A resource for Student Emotional Wellness.

To learn more, please visit https://www.mghstudentwellness.org/resources

MGH Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness has recently launched the Fact Sheet Project –  creating fact sheets with topics related specifically to Asian American mental health. They get translated into multiple different Asian languages.

The latest factsheets we made are COVID 19 related:
– COVID 19 Infographic has information on Coronavirus, its symptoms, and safety measures to keep everyone healthy.
– COVID 19 Racism addresses the xenophobia and acts of racism that have increased dramatically since the pandemic started. 

Both fact sheets are now available in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese.

Message from Vice Principal Hardiman.

2020 Newton South CLUB FAIR

Hi Newton South Students,

Attached is the list of clubs/links that will be featured in tomorrow’s Club Fair that will run “live” from 10am to noon, break for lunch, and then 1pm to 3pm. Enjoy scrolling through the pages and if you see any club you are interested in, click on the name of the club on the screen which will bring you to the zoom link to get into that club. *Hint…look for the password for ALL CLUB links on the first page.

Here are more details:

1. School spirit in the virtual world is alive and well! We have almost 70 clubs that have signed up to present!

2. Hours of the Virtual Club Fair: We have asked clubs to try to be “live” to welcome prospective students to their club presentations between 10am and 12 and then also between 1 and 3pm (with the exception of any clubs exclusively run by seniors who will be in guidance seminars from 10-11…those clubs will start at 11am)

3. Some clubs that couldn’t host tomorrow created 60 second videos that they have sent to me that will be shared with all students sometime in the next week. Similarly, I have also asked ALL other clubs to send me videos in the next week that I can post on our website and share out with students who are not able to attend the fair or for new students that enter the district throughout the year. We will reshare that information when I am able to organize the video links, again, sometime in the next week or so.

4. For written descriptions of clubs at South, please go to this this LINK. Note that only clubs highlighted in YELLOW are confirmed to be running this year. Also, there are a handful of clubs that have just formed in the last week that we have not had time to put onto the document yet…they will be added soon to both this document and to the South clubs webpage that also has a list of clubs organized by category.

5. To sign up for clubs, talk to the club student leaders and/or faculty advisors that will be hosting their club “tables” at the virtual fair about the method that the particular club uses to officially “sign up”. If you go to a couple of club meetings and it seems like a club that you will enjoy and want to stay with, the next step will be to sign up on Family ID. You can find out more information about Family ID at this LINK.  However, please note that Family ID is NOT activated yet as I will need to update the site to include new required waivers for students and parents to sign. I hope to be able to activate Family ID sometime in the next week or two. It is the responsibility of student leaders of clubs to remind any new members to sign up on Family ID. I will also send reminders to the leaders once Family ID is up and running.

6. We are still working out times that clubs are going to meet this year…with possible options of before school, after school, and during a flex block. We hope to lay out final decisions of time options for clubs to choose from sometime next week and days and times that each club will meet along with permanent zoom links will eventually be updated on the website as well.

Whew…that’s a lot of information but in these virtual times, it is important to communicate as clearly and comprehensively as possible! If any of this is confusing or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the club student leaders that you meet at the fair, or the faculty advisor for the club you are interested in (faculty advisors are listed under each club’s name on the website.

We hope you have a great time tomorrow, whether you are hosting, visiting or browsing the virtual club fair!

Mr. Hardiman

The PTSO School Directory is an online and printed version of Newton South Students and their contact information.  You must confirm your information by 10/1/2020  in order for the PTSO to include your most up to date contact information in the printed and online directory. 

As of today, only 25% of our families have confirmed their information.   As part of the confirmation process, you can indicate any information you want to opt-out of releasing. The PTSO School Directory is only available to the current South community – enrolled families, teachers, and staff at Newton South High School.  Membership is required to gain access to the Directory. 

CLICK ON THIS LINK to CONFIRM your INFORMATION

The PTSO also relies on the Dues Campaign to raise the necessary funds this year to support our programs.  We are just over 50% of our goal of $44,000.  If you are able to contribute, please choose the option that best suits your family.  This can be done as you confirm your information or CLICK HERE to CONTRIBUTE to the PTSO.    Thank you.

If you have any questions relating to the information in your directory entry, please contact the Directory Committee at directory@newtonsouthptso.org. Please be sure to tell us your student’s name.

The PTSO is launching our Mentoring/Family Connection Program for Students and Families to help build new connections in our school community.  

There were many requests to update profiles.  Apologize to those who clicked on the link and didn’t receive a response.

To update, please just scroll to the bottom of this newsletter and click on the “Update your Profile”  

You should then receive an email and link to update your preferences.  Thank you!

As we do our part to keep our community safe from exposure to COVID-19, please review our new Health and Safety Protocols for the 2020-21 school year.

PTSO Health and Safety Protocols – effective 9/22/20

• All events will be held outdoors on school grounds, not to exceed 50 people or current State & City guidelines at that time.
• Every participant and volunteer must wear a mask when they are on school property.
• Social distancing protocol will be all individuals will be wearing masks and stay a minimum of  3ft to 6ft apart at all times between family cohorts.
• All events will have sign-ups for students and for volunteers to support contact tracing if needed.
• All events will have sign-ups to ensure we manage the maximum size of groups in the designated area to not exceed 50 people and/or State and City gathering protocols at that time.  Events will minimize exposure by having family cohorts and physical distancing of 6ft between cohorts.  Any student activity will require up 3-6ft distancing between students, and limit students to one group during the event.
• All events will ensure we manage the maximum size of groups in the designated area to not exceed 50 people and/or State and City gathering protocols at that time.
• All events will have a volunteer to ensure social distancing protocols in waiting areas or lines.
• All student events will have a parent/guardian (adult) supervision.
• Any event that requires equipment will specify that volunteers bring and dispose of their own supplies.
• Event co-chairs will remind all participants and volunteers of social distancing and hand hygiene protocols at the start of the event.
• Any volunteer or participant who is not feeling well needs to stay home. Any volunteer or participant who is in quarantine must not participate until the 14-day quarantine is complete and show no symptoms.
• Any volunteer who participated in an event and subsequently tests positive for COVID-19 must notify the event organizer and the co-Presidents immediately.   The co-presidents will notify South Administration as soon as they are notified of a positive case, and share list of participants.

How Parents/Student Can Help Keep Our Community Safe:
As COVID-19 continues to be present in our community, we all need to do our part to minimize the spread of COVID-19.  By staying vigilant, parents/guardians and students can practice and self-enforce social distance protocols.

• If you or your child(ren) haven’t worn a mask for 2-3 hours a day, start practicing now at home – in and out of the house so you and your child(ren) are ready to be at in-person events. Wear it watching TV, playing video game, or hanging outside.
• Reinforce frequently hand washing, not touch surfaces unnecessarily, staying 6ft from people outside of your home environment.
• Respect the virus, respect our community, respect your family and stay safe

Please keep yourself and your child(ren) at home if you are not feeling well.  There’s no guarantee we can have zero cases of COVID-19 as we begin in-person events,  so we must continue to be vigilant with social distancing protocols.   NPS, City and South have established health and safety protocols in the event someone at South tests positive. Thank you.

Please see the update from Pat Gonzalez, Athletic Director

Please scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to Update your Profile to subscribe to “Athletics.”  Separate Athletics Newsletters are posted periodically.  Thank you.

Protocols for athletic events   

Welcome Lions!

NSHS Spirit Wear will be available for sale from 1-4PM at the Front of the School.  

An assortment of sweatshirts, hoodies, t-shirts, sweatpants and accessories will be available.

Payments to Boosters Club can be cash or credit card. All proceeds support the Boosters supporting our student athletes and teams.

Questions, contact info@newtonsouthPTSO.org.

Support our student athletes and our Boosters Club.

As we start the Fall season, we have kicked off our Spirit Wear sales.  We need 2 parent volunteers to help out from 1-4PM on Friday, Sept 25.  Please email info@newtonsouthPTSO.org if you can help out.

The Booster Club supports all student athletes and their teams at South.  They organized the amazing fundraising effort for our Stadium Lights, which have been installed but are still waiting for the connection from Eversource.

GO SOUTH!  GO LIONS!