Brown MS Weekly Update
Friday, Feb. 11, 2022
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February 11, 2022
Dear Brown MS Community,
It has been a long and difficult week, and I am glad to say it is Friday. This time of year can be draining and we are all feeling fatigued. I recognize the communications I sent out earlier this week are difficult to read, and add to that fatigue for all of us. So, today I would like to focus on the positive. There are many wonderful things to celebrate each day around us. The temperatures have given us a little warmth the past 2 days, the daylight hours are increasing and the covid numbers are decreasing! We have been successful at keeping school open all year and our students are together - getting the socialization they missed last year. Their eyes show their smiles as they greet each other in the hallways. They are building relationships with their teachers and learning new and important things each day. They are grappling with difficult topics respectfully and developing empathy along the way. While we can't deny the difficulties we all face, we can celebrate our community and continue to support each other. Thank you to all of you who sent kind messages this week. Your words got me through!
I plan to spend a good portion of tomorrow outside with the promise of one more warm(ish) day. My dog, Cletus, will be thrilled to have a day to play outside without getting covered in snow (see his picture below during last week's snowday). Wishing you a peaceful weekend.
Best,
Kim Lysaght, Principal
Midyear Progress Reports
Cabaret This Coming Week
Black History Month
Lost and Found!!! (See picture above)
COVID Communication
This week we had only 3 individuals that tested positive. We will continue to send notifications to any teams with a positive case daily and advise families and staff to actively monitor for/stay home if symptoms develop. For more information: NPS COVID Case Count and Vaccination Rates.
Please make sure to mark your calendar to remind yourself that all students opting into the Covid testing should do their test on Tuesday morning. The kits that were passed out this past Monday have 2 tests in them, so use the second one this coming Tuesday.
All families need to “opt-in” to this new testing program.
Access the Opt-in form through Aspen parent/guardian account: Aspen
Follow these instructions (link) once you are logged into Aspen
An at-home rapid antigen test kits will be distributed at school every other Monday. Each kit contains 2 tests.
Take the test on TUESDAY morning each week.
Here are printed instructions (link) for conducting the test at home. Here is a video tutorial (link) on conducting the test. Translations are included.
Only positive results need to be reported to the school. You will complete the Form - Positive Result from At-Home Rapid Antigen Test - State Program to report a positive result. Nurses will provide follow up information to families, including the date for return to school, following a positive test.
IMPORTANT!! If your student is within 90 days of a COVID infection, they should NOT test. DESE program guidance indicates that any student within 90 days of a COVID infection should not participate in this weekly at-home rapid antigen test for asymptomatic individuals.
Here is an FAQ that you can read to help with questions you may have.
Brown MS FORJ meeting - Wednesday, March 9 at 7:00PM
The FORJ (Families Organized for Racial Justice) leadership everyone to know that FORJ is a resource to support parents with concerns about the recent events at Brown. Both the history and current practice of anti-semtitism are highly interwoven with other types of racism and bigotry.
Parents can always reach out to us at brownforj@gmail.com. The next FORJ meeting is planned for Wednesday, March 9 at 7pm. They will have a presentation from the 7th grade English teachers about their work to curate a diverse library and their recent PTO mini-grant. If parents have concerns or ideas or needs in the meantime, please get in touch with the FORJ leaders, Rachel Pytel and Jingjing Hu.
Brown MS - Superintendent and School Committee Zoom Meeting - Feb. 16 at 7:00PM
A zoom link will be provided as the date gets closer.
Interpretation for this meeting can be available. Please complete this Google form at least three days before the meeting if you require interpretation: https://forms.gle/daA8qQjm61BJDocD7.
Urban Improv Coming to Brown!
Urban Improv's Rehearsal for Life uses improv theater to give kids a chance to practice reacting to prejudice, bullying and other tough subjects. Actors work with the school to tailor the program to the issues most relevant for that school. They conduct an improv workshop with each team so every student will have the chance to participate. Exact dates and more details will be forthcoming.
Middle School Matters - Community Forum - Thursday, March 3, 2022
Please join us for an informative community forum with guest speaker Phyllis Fagell. Ms. Fagell is a licensed clinical professional counselor, certified professional school counselor, journalist, and author of the best-selling book “Middle School Matters: The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond—and How Parents Can Help.” She is also a Ward, Day and North grad! This will be a terrific night filled with important information and dialogue, including how families can help their students navigate through the pandemic. You can take a sneak peek at her work on her website.
Here is the Zoom link for this virtual forum:
https://newton-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/88476468856
Meeting ID: 884 7646 8856
Passcode: 090547
One tap mobile: +16465588656,,88476468856#,,,,*090547# US (New York): +13017158592,,88476468856#,,,,*090547# US (Washington DC)
Please RSVP to the forum using this form. You can login without an RSVP, but it is helpful for us to have a general sense of attendance to plan accordingly. Here is the RSVP form:
More details on the forum can be found on the NPS website here: https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/3988
Parenting and (Still) Fostering Resilience Event
Student Services/SEPAC/NWH are pleased to announce an upcoming event on
Parenting and (Still) Fostering Resilience through Covid-19. This event will
be held on March 30, 2022, 7-8 p.m.
Click this link for more details or contact Katie Donnino donninok@newton.k12.ma.us
School Calendar for the 2022-23 School Year
At their meeting on Monday, December 6, 2021, the Newton School Committee approved the calendar for the 2022-23 school year. You can find it here:
NPS School Calendar 2022-23 (PDF Document)
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.