Newton
Public Schools Kindergarten-12 Known for flexibility and a commitment to meeting
the individual needs of all students, Newton Public Schools provide
a strong academic curriculum as well as specialized music, art and physical
education instruction at every grade level. Many schools also offer
bilingual and English as a Second Language programs. Elementary school
students benefit from participation in the Primary Intervention Reading
Program (PIRP). Support services are provided at all schools by speech-language
therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists
and social workers. Institutional Network (I-Net) connects 63 municipal
and institutional buildings, including all public schools.
Students also enjoy additional learning opportunities throughout the
year. Summer school classes are offered for students in grades six through
12. Those in grades kindergarten through eight enjoy the Creative Arts
and Sciences Summer School and the Saturday Creative Arts Program during
the school year.
A wide range of cultures and languages is represented in this District.
By participating in the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity
(METCO), a voluntary educational desegregation program, Newton welcomes
Boston students to learn and grow in a quality educational environment. Elementary
Schools
There are 15 elementary schools for kindergarten through grade five
students in Newton. Each makes a daily commitment to instilling a joy
in learning and encouraging students’ personal development. Here
are just a few of the ways they accomplish these goals.
A. E. Angier School, built in 1919, offers an after-school program for
students. Organized by parents, its professional staff provides care
and supervision after the school day is done.
Bowen School has a strong arts focus that includes an instrumental music
program. Weekly art classes give students the opportunity to make art
as well as to study art and artists. The language arts program includes
time for writing and helps students connect written and spoken language.
Many languages and cultural traditions contribute to the learning environment
here.
C. C. Burr School, built in 1968, offers Spanish for students in grades
two through four. Fourth graders participate in the Understanding Our
Differences Program, which parent volunteers develop and teach. There
is also a school chorus and an orchestra. The Williams Extended Day
Program (WEDP) provides after-school care.
Cabot School students are involved in the AlphaSmart Project. All students
have access to digital input devices at all times, which supports the
teaching of all core subjects.
Franklin School has the Creative Arts and Sciences Committee. This group
brings enrichment programs — including artists, musicians, writers,
poets and scientists from around the world — to students in their
classrooms. Plowshares is a cooperative childcare service with Newton
North High School.
Lincoln-Eliot School has 21 different languages represented among its
students, with 28 percent of the students coming from homes that speak
languages other than English. Chinese and Russian are the most common
languages. The pre-kindergarten program gives students advance preparation
for classroom learning.
Peirce School takes pride in its model of teachers, students and parents
collaborating for excellence. Students study Spanish in grades three
and four. All students receive instruction in the use of computers,
printers, scanners, digital cameras and the Internet. They also learn
to use and create Web pages and prepare multimedia presentations. Parents
provide programs in child assault prevention, understanding human differences
and science exploration. Extended Day Program (EDP), formed and run
by parents, has a professional staff and structured activities.
Underwood School students enjoy their playing field, asphalt play area
and basketball court. The school also offers a Chinese bilingual school
and an English Language Learners (ELL) program. Chorus, band and instrumental
music lessons are also available to students.
Williams School is the home of the Multicultural Family Literacy Project.
The goal of this program is to unite families in the many aspects of
living and learning in the United States.
Middle
Schools
Students in Newton’s four middle schools share a core curriculum
that includes world languages (Chinese, French, Italian, Latin and Spanish).
Electives include sports, drama, newspaper, yearbook, tutoring, newscast,
mock trial, math team, geography bee, community service, intergenerational
activities, student council, musical, academic center and dance. There
is also a strong special-education program. The Triple E (Exploration,
Excellence, Enrichment) Program provides many options for extracurricular
clubs and sports.
Cultural awareness is important to these sixth, seventh and eighth grade
students. Schools offer bilingual programs in Chinese and Spanish as
well as English as a Second Language (ESL). Middle school principals
participated in an International Education Forum at the Beijing Jingshan
School in the fall of 2003.
Students at Bigelow Middle School and F. A. Day Middle School are learning
to love learning. Divided into teams at each grade level, they pursue
their studies and activities with a healthy respect for human differences.
Everyone at Charles E. Brown Middle School is a partner in learning.
Students participate in a six-day rotating block schedule for their
studies. Brown is a sister school with San Juan Del Sur in Costa Rica.
More than 60 countries are represented among the students at Oak Hill
Middle School. French is an additional language in the curriculum.
High
Schools
Newton North High School serves students in grades nine through 12.
With more than 2,000 students, Newton North boasts that 84 percent of
its graduates continue their education after high school. Academic offerings
include honors, advanced placement and college-prep courses in the arts,
sciences, languages, social studies, language arts, math and technology.
Newton North’s newspaper, Internet home page and magazine provide
practical experience.
In addition to the strong core curriculum, the Career and Technical
Education department offers seven career pathways, including culinary
arts, early childhood, cosmetology, automotive technology, carpentry,
electrical, drafting and graphic arts. Work-study and cooperative-learning-opportunities
students can also participate in career exploration through the school’s
Family and Consumer Sciences Pre-School,
The Tiger’s Loft Restaurant, and the print and copy center that
services the needs of the entire school. Athletics are important for
physical fitness and teamwork skills. Boys can choose from soccer, cross-country,
gymnastics, track, ice hockey, baseball, lacrosse, tennis, volleyball,
swimming and volleyball. Girls can participate in soccer, cross-country,
swimming, basketball, gymnastics, track, ice hockey, softball, lacrosse
and tennis. Field hockey, golf, cheerleading, wrestling, Alpine skiing
and cross-country skiing are also available. Intramural sports are also
popular with students.
There are clubs for almost any interest — games, the arts, hobbies,
languages, social concerns and sports. Cultural experiences are a highlight
at Newton North, which offers student-exchange programs in cooperation
with schools in England, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Russia and China.
Newton South High School serves students in grades nine through 12.
With more than 1,400 students, Newton South is proud that 94 percent
of its graduates continue with their post-high school education. Academic
challenge and independent learning are important parts of the school’s
approach to education. Core curriculum subjects include honors and advance-placement
learning as well as college-preparatory courses. Electives include fine
arts, technical education, music, theatre, journalism, business, family/consumer
sciences, computers, community service, media studies and the W.I.S.E.
program, in which seniors create their own projects for academic credit.
Outside the classroom, students compete at local, state and/or nation
levels in science, math, speech, mock trial, theatre, music, writing,
spelling, art, journalism and languages. There is also a student-exchange
program with a school in Lyon, France; study trips to Mexico; and community-service
projects in Nicaragua. Students have 30 clubs to choose from for their
extracurricular activities. There are 29 boys’ and girls’
athletic teams as well as a large intramural program; 59 percent of
the student body participates in varsity sports.
Newton
Public Schools