Every year, as part of our efforts to encourage intercultural learning, we invite twenty international students to join us at Newton South. This is our fourth year running this program, and we’ve hosted students from all over the globe. This year, we have students from a variety of countries including Italy, Colombia, China, Brazil, Spain, Thailand, Indonesia, and Germany. We’ve had a blast getting to know these students and they’ve added so much to our community.

I am writing to you because our wonderful south side families are an important part of this program. Families who open their homes and hearts to these students make this intercultural learning experience possible. Past families have told us how much they have gotten out of the experience. Connections are made that last well beyond the duration of the visit.

We are already starting to think about Fall 2017. We have wonderful families who have hosted in the past returning and we are looking for a few new families as well. In our effort to attract great families, we are working with a company called Educatius International.

If you would like to learn more about being a host parent, you can contact Claudette Rowe from Educatius International at claudetterowe.educatius@gmail.com or 508-246-7028. If you would like to know more about the visiting international student program at Newton South, you can contact me.

Please consider hosting an international student! You’ll be supporting this great program and past host families will tell you what a wonderful experience hosting an international student can be for everybody involved.

Best wishes,

Kara Veley
Guidance Counselor
Visiting International Student Program
Newton South High School
veleyk@newton.k12.ma.us
617-559-6516

Be a vital part of the Centre Street Food Pantry! Seeking candidates for a new Volunteer Coordinator position. Ideal candidates are enthusiastic, good planners, kind and have experience in volunteer management or training. Send resume to: n.surmeli@centrestfoodpantry.org

The High School Start Time Working Group reported on feedback from stakeholders about scenarios under consideration and made a presentation to School Committee on January 23rd. The report on community feedback has been reissued to included feedback from Newton Public Schools teachers and staff and a presentation has also been posted.

Please visit the Newton Public Schools web site for full information:
www.newton.k12.ma.us/laterstarttime

“Hi, My name is Abigail Miller. I am in eleventh grade at Newton South High School. Right now, I am running an instrument donation drive, because I really enjoy playing music and hope that I can help others get the chance to love it as much as I do. Through a partnership with Berklee College of Music, the instruments I collect will be donated to local nonprofit organizations and schools who provide music education to underserved populations.

Berklee’s Office of Community and Government relations oversees a donation program to donate quality computer hardware, musical instruments, and production equipment to communities in need. Examples of their partner organizations include the Boys and Girls Clubs, various Boston Public Schools, the Haley House, Girls Rock Campaign and several locations of YMCAs.

If you have instruments that you are no longer using and may like to donate, please contact me at music.drive@yahoo.com. For more information or questions, you can visit instrumentdonationdrive.blogspot.com or shoot me an email. Thank you very much!”

Provide your feedback. Participate in Mosesian Center for the Arts’s Education Survey here: SURVEY