Brown MS Weekly Update
Friday, Sept. 24, 2021
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A Special Visit Today!
Today during lunch we had a wonderful treat. Newton Police Chief Carmichael, Officer McMains and Community Outreach Officer Lau paid us a visit with "Officer Leo" - the newest member of the force who is a 10-week old puppy! Leo will be working with Officer Lau on community outreach including coming to the schools to connect with students. They spent lunch with us outside and students had a chance to pet and hold him. It was priceless to watch! Officer Lau will be back for future visits so we can all watch Leo grow and learn. I have included pictures below.
Our after school enrichment activities are up and running. As I write this our cross country team (which is over 100 strong) is running by my window, the soccer teams are playing out on the fields and it all just feels so normal! I am thankful every day that we are all together as a community this year.
I was able to go kayaking this past weekend along the Charles River which was terrific. Next on my list of favorite fall activities is apple picking! Nothing can beat a warm apple crisp on a cool, fall day. I hope you and yours are able to do some of your favorite activities this weekend, too.
Stay safe and stay well,
Kim Lysaght, Principal
Introducing Chief Carmichael, Officer Lau, Officer McMains...
and Officer Leo!
Certainly a welcome guest!
Back to School Night - Teacher Videos
If you missed the presentation by administrators and the PTO, you can watch it here.
Please click here to access the videos from our FAA, PE, Health, ELL and World Language teachers regarding their curriculum and expectations for the school year.
COVID Communication
This past week I sent out letters to the entire school community regarding positive cases of COVID at Brown. Going forward, my official communication to the community at large regarding COVID cases will be in this update. As of today, there have been 3 positive COVID cases at Brown this week.
All close contacts have already been directly contacted by our school nurse, so if you have not been notified by her, then your child is not considered a close contact.
I will also send emails to families of students who were in classrooms with an individual that tested positive. These emails are just informational, and do not mean the student was a close contact.
If you have any questions, our NPS protocol for communications regarding COVID notifications is here: Communications Protocol for COVID Notification
Finally, please remind students to stay safe both at school and on the weekends by wearing masks when in close proximity to others and wearing them properly (fully covering their nose and mouth). Also, please remind them to frequently wash or sanitize their hands. We will do the same here at school. Continue to check in with your child each morning to assess how they are feeling (see picture below). This continues to be a community wide effort, and we appreciate your support in these challenging times.
Covid Testing Program
Our weekly Covid testing program will run for 6th graders this coming Monday. CIC Health, our vendor for testing, is working to increase staffing and supplies so that we can expand the testing to the entire school in future weeks.
Please consider opting into the testing program if you have not already. You ARE REQUIRED to provide consent for your student to be tested. Please log into Aspen to sign the consent form. Here is the Aspen Login Link. Please follow these instructions for accessing and signing the consent form.
Another important part of providing consent is that students will be able to participate in our Test and Stay Program. Test and Stay means unvaccinated asymptomatic close contacts exposed at school can participate in a COVID rapid test rather than quarantining. The rapid test would be conducted for at least five days following exposure. If the test is negative and the student has no symptoms, the student stays in school and avoids quarantine.
If you would like to learn more about the Covid testing program, please click here for our NPS webpage on Covid testing.
Having trouble logging into Aspen? Email: aspen@newton.k12.ma.us
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic - This Weekend!
Newton North High School
Location: Cafeteria
Saturday October 2, 8am - 12pm
North Sign Up Link:
https://tinyurl.com/NEWTONNORTHVAX
Newton South High School
Location: Gymnasium
Saturday October 2, 8am - 12pm
South Sign Up Link:
https://tinyurl.com/NEWTONSOUTHVAX
Clinics are open to anyone over age 12.
Anyone under the age of 18 needs to be accompanied by an adult or have the state's consent form filled out which is available here.
Chromebooks
1.) Brown Technology Orientation Course on Schoology - every student has been added to this course. If they are having technical issues, please have them log into schoology and consult this for help.
2.) Consult the Student and Family Technology Resources page.
3.). Broken equipment will be turned in at the office. Please have students let their teacher know that their Chromebook is broken. Teachers will inform the office and then students will be called down to the office once a temporary loaner is assigned to them.
Please note, we do not have loaners for students who forget their computers at home or forget to charge them. Please help them to be responsible for their technology each day.
Finally, you can enroll in the optional Chromebook Repair Fund. Click here for more information.
Resilience Project Webinar: September 30, 7:00PM
Webinar will feature Parents & Caregivers Program Co-directors, Tai Katzenstein, PhD and Juliana Chen, MD, as well as local school and mental health professionals. Register for meeting link and password, and to submit questions in advance.
Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration!
Reporting Absences
To report a student absence call: 617-559-6980
Website: https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/43
Location: 125 Meadowbrook Road, Newton, MA, USA
Phone: 617-559-6900
Need to Update your Information in Aspen?
Calendar and School Hours
School Hours:
8:20AM - 2:50PM - Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri.
8:20 AM - 2:05PM - Wed.
Click here for the NPS school calendar.
Click here for the Brown Middle School 6-day rotation calendar with early release days and days of the cycle.