A Note from the Principal . . . .
In honor of this weekend’s Juneteenth celebration, I am lifting up the voices of those who know the deeply powerful role a community can play in advocating for and protecting what it values and cares about. This past Thursday, our 8th graders visited Embrace Boston, the memorial that captures the moment when Dr. King, Jr. wrapped his arms around his wife Coretta upon hearing that he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Their embrace memorialized in this powerful sculpture is symbol of what can happen when a community comes together to wrap its arms around what and whom it cares about, embracing "what is possible".
In this very challenging year, I witnessed the power of our community coming together around shared values and purpose by lifting up the children in our care. This group of 8th graders first walked through our doors with distant memories of what it meant to be a student and citizen in a community. As we wrestled their hearts and minds away from the trappings of TikTok and YouTube, we began to see a sparkle of potential and glimmer of joy emerge. They remembered how to interact with each other respectfully in shared spaces and how to engage in inquiry and collaboration in the classrooms. They learned how to just be kids and students again, and we all learned how to come together as an inclusive community based upon mutual respect and care.
This year teachers and families reconnected our children to their community through clubs, sports, performing arts, dances, field trips and community days. Together we both set high expectations for their achievement and behavior and reminded them of how much they matter. As Phyllis Wheatley once said, "there is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about." At Day, we care about our children... and they know it and feel it every day, and because of it, they will move forward in this world in a way that makes a difference, and as their principal, I could not be more proud.
I wish the families of the Day Community a joyous summer with your families. We wish our 8th grade students and families the very best on the next stage of their educational journey. Please remember Day will always be your home.
SAVE THE DATE:
Monday, June 19, 2023: No School - Juneteenth Holiday
Tuesday, June 20, 2023: 6th Grade Trip to Starland
Tuesday, June 20, 2023: Moving On Rehearsal for 8th Grade
Wednesday, June 21, 2023: Last Day of School - Dismissal at 11:20 a.m.
Wednesday, June 21, 2023: Moving On Ceremony for Grade 8 from 9:00 - 10:45 a.m.
YEARBOOKS!!
All yearbooks have now been distributed. If your child did not get their yearbook or would like to purchase one for $40, please email Elizabeth Keane: keaneel@newton.k12.ma.us
8th GRADE MOVING ON CEREMONY
Wednesday, June 21, 2023- MOVING ON CEREMONY INFORMATION
Moving On Ceremony and Last Day of School
Date: Wednesday, June 21, 2023
(Rain Date): The event will be held on the same day but indoors in the gymnasium
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. (procession of students will begin at 8:30 a.m.)
Location: Albemarle Fields
Parking
We will likely have well over 600 family members joining us for the 8th grade Moving On Ceremony, so I would strongly encourage families to walk if at all possible. If you do drive, there is parking on Albemarle Street, but those parking there CANNOT park in the bus loading zone by the pathway. All cars MUST be moved before school dismissal at 11:20 a.m.
Seating
Families are asked to bring their own lawn chairs to view the event. Chairs will be provided for our 8th grade students and faculty near the stage. The stage will be located to the right of the pathway as you walk from Albemarle Rd. near the Little League Snack Shack. This area will be clearly marked and roped off. Your family may set up seating in any space on the field except for the areas roped off No EARLIER THAN 8:00 a.m. as we have students arriving for school prior to that. Please prepare as if you are attending any outdoor event and consider packing sunscreen, hats, water, etc.
Student Photos
Thanks to the generosity of our PTO, a professional photographer will be on hand to capture a photo of every student that will be available through an online portal following the ceremony. We ask that you do not move closer to the stage during the ceremony to take your own photos, but remain in your seats.
Accessibility
Please email Elizabeth Keane keanel@newton.k12.ma.us if you are a family member who is in need of accommodation to access this event. Accessible seating will be marked and provided near the pathway for those who require it.
Bathroom/First Aid
There is limited access to restrooms during the ceremony. Access to the building can only be granted in the case of an emergency as school is in session for our 6th and 7th graders. A first aid station with bottled water will be set up outside the back entrance to the school building.
Dress Code
There is no official dress code for students. Students are encouraged to dress up for this special occasion, but this is optional. This is an outdoor event and the temperatures will be warm, so please have your child dress comfortably with light clothing.
Following the Ceremony
Families should arrange a location to meet-up with their child following the ceremony. No refreshments will be served. Families may bring their own snacks or beverages. Banners and balloons will be available as a backdrop for family photos. We need to ask everyone to leave the fields NO LATER than 11:00 a.m. as we will be dismissing our 6th and 7th graders. We encourage you to take your 8th grader with you as you leave so that the faculty and administration can focus on dismissing the remainder of our students on this last day of school. If you are not attending the event, we will supervise your 8th grader on the field until dismissal at 11:20 a.m.
Siblings at Day
If you have younger siblings who would like to attend the ceremony, we ask that you email Ms. Wong at the email below in advance of the ceremony to let her know that you would like your child’s sibling dismissed for the ceremony. Your email should include your child’s name and team. Ms. Wong’s email address is: wongs@newton.k12.ma.us
Siblings will be dismissed at 8:30 a.m. and sent out the back mural entrance. Please arrange a location to meet them in advance of the morning.
We are working on trying to live stream this event for relatives who cannot attend - more details to follow.
There will be individual graduation pictures taken of each student at the ceremony courtesy of the Day PTO!
NPS Middle School Librarian Recommended Summer Reads
Your school libraries may be closed, but your library teachers still have great book ideas to share! This suggestions list pulls from your library teachers' favorite books of the year, the Massachusetts Children's Book Award list, and the Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award list.
Looking for your assigned summer reading? Check the Day website. It will be added there once it is ready!
Return of Library Books
Pleases take a moment to look around your home for any Day Middle School library books. The last day to check out books was June 7th.
The LAST DAY TO RETURN LIBRARY BOOKS is June 14th!
Bills for lost/unreturned books will go out on June 15th & 16th . Please return any library books before this Wednesday so students do not get billed.
BUS TRANSPORTATION
Bus registration for the 2023-24 school year will begin in early June. 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 reside LESS than 2 miles from their elementary school must now pay a bus fee. We expect this to impact the majority of elementary students.
Elementary students who 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 pay the bus fee.
6th grade students: All students in grade 6 who reside MORE than 2 miles from their school do NOT pay a bus fee. 6th grade students residing 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 in early June, you will be notified via email. 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.
FALL ATHLETICS AT NEWTON NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
Below is a note from the Newton North High School Athletic Department for the families of Rising 9th Graders:
The Fall season starts on August 18th for Football and August 21st for every other fall sport.
Please plan vacations and travel around these dates if you want to try out for high school sports. There will not be alternate dates to try out and once teams are selected they will be final.
Stay tuned for further updates from the Newton North Athletics Department.
FREE Summer Latin/Classics Classes
Eva Skelding, a Day alumna and current junior at Newton North, is offering a great opportunity for students this summer! As an experienced tutor (also the president of the NNHS Tutoring Organization), she is proficient in Latin and hopes to share this knowledge.
This summer, she will be running FREE remote Latin/classics lessons for kids in 4th-8th grade. Your child is welcome to attend any or all of the lessons, offered on weekends June 17-July 16, 2023, over Zoom.
Please visit her website to learn more and register: [https://www.living-latin.com/]. Feel free to reach out (livinglatin.education@gmail.com) with any questions!
Newton Community Education Teen Programming
NEWTON COMMUNITY EDUCATION CIT PROGRAM: NEW FOR 2023!
Calling all rising 8th & 9th graders!
Learn how to become the best camp counselor ever with Newton Community Education's CIT (Counselor in Training) program. You will get experience working with campers and counselors to develop the skills and confidence to become effective leaders in a supportive environment. Sign up for one or more sessions!
Session 2: July 24-August 4, 2023
Check out our other SUMMER CAMP OFFERINGS for middle schoolers!
Questions? Email us: nce-staff@newton.k12.ma.us
Also, Newton Community Education is interested in expanding its program for middle school aged students. Please take a moment to complete the programming interest survey below. It will help their planning efforts reflect the needs of our middle school community.
Sports Uniform Returns
Thank you to our amazing Day Coaches and players for an inspiring spring sports season. Please remind your children to return all uniforms to their coaches.
Uniforms should be returned cleaned to coaches ASAP
$50 fee for uniforms not returned. Student athletes must not have outstanding obligations in order to be eligible for future athletic programs both at Day and Newton North
GO Dragons!
Andy Comings comingsa@newton.k12.ma.us
Mark Murphy murphym@newton.k12.ma.us
FALL MUSICAL
The Fall 2023 Musical will be Mean Girls.
A note from Ms. McGettrick, Day Drama Teacher, about some new policies around the fall musical. See below.
We are going to make certain audition materials for Mean Girls jr. accessible all summer, and interested families of incoming students who don't yet know Schoology will be able to get access through a Google Drive share - I've done this before through a Google Form on my website, and it's been successful for helping new families get oriented.
NEW - For the musical - We are going to formally audition only the 7th and 8th graders for principal roles and ensemble roles.
We want to maximize opportunities, but also minimize stress and pressure, as new students get acclimated to the program.
To that end - Sixth graders will have a separate two-day audition process to provide an orientation to what rehearsals and performances are like, and we will provide a more holistic approach to the audition process - for example, more small group singing in the audition, than solo singing, etc. I see this as an incredibly positive teaching opportunity as they get adjusted to middle school, in general, but seeing if Day Drama is a good fit for what they'd like to do after school.
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE FALL MUSICAL, CLICK ON THE DAY DRAMA WEBSITE BELOW.
