Student report cards for the third term will be available on Aspen by late Friday afternoon. Log into you Aspen account at this link to access grades and comments from teachers.
Welcome, everyone, to Brown Middle School’s Graduation Ceremony! Let’s hear it for our soon to be high schoolers!
Let me begin with some much needed "thank yous". I owe so much to our PTO presidents Denise Dandrea, Janelle Phillips and Yvonne Chen and our treasurer, John Gaines. They have worked tirelessly this year and brought us events such as Kindness Week, faculty appreciation luncheons and our annual book fair. Our school is lucky to have such dedicated individuals willing to step up and help. I also would like to thank Vida Kianzad and the fantastic 8th grade celebrations committee for putting on not one, but two amazing end of the year trips for our 8th graders! 8th graders, let’s give them a hand.
To Brown’s faculty : You have again demonstrated your immense care and determination to teach your students by balancing challenge with support. You held them to high standards and worked hard to remind them to always be their best selves. Your tireless efforts mean so much to this community. 8th graders, please give your teachers a round of applause.
To our custodians and administrative assistants: You are the heroes of this school. We all rely on you each and every day and you step up and lean in every time we ask for something. We could not do it without you!
To my administrative team: Ruthe L’Esperance, Julian Turner, and Shari Engelbourg. You continue to keep students at the center of each decision you make. You challenge me and help me to reflect each day on what is best for our students. You help me to see the bigger picture, you give me laughter and are a constant reminder of why I love the work we do each day at Brown.
To parents and caregivers, I say, “Thank you and congratulations- you made it!!” These past three years have tested you in ways like no other. You have been teachers, IT specialists, health care providers, cheerleaders, taxi drivers, and social-emotional wellness coaches. I hope you are able to find time to replenish and refuel over the summer as you get ready for this next phase in your child’s education. 8th graders, please give your parents and caregivers a big round of applause.
And, of course, I want to thank you, 8th graders. Indulge me as I take a few minutes to share some reflections about your unusual middle school experience.
No other class started middle school the way you all did. When September of 2020 came along, we were in the midst of the pandemic. The decision was made that classes would be on zoom from September through November. Your excellent 6th grade teachers were worried about how they would build relationships with you virtually and create a true community of learners with your new teammates. They arranged an outdoor time to meet you prior to school starting. I remember seeing you all standing outside in circles, fully masked and socially distanced to meet your new classmates and teachers - certainly an unusual beginning to middle school.
For you, the beginning of middle school was not a traditional one. Instead of learning how to set up your binders, navigate walking the hallways and understanding your schedule, you were learning how to use google calendar for your zoom classes and communicating via your new NPS gmail with your teachers. Words like “hyflex”, “cohort” and “asynchronous” were part of everyone’s vocabulary and no one - adults and students alike - felt like much of an expert at anything.
As your 6th grade year continued we moved first into a hybrid learning model where half of your class came into school at a time. Then in the spring of 6th grade we finally had full days of in person classes while some students and teachers remained fully remote. The restrictive nature of the pandemic kept students in their homebase classrooms while teachers rotated and you were with the same group of students for all of your core classes - so unlike the traditional 6th grade experience
When 7th grade arrived, you were finally all able to be back together in person. You could work in groups, move from class to class, have concerts and productions, and compete in sports. However, we still needed to wear masks at first and spread ourselves out for lunch. Do you remember eating in the auditorium or being told to sit at seats with a blue x in the cafeteria? It feels like a lifetime ago.
This year, your 8th grade year, was the most “normal” middle school year of your 3 years here at Brown. All of us are so thankful to be able to see your whole faces, to watch them light up as you learned something new. This year you engaged in action civics projects, learned how and why to solve systems of equations, wrote memoirs, modeled a tectonic plate boundary using recyclable materials , learned how to build bottle rockets and discussed difficult topics such as racism and other “ims” that divide us.
Clearly the events of the past 3 years have impacted you. You are adaptable and tech savvy. You are boisterous and crave social engagement. You are young and also ahead of your years. There have been struggles and times where you may have lost your way. This is part of growing up, and it is my sincere hope that you learn from those difficult moments and allow others to learn from their mistakes as well.
Yet, what was most remarkable to me is something I noticed in these past few weeks as you engaged in your end of the year activities. Your teachers have shared with me their observations of how much you appreciated being together as a class. Perhaps it is a new level of maturity you have reached, or the fear of leaving a safe place to move on to something new and unknown. I believe the results of the past 3 years have brought you to appreciate togetherness so much more because you know what it is like when you don’t have it.
While there is still much to learn for each of you, I am hopeful that you have found a solid foundation to build upon here at Brown. Middle school is kind of like a mistake factory. It is a place where we all mess up at times, but what is most important is what we learn from those mistakes. We live in a world that often judges others harshly, quickly and publicly. It is my honest hope that each of you finds the grace to see the humanity in every person you encounter. To reserve judgment and to approach others with an inquiring mind. I want to leave you with this quote from a favorite show of mine, Ted Lasso:
“I hope that either all of us, or none of us, are judged by the actions of our weakest moments, but rather the strength we show when and if we’re ever given a second chance.”
The reprieve from the restrictions of the pandemic has provided all of us with a second chance. We may not do everything perfectly, and that is okay. In fact, it is essential that we not focus on perfection, but rather on the progress we have made over these 3 years. Learning is messy and that is true throughout life. You may find that it takes a bit longer to achieve all that you desire, and that is perfectly fine.
On behalf of all of the faculty and staff at Brown MS, we thank YOU, 8th graders, for sticking with us over these three years! It has certainly been a wild ride. Each of you brought something special to our collective experience, and we have learned much from knowing each of you. I am hopeful that you will use all that you have learned these past three years to continue to grow in your care for yourself and each other. You will be missed!. Wishing you a wonderful summer full of fun, sun, family and friends.
As many of you know, the Newton Public Schools faced significant budget challenges this year. In order to arrive at a balanced budget, fees were raised for many services and activities. Below is a link to all of the fees that will be in place for the 2023-24 school year.
Fees for the 2023-24 School Year
Fee Waivers and FinancialAssistance
The Newton Public Schools provides financial assistance so that all students can utilize bus transportation and participate in school activities, regardless of financial need. To facilitate this financial support, families need to apply for district-wide financial assistance EACH YEAR.
The application for the 2023-2024 district-wide financial assistance waiver is now available in Aspen. We encourage you to apply now so that your waiver is in place for registrations that may take place in the summer (bus, fall athletic fees, etc.) Visit the fee waiver information and instructions webpage to apply via the Aspen portal.
Bus registration will open on June 1, 2023 at 9:00 a.m.
- Students who do NOT ride the bus do NOT pay the bus fee.
- Students who do not wish to ride the bus do not need to register for the bus.
All students who wish to ride the bus MUST register for a bus pass. There are significant changes to the fee structure for purchasing a bus pass this year. Please note the following:
The bus fee has increased to $400 per student, with a family cap of two passes ($800.)
All elementary students who wish to ride the bus and reside LESS than 2 miles from their elementary school must now pay a bus fee.
Elementary students who wish to ride the bus and reside MORE than 2 miles from their elementary school DO NOT pay a bus fee.
As has been the case in previous years, all students in grades 7-12 who wish to ride the bus pay the bus fee.
6th grade students: All students in grade 6 who reside MORE than 2 miles from their school and wish to ride the bus do NOT pay a bus fee. 6th grade students who wish to ride the bus and reside less than two miles do pay a fee. Please visit our NPS Bus Fee webpage for details.
Please use this link to determine your distance from your school.
When bus registration opens on June 1, 2023, you will register and pay via MySchoolBucks. Installment payment plans will be available. More information on bus registration can be found on our NPS Bus Registration webpage.
Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. Please read below for details on how to apply.
