Tag Archives: high

News from the Superintendent

In recent weeks, there have been many articles in the media about the passion and commitment that young people bring to the issue of sustainability. Here in the Newton Public Schools, many of our students are at the forefront of this issue, as evidenced by their powerful speeches to our School Committee last week.

While we have had excellent high school elective courses for many years, sustainability concepts are now integrated into core science courses at all levels. When I met with 6th and 8th grade students last spring to discuss their Global Goals and Generation Citizen projects, I was struck by how knowledgeable they were about the science behind the environmental challenges we face. Just last week at an all school assembly, 5th grade students at Angier educated their peers on sustainable practices both at school and at home.

I look forward to strengthening our own sustainable practices as a district while continuing to

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School Committee Update

Dear Friends,

This update is for the 1/13/2020 Newton School Committee meeting:

Special Meeting – SC Training

Newton Schools Foundation Update and Vote

Discussions/Updates
PTO Equity Committee:  Presented by School Committee member Kathy Shields and several representatives from the Equity Committee.

  • Highlights of the presentation included:
    • Fiscal Year 2020 is the first fiscal year in which PTOs must comply with the new equity guidelines.
    • The Equity Committee will continue to examine how schools with smaller student populations are affected by the cost of Creative Arts and Sciences.

Sustainability Update: Presented by Liam Hurley, Assistant Superintendent/ Chief Financial & Administrative Officer

  • Highlights of the presentation included:
    • 2019 Goals met: School Sustainability Working Group formed and meeting monthly since June 2019, System-Wide Goals approved, sustainability page published on NPS website.
    • 2020 Goals include: Promote recycling and waste management, reduce single-use plastics, food waste reduction, promote sustainable transportation, support sustainable sourcing of energy and participating in a culture shift towards a more sustainable Newton community.

Transportation Update: Presented by Liam Hurley, Assistant Superintendent/ Chief Financial & Administrative Officer

  • Recommendations included:
    • Enter into a Merchant Agreement with MySchoolBucks for an integrated online registration and fee payment system.
    • Adjust the timeline of the bus application process and develop a tiered bus fee structure to encourage early registration.

Buffer Zone Update: Presented by Liam Hurley, Assistant Superintendent/Chief Financial & Administrative Officer and Katy Hogue, District School Data Manager

  • Recommendations included:
    • Angier:  Utilize existing Angier buffer zones with Williams and Zervas with the intention of maintaining 3 kindergarten classes.
    • Zervas:  Utilize buffer zone with Mason Rice in order to maintain 4 Zervas kindergarten sections through elementary school.
    • Peirce:  Utilize Cabot Buffer Zone to maintain 2 kindergarten sections.
    • Bigelow: Utilize Buffer Zone with Day Middle School to maintain 2 teams per grade.

Consent Agenda
The School Committee voted unanimously to approve Tamika Olszewski as EDCO Representative, Horace Mann PTO 1-day liquor license, 12-16-2019 minutes, FY20 Grants and Steve Siegel as DRC appointee

Next Meeting
On Wednesday, January 27th at 7:00PM the School Committee will meet in regular session. We will discuss the Enrollment Planning and Class Size Report.

We hope you found this summary useful. You can access all School Committee meeting documents via the NPS website (www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee). Additionally, if you are interested in watching an SC meeting from home or a recorded meeting, you can obtain access via www.newtv.org. On the district Facebook page, you can find videos of past “Virtual Office Hours,” which are held once a month and provide the community with the opportunity to ask questions through the FB Live format.

As always, we are very happy to answer any questions or discuss any concerns you may have. Please feel free to contact us via the email address below.

Sincerely,
The Newton School Committee

Mason-Rice School PTO’s annual online auction is now live

The Mason-Rice Elementary School PTO’s annual online auction is now live at: www.biddingforgood.com/masonrice. The auction has something for everyone…discounts on summer camps, kids classes, birthday parties, fitness memberships, tickets to games and shows, museum passes, gift cards to local of salons, stores, and restaurants…and SO MUCH MORE!

The auction will run through January 28th, with proceeds supporting the over 450 students at Mason-Rice.

Looking for a volunteer Community Service opportunity?

Centre Street Food Pantry is located at 11 Homer St., Newton Centre. Their mission is to provide consistent access to nutritious food to over 350 families per month in a dignified and sensitive environment.

• They serve families from Newton, Brookline, Brighton, Watertown, Waltham,
Needham, Wellesley, & West Roxbury.
• Possible times for volunteering include: Monday mornings (8:00 – 9:30 am);
Various shifts every Tuesday (11:00 am – 8:00 pm); or the 1st Saturdays of the
month (10:00 am – 2:30 pm). Shifts are 2 hours long.
• Tasks include unloading deliveries, stocking shelves, helping clients shop
at the pantry, carrying filled bags to the curb, or cleaning up.
• Volunteers must be at least 12 years old to volunteer and those 12-15 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian while at the pantry and during the training.
• A short one-time training is required to volunteer. Go to this webpage to register: https://www.centrestfoodpantry.org/get-involved-2
• For more information, contact Vo*******@****************ry.org.

A Night of Dialogue and Theater: FORJ presents True Story Theater

Join FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) for True Story Theater, an engaging and interactive event.

This will be an enlivening follow-up event to the city-wide MLK celebration on Monday. With the help of the True Story Theater , the group will further explore Newton’s 2020 theme of “Know Your Neighbor”. Come learn and connect as the theater troupe performs the spectrum of our lived experiences as residents of Newton – stories that delight and challenge us to think more deeply about what it means to live in neighborhoods that are truly inclusive.

All are welcome; Suggested ages -middle school and up. RSVP HERE: True Story Theater

January 23rd  7pm -9pm
Newton North High School Little Theater,  457 Walnut Street

For more info about the organizations involved visit these websites:
https://forjnewton.com/
http://harmonyfoundationnewton.org/
​http://www.newtonma.gov/gov/health/commissions/human_rights/default.asp ​

Do you like a capella?

Come to the Winter Warmer featuring The Newtones of Newton South,  Northern Lights from Newton North, Noteafy from Brookline High and a bit of improv from The Children of the Candy Corn of Newton South.

Event details available here: https://www.facebook.com/events/455750398661627/
Tickets available in advance for $8.00 from a Newtones member or $10.00 at the door.

To learn more about The Newtones visit https://thenshsnewtones.weebly.com/

January 24th, 7:00 pm
Gregorian Rugs, 2284 Washington Street, Newton Lower Falls

A performance in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Composer/Vocalist (and Angier mom), Dana Sandler, will be presenting the world premiere of her new composition, I Never Saw Another Butterfly, new chamber jazz musical settings of selected children’s poetry from Terezin Concentration Camp, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camps.

This debut performance is open to the public. For ticket information and to view the official project trailer, please visit www.danasandler.com.

January 26th,  4:00 – 5:00 pm
Temple Shalom of Newton, 175 Temple Street

What’s Happening at the West Suburban YMCA (including February Break)

MLK Day of Service Event
The Y is partnering with The Second Step to host a volunteer event on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  Using the items collected during the recent supply drive, volunteers will sort and organize items into “blessing bags” for families in need. All are welcome to participate in this community-wide, family friendly event.  The event will start with a short presentation from The Second Step at 10:00 am, followed by bag stuffing (Note:  This event ends when all bags have been stuffed).
January 20th, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Kids Night Out
Parents, drop off your kids for a fun Friday night with qualified staff members for a Kids Night Out. They’ll order pizza for dinner and keep the children entertained with games, swimming, movies and sports. $25 per child for Y members and $30 for the community. A 20% discount is offered per child for those with two or more children. Go out for the night and take advantage of this low-cost alternative to hiring a babysitter. Everyone wins!
February 7th, 6:00 – 10:00 pm

February Vacation Week is around the corner!

  • Out of School Time Vacation Programs are structured similarly to a day at camp, with  a mix of activities such as fun games, creative projects, and free swim.
  • Sports Vacation Clinics may include soccer, basketball, baseball, swimming, and more.
  • There’s also a new Creative Arts Vacation Program which includes visual art, singing, and dancing for kids 5-7 and music for kids 10-12.

February 18th – February 21st

West Suburban YMCA
276 Church Street, Newton