6/24/24 - 6/28/24 Weekly Update

Newton South Students and Families,

Just three days to go! A couple of updates as we close out:

Here's a summary for this week's schedule:

• Monday is a makeup exam day.
• Tuesday will follow a regular Tuesday schedule.
• Wednesday will be a half day for students running the remaining blocks that did not run on Tuesday. There will be no late bus or lunch served.

Additionally, June 25 and June 26 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.

Please contact your house office or dean if you have any questions. The Finals FAQ is available here.

Newton South will begin its summer hours on Thursday, June 27, 2024. Please note the following changes in our main office hours:

• Thursday, June 27: 8:00am - 12:00pm
• Friday, June 28: 8:00am - 2:30pm

• Monday, July 1 - Friday, July 12: Per Superintendent Nolin's message, we will be implementing a soft close. From the district:
• The district will implement a “soft close” from July 1-12, 2024. This means that school buildings will be closed, except for summer programs and previously scheduled activities. Outside renters will continue to use the facilities, per their rental agreement.
  
• Families should not expect to reach people in the buildings and will not be able to retrieve items left behind. NPS staff will respond to emails received during the soft close when the district reopens on July 15, 2024. If there is an emergency, you may email your building principal or a member of the central administration. In case of a medical or psychiatric emergency, please call 911.

• July 15 - August 26: 8:00am - 2:30pm

This will be the last Weekly Update of the school year. We will update you a few times over the summer - in particular, seniors should look out for parking lottery information in their school email in the next few weeks, and we will provide updates on schedules and other logistics.

We hope that you have a great summer!

Sincerely,

Jason Williams (he/him)
Vice Principal

With both gratitude and enthusiasm, the Counseling Department is excited to share an upcoming staffing transition for the Fall of 2024. After ten fabulous years at Newton South, our beloved College & Career Counselor Kathy Sabet is retiring. While we will miss her friendship and consummate professionalism, we are so excited that she will be able to enjoy an expanded role with the two new grandchildren her daughters will welcome to their families this fall!

We are also thrilled to introduce Danny Hoffman, who has been hired to join our staff as our new College & Career Counselor. Danny has served most recently as the Dean of College & Career Advising at Codman Academy Public Charter School. Prior to working at Codman Academy, Danny spent four years working in higher education student development as an Academic Advisor and Assistant Director for Student Leadership and Experiential Learning at Boston University before which he spent five years recruiting and supporting student cohorts for the Posse Foundation. These varied experiences helped Danny to communicate a robust and equity-driven vision for post-secondary preparation. During three rounds of interviews, Danny shared his philosophies of student development and a deep knowledge of both college-planning and alternative pathways for students. Danny has experiences building partnerships/networks for students to engage in experiential learning and was instrumental in initiating and growing access to Dual Enrollment coursework at his current school.

As we all know, Kathy is irreplaceable and we can't thank her enough for the enormous amount of growth she oversaw in ten years as our College & Career Counselor extraordinaire. She reinvented the College & Career Center, bringing it from a dark and dank room, accessed by too few students, into a bustling and vibrant learning space welcoming to all students, especially students who most need a little extra TLC. Kathy has left a legacy to be proud of, with a torch burning brightly to hand off to Danny.

It is time to begin scheduling for your senior portrait! Please use this website to book a time: https://seniors.legacystudios.com/newton-south-hs-ma/

Please check regularly for additional appointments.

Boston Teen Exploration

(Grades Rising 7-12)

Get to know the cities right next door by foot, boat, and train! Explore Chinatown, Fenway Park, and the Harbor Islands. From the artsy streets of Cambridge to the bustling Seaport district and the cool Charles River, you will become an experienced Bostonian in just one week!

July 22 - 26 | 8:45 AM - 4 PM

College Tours & Info Sessions

(Grades Rising 9 - 12)

Are you a rising Junior or Senior? A curious Sophomore or Freshman? This week will take you to schools from BC and BU to MassArt and Brandeis. The point it to give you exposure to 8-10 campuses so you learn what's out there and what you like. Sign up and connect with other students in this super fun week!

July 15 - 19 | 8:45 AM - 4 PM

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!

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.

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