Thank you all for your efforts to make the teacher and staff luncheon a success! We received countless smiles and “thank you’s” from teachers and staff.  This event is special because we want to show our sincere appreciation for our amazing teachers and staff.

It takes many people to make this luncheon happen and we appreciate every one of you for going out of your way to help.  The teachers and staff know how many people contribute and it makes the appreciation lunch more meaningful to them. We can’t do any of this without our community support!

Your PTO Co-Presidents,
Yvonne, Janelle and Denise

 SEEKING BROWN VOLUNTEER TO LEAD
Newton Parks, Recreation & Culture (PRC) Department has scheduled 2023 NewtonSERVES for May 7^th! 

NewtonSERVES is a dedicated day for the community to help beautify the city.

PROJECT LEADER ROLE INCLUDES:  

• Organize and communicate to volunteers – The PTO will create a signup for Brown families/guardians to sign up to volunteer during the day on May 7th. Project Lead will ensure volunteers are registered with Newton PRC.
• Coordinate collection of supplies prior to May 7^th. PRC staff will be delivering bulk materials (mulch, fibar, loam etc) to the work site Saturday April 29th thru Sunday May 7th.
• All bags (leaf, trash & invasive) are to be picked up at Newton City Hall between 8:00 am–9:00 am on May 7^th
• The City will provide hand tools, but not wheelbarrows. Please know they have a limited number of hand tools so volunteers will plan on bringing their own tools.

Please contact the Co-Presidents at brownpto@brownpto.org if you are able to lead this community building effort.

A group of Newton residents has submitted a petition to the Newton School Committee requesting the creation of an Academic Principles Advisory Committee, which would comprise a small group of unelected residents who seek to influence Newton Public Schools’ core principles, mission, educational goals, curriculum, classroom instruction and teacher professional development.

The School Committee will hold a public meeting to explore this proposal at 6p.m. on Tuesday, March 28 in the Newton North High School cafeteria, 457 Walnut Street. The meeting will also be broadcast live on NewTV forthose who cannot attend in person.

To speak at the hearing in person or through Zoom, sign up HERE in advance. If you are unable to attend the meeting, you can send your opinions to the Newton School Committee. schoolcommittee@newton.k12.ma.us.

Important: The Zoom link will only be available to public commenters who sign up in advance. Due to technical limitations of broadcasting from a location outside the School Committee Room, this will not be a fully functioning Zoom link.

The Newton South Baseball Program is running a clinic for grades 3 – 8 on Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., on the Newton South Baseball Field. (Rain date: Tuesday, April 18 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

The clinic will be run by Coach Williams and his staff, as well as current Newton South players.

The cost will be $100 per player, and all money raised will directly support the Newton South Baseball Program.

If you are interested, please email Coach Williams (williamsp@newton.k12.ma.us).

Please note that we must have at least 10 players signed up to conduct this clinic.

Dates for the administration of the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) are set and are listed here by grade:

6^th grade
English Language Arts: April 10 & 11
Math: May 22 &23

7^th grade
English Language Arts: March 28 & 29
Math: May 17 & 18

8^th grade
English Language Arts: April 12 & 13
Math: May 15 & 16
Science & Technology/Engineering: May 24

• March 28 & 29: 7th Grade ELA MCAS
• March 30: Unified Basketball Jamboree 3:15 p.m. at Day Middle School
• April 10: No School for the Good Friday Holiday
• April 10 and 11: 6th grade ELA MCAS
• April 12 and 13: 8th grade ELA MCAS
• May 31 – June 2: Scholastic Book Fair

We are excited to announce that Girls on the Run will be returning to Brown Middle School this spring. Girls on the Run inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. The season will begin Monday, March 27. 

A celebratory 5K takes place Saturday, June 10. 

The team will meet at Brown on Mondays and Thursdays 3-4:30. You can register and select our location (Brown Middle School) directly HERE on a lottery basis. If needed (i.e. too many participants) we will run a lottery at which time you will be notified by email of your registration status. Any program fees ($225) will be due at that time.

If you have any questions, please email Rachel Heep (heepr@newton.k12.ma.us).

VOLUNTEER The Brown PTO is an all-volunteer run group of engaged and supportive parents and caregivers.  Parent involvement is the single most important thing parent groups do. Schools with involved parents enjoy better morale among teachers, a strong community and enriching learning environment. It is also a great way to make new connections in this larger community!

Your help is needed & greatly appreciated whether it’s a little or a bit more.

The goal is to create a great relationship between the parents and staff at Brown that will benefit our children!

There are a lot of ways to get involved at Brown. CLICK HERE Here to Sign Up  for volunteer opportunities and community activities!

Learn more about events and activities the PTO sponsors. Click Here to Learn More.

The Brown-Helping-Brown Fund, established in Spring of 2020,  provides quick financial help to Brown Middle School families (usually within 24 hours) to address urgent and immediate needs.

Many thanks to our amazing community for your generous donations to this fund!

Brown’s administration facilitate these requests with support from the PTO when possible especially with the upcoming holiday season.  All communications are private and confidential. Our school’s administrators also help to connect families in need with additional outside resources.

If you need help, please reach out to your child’s school counselor.

If you are able, please consider a donation to Brown MS’s Fund.

DONATE HERE

Each year, the Newton Public Schools consider applications for Newton students to transfer to a school outside of their home (assigned) district. School Transfer placements are limited and made on a space available basis. Applications for the 2023-2024 school year can be submitted online between March 1 and May 1, 2023.

The online form will be available on our website at www.newton.k12.ma.us in the “Registration” section.

For more information about School Transfer requests, CLICK HERE.

Each year the Brown PTO publishes a digital directory for use by the Brown community. To make sure we have your correct contact information, please click the following link to review the steps to add or edit your information.

• Click Here to Add or Update your contact information
• Questions? Contact us at browndirectory@gmail.com 

  If your child will not be attending Brown this year, please email browndirectory@gmail.com so that we can remove you from the system. 

For the third year in a row, Newton Neighbors will help send 30 – 40 students to summer camp! Camp is so important for students’ ongoing learning and growth. Plus, it’s fun!

Newton Neighbors is fundraising to fill the gap between the scholarships awarded to these students and the donation their families must pay. Families struggle to pay this donation and your contribution can be the difference between a child going to camp for a week or staying at home.

The average weekly camp cost per student is $80.  When you make an $80 (or any amount) tax-deductible contribution, this WILL make a difference.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DONATE.
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Visit Newton Neighbors online to find out how the group makes Newton a more equitable and neighborly city to live.

At Newton Cultural Development we believe we have talented shining stars among our youth in Newton and have created this project to give them an opportunity to SHINE.

All Newton students in grades 6-12 are invited to apply to participate in SHINE, a temporary art installation that will last from May through October 2023. It will consist of six 4’x8’ horizontal murals painted onto plywood and grouped in small clusters in a few parks and playgrounds throughout the city.

THE DETAILS
When: Proposals and accompanying materials should be submitted by 5 p.m. on March 28, 2023.
What: Artists who are selected will receive a stipend of $250 per mural, which will cover the cost of supplies and an artist honorarium. For a detailed explanation of the project and information on how to apply, CLICK HERE.
If you have questions: Email culture@newtonma.

Lasell University’s women’s lacrosse and field hockey team is hosting a youth clinic to introduce athletes to the sport. Athletes will be coached by the coaching staff from both programs and by current college players. The clinic will focus on skill development, stick handling, teamwork, and gameplay. All skill levels are welcome. Come grow your love of the game or try a new sport!

There are limited spots, be sure to register as soon as possible to ensure your spot is secured.

SIGN UP HERE

CLINIC INFO
Dates: April 18, 19 and 20
Time: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Open to: Girls in grades 3-7
Fee: Early bird special: $250 early bird special if submitted before March 1. After March 1: $300.
Location: Grellier Field at Lasell University, 33 Forest Ave, Auburndale, MA 02466

Please Note: All Registration fees are non-refundable. Players are required to bring their own goggles for lacrosse. Goggles are not mandatory for field hockey. We have limited sticks available for players to borrow.

Come join the Waban Library Center’s Middle School Book Club! We meet monthly at the WLC. There is no commitment to attend every month, just come when your schedule allows.  At the end of the meeting, those who are in attendance will choose the next book. If you are interested, please email Alison Corkery (alison.corkery@gmail.com) for details about our next meeting.

Newton North junior Sahanasri Sivakumar is hosting a free Python coding camp in the Newton Free Library for middle and high school students.  No coding experience required. The camp takes places Saturdays, February 4 – April 8, 2 – 4 p.m. For information, send an email to codingwithsahana@gmail.com.

Proceeds go to SMASH, a non-profit that works to support underrepresented students in STEM.

MORE INFORMATION HERE.

Registration for Spring Rec 2023 Softball is open! Sign up your player(s) in the appropriate grade level division HERE. Sign up now and check it off your to-do list! For any questions, please contact Newton Girls Softball.

Please click on the  Community Notes Page for listings of events going on in Newton.