 12/20. Matt has extensive experience with Whitsons, in the food service industry, and is already bringing a fresh perspective and energy to the district. We are looking forward to seeing improvements at every level.

Improving the Middle School Experience

Michelle Curran, Whitsons Operations Manager has been working in our middle schools this year to train the staff, improve the existing processes and menus, and upgrade the student experience. Michelle has made a huge impact at Bigelow and is now working at Brown Middle School before moving on to the other two middle schools this year.

Check for Negative Balances

Please check your students MySchoolBucks account to review if they have a negative balance. If yes, please add funds to their account. Second meals and a la carte items do incur an expense, which also includes individual milks. Although only $.40 per milk, if purchased separately from a fully reimbursable meal, the National School Lunch Program does require that we charge for milk.

Learn about the National School Breakfast and National School Lunch Program Requirements

Check out the Food Services website for newly posted information about the National School Breakfast and the National School Lunch Program. Learn more about the USDA weekly nutritional requirements in the National School Lunch Program Meal Pattern. For a deep dive into how and why the program has to operate, check out the Meal Requirements Under the National School Lunch Program MetroCenter and School Breakfast Program: Questions and Answers forProgram Operators Updated to Support the Transitional Standards1320 for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Effective July 1, 2022.

Please check your MySchoolBucks (MSB) account for any outstanding invoices.

You can pay directly online on MSB (please keep in mind, you are not allowed to use your lunch account balance to pay for invoices.) Check payments are also accepted by mailing your payment with your statement to:

Newton Public Schools
Attn: Business Office
100 Walnut Street
Newtonville, MA 02460

Visit this webpage for additional information about the fee policy and instructions to request a waiver, if needed.

If you have any questions regarding Chromebook invoices, please contact the IT department at 617-559-6190. If you have questions regarding your library or textbooks invoices, please contact your school.

On Friday, December 8th, Newton North will host its Civics Day. The event, organized by the student-led club Next Gen Voices and sponsored by the NNHS Center for Civic Engagement and Service, will hold informative sessions during C+F Blocks. The sessions will include presentations and discussions on social service and climate issues in Newton, as well as an interactive session with current Newton City Councilors.

On December 19, 2023, Newton South will host its LGBTQ+ Awareness Day. Organized by the student-led GSA, the awareness day will include student panels, lectures, and discussions.

NECP is enrolling for the 2024-2025 school year! Come and join the fun! Find the application on our website under application process.

The Newton South Preschool program has openings for the 2024-2025 school year. If you are looking for a high quality preschool program or if you know someone who is, please reach out.

Here is our New Parent Packet, which contains information about our program, an application and links to our website and Facebook page.

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.

To learn more and to apply, click on the link below or scan the QR code.

Apply to be a School Nurse