Brown MS Weekly Update
Mar. 17, 2023
Dear Brown MS Community,
I am hopeful that your week went well and that you are seeing the signs of spring around us. The crocuses pictured here are right out in front of the flag pole at Brown - a welcome sight! Spring brings with it many holidays to celebrate. This week we welcome St. Patrick's Day, Ramadan, Nowruz and the vernal equinox.
Today is St. Patrick's Day - wishing all those celebrating a happy day! My mother's family comes from County Cork, Ireland, and, yes, I am wearing green today.☘️ I plan to celebrate with a little corned beef and cabbage later tonight! If you are interested in learning about St. Patrick's Day, you can read this article from the History Channel.
Nowruz is on Tuesday, March 21. It is a holiday celebrated for over 3,000 years in Iran and the Persian diaspora on the vernal equinox. I wish all that are celebrating a Happy Nowruz. This holiday goes back to ancient times and is a celebration of the victory of spring over darkness. This article from National Geographic shares information on its history. On Tuesday some of our 7th graders will be sharing a traditionally set table for Nowruz with 6th grade students in the main lobby during extension. They are excited to share about their culture with the community.
Ramadan, the holiest month of the Muslim calendar, begins on Wednesday, March 22 and lasts for the next 30 days. I wish all of our families observing the holiday, Ramadan Mubarak (a blessed Ramadan). We recognize that some of our students my be fasting during the days for Ramadan or needing a space for prayers. If your child needs assistance with this, please reach out to our counselors or teachers so that we may support them throughout the month. All students will learn about Ramadan this coming week during advisory. If you are not familiar with Ramadan and would like to learn more, please click here.
It is so important that we talk to our children about the diversity within our community so that we may honor and celebrate one another. I shared the links above to provide those who aren't familiar with something to learn about with your children. The opportunity to share and explore with them goes by faster than you think, so take the opportunity when it presents itself! My two children are heading back to college on Sunday after a week of spring break at home. We were lucky enough to have this week to have family dinners and share our stories together. When you are raising children, the days can be long, but the years are short - enjoy each moment!
I wish you a good weekend,
Kim Lysaght, Principal
Huge Success!
Thank you to Katrina Antonellis and the PTO for bringing back this wonderful tradition. School spirit was high as teams squared off against each other to see which team could make the most foul shots in 3 minutes. The ultimate victory went to Emerald team, with Blue team a close second. Pictures of this fun event are below.
Chromebook Damage - Please Help
We have had a large increase in the number of cracked screens on Chromebooks this week. These damages are costly, and families without insurance will be billed for the damages. Students may not fully understand the cost of this to their families. Teachers have alerted me that they have overhead students talking about intentionally breaking their Chromebooks in hopes of getting a new Chromebook with a touch screen. This is concerns me greatly. To avoid damage, we recommend a sleeve (click here for a link to them on Amazon) to hold the Chromebook. Please speak with your child about the importance of keeping their NPS Chromebook from harm.
Brown Middle School Spring Varsity Sports Information 7th and 8th Grade Only
Please use THIS LINK if your child is interested in trying out for baseball, softball, boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse or Track and Field. Tryouts begin the week of Apr 3, 2023.
Please use THIS LINK if your child is interested in trying out for ultimate frisbee. Tryouts begin the week of Mar 27, 2023.
*Important Notes:
It is possible that cuts will have to be made in all sports except track and field. Cuts are dependent upon the number of students who register for each sport.
The spring play conflicts with the spring sports season, therefore, if your child is signed up for the spring play, they will not be able to participate in spring sports.
Please feel free to contact the head coach if you have any questions.
UPDATED After School Extra-Curricular Activities Update
Please take a look as there are changes to the extracurricular activities for the spring. There continue to be many opportunities for students to get involved. This is a great way for them to explore new interests and expand their friendship groups. Click here to view the schedule of after school activities.
Girls Who Code Club at Newton North High School - Womxngineering Convention
The Womxngineering Convention aims to increase gender representation in STEM fields and is open to all NPS middle and high school students!
Details:
- Saturday, March 25th from 1 pm. - 3:30 pm in the Newton North Cafeteria
- Free entry!
- Trivia + games with up to $150 in gift cards & prizes!
- Featuring a keynote speaker: Dawn Woods, a Newton North alum, who has degrees in engineering and worked in the Army. She will speak about useful skills for career success and share a few funny stories.
- NNHS club presentation tables and activities
To get to the Newton North cafeteria enter through the main entrance on Tiger Drive, and then turn right. The cafeteria will be on your left.
Please sign up here to attend: https://forms.gle/AHCt5dtPrZHWp7m26
This event is hosted by NNHS Girls Who Code. Please email nnhsgirlswhocode@gmail.com with any questions.
MCAS Dates Set
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
