Principal / PTO Update 4.10.22

Hi LE Families,

If you are signed up to receive Covid testing kits from the school, we will be sending home tests again this week. The tests are meant to be used on the Sunday before returning from break (Sunday, April 24th) and on the Tuesday following the break (Tuesday, April 26th).

 

This Tuesday, April 12 – 3:15 to 5:30 pm, we hope you’re able to check out AuthorFest meet and greet, book sale and signing at Cabot Elementary. Twenty-one authors and illustrators, who visited K-8 students around the district, will be on-hand to greet students and their families.

As a reminder, there is no school this Friday, April 15th due to Good Friday. April Vacation starts the following week from Monday, April 18th – Friday, April 22nd.

Have a fantastic week,

Principal Morrissey & the PTO

FORJ Updates 4.10.22 – Includes Special Session on Impact of Budget Cuts on Equity and Diversity

FORJ celebrates Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and her confirmation to the Supreme Court, where she will be the first Black female Justice, after 232 years. We take lessons from her treatment during the confirmation process, firmly standing on the side of anti-racism and against the hateful and harsh political theater Justice Jackson endured. Her strength and leadership are inspiring!

SPECIAL MEETING: BUDGET CUT IMPACTS ON SCHOOL EQUITY IN NEWTON

Tuesday, April 12th from 7-8pm

Mike Zilles (Newton Teachers Association Union President), Rielle Monatgue (Parent Rep) and Bill Humphrey (Newton City Council) will join the call with FORJ leaders and community members to discuss the impact of these cuts and what solutions are working to resolve this deficit. For more information and to register, visit Special FORJ Session: How do the current Newton Public Schools’ Budget Cuts impact overall issues of equity and diversity

NPS SHARES ANTI-HARASSMENT/ANTI-BULLYING AND ANTI-DISCRIMINATION PROTOCOLS

Last week, principals at both Brown Middle School and Newton South High School informed families that swastikas were found on school property. Unfortunately, these are only two of the many antisemitic incidents reported in Newton Public Schools in 2022.

FORJ Newton does not tolerate hate or discrimination of any kind, and stands in solidarity with Jewish communities in Newton and beyond.

The schools are responding to these incidents as swiftly as possible and following comprehensive protocols developed and implemented by Newton Public Schools.

On Thursday, April 7th, Kathy Lopes, NPS Dir of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Maura Morse, NPS Asst. Dir of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, shared anti-discrimination/harassment protocol information with the PTO Council, community leaders from FORJ chapters, and parents and guardians in the Newton community. These materials were previously shared with school administrators and are available for the community to view and utilize: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13XkGaGrefQS1X5hBFiCN1bKumhgQR7KF/view. The protocols apply to the wider community, not just Newton students.

If you’ve experienced or witnessed harassment/bullying or discrimination at school, you can contact our school leaders and/or complete a complaint form. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1xVc4Rh-tcBOk2GNV2eSlUrgo7Q72s3x6g4a5y0G7rHI/viewform?edit_requested=true  (Available in multiple languages. Translation services are also available through the NPS Diversity, Equity & Inclusion office.)

FAMILIES ORGANIZING FOR RACIAL JUSTICE (FORJ) is a group of diverse Newton families helping our children learn about issues of power and inequality and how to stand up for racial justice. We seek to generate understanding and curiosity about differences in our society, and to work together towards racial equity.

For more information about FORJ, contact Lincoln-Eliot FORJ PTO Liaison Lanni Isenberg, lanni_harris@yahoo.com.

Bigelow Rising 6th Grade Registration, Info and Upcoming Events for Spring 2022

Principal Chassity K. Coston from Bigelow Middle School recently emailed 5th Grade Families after attending Bigelow’s 6th Grade Rising event on March 23.

For those who could not join the event, Principal Coston invites parents and guardians to meet with her on Tuesday, May 10th for a Parent Coffee.

In the meantime, 5th Grade Families are encouraged to review the email for more details, including information on Sixth Grade online registration and course elective and language selection. Registration is now open with a submission deadline of April 29.

In addition, you can visit the Bigelow Middle School website at www.newton.k12.ma.us/bigelow and click on the link for 2022 Incoming 6th Grade Information.

Spring Concert for 4th & 5th Grade Musicians – Tuesday, June 7th

Lincoln-Eliot’s Music/Band/Chorus Teacher Claudia Pawlikowski emailed 4th and 5th grade families last week to announce that there is a Spring Concert coming up June 7th!

There will be a daytime performance for students only at 10am and an evening performance for families at 6:30pm – both taking place in the LE gymnasium.

Please check your email or contact Claudia Pawlikowski for questions or concerns.

Principal / PTO Update 4.03.22

Hello LE Families,

We have an exciting April ahead. Please see dates below for more details.

Have a great week!

Upcoming School Events and Meetings:

Tuesday, 4/5 – PTO Meeting (virtual)

Tuesday, 4/12 – CAS AuthorFest Book Sale & Signing

Wednesday, 4/13 – MCAS Begins (click here for updated schedule)

Friday, 4/15 – Good Friday – No School

Monday 4/18 – Friday 4/22 – April Vacation – No School

Friday, 4/29 – Class Photos (more info to come)

Friday, 4/29 – 5th Grade Walk-A-Thon

NPS Budget Gap – What can you do?

Newton Public Schools has a $4 million dollar NPS FY23 budget gap – 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?– Click here to see a detailed summary of those cuts across NPS.

Who makes the budget anyway? How does that work?– Click here for a brief overview of the budget process. 

WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?

A future override could provide much-needed funding in the long-term, but will not come in time to prevent the cuts to next year’s budget. To prevent cuts for the upcoming year, NPS needs an additional $4M in funding now to close this gap.  

Contact Mayor Fuller

Mayor Fuller needs to hear from her Newton voters who insist our schools be fully funded this year and following years.

  • Email Mayor Fuller– If you are having trouble getting started, here is a template letter and some ideas to get you started. 
  • Call Mayor Fuller:  (617) 796-1000
  • Visit:  Mayor Fuller has no upcoming Office Hours listed. Call or email Sam Nighman snighman@newtonma.gov to request office hours or schedule an appointment.

Contact the School Committee

Newton School Committee Public Hearing on Proposed FY23 Budget – Monday, 4.04.22

The Newton School Committee will hold a public hearing on the proposed FY23 budget on Monday, April 4, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. Login details are below.

If you wish to speak at this public hearing, please fill out this form:

Form – Request to Speak at Public Hearing

The form will close at 6:00 pm on April 4, 2022. There will be an opportunity to sign up in “real time” during the meeting by using the “raise your hand” feature on Zoom. Speakers will be called in the order in which they signed up, first come-first speak, followed by those who raise their hand during the meeting, or at the discretion of the Chair. 

To call into the meeting via Zoom, please follow these instructions:

Zoom meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/390017072

Call-in information:  1-646-558-8656

Call-in meeting ID: 390 017 072 ​​​​​​​

All budget documents can be found here: FY23 Budget Documents Folder.

A presentation on the FY23 budget can be found on this webpage: FY23 Budget Presentation