SAVE THE DATE:
Mon, November 13, 2023- Beginning of Term 2
Mon. November 13, 2023: 7th Grade Student Advisory Council Meeting - Team Ext. Room 324
Tues. November 14, 2023 - Crocodile River Music Assembly for Grades 6-8
Wed. November 15, 2023: 6th Grade Student Advisory Council Meeting - Team Ext. - Room 101
Thurs. November 16, 2023 - Picture Re-Take Day
Fri. November 17, 2023- Term 1 Report Cards Posted in ASPEN
Fri. November 17, 2023: Principal Coffee and 6th Grade Classroom Visits
Mon. November 20, 2023: 8th Grade Student Advisory Council - Team Ext. - Room 101
Wed. November 22, 2023: Early Release Dismissal at 11:20 a.m. for Thanksgiving Break
Thurs. November 23, 2023 and Fri. November 24, 2023 - No School for Thanksgiving Break
A Note from the Principal
This past Tuesday’s community day was one of our most powerful. Improved based upon feedback from staff and students, this year’s work around identity, stereotyping, and microaggressions challenged students to not only be aware of the harmful impact of these actions on students’ safety and connection but to develop strategies for interrupting them as Upstanders responsible for the well being of their classmates.
Despite our commitment to this work, in my almost 7 years as the Principal of Day, what I have learned is that our pathway to creating a more inclusive and anti-racist community is fragile and fraught with challenges and setbacks despite our ongoing work together. Today it is then with a heavy heart that I share that racist graffiti specifically targeting one of our students of color at Day was discovered written on a desk. There are no words to express my outrage that this took place, particularly on the very day that we engaged in shared learning around the harm and impact of hateful language. There are also no words to share my sorrow for the student and the family impacted, knowing that their sense of safety and belonging was shattered with this one, hateful act.
Following our protocols, we have notified the Newton Police, and opened up an anit-discrimination investigation. To date, we have not found the person responsible, and as such have not been able to yet engage in the healing and restoration so important when something as egregious as this takes place. I am proud of the students who came forward to report the incident immediately and the urgency of our staff in addressing the incident.
The timing of this racist incident might lend itself to a belief that we should not engage in community days or discussions about identity and race with our students. Why then do we continue? We continue because silence on racism fuels it. We continue because it is our moral obligation. We continue because the struggle to overcome hate and racism is not just for our families and students of color to bear. The struggle against hatred and racism is all of ours, and as educators, it is our responsibility to open hearts and minds to diverse perspectives and commit to creating equitable outcomes. Most importantly, beyond our words, we continue this work because our children are watching how we respond. As middle school educators we know that at this age, students are grappling with their identity and beliefs, and we have a unique opportunity to use education to help our children understand perhaps even better than those in the world around them, the irreparable harm of hateful words and actions and the importance of standing up to those who act in hateful ways. What is more courageous than silence then and what we must do, is to talk more, stand up more, educate more, and find the love and compassion to heal together, modeling for our school community what it seems the world around us seems to have forgotten - the power of light over darkness and love over hate. So we turn to the light as we move forward…
It strikes me as particularly meaningful that I am sharing this message with all of you on Diwali, the holiday known to those who celebrate it as the “festival of lights”. Light on Diwali symbolizes its power over darkness, or in Dr. King’s words, the power of love over hate. We cannot change the harm that was already done to one of our students and his family from this hateful act, nor can we change the fact that the sense of safety and belonging has also been harmed for many other students and families of color by hearing of this incident. We can, however, come together to heal and work to repair the harm by continuing along the lighted pathway toward becoming an anti-racist community. In this moment, we need to recommit to Tuesday’s work, honor the Upstanders who came forward to report the hateful graffiti, and continue to teach strategies to not only engage in the dialogue, reflect on our own biases, and but step forward to interrupt acts of hate wherever they occur.
DAY BASKETBALL
- Tryouts open to all 7th and 8th Grade Students.
- Info sessions posted on our After School Activities website, via posted flyers, and morning announcements.
- Boys Basketball Information Session: Monday November 13th at 2:35pm in the gymnasium
- Girls Basketball Information Session : Monday November 20th at 7:40 AM in Rm 119
- Family ID is open for pre-registration and closes on 11/19/23
- (please no payments until final rosters are determined)
- Our school nurse will check that physicals are up to date between 11/20-11/27
- Basketball Tryouts begin
- Boys: Monday 11/27 and 11/28 2:45-4:00 Gym
- Girls: Thursday 11/30 and 12/1 2:45- 4:00 Gym
General questions about sports should be directed to our Athletic Coordinators:
Andy Comings: comingsa@newton.k12.ma.us
Mark Murphy: murphym@newton.k12.ma.us
PICTURE RETAKE DAY
Picture Retake Day is Tuesday, November 16, 2023
If your child was absent for picture day OR would like to take another picture, retakes will be taken on Tuesday, November 16th in the Day Auditorium beginning at 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
Students having a retake MUST bring the original picture package back and hand them in to the photographer on the day of the retakes.
Pictures will be available in 3-5 weeks.
CHANGES TO ALBEMARLE ROAD COMING SOON!!
After two years of planning, roadway changes are on deck to make Albemarle Road safer for all
who travel or cross this busy road for schools, the playing fields, the pool and for everyday
travel.
Learn more at NewtonMA.gov/Albemarle
Work crews will be out soon to restripe crosswalks, add bike lanes, install new signage and
change parking. Early in 2024, we will be adding speed cushions and flex posts.
Work is planned to start on Friday, November 10 and may continue over the weekend. We
are timing the work to avoid school hours. No parking will be allowed in work zones.
What’s changing?
• New bike lanes on the side of Albemarle alongside Cheesecake Brook
• New crosswalks on Albemarle and at the intersections with Watertown
Street and Crafts Street
• We are changing from head-in to back-in angle parking on the
northbound side of Albemarle between Watertown and Crafts.
• Bicycles will be allowed in both directions on the northbound side of
Albemarle south of Watertown Street
• In 2024, we will install speed cushions and flex posts on Albemarle
Why are we doing this?
• Safety! This is a heavily used area with many conflict points and
hundreds of school age children using Albemarle. We need to slow cars down, and
establish clear paths for cycling and walking.
• Back-in or head-out parking gives drivers a clear view when exiting a parking space.
You can practice at Auburndale Cove, and watch the Mayor’s video linked HERE.
What else is changing?
• A new traffic signal at Crafts and Albemarle. MassDOT is funding this project, which is
now in design and should be in operation by 2026 (a long time, we know!)
• A new bridge over the creek north of Gath Pool, with new crosswalks and additional
parking on the southbound side of Albemarle.
• A new Gath Pool is scheduled to open in 2024.
• Improve playing fields are coming in the next two years.
Learn more at NewtonMA.gov/Albemarle or contact Josh Ostroff, Director of Transportation
Planning, jostroff@newtonma.gov or 617-796-1481.
DAY BAND PERFORMANCE AT BOSTON COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAME
Join member of the F. A. Day Community in cheering on our talented Day Middle School Band and the B.C. Men's Basketball Team on Thursday, December 21st!
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit programming for the Day Middle School Band.
Date: Thursday, December 21, 2023
B.C. Mens' Basketball vs. Lehigh
Performance by our very own Day Middle School Band
Join this wonderful night out for the Day families and support Mr. Brown and the Day Middle School Band.
To purchase your tickets, click on the link below.
DAY PTO
We hope you will consider joining the Day PTO. This is a wonderful way to get involved in supporting your child at the middle level. There are volunteer opportunities from being a Team Parent to sponsoring Teacher Appreciation Events to chaperoning the Fall Fest Dances.
Please reach out to the Day PTO a the contact information below.
Day Chorus, Band and Orchestra Donations
Music instruction helps children with the development of motor skills, language skills, social skills, decision-making, risk-taking, and inventiveness. You can help enhance the program by donating today.
Your contribution will help Day Middle School Performing Arts Programs such as Chorus, Orchestra and Band. The QR Code below will lead you to the site where you can make a donation to our programs.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT DAY
Linked below is an important list of common questions that families often ask about our school. Included is information about the first day of school as well as information about who to call with specific questions. This is a great reference guide that will support your family throughout the school year.
