Food Services Update: Matzo Availability during Pass...

Update from Food Services Matzo Availability during Passover For students observing Passover, Chartwells will have matzo available in all schools from Wednesday, April 1 through Thursday, April 9. Additional menu options that meet Passover dietary needs will also be offered. If students do not see matzo out, they may ask a staff member—each school has it available on hand. See below for matzo offerings for elementary students. Elementary-specific Matzo Offerings Sun butter and jelly with cheese stick and matzo Turkey roll ups with matzo Cheese cubes or cheese stick with matzo

Tuesday, Mar 31 2026

Next Week: Realtor Community Partnership Event: Join...

Know Your Schools! Realtor Community Partnership Event Discover What Makes Newton Public Schools Thrive - and Why It Matters to the Newton Market! Date & Time: Tuesday, March 31, 2026 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Location: Film Lecture Hall + Newton North High School 457 Walnut Street Newton, Massachusetts 02460 Let us know you're coming! RSVP by emailing: CampoCA@newton.k12.ma.us Join as for an evening of connection and insight into the Newton Public Schools! Newton Public Schools invites members of the realtor community to learn more about the vision, strengths, and future direction of one of Newton's most important community assets. Strong public schools are a defining feature of Newton's identity and a key factor in how families evaluate neighborhoods and make long-term decisions about where to live. As we advance our Thrive 2030 Plan, we want our realtor partners to have clear, accurate, and current insight into the work shaping our schools and supporting our students. What to Expect Overview of Newton Public Schools and the Thrive strategic framework Clarification of buffer zones and student feeder patterns Family Engagement Office overview and resources for incoming families Highlights of academic excellence and the Newton student experience Portrait of a Learner and district innovation initiatives Facilities updates and future-focused investments across the district Q&A with district leadership Networking opportunities

Wednesday, Mar 25 2026

[Upcoming Family Webinar]: How to Talk to Kids about...

From the Bell to Bed Connecting School, Family, and Community—Every Step of the Way Webinar: How to Talk to Kids about Current Events Date & Time: Mar 26, 2026 1:00 PM (Virtual) When children hear about frightening events in the news, natural disasters, violence, global conflict, or other distressing headlines, many parents struggle with what to say. Should you bring it up? What if they ask questions you can’t answer? How do you talk about difficult topics without increasing your child’s anxiety? In this practical and reassuring webinar, child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist Dr. Christine Crawford will share evidence-informed strategies to help parents navigate these conversations with confidence. Drawing from her clinical work supporting families at Webster Clinic and her national mental health advocacy through the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Dr. Crawford will offer practical guidance to help parents approach these conversations in ways that promote emotional safety and resilience. Talking with Kids Webinar

Friday, Mar 20 2026

Elementary Family Focus: Nationwide SunButter Shorta...

Family Focus Nationwide SunButter Shortage Forces Temporary Menu Change for School Meals Dear Newton Elementary Families, We write to make you aware about a current SunButter shortage, nationwide. There are many things contributing to this shortage such as manufacturing delays, low seed supply, and quality control concerns. The impact of this nationwide shortage is that Chartwells, the district foodservice provider, is unable to reliably say when this will be resolved. As a result, to avoid disappointing students who see sunbutter and jelly on the menu, that option will be removed until the supply issue is resolved. Please take a moment to review next week's menu with your child. There are other meal options and we hope they'll discover a new food to love. Nutraslice Menu 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, Mar 11 2026

District News | School Budget Meetings (Join Us!)

School Budget Meetings March 9, 2026 Dear Newton Families, Tonight the Superintendent will make her budget recommendation to the school committee at our regular school committee meeting, 6:30pm. Meeting links and materials below. Materials How to attend the meeting virtually Or, join us in person at the Education Center 100 Walnut Street, 2nd floor, Room 210 Newtonville, MA 02460 This overview will be followed by detailed reports by department and a final vote at a public budget hearing.  Upcoming Meetings on the Budget Learn how the superintendent's proposal affects each sector of the school budget and programming. Superintendent staff will present the impacts of a Level Service Budget Elementary and Secondary Programs (March 9, tonight) Teaching and Learning and Student Services (March 11) HR/Business Office and Technology (March 16) Public Budget Hearing (March 18) - Public Comment occurs at this meeting Please join us! 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, Mar 09 2026

Upcoming Family Night: Seventh Grade Information Ses...

Family Focus Seventh Grade Family Information Session Tuesday March 10th, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Brown Middle School Auditorium Join us Tuesday March 10th, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm at the Brown Middle School Auditorium to learn more about the process that will be used to decide placement for each eighth grader. To provide each middle school student with the math instruction they need, when they need it, we are offering two different math pathways for eighth grade students in September. Overview of Pathways: Pathway 1: iGrade 8 math content with the integration of some Algebra 1 standards. Pathway 2: Accelerated Math 1 High School course including Algebra, Geometry and Statistics. 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, Mar 06 2026

Reminder: Newton South Grade 8 Open House on Thursda...

REMINDER: NSHS Grade 8 Open House Thursday, March 5, 2026, 6:30pm - 8:30pm Dear Caregivers of Incoming Ninth Grade Students: We welcome you and your student(s) to Newton South High School next year! We want to remind you that our Grade 8 Family Night will be held soon, on Thursday, March 5: 6:00pm - 6:20pm: We will hold an early session in the Lecture Hall for families of students who receive special education services. 6:30pm - 7:00pm: We will officially welcome all families in the Field House starting at 6:30. You will hear from Principal Tamii Stras, our deans, Vice Principal Jason Williams, and other members of the administrative team. 7:10pm - 8:30pm We will then have three breakout session periods where you can choose to visit a variety of offerings ranging from department and program info to information about student life on our campus. 6:00 - 6:20pm: Early Session for Special Education Lecture Hall For families and students who currently receive special education services Come meet the special education department head and Team Chair and learn about the special education transition process to Newton South. 6:30 – 7:00pm: Welcome and General Information Field House We will officially begin in our Field House with a welcome from Principal Tamii Stras and Vice Principal Jason Williams. You will have an opportunity to meet the leadership team at Newton South and learn more about the evening’s events. 7:10 – 8:30pm: Breakout Sessions Various Locations—see map for more details On the map below, the blue circles represent breakout session locations and the orange rectangles represent tables that you can visit. There are three tables that will be set up throughout the school: Booster Club—buy Newton South merch! Global Education Leadership Fund/Jingshan Exchange—learn more about international travel! Newton Community Education—learn more about Community Ed programming in Newton! South Stage & POPS: Learn more about parent opportunities in our theater and music extracurricular programs See below for the flyer with all breakout sessions listed. Flyer With Breakout Sessions See below for our map—click on the map for a larger version! The Field House is the large gym in the top-left corner of the map. We look forward to seeing those of you who can come on Thursday evening and welcome you to the Newton South Family! Sincerely, Jason Williams (he/him) Vice Principal Newton South High School 140 Brandeis Road Newton, MA 02459 617-559-6700

Monday, Mar 02 2026

District News: Family Focus | February 27, 2026

Family Focus Dear Newton Families, DESE requires that districts share the School and District Report Cards by the end of February of each school year. The 2025 District Report Card will be shared with Newton families in three ways: shared in the next NPS District News, updated to the district and individual school websites, and shared at the school level through either a school-based email or newsletter. DESE provides a District Report Card Quick Facts and Glossary for additional context to help shape why we send this information. These documents have been prepared in English. However, the document is also available in Arabic, Cape Verdean Creole, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Khmer, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese, if needed.   DESE has also created a Frequently Asked Questions about School and District Report Cards that can be accessed online in English, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Vietnamese, and Chinese by selecting the blue box in the upper right corner of the webpage.  Please contact the school principal if you have questions after reviewing your student’s School Report Card. 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, Feb 27 2026

District News: Family Focus | February 24, 2026

Family Focus Upcoming Events NPS Family Academy February Engagement in Education Series Tonight's "How is My Child Doing?" Session (Tue, Feb 24) is Cancelled Please see below for details on the Thursday, February 26, session at Oak Hill. See the video, courtesy of NewTV, from the session (held on February 12) below. Although tonight's session is cancelled, If you have remaining questions we will be hosting the final session on Thursday, February 26, at Oak Hill. See below for additional details.   “How’s My Child Doing?” Session on Thursday, February 26 Target Audience K to 5 families; the Star report overview may be helpful to parents grades 6 to 9 as well. Join us for Family Academy Education Sessions, run jointly by the Offices of Teaching and Learning, Elementary Education, and Family Engagement. These interactive sessions provide families with opportunities to ask questions and deepen understanding of instructional expectations and student growth. Final session: Thursday, February 26 Oak Hill Middle School 6:30–8:00 p.m. Live translation will be available; please bring a mobile device and headphones Kindergarten Registration Save the Date: Kindergarten Information Night on March 2! Our annual New Kindergarten Parent/Guardian Information Night virtual webinar will be held on Monday, March 2, 2026, at 7:00pm.  This event is for all families enrolling a student for the first time in the Newton Public Schools. The presentation will include a general overview of the kindergarten registration and screening process, as well as other important topics that may be useful to new families. Links to the webinar will be posted on our kindergarten registration page in late February. 2026-2027 Kindergarten Registration Information Welcome to the Kindergarten future NPS students! We are excited to welcome our next class of future Newton graduates! Below we share several key pieces of information about the kindergarten registration process. Kindergarten Planning Survey To assist us with planning for the coming year, we ask that you complete a short online survey to let us know your plans for your child’s school registration. Providing this information now helps us to plan ahead for the upcoming school year. Regardless of whether you are enrolling your child in kindergarten in the Newton Public Schools or not, (or if you are unsure), we ask that you please complete the survey.  This information is incredibly helpful as we prepare for the year ahead.  All About Kindergarten in Newton Entrance Age for 2026 In order to register for kindergarten in September 2026, your child must turn five years old prior to September 1, 2026. This means that your child must be five years old on or before August 31, 2026. Enrollment for 2026-2027 School Year Open on March 2! Our online registration system will be open for kindergarten registration beginning March 2, 2026. While there is no deadline for registration of students in the Newton Public Schools, we are asking families to register your kindergarten-age child by March 20, 2026, to support advance preparation for staffing and programming for the year ahead. Registration Process (Overview) Individual schools review all student registrations and will communicate with families about any additional information that is required. In the spring, each school will also host a gathering for caregivers and children to meet the school principal and teachers and have an opportunity to get to know each other. Information on kindergarten orientation dates will be sent directly from your assigned school at a later date. Buffer Zone School Assignments For students living in a buffer zone, notification of school placements will be made as close to Friday, April 10, 2026, as possible, and parents/guardians will be notified in writing of that decision. Kindergarten Registration Site Kindergarten Survey NCE Summer Programs for Rising Kindergarten Students Newton Community Education (NCE) offers engaging summer programs designed specifically for rising kindergarten students to support a confident transition into the school year. Through hands-on, play-based activities and gentle structure, programs such as Nature Explorers, Design & Build, Hogwarts STEAM Express, and LEGO® Junior Imagineers introduce children to classroom routines, collaborative learning, and early problem-solving skills. View all offerings and register to secure your spot! Families are encouraged to register early, as space is limited. Scholarships are available. K Summer Programs with NCE! Newton Community Education Summer Program Registration is Open! Newton Community Education has amazing Kids Clubs after school with enriching options like Chess, French Language & Culture, 3D Printing, Buildwave, and Dungeons & Dragons.  Register now for NCE Summer Programming like Robotics, Animation, Carpentry, Soccer, Boston Teen Exploration, Counselors in Training, Glass Art, Painting, and swim lessons— creative, active, and skill-building opportunities for every age and interest! Summer programming will run at Newton North and Zervas Schools from June 29 through Aug 31.   Check out NCE Winter and Spring Clubs! Winter registration is open! Find your next class with Newton Community Education—whether you're looking for creative workshops, fitness, dance, cooking, or after school enrichment for kids and teens. Explore all winter and spring classes today! NCE Winter Clubs! Newton S.P.A.C.E. Summer Program S.P.A.C.E. is a four-week summer enrichment program run by the Newton Public Schools from July 6th through July 30th.  Students entering kindergarten through 9th grade in the fall 2026 are eligible to attend. There are two programs offered - an upper program (entering 5th-9th grade) and a lower program (entering kindergarten- 4th grade). Lower Program Participants are assigned to age-appropriate classes taught by two licensed teachers. Teachers create project-based activities that focus on the theme of the lower program. The 2026 Lower Program theme is “Outer Space”!  Participants will explore different cosmic destinations, from the craters of the moon to the rings of Saturn. They will engage in Outer Space STEM activities, games and crafts. Lower program participants will also attend various specials throughout the week led by certified staff, which include Physical Education, Yoga/Mindfulness, Art and Music classes.  Upper Program Participants will create their own schedules by choosing from a variety of electives to design their own camp program. Elective choices include studio and digital arts, performing arts, athletics, STEM, music, and language arts classes. Check out the S.P.A.C.E.website for more information or register today! Questions? Email: SPACE@newton.k12.ma.us Save the Date: March 4, 2026 Beyond Representation: Black Male Educators Leading the Way Forward Black male educators make up just 1% of the K–12 public school teaching workforce. As we prepare for our upcoming symposium, we invite you into a shared conversation centered on the experiences, wisdom, and leadership of Black male educators in Newton Public Schools. Learn more and RSVP to Attend! 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, Feb 26 at 4:38 PM] We look forward to seeing you tonight at Oak Hill Middle School for our final session, "How is my child doing?" with our Office for Teaching and Learning and Office for Family and Community Partnerships! The event starts at 6:30pm, and will include live translation with vendor support. Please bring a mobile device and headphones to access the NPS WiFi networkk for the translation services.

Tuesday, Feb 24 2026

The Registration Process Begins! Info About Scheduli...

The Registration Process Begins! 2026-2027 Newton South Scheduling Memo Newton South Lions, Next week marks the beginning of the registration process for students at Newton South. During these next two months, students will make important choices about the classes they will take next year. First, three important notes: Special Notes for the Class of 2030 We sent a communication to Grade 8 students at Oak Hill and Brown on 1/16/26 with information about several family nights coming up. See here for more information. For students coming in from grade 8 who would like to see our block schedule for reference, it is linked on this page on our website. WIN and Advisory Students must request between 72 – 84 credits in this process. While WIN (3 cr) and Advisory (1 cr) will be credit-bearing next year, they are not considered part of this 72 – 84-credit count and will be automatically added to all students' schedules. A Request is NOT A Guarantee Our goal is to get everyone as close as possible to what they request while ensuring that students are fully enrolled with between 72 – 84 credits. This will come from a combination of getting what you want and getting an alternate for what you wanted, based on the availability of what you asked for and the priorities with which you asked for it. Rank your classes (priority) so we know what is important to you. Select alternates that you are willing to live with, as you may not get your primary choices. Note that the number of credits requested ≠ credits on your final schedule.   Here is the video that we will be playing in Advisory at South on Monday 2/9. This is also on the Course Registration page on our website.   Detailed Schedule A full student guide can be found here. Due to snow days, the teacher deadline changed to March 5, and the student timeline is now March 5 – 11. Part 1: Teacher Recommendation Teachers will be recommending you to classes between February 11 and March 3. During this time, you may have conversations either in your classes individually about proper placement in core and some elective choices for next year. Part 2: Choosing Courses Beginning on March 5 and until March 11, you can request additional courses in Aspen using these instructions. When choosing, please note the following: Rankings Rising seniors: Rank everything 1+ Everyone else: Rank everything 2+ (we will rank majors at 1 for you) If you are not a senior, do not rank a course at 1. We will delete that ranking. Aspen ignores zero—do not use this rank. Alternates Alternates are courses you are willing to compromise/live with if you do not get your first choice. Choose alternates for each elective or specialized course in case there are scheduling conflicts or if a course is oversubscribed or canceled. Alternates are important to ensure we can schedule you into enough credits if your first choice is not available. Note that families cannot edit requests, but they can review them using these instructions. Part 3: Meeting With Your Counselor Throughout the month of March, you will be reviewing your course options with your counselor to ensure you are signed up for the right classes, that you have enough credits suggested, and you have alternates in the right places. Your counselor will be in touch about scheduling this meeting. Part 4: Verification March 30 – April 2 is your final opportunity to edit your course requests. You will want to ensure that: You have registered for between 72 – 84 credits You have ranked courses so we know how important they are to you You have alternates as appropriate We will not accept changes to course requests after Thursday, April 2. Remember that you are making requests and requests are not guarantees. Our aim is to get you as close to what you requested as possible (primary or alternate requests) while ensuring we satisfy your graduation and legal requirements.   We Are Here To Help! Your counselor will meet with you in March! If you have any additional questions regarding scheduling, please reach out to your teachers, counselor, or another trusted adult. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the scheduling process. Sincerely, Jason Williams (he/him) Vice Principal

Friday, Feb 06 2026