10/23/23 - 10/27/23 Weekly Update

Newton South Students and Families,

Celebrate South is a weeklong event that celebrates the students who make Newton South the great place that it is. Check out the calendar and join in all the fun activities, including spirit days, Passin’ Time hallway performances, student appreciation days, spirit wear sales, a free spirit gift and more! Celebrate South is coordinated by the Booster Club, the PTSO, faculty and students. Let's Go South!

We will have a Spirit Week during Celebrate South week! Here is the schedule of days. We will do a PURPLE OUT theme on Friday to show our support for The Purple Wing Project and its work throughout Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Sincerely,

Jason Williams (he/him)

Vice Principal

Newton South High School

Monday, October 23: Celebrate South Week Begins

Wednesday, October 25, 10:45-11:10am: Passin' Time (WIN 1)

Thursday, October 26, 7pm: Fall Festival I

Wednesday, November 1, 7pm: Fall Festival II

Thursday, November 2 - Saturday, November 4, 7:30pm: Romeo & Juliet @ NNHS

Friday, November 3: Last Day of Q1

Passin' Time, our quarterly hallway performance festival, will take place during the second half of WIN on Wednesday, October 25. If students would like to perform or have any questions, they can reach out to Mr. Reinstein or visit room 2302.

Let's fill the halls!

Information regarding registering for AP Exams is now available here and also available on the school website's homepage. If you have any questions regarding registering for AP Exams, please contact Brandon Johnson, the AP Coordinator, at johnsonbra@newton.k12.ma.us.

The Term 2 calendar is now ready for viewing. Term 2 covers November 6, 2023 - January 12, 2024. A few notes regarding this calendar:

This calendar has the following half days:

• Tuesday, November 7
• Wednesday, November 22 (Day before Thanksgiving)
• Tuesday, December 5 (Parent Teacher Conferences)
• Thursday, December 7

Parent teacher conferences will take place on Wednesday, November 29 from 4:30 - 7:30 PM and Tuesday, December 5 from 2:00 - 5:00 PM. More details regarding conferences will come at a later date.

October is National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month. Prevention strengthens protective factors and reduces risk factors ― in individuals, families, schools, communities, and across society. According to SAMHSA’s 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 8.2 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 drank alcohol in the past month, and 13.8 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 used illicit drugs in the past year. Early intervention is vital for youth. Every year that substance use is delayed while the adolescent brain develops, the risks of addiction and substance misuse decrease.

During National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, Newton CCW wants families to know that they have support navigating this challenging topic. For more resources, we recommend SAMHSA’s “Talk. They Hear You” campaign that helps parents and caregivers, educators, and community members get informed, be prepared, and take action to prevent underage substance use. The campaign’s mobile app helps parents and caregivers prepare for some of the most important conversations they may ever have with their kids. It shows them how to turn everyday situations into opportunities to talk with their children about alcohol and other drugs, and equips them with the necessary skills, confidence, and knowledge to start and continue these conversations as their kids get older.

For more local resources and support, please visit www.newtonma.gov/NewtonCCW.

On Wednesday, October 18, Riverside Trauma Center held a webinar titled How to Talk with Children About the Traumatic Events Happening in Israel and Gaza. Here are the resources they provided after this presentation:

Event recording: How to Talk with Children About the Traumatic Events Happening in Israel and Gaza (October 18, 2023)

PDF: How to Make Sense of Tragedies Happening in the World: How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Children in Difficult Times

PDF: Things to Think About and How to Care for Yourself During Times of Disaster/High Stress

More Shareable Resources

Attention Seniors!!

Do you speak a language other than English? If you read and write it as well, let colleges and future employers know by earning a Seal of Biliteracy on your transcript!

The process is simple, and you can use it to demonstrate skills in any language you've learned, whether at home, in school, or elsewhere.

Click HERE for detailed information about the Seal, including how to qualify and a link to register.

The deadline for registration has been extended to Wednesday, October 25.

If you have questions, contact Ms. Murphy-Ferguson, World Language Department Chair, via e-mail, Schoology message, or live in room 6209.

Seniors: Be sure to sign up to schedule your senior portrait! Please use this website to book a time: https://seniors.legacystudios.com/newton-south-hs-ma/. More slots will open up on a monthly basis. Please check regularly for additional appointments.

Questions about senior portraits can be directed to customercare@legacystudios.com, or our yearbook advisor, Mr. Brian Baron.

Newton South High School welcomes international students from around the globe every year. These brave students have so much to share and learn as they are living with their local host family and attending South. Join an evening to celebrate global culture! Newton Public Schools Director of English Language Learning Allison Levit, Educatius Regional Manager Joanne Routenberg, and host family coordinator Claudette Rowe will provide an overview on South's international student program, answer questions, and explain how you can apply to become a host family! All families are invited to attend!

Click the flyer on the right for more information.

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 1 Calendar. This calendar has more specific dates and times. One will be released each term.
• NEW: Term 2 Calendar is ready.
• Lunch Schedule for Semester 1. 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.

Sign up for Newton Community Education college prep and enrichment classes this fall! From arts to academics, NCE programs empower your child to learn, grow, and connect. NCE classes can also inspire their passions and boost confidence. Preview our wide range of classes in the Teens At-a-Glance. Secure your teen's spot now at www.newtoncommunityed.org!

The most recently released district newsletter was on Wednesday, October 11. You can access it here.

The PSAT and SAT coordinator is Namal Sadiq. She can be reached at sadiqn@newton.k12.ma.us.

The AP coordinator is Brandon Johnson. He can be reached at johnsonbra@newton.k12.ma.us.

Students will 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