Student Supports

9th Grade Clusters aim to ease the transition to high school and to promote connections between and among students and teachers. Clusters are made up of teachers in the History, English, and Science departments who collectively share students and are designed to foster consistent communication among teachers, students, parents, and counselors. The goal of the collaboration during weekly meetings is to help students meet the ninth grade expectations in History, English, and Science classes.

Advisories are a cohort of students that meet on Mondays to get to know one another and a teacher in a nonacademic setting. These cohorts, which stay together for all four years of high school, provide support for one another through the transitions that are part of high school, work on improving the school climate through community service projects, do activities that foster our school’s core values, and last, but not least, have fun together by playing games and relaxing.

The Afterschool Program (ASP) and Homework Club meet twice a week after school hours. Ninth and tenth grade students are formally invited to attend ASP when they earn a D or an F in a major academic course in the prior term. The program offers support in English, math, physics, chemistry, Spanish, and history. Students who are not formally invited to attend the program are also able to access the same supports on a “drop-in” basis by attending the Homework Club, which meets concurrently with ASP and is open to students at all grade levels.

Department Help Centers are located around the school and offer students the opportunity for assistance during the school day. Currently, help centers are available in English (Writing Center), Mathematics (Math Center), and Science (Science Help Center). For more information, talk to your subject area teacher or the appropriate department head.

Writing Center Schedule

Math Center Schedule

Lion Block meets at the end of the day on Tuesday, and is an opportunity for student clubs and activities to meet, as well as for teachers to hold optional learning and enrichment activities.

Newton South Clubs and Activities

The Student Support Center is a classroom that is open for Small Studies. Rather than being in Directed Studies, which have 20+ students, students are referred to Small Studies based on a recommendation from a teacher in a subject where they are either struggling to keep up or simply need an opportunity to re-learn specific materials in order to understand the concepts. During Small Studies, students either work on assignments sent by their teachers in a small focused study group (5-7 students with one teacher) or they work one-on-one with a peer tutor (if one is available). Students have access to textbooks, computers, and a printer. The students’ progress is reevaluated every eight to ten weeks.

WIN Block is an opportunity for students to sign up for learning opportunities providing “What I Need” three times a week, in between the first and second instructional blocks on Wednesday and Friday and after the last scheduled class period on Thursday. It is a time when students can meet with their teachers for extra help or to make-up work, participate in social emotional learning opportunities, or elect from amongst other enrichment learning opportunities. All staff are required to be available to assist students during two of the three WIN Blocks.