From NPS Math Department

Dear families and caregivers,

This school year, in response to the pandemic and in an effort to be more equitable, we adapted our grading system to its current form.  In response to lessons learned from this year’s grading system, the likely continuing effects of the pandemic, and our collective ongoing learning about equitable grading practices, a working group of educators in grades 6-12 has been formed with the ultimate goal of making a recommendation for a grading system for the 21-22 school year.

Feedback from families is an important part of our process and will help inform next steps as we consider potential improvements to the grading system used in our middle and high schools. We are providing this video for additional information: https://youtu.be/k7MsjlscHOg.

Please complete this short survey (https://forms.gle/iJPq8Z4ANmpac9qy7) to help us capture your experience with the current grading system. Thank you in advance for your time.

Translations:

• Simplified Chinese: 简体中文 – https://forms.gle/DFEr2dN5xdkbRhFfA
• Japanese: 日本人- https://forms.gle/89W7yJfaEkz7Gy6A6
• Korean: 한국어 – https://forms.gle/DSgBQ62rhaLp3iK97
• Portuguese: Português – https://forms.gle/g9LJmyBjvT5nM2hZ9
• Russian: русский – https://forms.gle/NYkry8cfzAB3Ngj38
• Spanish: Español – https://forms.gle/fHeaUKeFDX6VAJJe6

Jennifer Letourneau
(she/her/hers) Why I include these

Math Department Head

A message from the Newton Public School Health Department:

Dear NPS Families,

The Newton Public Schools is launching a free weekly COVID-19 testing for all students and staff. 

The district has partnered with JCM Analytics to conduct the testing. Tests are “pooled” together to increase the number of students that can be tested at one time and reduce costs. JCM uses a shallow nasal swab test to collect the sample. Test kits will be distributed at school to be taken home by students. The sample will then be obtained at home and returned to school to be sent to the lab for testing. Test results will be returned within 48 hours. You will only be notified if your student’s test results are positive or if your student is deemed to be a close contact of a positive case.

Detailed information on this COVID-19 testing program can be found in this Frequently Asked Questions document. You can also visit our webpage at: https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/3826 for details on sample collection and testing process.

This testing is VOLUNTARY and there is no requirement to participate. 

Should you wish for your student to participate, please complete the consent form as soon as possible. The consent form can be found in the Aspen Family/Student Portal. Instructions for finding and completing the consent form can be found here. Translated consent forms and paper consent forms are available from your student’s school.

PLEASE NOTE: if you previously completed a consent form for the Abbott Binax NOW symptomatic testing via the Project Beacon website, you MUST complete this new consent form.

If you have questions regarding the COVID-19 Pool Testing Program please email the district at community@newton.k12.ma.us.

TIMELINE for Testing Roll Out

Week of March 1

Testing for all NPS staff in buildings or at the Education Center. Test kits were distributed to high school students who have opted-in.

Week of March 8

Testing began for high school students who have opted-in.

Week of March 22

Testing begins for Pre-K and elementary students who have opted-in.

Week of April 12: Testing begins for middle school students who have opted-in.

It is time for 8th grade students to start the process of registering for high school courses. Here are some important dates regarding Newton North High School’s course registration process:

• Monday, March 8 – Monday, March 29
  Teachers begin entering course recommendations into Aspen.
• Thursday, March 18
  Virtual 8th Grade Student and Family Night. You can access a recording here.
• Friday, March 19
  Newton North High School Opportunities books are available online. This book contains Newton North course descriptions and elective choices. You should begin to read this catalog with your student!
• Wednesday, March 24
  During the school day, Jessica Pierce (Grade 8 Counselor) will present information regarding the registration process for Newton North to 8th grade students.

• Thursday, March 25
  Grade 8 Parents/Guardians are invited to a virtual “Coffee” with NNHS Principal, Henry Turner and Kathleen Duff, Career Technical Education Department Head (9:00 AM -9:30 AM). Zoom Link: https://newton-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/89655020927?pwd=dnlZeFYxU1pKano2MEVvZS9xVEcydz09 – Passcode: 650548

• Monday, March 29 – Sunday, April 11
  8th Graders enter their elective choices into Aspen. Individual teacher recommendations will be available in Aspen to Bigelow students starting at 5:00 PM. You will also be able to log into Aspen to view the course recommendations and selections your student has made, however, classes can only be entered through the student portal. Please review this information with your student.
• Sunday, April 11
  Course requests MUST be entered into Aspen by 8:00 PM. Counselor will be checking all student course registration requests in Aspen.
• Months of March and April
  Special Education Courses will be determined with you and your student at the scheduled IEP/Transition meetings. Your student will participate in his/her meeting and you will be notified of the time and date. Please do not cancel this appointment- we are not on a flexible schedule.

From the Principal’s Office

On Monday, March 22, 2021, during advisory, the attached message was communicated to all students.  Powerpoint Message.   Powerpoint Message in Mandarin. 

On March 23,  staff gathered on the front steps before school with  a banner that denounces racism and supports our AAPI community.  We will be gathering again on Thursday and Friday mornings this week and invite students to sign the banner and to join the staff in a show of unity.  If your child is a distance student, they may stop by before school or during lunch to sign the banner outside, or they can contact their school counselor to sign for them.

In addition, we are developing lessons for our advisory program which will give students an opportunity to channel their energies into making a positive difference for the community, and we are also planning a celebration of Asian-American culture during AAPI Heritage Month in May, similar to our past Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations.

We  abhor the recent violence against Asian-Americans in Atlanta and the rise in racism against people of Asian and Pacific Island descent during the pandemic, and we stand united in fighting against it.  As always, our approach is to educate our students,  to help them deepen their understanding of the harm that racism in any form can cause, to give them venues to express their voices and feelings,  to connect with and support one another, and to be pro-active in reflecting and making a difference,

If you have concerns about your own child, please contact  your child’s school counselor. Asian-American students are also welcome to attend our Asian-American Affinity Group, led by ELL teacher Stacy Zheng, on Tuesday afternoons. Information and links for this group can be found on our website.

We thank the Bigelow FORJ Chapter for sharing information in their recent email about opportunities for families to get involved.  I have reprinted their list of online resources below.

Stand strong, Bigelow.

Best regards,

Todd

Bigelow is excited to announce a 6th Grade ONLY Basketball Club on Fridays in the gym from 3-4:00pm. Students will be organized into short cross-court games of 4 on 4. All COVID protocols for playing sports will be followed; students must wear a mask while playing. If you are interested in signing up your sixth grade child, please complete the google form below.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc255-5ZdJsgHG5THz1eaGUA_QbicK7bZQqiVue8F7Kv0dpvQ/viewform

If you have any questions, please contact our EEE After School Coordinator, Stefanie Dalfior, at dalfiors@newton.k12.ma.us

From Todd Harrison, Bigelow Principal:

Our planning for the full return of all in-person students, beginning April 28, is now in high gear.  We look forward to having all in-person students back in the building soon!

If you are interested in changing your child’s learning model for this final phase of the school year, you may do so.  You will receive a google form with a personalized link for each middle school child early next week to indicate if you want to make a change.  This form is totally optional.  You only need to return it if you want to change your child’s learning model from distance to in-person, or from in-person to distance.  The deadline to return this optional form is Sunday, April 4.  We will hold an optional information meeting for all parents on Tuesday evening, March 30, about the plan for having all in-person students in the building. More details to come.

There has been a change in the schedule for hiring the next principal of Bigelow Middle School.  The visitation days to Bigelow for the finalists will now occur on March 31 and April 1.  During these two days, parents will have an opportunity to meet the final candidates and to give feedback on them.  Superintendent Fleishman will email you with more information in the next few days.

From NNHS FORJ:

I am writing to you on behalf of the planning committee of Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ) at Newton North. We would like to invite parents whose children will be starting at Newton North next year to attend our general meeting next week, to see the work we do at North, and with the hope that you will join us next year.

The theme of our FORJ NNHS General Meeting on March 24th at 7.30pm will be: ‘RACIAL JUSTICE WORK AT NNHS: WHERE ARE WE NOW? WHERE ARE WE GOING?’

The agenda will include:

• Principal Henry Turner, who will give an overview (including an update on grading and the C.A.R.E fund)
• Kathy Lopes, who will discuss her role as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Newton Public Schools
• Michele Leong, who, along with student representatives, will speak about the Human Rights Council at NNHS
• Special activity led by Renande Loayza, FORJ NNHS Planning Committee

There will be opportunities to ask questions. Please RSVP here to receive the zoom link for the meeting. We also have a website, Instagram feed and Facebook page (links below), if anyone is interested in following us. Thanks so much, and we hope to see you next week!

Samantha

Instagram: @forjnnhs  Facebook: FORJ NNHS Website: FORJ NNHS

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Please save the date for the PTO’s biggest fundraiser of the year – Bigelow Big Night Online Auction 2021! The auction goes live beginning May 14, 2021 at 5 pm and will run through May 23, 2021 at 11:59 pm.

Funds raised from this event support many curriculum-enriching programs that are not covered by the public school budget, such as the Creative Arts and Sciences Program, field trip scholarships and special events, classroom supplies, advanced teacher training, the purchase of gym, performing arts and technology items, and more.

Once again, we will not be able to host our in person social event this year due to COVID-19. Typically, we raise a significant amount of money through ticket sales and sponsorships of our social gathering. Therefore, we will rely solely on our auction to raise funds for the PTO so we need your help more than ever!

Can you donate a gift certificate to your favorite restaurant, spa or hair salon?  Or would you be willing to ask a local business for a donation? Do you have tickets to a sporting event or sports memorabilia? Do you have a vacation house getaway you can donate for a weekend or a week? Would you like to donate a wine basket, artwork, an Italian Dinner basket, Lottery Card Wreath,  Game Night Basket?

Additionally, we are incorporating the theme of Ten Tables (canceled also this year due to the pandemic) into our auction. Our goal is to have 12-14 auction items that are each a three course dinner, for 4-6 people. This can be either prepared by you or purchased from a local restaurant, which is a great way to support our local businesses! So far, we have a Lebanese themed dinner, French, and Italian, which all sound fantastic!

Please fill out the form below to let us know what you are able to donate.

In the coming weeks we will share the list of auction items with all information needed to bid.

Thank you very much for your help and support of the Bigelow Middle School – the students, staff and faculty.
 Please feel free to email with any questions.

Warmly,

Alexia Giannakopoulos(alexiag5@yahoo.com) and Ruth Somers (rsomers201@yahoo.com)

Big Night 2021 Co-Chairs

 Big Night Auction Donation Form