I Love Newton

Category: Newton Schools

Everything you want to know about the Newton Public School System in Newton, MA.

  • Summer Activities for Kids from FA Day Middle School Nurse

    Summer Activities for Kids from FA Day Middle School Nurse

    Summer Activities for Kids from FA Day Middle School Nurse. Two helpful PDFs with camps and volunteer opportunities for kids.

    After school and summer activities can be an essential part of your child’s educational and social/emotional learning. Research has shown the value of after school and summer programs and here in Newton, we are lucky enough to have numerous high quality out of school time programs.

    The City of Newton’s Executive Office, Health and Human Services Department and Newton Public Schools are currently working on promoting out-of-school time for middle schoolers. While all young people benefit from out of school time activities that help them grow and learn, middle school tends to be an age when student participation decreases. And yet, we know that this is a key time in development for young people to have positive role models, begin to identify skills and interests that may stay with them into adulthood. It is also a time when self-identity and judgment are forming and so positive, structured experiences can be especially beneficial. And of course, we want our middle schoolers to have FUN in safe, engaging ways.

    While we are still in the early stages of this work, we have created a webpage on the City website to help families find summer options for their middle schooler, as well as provide other valuable information like financial aid tips, helpful links and more. We will be continually adding more to the webpage in the coming months but with summer coming up we want to share what we have now to help with your planning. We welcome any feedback and ideas.

    Summer Activities for Kids from FA Day Middle School Nurse

    Middle School Youth Summer ideas April 13

    Newton Summer Middle School Programs Guide 2017 -April 13

  • 13 REASONS WHY Controversy

    13 REASONS WHY Controversy

    Dear Newton Families:

    Addressing the social and emotional needs of our students is an important system goal. It is essential that we work in partnership with families on important issues that impact our students. I am writing because we have become aware that many of our students are watching and discussing a new Netflix series entitled 13 Reasons Why, the content of which is challenging and difficult.

    13 REASONS WHY Controversy

    The series is based on a young adult novel by Jay Asher originally published in 2011. The story focuses on a high school student who dies by suicide, leaving behind 13 tapes detailing why she took her own life. The Netflix series contains graphic scenes of suicide and sexual assault/rape. It also addresses issues of cyber-bullying, alcoholism, and depression.

    As a community that has felt the tragic impact of youth suicide, we are particularly concerned about the content of this series. These issues are extraordinarily challenging and may be difficult for some students to process in a healthy and appropriate way. We want to ensure that families are not only aware of the show, but are equipped with resources to help them address these issues with their children.

    As a family, we encourage you to:

    • Check in with your child to find out if they have watched the show or what they might know about it.
    • If they want to see the show, watch it with them or preview it for them. You are the best person to determine if your child is prepared to handle the content.
    • If they have already watched it, take the opportunity to open a dialogue about the important yet difficult issues portrayed in the story.

    The following resources provide important guidance on the issues addressed in the show, as well as talking points for having a meaningful conversation with your child.

    National Association of School Psychologists (Background)
    https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/school-safety-and-crisis/preventing-youth-suicide/13-reasons-why-netflix-series-considerations-for-educators
    Jed Foundation (Issues raised)
    https://www.jedfoundation.org/13-reasons-jed-point-view/
    Jed Foundation/Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (Talking Points)
    https://www.save.org/13-reasons-why/

    We know these issues are challenging and I hope this information is helpful. If you have any concerns, please reach out to your child’s school counselor directly.

    Sincerely,

    David Fleishman
    Superintendent of Schools
  • NNHS Principal Letter

    NNHS Principal Letter

    As we near the end of the year there are many events that showcase our immense student talent as well as celebrate our student’s transitions both within and onward from Newton North. Please note that in addition to highlighting some new awards and accomplishments there is detailed information regarding graduation, post-prom celebration, Educational Excellence and the Newton Schools Foundation in this email.

    On a recent Friday morning in May student artists of all types showcased their work at Art Morning. Main Street was filled with the live music from Jubilee Singers and our own jazz band and the art wing displayed more than 400 student works and exhibited the learning that has taken place during the year in all areas of the North program – printmaking, photography, ceramics, painting, drawing, and a vast array of sculpture. Additionally, a large chalk drawing was created during the day outside of the Art Studios for anyone who wanted to participate. The Music Department recently held their annual Pops Night. It was a terrific evening of food and music featuring many of North’s ensembles.  As always, the evening culminated with the recognition of our seniors and the presentation of awards and scholarships.  Don’t miss the Jubilee Singers final performance which will be held on June 3rd at 7:00 PM in our Performing Arts Center. From June 6th to 10th the Theater Department will hold their Playwright’s Festival and Cabaret Troupe. And finally, both students and faculty members of the Theatre Department will be heading to London at the close of the school year for a Theatre Arts excursion.  

    Awards season at Newton North takes place in May and this year was no exception! In addition to the 11 annual awards ceremonies that are held in May, the World Language and ELL departments at Newton North and Newton South high schools collaborated to implement a Newton Public Schools Seal of Biliteracy. This award recognizes students for proficiency in two languages – English and a partner language.   At Newton North, 58 seniors earned a Seal of Biliteracy at the silver, gold or platinum level, and each school honored its recipients at a ceremony on the morning of May 4. Photos compliments of Sally Brickell on the PTSO website.

    In addition to the Seal of Biliteracy, The Ty Vignone Prize was also given for the first time this spring.This prize honors long serving history teacher Ty Vignone, who died this fall. Mr. Vignone was especially dedicated to civic education and global understanding. This prize goes to a graduating senior whose love and passion for history and politics shows beyond the classroom, and is manifest in active civic engagement and global citizenship. The winner should demonstrate the qualities of generosity, enthusiasm, and openness to other people that were the hallmarks of Mr. Vignone’s life. The 2017 winners of the Ty Vignone Prize are Carolina Fernandez-Londono and Jacob Sims Speyer.

    The History and Social Science awards which are given annually include The Kennedy Prize. The Kennedy Prize was established after the assassination of president John F. Kennedy to recognize the best research paper on U.S. history in the school.  Over time this research paper assignment has taken on great cultural significance here at Newton North and as you may know it is itself a graduation requirement for Newton North High School. Every year 10-15% of all the research papers are nominated for the Kennedy Prize. Reading the papers anonymously, the department chooses a winner and a runner-up on each curriculum level.  The topics are unique and each of the papers selected as winners are incredibly well thought out and thoroughly researched. Below is a synopsis of the topics and the students who were selected as winners.

    CP runner-up Alexandros Skretas

    Alexandros’ paper dives into the legal politics of affirmative action, and argues that the Supreme Court decisions in the case of University of California v. Bakke and Fisher v. University of Texas demonstrate a shift in public opinion regarding racial preferences in higher education. While these two cases do not contradict, they do show differing interpretations of the fourteenth amendment, and Alexandros argues that this difference is due to growing public acceptance of the role of diversity in college education.

    CP Winner Benjamin Cohen

    Benjamin’s paper is titled Freedom of Speech: An Endangered Liberty. In this clearly written and well-argued paper, Ben suggests that the United States federal government has become more hostile to the free speech rights protected by the first amendment since the late twentieth century. He contrasts the Supreme Court ruling in Tinker v. Des Moines, a 1969 decision that upheld the rights of high school students protesting the Vietnam War, with the 1984 flag-burning case Texas v. Johnson. Although the court did rule that flag burning was protected speech, Congress quickly made efforts to overturn the ruling with new legislation. Ben suggests that this reaction is symbolic of a new danger to our free speech rights.

    ACP runner-up Noah Klavens

    Noah’s paper is about the comic books code of 1954. This was a voluntary agreement by comic book publishers to establish strict standards for illustrations and plot, that came about in response to congressional pressure. Noah did a tremendous amount of research, including a large number of primary sources, and especially focused on New York City psychiatrist Frederick Wertham, who provided much of the data to show that comic books were leading children into lives of vice and crime. Noah explains that Wertham falsified much of his testimony to Congress, and that the code was built on faulty pretexts. Noah does however include some pre-code comic book covers in his appendix, which made members of the Kennedy Prize Committee perhaps more sympathetic to Congressional concerns than Noah seems to be – but the paper overall is an excellent history of a topic that was extremely controversial in the 1950s.

    ACP winner Sydney Reynders

    Sydney’s paper is titled Evolution of Abortion: The Effect of Advancing Technology. In this deeply thoughtful and well-researched paper, Sydney argues that advances in medical technology have complicated the nation’s approach to the abortion issue by making it ever more difficult to determine when fetal life actually begins, and by providing parents with ever more information about their unborn children. She links the invention of ultrasound and amniocentesis to the intensified political and legal conflicts over abortion rights, and concludes that “In a perfect world, new technology should only create benefits,” but in our current situation “technology leads a race that ethics cannot compete to win.”

    AP runner-up Jacob Jampel

    Jacob’s paper is titled Violence Alone Was Not Enough, and it argues that African-American voters in the Reconstruction South eventually had to be denied their voting rights through legislation, because simply using violence to intimidate them was not effective. What really impressed the committee about this paper was the methodology and the level of research Jacob had to complete to carry it off. Essentially, Jacob scoured county-level voting records to show that African-American turnout was suppressed only marginally after violent events against black voters – but substantially after voter suppression laws were put into effect. Jacob prevailed upon a University of Michigan professor to get him into the voting records database he used, and his bibliography of over thirty sources included email correspondence with the Cal Tech professor who has written one of the major works on this subject.

    AP winner Gershon Gilman

    Gershon’s paper is short – only fourteen pages and a bit. His bibliography has only twenty-four sources. But it is a dazzlingly sophisticated analysis of an obscure but fascinating topic: the establishment of quasi-public monopolies over the making and distribution of electricity. In order to complete this paper, Gershon needed to understand and explain a number of sophisticated economics concepts, including the difference between “monopoly” and “natural monopoly,” and the political science concept of “regulatory capture.” Gershon does so successfully, and explains how through the early twentieth century the electric system that we’ve some to see as “natural” was actually built by “self-serving industry titan” Samuel Insull. The end of the story is that “big utilities…became untouchable. Their profitability no longer depended on technology, efficiency or business innovation, but on the skill of their lawyers and relationships with the regulators” (14). Gershon holds out hope that deregulation and home production of electricity may yet break the monopoly.

    The NNHS Envirothon Team

    The team took home first place in the grueling Massachusetts Envirothon Current Issue presentation at this year’s competition at Drumlin Farm on May 18. The topic was urban agriculture, and one of the judges remarked that she thought she was “listening to NPR” as the students described the results of their research into soil and water quality and farming in our Garden City. The team also put in excellent showings at the four field stations in the competition: water, soils, wildlife, and forestry, to finish in third place overall. Please congratulate captain Iris Liao (’17), Colin Kaids (’17), Christina Cong (’17), Einat Gavish (’18), Cody Kotake (’18), Tony Sun (’18), Ethan Gahm (’19), Laura Schmidt-Hong (’19), Gus Betts-O’Rourke (’19), and Ben Borhegyi (’19).

     

    End of Year Events and Reminders

    Graduation

    We write in advance of graduation to outline a few important topics to ensure a smooth event.

    •    First come- first served seating.

    •    Only graduating seniors and faculty on the field.

    •    Ceremony starts at 5:00 pm sharp. Seniors must arrive by 4:00 pm.

    •    Find your graduate on Elm Road  after the ceremony – do not try to meet them on the field.

    •    Safety first – our staff will direct you.

    A few other important things to know about graduation:

    Location @ NNHS:

    Graduation will take place at Newton North on the multi-purpose field and stadium behind the school on Wednesday, June 7th 2017 at 5 pm.  Students should be at Newton North by 4:00pm to assemble for the processional.  

    IN CASE OF RAIN DURING THE CEREMONY-We will follow the procedure that we have used in the past for all outdoor graduations at North. The principal will make the call to cease ceremonial proceedings and direct seniors ONLY to the SOA to receive their diplomas. Families and their guests will proceed to their cars and plan to pick up graduates on Lowell Ave., Tiger Dr. and Hull St.

    Location at Conte Forum @ Boston College:

    The decision to move graduation to Conte Forum at Boston College will be made the morning of Monday, June 5th. Communication regarding a change of venue due to weather will be sent out via phone and email through our SchoolMessenger system on Monday, June 5th.

    Parking:

    Elm Road is closed at 3:30 – 7:30pm to all vehicles and is unavailable for parking.

    Handicap parking and drop off will be available on Tiger Drive off of Walnut Street. Parking for handicap-labeled vehicles will also be available in designated areas in the Walnut Street lot next to the school. Please enter the lot by turning on to Elm Road from Walnut Street.

    Parking is difficult and is mostly available on surrounding streets.  The police will mark the streets in terms of appropriate parking.  In general, parking will be restricted to one side of the street.  See attached map. Please remember to give a 5 foot clearance for all driveways.

    You can drop off anyone needing to be close to the venue on Tiger Drive, but you cannot park on Tiger Drive.

    Entrance:

    All guests will enter the event via the Tiger Drive building entrance, which cuts through to the field and stadium. All other entry points to the field will be closed.

    Seating:

    There is plenty of seating for everyone at graduation, so there are NO tickets or limit to how many guests you can bring

    Graduation seating opens at 3:30 pm. All seating is first come – first served. Guests may sit in the bleachers on both sides of the field and in chairs set up on the track. In order to keep the event focused on the graduates, and to protect the turf, no guests at any time will be permitted on the field. Graduates and faculty only will be allowed on the field. Handicap seating will be available. Staff and student leaders will direct guests upon arrival.

    Should you need additional time or need handicapped seating please plan to arrive by 4 pm.

    Documentation:

    The names of the seniors will be read aloud in alphabetical order as diplomas are presented. Official photographers will photograph each student as he/she receives his/her diploma. Graduates parents will receive a proof and ordering information from GradImages via e-mail and US mail. If you have any questions you can call GradImages Customer Service at 1-800-261-2576.  Also, NewTV is taping graduation and will show their video on Cable Channel 9 in late June. Check their website

    Safety & Security:

    We are working diligently with faculty, city and police personnel to make the event as smooth as possible for our graduates.  We will ask that all guests follow all directions of our team of student leaders, staff and police. We will try to have all off-limit areas clearly marked and attended by security personnel, but your cooperation in keeping young children safe and next to you in their seats will be much appreciated.

    To maintain the integrity of the multi-purpose field no high heeled shoes are to be worn on the field, this includes students graduating.

    Timing:

    We expect to conclude the event by 7pm.  

    Thank you, as always, for being our partners in this process.  

     

    Senior Prom & Celebration 2017: Please support Celebration–we need 140 more volunteers!

    I am writing to ask for your support for Celebration 2017, the Newton North PTSO’s wonderful post-prom party here at North. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this parent and community endeavor to provide students with a safe place to look forward to and convene after prom for our teenagers.

    Please review the information below and consider volunteer your time and making a donation.

    What is Celebration?

    Celebration 2017 runs immediately after the prom, on Monday, June 5, from 11:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. It provides a fun and safe environment for seniors and a guest to continue the party. All seniors and a guest are invited–whether or not they attend prom. Celebration is a popular alternative to unsupervised house parties, helping to keep our students off the streets and out of harm’s way. Admission is free. We have police and chaperones on duty throughout the event.

    Celebration features a casino, prize drawing, photo booths, entertainment, food, music, and much more. If you are new to the Newton North community you may not realize the enormous scale of Celebration 2017. Several areas of the first floor will be decorated and transformed to reflect this year’s theme, “Hollywood Nights.”

    The PTSO needs your help at all levels to continue this tradition of safety! There are many ways to help, from running a casino table to helping serve food to monitoring hallways for security to helping clean up.

    Why should senior parents care?

    Celebration 2017 provides a supervised and structured environment for seniors to continue the fun after the prom. This helps reduce concern about post-prom parties and late-night impaired driving. Students can change from their prom attire at the school and store their clothes and backpacks safely there. Once they check in, students are not allowed to exit without formally checking out and leaving the event for the night.

    Why should non-senior parents care?

    It may seem that Celebration 2017 should concern only seniors and their parents/guardians, but this is not the case. Before you know it, you will be the parent of a senior! It has become a great tradition for non-senior parents to pay it forward so that senior parents can breathe a bit easier on prom night.

    Where can I go to get more information or volunteer to help?

    To sign up, go to NorthPTSO.org and look for the “Hollywood Nights” logo.

    Donations — Celebration 2017 is funded entirely from donations. We have two ways you can support the cause financially.

    To donate online, go to NorthPTSO.org and look for the “Hollywood Nights” logo.

    To donate by check, make checks payable to Newton North PTSO and note “Celebration 2017” on the memo line.

    Send to:

    Celebration 2017

    Newton North High School

    457 Walnut Street

    Newton, MA 02460

    Newton PTSO EdEx Campaign

    This year’s PTSO Educational Excellence Campaign (EdEx) is focused on raising money for “Tiger Talks”.  This fund will allow us to support guest speakers with a token of appreciation and to expand our guest speaker program.  One of the true bonuses of  being a student at Newton North are the opportunities to attend our student run assemblies, such as BLAC Day, ToBeGlad Day, Feminism Day, Reality Fair and Kindness Day.   In addition to student and faculty presentaitons we regularly have guest speakers to help push our thinking on an array of topics.

    Just recently at Kindness Day child advocate and stand-up comedian Pamela Schuller spoke with students about “Inclusion Done Differently” and she gave a workshop on improv.  Pamela has an inspiring story as a person who had one of the most severe cases of Tourettes Syndrome as a child.  You can watch Pamela give a speech here.

    Our EdEx campaign will help us grow our speaker program and provide a small gift to thank the speakers who visit us as a gesture generosity.   If you’d like to support the “Tiger Talks” EdEx campaign please go to the following link http://www.northptso.org/node/2091.  A big thank you to those of you who have already provided a gift.

    Thank you

    There are so many ways that Newton North families give back to Newton North.    From the breakfast for TGIF breakfasts to volunteering at events such as Newton Serves to joining committees and support organizations such as PTSo, thank you so much for all that you do to help this school make it the incredible place that it is.  If you are ever looking for a way to give back to Newton North, please feel free to contact me or PTSO presidents Sally Brickel and Rex Clarke co-presidents@northptso.org

    Please take a moment to review the attached message  from the Newton Schools Foundation regarding Honor Thy Teacher.

    Senior Countdown photos are attached here.

  • Newton North High School Principal Letter

    Newton North High School Principal Letter

    Principal’s Newsletter-April 2017

    One of the amazing aspects of Newton North is the number of ways that our students help to give back to their school and strengthen their larger community.  As you may recall, we are working to provide a greater focus on our Social and Civic Expectations across the building.  Below is a sample of some of the highlights of events that showcase the many ways our Student Organizations help to strengthen our community.

    Club Activities

    ToBGLAD Day was held on April 7th. The days events were well attended and  found it was a supportive event to help raise awareness and understanding of LGBTQ issues. During the day there were a number of panelist groups and presenters including faith community members, students and faculty, a group of acapella singers as well as a parents and community group Out Metrowest.

    The Kindness Club recently celebrated Kindness Day that included a variety of activities on Main Street as well as a full day of speakers including acclaimed speaker Pamela Schuller, a special needs advocate and panel discussions for students and teachers alike. Math teachers Tracey Stewart and Allegra Atkinson lead the club with a focus on efforts to create a more connected and caring school community stating that “the one thing that’s hard to teach is just humanness, the realization that everyone around you is worthy of love, respect and kindess!”

    Body Confidence Day was led by PEHW teacher Courtney Albert. The focus of the day was to start and continue conversations about the under-discussed, yet prevalent subject of how we view ourselves. The day included presentations and panel discussions that ranged from eating disorders, dieting addictions and BMI to ableism, body dysphoria for transgender students and plus size fashion and body confidence. Mass MEDA (Multiservice Eating Disorders Association) clinicians were on hand to answer questions and assist students.

    Dreamfar High School Marathon Club serves a purpose far beyond helping students simply run the 26.2 miles of the Providence marathon. This year the club had 24 students involved with the group and practiced during the week after school and on Saturday mornings with teachers Ethan Peritz, Colleen Virgil and Amy McMahon. Students have reflected that being part of a community that was supportive and non-competitive is wonderful for them. One student remarked that preparing for the marathon has “had a positive impact on my mental and emotional health” and that training has “largely affected my self-confidence.” Students who take part in Dreamfar are part of a larger group of 14 schools that take part and all get to interact with one another on their long runs as part of a community.

    FBLA Club awarded MA Chapter of the Year at 2017 State Competition. 15 club members were presented with an opportunity to attend Nationals in Anaheim, California for their highly competitive test scores and outstanding presentations at the state competition held at Bentley University.

    SLACers (Student Library Assistant Club) help out in the Library Learning Commons throughout the school day. Our students collaborate on building creative displays to promote reading, check books in and out and shelve books that have been returned. The club welcomes new students and participate in special.projects. Each term the librarians accept 1-2 students to assist library teachers and receive credit for their service.

    The Hiking Club led by Anndy Dannenberg went on a day trip to the Blue Hills. Before they left the parking lot, the club co-president had engaged all 16 students in a name-game that was remarkable in that it took as long to formulate the rules of the game as it did to play. The constant modifications to the protocol felt more like an improv theater exercise than an organized ice breaker, but it involved all concerned, and put everyone at their ease as they relaxed into the craziness. Eventually a structure was conceived and eventually the stated purpose of introductions was achieved. The hike was equally relaxed and collaborative, and the membership in the hiking club had been expanded. The co-presidents are among the most welcoming and inclusive student leaders I’ve had the pleasure of working with in my long tenure as club advisor.

    Old Grannies is an inclusive and relaxed club where participants are able to be creative among friends and collaborate. In this club we can teach and learn from each other how to knit, crochet and embroider. Over the year the club has created hats, scarves, blankets and gifts. The club is dedicated to Karen Douglass whom the group tries to honor by emulating her creativity.

    Archery has has taken a field trip to Bay State Archery to practice their shooting technique and has enjoyed a number of opportunities to bond as group.

    Asian Culture Club has monthly meetings with club members and has held both annual events in April including  Asian Culture Day which featured both famous Asians in the film industry as well as NNHS teacher Subheen Razzaqui, student speakers and artist Bren Bataclan. Asian Culture Night focused on student led acts including: Chinese lion dance, Filipino traditional dance, K-Pop dancing, singing, Chinese yo-yo, a fashion show and students who played the violin and piano.

    The boys and girls Ultimate teams held a discussion on gender equity in sports. The teams discussed the qualities of good leaders, teammates and friends and tried to build a greater understanding of gender I’m balance that has existed in sports throughout history. There were no ‘right’ answers’ but mostly observations of these imbalances and discussions about what can be done to support women in sports and women’s sports in general.

    The Science Team earned 1st place in the state for the 2017 TEAMS (Tests of Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science) 11th and 12th grade competition. The 9th and 10th grade team won 3rd place.

     

    Upcoming Events

    The Junior semi-formal will take place on May 20th at the Royal Sonesta Hotel from 7 to 11 pm. Students can purchase tickets for the Great Gatsby/Roaring Twenties themed event during third lunch for $85 a ticket. If your student would like to take a guest from another grade or school please have them visit the Riley House office to pick up a form which must be signed by the other student’s Dean or Assistant Principal of their school. Busses will transport students to and from the event and will leave promptly from the theater entrance of Newton North at 6:30 pm.

    To celebrate our students diverse backgrounds, an International Event will take place on May 25th.

    Weather permitting, graduation will take place on Wednesday, June 7th at 5 pm at Newton North High School. For planning purposes, we estimate that the entire graduation takes two hours.


    From left: Students painting an Office during Newton Serves; Newton METCO 50th Anniversary Celebration; 40th Anniversary celebration of Newton North–Masillon French Exchange; Ms. Franchi cooks Pancakes for her students before vacation; Winners of the Heintzelman Writing Competition read their work.

  • Newton Art Association College Scholarships

    Newton Art Association College Scholarships

    Newton Art Association

    Each year the Newton Art Association grants scholarships to two or more college-bound high school seniors from Newton; $3,000 in prize money is divided among the winners. You can apply if you meet these criteria:

    • You live or go to high school in Newton.
    • Your work is 2-D or 3-D such as printmaking, drawing, photography, painting, digital art, mixed media, metal work, ceramics, or glass.  Unfortunately, video and film are not eligible.

    To learn more about this opportunity, clic on the link bellow:

    Scholarship Application 2018      

    Applications are no longer being accepted for the 2017 NAA scholarship. Applications for 2018 will open in February 2018.

    More info: http://www.newtonartassociation.com

    Find application attached to this email.

    Scholarship application 2017

    Newton Art Association College Scholarships

  • GELF Benefit Dinner: Save the Date!

    GELF Benefit Dinner: Save the Date!

    Join us for the
    Saturday, April 1 :: 6:30 pm :: Newton North High School
    GELF Benefit Dinner: Save the Date!
    Mixed Race girl holding globe
    Tickets are not only a great holiday gift, but also a great way to wrap up your charitable giving for 2016. And if you buy before February 18, 2016, you’ll get 2 free tickets to an exclusive, early-bird-only raffle!

    The Jennifer Price Global Education Leadership Fund (GELF),

    Newton’s study abroad scholarship program, is turning nine! Change students’ lives by joining Newton community members for chef’s favorites, beer & wine, and live entertainment to support lower-income Newton students in taking advantage of international opportunities.
    Come for food, fun, & great cause!
    • Five course gourmet tasting menu prepared by Chef Katya Salkever
    • Live music by Newton South’s very own Katani Sumner and band
    • Fine beer pairings carefully selected to accompany each course, explained by Sam Adams co-founder & CEO Jim Koch
    • Benefit raffle
    • Excellent company (150 of the coolest members of our community!)
    • A great cause: Opening up travel opportunities to Newton students regardless of background
    • FUN AND A GOOD TIME!!

    Since its inception, GELF has funded more than 160 students for international travel and given away more than $240,000 in scholarships!! This year alone GELF has funded:

    • more than $40,000
    • to 21 students
    • to travel to 8 countries!

     

    Reserve your seat today by clicking here or you may send a $150/person check (made payable to Newton Schools Foundation) to: Newton Schools Foundation
    P.O. Box 590020, Newton, MA 02459
    Please write GELF on the memo line of your check and include guest names and your email address.
    Whether you are coming or not, please consider donating to support a teacher to attend the event ($100/person) or just mail a check to the address above.
    Join us Saturday, April 1st in support of our students.
  • Teaching Your Children About Saving Money Infographic!

    Teaching Your Children About Saving Money Infographic!

    You don’t have to wait until your kids are teenagers. You can start talking to them about the basics of money as early as preschool. Here are some tips about how to talk to your kids about money at any age:

    • From ages three to five you can teach kids that money can be exchanged for things. Explain to them the difference between pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters.
    • From ages five to nine you can start giving them an allowance. This is also a good time to explain bank accounts and what it means when a bank account earns interest.
    • From ages nine to 13 you can help them open a savings account. Encourage them to save their allowance towards a goal (a new toy or a DVD). You might even consider setting up a matching savings plan like most companies do with a 401(k). This is also a good time to start talking to them about the idea of keeping a minimum balance based on the savings account requirement. You can also introduce the concept of keeping savings in case of emergency. Even though they won’t need to pay for an emergency at such a young age, you can explain the importance of keeping a nest egg.
    • From ages 13 to 15 you can expand your children’s allowance to include more expensive items like clothes or gifts for friends. This is also a good time to introduce entrepreneurship. Encourage your kids to earn their own money with jobs for neighbors and friends.  Arrange for them to have an ATM card so they can withdraw money from their savings account.
    • From ages 15 to 18 and up you can help your children open a checking account with a debit card. Teach them how to manage their account online or with mobile banking. You can even go old school and show them how to use a check register. This is also a good time to talk fiscal responsibility about when they go off to college. Be very clear about what expenses you will pay for which ones they will cover.

    Explaining money management to your kids can start out with something as simple as giving them an allowance. If you talk to them regularly, teach by your own fiscally responsible example and give them the right tools, you will do more than teach them about money basics. You will instill in them a respect for earning and saving money that will hopefully set them on a path to being financially independent and responsible in adulthood.

    Teaching Your Children About Saving Money Infographic!

  • NNHS Homeroom Announcements on YouTube

    I’m happy to announce that homeroom announcements will now be produced by the NNHS TV and Video Program and posted to YouTube.

    Be sure to subscribe to their channel on YouTube for the weekly updates.

    Homeroom teachers will be playing the announcements on Wednesdays during homeroom.

    Homeroom teachers are provided with a text version of the announcements. We are also working on Closed Captioning solutions.

    Thanks so much!

    Amy Winston

    NNHS Vice Principal

  • NNHS Basketball Behavior Protocol

    NNHS Basketball Behavior Protocol

    This evening at 6:30pm, the Newton North Boys’ Basketball team will host Braintree. The overwhelming majority of our students behave appropriately at school events. However, since there have been problems involving alcohol at these events in past years, the administration is continuing its efforts to be proactive and help students make good, safe decisions.

    In order to support students to make good choices, the following conditions will be in effect:

    •    NNHS students must enter the event by going through the main entrance of the building on Tiger Drive.
    •    Backpacks, bags, and containers may not be brought into the gymnasium.
    •    All students will be subject to search.  If need be, a breathalyzer will be utilized.
    •    If students are found to be in possession or under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, they will be suspended from school. They will also lose the privilege to be a spectator at future Newton North athletic events.

    Newton North Boys' Basketball team

    p.s. This is in response to NNHS Boys Basketball versus Catholic Memorial last year.

  • Williams Elementary School Auction!

    Williams Elementary School Auction!

    Our auction date is fast approaching!

    The Williams Auction opens for bidding on January 28, 2017 at 8:00 AM EST.

    Williams Elementary School Auction!

    Our goal this year is to raise $20,000 to support our elementary school. Our PTO funds numerous programs not covered by the Newton school system such as Creative Arts & Sciences, Child Abuse Prevention programs, Understanding Our Differences, library books and literacy, physical education equipment, and much more.

    We need your support! This is an exciting and fun way to help us, and at the same time have a chance to win cool items!

    We’ll be adding new items to our auction for you to preview as the auction date approaches. Check back often to see what’s new. Feel free to place a Watch on your favorites, so that you’ll know as soon as bidding begins!

    View All Auction Items