Letter from the Vice Principal

Posted on August 29, 2021 by Michelle Wetlaufer in From the Vice Principal

Hello Newton South Families,

Over the past eight weeks, Principal Stras and I have had the pleasure of interacting with many of the stakeholders in the Newton South community through meet and greets, community events, and meetings with the administrative team and staff. We have sought to learn all we can about what makes Newton great while determining how we can best help service you to begin the 2021-2022 school year.

That said, we greatly appreciate your patience and understanding as we have worked towards putting together key dates and planning the important first days of school. We want to ensure that your child is ready and excited to enter our doors to embark on a new journey, some coming in person for the first time in over a year, and some for the first time ever. I speak for Principal Stras, myself, and the entire Newton South community in expressing our elation to see you in just a few weeks on Thursday, September 9!

This letter contains several important sections:

  • –  Upcoming Events for Students and Families
  • –  First Day of School
  • –  Second Day of School
  • –  District Newsletter
  • –  Free & Reduced Meal Program UpdatesUpcoming EventsIn anticipation of the beginning of the school year, there are various dates that we wanted to send your way so you can mark your calendars.Student Events (for students only)
    • –  Thursday, September 2, 3:30 – 4:30 PM: New to South Day for 9th grade and transferstudents
    • –  Tuesday, September 14, during school: Student Photo Day for Grades 9, 10, 11Family Events for parents and guardians
    • –  Tuesday, September 14, 6:30 – 8:00 PM: Virtual 9th Grade/New to South Parent Night
    • –  Wednesday, September 15: Virtual Parent Meet & Greet was scheduled in error – thiswill be rescheduled at a future date
    • –  Tuesday, September 21, 6:00 – 7:00 PM: Virtual Parent Meet & Greet with Principaland Vice Principal
    • –  Thursday, September 23, 6:30 – 8:00 PM: Virtual Senior Parent Night
    • –  Thursday, September 30, 6:00 – 7:00 PM: Virtual Parent Meet & Greet with Principaland Vice Principal
    • –  Thursday, October 7: Back to School Night (details TBA)

First Day of School: Thursday, September 9

We are excited to welcome students to Newton South on our first day of school, Thursday, September 9. School runs from 9 AM – 3:45 PM. Grade 9 students will arrive at 9 AM following the bus schedule, while students in grades 10 through 12 will begin at 1 PM. Details for the upperclassmen bus schedule will be released closer to the start of school. The schedule for the first day of school is attached here. Please note that lunch will only be provided for the 9th graders. Details for the bus schedule will be released shortly.

For our grade 9 Boston students, see the bus schedule here. For our grades 10 through 12 Boston students, the bus schedule will be released closer to the start of school.

Second Day of School: Friday, September 10

The schedule for the second day of school is attached here. All students will follow the same bus schedule on this date, attached here for your convenience. The schedule for Boston students is attached here.

From 2:25 PM – 3:45 PM, students will have the opportunity to attend an Arena Scheduling block in order to fix any errors in their schedule. For a list of scheduling issues that can be addressed during Arena Scheduling, please see here.

District Newsletter

The last newsletter from Superintendent Fleishman was posted on Wednesday, August 18, 2021. You can view this newsletter here.

Please also see the attached flyer regarding vaccination dates in Newton.

Free and Reduced Meal Program Updates

While all students in the Newton Public Schools will continue to receive school meals free of charge for the 2021-22 school year, it is still important for qualified families to complete the Free and Reduced Meal Application. By completing the application, your student and family may be eligible to receive additional benefits beyond the free and reduced meal program.

A few important notes:

  • ?  If you have had a change in job status or income, you may now be eligible for the free and reduced meal program. We encourage you to complete the application by September 5.
  • ?  If your student was enrolled in the Newton Public Schools last year and you are now eligible for the free and reduced meals program (but have not yet completed the application), you can receive a summer P-EBT card. To receive the card, you must complete the application. A P-EBT card is a debit card with funds already loaded onto it that can be used to purchase food items at your local grocery store.

? To receive the P-EBT card benefit, you MUST complete the free and reduced meal application by September 5.

If you are already enrolled in the free and reduced meal program and received a P-EBT card last year, you do NOT need to reapply. You will remain enrolled in the free and reduced meal program this year.

We look forward to the start of this upcoming school year and are excited to meet the students and families that make up this wonderful community. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the contents of this letter.

Go Lions! Sincerely,

Jason Williams
Vice Principal
Newton South High School 140 Brandeis Road
Newton, MA 02469 williamsja@newton.k12.ma.us 617-559-6700