Category Archives: From Newton Public Schools

Update from the School Committee

Update from the School Committee

March 28 Update from Principal Stembridge

Good afternoon Newton South Families,

I hope you and yours continue to be well, and that you have found ways to safely enjoy our spate of good weather! At my house, we are finding that working from home blurs the lines of “work” mode and “home” mode – I have been reminded more than once that I am not the principal of our house! Usually alone time on my commute allows for transformations from work to dad and spouse mode… I have some social-emotional learning of my own to accomplish!

I am writing to share updates on our upcoming transition to structured distance learning starting April 6.

First, I want to acknowledge and thank you for your patience and understanding as we all adjust to new circumstances. These are challenging times, and we have heard over this past week that many in our school community struggled to connect with our enrichment options for a variety of reasons – some technical, and many non-technical. Our plan must include an acknowledgment and respect for the diversity of situations our NPS families are experiencing, including the time and resources they have available to them.

While we learned on Wednesday of Governor Baker’s plan to keep schools closed until May 4, we had already been planning for a longer closure. Our planning process was outlined in David Fleishman’s March 22nd email to the community. 

Our phase 1 of learning from home began last Thursday with departmentl-level enrichment opportunities, and continued last week through the end of next week featuring course-level learning opportunities. All of our teachers have been in contact with their students sharing these plans and experimenting with ways to connect with students from afar. For example, Teachers have been trying Googlemeets and Zoom, and are all now using Schoology to communicate with their classes. Guidance counselors and deans have also been reaching out to their students and families.

Phase 2 will begin April 6.  Because this situation is fluid and moving a large high school to distance learning is complex, the transition to phase 2 will continue to evolve. The transition from phase 1 to phase 2 will not be abrupt, and it will not signal the end of our improvement of distance learning at Newton South. Phase 2 will be more structured, and will be in line with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Guidelines that students work 3.5 hours each day.

Importantly, April 6 will be the start of expected student learning activities, and will include students submitting work for credit. To that end, we will be extending our Term 3 to last through June, and next week we will share our assessment and grading plans for student work as well as for how we will determine year-end grades. All students are encouraged to engage in the learning options next week so that they are prepared to fully participate in phase 2. By the end of the week we will share updated phase 2 plans, including a weekly schedule and tools to help students organize their work for the week. This schedule will include the opportunity to connect with adults and peers, and to practice, process, and reflect on learning.

In preparation for the rollout of this plan, this week we have been focused on the following:

Practice – our teachers and staff are reaching out to students with technology tools to see what works best in a remote learning environment. Practicing with technology tools, both for connection and learning, allows us to understand what will work in our second phase of school closure. Teachers in our school and throughout the district are trying different approaches, but they are all still operating under the same guidance originally laid out by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Collaboration – we have teams working within our school and across the district to develop a school and systemwide approach. At the district level, we continue to collaborate with our neighboring districts, including Brookline, Needham, and Wellesley, who have developed plans similar to our own. We will continue to do so in the coming days, as well as working to interpret guidance from the DESE.

Technology deployment – as a public school district, it is essential that we ensure that all of our students have access to the learning that can occur. One aspect of this is access to a device. We are continuing to identify families who need a device and delivering it to them.

It has been joyful to hear about the interactions between teachers and students on a variety of mediums, and of ways that teachers and students have been stretching their practice. As I have said before, we are fortunate to have an amazing team of educators at Newton South, and they are fully engaged in developing their knowledge and practicing how to meet the needs of our wide variety of learners. 

We will be back in touch with you next week with our updated plan to support learning during this extended school closure. In the meantime, please encourage your student to participate both in the opportunities for connection with their teachers and the enrichment activities. This will serve them well as we prepare for phase 2 of our distance learning plan.

Sincerely,

 

Joel Stembridge

Principal, Newton South High School

Update from the School Committee

Dear Friends,

This update is for the 3/16/2020 and 3/19/2020 Newton School Committee meetings.  We have combined these two meetings into one newsletter as they were both regarding the proposed 2020-2021 Annual Budget.

Overview:

  • Our projected enrollment for the 2020-21 school year is 12,596 students, a projected decline of 15 students.
  • The FY21 Superintendent’s Proposed Budget is $244,645,343, and includes an $8.3 million increase.
  • The proposed budget aligns with the current goals including Academic Excellence, Educational Equity, Social and Emotional Wellbeing, School Facilities, Technology Infrastructure, Transportation, Diversity of Faculty, Staff and Leadership and Community Goals.

Instructional Areas:

  • Elementary Education:
    • A reduction of 7.0 FTEs in elementary classroom teachers.
    • A reduction of 1.7 FTEs in specialist teachers in proportion to the adjustment in enrollment.
  • Middle School Education:
    • Multi-team teachers are increased at Day by 0.5 FTE, 1.25 FTEs at Brown, and 1.22 FTEs at Oak Hill.
    • Reduction of 1.2 FTEs in middle school literacy.
    • Reduction of 1.4 FTEs in middle school special education teachers.
  • High School Education:
    • The projected enrollment for FY21 is two students less than projected enrollment for FY20 and therefore matches current general education staffing levels.
    • Starting in FY22, high school enrollment is projected to grow each year through FY25.
  • Teaching and Learning:
    • Review current curriculum materials and instructional strategies to ensure cultural responsiveness.
    • Continue the process of revising curriculum in History, Science and Tech/Engineering, Digital Literacy and Computer Science, and the arts.
    • Continue implementation of Illustrative Mathematics.
    • Continue to support system-wide professional development for administrators on factors that contribute to narrowing achievement/opportunity gap.
    • Begin the implementation of new elementary reading programs.
    • Continue core training in the Responsive Classroom approach.
    • Continue the focus on interdisciplinary literacy in middle schools through diagnostic assessment and intervention, and use of common language.
    • Expand our analysis and use of data using the power of Google Data Studio.
  • English Language Learning:
    • A 0.5 FTE English Language Learning teacher position is decreased in the operating budget due to continued decreases in ELL enrollment.
  • Information Technology and Library Media Services:
    • Continue funding for critical major capital technology and equipment including replacing aged network equipment, servers and switches, and improvements to our cybersecurity and recovery capacity.
    • Continue funding for conversion of our telephone systems to Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
    • Continue funding for the High School One Student: One Device initiative.
    • Elimination of stipends added in FY20.
    • Reduction of 0.4 FTE from Instructional Technology Specialist staffing and 0.4 FTE from Assistant Technology Coordinator staffing.
  • Student Services (including Special Education):
    • Shift of 1.0 FTE special education teacher from the Lincoln-Eliot and Franklin Elementary Schools to Angier and Peirce Elementary.
    • Shift of 1.0 special education teacher from FA Day to Oak Hill Middle School.
    • Reduction of 1.4 FTEs elementary psychologist staffing.
    • Reduction of 1.4 FTEs middle school special education teachers.
    • Reduction in high school special education staffing (TBD) due to a decrease in the number of IEPs.
    • Increase of 0.5 FTE Social and Emotional staffing to the end of grant funding.
  • Out-of-District Tuition:
    • Increase of $280,810 due to a projected rate increase of 3% for day and residential placements.
    • Increase of $350,000 due to a reduction in Circuit Breaker carry forward funds for FY21.
    • Decrease of $345,367 due to a projected increase in State Circuit Breaker funding for FY21.
  • Per Pupil Allocation:
    • The FY21 budget for per pupil allocation is $1,275,019 and is level-funded for all schools.

Non-Instructional Areas

  • Facilities: 96K added for maintenance.
  • Sustainability: New position created for Director of Planning and Sustainability.
  • Food Service: Overall participation up 2% across district.

Consent Agenda

Next Meeting
On Monday, March 23th at 7:00PM the School Committee will have a VIRTUAL School Committee meeting.

We hope you found this summary useful. You can access all School Committee meeting documents via the NPS website (www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee). Additionally, if you are interested in watching an SC meeting from home or a recorded meeting, you can obtain access via www.newtv.org.On the district Facebook page, you can find videos of past “Virtual Office Hours,” which are held once a month and provide the community with the opportunity to ask questions through the FB Live format.

As always, we are very happy to answer any questions or discuss any concerns you may have. Please feel free to contact us via the email address below.

Sincerely,
The Newton School Committee

Newton PTO Council 2020-03-15 11:42:15

Dear Friends,

In an effort to balance our obligation to hold public meetings with the equally imperative duty to prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19, the School Committee has implemented new Public Comment procedures with guidance from the Health and Human Services Department. Normally, the month of March is a busy time during which the Committee reviews, vigorously examines and welcomes numerous Public Comments regarding next year’s budget. Given yesterday’s decision to close schools, the risk of community spread posed by COVID-19 and the need to protect our most vulnerable residents, we simply cannot observe the normal process.

We hope that you understand and assist us to mitigate the risk as we refrain from large gatherings and maintain social distancing. This is not possible in the Ed Center’s School Committee chamber, which is small and easily overcrowded. Therefore, we urge members of the public not to attend in person and instead opt to watch the live broadcast on NewTV. For meetings with scheduled Public Comment, we ask members of the public to submit written Public Comment by 6:00 PM. Questions will be collated and read aloud during the Committee’s live broadcast at 7:00 PM on NewTV. Each Public Comment is limited to three minutes and must include your name and address. Please submit Public Comments to schoolcommittee@newton.k12.ma.us.  

Upcoming Meetings:

  • Monday, March 16 at 7:00 PM, Special SC Meeting FY21 Budget. The Committee will review changes to the budget affecting Elementary and Secondary education. No Public Comment Scheduled.
  • Thursday, March 19 at 7:00 PM, Special SC Meeting. Public Comment Observed, up to 45 minutes. Submit written comments to the SC via email.
  • Monday, March 23 at 7:00 PM, SC Meeting. Public Comment Observed, up to 30 minutes. Submit written comments to the School Committee via email.
  • Monday, March 30 at 7:00 PM, SC Public Hearing FY21 Budget. Public Comment Observed, No Time Limit. Submit written comments to the School Committee via email.

We hope you found this guide useful. You can access all SC meeting documents via the NPS website (www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee). Additionally, we offer “Virtual Office Hours” once a month using Facebook Live to provide the community with an opportunity to ask questions and share thoughts with members of the School Committee. Videos of past “Virtual Office Hours” are archived on the district Facebook page.

As always, we are very happy to answer any questions or discuss any concerns you may have. Please feel free to contact us via the email address below.

Sincerely,
The Newton School Committee

School Closing COVID-19 Update

March 12, 2020 Dear NPS Families, For the past two weeks, we have been working closely with the Newton Department of  Health and Human Services to reduce the community spread of COVID-19. We have received many emails from concerned families and understand that this is a stressful and unsettling time. Given the rising number of COVID-19 cases in our region, coupled with new guidance from the Governor, the state, infectious disease experts, and our local health partners, we have made the difficult decision to close the Newton Public Schools beginning tomorrow, Friday, March 13. There will be no school tomorrow, next week and possibly for a longer period.  The decision to close schools is an attempt to slow the spread of the virus. It will only be effective if the community also takes steps to practice self-isolation, monitor for any symptoms, and avoid large gatherings. We need all community members to do their part or the school closure will not be successful in limiting the spread of the virus. We know the cancellation of school, its associated activities, and events that use our school buildings is disappointing and extremely disruptive to our daily lives. However, we believe we must do so for the health and well-being of our community. We expect to provide an update to you next week as we further assess the situation.  We also know you will have questions regarding learning opportunities for your children while school is closed and we will have more information on this subject late next week. This is a unique public health situation that is rapidly changing. Our hope is that if we all work together, we can reduce the spread of this virus, protect residents, especially those most vulnerable, and resume normal activities as soon as possible. Sincerely, David Fleishman Superintendent of Schools

Important Update on School Events & Activities

March 11, 2020 Dear NPS Community, In an effort to prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all evening and community events in our facilities effective immediately and until further notice. All field trips will also be cancelled immediately. We have made this decision in consultation with the Newton Department of Health and Human Services. This decision is consistent with the state’s latest guidance for meetings and events which was announced yesterday. The City of Newton is also cancelling large public gatherings and many programs. I know our decision to restrict access to our facilities will raise lots of questions. Here are some examples of events that will be cancelled beginning tonight:
  • Community events and meetings
  • Student performances
  • PTO meetings and other parent events
  • Adult education classes
  • Use of buildings by non-school groups
We will continue to offer before school and after school care at our elementary schools, as well as after school programs and classes run by Newton Community Education. After school activities at the secondary level will continue including athletics, rehearsals, and clubs, although we will not have outside spectators at indoor events. The Newton School Committee meetings will take place as scheduled. In addition, the use of school buildings by non-school groups will be discontinued until further notice. We know this has a real impact on our residents and community organizations who provide valuable programs and activities. We are fully aware that these decisions have significant ramifications and are difficult for our students, staff, families and community members. The cancellation of many meaningful activities will be a great disappointment to those who have worked very hard. However, we believe these steps are necessary given the guidance from the state and the current status of the COVID-19 situation. We want to do our part to limit the spread of the virus and to reduce the risk of infection for our community. I recognize that the information in this message will raise a lot of questions regarding specific events and activities. We are in the process of developing an FAQ which should answer many of your questions. Thank you for your understanding and support during this rapidly changing and unsettling time. Sincerely, David Fleishman Superintendent of Schools

Update from the Superintendent

Dear NPS Families,

As the news and information about the novel coronavirus COVID-19 continues to develop, you may have questions about our schools. We are working closely with the Newton Department of Health and Human Services to monitor this situation and stay up-to-date with guidance, including guidance relative to travelers.

To prevent any potential exposure to our staff and students, we are implementing federal guidance around returning travelers, which is evolving daily. To that end, today we made a decision to require students and staff from Newton North who returned from Italy on Saturday, Feb. 29th, to stay home from school beginning tomorrow, March 2nd, until further notice. These students and staff will return to school once we have been advised that it is appropriate. This decision was made out of an abundance of caution, in consultation with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), and under the direction of the Newton Health and Human Services department.

For your information, the city-wide Emergency Management Team has formed a committee to apply our robust emergency preparedness plans to possible scenarios around this infectious disease. While this specific virus is a new one, managing community spread of disease is not new and our public health professionals are well prepared. We will play an important role on this committee and will address questions about potential issues that may impact the day-to-day function of our schools.

The MA Department of Health shares the following recommendations to maintain good health:

Many of the things you do to help prevent colds and the flu can help protect you against other respiratory viruses:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes
  • Stay home if you are sick

For additional information on COVID-19, please visit the following websites:

We will continue to work with our City health partners to provide you with timely, accurate, and useful information.

Sincerely,

David Fleishman
Superintendent of Schools

School Committee Update

Dear Friends,

This update is for the 2/10/2020 Newton School Committee meeting:

Superintendent Update

  • School teams used the early release on Thursday, February 6th for Professional Development in the following areas:
    • Elementary worked on Social Emotional Learning and Culturally Responsive Classrooms.
    • Middle worked on departmental frameworks and content.
    • Newton North worked on Race and Achievement.
    • Newton South worked on Social Emotional Learning.
  • On Wednesday, February 12th at 7 PM the NNHS Chinese Program and the Jingshan Exchange Program will co-host a fundraiser to benefit Jingshan School and to buy medical supplies for Wuhan University Hospital to help battle against the outbreak of Coronavirus.  Newton North alum, comedian Jesse Appell, will perform a comedy show followed by a NNHS student performance. Purchase tickets and make donations here: http://bit.ly/2vSkeFL.

Discussions/Updates

  • Information Technology and Library Department Goals – Director of IT, Steven Rittendi, presented an update that included information on the 1:1 Chromebook Initiative, Data Analytics planning and Infrastructure.
  • Mid-Year Superintendent Goals and Systemwide Goals Update – This update included a look at three specific areas of work:
    • Administrative Council: working towards projects aligned with existing district goals.
    • District Data Team: Using data to improve instruction.
    • Middle School Content Teams: Teams within all 5 major content areas working on professional development and data-driven student learning and performance focused inquiry cycles.
  • Fiscal/Operations – Chief Financial Officer, Liam Hurley, presented our second Fiscal and Operations Update of the school year. The district has spent 50% of the annual budget and our financial outlook was described as a “good news story” at this time.
  • Facilities Report – Chief Financial Officer, Liam Hurley, reviewed several projects currently underway including:
    • Cabot – Completed and will be coming off Facilities report.
    • Lincoln-Eliot/NECP – School Building Project – Bidding to start in May and estimated to be completed by 9/2021.
    • Horace Mann – Improvements including modular classrooms and a new playground.
    • Phase 3 Solar Panel Updates.
    • Oak Hill – construction of 3 additional permanent classrooms.
  • Discussion: Policy Update FA (Facilities Goals) and Policy Update ADF (Wellness) – Added language that reflects our transportation and sustainability initiatives.

Consent Agenda

Next Meeting

  • On Monday, March 16th at 7:00 PM the School Committee will have a Special School Committee meeting.  We review the budget in the instructional areas of Elementary, Secondary and Teaching & Learning.

We hope you found this summary useful. You can access all SC meeting documents via the NPS website (www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee). Additionally, if you are interested in watching a School Committee meeting from home or a recorded meeting, you can obtain access via www.newtv.org. We also offer “Virtual Office Hours” once a month using Facebook Live to provide the community with an opportunity to ask questions and share thoughts with members of the School Committee. Videos of past “Virtual Office Hours” are archived on the district Facebook page.

As always, we are very happy to answer any questions or discuss any concerns you may have. Please feel free to contact us via the email address below.

Sincerely,
The Newton School Committee