Dear Newton South Families,

Please let your student(s) know about the PTSO 2020 Newton Photo Match Contest.  See details below.  Teams can sign up today to receive information by December 11.  Submissions are due Dec 20th.  Winners, prizes and celebrity judges will be announced after the break. Thank you!

Hello Newton South Students!

How well do you know your city?  Can your team find 10 unique spots (all villages in the Newton South district) and win Match That Photo?

Recruit your team of up to 10 students and register by emailing a one word team name to NSHS parent kgalvin00@gmail.com.  Take the opportunity to connect with classmates you’re not seeing much this year.  Teams with members from different neighborhoods will have an advantage.  Small teams (1-5) who would like to join with others can also email kgalvin@gmail.com.

Each team will match the 10 photos, working together or “together while apart.”  

While out and about in Newton, please wear a mask and keep 6 ft away from teammates and other people.  No photos require going indoors or onto private property.

We hope you will have fun finding the 10 sights.  If you’re playing to win, match the photos as closely as you can – same angle, same distance, same weather??

You will receive the target photos and instructions on Dec 11 and must submit your entries by Dec 20. 

Winners will be announced after winter break (along with the celebrity judges and the prize!)

To fundraise for the UN’s global campaign against gender-based violence, Newton South Girl Up has just launched a raffle with four prize baskets! Join us for the chance to win gift-filled baskets from female-owned and/or small businesses in Newton. Prize baskets include goods from Indulge! Candy, Starbucks, Just Next Door, and Artemis Yoga–all of which are perfect for the gift giving season! The fundraiser will be held from now through Monday, December 23rd.

Visit the raffle directly from this link! All proceeds will go to the global Girl Up organization to support the fight against gender-based violence! For more information (including ticket sales), you can reach out to the Girl Up Instagram or email srsaloum@gmail.com.

Attached is a special schedule for 12/16, with a 12:30pm dismissal to accommodate conferences beginning at 1:00pm.

A reminder that the first phase of conference sign ups for interested parents/families ends tonight at 7:00pm. The second phase of sign ups will begin tomorrow, (Thurs.) 12/3 at 7:00am and will stay open until 7:00pm on Sunday, 12/6. If you are not able to schedule appointments with a given teacher because their conference schedule is already full, know that you are always welcome to reach out to teachers at any time of the school year with questions or concerns about your child’s progress.

Holiday Drive! Donate a Gift Card to Help a Family In Need!

Help families in need have a brighter holiday season! The Second Step is a non-profit that serves women and families who are victims of domestic violence. Intimate partner violence makes up 15% of all violent crime, and 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence every year. Many of these families were forced to flee their homes and they may not be able to buy things for the holidays, so The Second Step is collecting gift cards to help them celebrate the season!

Thank you so much,
Kate Butts (Newton South Junior)

If you want to get involved or have any questions you can email me at k8bisgr8@gmail.com

How To Help

Click on one of the links below to donate a virtual gift card through email. For the recipient email please use development@thesecondstep.org and under ‘message’ please mention that you’re donating for the Newton South drive. We appreciate any amount!

Amazon Gift Card   Charlie Card Gift Card Marshalls Gift Card   Shaws Gift Card

Uber Gift Card   CVS Gift Card Visa Vanilla Gift Card

Lyft Gift Card   Target Gift Card Whole Foods Gift Card

Star Market Gift Card    Walmart Gift Card TJ Maxx Gift Card

Any physical gift cards can be sent to:

The Second Step,  Attn: Mimi Sperl
PO Box 600213
Newton, Ma 02460

Please include a note saying you’re donating for the Newton South drive in the envelope!

Dear Newton Public School Families,

We have recently contracted with an internet filtering company, Deledao. We have already been filtering access to the internet from within a Newton Public Schools (NPS) building, but were not able to filter devices when off of the NPS network. This change means NPS devices and accounts will have NPS filtering while connected to the internet at home or to any other network.

Please know that no internet filter is perfect. As we do in schools, we strongly encourage you to speak with your child about appropriate use of technology and to monitor your child’s use of devices and access to the internet. See our Acceptable Use Guidelines on the Student/Family Tech Resources Page.

Timeline for implementation:

December 9:  Elementary Filtering implemented on iPads and Chromebooks

December 16: Middle and High School Filtering implemented on Chromebooks

What is Internet Filtering?

Using predefined categories, such as “adult content,” filtering services analyze websites a user is trying to view to determine whether or not to allow access. The service is set-up to block certain content by category. We are not able to customize for each child, but are customizing settings by level (elementary, middle and high school).

On a Chromebook (not an iPad) this filtering product also involves “real-time” analysis of videos and images. For example, if a child is watching a Youtube video, and the system detects content that matches a blocked category, it will blur the content of that video.

Impact:

• iPads: Students using an NPS issued iPad will begin to be blocked from accessing certain websites

• Chromebooks and NPS Google Accounts:

  • A new extension called Deledao will be installed on Student NPS Google Accounts

  • Students will be blocked from accessing certain websites

  • Filtering will affect Chromebooks and Chrome browsers when logged in using an NPS student GSuite account

  • “Browse as Guest” on NPS Chromebooks will be disabled – students MUST sign in to Chromebooks with their NPS Google Accounts

We are new to this product and expect to have to adjust settings during implementation. The web filtering product also comes with a parent portal option. Once we have implemented the web filtering, we will test the use of the parent portal to determine feasibility of implementation later this school year.

Please note that we are purchasing this product for the remainder of the 2020-2021 academic year only. We will reevaluate the purchase of the product for 2021-2022 based on performance and available budget.

Thank you.

Steven Rattendi, Director of IT and Libraries

The Newton South PTSO will host two Q&As on Monday, November 30 on the High School Working Group Draft Recommendation on implementing a hyflex learning model for the high schools.  Parent members of the working group will be available to answer questions about the Draft Recommendation:

Session 1 from 9:30 – 10:30AM;

Session 2 from 7:30PM – 8:30PM 

Please submit questions by November 30 at 8AM by with this link.  Additional Q&A will follow if time permits.  Thank you. 

Click to view HS Working Group Update & Draft Recommendation SC 11-16-20 Final

Sessions will be limited to 100 participants.  PLEASE ATTEND ONLY ONE session.  Both meetings will be recorded.

• Nov 30 9:30AM session:
  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83705157703?pwd=L1FIMVhIOEtKNElrYURBQUZLV0JYZz09

  Meeting ID: 837 0515 7703
  Passcode: Lions2021Dial by your location
  Meeting ID: 837 0515 7703
  Passcode: 566052769
  Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdIZfWO28z

• Nov 30 7:30PM session:
  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85150259189?pwd=dTljenFyNUJqQytNV2VYTHpWcEEvQT09

  Meeting ID: 851 5025 9189
  Passcode: Lions2021Dial by your location
  Meeting ID: 851 5025 9189
  Passcode: 598154988
  Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdGfQWyKIe