September 28, 2022

Dear NPS Families,

As I near the three month mark of my tenure in Newton, I am grateful to the Newton community for extending such a warm welcome to me. The NPS team has been working with me to ensure I am up to speed on the many wonderful initiatives and programs that are underway in our schools. The opportunities our students have in the Newton Public Schools are tremendous and I look forward to continuing to support them this year.

For my part, I have filled my calendar meeting with educators and staff in the district, as well as our city partners. Most recently, I met with Police Chief Carmichael and Fire Chief Gentile to review our safety protocols, and I know our district safety team has begun their regular meetings as well. All of our schools are or will be practicing emergency response procedures over the next few weeks so that students and staff are well-prepared.

I have also met with the PTO Council co-presidents Kerry Prasad and Elsa Janairo to learn more about the issues most important to our families right now. I look forward to continuing to work with them over the course of this year and to meet more families as I visit schools and PTO meetings in the coming months.

Our School Committee continues to work with our administrative team to refine our system wide goals for this school year. Together with our entire School Committee, we have already engaged in over eight hours of professional development geared towards strengthening our collective efforts in supporting our district mission and values. We are all working closely together to ensure the district continues to make forward progress this year.

Thank you again for your warm welcome and I look forward to seeing you in our schools soon.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Smith, J.D.

Newton Health & Human Services will be hosting two community flu clinics in the War Memorial Auditorium at City Hall (1000 Commonwealth Ave) on the following days:

• Friday, October 7h: 10:00 am – 12:00 p.m. (For Seniors 65+ ONLY)

• Tuesday, October 18: 4:00 pm – 6:00 p.m. (For all ages 6 mos.+)

Both the regular and high dose flu vaccines will be offered. Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome. Insurance is requested but not required.

Registration for Newton HHS Flu Clinics

Every year, you are required to update student information in Aspen, our student information system. It is very important that families update addresses, emergency contacts, health records, and permissions so that schools have the most accurate and up to date information for students.

This system is also used to determine what student information can be released. Please note that we do have new Opt Out Permissions for the 2022-2023 school year that need your review and preference selections.

Families must update their students’ records by Friday, September 30th. Please use these instructions to access the information and forms in Aspen: Student Information Update Instructions.

Every student in grades 6-12 in the Newton Public Schools is issued a Chromebook. For families who have now received a Chromebook, please make sure you have done signed the Chromebook Loan Agreement available in our Aspen Portal. Printable and translated copies are also available.

To protect your student’s Chromebook, you may wish to consider opting-in to the Optional Chromebook Repair Fund, for $25 per year. Sign-up and payment is done through the MySchoolBucks Portal.

We encourage you to examine some of the posted on our website. More information about the 1:1 Device program, including resources on Online Safety and Digital Citizenship, can be found on the NPS 1:1 Technology Overview Page.

The Affordable Connectivity Program is a Federal Communications Commission Program that helps connect families and households struggling to afford internet service. Benefits for eligible households include:

• A discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.

• A one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers.

Eligible households can enroll through a participating broadband provider or directly with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) using an online or mail in application.

Learn more about the benefit by visiting www.fcc.gov/ACP, or by calling 877-384-2575.

Here are a few reminders about the meals programs this year:

1. First "reimbursable" meals are free for all students. A “reimbursable lunch” has a minimum of three of five of the required meal components. Second meals and a la carte items are fee-based and must be paid for with cash or with MySchool Bucks.

• Milk is free if part of a reimbursable lunch. However, if a student brings their lunch from home but would like milk, there is a charge. The price of a single milk is $.40.

• The student charge for second meals is $5.25 for elementary students and $5.50 for middle and high school students. If a student purchases just an entree, the cost is $3.50.

• Meals and drinks can be purchased using cash or with funds on a student’s MySchoolBucks account.

The Elementary Early Morning Program is the before school childcare service for students in grades K-5. The program runs 7:20 a.m. - 8:10 a.m. starting September 12, 2022. You may select between 1-5 days of care.

Register your student online through MySchoolBucks.com. Once you have registered, your student’s registration status will not be active until it has been approved by the Business Office. If your registration is approved, you will receive a confirmation email. Financial waivers are available and can be completed in Aspen.

Visit this website for details and information on pricing. Please contact the business office at 617-559-9025 or feepayments@newton.k12.ma.us with questions.

The Department of Children and Families is seeking to keep Newton children in their schools and communities. We want to ensure that when DCF assumes care and custody of a child, that child is able to remain in their school, with their friends and the adults that support them. In order to accomplish this, DCF is looking for Newton parents who would consider becoming a short-term caregiver for a student in need at their child’s school.

Please complete this brief survey if you are interested in participating or learning more.

Please mark your calendars to attend Newton's Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) annual Basic Rights Workshop on Tuesday, October 18th from 7-9pm, facilitated by the Federation for Children with Special Needs. The session will be virtual and will not be recorded, so we hope you can make it live! Questions will be welcome on general topics not specific to individual cases.

Registration Link: https://fcsn-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpcuitrT0uGdcFX2NZf-S60lsrlEWEn3Ag

National Hispanic Heritage Month is the annual celebration of the history and culture of U.S. Latinx and Hispanic communities. It is celebrated from September 15 to October 15t. This year's theme for Hispanic Heritage month is "Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation."

During this time, we honor the contributions made by American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The term Hispanic or Latino (or the more recent term Latinx) refers to a person’s culture or origin—regardless of race. With a population of more than 60.6 million, equivalent to 18.5% of the entire population of the United States, Latino culture is increasing in everyday life through music, food, dance but we also find it in science, art, economics, politics and other fields.

On Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 7:00 p.m., the Newton middle school PTOs and the Newton Public Schools will host a virtual forum with Dr. Catherine Pearlman, author of First Phone. The forum is designed to help families navigate some of the challenges around their child's first cell phone. Below is a brief overview of the book. Login information coming soon.

First Phone is a fun and informative illustrated kids’ guide to safely and productively navigating the digital landscape. In the book, Catherine Pearlman—licensed clinical social worker and parenting expert—speaks directly to eight- to twelve-year-old children about digital safety in a manner that is playful, engaging, and age-appropriate. With insights and strategies supported by the latest research, First Phone offers:

• Guidance on privacy, boundaries, social media, and even sexting (yes, young children need to learn about sexting before it happens!)

• Best digital hygiene and self-care practices, including when to put the darn phone down, when to turn off notifications, and where to charge

• How to be a kind and compassionate upstander in a digital world

The Burr FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) group has purchased, installed, and stocked this Little Diverse Library for the Burr Community. The Burr art teacher, Jayme Ellis, had students paint and decorate it with their fingerprints. A ribbon cutting to introduce the library will be held before Curriculum Night on October 6th.

Would you like to work for the Newton Public Schools? We are hiring! NPS has open positions for the following:

• Special education aides, Behavior Therapists,

• Lunch monitors

• Part time early literacy aides

• Part time math intervention aides

• Instructional Support Staff (substitutes)

• Building aides

Following this link to apply:

Apply to join the Newton Public Schools