District News | September 11, 2026

Superintendent Memo September 11, 2026 Table of Contents Items listed in order from left column (and down) to right column (and down). Welcome to the 2026-27 School Year! Remembering 9/11 in Newton Schools Horace Mann Elementary School Building Project Events Speaking of Time to Talk… Annual Student/Family Information Updates ParentSquare Can Work on Your Schedule! Private School Family Survey Building Committee Community Representatives Citywide AC Installation at Some Schools Transitional Changes to the Elementary Schedule and Programming We’re Hiring! Know Good Candidates Who Love Kids? Meet New and Future NPS Leaders! Student Attendance Updates Save the Date! Middle School Caregiver Conference: Navigating the Middle Years Newton Family Academy is Expanding! Newton Community Education: After School Enrichment Opportunities! Service Brigade – Student Volunteers Needed! Community Volunteers, Alumni, and SEPAC Volunteers Needed: Transition Advisory Group/Task Force Volunteer Opportunity: Student Career Information Interviewees Application and Info Session for U.S. Senate Youth Program Veterans Day Reading/Honor Opportunities Newton Receives Teacher Apprenticeship Program Grant Hello, Newton Families and Welcome to the 2026-27 School Year! We have had a smooth and positive start to the school year–with all of us getting used to the first-ever “pre-Labor Day start” for Newton Schools. Starting early like this will allow us an earlier exit from school in June, even if there are snow days! I’d like to introduce the community to the new Executive Confidential Assistant to the Superintendent: Mr. Elliot Clayton, formerly the front office administrative assistant of Zervas Elementary, and in similar leadership roles at both Beaver Country Day School and in the Dean of Students office at Northeastern University. Elliot’s experience and leadership has been transformative to the Education Center and we look forward to serving Newton students together! As I have visited schools in the opening days, I have seen our community at its best: seeking community through school events and orientations, community members supporting school events, students leading tours and being mentors for younger students, kindergarten students hugging and holding each other and their teachers as they begin new experiences together…new staff helped by veterans and seasoned Newton residents, hosting newly arrived residents. Newton is a rich and complex system of support for our young people. Thank you for being a part of it. Mayor Laredo and I will be visiting the Horace Mann School on 9/15 5:30pm to celebrate that community’s new building opening. I have been invited to join Mayor Laredo’s “Laredo Listens” event that evening, so I look forward to seeing folks there–recognizing that open house for Horace Mann is also that week on the 17th. Of course, the School Committee and I will be making our rounds, as we do yearly, to every PTO to listen and learn from you, so this is not the only time to talk. Remembering 9/11 in Newton Schools Today marked the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and our high schools honored the day with moments of silence. To support our educators in guiding students and answering questions, I shared grade-appropriate instructional resources with staff earlier this week. Below is a photo from today's Newton remembrance ceremony. Horace Mann Elementary School Building Project Events Building Ribbon Cutting Monday, September 14, 2026 8:30 am Laredo Listens & Open House Tuesday, September 15, 2026 5:30 pm Mayor Laredo, The Newton Public Buildings Department, and Newton Public Schools are pleased to invite you to the Renovated and Expanded Horace Mann Elementary School! Location: Horace Mann Elementary Schol 225 Nevada Street, Newton MA Speaking of Time to Talk… We are here, at central office, to serve the district in any capacity. However, we ask that a certain protocol be followed if you are raising concerns about the conduct and performance of our colleagues. Please see the guidance below should you encounter struggles for your child. The Superintendent and Mayor should not be the first step of resolving an issue, although we all remain committed to positive and customer service oriented experiences for our residents and families. Annual Student/Family Information Updates Login to Aspen and Make Family Updates–Due by 9/18/26 Please log into Aspen to update your student’s contact information and permissions. This review must be done every year so that the district has accurate and up-to-date information on emergency contacts, health records, address and permissions. Please complete the updates or submit with no changes by Friday, September 18th. Refer to the directions for additional information. ParentSquare Can Work on Your Schedule! Parent Square, our district’s primary means of communication with families, can be tailored by you on your side of the account to allow a digest of emails to arrive to you one time per day at a time of your choosing and in any language of your choosing. Learn how to adjust your ParentSquare notification settings! Private School Family Survey We are looking to learn from families who may have chosen to go to private schools or other schools in the past year. If you are one of those individuals, we will be emailing you directly for your feedback so we can understand your choice. We know the school marketplace is rapidly shifting and we would like to learn from your experience. Please look for an email from me in the coming week. Building Committee Community Representatives The School Committee is seeking 2 for the School Building Committee and 2 for the Design Review Committee for each school (Ward, Underwood, South), for a total of 4 per school. These are proposed new buildings to be completed in a next phase of school construction. The committees are very similar, with the Design Review Committee (DRC) having members with design and construction expertise. Volunteers should reside near the school (but ideally not abutters) and have some knowledge of the neighborhood, as well as the school itself. The time commitment for each Committee is the same: One monthly evening zoom meeting on a Wednesday, approximately 1.5 hrs in length. There will be documents to review beforehand and they are sent out on the Friday before the Wednesday meeting. The total monthly time commitment is estimated to be 3-4 hours. Meetings will start up very soon. Email piedaluea@newton.k12.ma.us if interested. Citywide AC installation at Some Schools The City has engaged two additional electrical contractors to accelerate work. They determined that Bowen, Mason Rice, and Peirce and Burr were the most practical places to begin. Quotes for the A/C units for these buildings have been received and executed. The AC’s will be several different brands for the same size A/C's due to availability of appropriate units. The expected delivery date for units is September 18. At that point, the public building department will create frames for the units, remove the existing windows and install the units. It is expected for that process to take 2 - 3 weeks given time constraints with school in session. The city and school departments will reevaluate timing and contractor availability after the first three buildings are complete. We expect to continue with wiring on second shift to complete the remaining 7 buildings (Oak Hill was added to the original 10). Hopefully we can have everything in place for the May heating changeover. Transitional Changes to the Elementary Schedule and Programming By now, your child’s elementary classroom teacher has shared, or will soon share, your child’s weekly schedule, including specialist classes. A working group of NPS administrators and educators has been examining opportunities to strengthen the elementary school day. Last spring, NPS and the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) reached agreement on several changes, which were ratified by the NTA and approved by the School Committee and went into effect this year as the “bridge schedule.” The name reflects that this is our current schedule while work continues on recommendations for further improvements. The changes create new opportunities for students and educators while also involving tradeoffs in how time is allocated. Key features include: Daily specialist learning: Every student has a specialist class each day, including Art, Music, Physical Education/Health/Wellness (PEHW), and Library each week in consistent 45-minute blocks. Students also have an additional specialist experience on Wednesdays, which varies by grade level. Core learning and student support: Common grade-level blocks provide meaningful time for core instruction while helping classroom teachers, special educators, ELL educators, and other staff coordinate instruction, student support, and collaboration. Enrichment and integration: Art, PEHW, and Library educators will be able to offer additional enrichment and integration experiences for students. This work is continuing through professional learning and collaboration within specialist departments. New third-grade TEC class: All third graders now have a weekly Technology, Engineering, and Coding (TEC) class, with hands-on learning in digital citizenship, digital media creation, coding, engineering, and LEGO robotics. More consistent recess and movement: The schedule provides greater consistency in recess and movement opportunities across schools and grades K–5, particularly in the upper elementary grades. Wednesday lunch: All students now eat lunch at school on Wednesdays, with dismissal moving from 12:20 to 12:35 p.m. to accommodate lunch while maintaining required instructional time. More teacher planning and collaboration: Elementary educators now have a minimum of 225 minutes of preparation time each week, providing additional time for planning, collaboration, and strengthening instruction. Greater specialist staffing stability: This schedule reduces the extent to which specialist educators work across multiple schools, and staffing is less susceptible to shifting due to small year-to-year fluctuations in the number of classrooms. This supports continuity and stronger connections to school communities. The working group reconvenes this fall to continue examining opportunities to address identified challenges and further strengthen the elementary experience. They are expected to bring recommendations to the School Committee in December. We’re Hiring! Know Good Candidates Who Love Kids? We are still looking for a few key positions in the district. If you or someone you know would be interested, please go to our website to apply: https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/human-resources Crossing Guard Positions Part Time Daily Substitute Positions (ISS) Bus Monitors Lunch Monitors Custodians At this time, principals have notified families of a reduction of crossing guards across the city at this time. Principals have notified school communities and we are all seeking good candidates to take on these roles. Meet New and Future NPS Leaders! Last year’s budget reductions meant 11 staff from the central office left us and restructuring needed to occur. Instead of reducing our DEI position as proposed during budget season, we have reduced our communications position to part time (superintendent will pick up the additional responsibilities), combined it with another part time non-aligned position in HR and reshaped Christina Maryland’s Director of Communications and Engagement position to become Chief of Engagement and Access. Christina will do a formal entry plan looking at all of our engagement, access and DEI work with new eyes and will come back with a plan to update the 2030 Strategic plan. Chief of Access and Engagement, Christina Maryland Press Release Over the summer, we were able to hire long-time METCO Counselor for NNHS, Blayne Lopes, to become Interim METCO director while Lisa Gilbert-Smith serves in NNHS Interim Principal role. Blayne is a trusted district leader and has stepped in seamlessly to this new leader role. We also hope Blayne will continue to advise us, as he has done as a PSI Leadership Capstone Fellow, on the development of our staff and student affinity networks and supports. Interim METCO Director, Blayne Lopes Press Release Finally, David Stickney, our current long-time facilities director will retire at the end of this year. Facilities in Newton PS and city are complex and multilayered (and we have three open new building/renovation projects occurring with four more being discussed) so it is imperative that we hired and began the transition process for a new director well in advance of his retirement. To this end, we will introduce Mike Bolger, our incoming person, at the 9/14/2026 School Committee meeting. Very excited for the community to meet him! Facilities Director, Mike Bolger (effective July 1, 2027) Press Release Coming Soon: Our new HR & Communications Specialist: Madison Dulong. We will send the press release upon her transition to us in the coming weeks. Student Attendance Updates Chronic Absence Notices and Letters to Families As part of our commitment to seeing every student thrive in 2026-2027, we want to encourage strong attendance all year long. In an effort to keep families better informed about their student’s chronic absence status, we will begin sending monthly letters to families for any student who falls in the category of “chronically absent” for the previous month. These letters will begin going out in October and will continue through the school year. "Chronic absence" means missing 10% or more of school, regardless of whether the absence is excused or unexcused. Because we track this percentage in real-time based on the academic calendar, regular attendance starting today will improve your child's percentage and can quickly clear them from this list. Every day matters! The district is committed to tackling chronic absence. Your student belongs here, every day. Family Vacations and Extended Travel Family vacations during school time contribute to chronic absence. We are asking all families to plan travel during our scheduled vacation periods (see our academic calendar). Planning in line with our academic schedule minimizes disruption to your student's time on learning. School absence due to family vacations will continue to be marked as unexcused. As a result, students may be considered chronically absent, based on their total amount of absence from school. Families can file home education plans, if you are planning to take extended time (longer than 4 days) during regular school days. Religious Observances We recognize that students may be out of school due to sincerely held religious beliefs and observances. It is important for us to clarify that while absences due to religious observances are marked as excused, those days will still contribute to whether a student is considered chronically absent. Families can file home education plans, if you are planning to observe over extended time (longer than 4 days) during regular school days. Home Education as an Option for Extended Absence If your family anticipates an extended period away from school longer than four days during regular school days, you may submit a Home Education Plan. Teachers are not expected to provide advance assignments, study guides, or virtual instruction for planned extended absences. As a result, time away from school can significantly affect a student’s ability to keep up with classwork. For more information about Extended Absences and Travel. Newton High Schools Homework/Assessments Holiday/Vacation Calendar 26-27 School Committee Policy JHA - OBSERVANCES OF RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS: Major religious observances where school is in session and where school is closed shall be identified in the Newton Public Schools calendar as voted by the Newton School Committee. No major assignments or assessments will be due for any student during any identified major religious observance, including the day following such observance. All Newton High School Athletics and Fine and Performing Event Calendar and Holiday Calendar Newton Secondary Schools Athletics and FPA Holiday Calendar 26-27 Save the Date! Middle School Caregiver Conference: Navigating the Middle Years Thursday, November 12, 2026 | 6:00–8:00 p.m. Please mark your calendars for a special evening designed just for parents and caregivers of middle school students! Thanks to the generosity of the Newton Schools Foundation, we are excited to offer an engaging caregiver conference that will bring together our middle school community for an evening of learning, conversation, and connection. Participants will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of sessions focused on topics that matter most to families raising middle school children. We are especially excited to welcome Phyllis Fagell, a former Day Middle School student and the author of Middle School Matters and Middle School Superpowers, who will deliver the evening's keynote address. In September, we will send a brief survey inviting you to share the topics you would most like to learn about. Your feedback will help us design sessions that are meaningful, practical, and responsive to the needs of our families. We hope you will save the date and plan to join us for this exciting evening! Newton Family Academy is Expanding! We are launching new family engagement volunteer opportunities this year. Connect and Lead: Parent Volunteer Opportunities with NPS Newton Public Schools thrive when our families are connected. As part of this effort, we are currently seeking enthusiastic families for a key role within our volunteer network. Power Parent Volunteers Power Parent Volunteers are parent leaders who have or want to build bridges between families, school administration, and the broader Newton community to support student success and foster an inclusive school culture. By building this network of parent groups, we hope to help break down the walls of the various schools and help parents connect with each other in new, exciting ways. Power Parent Volunteers may already have established groups and networks, or are hoping to build some — and we want to help amplify your reach! Through this parenting network, we aim to connect parents and caregivers with cultural affinity groups, city resources, interest-based parenting groups and networks across all of our schools. Family Welcome Ambassadors Help us extend a warm welcome to families who are new to Newton and our school district! As a Family Welcome Ambassador, you will serve as a friendly, reassuring first point of contact—helping new families navigate our schools, answer everyday questions, and feel at home in our city. This is a fun, highly impactful way to strengthen connections within your school community. Welcome Ambassadors help new families by: Introducing them to school and district groups like the PTO, SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council), and ELPAC (English Learner Parent Advisory Council). Sharing insights on school councils, community events, and local resources. Helping families build meaningful peer connections across the district from day one. Get Involved Today If you are interested in serving as a Family Welcome Ambassador, please complete our short interest form. Our Welcome Center team will connect you with new families at your school who are looking to join our community. Thank you for partnering with us to build a warm, supportive, and inclusive environment for every Newton family! (Many thanks to those who have already signed up. More is coming from the Family Engagement team once we have settled into the school year!) Newton Community Education: After School Enrichment Opportunities! Fall Kids Clubs & Programs: Register Today! With offerings for grades Pre-K through 12, there’s something for every passion and interest. Browse our full catalogue Featured Fall Programs Swim & Dive Lessons (Grades K–12) Location: Newton North Indoor Pool Dates: Choose between Sep 14–Dec 14 or Dec 5–Jan 16 (5 Saturdays | 10:15 AM–11:00 AM) Details: Learn to swim or hone your skills alongside the Newton North High School Swim and Dive Teams. SIGN UP! Time for Partners Toddler Program at City Hall (Ages 18 Months–4 Years with Adult) Details: Now officially part of NCE! Join beloved teachers Terry, Cate, and Memo for a fun morning of art, music, and interactive play with your little one. SIGN UP! Early Release Adventures (Grades K–5) Locations: Mason Rice, Burr, Cabot, and Ward Time: 12:15 PM–4:00 PM on Newton Public Schools early release days Details: Keep the learning and fun going when school lets out early. SIGN UP! Scholarships are available for eligible families. Service Brigade – Student Volunteered Needed! Ready to Lead in Your Community? Join the NPS Service Brigade! Does your student (grades 5-12+, ages 10-22) want to make a tangible impact right in their own neighborhood? We are looking for students willing to serve as reliable volunteers when their community needs them most. By joining the Newton Service Brigade, your student will be part of a flexible, neighborhood-based team. The district or city will call on members periodically based on their home location to assist with specific projects. Student and parent commitment to help is essential! What will a Brigade Member do? Serve as a Leader: Help welcome prospective NPS families by leading tours. Support Neighbors: Provide assistance to senior citizens with activities like raking leaves or shoveling snow. This is a great way for students to build leadership skills, gain community service hours, and help make Newton thrive. Please note: This is not a paid position. Sign up to join the brigade today! Community Volunteers, Alumni, and SEPAC Volunteers Needed: Transition Advisory Group/Task Force The Office of Student Services is forming a Transition Advisory Group to help strengthen the transition from public education to adult life for students with disabilities. This work will focus on supporting successful outcomes in postsecondary education and training, employment, community participation, and independent living. Advisory Group members will have the opportunity to share their perspectives, provide feedback, identify resources, and collaborate with the Office of Student Services and the Transition Coordinator to develop new tools and supports. We are looking for parent, student, and community stakeholders to join us in this work. Purpose: To partner with relevant stakeholders on the development of Transition related supports available to NPS students with special needs through the schools and community based agencies. Task force members may give input, share resources, and/or be involved in the development of new resources as determined by the Task Force in collaboration with the Office of Student Services and Transition Coordinator. Potential Advisory Group/Task Force Members: Newton Public Schools: Transition Coordinator Transition Specialists OSS Secondary and Special Programs administrator Staff who work with students aged 14+ (ideally across MS, HS, PG levels) College and Career Counselors or School Counselors Office of Family and Community Engagement Parent/student community: SEPAC collaborator Parents of students aged 14+ (ideally at MS, HS, PG levels) - could overlap with SEPAC Students aged 14+ (ideally at MS, HS, PG levels) Alumni of NPS programs and/or parents of alum Community partners: Local businesses willing to partner for employment (e.g. Village Bank) Local adult agency reps City resources (Housing Authority, Food Pantry, etc.) that students/families may access Parks and Rec/Newton Athletes Unlimited Other Community Based Agencies providing support to 18+ Mass Bay or other post-secondary institutions To express your interest, please complete this form if you are interested. We will reach out with more information about how to apply in the early fall. Volunteer opportunity: Student Career Information Interviewees informational interviews about various careers for our students at Central High School (a therapeutic educational program based at the Ed Center). Informational interviews are a process that we use to help students learn about careers of interest to them but interviewing people who work or have worked in these fields. If you or anyone you know has experience working in these fields and is willing to connect with a student in the fall by video chat or in person, please put me in touch. Central High’s principal can be reached at goldthwaitel@newton.k12.ma.us or 617-872-3209 over the rest of the summer to talk a bit more and gather info to help us set up the interviews once school starts. Here is the list of careers: Personal fitness trainer Construction worker Biologist/Marine Biologist Teacher Social worker IT/computer technician Animator/Illustrator Video game designer Graphic Designer Architect Veterinary assistant Truck driver Tattoo artist Forensic scientist Become a Community Liaison with the City of Newton Are you passionate about connecting with your community and advocating for community needs? Help Newton understand how climate impacts such as extreme heat, flooding, and severe storms affect community members and be part of creating and prioritizing solutions for a resilient future. Community Liaison Responsibilities • Participate in Core Team meetings (~2 two-hour meetings/month) • Lead conversations on community needs • Talk with your friends and neighbors • Participate in local events • Help implement a community resilience project Who We’re Looking For • People connected to and/or living in Newton who are interested in helping their community • Able to summarize & express community concerns, especially from underrepresented groups • Able to work effectively with people of different backgrounds and experiences • Bilingual / multilingual a plus (not required) • No prior climate knowledge needed, just an interest in learning more and helping to make lasting change in Newton! Additional Details Compensation: $40/hour* Time: 1-5 hrs/week Start: Mid-September Duration: Up to 2 years # of Liaisons: Format: Mostly in-person, hybrid Up to 5 options available How to Apply Fill out the interest form by visiting the site, or send a statement explaining why you are interested to Caroline Weiss at cweiss@newtonma.gov. Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Questions about being a Community Liaison? Contact our Equity Partner, Marissa Zampino at marissa.zampino@mysticriver.org Application and Info Session for U.S. Senate Youth Program The application is now open for the 65th annual United States Senate Youth Program. Details for Massachusetts students are now available on DESE’s U.S. Senate Youth Program webpage. Applications are due at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 25. High school juniors and seniors actively serving in an elected or appointed leadership role are encouraged to apply to represent Massachusetts. Two delegates will be chosen to represent the state at the program’s Washington Week in Washington, D.C. March 6-13. The two delegates will also receive a $12,500 undergraduate college scholarship. DESE will host an optional, virtual information session about the program for interested students, caregivers, and school and district staff from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9. Participants can register online for the the U.S. Senate Youth Program information session. The session will be recorded and posted online for those who are unable to attend. Please email any questions to achievement@mass.gov. Veterans Day Reading/Honor Opportunities While it is early in the school year, November will be here before you know it! Last year, generous donors from across the community donated age-appropriate picture books to our elementary libraries, on the topic of military service and sacrifice, in honor of Newton veterans. This year, we’d like to invite Veterans into our classes to read these books during the week of Veteran’s Day. If you are a Veteran and would like to read to an elementary class, please reach out to Anna Nolin at nolina@newton.12.ma.us. Newton Receives Teacher Apprenticeship Program Grant The Healey-Driscoll Administration has awarded $250,000 in planning grants to help 10 school district partnerships create Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Programs (RTAP) that open new pathways into the teaching profession. The grants will support 16 school districts as they design apprenticeship programs with educator preparation providers, allowing aspiring teachers to work toward their teaching license through paid, on-the-job training, coursework and mentorship. "Massachusetts needs more excellent teachers in our classrooms, and we're taking action to strengthen the educator pipeline," said Governor Maura Healey. "These grants will help districts build apprenticeship programs that prepare future teachers through paid, hands-on experience while they work toward their license." "Teacher apprenticeships create new opportunities for aspiring educators while helping school districts meet their workforce needs," said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. "We're proud to support local partnerships that will prepare the next generation of teachers across Massachusetts." “Preparing and supporting excellent educators is one of the best investments we can make in student success,” said Education Secretary Steve Zrike. “These planning grants will help districts create high-quality apprenticeship programs that make it easier for aspiring educators to earn licensure while helping schools grow their own educator pipelines. Students benefit when educators bring deep knowledge of and longstanding connections to the communities they serve.” This grant builds on the successful launch of Massachusetts’ Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program, which currently includes 27 apprentices across seven school districts and five educator preparation programs. Apprentices are preparing to teach in high-demand fields, including special education, early childhood education in dual language settings and English as a Second Language, with most expected to earn their licenses within two to three years. "Massachusetts teachers play an essential role in educating our students and preparing them for the workforce," said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones. "As the Healey-Driscoll Administration continues to promote Registered Apprenticeship as a proven model for employers to build great talent, our Division of Apprentice Standards values the collaboration with school districts to be a partner in this important work to attract and develop new talent that will serve as future educators." “This funding will help districts develop a framework for apprentices to work with and learn from experienced teachers and an educator preparation program,” Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez said. “While creating teaching pathways that are accessible, we can also increase the diversity of our workforce, which benefits Massachusetts students.” The grant recipients each received $25,000. The recipients are: Brockton Public Schools Easton Public Schools Holyoke Public Schools Lawrence Public Schools Newton Public Schools Quincy Public Schools Salem Academy Charter School Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District, in partnership with Quabbin Regional School District Springfield Public Schools Westfield Public Schools, in partnership with Chicopee, Granby, Hampden-Wilbraham, Greenfield, and Hadley public schools The RTAP is part of Governor Healey’s broader effort to grow Massachusetts’ workforce, including the Governor’s goal to register 100,000 apprentices across key sectors such as education, health care, and the skilled trades over the next decade. By expanding pathways into teaching, the administration is strengthening the educator pipeline and helping ensure every student has access to a high-quality education. Resource Links Curious about the district's curriculum? Use the buttons below to explore our curriculum resources and programs of study for students in grades K–12. Please note: We are currently in the first year of a multi-year curriculum review cycle, following a long pause in this work across the district. In some subject areas, a fully coordinated district-wide curriculum is still being developed. As each review cycle is completed and new curricula are adopted, corresponding resources will be added to this page. We believe that schools thrive when families are informed and actively partner with us in supporting Newton students. K-8 Parent Curriculum Resources Newton North Programs of Study Newton South Programs of Study Have an event or initiative to promote? Share it on our Community Notices page! Please note: This page features events and activities from community organizations serving Newton. Inclusion on the Community Notices page does not imply endorsement by Newton Public Schools, nor does it indicate NPS involvement with the organizations, events, or resources shared. Community Notices

Friday, Sep 11 2026

District News | Superintendent Memo | August 8, 2026

Superintendent Memo Welcome to the 2026-2027 School Year! August 8, 2026 Hello Newton Families, We hope this finds you in the heart of summer fun and bonding time with your children! We miss them and wanted you to have some key updates and ways to get involved in the NPS community–both for you and your child! Also, here are some key dates: September 2: First Day for students K-12 September 3 and 4: Visit Days NECP September 7: Labor Day (no school) September 8: First Day for NECP Save the Date! Middle School Caregiver Conference: Navigating the Middle Years Thursday, November 12, 2026 | 6:00–8:00 p.m. Please mark your calendars for a special evening designed just for parents and caregivers of middle school students! Thanks to the generosity of the Newton Schools Foundation, we are excited to offer an engaging caregiver conference that will bring together our middle school community for an evening of learning, conversation, and connection. Participants will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of sessions focused on topics that matter most to families raising middle school children. We are especially excited to welcome Phyllis Fagell, a former Day Middle School student and the author of Middle School Matters and Middle School Superpowers, who will deliver the evening's keynote address. In September, we will send a brief survey inviting you to share the topics you would most like to learn about. Your feedback will help us design sessions that are meaningful, practical, and responsive to the needs of our families. We hope you will save the date and plan to join us for this exciting evening! Newton High Schools Homework/Assessments Holiday/Vacation Calendar 26-27 School Committee Policy JHA - OBSERVANCES OF RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS: Major religious observances where school is in session and where school is closed shall be identified in the Newton Public Schools calendar as voted by the Newton School Committee. No major assignments or assessments will be due for any student during any identified major religious observance, including the day following such observance. All Newton High School Athletics and Fine and Performing Event Calendar and Holiday Calendar Newton Secondary Schools Athletics and FPA Holiday Calendar 26-27 Newton Family Academy is Expanding! We are launching new family engagement volunteer opportunities this year. Connect and Lead: Parent Volunteer Opportunities with NPS Newton Public Schools thrive when our families are connected. As part of this effort, we are currently seeking enthusiastic families for a key role within our volunteer network: Power Parent Volunteers Power Parent Volunteers are parent leaders who have or want to build bridges between families, school administration, and the broader Newton community to support student success and foster an inclusive school culture. By building this network of parent groups, we hope to help break down the walls of the various schools and help parents connect with each other in new, exciting ways. Power Parent Volunteers may already have established groups and networks, or are hoping to build some — and we want to help amplify your reach! Through this parenting network, we aim to connect parents and caregivers with cultural affinity groups, city resources, interest-based parenting groups and networks across all of our schools. Family Welcome Ambassadors Help us extend a warm welcome to families who are new to Newton and our school district! As a Family Welcome Ambassador, you will serve as a friendly, reassuring first point of contact—helping new families navigate our schools, answer everyday questions, and feel at home in our city. This is a fun, highly impactful way to strengthen connections within your school community. Welcome Ambassadors help new families by: Introducing them to school and district groups like the PTO, SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council), and ELPAC (English Learner Parent Advisory Council). Sharing insights on school councils, community events, and local resources. Helping families build meaningful peer connections across the district from day one. Get Involved Today If you are interested in serving as a Family Welcome Ambassador, please complete our short interest form. Our Welcome Center team will connect you with new families at your school who are looking to join our community. Thank you for partnering with us to build a warm, supportive, and inclusive environment for every Newton family! Superintendent's Service Brigade – Student Volunteers Still Needed Ready to Lead in Your Community? Join the NPS Service Brigade! Does your student (grades 5-12+, ages 10-22) want to make a tangible impact right in their own neighborhood? We are looking for students willing to serve as reliable volunteers when their community needs them most. By joining the Superintendent's Service Brigade, your student will be part of a flexible, neighborhood-based team. The district or city will call on members periodically based on their home location to assist with specific projects. Student and parent commitment to help is essential! What will a Brigade Member do? Serve as a Leader: Help welcome prospective NPS families by leading tours. Support Neighbors: Provide assistance to senior citizens with activities like raking leaves or shoveling snow. This is a great way for students to build leadership skills, gain community service hours, and help make Newton thrive. Please note: This is not a paid position. Sign up to join the brigade today! Community Volunteers, Alumni, and SEPAC Volunteers Needed: Transition Advisory Group/Task Force The Office of Student Services is forming a Transition Advisory Group to help strengthen the transition from public education to adult life for students with disabilities. This work will focus on supporting successful outcomes in postsecondary education and training, employment, community participation, and independent living. Advisory Group members will have the opportunity to share their perspectives, provide feedback, identify resources, and collaborate with the Office of Student Services and the Transition Coordinator to develop new tools and supports. We are looking for parent, student, and community stakeholders to join us in this work. Purpose: To partner with relevant stakeholders on the development of Transition related supports available to NPS students with special needs through the schools and community based agencies. Task force members may give input, share resources, and/or be involved in the development of new resources as determined by the Task Force in collaboration with the Office of Student Services and Transition Coordinator. Potential Advisory Group/Task Force Members: Newton Public Schools: Transition Coordinator Transition Specialists OSS Secondary and Special Programs administrator Staff who work with students aged 14+ (ideally across MS, HS, PG levels) College and Career Counselors or School Counselors Office of Family and Community Engagement Parent/student community: SEPAC collaborator Parents of students aged 14+ (ideally at MS, HS, PG levels) - could overlap with SEPAC Students aged 14+ (ideally at MS, HS, PG levels) Alumni of NPS programs and/or parents of alum Community partners: Local businesses willing to partner for employment (e.g. Village Bank) Local adult agency reps City resources (Housing Authority, Food Pantry, etc.) that students/families may access Parks and Rec/Newton Athletes Unlimited Other Community Based Agencies providing support to 18+ Mass Bay or other post-secondary institutions To express your interest, please complete this form if you are interested. We will reach out with more information about how to apply in the early fall. Volunteer opportunity: Student Career Information Interviewees informational interviews about various careers for our students at Central High School (a therapeutic educational program based at the Ed Center). Informational interviews are a process that we use to help students learn about careers of interest to them but interviewing people who work or have worked in these fields. If you or anyone you know has experience working in these fields and is willing to connect with a student in the fall by video chat or in person, please put me in touch. Central High’s principal can be reached at goldthwaitel@newton.k12.ma.us or 617-872-3209 over the rest of the summer to talk a bit more and gather info to help us set up the interviews once school starts. Here is the list of careers: Personal fitness trainer Construction worker Biologist/Marine Biologist Teacher Social worker IT/computer technician Animator/Illustrator Video game designer Graphic Designer Architect Veterinary assistant Truck driver Tattoo artist Forensic scientist Chronic Absence Notices and Letters to Families As part of our commitment to seeing every student thrive in 2026-2027, we want to encourage strong attendance all year long. In an effort to keep families better informed about their student’s chronic absence status, we will begin sending monthly letters to families for any student who falls in the category of “chronically absent” for the previous month. These letters will begin going out in October and will continue through the school year. "Chronic absence" means missing 10% or more of school, regardless of whether the absence is excused or unexcused. Because we track this percentage in real-time based on the academic calendar, regular attendance starting today will improve your child's percentage and can quickly clear them from this list. Every day matters! Family Vacations Family vacations during school time contribute to chronic absence. We are asking all families to plan travel during our scheduled vacation periods (see our academic calendar). Planning in line with our academic schedule minimizes disruption to your student's time on learning. School absence due to family vacations will continue to be marked as unexcused. As a result, students may be considered chronically absent, based on their total amount of absence from school. Families can file home education plans, if you are planning to take extended time (longer than 4 days) during regular school days. Religious Observances We recognize that students may be out of school due to sincerely held religious beliefs and observances. It is important for us to clarify that while absences due to religious observances are marked as excused, those days will still contribute to whether a student is considered chronically absent. Families can file home education plans, if you are planning to observe over extended time (longer than 4 days) during regular school days. The district is committed to tackling chronic absence. Your student belongs here, every day. MCAS Family Portal Launch The MCAS Family Portal will launch on Friday, August 14. Beginning that day, families will be able to use information from their child’s school district to create an account and access their child’s preliminary MCAS results online. Final results, including student growth information and comparisons to school, district, and statewide results, will be available in late September. Families will also be able to view results from this past school year and from previous years in the portal. The log in information and practices were sent to families in the spring. Immigration Update The state Attorney General’s Office has issued family preparedness and legal resources to assist Haitian and Syrian Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders following the Supreme Court's decision allowing the federal government to terminate TPS for immigrants from those countries. We continue to affirm that all students have a right to attend school. See our previous messaging about school interactions with ICE. Online resources include an emergency planning guide for parents with uncertain immigration status, which is available online in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, and Simplified Chinese; resources on legal assistance; tips to avoid immigration-related scams; other resources for immigrants in Massachusetts; and immigration guidance for employers. NASA TechRise Student Challenge: Future Engineers will host the 2026-27 NASA TechRise Student Challenge beginning in September. This free challenge empowers teams of students in grades 6–12 at public and private schools to design, build, and launch experiments on flights aboard commercial suborbital vehicles. Sixty winning teams will receive $1,500 to build their experiment, technical support from Future Engineers, and an assigned spot for their experiment on a NASA-sponsored flight with an industry provider. Teachers can pre-register at the link above! Welcome to Newton Guide NPS has collaborated with the City of Newton on a new initiative to welcome new Newtonians, as well as help to share information to current residents, about the variety of services available through city departments. Take a minute to check out the Welcome to Newton Guide and learn more about our fabulous city! Newton Renters' Survey | Your voice is still needed! Your voice is needed! This survey from local Newton organizations CAN-DO and U-CHAN asks about the experiences of and services available to low income renters in Newton. They are looking for your input on topics like: Housing and money Health and transportation Schools and childcare Community involvement Your participation is very important. This is your chance to tell City of Newton officials what you want and need. By sharing your opinions, you help leaders understand how to support your community. Complete the survey today. Survey conducted by Newton organizations CAN-DO and U-CHAN. Resource Links Curious about the district's curriculum? Use the buttons below to explore our curriculum resources and programs of study for students in grades K–12. Please note: We are currently in the first year of a multi-year curriculum review cycle, following a long pause in this work across the district. In some subject areas, a fully coordinated district-wide curriculum is still being developed. As each review cycle is completed and new curricula are adopted, corresponding resources will be added to this page. We believe that schools thrive when families are informed and actively partner with us in supporting Newton students. K-8 Parent Curriculum Resources Newton North Programs of Study Newton South Programs of Study Have an event or initiative to promote? Share it on our Community Notices page! Please note: This page features events and activities from community organizations serving Newton. Inclusion on the Community Notices page does not imply endorsement by Newton Public Schools, nor does it indicate NPS involvement with the organizations, events, or resources shared. Community Notices

Saturday, Aug 08 2026

District News: Family Focus | August 1st Reminders -...

Family Focus August 1st Reminders Fee Increase on Aug 1: School Bus Registration This is your mid-summer reminder that bus pass registration is currently open for the 2026-2027 school year. To take advantage of the early registration price; please register your student to ride the school bus for the upcoming year in My School Bucks before August 1st. For new families that are having trouble registering due to the enrollment process; please contact bus_transportation@newton.k12.ma.us. Registration Opens on Aug 1: SY26-27 Elementary Early Morning Program SY26-27 Elementary Early Morning Program Registration will open on August 1! The Elementary Early Morning Program provides families of students in grades K through 5 with the opportunity to bring their children to school prior to the beginning of the regularly scheduled school day. Program Details Eligibility: NPS students in Grades K through 5 in each of the elementary schools can attend. Program start date: September 8, 2026 Operating time: 7:20 a.m. until 8:10 a.m. (when the school day begins) Student Schedule: You can sign up your student to attend 1 to 5 days a week for the whole school year. Drop-ins are not allowed. Program Fees New this year! - Register your student online through MSB Activities. (This is a separate website/link from MySchoolBucks) Elementary School Registration Directions Once you have registered, your student’s registration status will not be active until it has been approved by the Business Office. If your registration is approved, you will receive a confirmation email confirming your order and an invoice will be issued to your MySchoolBucks account. A monthly payment plan is available. Please note: a MSB account with the students attached must be created first in order to sign up for a program in MSB Activities. Space may be limited, and if there is no room in your school's program we will add your student(s) to a waitlist. Financial Waivers Financial Waivers are available, but you must apply and be approved before using the waiver registration option. Waivers will be awarded for 50%, 75%, 90%, or 100% of the cost - depending on financial need. Update: Middle School Early Morning Access Program Registration Registration for the new Middle School Early Morning Access Program has been rescheduled. We will share the new registration date and additional program information soon. Thank you for your patience. Resource Links Curious about the district's curriculum? Use the buttons below to explore our curriculum resources and programs of study for students in grades K–12. Please note: We are currently in the first year of a multi-year curriculum review cycle, following a long pause in this work across the district. In some subject areas, a fully coordinated district-wide curriculum is still being developed. As each review cycle is completed and new curricula are adopted, corresponding resources will be added to this page. We believe that schools thrive when families are informed and actively partner with us in supporting Newton students. K-8 Parent Curriculum Resources Newton North Programs of Study Newton South Programs of Study Have an event or initiative to promote? Share it on our Community Notices page! Please note: This page features events and activities from community organizations serving Newton. Inclusion on the Community Notices page does not imply endorsement by Newton Public Schools, nor does it indicate NPS involvement with the organizations, events, or resources shared. Community Notices

Friday, Jul 31 2026

District News: Family Focus | Summer Updates for the...

Family Focus Summer Updates: Preparing for the 2026-2027 School Year 2026-2027 District Fees 2026-2027 District Fees The School Committee has approved the following fees for the upcoming school year. Please note that there are two new fees this year: Middle School Drama (now separate from the middle school activity fee) Middle School Early Morning Access Program (see more information below) For questions regarding fees or financial waivers, you may call our new dedicated fee support line at 617-559-9040 or email us at feepayments@newton.k12.ma.us. School Bus Registration Reminder This is your mid-summer reminder that bus pass registration is currently open for the 2026-2027 school year. To take advantage of the early registration price; please register your student to ride the school bus for the upcoming year in My School Bucks before August 1st. For new families that are having trouble registering due to the enrollment process; please contact bus_transportation@newton.k12.ma.us. SY26-27 Elementary Early Morning Program SY26-27 Elementary Early Morning Program Registration will open on August 1! The Elementary Early Morning Program provides families of students in grades K through 5 with the opportunity to bring their children to school prior to the beginning of the regularly scheduled school day. Program Details Eligibility: NPS students in Grades K through 5 in each of the elementary schools can attend. Program start date: September 8, 2026 Operating time: 7:20 a.m. until 8:10 a.m. (when the school day begins) Student Schedule: You can sign up your student to attend 1 to 5 days a week for the whole school year. Drop-ins are not allowed. Program Fees New this year! - Register your student online through MSB Activities. (This is a separate website/link from MySchoolBucks) Elementary School Registration Directions Once you have registered, your student’s registration status will not be active until it has been approved by the Business Office. If your registration is approved, you will receive a confirmation email confirming your order and an invoice will be issued to your MySchoolBucks account. A monthly payment plan is available. Please note: a MSB account with the students attached must be created first in order to sign up for a program in MSB Activities. Space may be limited, and if there is no room in your school's program we will add your student(s) to a waitlist. Financial Waivers Financial Waivers are available, but you must apply and be approved before using the waiver registration option. Waivers will be awarded for 50%, 75%, 90%, or 100% of the cost - depending on financial need. NEW! SY 26-27 Middle School Early Morning Access Program SY 26-27 Middle School Early Morning Access Program (New!) Registration will open on August 1! The Middle School Early Morning Access Program provides families of students in grades 6–8 with the opportunity for their children to arrive at school before the start of the regular school day. Students will be supervised in a designated area, such as the cafeteria or library, where they can settle in until the school day begins. Program Detail Eligibility: NPS students in Grades 6 -8 Program start date: September 8, 2026 Program Times Bigelow - 7:15 -7:45 Brown - 7:20 - 7:50 Day - 7:20 - 7:50 Oak Hill - 7:10 - 7:40 Program Fees: $360 per year ($180/semester payment plan available); drop-ins are not permitted. Students who arrive at school by bus in the morning do not need to register for the program. Sign in: Students will receive a PIN to enter as they enter the building. This will help the staff track attendance for the students and maintain building safety protocols. Registration and Payment Families must register online through MSB Activities. Once a registration is approved by the Business Office, parents/guardians will receive a confirmation email, and charges will be invoiced through the family’s MySchoolBucks account. Middle School Registration Directions Financial Waivers Financial Waivers are available, but you must apply and be approved before using the waiver registration option. Invoice Clean-out Invoice Clean-out Please check your MySchoolBucks (MSB) account for any outstanding invoices. You can pay directly online on MSB (please keep in mind, you are not allowed to use your lunch account balance to pay for invoices.) Check payments are also accepted by mailing your payment with your statement to: Newton Public Schools Attn: Business Office 100 Walnut Street Newtonville, MA 02460 How to Pay Invoices: Take a look at this instructional video showing how to pay invoices in MySchoolBucks. Visit our webpage for additional information about the fee policy and instructions to request a waiver, if needed. Questions? If you have any questions regarding Chromebook invoices, please contact the IT department at 617-559-6190. If you have questions regarding your library or textbooks invoices, please contact your school for assistance. Now Open: 2026-2027 Financial Waiver Application 2026-2027 Financial Waiver Application The Newton Public Schools provides financial assistance so that all students can utilize bus transportation and participate in school activities, regardless of financial need. To facilitate this financial support, families need to apply for district-wide assistance every year. The application for the 2026-2027 district-wide financial assistance waiver is now available in Aspen. We encourage you to apply now so that your waiver is in place for registrations that may take place in the summer (bus, elementary music, fall athletic fees, etc.) Visit the fee waiver information and instructions webpage to apply via the Aspen portal. New this year Parents/guardians can choose to allow NPS to share their eligibility status with the City of Newton, which may enable the City to extend financial assistance for certain programs. For example, NCE is partnering with Newton Parks and Recreation to provide eligible families with free access to Gath Pool and Crystal Lake this summer. To allow NPS to share their eligibility status with the City of Newton: Complete a waiver in Aspen and select “Yes” to this sharing permission Update permissions in Back-to-School Aspen Update to “Yes” to Share Federal School Lunch Program Eligibility for Financial Assistance – City of Newton Financial waiver applications will be randomly selected for verification to ensure program integrity. If selected, families will be required to provide supporting documentation to verify income. Failure to submit requested documentation within the specified timeline will result in the waiver being denied or canceled, and applicable fees being assessed. Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals or who are directly certified are not subject to this verification process. NPS Lunch Program News NPS Lunch Program News NPS is approved to implement Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch Program for the 2026–2027 school year Program Details The Newton Public Schools is pleased to announce its participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch Program for the 2026–2027 school year for students attending the Education Center, Newton Early Childhood Program (NECP), Lincoln-Eliot, and Underwood. The Community Eligibility Provision is a federal program that allows eligible schools to provide free school meals to all students without requiring families to complete a free and reduced-price meal application. In Massachusetts, all students continue to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day through the Commonwealth's Universal School Meals Program, regardless of whether their school participates in CEP. What this means for NPS and State Reimbursement Rates Being able to participate in the CEP helps maximize federal funding that supports school meal programs. While meals are free for all students in Massachusetts, districts are reimbursed for the cost of those meals through federal and state reimbursements. The federal government reimburses schools at different rates for free, reduced-price, and paid meals. Massachusetts has committed state funding to reimburse districts for all school meals up to the federal free reimbursement rate ensuring full funding for every eligible breakfast and lunch served. Participation in the CEP helps Massachusetts maximize federal reimbursement by identifying students who qualify through existing assistance programs, reducing the amount of state funding needed to support universal free school meals. SUN BUCKS Participation Although CEP eliminates the need for families to complete a free and reduced-price meal application for school meals, families who are not automatically certified through programs such as SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid must still complete a SUN Bucks application if they wish to be considered for summer food benefits. SUN Bucks is a federal program that provides a one-time $120 summer grocery benefit for each eligible school-aged child. Students who are directly certified through eligible assistance programs, identified as homeless, migrant, runaway, participating in Head Start, or determined eligible through an approved income application are automatically enrolled. Families who are not automatically eligible may apply through DTA Connect, by submitting a paper SUN Bucks application, or by completing the Newton Public Schools online income application. Additional information, including eligibility requirements and application instructions, is available on the SUN Bucks website. Resource Links Curious about the district's curriculum? Use the buttons below to explore our curriculum resources and programs of study for students in grades K–12. Please note: We are currently in the first year of a multi-year curriculum review cycle, following a long pause in this work across the district. In some subject areas, a fully coordinated district-wide curriculum is still being developed. As each review cycle is completed and new curricula are adopted, corresponding resources will be added to this page. We believe that schools thrive when families are informed and actively partner with us in supporting Newton students. K-8 Parent Curriculum Resources Newton North Programs of Study Newton South Programs of Study Have an event or initiative to promote? Share it on our Community Notices page! Please note: This page features events and activities from community organizations serving Newton. Inclusion on the Community Notices page does not imply endorsement by Newton Public Schools, nor does it indicate NPS involvement with the organizations, events, or resources shared. Community Notices

Thursday, Jul 23 2026

Announcement: Newton Public Schools Selects Blayne L...

Announcement July 23, 2026 Newton Public Schools Selects Blayne Lopes as Interim Newton METCO Director Newton, MA – July 2026 — Newton Public Schools enthusiastically announces that Blayne Lopes, currently Newton North METCO Counselor, has been selected as the Interim Newton METCO Director for the 2026-2027 school year. Lopes bring a unique social work expertise, proven supportive leadership to adults working with diverse student groups, and a decades-long commitment to educational equity. In his current role, Lopes provides comprehensive academic, social-emotional, and college and career support to more than 70 METCO students and these skills will be applied as he works with all Newton METCO families from grades K to 12. As a district administrator, Lopes will continue to help identify barriers to student success, coordinate targeted interventions, and develop district-wide support plans that foster achievement, belonging, and postsecondary readiness. In addition to guiding students and families through the academic experience, Lopes designs and facilitates programs centered on leadership development, identity, belonging, and college and career readiness. Family engagement initiatives and community-building opportunities have strengthened partnerships between Boston and Newton families while elevating student voice and advancing equitable practices throughout the district. A significant milestone in Lopes's work includes demonstrating a commitment to systems-level leadership; Lopes is currently participating in the Perrone-Sizer Institute for Creative Leadership (PSi), a year-long leadership institute. As part of the institute, Lopes led a capstone project focused on strategies to recruit, retain, and develop educators of color within Newton Public Schools. The project engaged stakeholders and analyzed district data to develop recommendations centered on belonging, mentorship, and leadership development. The work is grounded in the belief that when educators feel valued, supported, and connected, students benefit through stronger relationships, greater belonging, and improved educational outcomes. Previously, Lopes managed a division within the Department of Children and Families as an Area Program Manager and clinical supervisor. As a Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW), Lopes brings a unique blend of clinical knowledge, leadership experience, and student-centered advocacy to every aspect of their work, advancing initiatives that strengthen schools, support families, and improve outcomes for young people. Lopes academic background includes, a Master of Social Work with a specialization in Urban Leadership from Simmons College in Boston, and a Bachelor of Arts from Stonehill College, with double majors in Sociology and Psychology and a minor concentration in Youth and Family Services. Read the Full Statement About Newton Public Schools: Newton Public Schools is dedicated to fostering academic excellence, social‑emotional growth, and a strong sense of community. Serving more than 11,000 students across 22 schools, including 24 special education programs, a Career/Vocational Technical High School, and a vibrant range of student clubs, international exchanges, and athletic opportunities. NPS is a district of choice for families, recognized for its inclusive practices and innovative programs that prepare students to thrive in a diverse and dynamic world.

Thursday, Jul 23 2026

District News | Have a Fantastic Summer! | June 25, ...

Superintendent Memo Dear Newton Families, This year, we launched our Thrive 2030 Strategic Plan, creating a shared vision for the future of Newton Public Schools focused on excellent teaching, thriving students, strong community partnerships, and a culture where every student can succeed. I wanted to reach out to reflect on all that we accomplished this year (click into the plan to see the artifacts of accomplishment, and our Annual Report HERE). By the end of the summer, a dashboard –friendly to the eye and easily understood by the public–will graphically display our work and progress to you. In the 25-26 school year, students continued to excel academically while also growing as communicators, problem-solvers, collaborators, and compassionate community members. We expanded instructional supports, strengthened our work around curriculum alignment, advanced our PK–12 mathematics redesign, piloted innovative instructional technologies, and continued building more consistent systems to support every learner. Our schools were also filled with moments that reminded us what makes Newton so special—performances, athletic championships, science fairs, robotics competitions, art shows, service projects, graduations, concerts, field days, and celebrations of every kind. Every school had stories of students discovering new passions, overcoming challenges, and achieving personal milestones. Behind the scenes, our dedicated faculty and staff worked tirelessly to strengthen our schools through professional learning, thoughtful planning, and collaboration, while continuing to navigate the realities of a challenging budget and ever-increasing demands on schools, with creativity and care. Most importantly, we continued building a school system where we live our thrive mission and where students are known, challenged, supported, and inspired to thrive. On this “Friday night” of summer I thank you for your partnership, trust, and support throughout the year. We hope you and your family enjoy a wonderful, restful, and well-deserved summer. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the fall as we continue this exciting journey together. Have a safe, healthy, and joyful summer! Anna Calendar: District “Soft close” June 29 to July 12, 2026 This reminder has been sent to all families that the district has a “soft close” from June 29 to July 12, to allow our professional administrators and year-round educators a break from responding to building and community emails and visits. We will do this again for our December break. At this time, families and folks outside of the school district should not expect return calls and emails from staff until the end of the soft close period. Emergency calls should be directed to public safety or nearby hospitals. Calendar: First Day of School Fall 2026 Reminder: The first day of school in September is before Labor Day (a Newton first!) and is a Wednesday. This means: For K-8 schools, it’s an early release (same times as usual). For high school it's a regular full day (but new students have a modified schedule which is shared by the high school staff directly to families.) See full details about the calendar for next year. 2026-2027 Calendar Keep learning going this summer! (Avoid the summer learning slide) Newton Public Schools students in grades K–9 can continue building their reading and math skills this summer with Lalilo and Freckle, two engaging online practice programs available at no cost to NPS families. Lalilo provides personalized phonics, decoding, and reading fluency practice through interactive games and activities. Freckle offers personalized math and reading practice that adapts to each child's learning level, helping build confidence and independence. How to access: Visit the NPS Students page: www.newton.k12.ma.us/students Select the Renaissance icon. Log in using your child's NPS Google credentials. Choose Freckle or Lalilo under "Practice" and get started. Just a few sessions each week can help students stay confident and ready for the fall. If your child does not know their login information or does not have a QR code to log into Clever for NPS software, please visit the NPS Students page for support. Questions? Email renaissancefamilysupport@newton.k12.ma.us. Avoid the Summer Learning Slide! Summer Wellness Newsletter Chromebook Summer Care Weather and Cooling There were a handful of hot days this spring, and, the days are getting more frequent and even hotter than the prior year. In a joint effort between the Public Buildings Department, Newton Public School Facilities Team, we are actively working on plans to retrofit classrooms in 10 of our older schools with window air conditioners. Over the last few weeks, the city and school teams have walked the 650,000 square feet of space in these ten schools with our on-call electrical contractor. We are approaching this project in three tiers. Tier 1: Classrooms that have outlets at the windows, the correct types of windows, and the electrical capacity to support window ac installation. Tier 2: Classrooms that don't have outlets at the windows, have the wrong style of windows, and/or don't have the electrical capacity to support window ac installation. Tier 3: School buildings that don't have sufficient electrical capacity coming from the street to support the additional power demands needed to run window ac's. Right now, our on-call electrical contractor is completing their work to determine which locations fall into which tiers and developing a rough budget for the project so that we can work to secure the funds needed to move this project forward. Once we have the funds, we would start with all the Tier 1 opportunities. We would then start working on the Tier 2 locations. If there are any Tier 3 schools, we would have a longer time period to work with the utility company, and an electrical engineer to change all of the electrical switchgear. Those types of projects can take a few years to complete, and they may not be feasible for a variety of reasons. That said, the city is cautiously optimistic that we will not have schools fall into the Tier 3 bucket. Even if a school did, we would likely focus on installing as many ac's as the system would support and then go from there. For funding and staffing reasons, we can't commit to a project schedule until we have a better sense as to the scope of electrical work needed. We won't have that information for another few weeks. We are committed to our students and educators having more comfortable classrooms to learn and work in! From the Office of Data Update: MCAS Family Portal Launch Delayed to August 14 DESE has announced a delay in launching the new MCAS Family Portal. Instead of the June 30th ELA release previously shared, the state will now open the portal on Friday, August 14th. This will allow for the inclusion of preliminary results for all subjects (ELA, Mathematics, Science, and Civics) at the same time. Unique student registration codes will be uploaded to Aspen in mid-August and we will notify families via ParentSquare when the portal becomes active. Families who already created an account during the spring pilot phase can use their existing logins on August 14th. Thank you for your flexibility, and have a wonderful summer! Communicating with Us: Emails, Website, and ParentSquare Like most school districts and businesses, NPS is subject to many cyber and phishing schemes. To that end, we have removed our list of staff website linked emails from our website (which follow the format lastnamefirstinitial@newton.12.ma.us). We have started using a website form for the public to contact school personnel. These contact forms ensure a safer tech atmosphere for our staff and will not result in a delay in response time. For staff this means a little bit of separation from the external world and its frequent complaints and cyber attacks. This should slow the pace of email to which you must respond. We wanted you to know of the format change. We are guiding families on the best way to solve problems, which is to contact the staff member closest to the concern you have: teacher first next department head or principal lastly assistant superintendent for your student's grade level Writing to the superintendent, school committee and mayor as a first step is generally ineffective, as they will direct you to the educator closest to the concern. Please know–we want to collaborate with our families and caregivers! We also have a Family Engagement Office who can assist with some issues, and on our website, we have a chat/search function that can direct you to most answers. To use the chat/search function, you can visit any district or school page. When you are on the website, you should click on the little dialogue box (as pictured) and ask the question and the answers will begin to pop up! As you use this feature, the answers will improve. Robotics Funding In positive collaboration with our NTA educator partners, we have been working on additions to the elementary school day schedule and offerings. (More details to come). We are looking for funding for a pilot to offer robotics and coding experiences for our grade 3 students. Donate if you would like to help us reach our $150K goal for robotics specials classes experiences for EVERY grade 3 student in Newton. Office for Student Services: Leadership and Program Updates Mental Health & Well‑Being Jesse Krotick has been appointed as NPS’s first Director of Mental Health and Well‑Being, effective July 1. Jesse has served the district as the Coordinator for Elementary SEL and Social Work, providing leadership, partnership, and clinical expertise across schools and programs. This transition comes during a year of difficult budget decisions. With the elimination of the Coordinator for Secondary SEL and Social Work role, it was essential to ensure that the strong mental health systems and structures built over the last several years remain intact—and that we continue moving toward greater alignment across preK–22 supports and services. Throughout his time in NPS, Jesse has been a trusted partner to leaders, clinicians, families, and outside agencies. He has led district SEL and social work systems, overseen the Elementary Stabilization Program, and supported students with complex needs through deep collaboration with principals and school‑based teams. ABA Services We are pleased to share that, through a funding earmark, Jim Ellis’s role as Coordinator of ABA Services has been fully restored. Jim will continue to oversee STRIDE programming, BCBAs, and Behavior Technicians across our specialized PK–22 programs. Jim has been instrumental in expanding in‑district opportunities for students and advancing the district’s values of inclusion. His leadership has strengthened programming and ensured high‑quality behavioral supports for students with significant needs. Elementary Special Education Alexandra Prella will be joining the district as our new Director of Elementary Special Education. Alex comes to us from the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter School in Boston, where she served as Managing Director of Student Support, overseeing special education, English learner services, and student support systems across a diverse urban school community. She holds a Master’s in Education Policy and Management from Harvard and brings 11 years of administrative experience coaching and leading educators through complex, high‑stakes special education work—from IEP development and compliance to systems‑building and inclusive practice. After a thorough search and interview process, Alex stood out for her deep experience in adult leadership and systems‑building. Her skill set aligns directly with the needs of our elementary program at this moment, and we are confident she will be an exceptional partner to our team. We also want to extend our sincere thanks to Dianne Lochhead, who has served this year as Interim Director of Elementary Special Education. Dianne’s leadership, steadiness, and commitment have supported an already strong team of elementary special education administrators and staff. We are grateful for her service and wish her well. CAPS Partnership NPS has had a decades‑long relationship with CAPS, hosting middle and high school programming and taking pride in being part of their history dating back to when the program was run by EDCO. CAPS has been deeply embedded in our school communities, and we value the partnership immensely. As enrollment increases at Bigelow next year and over the following two years, we conducted a thorough assessment of space availability. Unfortunately, the CAPS middle school program will need to move out of Bigelow—and out of Newton—as no other middle school has the necessary space. For context, CAPS was previously located at Day Middle School and moved due to similar enrollment and space pressures. We have worked closely with CAPS leadership and agreed to provide a full year of lead time to support their search for a new home for the middle school program. Resource Links Curious about the district's curriculum? Use the buttons below to explore our curriculum resources and programs of study for students in grades K–12. Please note: We are currently in the first year of a multi-year curriculum review cycle, following a long pause in this work across the district. In some subject areas, a fully coordinated district-wide curriculum is still being developed. As each review cycle is completed and new curricula are adopted, corresponding resources will be added to this page. We believe that schools thrive when families are informed and actively partner with us in supporting Newton students. K-8 Parent Curriculum Resources Newton North Programs of Study Newton South Programs of Study Have an event or initiative to promote? Share it on our Community Notices page! Please note: This page features events and activities from community organizations serving Newton. Inclusion on the Community Notices page does not imply endorsement by Newton Public Schools, nor does it indicate NPS involvement with the organizations, events, or resources shared. Community Notices [Wednesday, Jul 1 at 8:30 AM] Hello, Newton Families. A brief update from the Office for Student Services has been added to this newsletter. Please take a look at the last section for the update. Have a fantastic summer!

Thursday, Jun 25 2026

NPS Summer 2026 Wellness Newsletter

Summer Wellness & Self-Care Have a great summer, Newton PS! June 24, 2026 World Cup Spirit to kick-off our summer! World Cup fever is currently sweeping the United States and it is a fantastic classroom for our students. Beyond the thrilling goals, this article from Young Inc. reminds us of valuable lessons students and families can watch for together as they cheer on their favorite teams: 1. The Power of Playing Together: Matches are won by teams, not individuals. Look for how players communicate, support one another from the sidelines, and celebrate each other's successes. 2. Different Backgrounds, One Game: The tournament brings together unique cultures and styles of play, serving as a beautiful reminder of how sports can bridge communities and build connection. 3. Resilience Over Perfection: Even the world's best athletes make mistakes. Watch how teams maintain positive body language and fight back after falling behind or facing setbacks. 4. Fundamentals Never Go Out of Style: Elite talent is great, but basic skills—like clean passing, smart positioning, and simple decision-making under pressure—are what truly win big matches. 5. A Reminder to Dream Big: Every superstar started on a local field with big dreams. Enjoy the World Cup fun with your family and friends! And if you are looking for additional ways to enjoy beyond watching the games, here are some activities, trivia and facts fans should know! Activities for Summer Self-Care Digital Wellness matters this summer! Summer is a wonderful time to reset mind and body so ensuring you consider the right digital balance for your family is important. Family Tech Planners from Common Sense Media or Family Tech Agreements from the Center for Online Safety could be helpful tools. And if you have a minute, this article, 17 Summers: Screen Time Sanity Through All Ages & Stages, is a good read. Would you rather listen while you walk, bike or cook dinner? The explainer video below captures highlights from each of these. Enjoy being active this summer! Summer break offers the perfect opportunity for families and students to stay active, whether exploring local nature or trying out a new sport. You can dive into community fun by checking out the Newton Parks, Recreation & Culture Summer Camps and Summer Programs or cooling off with Aquatics options. For those looking to build healthy habits indoors, teens can take advantage of the Teen Strength & Conditioning sessions at the West Suburban YMCA or sign up for the Planet Fitness High School Summer Pass. If you prefer mindfulness or outdoor adventure, try centering yourself at the Down Under School of Yoga, finding hidden treasures while Geocaching, or hitting the trails with a Kid-Friendly Hiking excursion nearby. Eat fresh, eat local this summer! The City of Newton hosts two vibrant farmers markets featuring local farms, specialty food vendors, and prepared meals. They run weekly through October 31st. The Saturday Market is held at Newton North High School, while the Tuesday Market takes place at Cold Spring Park. And once you pick up the ingredients, encourage the tweens and teens to test out their chef skills or enjoy cooking as a family. Best recipes for teenagers A Month of Healthy Summer Dinner Ideas for Kids Family Resource Guide

Wednesday, Jun 24 2026

District News | Family Focus: Summer Chromebook Use ...

Family Focus Technology Update: Summer Chromebook Use & Care Guidance June 16, 2026 Dear NPS Middle and High School Families We hope you will find the information below helpful. As a reminder students in grades 6-11 keep their school issued device over the summer. Below are tips for families on assisting students with managing and caring for the devices. Set Rules - As parent/guardians you, not your child, set the rules for device use at home. Some examples are below: No device use after 10 PM (adjust time accordingly for your home’s norms). The device can only be used in common areas (i.e., not in a child’s bedroom). The device needs to be charged in the kitchen overnight. Filter and Monitor Device Content NPS Web Filtering and the Parent Portal Sign up for the Web Filtering Parent Portal to add additional control and limits on NPS student devices when off of the NPS network. You can also filter home web access through your internet service provider (ISP) - contact your ISP for additional details. Summer Care Tips - Please review these tips on caring for the device with your child: No food or drink should be near the Chromebook. Store the Chromebook in a secure location where it won't be accidentally knocked over or stepped on. Store the Chromebook in a cool, dry area that is not in direct sunlight. Do not leave the Chromebook in an automobile, take it to the beach or use it anywhere near a pool or water. Keep track of and take care of cords and cables. Do not pile books or other items on top of the Chromebook. Avoid use of any abrasive cleaning brushes or cleaning pads that might scratch the surfaces of your Chromebook. Chromebooks at Home Poster Join the Optional Repair Fund Now - Join the optional repair fund to cover the cost of repair for accidental damages this summer and into next school year. The Newton Public Schools issues devices to all students in grades 6-12 though students in grades 11 and 12 can choose to use their own personal device in school. Students currently in grades 10 and 11 that will opt to bring their own device next year should return their NPS issued device to the high school before summer break. Resource Links Curious about the district's curriculum? Use the buttons below to explore our curriculum resources and programs of study for students in grades K–12. Please note: We are currently in the first year of a multi-year curriculum review cycle, following a long pause in this work across the district. In some subject areas, a fully coordinated district-wide curriculum is still being developed. As each review cycle is completed and new curricula are adopted, corresponding resources will be added to this page. We believe that schools thrive when families are informed and actively partner with us in supporting Newton students. K-8 Parent Curriculum Resources Newton North Programs of Study Newton South Programs of Study Have an event or initiative to promote? Share it on our Community Notices page! Please note: This page features events and activities from community organizations serving Newton. Inclusion on the Community Notices page does not imply endorsement by Newton Public Schools, nor does it indicate NPS involvement with the organizations, events, or resources shared. Community Notices

Tuesday, Jun 16 2026

District News | Superintendent Memo | June 15, 2026

Superintendent Memo Dear Newton Families, Superintendent Bragging Rights It’s been an incredibly busy spring filled with so many celebrations and progress for the district. I keep a district brag sheet each year and I have already filled it (since our March annual report) with more bright spots and brags than the last year combined. Our students and staff are continually demonstrating expertise, strength and excellence –from one of our first graders at Mem-Spa, Cameron Askari, winning a statewide contest to draw his ideal school to our incredible Physical Education Health and Wellness teacher Angela Murgia who has been awarded the Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year award - for excellence in her field. Adaptive Physical Education (APE) is a modified physical education program designed to meet the unique physical, cognitive, and motor needs of individuals with disabilities. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), it ensures equitable access to physical fitness and recreation for students who cannot safely or successfully participate in standard PE classes. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] This award is given every year by our PE and Health Educator professional organization (MAHPERD). We also all had a blast with NPS students, staff and parents joining together to march/ride with our school mascots in the newly fashioned Memorial Day Honor Service Members parade! Earlier this spring, two Newton students presented original cancer research at the AACR Annual Meeting 2026 in San Diego, one of the largest and most prestigious oncology conferences in the world, drawing tens of thousands of scientists, oncologists, and researchers annually. Aneesha Aryan is a junior at Newton North High School. She has spent the past year as a research intern at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, using machine learning to study RAS mutations in cancer. Her research explores whether gene expression profiles can better identify which patients are most likely to respond to targeted cancer therapies, work with direct implications for patients whose tumors carry RAS mutations, found in roughly 30% of all human cancers. Michelle Chudnovsky is a senior at Newton South High School. Her research focused on upper limb physical performance in breast cancer survivors, specifically how volume asymmetry affects strength and recovery after treatment, work with meaningful implications for the quality of life of survivors. Both students represented Newton, and two of its public high schools, on a national scientific stage. And, so importantly, they demonstrate all of the Portrait of a Learner competencies our district holds dear–using their skills to do more good in the world. Thank you Newton High School Student Leaders! Seeing Every Student I have also just come from our year-end state of the schools data analysis sessions –where each elementary school analyzes the progress made in academics, attendance, and social-emotional learning needs for our students. (Middle and High School are holding theirs next week). I could not be prouder of the progress of our students and of our staff. We are closing decades old achievement gaps and pushing growth for all. More than once today, elementary principals have indicated that they have only 1 or a handful of students per grade who are not at or above grade level in math or ELA. This is terrific progress and a meaningful step in our academic excellence and equity of experience across our system. Every child is seen, known, challenged and learning and supports are designed with specific needs of every child in mind. Days like this make the superintendency! Class of 2026 Graduation I am so proud of our graduates! Their futures are bright and it has been so incredible hearing about their plans and Newton memories. Please have your child email their vice principals with personal emails for alumni contacts, and... join our Newton Alumni Association on Facebook. Read Dr. Nolin’s Graduation Remarks. I know it’s been unbearably hot for a few sporadic days. I’d like to thank Mayor Laredo and his staff for taking up our request to add more air conditioning units and electrical capacity to our older buildings to create more cool areas. This will take some time but is benefitting from the Mayor’s attention! We are in the home stretch of the regular school year and we look forward to a strong finish! We have hired 378 teachers for our extended special education school year, SPACE program and Newton Community Education camp. Also, as part of our academic program support upgrades, we will be offering math services to 200 students who, at the January benchmarking period, were not at or above grade level across our middle schools. This math summer work camp, occurring in August the four week preceding the start of school, was offered to eligible students. This is a first step and we hope to offer literacy services next year as well, funding dependent. MCAS Family Portal from Department of Elementary and Secondary Education The MCAS family portal maintained by the state will be available with preliminary ELA results for students by June 30th. Families that set up an account this spring during the pilot phase of the portal this spring should use their existing account to log into the portal. Families who have not yet set up an account can use their student's unique registration code that will be available in a letter posted to the Aspen Family Portal at the end of June. Please note that the Spring 2026 ELA results that will be posted are preliminary. It is possible that some scores may change when scores are officially reported in the fall. Additionally, school, district, and state results will not be available in the portal until the fall. A ParentSquare message will be sent in late June when the portal is active and letters with registration codes are posted in Aspen. Robotics Funding In positive collaboration with our NTA educator partners, we have been working on additions to the elementary school day schedule and offerings. (More details to come). We are looking for funding for a pilot to offer robotics and coding experiences for our grade 3 students. Donate if you would like to help us reach our $150K goal for robotics specials classes experiences for EVERY grade 3 student in Newton. Bell to Bell Electronic Devices Ban: A State Initiative While NPS has had a K-12 personal device mitigation policy for a year now, the state has almost decided it will enact an even stricter set of expectations for PK-12 public school environments (without adequate funding or pilots, fyi). To this end, NPS convened our educator team from secondary schools to plan how we will deal with a possible total device ban –from bell to bell in NPS and our open campus high schools. With 18 doors and an open campus where students have privileges to come and go as they please, managing student devices is pretty hard to do. The cost for mitigation devices is large and…under the new limits, it appears even YONDR pouches in play at our middle schools will not meet the state guidance for mitigation. So, we wait to see what’s passed, but it’s worth warning parents and students that significant limits on device use and availability will be forthcoming. Please know that if you have a student in NPS next year, you will have to comply with the state's expectations of NO cell phone use of any kind during the school day. Guidance to Educators for ICE Interactions The MA Executive Office for Education has released additional guidance for staff when dealing with ICE interactions. This is similar to the guidance given to us last year from the Attorney General. NPS staff are able to refer such interactions to administrators who are trained to check for correct warrants and notify legal and superintendent offices to address any on campuses issues. Executive Office of Education guidance from May 2026 Guidance from MA Executive Office for Education (link to info on NPS website) Attorney General's guidance from February 2025 Guidance from Attorney General's Office on Immigrant Students' Right to Attend School Congratulations to Our Future Educators! NPS was excited to host a Future Educator Signing Day on Thursday, May 21, to celebrate our graduating seniors who have chosen to pursue a concentration in Education as they transition to their next chapter after graduation. These future educators will get a first look and interview upon obtaining their credentials, an interview and demo lesson. It’s the noblest of professions–we are proud of our future educators, who were, no doubt, inspired by our on staff educators! Understanding that education is a sacred profession - often encouraged and inspired by dedicated educators along the way - we were honored to celebrate these students and welcome the family members, mentors, teachers, and supporters who have helped guide and inspire them. Below are the names of those honored. Bae Derby - Newton North Becca Morrow - Newton South Ben Kitzis - Newton South Daniella Bunch - Newton North Hayle Buck - Newton North Karma Powell - Newton North Lila Anapolle - Newton North Logan Richard - Newton North Malia Thompson-Leong - Newton North Maya Poscover - Newton South May Bunton - Newton North Michael Resmini - Newton North Sophie Hajjar - Newton South Recent Press Releases Gabrielle Mulrean: New Bowen Elementary Interim Principal Lisa Gilbert-Smith: New Newton North High Interim Principal Caitlin Brown: New Newton South High Interim Principal Jesse Krotick: Director of Mental Health and Well-Being: Newly consolidated position aligned to our strategic plan! New Career and Technical Options for Newton Students: New Programs and CTE certifications in Dental Assisting, Medical Assisting and Information Systems and Networking New: FAA Drone Certification Drone School Electives at Both High Schools! Calendar: Last Day of School, June 2026 NECP: Wednesday, June 24 Release time: NECP: 12:00pm K-12: Thursday, June 25 Release times: Elementary: 12:10pm Bigelow: 10:55am Brown: 11:20am FA Day: 10:55am Oak Hill: 10:50am High: 12:45pm Calendar: First Day of School Fall 2026 Reminder: The first day of school in September is before Labor Day (a Newton first!) and is a Wednesday. This means: For K-8 schools, it’s an early release (same times as usual). For high school it's a regular full day (but new students have a modified schedule which is shared by the high school staff directly to families.) See full details about the calendar for next year. 2026-2027 Calendar Calendar: District “Soft close” June 29 to July 12, 2026 This reminder has been sent to all families that the district has a “soft close” from June 29 to July 12, to allow our professional administrators and year-round educators a break from responding to building and community emails and visits. We will do this again for our December break. At this time, families and folks outside of the school district should not expect return calls and emails from staff until the end of the soft close period. Emergency calls should be directed to public safety or nearby hospitals. Communicating with Us: Emails, Website, and ParentSquare Like most school districts and businesses, NPS is subject to many cyber and phishing schemes. To that end, we have removed our list of staff website linked emails from our website (which follow the format lastnamefirstinitial@newton.12.ma.us). We have started using a website form for the public to contact school personnel. These contact forms ensure a safer tech atmosphere for our staff and will not result in a delay in response time. For staff this means a little bit of separation from the external world and its frequent complaints and cyber attacks. This should slow the pace of email to which you must respond. We wanted you to know of the format change. We are guiding families on the best way to solve problems, which is to contact the staff member closest to the concern you have: teacher first next department head or principal lastly assistant superintendent for your student's grade level Writing to the superintendent, school committee and mayor as a first step is generally ineffective, as they will direct you to the educator closest to the concern. Please know–we want to collaborate with our families and caregivers! We also have a Family Engagement Office who can assist with some issues, and on our website, we have a chat/search function that can direct you to most answers. To use the chat/search function, you can visit any district or school page. When you are on the website, you should click on the little dialogue box (as pictured) and ask the question and the answers will begin to pop up! As you use this feature, the answers will improve. Caring for Our Students: Mental Health Screenings During Advisory on Monday, May 11th, the 10th grade class participated in the SBIRT program. SBIRT stands for Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment. This program is a collaborative initiative through the Massachusetts Departments of Public Health and Education, aiming for early intervention to young adults and the use of substances. In an effort to minimize the impact of students missing class time for the Counseling and Health Office to collect the data, we conduct this screening in Advisory with the 10th graders. Families and caregivers have been given the information and had an opportunity to opt their student out from participating in the program. This screening is one of many that occur across grades 7, 9 and 10 within the district. We have recently hired a new Director of Mental Health and Wellbeing in the district to ensure we have a comprehensive system of interventions and supports for our students in all grades–just as we now do in our academic programs PK-12. After the SBIRT screeners are conducted and organized, the Counseling and Health Office interprets the data, which may result in students needing short check-ins with their counselor or a school nurse. We document and track who is identified each year and what caregivers tell us about student supports and services. May Food Services Newsletter Welcome to this month's food service updates! Chartwells, our food service vendor, is dedicated to serving nutritious, delicious, and student-approved meals. Check out their newsletter featuring new taste-test Mood Boost menu testing items, fun food programs to bring bold flavors and fresh ingredients to our students, and a celebration of School Lunch Hero Day. May Food Service Newsletter June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month Newton Public Schools prioritizes the health and safety of our students, families and staff and community partners. June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month, an observance dedicated to preventing firearm injuries, raising awareness about gun violence, and promoting responsible storage practices. While we focus on all areas of safety in NPS, we wanted to share an important message about gun violence prevention in partnership with the Mayor’s Office and the Newton Police Department. The U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center recommends the importance of appropriate storage of weapons to reduce the likelihood of gun violence at home or in the community. State law requires adults to securely store their firearms. Keeping students, teachers, staff and community members safe from the threat of gun violence requires us to do all that we can to take preventative steps at home, at school and in the community. Please do all that you can to ensure safe gun storage in our community. If you have any questions or would like resources related to this, please contact the Newton Police Department. Safe Routes to School – Bike Safety Bikes are an important part of the transportation ecosystem in Newton for students, staff and community members. We are sharing information with school communities about bike safety to ensure that all of our riders are taking the right safety precautions and using their bikes and other transport legally and safely. Each of our schools has places for students to store bicycles. Safe Routes to School recently hosted a webinar for municipalities about travel safety with e-bikes. Comparative Rules Table for Small-Motorized Vehicles The Commonwealth recently convened a Special Commission on Micromobility that released a report with recommendations. The governor proposed legislation from these recommendations that is moving forward, so hopefully in a year things will be much better and more logically defined. Something New is Coming to Newton Centre... The City of Newton celebrated the kickoff of Farmers’ Market season last weekend with a huge, new market on Union Street in Newton Centre–just steps from the MBTA Green Line! Held outdoors on Union Street in the heart of Newton Centre, shoppers can visit the market and take advantage of special promotions from local shops, restaurants, and cafés throughout the day. Located at the Newton Centre stop on the MBTA Green Line, the Spring Preview Farmers’ Market is an easy weekend outing for families, food lovers, and anyone looking to explore one of Greater Boston’s most charming village centers. The market will be open from 9:30 AM-12:30 PM. More information and list of participating vendors. Resource Links Curious about the district's curriculum? Use the buttons below to explore our curriculum resources and programs of study for students in grades K–12. Please note: We are currently in the first year of a multi-year curriculum review cycle, following a long pause in this work across the district. In some subject areas, a fully coordinated district-wide curriculum is still being developed. As each review cycle is completed and new curricula are adopted, corresponding resources will be added to this page. We believe that schools thrive when families are informed and actively partner with us in supporting Newton students. K-8 Parent Curriculum Resources Newton North Programs of Study Newton South Programs of Study Have an event or initiative to promote? Share it on our Community Notices page! Please note: This page features events and activities from community organizations serving Newton. Inclusion on the Community Notices page does not imply endorsement by Newton Public Schools, nor does it indicate NPS involvement with the organizations, events, or resources shared. Community Notices

Monday, Jun 15 2026

Announcement: Newton Public Schools Appoints Jesse K...

Announcement June 9, 2026 Newton Public Schools Appoints Jesse Krotick as First Director of Mental Health and Well-Being This appointment is effective July 1, 2026. NEWTON, MA — Newton Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Anna Nolin announced the appointment of Jesse Krotick, M.Ed., LICSW, MSW, as the district's inaugural Director of Mental Health and Well-Being, an expanded leadership position designed to strengthen and align mental health supports for students across the district from preschool through age 22. The position reflects Newton Public Schools' continued it commitment to ensuring that every student has access to high-quality mental health supports, clinical services, and social-emotional resources that enable them to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Krotick currently serves as Newton Public Schools' Coordinator of Social Work and Social Emotional Learning for elementary schools, a role he has held since 2018. During his tenure at the elementary level, he has led the development of social-emotional learning and mental health intervention frameworks, overseen the implementation of universal screening systems, supervised social work and intervention staff, and provided consultation and support to school leaders across the district. Prior to his current leadership role, Krotick spent eight years as a social worker in Newton's Elementary Stabilization Program, where he designed and managed specialized programming for students with complex social, emotional, and behavioral needs. His career also includes clinical and leadership experience with Boston Public Schools, Wediko Children's Services, The Home for Little Wanderers, Jewish Family and Children's Services, and other organizations serving children, youth, and families. As Director of Mental Health and Well-Being, Krotick will provide strategic leadership for the district's preK to 22 mental health system, including oversight of specialized programs such as Elementary Stabilization, Harbor, and BRYT. He will lead efforts to strengthen clinical interventions within the district's Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), oversee mental health screening and data systems, support professional learning for clinical staff, and help build a sustainable pipeline of future mental health professionals. The recently created director position expands upon previous district mental health leadership structures by bringing together elementary and secondary mental health programming under a unified vision which creates a more cohesive preK to 22 experience and system of support. The role elevates districtwide coordination, clinical supervision, program evaluation, and strategic planning to ensure consistency and continuity of care for students and families. Krotick holds a Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership from Endicott College and a Master of Social Work from Simmons University. He is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), a licensed School Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor, and holds Massachusetts licensure as a Supervisor/Director. Read the Full Statement About Newton Public Schools: Newton Public Schools is dedicated to fostering academic excellence, social‑emotional growth, and a strong sense of community. Serving more than 11,000 students across 22 schools, including 24 special education programs, a Career/Vocational Technical High School, and a vibrant range of student clubs, international exchanges, and athletic opportunities. NPS is a district of choice for families, recognized for its inclusive practices and innovative programs that prepare students to thrive in a diverse and dynamic world.

Tuesday, Jun 09 2026