May 31, 2023
Dear NPS Families,
This time of year in a school district is about celebrating milestones and sharing accomplishments. It could be a chorus concert, an academic project, or a graduation ceremony. It is my pleasure to visit with students to congratulate them and to thank the teachers and staff who helped guide them to these moments of achievement.
In the past few weeks, we have celebrated our METCO graduates and our Calculus Project graduates. I also had the honor of attending Mayor Fuller’s annual community breakfast at which three of our high school seniors were recognized with scholarships for their outstanding achievements. Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of meeting with students from Oak Hill who were finishing up a civics project and looking at issues of budgets and overrides in the City of Newton.
No matter the venue, I have been amazed at the quality of work and the significant accomplishments of our Newton Public School students. They have worked hard this year and throughout their time in Newton to make the most of the opportunities this school district offers to its students. I am proud to recognize their hard work as we near the end of this school year.
I look forward to more celebrations as this year draws to a close. Thank you for inviting me in to celebrate with your students.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Smith
Interim Superintendent
I have a few requests from the community that will make our connecting easier. Let me know if you can help!
Let’s Get Together. Bring me to your people and neighborhood. Would you be willing to host a neighborhood meet-and-greet? I could come to your cul-de-sac, your neighborhood get together, your book group. If you could gather 20 or more people together to meet with me to talk about Newton Schools and its future, I’d love to get acquainted and hear your ideas.
Form: Host a Meet and Greet with Dr. Nolin
Show Me Your Newton World. Bring me to your place of worship, community organization or fitness location/activity. I’ll come to your temple, mosque, chamber meeting, sports group, civic activity, fitness bootcamp group. If you have 20 or more people to meet with me, I’ll come and talk about Newton Schools and its future.
Form: Host a Meet and Greet with Dr. Nolin
Show Your Spirit with New NPS Apparel: Visit our Newton Public Schools Spirit Store and Support our Community Engagement Programs!
Schools often talk to families about buying spirit wear (t-shirts, hats, jackets) that are school specific, but as a group, we are a school system, not just a system of schools. Let’s show our Newton Schools Pride and support our school system as a whole. Proceeds form this spirit store will fund parent and family/caregiver engagement opportunities to ensure all parent voices are heard!
Newton Public Schools Spirit Store Link
The store will be open until Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Items will be shipped to the Education Center at 100 Walnut St. and pick up will be arranged!
Be Heard. Your Unique Perspective Matters. Tell me your thoughts about our future.
We need your input on this question:
"What are some things we should stop, start, or continue to do in the Newton Public Schools?"
To gather your feedback, we're using a tool called ThoughtExchange. All of our voices matter, so your participation is crucial and valued. Below is the link to participate in our community Thought Exchange:
You'll be asked to respond to the open-ended question noted above. Then, you will be asked to consider and assign “stars” (which means you like or agree with the ideas) to some of the ideas shared by others (20 to 30 is ideal). Your thoughts and stars are confidential. You can come back as often as you'd like to participate and, in fact, we ask that you do come back to star any new ideas shared since you first participated. We learn what's important to the group by looking at the ideas that receive the most stars. The ratings will help us understand the most important areas to focus on in the coming year. The survey is in three languages.
If you need technical help, please call ThoughtExchange at 1-800-361-9027 ext. 4 or email help@thoughtexchange.com.
Celebrate Our Staff. Finally, and most importantly, help me celebrate our staff on the Opening Day of School 2023-24. Share with me the stories of how our Newton Public School staff have demonstrated care, expertise and excellence in serving the children of Newton. (any staff: nurses, paraprofessionals, cafeteria staff, principals, teachers, behaviorists, counselors, psychologists, tutors, –ANYONE–). Complete this form to participate!
Form: Celebrate Staff on Opening Day
Thank you for helping me to get a head start on supporting, celebrating and improving our district functioning and communication. I look forward to meeting you and supporting your children.
Fondly,
Anna P. Nolin, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
The last day of school will be Wednesday, June 21, 2023. It is an early release day as follows:
- NECP - No School
- Elementary School - 12:10 p.m.
- Middle School - 11:20 a.m.
- High School - 12:45 p.m.
*Please note that there is no school on Monday, June 19, 2023 due to the Juneteenth federal holiday observance.
*Due to recent questions and confusion, please note the following:
- Students who do NOT ride the bus do NOT pay the bus fee.
- Students who do not wish to ride the bus do not need to register for the bus.
Bus registration will open on June 1, 2023 at 9:00 a.m.
All students who wish to ride the bus MUST register for a bus pass. There are significant changes to the fee structure for purchasing a bus pass this year. Please note the following:
The bus fee has increased to $400 per student, with a family cap of two passes ($800.)
All elementary students who wish to ride the bus and reside LESS than 2 miles from their elementary school must now pay a bus fee.
Elementary students who wish to ride the bus and reside MORE than 2 miles from their elementary school DO NOT pay a bus fee.
As has been the case in previous years, all students in grades 7-12 who wish to ride the bus pay the bus fee.
6th grade students: All students in grade 6 who reside MORE than 2 miles from their school and wish to ride the bus do NOT pay a bus fee. 6th grade students who wish to ride the bus and reside less than two miles do pay a fee. Please visit our NPS Bus Fee webpage for details.
Please use this link to determine your distance from your school.
When bus registration opens on June 1, 2023, you will register and pay via MySchoolBucks. Installment payment plans will be available. More information on bus registration can be found on our NPS Bus Registration webpage.
Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. Please read below for details on how to apply.
Celebrate our Safety Superheros on Wednesday, June 7. Help your student make a card and say a special THANK YOU to our bus/van drivers and crossing guards for another year of helping our students arrive at school ready to learn.
Print a sample card and learn more about the Newton Safe Routes to School Task Force at www.NewtonSafeRoutes.org. A special thanks to Green Newton for donating flowers for our crossing guards.
As described by Supt. Smith above, we have developed a survey that seeks to inform revisions to our school calendar. The survey seeks to:
Identify religious and cultural observances observed by NPS families and staff and understand the nature of those observances.
Understand the priorities of the school community in balancing days out of school for religious observances with the state requirement for days in school
Utilize data to consider whether to add or subtract days out of school for religious observances.
Here are the survey links:
Calendar Survey: English (with language drop down at top upper right)
Complete the survey by June 2, 2023 and you will be entered to win the following:
A ride to school on a Newton Fire Department fire engine (grand prize)
One of 25 $20-gift cards to Cabot’s Ice Cream donated by Village Bank
Thank you in advance for your input!
Show your appreciation to your student’s teachers or school staff through the Newton Schools Foundation Honor Thy Teacher program. Say “Thank you” to one or more classroom teachers, education aides, fine arts or music teachers, coaches, counselors, or other school staff members who have made a difference in your student’s life.
Newton Schools Foundation provides grants that fund new approaches in the classroom, professional development for teachers, and programs that promote equity for all students. To learn more visit: NSF - Honor Thy Teacher
NNHS is hiring for a WIDE variety of positions for the 23-24 school year. Positions include teachers (Math, English, History, Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Spanish), Counselors (varied roles), Aides (including for a Campus Aide) and Behavior Technicians. The delayed budget season means that our timeline is now aggressive.
Know anyone who would be a great addition to our NNHS community? Please encourage them to apply NOW!
New Position Highlight: ELL Math Teacher/Math Coach. We are looking for an excellent math teacher with passion for and experience with teaching and supporting ELL Newcomers. The ELL Math Teacher/Coach is responsible for accelerating the learning and language acquisition of Academic English through the academic content of math, through direct instruction, co-teaching and coaching, in order for English Language Learners, including SLIFE students, to achieve academic success and meet classroom expectations Additionally, this position would coach Newcomer students to use effective strategies for success, including but not limited to effective study habits and organization techniques.
