The latest announcements from the Principal, PTSO, and NPS...

Newton South Principal and Vice Principal Meet and Greet Link (6 PM Tonight)

Newton South Families:

Here is the link to tonight’s Zoom for the meet and greet with Principal Tamii Stras and Vice Principal Jason Williams. This webinar will run from 6 PM – 7 PM tonight.

As a reminder, you can use this form to ask a question in advance of tonight’s meet and greet. We will answer as many of these questions as we can!

We look forward to seeing those of you who can make it tonight!

Jason Williams (he/him/his)
Vice Principal
Newton South High School
140 Brandeis Road
Newton, MA 02459
617-559-6700

From the Athletic Director

South sports teams complete their first week of competition!

Field Hockey opened their season under the lights when they hosted Lincoln Sudbury last Friday. The athletes were supported by a festive group of students during the game. The Lions fought hard and, though the score didn’t turn out in their favor, they are making great progress. The team hosted Ursuline on Saturday and played to a 2-2 draw.

Boys’ Soccer is one of our young squads. They defeated Boston Latin on Friday behind a hat trick from Nico Tuelet. On Saturday they tied Wellesley High School 2-2. The team has been showing steady improvement at each game. Their grit and resilience is a trademark!

Girls’ Soccer defeated Boston Latin at West Roxbury on Friday 6-2 and traveled to Sandwich on Saturday for a non-league contest, prevailing over SHS 4-0. The team shows scoring power and a solid defense. The Lions are undefeated.

Girls’ Volleyball opened their home schedule vs Cambridge. The varsity squad defeated CRL 3-1. Our JV squad is lead by first-year coach Vicky Wong and our 9th-grade team is coached by first-year coach Ashlee Daust. The teams traveled to Newton North Saturday.

The Golf Team opened their season on August 31. Our team is using a new scoring system of Match Play. The one-on-one competitions against opponents are exciting and closely-contested.

Football opened their season at Winchester High School. The team’s come-from-behind game was a thriller. The game also featured the Cheerleading and Dance teams. The Lions visited Brookline on Saturday night, where South’s visiting Lions’ Den came out in force to cheer on their school! Final score NS 21 Brookline 6.

Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country opened their season at Lincoln Sudbury on Tuesday. The Boys JV and varsity teams swept their opponents while the JV girls defeated LS and the varsity girls ran a highly-contested race against the Warriors. Both teams’ next race will be held at Concord Carlisle on Thursday when they run against Bedford and C-C.

Unified Basketball opens its practice schedule this week. The MIAA/Special Olympics has not released their game schedule yet. Coaches Strongin and Rodriguez lead 33 student-athletes eager to participate and ready to go!

NPS COVID Protocol for Athletics and Extended Theater Productions

You can find the NPS protocols here. Please review the information with your student-athlete as soon as possible.

MASKS – Indoor mask use is required of all athletes, coaches, officials, and spectators. Gaitors are not allowed in NPS.

SPECTATORS – This season two (2) family members per player will be allowed to attend the indoor competitions.

There is no limitation for outdoor spectators at this time.

LOCKER ROOMS – Open each day from 8:30-9:00 am. The locker rooms will open again at 3:45 pm for students to change for practices and games. No equipment or clothes will be left in the locker rooms. As during last school year, the student’s gym bag is their locker.

FOOD – Sharing food or drinks is not allowed at this time (no cakes, cupcakes, pizza, fruits, seeds, etc.)

TRANSPORTATION – By the state mandate, students have to wear a properly fitted face mask while in buses, windows must be open and proper distance should be kept.

Athletics Bus Update

We are grateful to the families and athletes that made last week’s games and matches possible by self-transporting and carpooling.

The bus driver shortage is affecting many communities in Massachusetts, especially in transportation for extracurricular activities. We continue to work with the NPS Director of Transportation and Eastern Bus to monitor the situation. However, last-minute cancelations are beyond our control. We are doing everything possible to avoid canceling and postponing contests. Thank you for your understanding.

Family members who may be available to transport student-athletes: please complete a Volunteer Driver Application and a CORI/SORI Form and submit both forms, along with a copy of your driver’s license, registration and insurance information to the front office at South. 

Please note: If student-athletes drive their own vehicle, they may only transport themselves and not another student.

Newton South Fitness Center

The fitness center is open after school for in-season and out-of-season athletes.

Will McGrath, a certified strength and conditioning coach, will work with our athletes, coaches, and out-of-season teams to provide challenging workouts in a safe and controlled manner. The center is open daily for three hours after school. Fitted facemasks and cleaning protocols are required to use the room. Students have to check in by using their phone cameras to scan the QR code. For safety reasons, the room can be only be used while supervision is present.

Please welcome Coach McGrath to South!

Vaccination Requirements & Covid Testing

Please read this important information from our Vice-Principal.

Use the form included to upload your student’s vaccination card. Students must be logged into their NPS Google account to use this form, allowing us to easily connect your response with your name. Please have each student in a family log in separately or on their school-assigned device to complete the form.

Students have to check symptoms daily before attending practices by using this form regardless of vaccination status.

Vaccination information:

Evidence continues to show that the vaccines are highly effective at preventing infection, hospitalizations, and death.

Still not vaccinated? We are hosting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic for people 12 and older at two sites, Newton North and Newton South High Schools. The time and date are the same for both locations.

Vaccines are also readily available at pharmacies (Keyes Drug in Auburndale, Union Pharmacy in Newton Centre, CVS and Walgreens), and other locations in Newton and across the state. Find a location at vaxfinder.mass.gov.

In addition to the health benefits to individuals and the community, fully vaccinated students will experience fewer quarantine/testing requirements in the Newton Public Schools.

Booster Club – First Meeting Thursday, 9/23 @ 7:30 pm

Please join the Booster Club for our first general meeting of the 2021-22 school year on Thursday, September 23 at 7:30 pm via Zoom.

The Booster Club supports the student-athletes, coaches and athletic program of NSHS and promotes school and community spirit. Please join us to learn how you can get involved, support your student’s team and the overall sports program at South. All parents are invited to join.

 Register here to join the meeting

Become a Team Rep!

The Booster Club is expanding! 

As part of our efforts to strengthen the Booster Club’s support of South’s athletes, teams, coaches and Athletic Department, we are adding the position of Team Rep to our organizational structure. Our goal is to have a Rep for each team, at all levels, who coordinates support for their child’s team and provides a connection to the larger Athletic community through the Booster Club.

The Team Rep will share team requests, provide communication, feedback and support broader initiatives that help all South teams and the Athletic program. This coordination will allow the Boosters to provide consistent support to all our teams, student-athletes and coaches.

Team Reps must be the parent/guardian of an athlete on the team they representing. If you are interested in becoming a Team Rep, please be in touch with your child’s coach, and plan to attend the Booster Club’s first meeting on Thursday, September 23 at 7:30 pm. Questions? Email us! 

Team Rep Responsibilities: 

Provide Team Support – *As directed by the Coach*

Lead and or coordinate volunteers to:

  • Support the team coach with strengthening team spirit (e.g., team dinners, senior recognition events, community service activities)
  • Support the coach on fundraising initiatives
  • Build community among team parents and fans at all team levels (e.g., distribute rosters, email lists, coordinate family meet & greets)
  • Promote news about the team to the Booster Club
  • Work with coaching staff to understand needs of the team and appropriate resources for funding (team fundraising vs. Booster Club)

Serve as Team Rep to the Booster Club 

  • Represent their child’s team at monthly Booster Club meetings
  • Share updates, spirit-building ideas with other teams through Booster Club meetings
  • Provide input on Booster Club activities and participate and promote Booster Club fundraising efforts back to individual team
  • Vote on funding requests to the Booster Club (to come)
  • Serve as a point person for funding requests to the Booster Club (to come)

As mentioned above, the role of the Team Rep is to coordinate support for a team, not to do it all on their own. We also appreciate parent input/feedback on this position as we grow and evolve our program.

We look forward to working with you!

 

Social Media Follows for Athletics Updates

Newton South Boosters on Instagram @nsboosters

Newton South Athletics on Instagram @nshsathletics

Newton South Athletics on Twitter @NSHS_Athletics

Denebola – Newton South’s Online Newspaper – on Instagram @nshsdenebola

Principal Stras on Twitter @StrasPrincipal

Weekly Update for 9/20 – 9/24

Newton South students and families,

We hope you had a great week last week and look forward to another week of school!

Here is a link to the Weekly Update for 9/20 – 9/24. Note that this is an ORANGE week – this affects club meetings during Lion block on Tuesday.

Here’s to another great week at NSHS! Please let us know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Deadline to confirm your directory entry is September 23rd

 

The 2021/2022 NSHS Directory is going to print.If you have not already done so, please click here to confirm your information and pay your PTSO dues. We are over half way to our annual goal!

Is your SOUTH high schooler interested in theater arts or joining South Stage? 

Did you know that South Stage has a parent group to support the staff and students in our amazing theater program?

If you are a new parent or returning parent please join us for a “South Stage Parent’s Social Event”  to meet others and hear more about the program.

Please join us on 10/3/21 from 4 PM – 6 PM at the home of Cara Attanucci and James Miner, 87 Winslow Street, Waban, MA.

This get together will be in the back yard and include drinks and snacks.

Please RSVP at  [email protected].

Sports and COVID-19 Testing

Newton South students and families,

If you are participating in NPS secondary interscholastic athletics or extended theater productions, you will have to participate in weekly COVID-19 testing unless you provide confirmation of vaccination. To provide confirmation, you can complete this form. If the hyperlink does not work, this is the direct link to the form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdpga65xm-Sd6rDOCdnM2_Z6Fcp6VjOBw9QV1gBpDby6kaUOA/viewform?usp=sf_link

This form is for students participating in NPS secondary interscholastic athletics or extended theatre productions. You will be asked to submit a photo of your vaccination card, so please take a picture of it, rename it with your last name if possible, and save it where it can be uploaded to this form before proceeding.

Students must be logged into their NPS google account to use this form, allowing us to easily connect your response with your name.  Please have each student in a family log in separately or on their school assigned device to complete the form.

Vaccination records will be kept confidential, and only used by school administration for purposes of determining which students are required to participate in weekly testing.  This form is voluntary, though vaccination is encouraged for all eligible students. This information will be maintained only for the 21-22 school year.

Participants in athletics or theatre who do not submit confirmation of vaccination will be required to participate in weekly COVID-19 testing in order to continue to participate.  Vaccinated students are welcome and encouraged to continue to participate in weekly testing as well.

Please let us know if you have any questions about this form.

Jason Williams (he/him/his)
Vice Principal
Newton South High School
140 Brandeis Road
Newton, MA 02459
617-559-6700

Bilingual Seniors Apply for Seal of Biliteracy

Attention Seniors!!

Do you speak a language other than English? If you read and write it as well, let colleges and future employers know by earning a Seal of Biliteracy on your transcript!

The process is simple, and you can use it to demonstrate skills in any language you’ve learned, whether at home, in school, or elsewhere.

Click HERE for detailed information about the Seal, including how to qualify and a link to register.

The deadline for registration is Wednesday, October 20.

If you have questions, contact Ms. Murphy-Ferguson, World Language Department Chair, via e-mail, Schoology message, or live in room 6209.


Suzanne Murphy-Ferguson
World Language Department Chair
Newton South High School
617-559-6601
Pronouns: she / her / hers
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