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Archive of Older Posts
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Website Stuff
The latest announcements from the Principal, PTSO, and NPS...
- Boosters 5K [From the PTSO]
- Class of 2025 Dance [For Freshmen]
- Newton South Seniors and their Families Zoom Meeting [From the PTSO]
- NSHS Weekly Update 5/9 – 5/13 [From the Vice Principal]
- NSHS Weekly Update 5/2 – 5/6 [From the Vice Principal]
- SouthFest Fundraiser [For Seniors, From the PTSO]
- Class of 2025 Event [For Freshmen]
- NSHS Weekly Update 4/25 – 4/29 [From the Vice Principal]
- April Update 2022 [From the Principal]
- Graduation Information [From the PTSO]
Class of 2025 Dance
The Class of 2025 is having a school Dance on June 4th. Parents are asked to sign up to donate items to help pull this event together.
Sign Up Here to donate items
Logistics:
Check-in:
Check in will be at the front of the school, through the main office. We’ll have balloons and signs to guide you.
Check in will go from 7-7:20. You can still check in after this time, just make sure to knock on the door.
Tickets:
Tickets will cost $20 at the door. Please bring it in cash or check (payable to Newton South High School); venmo/paypal will not be accepted at the door. Tickets are non-refundable.
Attire:
- Wear school appropriate beach themed attire in a business casual fashion! Dresses and button downs are recommended but don’t feel forced to wear anything more formal than that as we are going for a business casual standard.
- Suggestions:
- Floral dresses
- Hawaiian Shirt / button up
- Bright colored dresses, pants, shirts
- Flower accessory (Lei, hair piece, corsage, etc.)
- Do NOT Wear:
- Bathing suits
Food:
There will be pizza, chips, cookies, and water.
Reminders:
- You cannot come back into the building once you leave.
- Remember to:
- Have your parents arrive at 10 (no later). It is unfair for chaperones to have to wait and accompany you.
- No vapes/e-cigarettes allowed; there will be a breathalyzer.
- This event is still on school grounds so act civilized. All school rules still apply!
- Have fun and enjoy yourselves!
Q&A
Who?
- NSHS 9th Graders (Class of 2025)
- No one from other grades or schools
What?
- Night at the beach! The student center will be filled with tropical and beach themed decorations to celebrate that summer and hopefully time at the beach is around the the corner
When?
- Saturday, June 4th, 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Where?
- NSHS Student Center/Cafe
Cost?
- $15 Tuesday, May 23rd – Friday June 3rd
- $20 at the door night of event
- Financial aid will be provided for those in need. Contact your dean for more info.
- Tickets are non-refundable
Where to buy tickets?
- There is a table setup in the breezeway between the 2000’s and the Cafeteria. Come anytime lunch or WIN and you’ll probably find us there.
- You can also buy from Ms. Michaels in room 2108 most days after school.
- Bring cash or a check (Payable to Newton South High School. On the memo line please write Student Name & Class of 2025.)
Ticket Booth Times:
Week 1:
Monday, 5/23:
- Third lunch
Tuesday, 5/24:
- Second and third
- Lion Block
Wednesday, 5/25:
- First and third
Thursday, 5/26:
- Lunch 2 & 3??
- WIN
Friday, 5/27:
- Lunch 1 & 3
- WIN
Week 2:
Monday, 5/30:
- Third Lunch
Tuesday, 5/31:
- Second and third
- No Lion
Wednesday, 6/1:
- First and third
Thursday, 6/2:
- Lunch 2 &3
- WIN
Friday, 6/3 (LAST DAY TO BUY):
- Lunch 1 & 3
- WIN
Dresscode?
- Wear school appropriate beach themed attire in a business casual fashion
- Dresses and button downs are recommended but don’t feel forced to wear anything more formal than that as we are going for a business casual standard.
- Suggestions:
- Floral dresses
- Hawaiian Shirt / button up
- Bright colored dresses, pants, shirts
- Flower accessory (Lei, hair piece, corsage, etc.)
- Do NOT Wear:
- Bathing suits
Are there going to be refreshments?
- Yes, free pizza, baked goods, candy, snacks, and drinks.
Should I bring a date?
- Completely up to you. Come with a date or with your friends or just come down to see who will be there! No one from outside of NSHS 9th grade is allowed inside the event
- The most important thing is to just show up! This is our first class event since 7th grade and it’s a great opportunity to come together as a class!
Questions?
Contact any Class Officer (Michael Shen, Clio Mcaneny, Belinda (Yutong) Yan), Ms. Gallagher ([email protected]) , or Ms. Michaels ([email protected] ).
NATB Event Info
Newton South Seniors and their Families Zoom Meeting
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions regarding graduation. We will have additional information in our next Weekly Update.
We will be holding the following assemblies in the next few days regarding the end of the year for seniors:
- Thursday, May 12, 6:30 – 7:30pm: Senior Activity Parent Night.
o This is for families to learn more about end of year events such as graduation and senior checkout.
o https://newton-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/87320565771
o Passcode: 2022
- Monday, May 16, Advisory (10:10 – 10:30 AM): Senior Student Assembly.
o This event is for students to learn more about end of year events such as graduation and senior checkout.
o Students will attend this in their advisory.
o We will have a link later this week that we will share with senior advisory teachers.
NSHS Weekly Update 5/9 – 5/13
Newton South Students and Families:
Here is the Weekly Update for 5/9 – 5/13. This is an ORANGE week, which affects Lion Block and clubs.
Here’s to another week at South! Please let us know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Jason Williams (he/him/his)
Vice Principal
Newton South High School
140 Brandeis Road
Newton, MA 02459
617-559-6700
NSHS Weekly Update 5/2 – 5/6
Newton South Students and Families:
Here is the Weekly Update for 5/2 – 5/6. This is a BLUE week, which affects Lion Block and clubs.
Here’s to another week at South! Please let us know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Jason Williams (he/him/his)
Vice Principal
Newton South High School
140 Brandeis Road
Newton, MA 02459
617-559-6700
SouthFest Fundraiser
Dear Senior Parents/Caregivers,
The PTSO has sponsored Southfest, a party for the ENTIRE senior class, for over 20 years. The party is held at a transformed Newton South after the Senior Prom, but all senior students are welcome to attend – whether they went to Prom or chose to do something else that evening. We have been unable to run Southfest for the past two years, but now we are thrilled to say it is BACK! This year, the party will take place on June 7th from 11:30 PM – 3:00 AM.
Most years the PTSO and the senior class hold various fundraisers to support this event; however, due to Covid restraints earlier in the year, we are short on funds.
We are asking for a donation from senior parents to support this amazing event – one last time for the students to enjoy an evening of fun, games, food and entertainment with their graduating class. Please click the button below to donate to Southfest this year. Suggested donation amount is $50 and we appreciate any donation you are able to make. Let’s give our seniors an amazing party after all they have been through!
Class of 2025 Event
We are very excited to announce that the Class of 2025 is going to be holding a dance/social event on Saturday, June 4th from 7-10pm. It will be tropical themed and all students attending will be encouraged to dress in theme! The dance will take place in the student center where we are going to transform the space with tropical decorations, lights, and games! We will have a DJ playing music and running the dancing part of the event. There will be food, games, and a photo booth for students to use to commemorate the night. We are very excited to bring the Class of 2025 together for their first event at NSHS and excited for all the support from staff, parents, and students to help this come to life. We will begin selling tickets in May (for a cost we are still determining) that will help support the cost for music, decorations, and food.
NSHS Weekly Update 4/25 – 4/29
Newton South Students and Families:
Here is the Weekly Update for 4/25 – 4/29. This is an ORANGE week, which affects Lion Block and clubs.
Families: As a reminder, we are still looking for your feedback to better understand the experiences of Newton high school students this school year, including our new schedule with improved structures for student support and later start times, we are surveying all of our families. Please complete this brief survey and answer all questions based on your child’s current experiences in school this year. The leaders of our high schools will use your input to continue to improve the student experience for all students.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/
- Choose your preferred language in the upper right corner of the survey homepage.
- Elija su idioma preferido en la esquina superior derecha de la página de inicio de la encuesta.
- Escolha seu idioma preferido no canto superior direito da página inicial da pesquisa.
- ??????????????????
- ???????? ?????????????? ???? ? ?????? ??????? ???? ??????? ???????? ??????.
Here’s to another week at South! Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Jason Williams (he/him/his)
Vice Principal
Newton South High School
140 Brandeis Road
Newton, MA 02459
617-559-6700
April Update 2022
Dear NSHS Community,
As we enter into April break, I wanted to reach out and provide some updates on the happenings at South over the past couple months. As we enter into the spring months, we begin to look forward to what next school year brings and how we plan for it. This happens in parallel with some of the amazing experiences our students have been participating in within our community that I have been lucky enough to share and experience with them!
Incident Updates:
As you all know, the month of March was particularly difficult for the Lion community as we had multiple acts of hate and harassment. Fortunately, our last act of hate ended with us finding the perpetrator, and consequencing that student appropriately. The investigation into the first two acts of hate, however, remains ongoing. I urge you to speak with your student, and for them to come forward if they have any knowledge that could help assist our deans in these investigations. In addition, the incident in the weightroom is close to being concluded; all directly connected parties will be contacted with the appropriate findings. Consequences will also be issued where necessary. I want to thank you all for your patience and trust in our process to ensure that South is a safe and welcoming place for all.
I am especially grateful to all community members who have reached out in support, and have offered resources and time as we continue to educate our students. I would like to extend a special thank you to the Israeli American Council, the Lappin Foundation, the Anti-Defamation League and various other allies including local rabbis. I am grateful for our South Human Rights Council, our Jewish Student Union, our Jewish Staff Affinity Group, and all our faculty and students for their support in helping us through this difficult time.
I truly believe that this partnership between the school and community is what strengthens us and makes us better than we were yesterday.
Budget Updates:
The budget for next year has been a shared concern over recent weeks. As many of you are aware, the school committee approved a budget that does have cuts after much discussion and negotiation. While I understand the idea of budget cuts is a distressing one, I assure you we will continue to provide top notch education and programs to continue with our goals of equity and excellence for all. We will have some cuts to make based on enrollment projections, but they will not be as painful as previously thought, and will be shouldered by larger departments to ensure that these cuts will bring little impact to your student’s South experience. Class sizes will be
similar to this year, and most courses will have the ability to run. Each department will consider student interest data, and will decide which courses in their department run based on this data. I am once again incredibly thankful for the advocacy that you, as a community, have shown on behalf of our school department, as well as the advocacy by the Newton Teachers Association and the district as a whole. This is a prime example of a partnership that works together to ensure that all students receive the quality of education that they deserve.
Culture Updates:
While South has seen some challenging times over the past few weeks, it brings me joy to highlight some amazing things that your students have been engaging in within the building! Tertulia, the annual Newton South student talent show, took place on Thursday April 7th. Always among the most fun and spirited days of the year, Tertulia was originally founded more than twenty years ago in honor of Newton South student Maxine Celeste Chansky. Over the years, it was led by the inspiring stewardship of emeritus NSHS World Language teacher Viviana Planine. This year, Tertulia ran all four blocks of the day in the Van Seasholes Auditorium, with over 150 student performers! The vast diversity of our school community was on display: everything from Indian dances to punk bands, improv comedy to hip-hop, and classical piano to martial arts. Together, we celebrated our school and the renewal of spirit through the return of this important South tradition to the stage!
In addition to our annual showcase of talent, our wonderful Asian Students Organization (ASO) also showcased their talent on Friday night at a well-attended and delightful event. Asian Night is an annual event hosted by the ASO with student performances celebrating both traditional and modern Asian cultures, dance, music, martial arts, and fashion. We have held Asian Night every year in the spring since 2003! It was so exciting to bring back Asian Night live this past Friday evening! Asian Night proceeds are donated annually to worthy AAPI organizations supporting the local Asian American Pacific Islander community. This year’s proceeds will go to Boston Asian YES , an organization that provides direct services to youth whose lifestyles, personal, and family situations have put them in high-risk situations. They strive to employ youth with knowledge, skills, values, resources, and opportunities through supportive peer and adult training mentorship.
In the month of March, we had the pleasure of hosting our first fully in-person events in quite some time: the grade eight parent night and grade eight sports night. Both events were very well attended with over a thousand members of our South community! These events are pivotal for our rising ninth graders, and ensure they are part of our vivacious community. In addition, our athletics department hosted their spring Lions Pride day to welcome all spring athletes and guide them through team building activities. This event truly highlights what it means to be a student
athlete at South! I also had the pleasure of attending the 47th annual Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) conference where our Athletic Director, Patricia Gonzalez, was recognized for her work around unified sports. South was asked to highlight this during this conference! Mrs. Gonzalez, the co-chair of the MIAA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, presented the history of our teams, underscoring the initiative of our students and the support of our school and our district to open sports experiences for all our students with the presentation “When Inclusion is Real, Unified Programs at NSHS”. Included in the presentation was the role of Lions Pride Day, ninth grade workshops and our coaches professional development in creating the foundation of an equitable and inclusive environment. The connection between the Special Education programs, the Unified Theater options, Dreamfar and athletics as a conduit for inclusion made our school a recipient of the National Banner. We are truly lucky to have an incredible Athletic Director who is committed to excellence, inclusion, and equity in sports for all of our South students.
All of these events occurred simultaneously with school, of course! Our students continued their learning and engaging with challenges in their classes. Every day I am impressed by what our students are capable of, and what they have and continue to accomplish. I am thankful to work in a community that encourages students to think and be independent in their decision-making skills.
Thank you for taking the time to read this lengthy update and I wish you all relaxation and good health over April break!
Sincerely,
Tamara (Tamii) Stras
Graduation Information
Graduation Information
Thursday June 9, 2022 5PM
Winkler Stadium
Rain Date: Sunday June 12 (after 2PM exact time TBD)