Author Archives: Newton PTO Council

School Committee Update

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year!

This update is for the 1/14/2019 Newton School Committee meeting:

First, Did you know that the School Committee includes terrific student representatives from both high schools?  Please check out the bio for our 2018 – 2019 student representatives.

Superintendent Update

  • Starting in the Fall of 2019, the NPS IT department will be rolling out a Gmail platform to replace the current First Class System used by NPS staff.
  • Oak Hill Middle School has started a Girls Who Code group. So far the group has had a huge turnout with over 50 young women joining mini-lessons on Friday afternoons.

New Business

  • Mary Eich, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, was joined by Jennifer Shore, Curriculum Coordinator for K-8 Mathematics, to present an Elementary Math Update.  This included a deep history of math curriculum and a detailed look at the year-long decision making process that led to the adoption of the “Investigations 3” math program in our elementary schools. This historical review was accompanied by a presentation demonstrating how “Investigations 3” works, why it was chosen, and how NPS will be tracking its success.
  • Members of the Equity Committee, including PTO Council Co-President Christine Dutt and School Committee Member Kathy Shields, presented a brief update on the activities of the Equity Committee.  Originally the committee had a goal of presenting a final recommendation to the School Committee about the possibility of pooling some PTO funds by April of 2019.  However, they have requested more time in order to thoroughly collect public feedback.  We will receive an update in April.
  • School Committee member Margaret Albright presented suggested revision to two policies: Public Comment and Naming Schools.  Members of the School Committee suggested further editing.

Consent Agenda

Next Meeting

January 28 at 7:00 p.m.: Elementary Principal Update, Enrollment Planning and Class Size Report, Mid-Year Superintendent Assessment, Mid-Year SC Calendar Review, EDCO Update

We hope you found this summary useful. You can access all School Committee meeting documents via the NPS website (www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee). Additionally, if you are interested in watching an SC meeting from home or a recorded meeting, you can obtain access via www.newtv.org.

As always, we are very happy to answer any questions or discuss any concerns you may have. Please feel free to contact us at schoolcommittee@newton.k12.ma.us.

Sincerely,

The Newton School Committee

10 Traits of Effective Parents in Special Education

Advocating for children in the special education system can be frustrating and overwhelming for parents. Over the past decade, Attorney Jeffrey Sankey has worked with hundreds of parents to help them obtain special education services for their children. In his experience, he has found that the parents who are best able to navigate the intricacies of the special education process share a number of common traits, which we will explore during this session.

SEPAC Presentation by Jeffrey Sankey of Sankey Law Offices, P.C.

Topics covered will include:

  • Understanding key special education rules and regulations
  • Maintaining accurate and complete records
  • Facilitating productive relationships with school staff
  • Please come with any questions you may have

January 16th, 7:15 – 9:00 pm
Room 210, Newton Education Center, 100 Walnut Street

FORJ Family friendly meeting with pizza ans socializing

You’re invited to the FORJ All Schools Family Friendly Meeting including:

  • Family Pizza dinner and socializing
  • Art Activity focused on Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired themes
  • Video and Small Group Discussions on Microaggressions and Standing Up Against Racism and Bias at our Schools

Sign up HERE https://goo.gl/forms/WN67i9Bb1eTLzyvp2
Want to receive FORJ Newsletters? Sign up here www.forjnewton.com and make sure the forjnewton@gmail.com is in your contacts. Hope to see you soon!

January 17th, 6:30-8:30 pm
Angier Elementary

Winter Warmer Concert

The Newton Winter Warmer, headlined by Newtones, Newton South’s a cappella group.  along with special guests from Newton North Forte and Cambride Rindge and Latin School Pitches and Do’s.

Tickets $10.00 at the door. To learn more visit https://www.facebook.com/events/33751721016815

January 18th, 7:00 pm
Gregorian Rugs, 2284 Washington Street, Newton Lower Falls

Basic Rights in Special Education for the Asian American Communities

The Newton Special Education Parent Advisory Council (Newton SEPAC) is hosting a seminar on Basic Rights in Special Education for the Asian American Communities. The speaker will be Susan Ou from the Federation for Children with Special Needs, who will present and can answer questions in English, Cantonese and Mandarin, depending on the needs of audience members. Anping Shen, who is a Newton School Committee member, will speak. Eileen Sandberg from the SEPAC will give a short talk about special education in Newton, and her experience with her children. They plan to leave lots of time for questions.

Discussions will cover the student’s and parent’s legal rights, how to explore whether special education services would be helpful, and the support that the parents in the Newton SEPAC can provide.

The presentation is a free event and all are welcome. Begin with refreshments and networking at 7:15 pm, and the presentation and question session will be from 7:30 pm –  approximately 9:30 pm.

January 30th, 7:15 – 9:30 pm
Room 210, the Education Center, 100 Walnut Street, Newton

MLK – Multiplication Carnival

Can Multiplication workout be fun? Sure can be! Master the most difficult multiplication facts in one visit to the Multiplication Carnival – no mindless drills, no boring flash cards, no tears, no painful memorization.

Don’t get bogged down by multiplication, put it behind you! Organized by Mathnasium Math Learning Center. Register for the 2.5 hour carnival event during the MLK school holiday at www.MultiplicationCarnival.com.

Newton Mathnasium, 1349 Center Street, Newton

New England Camp Fair

The New England Camp Fair will hold its 4th annual event at Underwood School. The Camp Fair is FREE and open to the public and brings together camps serving kids ages 5-14.

Bring your camper(s) and engage with staff from 20+ premier day and sleepaway camps from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Connecticut. Participating camps run the gamut, including traditional day and overnight camps, sports camps, theater camps, computer camps, fencing camps, arts camps, as well as many other themed camps.

Visit www.newenglandcampfair.org for a complete list of camps attending. Parking and refreshments are also free! If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Underwood PTO at underwoodpto@gmail.com.

February 10th, 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
Underwood School

Seeking an Admin and Events Coordinator

Newton Community Farm (NCF) has an immediate opening for an Admin and Events Coordinator. NCF is a 2.25 acre intensive vegetable operation with an active educational and public engagement component. This position is well-suited for someone who enjoys working on contemporaneous projects each requiring a range of skills. You will never be bored!

The ideal candidate is detail oriented and personable, has a willingness to learn, and has an interest in food and farm-based education. The full job description can be found here.

Email Karyn Novakowski at karyn@newtoncommunityfarm.org with questions and applications.

Evening Sports Clinics at Williams School

Multi-Sports, Futsal (soccer) and Basketball clinics at the Williams School with Be Ahead of the Game – Winter Session 2 are now open for Registration.

Winter Session 2 runs from February – March. Click the links below for full details and to register. Sign up now to get the early bird rate while there’s still space! Open to children from all schools.

Multi-Sports (Monday)
Futsal (Monday)
Basketball (Tuesday)