Ten Things to Know for the First Day of School in Newton (2012-2013)

1. Check the bus routes.

If your son/daughter is planning to take the bus to school today, . 

2. Mark your calendars. 

A few upcoming dates to remember:

• The first day of school is Tues., Sept. 4
• Kindergarten A group starts Sept. 4 while kindergarten B group starts Sept. 5
• There will be no school Sept. 17 for Rosh Hashanah
• There will be no school on Sept. 26 for Yom Kippur

The . 

3. Plan your lunches.

The first day of school is a half day, so the elementary schools will not be serving lunch. Middle and High Schools are still scheduled to serve meals that day. Check out the September lunch menus to plan your week. 

4. New principal roles.

will welcome a familiar face, , as its interim principal this year. Meanwhile, former principal .

In addition, newcomer .  

5. Changes at F.A. Day.

Students at are likely to notice a few changes when they head back next week. According to Deputy Superintendent/Chief Administrative Officer Sandy Guryan, is "moving quickly". Guryan said contractors have finished the reworking of the cafeteria space to seat up to 300 students (which allows the school to manage with three lunch periods).

In addition, the administration and student services have moved back into the building after relocating for the summer.

A few areas within the building are still under construction, Guryan said, and those areas will be closed off to students. Outdoor work areas, where contractors are working on utilities, will also be blocked off and secured.

6. Pay your fees.

Last year, the and increased some existing fees. Parents must pay fees for transportation (busing), , middle school sports and activities, drama and . A breakdown of each fee and instructions for online payments are available online. 

7. What to wear?

School hallways are always filled with the smell of new clothes on the first day of school. What will you be wearing? For the first day of school (Tues., Sept. 4), the National Weather Service is predicting a chance of showers and patchy fog before 9 a.m. Otherwise, it will be cloudy with a high near 77 degrees. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. Before you head off to school, though, !

8. Stay in touch. 

Make sure you have read through the emergency response information for the district. On this site, you can find all that information and also register for the Connect-ED emergency phone calls. Also, don't forget to sign up for Newton Patch breaking news alerts, and we'll keep you posted with important information as well.

9. Back-to-school supplies. 

Still shopping? Have no fear. so you can save money while finishing up your back-to-school shopping. 

10. New crosswalk.

After three F.A. Day students were struck at the intersection in late 2010 and early 2011, . If you use it on your way to school next week, tell us what you think!