All families should have received the email from Vice Principal Hardiman regarding student schedules released today.

Please note the deadline to submit corrections is Monday, Sept. 14th at Noon. Final student schedules will be available on Aspen on Monday, Sept. 14th at 5PM.

Hello Students and Families,

A list of your classes for the 2020-21 school year can now be found on Aspen. A list of teachers and blocks will be published on Aspen at approximately 5:00pm on Monday, September 14th. I will send another email then with instructions/reminders.

Here are some important changes to courses and schedules during distance learning this year that you will want to be aware of:

1. Courses that previously were 2 x week full year will now be 2 x week for ONE SEMESTER ONLY.

2. Courses that previously were 2 x week for one semester will now be 2 x week for ONE TERM ONLY.

3. There are several art courses that were combined to better suit the distance learning model. For example, mixed media and ceramics courses have combined into 043 3D Exploration, art and design courses have combined into 2D Exploration, photo classes have combined into Photo Exploration and acting and improv courses combined into Acting Explorations.

4. The following junior and senior wellness classes have been combined into one course called “Junior and Senior Wellness”: Lifetime Pursuits, Centered Self, Global Games, Yoga/Pilates and Personal Fitness”. Sports Nutrition remains it’s own class.

Now, for instructions on the next steps:

a) If all of your classes were ones that you requested (including alternates that you chose), no need to do anything….just wait until Monday for a list of your teachers and blocks.

b) IF, any of the following apply to you, please fill out this google form. The deadline to fill it out is NOON ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH:

• you are missing a core academic class or a wellness class
• you have a course on your list that you did not request at all
• a class is listed twice
• you are listed in the wrong level of a course
• you are underenrolled

On Monday at approximately 5:00pm, your updated classes and schedule will appear on Aspen. If you request a change that does NOT meet the criteria above, your classes will stay the same as you see today.

Finally, here is the Opening Day Schedule for next Wednesday, September 16th and important information like how to access teacher zoom links, etc. I will share more about the block schedule, including community and flex blocks, when you receive your actual schedules on Monday.

Have a nice weekend,

Mr. Hardiman
NSHS Interim Vice Principal

Please find the updated FAQs below.  You can also find them on the PTSO website at https://newtonsouthptso.org/frequently-asked-questions/general/.

• NSHS 2020-21 Freshman Virtual Step Up Day 

• NSHS FAQs from September 9-10, 2020 New Families  Q&A

• Newton Athletics Fall Sports to SC on September 10, 2020

• HHS COVID Health Manual presentation September 2020

• Health and Human Services (HHS) COVID-19 Manual for Schools

Update from Vice Principal Hardiman on September 10, 2020

South needs 140 Chromebooks for incoming Freshman.  If you have an unused working NPS Chromebook, please drop it off at Newton South on Friday, 9/11 from 8:30-3PM.

Please see the details below to determine if you are able to return your NPS Chromebooks.  Thank you!

Hello NSHS Families of Students in Grades 10 through 12,

As you may have heard, despite our best efforts, there are shipment and delivery delays for the chromebook devices ordered by the district. This includes the fact that the new chromebooks that are on order for students in grade 9 will not be arriving until January at the earliest. Based on a recent survey sent out to ninth grade families, we have 140 freshmen who are in need of a device to start the school year.

Therefore, if your student(s) in grades 10 through 12 does not need your NPS issued chromebook because you have access to another device (preferably with a touchscreen), please return the NPS issued device and charger to NSHS (logistics below). Unfortunately we are unable to refund insurance paid on the device.  If your device is broken, please do not return it for repurposing, please fill out the High School 1:1 Chromebook Repair Request Form so we can get this fixed for you.

Thank you VERY much in advance for your community support at this challenging time,

Chris Hardiman
NSHS Interim Vice Principal

Question: What type of device does our child need to have to access NSHS schoolwork?

• NSHS students can use a chromebook, Apple iOS laptop or desktop, or a “PC” laptop or desktop. An iPad or Android tablet with a keyboard would also work.
• All devices need to have a camera and speakers/sound.
• Touchscreen is a preferred feature though this year we do understand that not all students will have access to a touchscreen device and we also know that not all students take advantage of the touchscreen capabilities.

Question: When can I return our NPS issued chromebook to NSHS?

• There will be carts and tables right inside the lobby of the main entrance at NSHS to put the chromebook and the building will be open to receive them from 8:30am until 3pm, tomorrow, Friday 9/11.
• If you are unable to come tomorrow but still want to return a chromebook, please send me an email and we can arrange a time on Monday for dropoff.

Question: How do we make sure that our returned chromebook will be properly accounted for?

• Feel free to write your name on a sticky or piece of masking tape and attach it to the device AND charger before return. We will cross-reference and verify it is checked in properly. Please remember to return the charger as well!
• All devices will be reviewed for damage before they are re-issued to students in grade 9.

Question: Our family also includes a freshman in grade 9 who needs a device, when will we hear about pick-ups?

• Devices will first be issued to those freshmen who have already reported a need for a device (through the Google Form that was sent to ninth grade families from the IT department.)
• Our plan is to have pickups of chromebooks for ninth graders who need them on Tuesday but more details will follow if this applies to you.

Question: We turned in a chromebook for repair and have not received another device but will definitely need one?

Please complete the form, Chromebook Needed due to Repair, so we can get you a machine.  Details will follow for those completing the form.

Please click here to view the newly released Newton Health and Human Services (HHS)  Covid Manual for mitigating COVID-19 Infection in the Newton Public Schools.

You can also visit the NPS website to view all health and safety guidelines and protocols for our schools:  https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/3730 

Excerpt from email from Superintendent Fleishman
September 7, 2020

Dear High School Families,
As we head into another busy week during which we will finalize schedules and team placements for our middle and high school students, I want to provide you with more detail on a few outstanding items.

School Start Times
While we have a relatively small number of secondary students beginning the year in person, the transportation needs for elementary students and the capacity limits on our buses and vans require us to make changes to our start and end times.
Below are the new start and end times for our secondary schools based on our current schedules:

High School – 9:15 a.m. and 3:55 p.m.

Student Team Placements and Schedules
Depending upon the high school, the list of classes and/or schedule will be released on Friday, September 11 or Monday, September 14. Both North and South have shared specific information with their school communities on the dates and times of schedule release.

High School Athletics
On Thursday, September 10, North and South principals will present to the School Committee on the proposal for fall athletics at both high schools. We are required by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to seek approval from the School Committee on participation in fall sports offered in our respective leagues. To tune into the meeting, follow login instructions at this link: https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/domain/68

First Day of School – September 16, 2020
As a reminder, the first day of school is Wednesday, September 16. Both middle and high schools are in distance learning and students will login to their scheduled classes on that day. Schools will send more specific information on the first day of school and the start of the school year soon. If you do not have access to a device for distance learning, please email familytechsupport@newton.k12.ma.us

I hope you have had an enjoyable long weekend. I look forward to continuing to share more details with you as we approach the first day of school.???????
Sincerely,

David Fleishman
Superintendent of Schools

Dear Newton South Families,

Most of you have received an email to confirm your family information for our PTSO School Directory.  Please note that the PTSO School Directory is separate from NPS Aspen system.  The PTSO School Directory is used only by Newton South Families.  If you need to update your Aspen account, click here.

To Confirm your Directory information, please visit newtonsouthptso.membershiptoolkit.com.  Once you login or create a Membership Toolkit Account, you will be able to confirm this information, indicate what you would like visible, and support Newton South PTSO by making a membership donation. The Dues Campaign is our only fundraiser. In this unprecedented school year, the PTSO will look to host virtual events and in-person activities with social distance protocols.  Click to learn more about how your donation supports the PTSO.

• Click on the Login or Register button.
• If you already have an account with another organization that uses Membership Toolkit you can use the same email and password to login. You can then proceed to the numbered steps below.
• If you do not have an account: Select “Create Account” and fill in the name, email, and password information. Click “verify my email” and then check your email for a link to complete the process. The link expires in 2 hours. If you do not receive the email, check your spam or junk folders. Once you have verified your email address, log back in and finish the registration process.
• Complete the Parent/Family and Student Information. Complete the Directory/Publish Preferences. Proceed to the Membership Donation page. The suggested donation is $50. Please indicate if you would like a printed directory and any additional copies.
• Once the Primary Account is set up, the Primary User can “invite” other email addresses to access his/her account. This allows the Secondary User to have their own login information, but still have access to the family account. Please review, correct, and confirm the accuracy of your family’s information using the link at the bottom of this message.

Here are some useful tips:

1.  If you are an existing family and your email has changed, please contact us at directory@newtonsouthptso.org. The system will try to match to an existing email already in the directory. It will be helpful for us to know to make sure you do not end up with a duplicate entry.
2. After you complete Steps 1 & 2, you will have the opportunity to donate to the PTSO. The suggested donation is $50.
3. If you would like a printed directory, indicate this by selecting 1 next to Printed Directory.
4. If you have a two household family, each household will have separate logins and can update their own data.
5. To review your family information anytime,  simply click on the secure link below and review your family’s data. Make any changes and save to update. Adding, updating, or confirming your data online allows us to publish the directory quickly and accurately. newtonsouthptso.membershiptoolkit.com.
6. You can also download the membershiptoolkit app on your mobile device such as ApplePay or GooglePay.

Thank you for confirming your Directory information! Questions? Please don’t hesitate to contact us at directory@newtonsouthptso.org.

Hello Newton South Families,

For anyone that missed it, below is the link to the parent Q & A webinar from yesterday:

https://youtu.be/Y0oMucskWgk

Please note that due to technical difficulties at the beginning of the video, the introduction of South staff taking part in the webinar was cut off. The following members of the administrative team took part in the webinar:

• Mark Aronson, Interim Principal
• Chris Hardiman, Interim Vice Principal
• Josepha Blocker, Cutler House Dean
• Charlie Myette, Goodwin House Dean
• Brian Baron, English Department Chair
• Dan Rubin, Guidance Department Chair
• Melissa Gamble, Special Education Department Chair

By the middle of next week, an FAQ will be sent out to you that will hopefully answer any questions that we did not get to in the webinar. Please also know that as soon as we learn the decisions regarding any of the more time sensitive information (i.e. school start and end time, student schedules), we will share it out.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time. We are happy to help.

Thank you,
The NSHS Administrative Team

You’re Invited:
Q & A for Parents/Guardians New to Newton South

Parents/guardians who are NEW to Newton South are invited to join the PTSO for a Q & A session with Interim Principal Aronson, Vice Principal Hardiman, and Staff.  These small group sessions are specially designed for parents/guardians of students who are NEW to Newton South High School.

Bring your questions specific to Newton South to one of the following sessions via Zoom.  Please click on one of the following dates to register.  Zoom links will be shared to those participants who register.

Wednesday, September 9 at 8 AM

Thursday, September 10 at 7 PM

Hello NSHS Students and Families,

While our scheduling department is still very busy working on rebuilding student schedules and they need to verify changes throughout next week, they are confident that a list of classes will be available for students to view on Aspen at 4:00PM on Friday, September 11th. 

A verification process will then occur over the weekend where students will have the ability to indicate any errors in their class list on a google form that will be sent out (i.e. missing their English class, wrong level than what they were signed up for, class listed twice, etc.).

After corrections are made, including last minute balancing of class sizes, student schedules with blocks and teacher names will be posted in Aspen at 5:00pm on Monday, September 14th. Teachers will then contact students introducing themselves, providing zoom links, and other relevant information.

More specific information on the above, with instructions/tutorials, will be provided sometime next week.

Also, a reminder that the FAQ sheet from the September 2 Q&A will be sent to families by the middle of next week.

Thanks,
Chris Hardiman, NSHS Interim Vice Principal

Correction is that Girls Swim for the Fall is for Newton North only.  Newton South co-ed swim is held during the winter season.

Message from Interim Principal Aronson and Athletic Director Pat Gonzalez.  For updated information, please visit NSHS Athletics.

Dear athletes and their families: