Parent Information Sessions about the New School Year

Parent Information Sessions about the New School Year will be held on Thursday, Sept 10.

  • Grade 6: 4:30-6:00pm
  • Grade 7&8: 7:00-8:30 pm

These zoom meetings will review the many changes that we will be implementing this year to keep students and staff safe and healthy. They will cover topics such as the remote schedule, safety procedures in the building, technology resources, and more. Because of the amount of information shared, they are intended for parents and guardians; similar information will be introduced to students gradually when classes begin.

Zoom links will be sent for the meetings next week. The meetings will be recorded if you are not able to attend.

Grade 6 Welcome Parade

6th Grade students and parents are invited to a first-ever, drive-thru “welcome parade” in the parking lot behind Bigelow on Friday, Sept 11, from 2pm-3:30pm.

  • Meet their teachers at a safe social distance from their cars
  • Pick up learning materials for the new school year
  • Enjoy a treat.

Materials can also be picked up on Monday (9/14) and Tuesday (9/15), from 12pm-3pm.

Bigelow Cohort and Cluster Assignments

Cohort Assignments will be posted in Aspen next Wednesday, Sep 9. Please be in the lookout for an email from the Newton Public School about how to look up your child’s cohort assignment. The information will indicate:

  • Hybrid A (Mondays and Tuesdays)
  • Hybrid B (Thursdays and Fridays)
  • Hybrid C (All days depending upon your child’s ELL schedule or IEP)
  • Distance

Hybrid C students will begin attending classes in-person at Bigelow on September 16. Hybrid A and B will start the year online and then attend classes on their designated days in-person when the hybrid model begins in mid-November. Distance learning only students will learn online all year.

Changes to these assignments are very difficult due to the complexity of pairing siblings and balancing class sizes across numerous schools and grade levels. We will consider requests but cannot make any promises. There may also be a delay of 3-4 weeks before any changes can take effect in order to adjust staffing

Cluster/homebase assignments posted in Aspen on Friday, Sep 11. Parents will receive an email when the cluster/homebases are posted. These are the official assignments. (Earlier this summer, Aspen was open momentarily, and some students were able to see unofficial assignments.).

If your child feels disappointed in their assignment, please share optimism with them about it and the new school year. Your attitude can go a long way in helping them approach the many challenges and changes of this new year with a positive, growth mindset manner. Changes to these assignments are not possible, due to the intricate process of assigning students by hand and balancing cohorts, classes, and clusters.

Students and Parents Contact with Advisors

Students – Similar to our graduation card campaign last June, all students will receive a postcard from their advisors by next Friday, Sept. 11.

Parents – Advisors will contact parents of their advisory students by Tuesday, September 15, to introduce themselves and learn more about your child’s readiness for the new year.

Family Technology Survey

An email was sent to all families last Monday for a survey link to indicate your need for a technology device for this school year. All families in grades PreK-9 must complete this survey. If you did not receive it, please email: familytechsupport@newton.k12.ma.us. If you did not receive it, please check your spam folder.

If you haven’t completed the survey please do so asap at the link below for each child. Laptop devices on loan will be distributed from a central location initially.

TAKE THE TECHNOLOGY SURVEY