If you child is a leader of a Club, please let them know that the PSTO would like to organize a mini Club Fair for Grade 10 students in the next few weeks  (hopefully the weather will hold).

We like to have 5-10 Clubs for the Fair, up to 2 representatives from a Club.  You will have the opportunity to engage with Sophomores who may be interested in your Club.     The ‘mini Club Fair’ would be the first 30 minutes of the event for the Sophomores.  We anticipate the event to be in the evening at the Newton South Stadium from 5:30-7pm.

Please email the PTSO at [email protected] by Nov 20th if you are interested in participating.   Also, if you want to post any event that your Club is having, virtual or in-person, please send your announcement to [email protected] by Thursday of the week.  Your announcement will be posted on Sunday.   Thank you!

The PTSO is looking for a parent volunteer to be a liaison with the Newton Schools Foundation (NSF). The time commitment is minimal, but the impact can be significant.  The position provides an opportunity to better understand NSF initiatives and projects that Newton South may benefit from and support.

The NSF funds grants to the Newton Public Schools that support professional development for educators, new approaches in the classroom, and programs that address both racial and income inequities. Their mission is to advance excellence in the Newton Public Schools.

NSF programs like “Newton Inspires” and “Honor Thy Teacher”, fund initiatives that impact schools at all education levels. Newton South has benefited withThe DaVinci Program, which enables students to build skills through student-driven learning; AP US History Summer Academy, which engages rising juniors of color with structured academic support to help them succeed in AP US History; Beyond The Classroom, a professional development conference that helps international trip leaders craft meaningful and engaging international learning experiences for students; and district-wide programs like Positivity Training, Teachers as Scholars, and Families Organizing for Racial Justice.  NSF has more recently funded programs that address our unique times with the purchase last spring of Chromebooks for distribution district-wide for those in need of a device for remote learning, and this past summer’s National Educator Anti-Racist Conference, a program initiated and implemented by Joana Chacon, a Newton South English teacher.

Learn more at the NSF website.   Please contact the PTSO at [email protected] if you are interested in this unique liaison role.

Here are highlights of some in-person events that happened in October at Newton South High School.  It always takes a village to support each other.

If you are interested in organizing future student in-person opportunities or virtual events for our school community, please contact the PTSO at [email protected].

Senior Outdoor Collective:  Newton South Teachers Eliza Tyack, Alan Reinstein and Dave Weintraub have organized a new program called theSenior Outdoor Cooperative, which aims to bring together Newton South faculty and seniors outdoors in ways that are safely socially distanced and yet still provide opportunities for meaningful connection, discovery, and togetherness during a remote school year.  About 200 hundred seniors have signed up to participate at some point. As of Sunday, November 8th, the Cooperative has led the first batch of five expeditions ranging from affinity group meet-ups at Chestnut Hill Reservoir to ambitious hikes to Mt. Monadnock hike with over twenty seniors.

Theatre:  30 actors and video crew/technicians and two staff members present to shoot the recent production of Sense and Sensibility.    Students participated in in-person rehearsals two days a week (outdoors, distanced, masked), starting in late September and ending on Oct. 24.  Those rehearsals had eighteen students and one faculty member present.   The Frosh Play is online and eight students and one staff member who will be on campus outside for one shooting day.

South Stage Tech has eight students and one staff member on campus (inside, distanced, masked) after school five days a week. Due to interest of twenty to thirty students interested in South Stage Tech, and our scene shop square footage limits us to nine people in the room, we have a rotating schedule for this activity.  This will continue through the winter. Visit SouthStage for updates on events.

Grade 9 Community Event on Oct 20 – About 300 Grade 9 students came to South to meet/greet students and staff, and 37 students logged on to the Zoom portion of the Day. The 90-min session involved  CommunityBuilding activities such as “Bazinga,” “Follow the Leader,”  “What’s Different,” and “Socks,” “Scavenger Hunt,” “Connections.”  More than 25 staff, 20 South Administration team, 28  Grade 9  Advisors, and 12 Staff on Zoom made the event possible.  PTSO sponsored a small gift bag for students, including a Class of 2024 Stressball.

Senior Drive-In Movie Night – 248 Seniors in 67 cars enjoyed the 1984 Ghostbusters movie. Thanks to the 15 parent chaperones who helped make the concession treats, and chaperoning the event at the Chestnut Hill Mall parking lot.

Two Senior Sunsets on the Baseball Field – 182 Seniors got an opportunity to come to the baseball field at South to meet.   Masks and social distancing allowed for many who had not seen each other since the closing of the school in March 2020.  Students registered and the event was chaperoned by parent volunteers.

Fall Athletics – 290 athletes and 19 coaches have been competing in the DCL league schedule since September.  Thank you to our Athletic Department team Pat Gonzalez, Kristen Hoffman, Molly Estrada, Patrick Jordan Quern, John Conway, Matthew Palmer, Jesus Rodriguez, Jim McLaren, Adam Hryniewiczs, David Padget, and our COVID19 coach Ted Dalicandro. Without their diligence and dedication games couldn’t be possible.  The cooperation of athletes, coaches, staff, and parents was key to the success of the season.