October 12, 2018

Good Afternoon Parents and Guardians:

Scholastic Book Fair:
If you are interested in and have time to volunteer for our scholastic book fair please click here to sign up. 

Signs of Suicide Parent Training and Discussion Night

• October 17th, 5pm-6pm
• During Arena Conferences
• Newton Middle School 
• Mini Theater

Our Mental Health Team will be showing the training video for Signs of Suicide, providing discussion, and conducting parent screening for potential signs of depression in their students.

All are welcome!

Newton Knight Out:
Thanks to everyone who came out for our Bad Daddy's Burger Bar night.  Together we raised over $850.00!  Our next Community KNight will be Tuesday, October 16th at the Garlic Knot at Arapahoe and Holly from 4pm to close.  Mention Newton and 25% of your dine in, carry out or delivery order will support our pledge drive.  Hope you can join us!

Newton Pledge Drive:
We are in the home stretch of Newton’s Annual Fund Drive!!  To date, we have collected $20,057.  We have less than three weeks to meet our goal of $30,000.

To encourage participation in the Fund Drive, the PTO has proposed a lunchtime concert for all students.  If the PTO meets its goal of collecting $30,000 by October 31st (and we reach at least  a 50% participation rate by that date), the local band Nasal Moose Saliva will perform at all three student lunches.  As an added bonus, Mr. O’Tremba, Mr. Wykhouse and Mrs. Rahne will perform as backup dancers.  Hopefully this is just the incentive you have been waiting for!!  If you haven’t contributed yet, please consider giving today.

You can click here to make a donation via Paypal today.  You can also bring your check or cash to the main office at Newton.  The suggested donation amount is $125 per student, but any amount that fits your family budget is appreciated.  Detailed information about the Annual Fund Drive, including the Paypal link, is available on the Newton website under NMS PTO Fund Drive.  Thank you for supporting the Newton PTO!

Halloween Dance Information:
We need people to donate items for our annual halloween dance or volunteer to help out. Please access the following links.
I would like to donate items to the Halloween Dance
I would like to volunteer to work at the Halloween Dance

Have a great weekend.

James O’Tremba
Principal, Newton Middle School

October 5th, 2018

Good Afternoon Parents and Guardians:

OPEN ENROLLMENT REMINDER:

If your student is open enrolled here at Newton from out of district I need you to complete an intent to renew open enrollment status form. This form can be found on the district website under open enrollments. This needs to be completed and returned to me by January 31st. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Chrome book Reminder:

Chrome books need to be charged each night for 8 hours. Students need to plug their  Chromebook into a working outlet. If your Chromebook is charging correctly it will have a charging light when you plug it in.  When powering up your computer, DO NOT PRESS THE POWER BUTTON, this turns off the computer. Just open up your computer and it should come on by itself.  And of course remember to bring your computer with you each day and have it fully charged.

Scholastic Book Fair:

If you are interested in and have time to volunteer for our scholastic book fair please click here to sign up.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c084ca9ac2fa46-scholastic

A Note From Ms. Lewis, Health Assistant:

I want to personally thank you for your overwhelming response to our request for food. All of your donations are greatly appreciated and benefits so many of our students who may need a quick snack or meal to get through the day. Thanks Again!

Sonya Lewis

Health Assistant

Newton Middle School

No Place for Hate Information:

No Place for Hate homerooms have been formed. The students have begun preparing their first lessons to deliver this month. Eighth grade is focusing on the self and moving into identity, seventh grade is developing a vision of what they want to accomplish as a grade level while reviewing the purpose for these lessons, and sixth grade will be starting with a lesson to help see each other as individuals - both our differences and similarities as students create a slide to help build our homeroom communities.    

October 2, was a special day as we have were asked to speak at the Safe Schools Summit. Three of our No Place for Hate students conducted a lesson with 50 adults and did a question and answer follow up. On October 17th and 18th, a No Place for Hate student representative from each homeroom will be participating in a two day training to learn leadership skills that will hopefully give them confidence as the year moves forward. We are so grateful, as these students are giving up one of their days off from school to participate. Also, this is a training usually reserved for high school students, but because of our delivery model, No Place for Hate is allowing us to do this for our middle schoolers. GO TEAM! .

Identifying personality traits can be a powerful tool in raising a young teen’s self-awareness. This information can be used to build upon their strengths while tweaking their weaknesses.  This Scholastic Parent Article can help give you insight into your child’s learning styles.

Thank you,

Leslie Gardner, Makendra Silverman, and Jesse Andrews.

Have a great weekend.

James O’Tremba

Principal, Newton Middle School

September 28th, 2018

Dear Parents and Guardians:

8th Grade Yearbook Baby Ads:
Each year we provide parents with the opportunity to send your 8th grader off to high school with a special message and baby ad in our yearbook. If you are interested please go to the following link or contact Mr. Atherton or Mrs. Svigel.

Littleton Public School Bond Issue 4A Information Night
Please join Superintendent Brian Ewert at Newton Middle School on October 4th in our gym at 7:00 pm regarding an information night to learn more about the proposed Littleton Public School Bond Issue 4A. Superintendent Ewert will provide information and answer questions about the proposed bond projects, the impact that they will have on Littleton Public Schools and the direct effect they will have on several LPS school communities including a proposed new building on the Newton site.

These events are open to all members of the local community. Whether you are an LPS parent/guardian, an employee, or one of our neighbors, we hope to see you there!

CODE Shack Help
Due to the outpouring of support and parents volunteering to help out with the CODE Shack we have added an additional slot for parents to sign up to help during lunches on October 12, November 16, and December 21.  Please sign up here is you can help out.  Let Mr. Atherton know if you have any questions.

NMS PTO Annual Fund Drive Update
We are in the home stretch of Newton’s Annual Fund Drive!!  To date, we have collected $17,625.  This is 59% of our total goal.

To encourage participation in the Fund Drive, the PTO has proposed a lunchtime concert for all students.  If the PTO meets its goal of collecting $30,000 by October 31st (and we reach at least  a 50% participation rate by that date), the local band Nasal Moose Saliva will perform at all three student lunches.  As an added bonus, Mr. O’Tremba, Mr. Wykhuyse and Mrs. Rahne will perform as backup dancers.  Hopefully this is just the incentive you have been waiting for!!  If you haven’t contributed yet, please consider giving today.

You can click here to make a donation via Paypal today.  You can also bring your check or cash to the main office at Newton.  The suggested donation amount is $125 per student.  Detailed information about the Annual Fund Drive, including the Paypal link, is available on the Newton website under NMS PTO Fund Drive.  Thank you for supporting the Newton PTO!

October Conferences Staff Dinner - 10/17/18 - from PTO Hospitality 

Hello Newton parents!
We so appreciate our wonderful Newton Middle School teachers, administrators and staff, especially during our busy October parent-teacher conferences.  The PTO always prepares a delicious potluck dinner for them on the first night of conferences - this year it is Wednesday October 17th!  If you are able, please click here to sign up to bring something for our Newton staff to enjoy.
Thank you!!


Health Clinic in Need of Help
Our health clinic is in need of the following food items in order to assist students during the day with breakfast, snacks or lunch. If you can help out please bring the following needed items to Ms. Lewis in the health clinic:

• Individual flavored Oatmeal packets
• Hearty breakfast, fruit or granola bars
• Variety of individual cracker packages
• Frozen store bought peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
• Frozen breakfast burritos
• Go Gurt
• Cup of Noodles
• Mac N Cheese individual servings
• Fruit cups and individual applesauce
• Ramen Noodles
• Cheese Sticks

Culture and Climate Survey
Our annual Culture and Climate Survey will be available on Monday, October 1st. Please keep an eye out for that as I will send a link to all parents as soon as the survey goes live. The survey link will also be posted on our website. The past two years we have led the secondary schools in the percentage of parent responses and would like to continue that trend this year.

Heritage HS Carnival
Heritage Student government is putting on a carnival next Wednesday, October 3rd and we would love it if Newton could join us. There will be many activities to do and food as well. If you buy 5 tickets at $1.00 each, you get one for free. There will also be ruff and tuff men's volleyball to follow in the main gym. Please refer to the attached flyer for additional information. 

Have a great weekend.

James O’Tremba
Principal, Newton Middle School

September 21st, 2018

Dear Parents and Guardians:

Please join Superintendent Brian Ewert at Newton Middle School on October 4th in our gym at 7:00 pm regarding an information night to learn more about the proposed Littleton Public School Bond Issue 4A. Superintendent Ewert will provide information and answer questions about the proposed bond projects, the impact that they will have on Littleton Public Schools and the direct effect they will have on several LPS school communities including a proposed new building on the Newton site.

These events are open to all members of the local community. Whether you are an LPS parent/guardian, an employee, or one of our neighbors, we hope to see you there!

Our health clinic is in need of the following food items in order to assist students during the day with breakfast, snacks or lunch. If you can help out please bring the following needed items to Ms. Lewis in the health clinic:

• Individual flavored Oatmeal packets
• Hearty breakfast, fruit or granola bars
• Variety of individual cracker packages
• Frozen store bought peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
• Frozen breakfast burritos
• Go Gurt
• Cup of Noodles
• Mac N Cheese individual servings
• Fruit cups and individual applesauce
• Ramen Noodles

Did you know that LPS students miss an average of only THREE days every school year? Here at NMS, we know how important it is for students to be in class in order to maximize their education.  After 8 days of absences due to illness, students will be asked to bring in a doctor’s note to have the absence marked as excused. Vacations will be excused on a case-by-case basis and largely dependent on if your child is able to keep up in class.  If your child struggles to get to school consistently, we have many resources to help! Please let us know if you have any questions.

The Newton PTO staff appreciation breakfast is scheduled for Monday October 1st. If you are interested in bringing in items for the breakfast please sign up at the following link. The PTO appreciates your assistance!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805054fa4af23a13-nmsstaff

Free and Reduced meal benefits from the previous school year carry overw for the first 30 operating days of the new school year or until a new eligibility determination is made.  If an application has not been submitted by the 30th day, the prior year benefit with expire and the student(s) will have to pay full price for meals. 

Free or Reduced Meal Applications are available online at: 

http://littletonpublicschools.net/welcome-lps-nutrition-services  and paper applications are available from the school cafeteria or Nutrition Services Department.  Free and Reduced Meal Applications can be submitted at any time during the school year. 

If you have questions,  please call 303-347-3355.


The PTO’s Annual Fund Drive continues!!  Thanks to those who have donated.  To date, the PTO has collected $16,745.  This amounts to 56% of our total goal.  If you have not contributed yet, you can (1) click here to make a donation via Paypal today; or (2) bring your check or cash to the main office at Newton.  The suggested donation amount is $125 per student.  Detailed information about the Annual Fund Drive, including the Paypal link, is available on the Newton website under NMS PTO Fund Drive.  Thank you for supporting the Newton PTO!

Have a great weekend.

James O’Tremba
Principal, Newton Middle School

September 14th, 2018

Good Afternoon Parents and Guardians:

Littleton Stride:
Beth Best, the Executive Director of the LPS Foundation is looking for a Newton Parent Volunteer to assist our PE teachers with coordinating Newton’s involvement in the STRIDE this year. Beth will give the parent volunteer free registration to the event and a free STRIDE t-shirt. If you are interested please contact Beth at 303-347-3478.

The Annual PTO Fund Drive
The PTO’s Annual Fund Drive continues!!  Thanks to those who have donated.  To date, the PTO has collected $15,405.  This amounts to 51% of our total goal.

If you have not contributed yet, please donate!  Our goal for this fundraiser is 100% participation by the Newton community.  We are asking for $125 per student, but the PTO will accept any amount that fits your family budget.

Click here to make a donation via Paypal today.  You can also contribute  cash (or a check payable to Newton PTO) and deliver it to the main office at Newton.  All donations are tax deductible.  Please give before the fund drive ends on October 31, 2018.

Detailed information about the Annual Fund Drive, including the Paypal link, is available on the Newton website under NMS PTO Fund Drive.

Thank you for supporting the Newton PTO!

Newton Community KNight Out
Our first Newton Community KNight is next Tuesday, September 18th at Bad Daddy's Burger Bar in Southglenn from 4pm-8pm.  Mention Newton and 20% of your dine in or carry out check will be donated to Newton.  Stop by the PTO table and enter our door prize drawing for the chance to win a $50 Streets of Southglenn gift card.  Hope to see you there!

SOS Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program
The adolescent years are marked by a roller-coaster ride of emotions—difficult for students and their parents. It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil; however, depression (among the most common of mental illnesses) appears to be occurring at a much earlier age. Depression—which is treatable—is a leading risk factor for suicide. In addition, self-injury has become a growing problem among youth.

To proactively address these issues, Newton Middle School is offering depression awareness and suicide prevention training as part of the SOS Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program. The program encourages students to seek help if they are concerned about themselves or a friend.

Our goals in participating in this program are straightforward:

• To help our students understand that depression is a treatable illness

• To explain that suicide is a preventable tragedy that often occurs as a result of untreated depression
• 
To provide students training in how to identify serious depression and potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend

• To impress upon youth that they can help themselves or a friend by taking the simple step of talking to a trusted adult about their concerns

• To teach students who they can turn to at school for help, if they need it


We will start this program with all 8th grade students during the first two weeks of October. They will receive a lesson and complete a simple depression screening by our Mental Health Team during their elective class. We hope to reach our 7th grade and 6th grade students later in the school year as well.

We will also be hosting a parent education night during our arena conferences on  October 17th. Our Mental Health Team will be sharing a lesson, discussion, and screening to help support and educate parents about this difficult but important topic. Please join us!  We will be sending out more information as this date approaches.

If you do NOT wish to have your child participating in the SOS Program in school, please write a brief email indicating this to Susie Swingler at sswingler@lps.k12.co.us.  If we do not hear from you, we will assume your child has permission to participate in this program.

I hope you have an enjoyable weekend.

James O’Tremba
Principal, Newton Middle School

September 7th, 2018

Good Afternoon Parents and Guardians:

The Annual PTO Fund Drive

Newton PTO’s Annual Fund Drive is currently in progress.  This is the main PTO fundraiser for the 2018-2019 school year.  The goal is to raise $30,000 for school improvements.  This year, the funds will be used to purchase interactive SMART BOARDS for all classrooms.  In addition, the funds will support the Reading Counts program, the Fall dance, Teacher Appreciation, school supplies and teacher grants.  Every student at Newton will benefit from the planned improvements. 

The PTO wants to extend a thank you to those who have already contributed to the Annual Fund Drive.  To date, the PTO has collected $12,125, which amounts to 40% of our goal.

If you have not contributed yet, please consider donating!  Our goal for this fundraiser is 100% participation by the Newton community.  The requested donation amount is $125 per student.  However, the PTO will accept any amount that fits your family budget.

There is more than one way to contribute.  Click here to make a donation via Paypal today.  Alternatively, you can contribute cash (or a check payable to Newton PTO) and deliver it to the front office at Newton.  All of this information, including the Paypal link, is available on the Newton website under NMS PTO Fund Drive.

All donations are tax-deductible.  Your donation may also be subject to a corporate match by your employer.  If your employer offers corporate matching, please check whether your donation is eligible for a match!  If you have questions about a corporate match, email nmsptotreasurer@gmail.com for more information.

The deadline to participate in the Annual Fund Drive is October 31, 2018.  Thank you for supporting the Newton PTO!

Newton Community KNight Out
Our first Newton Community KNight of the year is coming soon!  Please join us on Tuesday, Sept. 18th at Bad Daddy's Burger Bar in Southglenn from 4pm-8pm.  Mention Newton and 20% of your sales will be donated back to the school.  This applies to dine-in and take-out orders.  Hope to see you there! Please see the attached flier for additional information.

SOS Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program
The adolescent years are marked by a roller-coaster ride of emotions—difficult for students and their parents. It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil; however, depression (among the most common of mental illnesses) appears to be occurring at a much earlier age. Depression—which is treatable—is a leading risk factor for suicide. In addition, self-injury has become a growing problem among youth.

To proactively address these issues, Newton Middle School is offering depression awareness and suicide prevention training as part of the SOS Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program. The program encourages students to seek help if they are concerned about themselves or a friend.

Our goals in participating in this program are straightforward:

• To help our students understand that depression is a treatable illness
• To explain that suicide is a preventable tragedy that often occurs as a result of untreated        depression
• To provide students training in how to identify serious depression and potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend
• To impress upon youth that they can help themselves or a friend by taking the simple step of talking to a trusted adult about their concerns
• To teach students who they can turn to at school for help, if they need it

We will start this program with all 8th grade students during the first two weeks of October. They will receive a lesson and complete a simple depression screening by our Mental Health Team during their elective class. We hope to reach our 7th grade and 6th grade students later in the school year as well.

We will also be hosting a parent education night during our arena conferences on
October 17th. Our Mental Health Team will be sharing a lesson, discussion, and screening to help support and educate parents about this difficult but important topic. Please join us!  We will be sending out more information as this date approaches.

If you do NOT wish to have your child participating in the SOS Program in school, please write a brief email indicating this to Susie Swingler at sswingler@lps.k12.co.us.  If we do not hear from you, we will assume your child has permission to participate in this program.

Have a great weekend.

James O’Tremba
Principal, Newton Middle School

August 31st, 2018

Good Afternoon Parents and Guardians:

I am providing a link for parent volunteers to come in and help out with our CODE Shack awards throughout the year. If you can help us out by distributing prizes to students at lunch this year please access the following link. If you have questions please contact Rob Atherton. Thanks in advance for your assistance!

Volunteer to help out with the CODE shack

Our Gifted and Talented Coordinator, Mr. Wood, is looking for a parent of a GT student to serve on the district Gifted and Talented Advisory Council (GTAC). If you are interested please e-mail Mr. Wood. The dates of the meetings are September 10th, November 12th, January 14th, February 11th, March 18th and April 15th. Meetings are held at 7:00 pm at ESC.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend.

James O’Tremba
Principal, Newton Middle School