1/1/24 - 1/5/24 Weekly Update

Newton South Students and Families:

Happy New Year! We hope that you are having a restful break and have had a chance to recharge and reenergize yourself for the new year! We will start back up on Tuesday, January 2. We will have two weeks left in the term before grades close and we end the first semester of our school year. We're almost halfway there!

We have a few highlights for this week:

The Term 3 Calendar is now ready and can be found here. We have two half days next term and you can find their schedules below:

• February 1
• March 21

Term 3 marks the beginning of Semester 2. Semester 2 will have a different lunch schedule that we will share in the coming weeks.

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:

Newton South Seniors: The parking lottery is open until Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at 11:59pm. If you are a senior interested in parking on campus for Semester 2 and have not yet signed up, please refer to this letter sent out on December 12. The parking lottery is for seniors only.

Here's to another week at South!

Sincerely,

Jason Williams (he/him)
Vice Principal

Newton South High School

Tuesday, January 9, 5 PM: School Council

Wednesday, January 10, 7 PM: Choirfest

Thursday, January 11, 7 PM: Winterfest I

Friday, January 12: Last Day of Term 2

The most recently released district newsletter was on Friday, December 22, 2023. You can access it here.

As the weather turns cold, The Newton Food Pantry Teen Ambassador Program is collecting winter gear to distribute to Newton Food Pantry clients! Donate mittens for snowy days, thick socks to protect kids’ toes from the cold, or any of the other listed items. Spread some love this winter and drop off new or gently used winter hats, scarves, mittens, gloves, snow pants, jackets, and socks (new only) in sizes from kids to adults from Jan. 8 to Jan. 19, 2024. Thank you!

The Fashion Club wants to give back to our community by collecting clothing through December 18-January 12th to the Planet Aid Donation Box. We ask students for clothes that are in good condition and please no undergarments or shoes.

Please note that only students can access these boxes.

The next School Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 9 from 5:00 - 6:00 PM. A full agenda can be found here.

If you would like to attend for public comment, please email strast@newton.k12.ma.us directly.

All seniors in the Class of 2024 are encouraged to apply for the

Newton South Local Scholarships

Opened Friday December 1, 2023

Local scholarships are awarded through Newton South High School and through the generosity of individual and business donors, community organizations and memorial funds.

To apply, 1) complete the online application 2) Get a recommendation from someone outside Newton South. The links for these steps are below.

The application deadline is Friday February 2, 2024.

Based on the criteria of each scholarship, recipients will be selected and notified. While some scholarship awards are announced in March/April. Most will be received in early June.

Links:

Local Scholarship Application

Local Scholarship Recommendation Form (share this link with your recommender)

Questions?

Please contact Ms Sabet, NSHS Scholarship Coordinator

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 2 Calendar: This calendar has more specific dates and times. One will be released each term.
• Term 3 Calendar (New)
• 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!

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

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

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!

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