District News | November 26, 2025

Superintendent Memo & Updates Safety & Emergency Response (Swatting Incident) Newton South High School Lockdown Family & Community Engagement Food Insecurity, Donations & SNAP; DTA Guidance School Year Calendar & Planning Holiday Gift-Giving Guidance & Policies Cultural Events at High Schools AI Technology and Meeting Recording Protocols Superintendent Memo & Updates Superintendent Updates: A mix of all things happening in the District! Memo to School Committee: October 20, 2025 Topics include: family engagement office and Family Academy, math night, holiday tech night, athletic audit, AI resources, professional development, leadership trainings and website chatbot, superintendent podcasts. Memo to School Committee: November 3, 2025  Topics include: nursing update, METCO students receive on the spot HBCU admission, Ward/Underwood meetings, CTE program updates. Memo to School Committee: November 17, 2025 Topics include: Veterans Day, STEM NSF Fireside Chat fundraising opportunity, Holiday buying guide/Technology Education Night. District Swag Store Want to grace your family with Newton swag for the holidays? Don’t miss out! Shop now the ordering deadline is Nov 28 for delivery by December break. We are unsure if this shop will continue after this season. Help us decide! District Swag Store!   Safety & Emergency Response (Swatting Incident) Newton South High School Lockdown As we shared with you last Friday, the Newton South High School was victim of a swatting incident and therefore had to go into lockdown while the Newton Police and administration inspected the building and ensured safety. This call regarding a hostile event within the school was determined to be a “swatting incident” –a hoax–and is currently under investigation.  While no one wants these type of situations to occur, (and they are happening often nationwide, sadly) it was an opportunity to learn from our actions in responding to the event. We will do so and have conducted after-action reviews with all involved parties. The building principal and I will also do a cast study review with all of our principals to learn from the event. If you want to read about our safety procedures, learn more from our safety site.   More information on swatting from our police partners: “Swatting is making malicious hoax calls to emergency services to falsely report an ongoing emergency, such as a violent crime or explosive device at a certain location. The intent is to cause large-scale deployment of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams, bomb squads, and other police resources. Individuals and institutions are often unaware of the emergency response, causing confusion, frustration, and potential use of force that may result in harm for the target and responding officials. Hoax threats are designed to disrupt, distract, or harass locations or organizations. Threats may come in via e-mail, social media, or to a listed phone number in the form of active shooter incidents, bomb threats, hostage situations, or other acts of violence. Threats are treated seriously and reported to law enforcement, who evaluate and verify if the threat is a hoax.”  Learn more about swatting hoaxes from DHS, Sincerely,  Lieutenant Amanda Henrickson   Family and Community Engagement Veterans Day Observed Veterans Day was observed in the time since our last district newsletter, and our community members donated books about veterans to all of our elementary schools. Veterans themselves visited elementary classrooms live and virtually to read to our students about the holiday and what it means to be a veteran. Thanks to all involved! And thank you to all who served and are serving our country! NPS is a Work Study Site! Calling all College Students Home for December/Winter Breaks! Boston College has designated us (NPS!) as a work study site! To that end, more and more Boston College interns will be serving children in the Newton Schools.   Also, if you know a college student (juniors and seniors) home for break, we welcome them to come serve as a substitute teacher for us during this time. Please help us ensure our buildings have adequate substitutes. Family Engagement Events Family Education Event Calendar –Up next: How do I know how my child is doing in NPS? (February dates are dependent on middle school and elementary school location).  Family Math Night On November 12, 2025, NPS shared where we’re headed in math, why it matters, and how families can be part of the journey. We’re grateful to everyone who joined us to learn, connect, and keep building trust and transparency as we support every student’s growth in math. If you were unable to attend the event, we have posted the 14-minute presentation on the Office of Teaching and Learning website. The presentation also includes QR codes for you to ask questions or provide comments. The Office of Teaching and Learning will be responding to questions as requested. When viewing the Teaching and Learning page, click on View the Presentation. Here is a list of questions shared by the community and the answers from district math leadership staff.   Holiday Tech Buying Guide Panel Discussion On Thursday, November 20, 2025, NPS, in partnership with the City Wide PTO (PTOC) hosted the 3rd Annual Holiday Technology Buying Guide Panel Discussion Wondering if you should give in to your child’s requests for certain technology ? smartwatches? Phones and laptops or iPads? Check out this chat with experts in the field of education and child psychology and development to hear about your choices and their possible impacts. Panelists included Dr. Kate Nyquist, Child Psychologist, Dr. Booma from the Resilience Project, Isaiah Jellinek, Newton PD, School Resource Officer, MS Day Principal Jackie Mann, Steven Rattendi, Director of Information Technology and Library Services, and Anna Nolin, Superintendent and former MS teacher and principal.   View Holiday Tech Buying Panel!   Food Insecurity, Donations & SNAP; DTA Guidance Families, Hunger and Donations With the recent decision to not fund SNAP nutrition programs due to the federal work shutdown, many community members have reached out to ask how they can donate food to students potentially in need. Please do not send food to schools or donations of items unless a student or PTO group is specifically running a food drive. You can donate gift cards to school (not cash) to PTOs and that would not count as part of the NPS equity gap. You cannot direct cards to any specific children or families. Only certain NPS staff, due to privacy and legal considerations, have knowledge of students who may be eligible for reduced or free meals and/or are eligible for financial assistance. It is a good time to reach out to our local food pantries and see what their needs are for items and assistance as well.   Please note:  Hungry children cannot learn easily; no child should suffer this experience. All MA schools provide one nutritious lunch and one breakfast for any student, but it’s a long time between lunch and breakfast the next morning.  For families Receiving Support from the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) We have received additional information from DTA on the relationship between student attendance and TADFC benefits.  Overview: How Students Appear in Learnfare (DTA Intervention System) DTA receives attendance data from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for public school students. If a student has 4+ unexcused absences in a quarter, they appear on the Learnfare Intervention/Probation view for the assigned case manager. For students in private, parochial, or home-school programs, DESE does not provide data. These families receive a Learnfare Attendance Report for Schools form to submit attendance information. Families may also receive this form if a child is listed as attending public school, but DESE did not send any attendance information. Please reach out to the Department of Transitional Assistance for questions about your personal benefits and impacts.    School Year Calendar & Planning School Year Calendar Announcement 2026-2027 School Year Calendar has been voted! Let your planning begin and check out the newly voted school calendar for 26-27 Planning note: School next year has a pre-Labor Day start. 2025–2026 Breaks: December and July Soft Close Each year, at two specific time periods, the district will implement at “soft close.”  The December break and the first two weeks of July are these times in the district.  During this time, we like to give our professional administrators a chance to be “off”  and not have to check emails and return to the office if they are on vacation.  We ask you to understand that during these two windows each year, our safety staff and crisis teams will work to address any dangerous or life-threatening situations that come to us regarding students, but they will not be welcoming visitors to offices or returning emails in the same 24-48 hour fashion we usually strive for.  Buildings will be open only if renters are using the facility.  Thanks for helping us allow our staff to rest and be with their families during this time period.  When we return in the new year 2026, everyone will get back to you!  If there is a true emergency, please call 911.   Holiday Gift-Giving Guidelines & Policies Holiday Gift Giving – Please Help Our Staff Comply with Conflict of Interest Law Newton families are so generous and our staff deserve so much recognition for their efforts.  However, state conflict of interest and gift laws must guide how this can occur for public employees.   Read on to find out how to follow the law and honor our staff.  GBEBC - Staff Gift and Solicitation Policy Newton Public Schools allows a group gift to an individual staff member only if the gift is identified as being from the entire class, the identity of the givers and the individual amounts are not disclosed to the recipient, and the gift does not exceed $150 per school year. This differs from a gift for the classroom. Individual gifts of appreciation in the form of sentimental tokens are allowed.  Gifts of commercial value are not permitted. Subject to and in alignment with applicable solicitation and fundraising policies, Newton Public Schools allows and encourages giving to Support Organizations such as Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs), booster and other school support organizations. Reference Policies: JP - Student Gifts And Solicitations KBE - Relations With Support Organizations KCD - Gifts And Donations KCDE - Equity Policy KHA - Public Solicitations In The Schools JP - Student Gifts and Solicitations Students will be discouraged from giving gifts of commercial value to classroom teachers and other school personnel. Gifts of sentimental value are permitted. No student will be required to participate in any exchange of gifts in the classroom. Solicitation of funds for charitable purposes from students of the District will be made only as approved by both the building Principal or designee and the Superintendent or designee. Any organization desiring to distribute flyers or other materials to students in connection with fund drives may do so only with the approval of both the building Principal or designee and the Superintendent or designee. Reference Policies: GBEBC - Staff Gift And Solicitations Policy JJE - Student Fund-Raising Activities KHA - Public Solicitations In The Schools KHB - Advertising In The Schools   Cultural Events at High Schools Cultural Days at North and South High Schools Each year, student leadership groups at both high schools sponsor student-led and conceived cultural days emergent from their club and leadership groups.  In public schools, student groups have many freedoms, but all are guided by adult advisors.  Events and cultural days are optional events for student participation, but they are a way for students to learn from each other.  For parents/community and decision-making, the cultural days at each HS determined thus far are listed here:  South North These events are not formal classes and should you and your child decide not to participate, students may do so and will be directed to alternative locations or options for the event.   AI Technology & Meeting Recording Protocols Adapting to AI in the Education Space Increasingly, we are faced with the use of recording technology and transcript creation at our meetings, sometimes without notice given to participating staff. To this end, NPS will adopt the model created by the state department of education to mimic their process. We share with you, our parent community that at the start of any meeting, the following language will be used to remind all of legal requirements to disclose recordings and how we will manage recordings. “Please note that NPS does not allow the use of AI transcription tools during meetings without prior approval from the team of educators and partners who are meeting. Additionally, NPS does not recognize or endorse any transcripts created by unauthorized third parties or AI tools. Any AI bots that have entered or enter a virtual meeting will be removed.”  (Virtual IEP Team meeting forms will be updated to this effect and used by our special education staff who may be conducting virtual IEP meetings).    We will all share this with parents at virtual conferences as a disclaimer before the meeting starts. Should accommodations for participation be necessary for any party, we will work through those in the same way that we would engage a translation service or co-recording permission granting process. 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, Nov 26 2025

National Family Engagement Month, Week 4: Gratitude ...

From the Bell to Bed Connecting School, Family, and Community—Every Step of the Way Let's Celebrate! National Family Engagement Month Gratitude and Commitment This Family Engagement Month, we thank you (families — parents, guardians and caregivers) for everything you do in supporting, guiding, encouraging, and advocating for your children. Strong schools grow from strong family partnerships. Family Call to Action: Write a quick thank-you message to a teacher, staff member, or another family that has supported your child this year. Make it extra special by writing it in your home language if it is not English! Language helps us learn more about each other, and gratitude builds connection.  We also encourage you to visit the Welcome Center page to learn more about family engagement in Newton!

Monday, Nov 24 2025

Kindergarten Aides

Dear NPS families and staff, On November 12th, Massachusetts Superior Court Justice Sarah Weyland Ellis ruled to uphold an arbitrator's decision that the Newton Public Schools must reinstate a full-time aide in all kindergarten classrooms with 14 or more students.  The policy in place at present is that full-time aides are placed in certain larger kindergarten classrooms, while every kindergarten classroom has at least a half-time aide.  While the School Committee believes it's appeal of the arbitrator's decision was appropriate, the Committee has voted unanimously to not further appeal the matter and will seek to comply with the arbitrator's decision as soon as is practicable.  Context & Impact: When NPS implemented full-day kindergarten in 2019, the School Committee at that time agreed with the Newton Teachers Association to provide a full-time aide in each kindergarten classroom with 14 or more students, though there was some conflicting language in the collective bargaining agreement for classroom teachers versus the collective bargaining agreement for paraprofessional staff (aides) regarding the enforcement of that provision. Faced with significant budget cuts in 2023, NPS reduced the staffing of kindergarten aides in addition to other staff reductions, implementing the policy that has remained in place up to today. Upon resolution of this legal process, the School Committee has now directed NPS administration to revert to the policy in place prior to the 2023 budget cuts and staff each kindergarten classroom with 14 or more students with a full-time aide. NPS administration will begin the hiring process immediately with the goal of appropriately filling as many positions as possible for January 2026. We estimate that the approximate cost of this change in policy will be $560,000 for the remainder of this school year and $1,020,000 for the next school year.  In the Spring of 2025, the Mayor's administration indicated it had intended to utilize incremental school funding from the Commonwealth should this need arise.  We plan to enter into discussions with the Mayor and Mayor-elect as soon as possible to ensure that we have funding for this expense that will not disrupt NPS operations. The School Committee will continue to seek to allocate NPS funding toward addressing the most acute needs of our students. Thank you, and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. Chris Brezski Chair, Newton School Committee on behalf of the Newton School Committee

Friday, Nov 21 2025

Newton Early Childhood Program (NECP) - Community Pe...

From the Bell to Bed Connecting School, Family, and Community—Every Step of the Way Now Open: NECP Community Peer Applications for 2026-2027 The Newton Early Childhood Program (NECP), the integrated preschool program for the Newton Public Schools, is now accepting applications for the 2026–2027 school year for children ages 3 up to kindergarten eligibility. Please submit your application using the ‘Application Process’ tab on the NECP website. NECP Application Process 2026-2027 Application

Wednesday, Nov 19 2025

District News: Family Focus | Holiday Tech Buying Se...

November Family Events Holiday Tech Buying Family Seminar on Nov 20 at 6:30pm Back by popular demand! Is your family grappling with whether to purchase a smartphone for your child this holiday season? Finding yourself in battles with your child over screen time? Join us on November 20 at 6:30pm to learn how the schools and families can work together to support each other as we help our children to be safe and kind in the digital age. During this session, families can expect to learn from our panel of clinicians, law enforcement, education, and community speakers about: School expectations for K-12 technology use Suggestions on age appropriate devices Practices around technology systems The effects of technology on growing minds   Happy National Family Engagement Month! In case you missed it, we are celebrating National Family Engagement Month. We will be sharing a weekly post with calls to action for families on ways to become or stay engaged with your child's school and build a stronger community with other parents by participating in parent groups. Take a look at the Week 3 post celebrating family partnership in Newton. Check it out! 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, Nov 19 at 7:48 PM] The 2025 Holiday Tech Buying seminar is tomorrow! We will have another fantastic panel with clinicians specializing in pediatric psychiatry, law enforcement, and education. This event will be moderated by members of the PTOC. While this is an in-person event, electronic handouts with information will be available for families. We hope to see you there tomorrow! [Thursday, Nov 20 at 5:07 PM] Hello Newton Families; We look forward to see you later tonight at 6:30pm for the Holiday Tech Buying seminar. If you cannot make it tonight, a Google folder with the shared resources will become available on the Welcome Center website (newton.k12.ma.us/families) tomorrow morning. Thank you. Newton Public Schools

Tuesday, Nov 18 2025

Secondary Digital Dispatch: Frequently asked questions

Secondary Digital Dispatch Transforming education, one click at a time November 18, 2025 npsdlssecondary@newton.k12.ma.us Please email us when you have questions or need support using digital tools in the classroom. Frequently asked questions As we pass the first quarter mark of the school year, here are the most frequently asked technology questions from secondary staff and students: Students are reporting they cannot open Google Drive assignments within Schoology. What is the most common fix for this issue? Why are students encountering errors or being prevented from launching the Schoology Lockdown Browser? How can I ensure that my students will be able to watch YouTube video content?   Tech Troubleshooting Guide for Students Staff and students will find answers to these three questions (and more) in the Tech Troubleshooting Guide for Students document. If the troubleshooting guide does not solve the problem, we will ask staff and students to schedule a Google Meet and share their screen. We will continue to update the Tech Troubleshooting Guide as needed. Please email npsdlssecondary@newton.k12.ma.us if you have any suggestions for the guide.   Please bookmark these sites! Here are three links that every staff member should bookmark: Tech Troubleshooting Guide for Students Using YouTube in Newton Public Schools Secondary Digital Learning (NPS website)

Tuesday, Nov 18 2025

National Family Engagement Month, Week 3: Learning H...

From the Bell to Bed Connecting School, Family, and Community—Every Step of the Way Let's Celebrate! National Family Engagement Month Learning Happens Everywhere Learning happens in everyday moments—cooking dinner, reading together, exploring outdoors, or building something at home. You are your child’s first teacher—and one of their most important ones. Family Call to Action: Take a photo or write a short note about a learning moment you shared with your child this week (in your home language!), and share it with your school. Let’s inspire each other. Parent Group Engagement: Newton ELPAC is a great support to keep world language speaking families and students connected with the district, take a moment to check them out. We also encourage you to visit the Welcome Center page to learn more about family engagement in Newton!

Monday, Nov 17 2025

Newton's New Vibe: Get Your NPS Swag Today!

Newton's New Vibe Get Your NPS Swag Today! Newton Public Schools is proud to announce the grand opening of our new Swag Shop, where you can find everything from hats to backpacks, mugs and clothes! Check it out and update your wardrobe today! Check out the NPS Swag Shop! Order Instructions: The store will be live from now until November 24th. Once all orders are collected, all items will go into production to be ready before winter break. We have three delivery options available: Item Delivery Options: Direct Shipping: Have your order shipped to any address for a flat rate of $10 (free shipping for orders over $100). Store Pick Up: Pick up your order at Screen Printing by Airo, located at 6 Brington Road, Brookline, MA 02445. You'll receive an automated email as soon as your order is ready. Town Pick Up: Pick up your order at The Newton Education Center (100 Walnut Street, Newton, MA 02460) on December 22nd or December 23rd.

Monday, Nov 10 2025

National Family Engagement Month, Week 2: Building T...

From the Bell to Bed Connecting School, Family, and Community—Every Step of the Way Let's Celebrate! National Family Engagement Month Building Trust Through Communication Communication builds trust. When schools and families talk, students benefit. Whether by text, email, a phone call, or face-to-face, we’re committed to listening and learning from you. Family Call to Action: Reach out to your child’s teacher this week. Ask how your child is doing, or share something about what your child is excited about at home. Parent Group Engagement: Take a moment to learn about the Newton SEPAC and the resources they provide for families of students in special education. We also encourage you to visit the Welcome Center page to learn more about family engagement in Newton!   Save the Date: Newton SEPAC online webinar, Understanding Basic Rights in Special Education on Wednesday, January 21, 2026 from 7PM to 8PM with featured speaker Alicia Warren, Attorney at Kotin Crabtree & Strong. Register to attend!

Monday, Nov 10 2025

District News: Family Focus | November Family Events...

November Family Events Community Math Night on Nov 12 at 6:30pm Building Partnerships for Math Success  Join us for Community Math Night, an evening designed to share our math journey from last Fall to present. During the event, we will provide an overview of the progress of our students in mathematics, share student work and provide highlights of the Math Curriculum review that is in its second year of implementation. This event is meant for families with students at all levels in the Newton Public Schools. We will also provide an overview of our new Math Pathways that we have shared at School Committee in September, which ensures that every student gets the math support they need when they need it.   We look forward to seeing you! Wednesday, November 12, 2025  6:30 to 7:30pm at Brown Middle School.    New IEP Parent Training on Nov 13 at 6pm Join the NPS Student Services team for training on the new IEP. Event Details When: November 13, 2025 6pm to 7pm Location (Hybrid) In-Person: Newton North High School, Lecture Hall Virtual: YouTube This event is for families and individuals of all ages. Have Questions or Accessibility Needs? Please email Melissa Gamble at gamblem@newton.k12.ma.us   Holiday Tech Buying Family Seminar on Nov 20 at 6:30pm Back by popular demand! Is your family grappling with whether to purchase a smartphone for your child this holiday season? Finding yourself in battles with your child over screen time? Join us on November 20 at 6:30pm to learn how the schools and families can work together to support each other as we help our children to be safe and kind in the digital age. During this session, families can expect to learn from our panel of clinicians, law enforcement, education, and community speakers about: School expectations for K-12 technology use Suggestions on age appropriate devices Practices around technology systems The effects of technology on growing minds   Happy National Family Engagement Month! In case you missed it, we are celebrating National Family Engagement Month. We will be sharing a weekly post with calls to action for families on ways to become or stay engaged with your child's school and build a stronger community with other parents by participating in parent groups. Take a look at the Week 1 post celebrating family partnership in Newton. Check it out! 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, Nov 07 2025