Brown MS Weekly Update
June 9, 2023
Dear Brown MS Community,
This past week the faculty celebrated two of our own. Shari Engelbourg, Assistant Principal for Student Services and Margaret Power, Executive Assistant to the Principal. Both will retire at the end of this school year. Shari joined the Brown MS administrative team three years ago, and has spent 40 years in education. She has worked tirelessly throughout and took on the task of leading our student services department during the pandemic, an incredibly difficult task. Margaret Power has been with Brown MS as an administrative assistant since 1995. Margaret's incredible organization and professionalism has helped Brown to be both efficient and welcoming. She is truly the glue that keeps everything going! We will miss both of them and wish them the best as they begin this next chapter in their lives.
Looking ahead to next year, Courtney Ross, one of our front office administrative assistants, will be taking the reigns from Margaret at the end of this school year. In true form, Margaret has been working with Courtney every day to make for a solid, organized and smooth transition. We are excited to have Courtney in this role for years to come! We are currently in the process of hiring our new Assistant Principal for Student Services and will send out information regarding this once we have finished the hiring process.
Yesterday I attended Newton South High School's graduation ceremony. Watching former Brown students walk across the stage to receive their diplomas reminded me of the reason educators do this work - "the long game". The highs and lows of students' K-12 experience help to form them into young adults ready for the next step in their lives. Many times when we are in the midst of a challenge, we lose sight of "the long game". Middle school can be a tumultuous time with new social, organizational and academic demands and challenges that result in middle school feeling a bit like a "mistake factory". Yet, it is essential to make mistakes in order to learn and grow. For middle school educators, we sometimes don't get to see the end results of our work, either because a student has not yet reached their potential, or because the lessons they learned have not fully taken hold. Seeing the seniors receive their diplomas yesterday was affirmation of the energy and work we put into our students. It is our hope that while they were here, we helped them embrace their true selves, learn from their mistakes, and use that learning to move forward better equipped to face new challenges. As we celebrate the successes of our students and look forward to a much needed summer break, let us remember that we are not seeking perfection, but growth, and let us give everyone grace to reach their potential in their own time.
Enjoy the weekend!
Kim Lysaght, Principal
Step Up Day Was Today
Today we had Step Up Day. Our 6th and 7th graders got the treat of going home early for the weekend while our 8th graders head off to Newton South High School for an orientation program. At the same time we welcomed our incoming 5th graders to Brown for their own orientation. They were met with 6th grade teachers, got a tour of the building and were able to ask questions about what they can expect next year. There was much excitement in the air all around. 8th graders returned to Brown excited for their next chapter, and it was great for us to be able to meet our newest "Brown Bears"!
After School Activities Ended for the Year
8th Grade Boston Harbor Cruise is a Success!
This past Thursday our 8th grade embarked on a 3-hour boat cruise around Boston Harbor. They ate from a delicious buffet and enjoyed terrific views of the Boston skyline. The DJ provided excellent tunes to sing and dance to. Below are some pictures and a video of some of the fun. As the 8th graders returned to shore, they had huge smiles and great things to say about the event.
Thank you to Christine Morin and the PTO committee for all the help to make this a reality!
8th Grade Upcoming End of Year Events!
Here are all upcoming events, so mark your calendars, 8th grade families!
June 15 - Field trip to Hudson Roller Kingdom - Students, wear your Class of 2023 shirt!!
- Unlimited laser tag
- Karaoke
- Arcade games
- Roller skating and/or roller blading
- Races
- Pizza
June 20
Graduation rehearsal
Fun activities with teachers
Yearbook distribution and signing
Cool Cow Ice Cream Truck in the afternoon
June 21
8th graders clapped around school during advisory
9:30 - 10:00 lining up by team and begin procession over to Winkler Stadium
10:15 graduation (see below for details)
11:20 - They are all done with middle school and are official high school students! Congratulations!!!
Graduation Details:
Graduation will take place outside at Winkler Stadium (NSHS football field and track) on June 21 at 10:15 weather permitting. If the weather does not cooperate the event will take place in the Newton South Field House. Students will be seated in the bleachers and families are invited to bring a chair or blanket to sit on the football field to watch the ceremony. The ceremony will last about 1 hour and will include student speakers and distribution of certificates to all 8th graders. Graduation is a special occasion and most students in the past have dressed up a bit for this day for pictures with family. We are looking forward to a great send off for our 8th graders!
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.
Considering Starting Your Child on a Smart Phone?
As I met with 5th grade parents over the past month at the elementary parent coffees, there were questions regarding phones. The decision to get your child a phone is a family one, and we recommend that you have many conversations with your child about the responsibilities that go along with having a phone. Earlier this year we were fortunate that Dr. Catherine Pearlman, author of First Phone: A Child’s Guide to Digital Responsibility, Safety and Etiquette, led an engaging and informative presentation and discussion for Newton families via zoom.
As we end the school year and your family may be considering getting your child a smart phone, I felt it would be helpful to reshare her talk. Click this link to watch the recording.
We also encourage you to order her book! It is written for a student audience and equally helpful for parents. First Phone by Dr. Catherine Pearlman (Amazon link)
Dr. Pearlman also shared some helpful resources including:
I hope you find these materials helpful.
