I hope you have enjoyed the summer. It is a great pleasure to welcome both our returning families and those new to our schools.
The start of the school year is a wonderful time for anyone involved in education because it allows us to develop new goals, build new relationships and embark upon new challenges. Our Systemwide Goals this year highlight both academic and social and emotional learning. While improving student achievement remains the most important part of our mission, we know it is also essential to focus on the social and emotional needs of our students. I look forward to updating you on some of our key initiatives over the course of the school year.
This summer, our faculty and staff further developed their own knowledge and skills by taking courses and participating in workshops. We have also done work that requires extensive time for reflection, research, and collaboration, such as revising and updating curriculum units, sharpening our abilities to use data, reworking curriculum units to incorporate the ever-growing possibilities of instructional technology, and planning improvements to the social and emotional structures and supports for students.
Those of you who have traveled on Beacon Street and Beethoven Avenue probably have noticed that the Zervas School is progressing nicely and will be ready for new students in a year. When Zervas leaves their temporary space at the Carr School, Cabot students and staff will move to Carr as the Cabot renovation will begin in the summer of 2017. We are also excited to welcome our preschool students to their new facility (formerly Aquinas), which will at long last give our program sufficient space. In the fall we will update our long-range facilities plan as we continue the exciting work of rebuilding and renovating our school buildings.
One of the most important parts of my job is to be in our schools on a regular basis working with staff and students. I also look forward to hearing from you and addressing your questions and concerns. To that end, School Committee members will again join me for parent meetings in each of our 22 buildings. New this year, we will also utilize social media channels and a new district app to highlight some of the exciting work happening throughout our district, provide updates on facilities construction, and facilitate easy access to important school information. Visit our district webpage for more information.
As we begin again, please accept my best wishes for a wonderful school year.
To identify the states where bullying is most pervasive, WalletHub’s analysts compared 45 states and the District of Columbia across 17 key metrics, ranging from “bullying-incident rate” to “truancy costs for schools” to “percentage of high school students bullied online.”
Bullying Prevalence & Prevention in Massachusetts (1=Biggest, 23=Avg.):
40th– % of High School Students Bullied on School Property
40th– % of High School Students Bullied Online
37th– % of High School Students Involved in Physical Fight at School
42nd– % of High School Students Who Missed School Out of Fear of Being Bullied
39th– % of High School Students Who Attempted Suicide
In order to identify the best school systems in America, WalletHub’s analysts compared the quality of education in the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 17 key metrics. Our data set ranges from pupil-teacher ratio to dropout rate to average SAT and ACT scores.
515261990
Quality of Schools in Massachusetts (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
Because of national health concerns about lead in drinking water, City departments and I took the unprecedented step to identify public drinking water sources and water systems, to test for lead, and to remediate problems identified in the last three months. Earlier this week, we released the following information to further update our residents about the City’s work in this endeavor. Below you will find comprehensive information on testing and remediation in our water system, schools, parks, and public buildings.
We also announced a Lead Service Line Replacement Program, funded through MWRA no-interest loans, to identify potential lead service lines to residents’ homes and replace them.
Home Service Line Program
MWRA has made $100 million in interest-free loans available to member water communities to fully replace lead service lines. Newton is prepared to take advantage of this program.
There are some lead service lines in Newton that go to individual residences, and these need to be replaced. We are announcing a program to accomplish this work. Service lines were allowed to be made of lead for many years. Newton’s Department of Public Works (DPW) has reviewed records from homes built prior to 1951 and has identified 641 homes for further inspection. If the City’s records indicate a possibility of a lead service line, the homeowners will receive a certified letter. The City has hired an engineering firm to come to these properties and determine the scope of work and cost required to replace the service line. This will be done at no charge to the homeowner who will need to give permission in advance for their line to be inspected.
Next Steps
If a lead service line is identified, homeowners will be able to enroll in the MWRA home service line program. MWRA estimates that the average cost to fully replace a lead service line is typically between $3,000 and $5,000. The City will participate in a cost-sharing program with the homeowner. The details of this program will be finalized with the City Council. For questions about the lead service line replacement program, please email LSRP@newtonma.gov or call 617-796-1640.
While replacing these service lines will eliminate the largest remaining source of lead in water and is our current priority, we are also working on identifying and replacing lead goosenecks, an approximately 18 inch flexible piping connecting mains to service lines in the streets, which were made of lead until roughly 1980. Within the next month, we will be identifying possible locations of these goosenecks, which is a very labor intensive process. Many, but not all, have been replaced in the course of cleaning and lining water pipes. As DPW works to identify and remove lead service lines, they will also be collecting data on where the goosenecks are.
Other sources of lead could be present within homes. Lead solder was not banned until 1986, and some fixtures made of other materials such as copper or brass can contain some lead in the linings, especially in imported fixtures.
Newton Initiates Strategy to Remediate Lead
The State’s Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) only testing requirements for municipalities testing drinking water is to test in 15 homes and 2 schools for lead and copper every year. There are no regulations or guidances for testing at public parks, public buildings, or in private or non-profit owned buildings. The City of Newton has followed the protocols to date, but in response to concern nationwide about lead in drinking water, the City began an unprecedented program in April to proactively conduct more advanced testing to determine potential sources of lead in the City’s water system. We have put together a document to summarize Newton’s response to concerns raised around the country about lead in drinking water.
Much of the work is just beginning. Until lead in water became a national headline, very few municipalities were focused on it as an issue. As a result, the records that the City has on lead in the water source are not comprehensive. Moving forward, we are committed to making all testing results public and accessible and will document every location where testing has occurred and where remediation was required.
MWRA Water and Newton’s Water System
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) provides all of Newton’s water from the Quabbin Reservoir and does extensive testing of the water coming into Newton every year, the results of which are mailed to each household once a year. In MWRA’s Drinking Water Test Results for 2015 report, published in June 2016, MWRA states that their water does not contain lead and that it is treated to reduce corrosivity, which helps to prevent leaching of lead from pipes or other materials into the water.
The City’s water main pipes are not made of lead. Water comes from the mains to residences, other buildings, and outdoor fixtures such as bubblers in parks through service lines. These lines run from the mains directly to the building and are not shared by any other structure.
Water Safety and Health
While all of these programs are underway, we remind residents that when lead poisoning occurs, the most likely source is lead paint or lead dust from paint. Other sources include soil, some foods, some porcelain or pottery and some toys. Lead in water can add to overall exposure but is not considered to be a major source of lead poisoning.
Children in MA receive blood tests for lead at the ages of 9-12 months, 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years (if the family is in a high-risk neighborhood). Newton does not have any neighborhoods deemed by the state to be at high-risk. All children are required to have at least one lead test before entering kindergarten.
Young children and pregnant women are most at risk from lead exposure. Infants consuming formula prepared with tap water are at greatest risk. Running the tap until the water is cold, especially after the pipes have not been in use for six hours or more and using the cold water tap for drinking or cooking are good measures to reduce the risk of exposure to lead in water. If residents decide to have their home tap water tested for lead at their own expense, this testing should be performed in a certified laboratory. A list of these labs can be found on the MWRA website.
Testing in Schools
While the state mandates yearly testing of two fixtures in two school buildings, the Mayor, in conjunction with DPW and the Public Buildings Department, decided in mid-April to proactively test two fountains in each of the City’s public schools for lead.
This screening alerted us to an actionable lead level in one drinking fountain at Burr Elementary School; further testing revealed a more significant problem at this school. A remediation plan to bypass the existing plumbing in the school is underway, and the water will be tested for lead well before the start of school in September. None of the other schools tested high during this screening.
We made the decision to go beyond the state program for testing in schools. At the end of June, the City hired Universal Environmental Consultants of Framingham to test all bubblers and sinks in nurses’ offices, staff rooms and kitchens in each of our public school buildings. Samples were taken from 283 fixtures; 17 (6 bubblers and 11 sinks) in 12 schools tested above the actionable level for lead. These fixtures will be replaced and retested.
Next Steps
The City is committed to repeating this level of testing annually for the next two years. The results of this testing will inform what a future testing program looks like. Results of these tests and all other testing in 2016 have been posted online on the drinking water page of the City’s website. Future test results will be added to this spreadsheet.
Water in Public Parks
On May 17th, the City was notified that an external drinking fountain at Family Access of Newton was found to have elevated lead levels. This fountain was turned off immediately. After learning about this, DPW proactively tested 12 public drinking fountains in the City’s parks to determine whether further action needed to be taken on external fountains. One round of testing took place on June 10th and another round on June 28th.
The results from the first round were received on June 23rd and showed that 4 of 9 fountains tested were above the actionable level. At this time, the four fountains were shut off immediately and bottled water was provided at two locations with high tests, Crystal Lake and Gath Pool. On June 29th, based on the high proportion of tested fountains with elevated lead levels from this screening round, the City decided to turn off external fountains at public parks while further remediation options are being discussed.
The second round of results of three additional drinking fountains were received July 7th and showed no additional elevated lead levels.
Next Steps
The City has identified 42 stand-alone fountains in our parks. Of these 42, 27 were in use prior to being shut off; the remaining 15 fountains were inactive, some for years. The City will use the same third party tester as used in the schools, Universal Environmental Consultants, to test all of these fountains within the next week. We will evaluate appropriate remediation plans once we receive these results. The City has received feedback from almost 400 residents through a survey and email and will take all input into consideration as we look to keep everyone safe and meet the expectations of our residents.
The City will repeat testing of the outdoor fountains yearly for the next two years.
Testing in Public Buildings
There are 56 drinking fountains in 26 of our public buildings. On June 16th, Universal Environmental Consultants took samples from these fountains and submitted them for testing. We expect to receive results within the next two weeks. Appropriate remediation plans will be determined once we receive the results.
The City will repeat the testing of all of these drinking fountains yearly for the next two years.
Additional Efforts
The DEP regulations on water testing are minimal. As a City, we are committed to going above and beyond these regulations to ensure that the drinking water in Newton is safe.
We will keep the public informed of all test results as they become available and of remediation plans as they are finalized. For further information, please go to the City’s website, newtonma.gov/drinkingwater. If you have any questions, please email us at:drinkingwater@newtonma.gov.
This letter will provide the list of all fees for the upcoming school year. Please note there is one change to fees in 2016-17 pertaining to school lunch, with new prices as follows: elementary school($3.30), middle school ($3.60) and high school ($3.85). Important information on how to apply for a fee waiver is included, as is an explanation of the family caps and the overall fee limit for families, or supercap. Instructions for using the district’s online fee information are also provided.
List of All Fees for 2016-2017
The following is a summary of all School Committee approved fees and corresponding family caps for school year 2016-2017. Family cap refers to the maximum dollar amount a family pays for any one fee per school year. The supercap is the maximum amount a family pays for all fees per school year.
Bus: Annual round trip $310 per student, family cap of $620. There is no fee for grades K-5. The fee is required for students in grades 6 residing less than 2.0 miles from their school and grades 7-12 regardless of distance.
High School Athletics: $300 per sport per season except hockey and football, family cap of $900; $400 fee for hockey and football
Middle School Athletics: $160 per sport per season, family cap of $480
Middle School Student Activities: $60 per student per year if drama is not included, or $100 per student per year if drama is included
High School Drama: $150 per participant per play, maximum of $450 per participant per year
Elementary School Instrumental Music: $150 per student per year; Grade 4 has the option to pay $75 per semester
All City Band, Chorus & Orchestra: $150 per student per year; students who pay the elementary school instrumental music fee are exempt from the All City music fee
High School Parking: $310 per year, payable on a semester basis at $155
Elementary School Early Morning Program: $12.00 per day with payment by semester
School Lunch (Increased): $3.30 per elementary school student, $3.60 per middle school student, $3.85 per high school student
Supercap: $1,200 maximum family cost per year for fees; the supercap does not apply to high school parking, the elementary school early morning program, and the school lunch program
The Waiver Process
As in prior years, it is the intention of the Newton Public Schools that no student should be excluded from fee-based activities due to inability to pay. Families may apply for a fee waiver based on financial hardship so that no student is denied participation in school-sponsored activities and bus transportation. Waivers are based on income and family size as well as special circumstances such as unforeseen medical problems, change in family status, change in employment status, other emergencies, or temporary hardships. All waiver applications are confidential. Financial waivers do not apply to high school parking. Waiver forms are available online and upon request.
How to Use the District’s Website for Information, Waivers and Online Payments
Newton families may access detailed fee information including financial waiver instructions and online payment options on the district’s website by visiting the following link. All school-related fees can be paid electronically via a secure and convenient online payment system or by check.
http://www3.newton.k12.ma.us/feebasedprograms
Please do not hesitate to contact my office if you have questions.
Sincerely,
Liam T. Hurley
Assistant Superintendent/Chief Financial and Administrative Officer
The Arlington Regional Model UN Club (ARMUN) is taking a group of our students to the Heifer Farm (Rutland, MA) for their 2-night, 2-day Global Gateway experience Columbus Day weekend (Saturday October 8 – Monday, October 10) and we have room for some additional students.
The program consists of interactive workshops in which you learn about Heifer’s Model for community building and how they empower people to get out of the cycle of extreme poverty and malnutrition and constant hunger, and interactively learning about the topics mentioned above while trying to solve a “real world” problem as a group.
The students will spend about 20 hours living in a country or countries in the Global Village set up on the farm, living as an extended family living in poverty in a dwelling typical of an impoverished family in another country (or Appalachia, USA) and they have to buy all the food they will eat at the Global Market, cook and prepare their food over either an open fire or possibly a wood stove (depending on the country they are in), and then solve a crisis that they are presented with after dinner is over to the best of their ability trying to think through what they have been given of the values and beliefs and situation of the family they are taking on the role of.
Finally, they go to sleep in their dwelling, waking up early in the morning to make breakfast, clean their dwelling, pack and move out, and do the farm chores associated with their country’s site. Finally, after chores are done and they are moved out and their site is cleaned up, they meet for a reflection on the experience and get to eat a snack (the first food other than that they bought at the Global Market and prepared in the Global Village that they will have had since lunch the day before — unless there is a medical need not to have some hunger over the 20 hour period of course).
The two days ends with a “Take Action” session in which the participants are helped to think about practical ways they can take action on the things they have learned and want to take back to their everyday lives.
If you are interested in having your student participate, please contact ARMUN Director Kim Holt at kimkayholt@gmail.com.
As many of you know, over the past several months, the City of Newton and the Newton Public Schools have tested water in the public school buildings to gauge lead levels. This testing was in addition to the state-mandated testing conducted yearly and was done as a precautionary measure to safeguard the health and wellness of all students and staff.
Testing of two water fountains in each school in April identified “actionable” lead levels only at Burr Elementary. “Actionable” means the lead level exceeded the EPA standard for safe drinking water of >15 ug/L or parts per billion. Further testing at Burr showed problems with both interior and exterior plumbing. Extensive remediation is being conducted this summer to remedy the problems. Follow up tests were also conducted on drinking fountains at Horace Mann and Ward as initial test results showed lead levels approaching the actionable level. Fortunately, the additional tests revealed no issues.
Because of the issues identified at Burr, the City of Newton decided to test ALL water fountains in ALL schools, along with sinks in nurses’ offices, staff rooms, and kitchens. This testing, conducted by an outside contractor, was just completed. In sum, 264 fixtures in all 23 school buildings were tested at “first draw” (sample taken when water is first turned on.) Results showed elevated lead levels in 12 fixtures across 9 schools (6 fountains and 6 sinks). Please see the attached spreadsheet for all test results.
The City and the District moved quickly to shut off the water fountains and sinks demonstrating elevated lead levels. To remedy the issues, these water fountains and faucets will be replaced. Once the remediation work is complete, follow up testing will be conducted to ensure the problem has been addressed. Summer programs in the Newton Public Schools will continue as scheduled since safe drinking water is available to all participants.
Please know that this work is a top priority for the City and the Newton Public Schools and we are working as quickly as possible to remedy the problems. We are committed to fixing the issues this summer and will provide you with updates and information as we progress. The health and safety of students and staff in our school buildings is paramount and every action step will be taken to ensure our drinking water is safe. Additional information can be found on the City website at www.newtonma.gov/drinkingwater or the NPS website www.newton.k12.ma.us.
Sincerely,
David Fleishman
Superintendent
For a pdf version of this letter, please select the following link: Water Testing Results – July 2016.pdf
Please select the following link for the updated water testing results: Updated Water Testing Results.pdf
High School Start Time Working Group scenarios presented and published
The High School Start Time Year End Report, presented to Newton School Committee on June 20, has been posted online. The report includes results from the spring surveys and scenarios. A timeline also has been posted for next steps in the fall. Please visit http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/2553 for more information.
For fall 2016, NNHS will be exploring “one question” instead of “one book.” The question, developed by students and faculty together, is “Why do people put themselves in other people’s shoes, and what can we learn from that?” Our goal is for the exploration of this question to support our continued efforts related to anti-bias and cultural competency.
Instead of recommending one book, we are recommending a number of resources that relate to this question and encourage all community members to read/view/listen to at least one recommended resource this summer. Engaging with these resources this summer will support conversation and explorations this fall.
Resources that are not books are available free and online. Links available on the One School, One Question page of the NNHS website.
Books:
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
This graphic novel, told almost entirely in visual images, tells the story of an immigrant man’s journey to and experiences in a new country.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
In this critically acclaimed memoir, written as a series of letters to his teenage son, Coates explores how race has shaped our history and current times.
Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona
In this critically acclaimed graphic novel, teenager Kamala Khan suddenly receives superpowers, turning her into Ms. Marvel. Kamala wrestles with her new superpowers, trying to live up to the example set by her hero Captain Marvel, and with being a Muslim American and South Asian American teenager living in Jersey City.
How do we stand against prejudice and discrimination when we don’t identify with the group being targeted? This article offers tips for how to do so in an effective way.
This comic strip offers definitions and examples of microaggressions, using words and visuals to illustrate how and why microaggressions can hurt.
“For Many Latinos, Racial Identity is More Culture Than Color” (Mireya Navarro)
This New York Times article explores how and why some who may get classified as Latino or Hispanic choose to identify themselves.
“Life at the Top in America Isn’t Just Better, It’s Longer” (Janny Scott)
This poignant New York Times article follows three New York City residents of different socio-economic classes who each have a heart attack. Their subsequent treatment and recovery experiences differ vastly based on what socio-economic class they are a part of.
“Cane, Able” (Lory Hough)
In 1975 legislation mandated that “public schools provide appropriate education for all children, including the blind.” David Tichhi, NNHS faculty-member, shares his perspectives as both a student and a teacher.
Podcast:
This American Life, Episode 545, Act 1: Ask Not For Whom the Bell Trolls, It Trolls For Thee (Lindy West)
In this 21-minute podcast segment, we hear the story of how writer Lindy West came to receive an apology from the man who viciously and repeatedly trolled her online. In the conversation between Ms. West and her tormenter, each learns what it’s like on the other side of hateful internet comments. [Please note: The podcast features Ms. West reading some of the malicious remarks she has received online, which include strong language, threats, and references to rape.] (Transcript available.)
This powerful podcast focuses on the challenges of empathizing with people who don’t share one’s own identity. The first part (10 minutes) tells the story of an Israeli soldier who tried to put himself in the shoes of Palestinian families. The second part (12 minutes) chronicles how a professor at a Palestinian university brought his students on a trip to Auschwitz so that they might understand the horrors of the Holocaust. The episode closes with an excerpt (7 minutes) from the play “Wrestling Jerusalem” by Aaron Davidman.” (Transcript not available.)
Video:
The Danger of A Single Story (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
This TED Talk explores why we all need to hear, read, and experience as many different stories as possible. (Subtitles available)
East of Main Street: Asians Aloud (HBO)
In this powerful 37 minute video (closed captioned), HBO presents a collection of different voices from the Asian Pacific American community; people of different ethnic groups, religions, genders, and sexual orientations share their experiences and stories.
Malala Yousafzai’s speech at the Youth Takeover of the United Nations (Malala Yousafzai)
A Pakistani teenager nearly killed by Taliban gunmen for advocating that all girls should have the right to go to school gave her first formal public remarks at the United Nations on her 16th birthday in 2013. Her strong remarks included “We call upon all governments to ensure free, compulsory education — all around the world for every child.” (Video and Transcript available.)
So You’re Not Sure If You Should Ever Use The Word ‘Gay?’ Here’s The Handiest Flow Chart Ever. (Ash Beckham)
“Meet Ash Beckham. She has some really smart and hilarious things to help you out the next time you are thinking about using the word ‘gay.’” (Subtitles available)
Laverne Cox Explains the Intersection of Transphobia, Racism, and Misogyny (And What to Do About It) (Laverne Cox)
Watch Laverne Cox explain the unique positionality and context behind being a Black trans woman in the United States and propose a solution for the fact that trans women of color are the most targeted victims of violence in the LGBTQ community. (youtube Closed Captions available.)
Latino Vs Hispanic (Jessica Hernandez-Cruz)
Young adults who self-identify as Latino and/or Hispanic share their personal perspective on how and why they self-identify in a particular way demonstrating the idea that the identities are not interchangeable. (Subtitles available)
I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much (Stella Young)
“Stella Young is a comedian and journalist who happens to go about her day in a wheelchair — a fact that doesn’t, she’d like to make clear, automatically turn her into a noble inspiration to all humanity. In this very funny talk, Young breaks down society’s habit of turning disabled people into “inspiration porn.”” (Subtitles and Transcript available)
