Category Archives: Newton Public Schools

Upcoming NPS Community Forum: Culturally Responsive Community

The Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Office of Student Serviceswould like to invite you to our upcoming NPS community forum:Culturally Responsive Community

This virtual event is open to all NPS students, parents, staff and administrators to hear from Lorena Germán, educator and author of Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices. Her presentation will be followed by a panel of NPS students and educators, who will speak about their identities and experiences with culturally-responsive instruction and practices in our school community. 

For the last several years, NPS leaders have been engaged in professional development and training to enhance culturally responsive instruction (CRI) in the classroom and beyond. This conversation is intended to help broaden the community’s understanding of the values, components and impact of a culturally responsive school community which acknowledges and embraces ALL identities and learning needs represented within NPS.  

*To register, please RSVP in advance in order to receive a zoom link prior to the event. 

Community-Forum-Flyer-CRCDownload

Disrupting Implicit Bias Presentation

SEPAC is co-hosting an event with the Newton PTOC (Parent Teacher Organization
Council), FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice), and ELPAC (English Learners Parent
Advisory Council). The event will be held at the Angier Elementary School cafeteria for those who are
able to attend in-person 7:30-9pm and over Zoom: 
HTTPS://US02WEB.ZOOM.US/J/83085228831 
MEETING ID: 830 8522 8831

We’ll first hear a presentation from Dr. Tessa Charlesworth, a researcher at Harvard who studies how
and why beliefs and attitudes about different social groups can change. Her presentation will
provide an overview of bias in society with respect to various social groups and explore what
research tells us are the best interventions to shift the biases of a society, organization, and
individual. Q&A and then a community discussion to follow.

Sign up for Superintendent Search Focus Groups

The Newton Public Schools Superintendent Search Committee is conducting a series of in-person and virtual focus groups designed to solicit perceptions of the district and its services to students, staff, and families. Participants will also be asked for input on what they consider to be the most effective characteristics for the district’s next superintendent. There are several dates and times available from November 17th – 20th. If it is a virtual group, you will receive a link via email prior to the focus group. All in-person focus groups will take place at 100 Walnut St., Newton.To sign up for a focus group, please use this link to a Sign Up Genius form (you do not need to create an account to sign up:https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094EACA62EA2F9C07-npssuperintendent*Please note that names will not display on the Sign Up Genius form to maintain confidentiality prior to the group meeting.If you are unable to attend the focus groups, you may provide feedback through the online survey at: https://survey2.ecragroup.com/index.php/291239?lang=en

Superintendent Search Survey

Dear NPS Families,
The superintendent search has entered its “engagement” phase in which the search committee is soliciting feedback and input from the Newton community to help identify and select the next superintendent for our district. Your feedback will assist the School Committee in understanding your perspective as candidates are recruited, screened, and interviewed for the position.The survey linked below is designed to solicit perceptions of the district and its services to students, staff, and families. Based upon these perceptions, you will also be asked for input on what you consider to be the most effective characteristics for the district’s next superintendent. Newton Superintendent Search SurveyThe survey will be open from November 7 – 21, 2022.Please also watch your email for upcoming opportunities to provide feedback via in-person and virtual focus groups. As always, detailed information can be found on the search committee webpage on the district website.

11th Annual Newton Inspires to Showcase Creativity in the Classroom and Honor our True Inspirations: Newton’s Teachers and Staff

Tuesday, May 3rd from 6-8 pm at Angier Elementary School

Newton Public Schools teachers and staff will be the center of attention at the 2022 Newton Inspires event presented by Newton Schools Foundation.  On Tuesday, May 3rd from 6-8 pm at Angier Elementary School, our emcee former WGBH host Barbara Howard will lead a live conversation with NPS teachers, who will discuss their work in the classroom and what keeps them inspiring our students to learn and achieve.  Tuesday, May 3rd is also Teacher Appreciation Day.

Join other community members for lite fare, musical performances, testimonials and a short film highlighting some of the NSF grants that are being implemented in all of our schools.  Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased here.  NPS teachers and staff are invited as NSF’s guests.

This year’s lead sponsors are Northland and The Village Bank. Individuals and businesses wishing to support public education in Newton through a Newton Inspires sponsorship can visit  https://newtonschoolsfoundation.org/sponsor-newton-inspires/. All proceeds go to Newton Schools Foundation, which funds grants to allow teachers to try new approaches in the classroom, professional development for educators, and programs that address inequities associated with race, income and social identity.

Newton Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to advance excellence and equity in the Newton Public Schools. www.newtonschoolsfoundaiton.org

School Committee Resolution on FY23 Budget

On Thursday, March 31, 2022, the School Committee passed a resolution expressing our concern that the proposed FY23 budget, including 4 million dollars worth of cuts to balance the budget with the allocation of funding provided by the City, will have a serious negative impact on the students of Newton.  

The text of the resolution is as follows:

“Because this is a critical time in the lives of our Newton students as we are emerging from two pandemic years, the 4 million dollars worth of cuts in the proposed FY23 budget to reach the allocation are too deep and too painful.  We do not believe we can shift 4 million dollars of cuts from other areas of the budget that would make them less painful – shifting cuts would just cause different pain, but deep pain nonetheless.  Therefore, the School Committee resolves that the current budget allocation of $262,070,208 is not enough to run the schools without serious negative impacts on our kids.”

The resolution passed 8-0-1, with Mayor Fuller abstaining.

The School Committee is hosting office hours this Sunday, April 3, 2022 from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Please login via Zoom using the following login information:Join Zoom Meeting
https://newton-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/81283294592

Meeting ID: 812 8329 4592
Passcode: 449186

One tap mobile
+13126266799,,81283294592#,,,,*449186# US (Chicago)
+16465588656,,81283294592#,,,,*449186# US (New York)

Please note that the entire School Committee will not be present and attending members may be limited in their responses given the constraints of Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.

If you wish to submit a question in advance, please use this form: School Committee Office Hours Registration and Questions Form

Please note that we will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, April 4th and all members of the public wishing to make a statement regarding the budget will be heard.  If you wish to speak at this public hearing, please fill out the form linked below with your name and address.  The form will close at 6:00 pm on April 4, 2022.

Form – Request to Speak at Public Hearing on the FY23 Budget

There will be an opportunity to sign up in “real time” during the meeting by using the “raise your hand” feature on Zoom. Speakers will be called in the order in which they signed up, first come-first speak, followed by those who raise their hand during the meeting, or at the discretion of the Chair.

Newton SEPAC & DECE: Special Education and Civil Rights Review

The Newton SEPAC, in collaboration with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, will be hosting a parent orientation to learn about the upcoming Special Education and Civil Rights Review* happening in our district. 

Join us Tuesday, Feb 15, 7:00PM for this live presentation + Q&A, followed immediately by our Open Board Meeting (Agenda). 
DESE & NPS at 7PM: https://stream.lexikeet.com/newtonNon-English speakers can select a translated language (Chinese, Spanish, or Russian). Ask questions using the chat tool, and they will be answered live. Questions typed in other languages will be translated for the panelists. The session will be recorded in all 4 languages and posted publicly.

Open Board Mtg at 8:15PM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84359553994Then click to join important Newton special ed discussions.

*Read about how parents can be involved in the DESE review process.

English Language Parent Advisory Council (ELPAC) Meeting – February 3rd

The English Language Parent Advisory Council will hold its next meeting on Thursday, February 3, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.

ELPAC supports ELL families districtwide and collaborates with schools and districts to improve the ELL programming. 

Meetings are held every other month. Interpreters and/or same language groups are provided with RSVP by January 31, 2022. The February 3, 2022 meeting topics are: Newton Free Library Resources & ACCESS Testing.

RSVP to the meeting here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdjxQInxlKSYX_TVwVp5Dr6B4jKC0BBOqXxixNPI91VayV5pw/viewform

Once you RSVP, you will be sent a Zoom link to attend the meeting virtually.

Attached please find translated invitations. Email invitations have also been sent to ELL families from the district ELL office.

Accepting Pre-K Applications for 2022-23 School Year – Newton Early Childhood Program

Newton Early Childhood Program (NECP) is now accepting applications for students for the 2022-23 school year. NECP will be moving to its new location at 687 Watertown St. midway through next year. The fully renovated building will be completely customized for NPS’ littlest learners! If you have a preschool-age child and would like to learn more about enrolling in this fantastic program in an amazing new space, please visit the application process section of the NECP website at: www.newton.k12.ma.us/NECP.

Newton Community Education – Social Media Job Position

If you’re great at social media and would like a flexible, remote job that is only a few hours a week, look no further! Newton Community Education is searching for a dynamic, creative, and social-media-savvy individual to spend a few hours a week managing our social media presence (mostly Facebook and Instagram). This is a paid position that can be done largely from home with flexible hours, and it is a great way to get involved with meaningful work in our community. You can read more about Newton Community Education here, and more details about the position can be found here. Resumes/cover letters can be emailed to brooksca@newton.k12.ma.us and mandels@newton.k12.ma.us.