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

May/June School Calendar

Posted on May 2, 2021 by Michelle Wetlaufer in From the PTSO

To help with planning for the end of the year activities, the  May/June calendar  will make it easier for viewing weeks at a time. Please know that we will do our best to keep this calendar updated with relevant events and share out any updates in the weekly Friday memo. 

 

COVID Surveillance/Pool Testing Reminder and Update

Posted on May 2, 2021 by Michelle Wetlaufer in From the PTSO

As Newton South prepares for a full in-person return to school after April vacation, we STRONGLY ENCOURAGE families to enroll their student in our COVID-19 testing program. Testing is one of the best ways we have to quickly identify infection and reduce the possibility of in-school transmission. 

It’s a quick process to enroll:

  • Students then create an account at JCM (do it here!) enter your NPS email, select “Forgot Password prompt”, follow the email verification process, log in and the QR Code will appear. You can then take a picture of your QR code and you will use that same code every week that you test.
    1. For the first time you are going to test, you can either go to the main office to pick up a test kit, or come to the faculty dining room at the times listed further down in the email below.
    2. If step b. above is too confusing or you get stuck, as long as your parent/guardian completed step a. above, you can just show up to the South testing center on the designated days (more info below) and a staff member will give you a test kit with instructions and we will also gladly give you your QR code that you will need each week when you come to test (taking a picture of the QR code with your phone is a common strategy that works since most students always have their phone with them).

*Over the next two weeks, due to the special schedules for MCAS, the testing center hours will be slightly different than this past week. Please follow the schedule below beginning on Monday and continuing through May 11th

Monday, May 3rd and May 10th:

The testing center will be open from 12:00 – 1:00pm in the Faculty Dining Room …located next to the cafeteria in the hallway near the lecture hall—AVAILABLE FOR ALL IN-BUILDING STUDENTS

Tuesday, May 4th and May 11th:

The testing center will be open from 12:00 – 1:00pm in the Faculty Dining Room …located next to the cafeteria in the hallway near the lecture hall—AVAILABLE FOR ALL IN-BUILDING STUDENTS

Also, the testing center will be open from 3:45 to 4:30pm in the Faculty Dining Room…located next to the cafeteria in the hallway near the lecture hall–designed for students who are distance learning who are involved in extracurricular activities regularly at South

As a way to incentivize participation in the pool testing program, we have purchased Dunkin’ gift cards that we have then placed into random test kits. When students come to submit a test and pick up another test for the following week, they may be among the lucky winners who pick up a kit that contains a gift card. Another reason to SIGN UP FOR TESTING IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY!

If you have any questions, please see this NPS page: https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/3826 or if you can’t find your answer there, please reach out to me and I will see if I can help or point you in the right direction. Thank you!

MCAS Updates

Posted on May 2, 2021 by Michelle Wetlaufer in From the PTSO

Please note: Sophomore and Junior families should have received a separate email from our MCAS coordinator, Faye Cassell with more details regarding room assignments, etc. If you didn’t receive an email or have any specific MCAS testing questions, please contact Faye at: [email protected]. Please do not contact Chris Hardiman regarding specific MCAS related questions. 

MCAS testing for 10th graders begins on Monday, May 3rd with a special class schedule for all grades.

Below is the block schedule for all of the MCAS dates over the next two weeks and, newly added, dates for 9th grade science MCAS in early June.  Please note that in order to balance out blocks with all of the required testing days, we needed to move blocks around more than is typical in a regular MCAS year. We know this can be disruptive to scheduling after school appointments and activities but we appreciate your flexibility and understanding during this difficult year.

 May and June MCAS Schedule 

Congratulations DECA Winners, Noa Bar-Or & Samantha Shepard

Posted on May 2, 2021 by Michelle Wetlaufer in From the PTSO

Seniors, Noa Bar-Or and Samantha Shepard represented NSHS at the 2021 DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) competition in the Finance category.

Noa and Samantha won 1st place in Massachusetts and 5th place in the country, and made it to the international final stage competition. Congratulations!

Athletic Events TODAY & Newsletter Glitch

Posted on May 1, 2021 by PTSO CoPresident in Midweek From the PTSO 2021

We are trying to resolve a glitch in the system on our Athletic Newsletter.  Please note the following events are happening today.  The details are posted at the PTSO website at https://newtonsouthptso.org/

 

Cheerleading Team Car Wash TODAY! May 1, from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Posted on May 1, 2021 by PTSO CoPresident in Athletics

Our Cheerleading athletes and their coach are hosting a car wash on Monday, May 1 at the main entrance to South. Proceeds from the event will help the team attend cheer camps during the summer. Please swing by with your car and help the team reach its fundraising goal!

Fall 2 Sports Awards Day – TODAY, May 1, Times Below

Posted on May 1, 2021 by PTSO CoPresident in Athletics

The Fall 2 Sports Season Awards day is TODAY! The awards will take place by the team appointment times noted below. Only students receiving awards for each program and their parents will attend the event. The slots are by program and include all levels of the sport.

The event will take place in Gym B.  Please enter by using the outside entrance doors.

Please note, that with Spring teams in session, times were selected to accommodate coaches and athletes participating in both seasons.

Schedule:

10:00 AM- Girls Volleyball 3 levels

10:15 Unified Basketball

10:30 AM Football 2 levels

10:45 AM Girls Track 2 levels

11:00 Boys Track 2 Levels

11:15 Dance

12:30 PM Cheer – presentation will be held after car wash

Congratulations to all our Fall 2 athletes!

Welcome South’s New Spring Coaches

Posted on May 1, 2021 by PTSO CoPresident in Athletics

Newton South is excited to announce the addition of seven new spring season coaches to its staff. Please welcome:

Ed Neil, Baseball Varsity Assistant

Sarah Morse, Girls Lacrosse Varsity Assistant

Gabriel Cranberry, John Conroy, and Alan Chang, Boys Lacrosse Assistant Coaches

Kristen Hoffman, Girls Track

Joseph Eckstrom, Boys JV Tennis

 

MANDATED COVID TESTING

Posted on May 1, 2021 by PTSO CoPresident in Athletics

NPS has made the decision to MANDATE TESTING for all high school extracurricular activities. This is a mandate not only for students participating in athletics but for any students participating in in-person extracurricular activities.

  1. It’s a quick process to enroll:
  1. Complete the opt-in in Aspen through the PARENT/FAMILY ACCOUNT (here’s the link!). 
  2. Students then create an account at JCM (do it here!) enter your NPS email, select “Forgot Password prompt”, follow the email verification process, log in and the QR Code will appear. You can then take a picture of your QR code and you will use that same code every week that you test.
  3. For the first time you are going to test, you can either go to the main office to pick up a test kit, or come to the faculty dining room at the times listed further down in the email below.
  4. If step b. above is too confusing or you get stuck, as long as your parent/guardian completed step a. above, you can just show up to the South testing center on the designated days (more info below) and a staff member will give you a test kit with instructions and we will also gladly give you your QR code that you will need each week when you come to test (taking a picture of the QR code with your phone is a common strategy that works since most students always have their phone with them).

*Over the next two weeks, due to the special schedules for MCAS, the testing center hours will be slightly different than this past week. Please follow the schedule below beginning on Monday and continuing through May 11th:

Weeks of May 3rd and 10th:

Monday, May 3rd and May 10th:

  • The testing center will be open from 12:00 – 1:00 pm in the Faculty Dining Room …located next to the cafeteria in the hallway near the lecture hall—AVAILABLE FOR ALL IN-BUILDING STUDENTS

Tuesday, May 4th and May 11th:

    • The testing center will be open from 12:00 – 1:00 pm in the Faculty Dining Room …located next to the cafeteria in the hallway near the lecture hall—AVAILABLE FOR ALL IN-BUILDING STUDENTS

Tuesday, May 4th and May 11th:

    • The testing center will be open from 3:45 to 4:30 pm in the Faculty Dining Room…located next to the cafeteria in the hallway near the lecture hall–designed for students who are distance learning who are involved in extracurricular activities regularly at South

As a way to incentivize participation in the pool testing program, we have purchased Dunkin’ gift cards that we have then placed into random test kits. When students come to submit a test and pick up another test for the following week, they may be among the lucky winners who pick up a kit that contains a gift card. Another reason to SIGN UP FOR TESTING IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY!

 

Newton South Captains Attend MIAA Conference

Posted on May 1, 2021 by PTSO CoPresident in Athletics

Three Newton South captains attended the MIAA virtual captains workshop this month. Girls Soccer Team Captains Tess Ertel, Isabella Lanzillo and Francesca Toro along with Girls Tennis Captain Jillian Reingold attended the virtual conference. We look forward to seeing our athletes becoming strong leaders on and off the sports fields.