RETURN TO SCHOOL TOMORROW
- Newton Public Schools will be open Monday, February 5, 2024
- We will have a 1-hour delay opening to prepare for supporting students on their return.
- Bus pick up times should be adjusted by 1 hour.
- School will begin on Monday at 8:55 a.m. (doors will open at 8:30 a.m. for breakfast)
- Dismissal will be at the typical time - 2:25 p.m.
- Tomorrow will be a Day 4
A Note from the Principal
February 2, 2024
Dear Day Families,
As our dedicated educators return from their recent strike, we want to reassure you that, above all, we all care deeply about our students and our families and are excited to welcome back the students on Monday.
We want to acknowledge the difficulties families have experienced during this period. As a district, we prioritize providing every student with a supportive and nurturing learning space. In preparing to welcome our students back, our school teams are ready to focus on teaching, learning, and meeting the needs of our students.
Staff will be communicating the following to their students:
Students were missed, and we are happy to be back at school together and return to learning together.
If students bring up/ask about the strike, we have provided guidance and expectations that support staff to respond in a measured and factual manner.
Counselors will be notified and ready if any students appear to need more support in transitioning back to school.
At the middle school level, re-establishing community, routines & schedules, and grade-level learning are our top priorities. As soon as possible, we plan to communicate rescheduling details for canceled events, meetings, parent conferences, activities, etc. In addition, the School Committee is actively working on modifying the academic calendar and determining the final day of school for our students.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE: We will have a one hour delay tomorrow – this means that all buses will be at their usual stops one hour later than usual. Dismissal times will remain the same.
Please find a link to Dr. Nolin’s letter linked below with additional important information.
We are all invested in creating a seamless transition back to school. As always, we are here to support all of you. If you have any questions, please email or call me.
All the best,
Jackie Mann
Day Principal
SAVE THE DATE:
Tuesday, February 13, 2023 - Term 3 Begins
Friday, February 16, 2024 - Term 2 Grades Posted
Tuesday, February 13, 2024 - Brent Daniels Assemblies
Tuesday, February 13, 2024 - Jazz Band Concert at NNHS - may be rescheduled
Mon., Feb. 19th: President's Day Holiday
Tues. Feb 20th - Fri. Feb. 23rd - School is in session (Feb. break has been cancelled)
Tues. Feb. 27th - NNHS CTE and Fine Arts 8th Gr.Presentation 10:30 a.m.
Tues. Feb. 27th - School Council at 3 p.m.
Tues. Feb. 27th - 8th Gr. Night at NNHS
Tues., February 27th: - Superintendent and School Committee Coffee 8:30 a.m.
Thurs. Feb. 29th - 8th Gr. Parent Night at NNHS
COMING TOGETHER AS WE RETURN TO SCHOOL
Over the past two weeks the NPS Principals group has been working on developing a plan to support our students' return to school and lead our school communities down a pathway toward healing and growth. Below are a few highlights:
Students:
- Our focus this week will be on supporting students by returning to a sense of normalcy with the daily school routines and learning.
- During advisory on the first day back, students will view the community message from Ms. Mann (linked below).
- Teachers will be provided talking points and guidance should students have questions about their return to school.
- Counselors will check in with students and keep their schedules open on the first few day back so that they are available to students and families. If you are concerned about your child, please reach out to your child's counselor directly, or Jennifer Murphy, our Assistant Department Chair for Student Services at murphyj@newton.k12.ma.us
Faculty
- On Monday morning, the Day Faculty will use the hour delay to discuss how we will transition our students back to school.
- We will use our after school professional time over the next month to create a shared vision for our school community and how we will support students for the remainder of the school year.
Parents and Caregivers
- I have scheduled a virtual parent drop in session for this Tuesday, February 6, 2024 from 7:00 - 7:45 p.m. This is an informal opportunity for parents and caregivers to meet with me to ask any questions and share any concerns. (This will hopefully be just the first of a series of meetings)
Parent Drop In Session
Tuesday, February 6th from 7:00 - 7:45 p.m.
Time zone: America/New_York
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/wob-btmd-fmi
Or dial: (US) +1 209-734-0051 PIN: 453 193 804#
PARENT CONFERENCES
Jennifer Murphy will be in touch with all parents who were scheduled for parent conferences on January 24th.
ALL of these conferences will be rescheduled for the same time on Wednesday, February 28th.
Please email Jenn Murphy with any questions: murphyj@newton.k12.ma.us
