All grades – Kindergarten through Grade 5 – Line up on the Black Top with your teacher starting at 8:10am. Students enter the building with their classes at 8:20am. If your child arrives after 8:20 am, they must ring the doorbell and then sign in with Ms Newberg in the Main Office.
The Black Top is the paved area directly behind the school that is separated from the playground by the staff parking lot.
Williams is an easy walk from most areas of Auburndale Village. There are 2 crossing guards to make certain that two crossings in front of the school on Grove Street and at the intersection of Grove and Woodland are safe. For students arriving at the rear of the school, there is a crosswalk at Fern and Hancock. There are also bike racks located on the side of Williams, if your child would like to ride their bike to school – please remember your bike lock! All students who plan on taking the bus need to register for a bus pass. For more information on bus routes or applying for a bus pass, click here.
You can use the BLUE ZONE to pick up and drop off your child by car. These are the blue curbed areas in front of the school on both sides of Grove Street and behind the school on Hancock Street. These areas are for quick drop-off and pick-up only: NO PARKING. Children must be able to enter/exit the car independently, and should only enter/exit on the sidewalk side of the car (not into the street). If a child requires any assistance getting out of the car (i.e., putting on backpacks, gloves, opening car door), they are not ready for the Blue Zone—please plan to park your car and walk your child to the door. Violators who park in the Blue Zone can be ticketed by police, as these are legal restrictions set by the City of Newton. All of the Blue Zone rules are for the safety of our children. Teachers are stationed at the Blue Zones in front and behind the school for families dropping off children by car.
The driveway directly in front of the school on Grove Street is reserved for buses only.
NO PARKING in the SCHOOL PARKING LOT BEHIND THE SCHOOL DURING SCHOOL HOURS – SCHOOL STAFF ONLY. Parking on streets around the school is allowed, unless it’s the Blue Zone area. If you feel you must drive and park, please consider parking a bit away from the school and walking the rest. Hancock Street runs behind the Williams field and is one way during pick up and drop off. This is the best place to look for parking.
All children in these grades are released at 2:50pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Every Wednesday throughout the year is an early release day and all students are released at 12:10 on that day. In addition, there are approximately 6 special early release days on Tuesdays or Thursdays at 12:10 pm. Refer to the online School Calendar for these days.
Teachers will be in touch with families during the first week of school regarding any supplies that are needed.
Families will be requested to submit a dismissal plan for students at the beginning of the school year. Teachers accompany students in grades K – 2 and wait until a parent or guardian (or sibling/friend in grade 3-5) comes to pick them up on the blacktop. Students in grades 3 – 5 can be dismissed without a guardian to receive them, with guardian consent. Families must wait outdoors for children. Teachers also escort students to the bus and Williams After School Club (WASC).
If your child arrives after 8:20 am, they must enter through the Main Office. Remember that these doors will be locked and you will need to use the buzzer system. They must check-in with Ms. Newberg upon arrival.
Please call the Williams Student Absence line (617) 559-6499 before 8:20 a.m. This is a 24-hour answering machine that may be called any time. Please leave your child’s name, date of absence, teacher’s name, your name, and reason for absence.
If a child is to be dismissed early, please email or call Jen Newberg at newbergj@williams.k12.ma.us or (617) 559-6480. Please indicate the time your child will be picked up to facilitate the process. A child will only be dismissed from the school office (the office will call the classroom) to a parent or guardian.
The number of students with life threatening allergies to food is increasing in the general population and here at Williams School. Families should communicate any known food allergies to the school nurse, Katie Costello, and the classroom teacher to ensure a safe environment for our children. Sharing of food is not permitted at school; parents should remind their children not to share their food with other students. Newton Public School’s complete food allergy policy can be found here.
The Newton Public Schools offer an Early Morning Program for students in Grades K through 5 in each of the elementary schools. The program is designed to provide a needed service by giving parents the opportunity to bring their children to school prior to the beginning of the regularly scheduled school day. This program provides supervised before school care at Williams School from 7:30 a.m. until 8:10 a.m. when the school day begins. For information on this program, click here.
Williams families have two options for after school programs affiliated with the school. The Williams After School Club (WASC) is located at Williams, and Rec Place After School is located a short one mile bus ride away in Newton Lower Falls. For more information about these programs, including how to enroll, please click here.
Whether you only have a few hours to give once every few months or want to get involved on a more regular basis, there are numerous volunteer opportunities with the Williams PTO. Please visit our Volunteer section to find out ways to get more involved.
Information about school closings or delayed openings due to inclement weather is broadcast over several area radio stations, including: WBZ 1030AM and WRKO 680AM. Area TV stations that carry this information include channels 4, 5, and 7.
You can also check the district’s web site (Newton Schools) or call (617) 559-9699 for a recorded message.
Families who have provided contact information and consent to be contacted in Aspen will receive a recorded call from the district in the event of school closure or delayed opening.
Please do NOT call the school.
With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the process for school lunches has been in flux since March 2020. At Williams, efforts are made to meet the needs of all students while adhering to public health guidance from the Newton Public School district. For up-to-date information on school lunch procedures, please find the latest guidance from the district here.
Also occasionally referred to as LAMP, specials are Library, Art, Music, and Physical Education. Each class at Williams participates in Library, Art, and Music once per week and PE twice per week. 4th and 5th graders get more opportunities for music with chorus and optional instrumental lessons/band/orchestra.
Every Wednesday and some Tuesdays/Thursdays are “Early Release” and school ends at 12:20pm on Wednesdays (and 12:10pm on the random Tuesday/Thursdays). This time is reserved for professional development programs for teachers and staff and for teacher planning time. Providing our teachers with this planning and development time is one of the many elements that allow our NPS staff to maintain the high standards of instruction that benefit our students every day. Importantly, both after care programs affiliated with Williams as well as most other after care options in Newton, adjust their hours and transportation to accommodate the shortened schedule on early release days.
- How will the teacher communicate with me? Each Kindergarten student will receive a folder from the teacher. These folders are used to send home forms, schoolwork, and your child’s creations. The folders or email are the best ways to see that the teacher gets a note from you. If your child will be going home with someone different or will be absent, please send a note. Your child’s teacher will let you know the best way to communicate.
- How will my child’s teacher be chosen? Parents give information about their child at the registration in March. That information along with any information that the preschool sends us helps us determine placement. In June, there is usually a kindergarten orientation. This is an opportunity for the students to meet both kindergarten teachers, meet some other incoming kindergartners, as well as see the kindergarten classrooms. During this time, the incoming kindergarten parents also have the opportunity to tour the school and hear a bit about kindergarten from school staff and the PTO. This has been supplemented with one or more informal playground playdates organized by the Williams PTO Kindergarten Liaison during the summer.
- Do I need to buy any school supplies for the first day of kindergarten? Not at all. Any school supplies your kindergartener may need will be provided by Williams School.
Newton Public Schools Creative Arts and Sciences, an organization funded by each school’s PTO, brings high-quality, highly relevant and carefully planned arts and sciences programming to students in Newton’s schools. CAS was founded in 1960 when a group of dedicated parents recognized the need to make quality enrichment programming more accessible to Newton students. In the 55 years since, CAS has provided hundreds of special programs to students in our schools through the combination of contributions from each school’s PTO, a part time director on the NPS staff, occasional grants, and countless hours of parent volunteer time.
CAS is hands-on learning. Programs engage students by getting them involved in exploring, analyzing and creating. These experiences are powerful, sparking students’ curiosity with unique, participatory and exciting experiences.
CAS is cross-curricular. Students can explore the concepts of geometry while creating a functional piece of cultural art. A theatrical reenactment allows students to intellectually engage with history, issues of human rights, and the concept of justice. This approach engages and inspires the whole student.
CAS is culturally diverse. Programs expand students’ knowledge of cultures other than their own, their appreciation of the diversity of human expression, and engage them in cross-cultural activities.
For more information about CAS, click here
Each year, 350 volunteers work with the Newton Public Schools to facilitate a unique disability awareness program for the district’s elementary school. Pre-pandemic, this program included six instructional units to provide specific information and experiential learning activities related to:
- Blindness and Visual Impairment
- Deafness and Hard of Hearing
- Developmental Disabilities
- Learning Disabilities
- Physical Disabilities
- Chronic Medical Conditions of Asthma, Diabetes and Epilepsy/Seizure Disorders
During the pandemic, social distancing guidelines required adjustment to the number of units and the format, however, we are proud to say that this program has persisted despite the difficulties. The curriculum combines interactive learning about disabilities with an emphasis on understanding and respect. It is routinely updated to reflect the latest medical information.
For more information about Understanding Our Differences (UOD), click here
Families Organizing for Racial Justice, FORJ, is a coalition of families and individuals in Newton who believe change starts at home and in our own communities. The name derives from the verb ‘forge,’ meaning to create or form, perfectly mirroring what organization seeks to do: creating and forming a movement committed to realizing lasting change in our city.
FORJ offers antiracist programs in the schools and the community that bring people together, raise awareness, educate, and provide skill-building trainings for youth and adults. We share resources, source programming and collaborate with like-minded organizations to offer dynamic partnerships.
For more information about the city-wide FORJ group, visit here
In addition to the city-wide group, most of the NPS schools have school FORJ chapters and Williams is no exception. Please contact williamsforj@gmail.com for more information.
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