6/3/24 - 6/7/24 Weekly Update

Newton South Students and Families,

Happy Pride Month! During this month, we celebrate and commemorate LGBTQ+ history, culture, and activism throughout the years. We will pause to reflect on the many achievements that they have overcome to make progress despite the barriers they have faced. We additionally acknowledge that we still have more work to do and will remain committed to our goal of creating a more just society that both advocates for and champions equity and excellence for all.

This week is loaded with a variety of activities:

• Senior Prom will take place on the evening of Tuesday, June 4 starting at 7 PM, and Southfest, a PTSO-sponsored event, will take place starting at 11 PM.

• Graduation is Thursday, June 6 at 5 PM in the NSHS Field House. Doors open at 4.
• We will dismiss students at 12:45 PM and there will be no late buses.

• Step Up Day is Friday, June 7 starting at 11:45. NSHS students will be dismissed at 12 PM and grade 8 students from Oak Hill and Brown will be joining us to take a tour and learn more about NSHS in an orientation program.

If you have any questions regarding graduation, to ensure we can answer you in as efficiently a manner as possible, please start by calling or emailing your student's house office:

• Cutler House: Ms. Curran (curranl@newton.k12.ma.us, 617-559-6551)

• Goldrick House: Ms. Trieger (triegerd@newton.k12.ma.us, 617-559-6552)

• Goodwin House: Ms. Astone (astonee@newton.k12.ma.us, 617-559-6555)

• Wheeler House: Ms. Murphy (murphyba@newton.k12.ma.us, 617-559-6558)

House offices can assist with special seating, requests for additional tickets, and more. Additionally, please be sure to read the FAQ below as your question may already be answered there.

Starting Monday, June 3, yellow, numbered parking spaces on campus become first come, first serve for any student who is able to drive. We still reserve the right to ticket and tow vehicles if they are parked illegally.

Students are still not allowed to park in any white-lined spaces on campus.

Boston bus schedule for:

• 6/4 (MCAS)
• 6/5 (MCAS)
• 6/6 (Graduation)
• 6/7 (Step Up Day)

On both days, test takers will come into school at the regular start time and report directly to their testing rooms. Students who are not testing are welcome to be in the building once buses arrive. Here are the important times to be aware of:

• Tuesday, June 4

• Bus runs as normal for test takers and students arrive by 9am

• Testing runs from 9am - 12pm

• Bus does a second run starting at 11:30am for all other students to arrive by 12:00pm

• All students must arrive to school by 12:30pm

• Classes start at 12:35pm

• Wednesday, June 5

• Bus runs as normal for test takers and students arrive by 9am

• Testing runs from 9am - 11:40am

• Bus does a second run starting at 11:10am for all other students to arrive by 11:40am

• All students must arrive to school by 12:05pm

• Classes start at 12:10pm

• Other Notes

• The library will be closed all day on Tuesday and Wednesday.

• Lunch will be served in the cafeteria until 12:30pm on Tuesday and until 12:05pm on Wednesday.

There was a typo in the original email - students are taking either MCAS Biology or Physics.

• Each test session begins at 9am. When you get to school, report directly to your testing location.

• Bring your Chromebook, pen/pencil, book, non-science related homework, and a water bottle and/or snack. You will not be able to access the Internet or use electronic devices while in your testing room or while your test is in progress, so it is important to have a book or other homework to do in case you finish early.

• You must use your school-issued Chromebook to test. Make sure you charge it the night before testing day so it is ready to go, and bring it with you to school.

• Please review this checklist to make sure your software is up to date.

• Please bring both your Chromebook and your charger.

• Bring a calculator with you.

• A calculator is allowed on both dates.
• Please bring a working calculator with you on Wednesday, May 17. If your calculator uses batteries, make sure you put new batteries in the calculator on the day of testing to ensure it will last the duration of the test.
• We will have a limited number of calculators available for students to borrow on test day.

• Students may work as long as necessary, up until the end of the school day.

• Students who need to work beyond the end of the regular testing time will move to lunch, then to an extended time room to continue and complete testing. They will be excused from any class they miss while they finish testing and be given a pass back to class when they are done.

We recommend a good night’s sleep the night before and a good breakfast the morning of before each day of testing. Please let me know if you have any questions about testing and here's to another week at South!

Sincerely,

Jason Williams (he/him/his)

Vice Principal

Newton South High School

Special schedules for week of June 3

Tuesday, June 4 & Wednesday, June 5: Science MCAS

Thursday, June 6: Graduation, 5pm (FAQ)

Friday, June 7: Step Up Day

Monday, June 17: Finals Begin

Tenth grader Aleeza Amitan is one of 55 U.S. State and Territory Winners for her Google Doodle, “When education flourishes, so does the world”. Aleeza’s Doodle was selected from thousands of entries received this year.

Now, people across the U.S. can vote for their favorite Doodle from the 55 State and Territory Winners. Voting will be open from May 22 - June 4 on this site: https://doodles.google.com/d4g/

Be sure to click grades 10-12 at the top of the page and then select Aleeza’s design under “Massachusetts!”

The National Winner will take home a $55,000 college scholarship and their school will receive a $50,000 tech package towards the establishment or improvement of a computer lab or technology program.

Let’s help Aleeza win! Vote here: 2024 Google Doodle Vote

Class of 2025/Newton South Juniors may join this college essay boot camp taking place from June 3 - 7 at no cost.

Plus you’ll have free access to classes on Supplemental Essays and the University of California Personal Insight Questions.

See here for the flyer.

Register for the boot camp here.

Sign up for the workbook here.

As a reminder, finals will begin at Newton South on Monday, June 17 and extend to Friday, June 21, with makeups on the 24th. Please note the following:

• All teachers will have a planned learning experience or assessment during their block on the appropriate finals day. Attendance will be taken and the attendance standard remains in effect.
• Directed studies and small studies will not meet on these dates. Students who have a Directed or Small Study during that block are free to remain in the Student Center or Library. Academic studies will meet.

Here are all the remaining final schedules for the year:

Beginning June 17: Finals

Special schedules June 17 - 26

Final FAQ is here

Additionally, here is the term 4 calendar with all dates.

All Google accounts for students leaving Newton Public Schools will be deactivated sometime in July. Click the link below for instructions about how to use Google Takeout to download your NPS data.

Download Your NPS Data Using Google Takeout

Students who need assistance with this process can visit Mr. Hammel in the NSHS Library.

We have updated the Finals FAQ to include more information regarding the last two days of school.

Specifically, June 25 and June 26 will follow a special will follow a special attendance policy. Reported absences during these last two days will not count towards the attendance standard and will be considered excused in alignment with the NPS School Committee Policy on Absences.

We are excited to announce a new update for the South community: our @south.learns Instagram page! This account will showcase all the amazing activities and events that occur every week at South, from performing arts to athletics to school focused events. Feel free to give us a follow on Instagram! In the bio, there is a link for a Google Form. If you are part of an exciting event that you want to be featured on the page, fill it out. Please let us know if you have any questions!

Help your teen grow and explore this summer with NCE's fun and educational programming for teens! Visit and tour local colleges, get a headstart on college applications, prepare for SATs, or even tour the vibrant and historical city of Boston. Led by experienced instructors, our programs provide invaluable insights, skills, and experiences to help students navigate the exciting journey ahead. From SAT prep to babysitting/CPR, we ensure each student is equipped with the tools they need to thrive. Visit our website to view our full lineup of programming and join us this summer!

This information is now additionally a pinned post on ParentSquare for easy access.

Use this form to report an absence:

• Cutler

• Goldrick

• Goodwin

• Wheeler

Attendance Standard for the 2023-2024 School Year

Attendance Standard FAQs

District Procedures Regarding Attendance

We will excuse up to two college visits per term in term 3 and 4 for juniors, and anytime during the year for seniors.

Our academic honesty protocol can be found here. This protocol is taken directly from the district's Rights & Responsibilities Handbook.

Bus Schedules

Boston Bus Schedules

Cell phones should not be seen or heard in class, and should be in a student's pocket, backpack, or door holder in the classroom. Consequences include a verbal warning, the teacher temporarily taking the phone, etc. If you need to contact your student during school, you should go through the house office, as students will not be able to check their messages during class.

We aware aware and mindful that students may need a cell phone for vital functions such as glucose monitoring. If you have any concerns, please reach out to your house office and work with them to find a solution that works best for both parties.

Please see the following letter from the Newton South Faculty Council regarding cell phone use.

• Year at a Glance: Overview of the 2023-2024 school year
• Term 4 Calendar
• Lunch Schedule for Semester 2. Classes are assigned lunches based on what wing of the building they are in.
• Public Calendar of Events: We keep an updated calendar of events on the school website - this is a combination of events from the NPS calendar and our individual school's calendar.

Math Center Schedule – Located in 4201 (except for WIN 1, in 4216)

Writing Center Schedule – Located in Library, first door on your right

Play basketball, badminton, or pickleball OR create with pastels and watercolors! After school. evenings, and weekends, NCE offers enriching programs for all interests with scholarships so everyone can participate. Explore our offerings for grades 6-12 and register here. Ignite curiosity and build friendships right here at school.

SAT Coordinator: Namal Sadiq (sadiqn@newton.k12.ma.us)

AP Coordinator: Brandon Johnson (johnsonbra@newton.k12.ma.us)

Did you know that you can scan a barcode on your phone during lunch to save time in the line? You can do so using the Stocard app and following these instructions.

The South store is centrally located right next to the Student Center and is open several blocks throughout the week.

Come check out our different selections of Seltzer, Snacks, and South gear - or just come by to say hi! We accept cash, debit/credit cards, and Apple Pay. We can’t wait to see you there!

See below for the schedule:

Attached please find the School Transfer information for the 24-25 school year. The Instructions, Policy and link to the request form are located on the NPS website under the Registration Tab.

Access the instructions here.

Students use MyFlexLearning to sign up for WIN blocks.

All students are assigned to a space.

• If you do not sign up for a WIN by the day before that WIN occurs, you will be pushed to a teacher's WIN based on available space. You will be pushed to a Wednesday WIN on Tuesday afternoon, a Thursday WIN on Wednesday afternoon, etc. If you continuously do not sign up for WIN block, we will follow up with you and determine a strategy to make sure you are making the most of this important time on learning period.
• If your teacher is absent the day of your WIN, you will be unscheduled from that WIN and pushed to another space.
• You have up until an hour before a WIN block starts to reschedule; after this, your WIN assignment is locked.

The library is not freely open during WIN block. To be in the library during this block, you must be signed up with a teacher who is assigned to this space. We will ask teachers to not send you to the library, as the library will send you back to the class from which you came.

List of Clubs & Activities at Newton South

Athletic Calendar