June Calendar: Here is the June events calendar June Calendar

Wednesday schedules: Here are the schedules for the remaining Wednesdays: Wednesdays

1. Block Schedule (updated, 6/4): Here is a link to the end of the year Block Schedule (UPDATED 6/4) 

6/4 Updates to block schedule:

• Step Up Day on 6/16. E2 block has been extended by 10 minutes to 10:35 as bus dismissal needed to move to 10:45am. All other blocks and times are the same.
• Last day of school on 6/22: Dismissal for students has been confirmed for 12:45pm on this day. Exact meeting times of each block can be found on the block schedule linked above.

Previous updates:

•  Special schedule for graduation on 6/10 due to bus dismissal times that needed to be adjusted to meet district needs:  
  • A3 block will now be 9:15am to 9:50am
  • B3 block will now be 10:00am to 10:35am
  • C3 block will now be 10:45am to 11:20am
  • D3 block will now be 11:30am to 12:05pm
  • Buses will depart at 12:15pm

• IF we do need to move graduation to 6/11 due to rain, please know that 6/10 would become a full day with the same blocks but longer, until 3:55pm….and if we do need 6/11 for a rain date, the schedule would look like this: 
  • E3 9:15am to 9:50am
  • F3 10:00am – 10:35am
  • G3 10:45am – 11:20am
  • Flex 11:30am – 12:05pm 

With an early dismissal at 12:15 and the ceremonies at the same time as they are currently scheduled on 6/10. We, of course, will make the call if we have to move to the rain date as early as possible as we are aware of the disruption that schedule changes cause to students and families. A few reminder items to note:

• There are no traditional final exams this year in June that count towards a final grade. Instead, classes will have new content being taught through June 11th with the week of 6/14 FULL SCHOOL DAYS for course review and wrap-up. Teachers will share out more specifically what the last days will look like as we get closer to the end of the school year.
• Step Up Day on 6/16: (see 6/4 update above) E2 class in person in the morning, activities with the middle schoolers from 11:45am – 1:15pm…and then two more REMOTE classes in the afternoon. We know that this is NOT an ideal schedule for anyone but with all schools across the district needing to have Step Up day activities and the real challenges with coordinating our bus schedules, this is the schedule that the district has agreed will work for this event for the two high schools. 
• Final week of school schedule: 

Monday, 6/21: The dismissal time and bus pickup for 6/21 for those students that need to come to South for makeup work/support from teachers has been confirmed as 11:30am. Here is more information on the purpose and schedule of the day:

• The purpose of this day is for students who need to submit makeup work and/or meet with teachers to receive additional support to finish the year in a positive way.
• If a student has multiple teachers that they need to check in with, they should follow the “priority hours” schedule below to know when in that time period to meet with each teacher. Student meetings with teachers can happen either in-person (teachers who are in-person will let students know what room to report to) or on the teacher’s zoom link. 
• If a student only has one subject area to make up work in or one teacher to check in with, the student and teacher can arrange a time to meet outside of the “priority hours”, i.e. anytime from 9:15am to 11:30am.

Here is the schedule for 6/21 (also linked here)

9:15am – 10:00am     Math and History priority hours

10:00am – 10:45am    Science and English priority hours

10:45am – 11:30am    World Language, Fine & Performing Arts, Family & Consumer Science, Business, Wellness priority hours

• Tuesday, 6/22:  (See 6/4 update above)
  • As is tradition at South, the final day on 6/22 will have all A – G blocks meet for shorter periods of time for students to have one last opportunity to see/interact with their teachers and peers.

Dear parents and guardians,

Every year Newton South sponsors a six-day “Close Up” trip to Washington DC, where students stay with high school students from across the country, exploring the nation’s capital and seeing how our government operates. As well as getting to know students from areas of the country that may be unfamiliar, our students participate in a mock Congress, debate current issues, and learn how to be informed, active, involved US citizens. The Close Up week starts with a visit to Smithsonian museums, and continues with visits to numerous memorials, as well as other historic sites in Washington D.C., ending with a tour of Arlington National Cemetery. The highlight of the week is Capitol Hill Day, when we meet with our representatives (Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and new Congressman Jake Auchincloss), tour the Capitol building, observe the Senate and/or House in session, attend Congressional hearings, and often visit the Library of Congress and Botanical Gardens. The long day concludes with a performance at the Kennedy Center. Overall, the trip provides a memorable experience that South students treasure.

This year we had to cancel the trip due to the pandemic, but next year we will be back in business! While we mostly take sophomores and some seniors, the Close Up Program is open to all upperclassmen at Newton South, with enrollment starting this June. Next year’s trip will run from March 6 – 11, 2022 and the $1800 cost includes the flight to DC, 5 nights hotel accommodation, bus, and Metro transportation, all programs, meals, and admission to the various museums and the Wednesday show. There is also some limited aid available for those in financial need. We hope you will find that the Close Up Program is a wonderful opportunity for your children to see Washington at a very exciting time (a new Presidency) and to share a unique social and political experience. If you have questions about the program, please contact me or Ms. Soo Hoo, or go to the Close Up foundation’s web page: www.closeup.org. If you are interested in having your child attend, please send an email to me ([email protected])

Warmly,

Bob Parlin