Relief From School Fees Likely for Newton Families

The School Committee wants to reduce the fees for a variety of activities in the Newton Public Schools.

WATCH: This Week's Events in the Newton Public Schools

A video update with a list of this week's events in the Newton Public Schools, June 9-15, 2013. Provided by the Newton Superintendent's Office and and NewTV.

A listing of events this week in all of the Newton Public Schools, brought to you by the Newton Superintendent's Office and NewTV.  Note: The schools are listed alphabetically starting with the high schools, then middle schools and then elementary schools. Skip through the video to find your school.

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This Week's Events in the Newton Public Schools

A video update with a list of this week's events in the Newton Public Schools, May 19-25, 2013. Provided by the Newton Superintendent's Office and and NewTV.

A listing of events this week in all of the Newton Public Schools, brought to you by the Newton Superintendent's Office and NewTV.  Note: The schools are listed alphabetically starting with the high schools, then middle schools and then elementary schools. Skip through the video to find your school.

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You Ask, Patch Answers

What's the Status of Security Updates at Newton Schools?

A pilot launch at four schools is expected to occur near the end of May.

Progress continues to be made on updating the security systems at 19 Newton elementary and middle schools, as well as for preschool and after-school programs at the Newton Education Center and Newton South High School. The district announced its plans for the security systems in early January, just weeks after a gunman in Newtown, Conn. walked into an elementary school and killed 20 students and six adults. Since then, the district has been working to implement new systems at multiple schools and to update the buzzer system already in place at Lincoln-Eliot Elementary School. The new security measures include implementing buzzer entry systems at the schools' front doors so that guests throughout the day will need to be "buzzed in" for …

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Robert L. Cerra

10:33 am on Thursday, May 16, 2013

The School Department should be commended for adopting some additonal security measures. The realt test of the effectiveness of these new measures rest upon the training and instructions given to the people who are assigned to monitor the systems.   more ›

This Week's Events in the Newton Public Schools

A video update with a list of this week's events in the Newton Public Schools, May 12-18, 2013. Provided by the Newton Superintendent's Office and and NewTV.

A listing of events this week in all of the Newton Public Schools, brought to you by the Newton Superintendent's Office and NewTV.  Note: The schools are listed alphabetically starting with the high schools, then middle schools and then elementary schools. Skip through the video to find your school.

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Newsweek Ranks Newton North as One of America's Best High Schools

The magazine's 2013 rankings came out Monday and included roughly 2,000 schools.

On mobile? You can see interactive map here. Newsweek has ranked Newton North High School as #982 in its list of America's Best High Schools.  However, Newton South High School, which frequently out-ranks Newton North in other high school rankings, did not make the Newsweek list.  In May 2012, Newton South was ranked as the 11th best high school in Massachusetts and #237 nationally by the U.S. News & World Report. Meanwhile, Newton North was ranked #36 in the state and #637 nationally. When Boston Magazine ranked Boston-area high schools in September 2012, Newton South came in at #7 and Newton North at #11.  For its rankings, Newsweek sent out a survey to more than 5,000 high schools in the U.S., with about 2,500 schools responding in 2013…

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Newton Aldermen OK Elementary School Modulars

Ten new modulars will be installed at four elementary schools.

With student enrollment a continued focus in the Newton Public Schools, the Board of Aldermen last night voted 22-1 to approve $2.4 million for ten modular classrooms at four elementary schools. The ten modulars will be installed at Bowen (four modulars), Burr (one modular), Horace Mann (one modular) and Mason-Rice (four modulars). The Board's vote comes just a few days after the Newton School Committee agreed to install four modulars at Mason-Rice. In December, the School Committee approved a total of eight modular classrooms for the four elementary schools. That decision included only two modulars at Mason-Rice with the possibility of two additional "alternate" modulars, if the space was needed and funding was available. Looking for more…

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Janet Sterman

4:29 pm on Tuesday, May 7, 2013

WTF! More foolish spending and bad management by Newton's Aldermen and School Committee!   more ›

This Week's Events in the Newton Public Schools

A video update with a list of this week's events in the Newton Public Schools, April 21-27, 2013. Provided by the Newton Superintendent's Office and and NewTV.

A listing of events this week in all of the Newton Public Schools, brought to you by the Newton Superintendent's Office and NewTV.  Note: The schools are listed alphabetically starting with the high schools, then middle schools and then elementary schools. Skip through the video to find your school.

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New Wheels Help Spread Innovation Across Newton Schools

Thanks to a donation from Village Bank, the Newton Public Schools' Innovation Lab was able to purchase a bus that will help students explore innovation in Newton and Greater Boston.

From bike-powered smoothies to recipes for biodiesel, there are dozens of creative and inspiring projects being built inside Newton North's Innovation Lab.  Now, the those ideas -- and the students behind them -- are ready to hit the road.  Thanks to a $40,000 gift from The Village Bank, the Newton Public Schools' Innovation Lab can now purchase two, 15-passenger buses to help expand innovative learning experiences for students across the district.  "A couple of years ago, when the idea of the Innovation Lab first bubbled up, we started thinking about the students and what we could do to connect and maintain the community they come from," says Steve Chinosi, the Lab's Chief Innovation Officer. "They leave those strong roots in those …

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Myrtha Chang

8:00 am on Friday, May 3, 2013

This is such a great idea. The best ideas are like "duh", why didn't anyone think of it sooner. Can't wait to step inside.   more ›

Students Transported to Hospital After School Bus Crash in Newton

All injuries were reported to be minor.

Updated 9:35 a.m. Several students were transported to area hospitals Tuesday morning after a minor school bus crash at the intersection of Route 9 and Woodcliff Road in Newton.  Eleven people were transported to the hospital with minor injuries, according to Newton Fire Lt. Eric Fricke. However, every student on the bus was transported to the hospital as a precaution.  The Newton Superintendent's Office confirmed this morning that the bus involved with the accident was not a Newton bus. According to the Massachusetts State Police, the crash happened around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and involved a METCO bus carrying 34 junior high school students.  The Newton Fire Department reported via Twitter this morning that the bus was headed to Lexington. …

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Melanie Graham

11:34 am on Friday, May 3, 2013

Hi Robin -- Thanks for your comment. We are aware that Newton has only middle schools, but the State Police specified in their report that the passengers were "junior high school students" on a METCO bus heading to Lexington, not a Newton school.   more ›