Please find the update on 2021 MCAS dates sent on Friday, March 19, 2021 from Vice Principal Christ Hardiman. 

MCAS Dates

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has given high schools a window of time to administer MCAS testing for current 9th, 10th and 11th graders. Exact days that each grade will be taking the tests at South will be determined once we have firm guidance on when/if high schools will be expected to offer full, in-person learning—as this information will depend on whether we will have students test by cohort, or by grade. For now, here are some general time frames that we are planning on:

1. ELA MCAS for grades 10, 11: May 3, 4, 6, and 7

2. Math MCAS for grades 10, 11: May 10, 11, 13 and 14

3. Science MCAS for grade 9: TBD but most likely in early June

We are also working on a schedule for those days for students that are NOT testing, including looking into the option of busing those students into school after the MCAS for synchronous classes. We realize that the above schedule constitutes A LOT of testing time, with less class learning time (because we need so many teachers and staff available to proctor these tests) but please know that we are beholden to the state requirements, including the fact that two grades need to take MCAS this year, not just 10th grade.

We will update you with exact dates and schedules for this whole MCAS period as soon as we are able to.

March 10, 2021

Dear Newton South Community:

Two weeks ago, the Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) consisting of educators, parents/guardians and students interviewed candidates for the principal position. After thoughtful deliberations, the SAC recommended candidates to be semi-finalists. Last week, the semi-finalist candidates interviewed with district and Newton South administrators as well as the Newton North principal. Candidates were asked to share their observations from classroom visits and reflect on a range of educational and leadership issues and scenarios. 

After deliberating on the semi-finalist interviews and consulting with the SAC, I am delighted to let you know that we have a finalist for the principal position. Our finalist candidate is Tamara Stras who is currently an assistant principal at Haverhill High School. Previously, Tammy was the science department head at Lawrence High School where she also served as acting assistant principal. She was also a science teacher in Lawrence where she taught AP and other levels of Biology and Chemistry. She has a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Zoology from St Xavier’s College (Mumbai, India), and a master’s degree from Boston College in secondary education with a concentration in Biology. Tammy is currently a fellow at the Lynch Leadership Academy at Boston College.

The final step in this process is for Tammy to spend a full day at Newton South. Next Tuesday, March 16, she will have the opportunity to meet with a range of stakeholders in the community throughout the day, including faculty and staff, parents/guardians, students and Newton district and South administrators. We are offering an open meeting for South families to meet the candidate at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday, March 16.  The link for the meeting is here:   https://newton-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/86899602489. Passcode: south

Those who attend the session will have the opportunity to hear about Tammy’s vision for the school and to ask questions. While we only have one finalist at this time, the candidate will be measured against the same high standards that we have for all the principal candidates in Newton. Please know that we have had just one finalist in several of our recent principal searches. 

We hope you can join us on March 16 at 5:45 p.m.  

Sincerely,

David Fleishman

Superintendent of Schools

STAFF APPRECIATION MARCH 24th

Our teachers will have a full day of professional training on Wednesday, March 24th. Please help us show our support of the staff at Newton South by donating to the staff appreciation luncheon. We will be serving a great selection of sandwiches, and are asking families to contribute additional items to round out the menu.  In keeping with COVID protocols, we request that all items be individually wrapped. We also need a couple of volunteers to help set up for the event (approximate time between 11 am and noon).

Items may be dropped off in the cafeteria any time from 7.45 am-11 am on March 24th.  Please drop the coffee off by 7.45 am, so the staff members can enjoy a cup of coffee to start their day.

Please use the link below to sign-up to contribute to this event.
https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/575097752050/false#/invitation

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us:
[email protected] (Tammy  Tsikar)
[email protected]  (Ilana Steel)

Thank you in advance for your support!

March 31st – 7:00 to 8:00 pm:  Author Nancy Davis Kho presents on the power of gratitude

The PTSO is excited to host Nancy Davis Kho, author of  THE THANK-YOU PROJECT: Cultivating Happiness One Letter of Gratitude at a Time .  Both parents and students are invited to join this interactive discussion about the unexpected power and lasting benefits of thanking those who helped, shaped, and inspired them. This is not a tutorial on how to write a thank-you note.  With humor and compassion, Nancy invites her audience to remember and acknowledge those who have helped them in their lives. You can read more about Nancy’s work and the science of gratitude in this recent New York Times article.

In addition to being an author, Nancy talks about “the years between being hip and breaking one” on her Midlife Mixtape Podcast, which The Wall Street Journal named in 2019 as one of the 8 Top Podcasts for Anyone Nervously Facing Retirement.

For more information about the event, please contact PTSO Programming Coordinators, Paula Ito  or Julie Irish

Topic: Gratitude  Speaker Event
Time: Mar 31, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82627310277?pwd=Q2ppSE1XOUh0ME1yTmJQZTlDQ292QT09

Meeting ID: 826 2731 0277
Passcode: Thanks

Thank you to all the parents who helped generate ideas and researching outdoor venues this past week.  Class officers and advisors have agreed that have an outdoor venue at Newton South provides the most flexibility and gathering capacity.  The date is expected to be Sunday, June 6.   Prom will be a traditional formal event, followed by the after-party SouthFest.

As we move forward with planning to support the 2021 Prom and SouthFest, the PTSO is looking for parent volunteers to coordinate the events.  It’s going to take a village to help celebrate the Class of 2021.  Get involved and help our Seniors make some amazing memories.  Parents from all grades are welcome to help celebrate our Seniors.  Kick-off planning meeting will be Monday, March 22, 2021, time TBD.

Please contact May at [email protected]  by March 19th if you are interested in co-chairing any of these SouthFest committees:

The teacher window for entering course recommendations for students in Aspen will begin on Monday, 3/15 and we anticipate it will continue through Wednesday, 3/24, with the tentative date that students will be able to access Aspen for choosing electives on Thursday, 3/25. At that time, counselors will also begin meeting with students to discuss the recommendations and offer guidance and advice on a balanced course load.

Our Program of Studies editing and graphics team is working hard to try to complete the POS and post it onto the South website by the end of next week or early in the week of 3/22. The registration process details, including instructions on how students choose electives on Aspen, will also be shared with students and families at that time.