March in Review

by Irene González de las Casas

Each student has so much potential to impact the community based on things that they want to change.

Wasan Rafat Class of '23

Second Civics Day

On March 23, the High School Democrats of America and American Civil Liberties Union chapters hosted Civics Day for the rst time since the spring of 2019. During each period of the school day, di erent panels of community leaders, teachers, students and professionals discussed civic engagement opportunities in professional practice, local government, non-pro t work and local activism.

Petiton presented to the NSC

Micheal Cumin Parent via public statement

On March 28, Newton’s School Committee held a public hearing at North to discuss a petition proposed by parents. is petition called for an Academic Principles Advisory Committee composed of ve petitioners, who would recommend alterations to the Newton Public School’s Mission Statement, curriculums and classroom instruction. During the nearly six-hour hearing, over 90 residents shared their opinions with the committee. e petition was unanimously rejected.

e whole point of Civics Day is to make students understand that their voice matters and that they can be engaged in the process

Michael Kozuch History teacher, HSDA advisor

Health Emergency Ends

On March 15, Governor Maura Healy announced that the COVID public health emergency will end on May 11. is coincides with President Biden’s Jan. 30 announcement of the end of the federal public health emergency. In addition, Executive State Department employees will no longer be required to be fully vaccinated, as a decision is based on the belief that we now have tools to keep COVID at bay.

photo courtesy of the Boston Globe anks to the hard work of our healthcare providers, we’ve made important progress in the ght against COVID-19.

Maura Healy Governor via public statement

ree years on from the start of the pandemic, we are now in a very di erent place. We can now incorporate the tools to manage this virus into our standing response

Kate Walsh Secretary of Health and Human Services via public statement

On Feb. 7, Newton’s School Committee unanimously selected Anna Nolin as the new superintendent of Newton Public Schools (NPS). After serving 12 years as superintendent, David Fleishman announced his departure from NPS on April 7, 2022.

Since then, the School Committee has had 10 months to ll the position for the 2023-24 school year, hiring Kathleen Smith as interim superintendent for the 2022-23 school year while conducting a search for a permanent replacement.

Smith served as interim public school superintendent four times: in the Salem Public Schools, Weymouth Public Schools, Dover-Sherborn Public Schools and now NPS. Smith said that she enjoys being an interim and working with others.

“I call [being an interim] an adventure because I have been able to meet people that I really wouldn't have met previous to this,” she said. “I've worked really closely with elected o cials and school committee members, I've gotten to know my central sta and principals and most importantly, I have really enjoyed when I have had opportunities to meet students throughout the state.”

On Nov. 5, 2022, the Superintendent Search Committee, composed of NPS sta , administrators and Newton community members, held its rst meeting. After reviewing all applications, the committee selected three semi nalists for interviews.

Of the three candidates, Nolin, the current Natick Public Schools superintendent, was chosen. In addition to her role in Natick Public Schools, she currently serves as a professor at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College and has experience as an interim and assistant principal in the Natick.

Ultimately, Nolin said that she was chosen because she met the leadership pro le NPS wanted.

“ ey told me that they were looking for someone who could be a really strong communicator and champion for the needs of the new schools,” she said. “ at is what I proved that I could do through those public interviews. I