11/27/23 - 12/1/23 Weekly Update

Newton South Students and Families,

We hope you had a safe and restful Thanksgiving holiday! We have two important notes as we go into the last week of November:

The signup for conferences will end tonight, November 26, at 11:59pm. If you have any questions about your appointment, please reach out to your student's teacher.

We will be holding assemblies for grade 9 students on the following dates in the Auditorium:

• 11/27: Cutler House
• 12/4: Goodwin House
• 12/11: Wheeler House

During this assembly, the deans will reinforce our core values and civic expectations for the 9th grade class to ensure they have a successful four years at NSHS. Grade 9 students, please report to the auditorium at the beginning of advisory when it is your house's turn.

Next week, South will have two early release days, both with the last class ending at 12:30pm and buses pulling out at 12:55pm:

• December 5 is a half day due to Parent Teacher Conferences taking place between 2 - 5 PM. Here is the schedule.
• December 7 is a PD early release half day. Here is the schedule.

Here's to another week at South!

Sincerely,

Jason Williams (he/him)

Vice Principal

Newton South High School

Monday, November 27, Advisory: Cutler House Grade 9 Assembly in Auditorium

Wednesday, November 29: Parent Teacher Conferences, 4:30 - 7:30pm

Friday, December 1, 4pm: Jazzhers Honors Jazz Festival

Saturday, December 2: Jazzhers Honors Jazz Festival

Saturday, December 2, 7pm: Aurora: Under the Stars (YOG 2024 Dance)

Monday, December 4, Advisory: Goodwin House Grade 9 Assembly in Auditorium

Tuesday, December 5: Early Release (12:45pm Dismissal)

Tuesday, December 5: Parent Teacher Conferences, 2 - 5pm

Wednesday, December 6: Disability Awareness Day (all day)

Thursday, December 7: Early Release (12:45pm Dismissal)

An updated report card has been posted to Aspen on Wednesday 11/22 in the Documents folder. It is called "NSHS 2023-2024 Term 1 Report Card". Any future changes to grades for term 1 will not be reflected on this document but can be found on the Academics tab in Aspen.

The Newton Coalition for Community Wellness (CCW) is hosting a Community Resource Night focused on overdose prevention on Wednesday, November 29th 7pm-8:30pm at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Newton (258 Concord Street). Join Newton CCW for substance use resources including connection to local supports, a speaker series with Newton residents and addiction specialists, a FREE Narcan and Fentanyl test strip training, and end the evening with a community vigil to honor loved ones lost to substances. Please visit www.newtonma.gov/NewtonCCW for more information.

The class of 2025 merch sale is back! We are in a new year and ready for some new gear! At the beginning of the school year, we asked NSHS juniors to submit merch designs, then we held a vote, and the class has spoken! Please use this link to access our fundraiser!

When you put in an order, the apparel will be bulk shipped to South and your student will be contacted about when they can come and pick it up. If you are a parent or guardian ordering for your student, please put the student's name in the comment box in order to help us with the distribution! In lieu of buying merch, we also accept donations on the website.

The store is open until Monday, December 4th! Just in time for the holiday season! If you have any questions, please email the class faculty advisors, Lexi Michaels (michaelsa@newton.k12.ma.us) or Talia Gallagher (gallaghert@newton.k12.ma.us), or students can speak to a class officer at school (Aviv Hoitash, Michael Shen, Clio McAneny, Chloe Hu, Shayla Bellucci, Dhruv Vallurupalli)

NSHS will be hosting Disability Awareness Day on Wednesday, December 6! Disability Awareness Day seeks to foster Newton South High School’s values of diversity, equity, and inclusion by providing opportunities to embrace disability as part of the natural fabric of our community. There will be events during D & E blocks. The events of the day will focus on the value that people of all ability levels bring to our school. More information about specific events and sign-ups to come.

Help local Newton artists by volunteering to support the Celebrate Newton Holiday Craft Fair on Sunday, December 3rd from 7:00 am - 6:00 pm. We are most looking for help loading in and out artist's booths. Opportunities are also available for fair ambassadors with community service hours available for all roles. Follow the link to sign up and support the non-profit, Newton Cultural Alliance - Celebrate Newton Volunteers Sign Up.

Celebrate Newton Holiday Craft Fair

Sunday, December 3rd from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Newton South High School, 140 Brandeis Road.

Celebrate Newton is a one-day holiday shopping extravaganza on Sunday, December 3rd from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm at Newton South High School. Enjoy live music and local artists selling everything from jewelry, scarves, ceramics, and unique gifts you won't find online or in stores. With over 50 vendors to choose from don't miss your shopportunity to cross off everyone on your list. For 2023, we've added lots of new vendors you’ve never seen before. Admission is $7 and all proceeds go to the Newton Cultural Alliance, a non-profit advocacy organization operating The Allen Center for Arts and Culture. www.celebratenewton.com

The Term 1 NSHS Library Newsletter can be found here:

Did you know that South has a school store?

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!

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.
• 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, November 22. You can access it here.

The 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 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