Brown MS Weekly Update

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Dear Brown MS Community,

It was terrific to welcome everyone back to school after the winter break. We are already a month into the second term of the year, and it is the time of year where we increase the responsibility on students to challenge themselves and push their own growth academically. Productive struggle is something that is necessary for learning, and it is our job to provide students with assignments that challenge them to reach the next level. Each year, teachers set goals for their students that involve self-awareness and reflection so they begin to understand themselves as learners. Middle school really is about learning how to learn, and the best way to help students do this is to encourage them to embrace the struggle, and let them know that learning from mistakes is okay. Students are most successful when they develop skills like self advocacy and self-reflection. We encourage parents to continue to discuss with your child how school is going. Use information gathered at parent teacher conferences, Schoology feedback and report cards as conversation starters. Make it a regular practice to look at Schoology together with your children so that they take ownership of what is working and where they need to grow.

When my students were in middle and high school, it was difficult at times to get them to talk about school. The questions you ask (and the venue you ask them in) are important to get more than just a one word answer when asking about school. I found that the car was an excellent venue for getting my kids to talk. They are a captive audience and it sometimes is safer for them to talk when you aren't looking right in their eyes. Here are some open ended questions to try out:

• What made you laugh/smile today?
• What was the best part of your day and why?
• What questions did you ask today?
• What was the hardest thing you did today?
• What did you read about today?
• Did you help anyone out today and how? or Who was helpful to you today and how?
• What did you do today to be kind to someone else today?

Now that my kids are in college, the conversations flow a bit better, but I still use questions like these to try to understand how things are going for them. What has been exciting is now, they ask me the same questions. So, for those of you who are only getting one word replies, it does get better! Just hang in there and keep trying!

Enjoy the weekend,

Kim Lysaght, Principal

Monday, January 16, 9:30AM - NNHS - Annual MLK Community Celebration

Tuesday, January 17, 7:00PM - Brown MS Choruses and Orchestra Concert

Thursday, January 19, 7:00PM - Brown MS Bands Concert

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

February 14 & 15 (evening)- Brown MS Musical - Honk, Jr.

February 18-26 - School Vacation Week

Yesterday our basketball teams had their first games of the season I am pleased to report that Brown was the big winner in both games! The kids (and the crowd) were terrific - with lots of cheering and positive school spirit. We look forward to a terrific season. A big thank you to our coaches, Katrina Antonellis, Brian Adams, Andrew DaCosta and Gloria Rinkus!

Our fabulous cast and production team for Honk, Jr. are hard at work preparing for their upcoming perfomances on February 14 and 15. Students are involved as performers, crew, lighting & sound, pit, set construction and painting. The musical is a highlight of the year - please come and see it! A big thank you to faculty members Lucy Kania, Elana Cutler, Dianne Pollard, Becky Cohen, Jeremy Goldberg and Peter Tordo for all their work to prepare for this event.

This school year we will again be conducting the Signs of Suicide (SOS) Curriculum and the Brief Screening for Adolescent Depression (BSAD) with students in grades 7, 9, and 11 throughout the district. This program has proven successful at helping students concerned for the emotional well-being of themselves or a friend. It is the only school-based suicide prevention curriculum listed by SAMHSA in its National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices that addresses suicide risk and depression. The curriculum includes viewing a video, followed by a discussion period, and completing a screening form.

7th grade parents, please click here to learn more about the program including opting your child out, if you so choose.

Dates for the administration of the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) have been set as follows:

English Language Arts:

March 28 & 29 - 7th grade

April 10 & 11 - 6th grade

April 12 & 13 - 8th grade

Math:

May 15 & 16 - 8th grade

May 17 & 18 - 7th grade

May 22, &23 - 6th grade

Science & Technology/Engineering:

May 24 - 8th grade only

As we approach winter weather, we want to share information related to school closings. As a reminder, the decision to close or delay school is made by the superintendent, in consultation with the Police Department and the Department of Public Works. Safety is our number one priority as we consider the weather forecast, as well as street, sidewalk, and school parking lot conditions. We are very sensitive to the childcare challenges that you face when schools are closed and only do so if our analysis indicates we should.

You will be notified of school closing via email, text, phone, website, television news, and social media. Please make sure your contact information is updated in Aspen so that we are able to reach you in a timely manner (Aspen Login Link) If you do not remember your Aspen login information, please email: aspen@newton.k12.ma.us

Please visit this webpage for additional details:

School Closings Due to Weather Webpage

The City of Newton continues hosted a number of meetings, presentations, and discussions on the proposed override. All past presentations and meeting recordings can be found on this page:

Newton Override Meeting Presentations and Recordings

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.

7:30pm, Jan 19, 20 and 21 (in person and via livestream)
http://www.theatreink.net/shows/2021/Lostandfound22/index.html.

Time and time again, the stories of people of color are swept under the rug and lost. It is about time we found them.

Lost and Found is a cabaret-style show featuring stories of people of color and is a compilation of original and published poems, songs, monologues, and scenes. The goal of the process and show is to provide a space for students to express themselves and tell their stories through the performing arts.

Buy tickets here: http://www.theatreink.net/tickets.html

Want to go with a group? Brown FORJ is organizing a group to attend together on the 19th. Please email brownforj@gmail.com to join us!

Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ) is a group of diverse Newton families helping our children learn about issues of power and inequality and how to stand up for racial justice. If you have questions, comments, or to join the mailing list please contact us at brownforj@gmail.com.

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.

Newton S.P.A.C.E. is a four-week summer enrichment program run by the Newton Public Schools from July 5th through July 28th. Students entering kindergarten through 9th grade in the Fall of 2023 are eligible to attend. We offer two programs - an upper camp (entering grade 5-entering grade 9) and a lower camp (entering kindergarten-entering grade 4).

LOWER CAMP - Campers are assigned into age appropriate classes led by certified elementary school teachers, through project based learning, challenges and activities which focus on our camp theme. Our theme for lower camp last summer was, “Our Planet”. Campers explored the wild places of our planet and learned about ways we can protect nature. Lower Camp has a co-taught model with two certified teachers and one counselor. Special attention is given to individual students by maintaining a low student to teacher ratio. Lower Campers will also attend various specials throughout the week led by certified staff. In past years, specials have included physical education, art, yoga, ceramics, boxygen, and music..

UPPER CAMP - Campers will create their own schedules by choosing from a vast amount of electives to design their own camp program. SPACE Upper Camp has over 50 electives for students to choose from including art studios, performing arts, athletics, STEM activities, and language arts.

Check out the S.P.A.C.E.website for more information or REGISTER NOW!

Questions? SPACE@newton.k12.ma.us

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