1. Where is the Main Entrance?
The main entrance to the school faces Albemarle Field. The door is under the mural, the second
door from the right when looking at the school. It is marked “Door #1.”
The main entrance is not near the flagpole on Minot Place. Follow the dragon footprints around
the building to the main entrance.
2. Where is the office and what is their phone number?
The school office is located on the first floor in Room 100. Enter through the main entrance and
turn to the right. The office is clearly marked. The main school phone number is 617-559-9100.
The telephone number to report absences is 617-559-9101. Absences should be called in by 8:00
AM.
3. What time does school start/end each day? Is there a window, like in the Newton
elementary schools?
School begins at 8:05 AM and ends at 2:35 PM (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and
Fridays). On Tuesdays, school begins at 8:05 AM but is dismissed at 1:50 PM.
While there is no “window,” any student arriving at school before 7:55 AM must report to the
cafeteria where they will be supervised by Day School staff.
4. Where can you park when visiting the school?
There is very limited parking directly around the school so we ask that you leave those spaces for
teachers and staff. The most convenient short term parking is on either Walnut Street or Linwood
Avenue. Long term parking is available on either Albemarle Road or at the parking lot behind the
Ed Center (100 Walnut Street).
5. How do I let the school know I need to pick my child up early for a doctor’s
appointment?
Just like in elementary school, send your child in with a signed note. The student takes the note
to the main office and gets a pass from the school secretary. Students give the pass from the
office to the teacher whose class they need to leave early — at the beginning of the class
period. It’s then up to the students to remember to leave on time! Remember to arrange a place
to meet your child – on Albemarle by Gath Pool where the busses drop them off/pick them up is a
good one. At the top of Minot Place is another. You do not need to come into the school to pick
up your child.
6. Where/when do class lists get posted?
Team/Homeroom lists are posted in late August on the windows near the Nurse’s office (on the
right side of the school building when looking at the main entrance). Class lists are not posted.
7. Where can I get school information (website, people, etc.)?
The best source of information is the school website: http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/day/ as well
as the PTO website:. Information is also available by calling the school at 617-559-9100
8. What is the role of the Guidance Counselor? The Assistant Principals?
Your child’s Guidance Counselor is your point person for any questions or concerns you have
about your child’s academic performance or social well-being. Guidance counselor’s
responsibilities include supporting a student’s emotional needs (i.e. friendships, etc.) writing and
implementing 504 plans, contacting teachers, and advocating for students to outside agencies.
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The Assistant Principals are responsible for school governance, the supervision of students,
discipline, advocating for students with outside agencies and strategizing with teams for individual
student’s success.
9. Where can I get information on clubs?
Information on Day clubs is subject to changes from year to year since the clubs are dependent
on teachers being willing/able to be club advisors. More information will be available within the
first week or so of school. Please be aware that clubs do not start until October; they do not meet
on Tuesday afternoons.
A list of the various clubs that are offered is listed on the school’s website:
http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/day/ under “Clubs.”
10. Should my child have a cell phone? If not, how can I get in touch with him/her?
The decision as to whether or not your child should have a cell phone is up to each family.
However, cell phones are not allowed to be on during school hours. Many kids do have cell
phones to be able to communicate with parents after school. Parents can always contact the
school office (617-559-9100) for messages of a serious nature and those messages will be
delivered to the student.
If students need to phone home, they can go to the main office and ask to use the phone.
11. What are “Rotations,” “Team Extensions,” etc.?
Rotations are required classes where ALL students take a particular subject for part of the school
year, then rotate to the next subject.
6th graders have 5 terms of rotation and take music, art, drama, technology, and health; 7th and
8th graders have 4 terms; 7th graders take art, music, tech ed, and health; 8th graders take art,
music, drama, health; (not necessarily in that order);
In addition, students may elect extension courses: one in 6th grade; up to 2 in 7th and 8th grade.
The multi-team extensions include courses such as band, chorus, art (in addition to the art taught
in rotation) PE in addition to the 2x/wk PE required of everyone), acting, tech- engineering, Latin,
etc. These classes meet 2x/week for the entire year; Team extension is the 2nd extension for
most students and allows kids to get extra help and get extended learning activities from team
teachers.
12. Does my child need a combination lock? If so, how many?
All students need two locks, one for their school locker and one for their gym locker. Combination
locks are preferred as kids often lose or forget their keys.
13. Do kids need to bring a change of clothes for PE?
Yes. Students need to participate in PE wearing shorts/athletic pants, a T- shirt/sweatshirt and
athletic footwear.
14. My child is bringing a very large instrument in for band – is there any place to leave it
during the day?
There’s a shelf outside the Band Room where the instruments can be stored.
15. How can I find out about upcoming school events?
Upcoming school events are listed on the school website: http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/day/, on
the PTO website: http://www.daypto.org/, in the DayTime and on the school calendar (which was
distributed in the summer packet).
16. How can I get information about the buses?
Bus routes are mailed home in the summer packet. For general information, call the
transportation office at 617-559-9050. To discuss a problem on the bus or at the bus stop (among
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kids) call the appropriate Assistant Principal assigned to your student’s team (this is listed on the
school website under “Faculty,” “Teams and Departments.” To find out if a lost item has been
found, contact the main office at 617-559-9100.
17. What if my child wants to bike to school?
Great! Bike racks are available outside of the main entrance (facing Albemarle Field). All bikers
must have a bike lock.
18. What grades are eligible to participate in sports at Day?
6th Graders are able to participate in Cross Country (Fall) and Track (Spring). 7th and 8th graders
are able to participate in all sports. Fall sports include cross country (co- ed), football, boys’
soccer, and girls’ soccer. Winter sports include boys’ and girls’ basketball. Spring sports include
baseball, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, track and field (co-ed), and softball.
19. Which Newton elementary schools feed into Day?
Burr, Cabot (half), Franklin, Horace Mann and Peirce.
20. Where is Day’s emergency evacuation location?
See the Emergency Information for more information.
21. How can I or my child find out about missed homework?
He/She should have a homework buddy from class for a one-night assignment (i.e. call a friend).
For absences longer than 2 days, a parent may request homework from school. Many teachers
also have websites that list homework assignments. Individual teacher websites are listed on the
school’s website: http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/day/ under “Staff.”
22. What is WORD?
WORD is the daily video program that is produced by Day students. It is aired every morning just
after the start of school. The daily announcements that are aired on WORD are available on the
school website: http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/day/ under “W.O.R.D. News Blog.” The
announcements are updated daily.
23. Lunch Questions:
Lunch service is operated through the City of Newton. All questions should be directed to 617-
559-9015.
a) What is served? Monthly menus are available online at the new public schools website.
Go to http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/foodservices/.
b) Is there any way to monitor what your child buys? The lunch software monitors what
students buy but this has not yet been made available to parents. (We’ll ask about this
again to doublecheck!)
c) What is the snack bar and when is it open? The Snack Bar offers chips, ice cream,
cookies, and drinks. It is open only after everyone has gone through the regular lunch
line. There’s a list of the snack bar choices and prices described on the Food Service’s
web site.
d) What are the ways to pay for lunch? Cash is accepted in the cafeteria but students may
also use a convenient no-cash pin number for their purchases through a service
described on the Food Service’s web site. You may find it helpful to read their letter here .
You can open an account and add money to it throughout the year.
f) How do you know if the balance is running low? The cafeteria workers tell students
when their balance is running low (or the kids can ask). While there should be an
electronic way to check your child’s balance, it is not currently activated.
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g) Who do you contact about a lost card? If your child loses their lunch card, they should
go to the office and speak with the secretaries there. It will take a couple of weeks to get
the card replacement. The Assistant Principals supervise lunch periods and can help
students who have a problem. Students don’t have to pay cash if they lose their card –
the cashier can look up their account using their name or student ID number. (This takes
longer than scanning the card though and holds ups the lines! This is why we encourage
kids to have their cards.)
h) What if my child doesn’t have money or credit left one day? When a student has no
credit left, they may charge a lunch for one day. (They may not charge snacks.) After
that, they may get “Dragon Dollars” in the school office. These dollars will enable them to
purchase a bagel and cream cheese or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The cafeteria
workers do everything they can to be sure that children have something to eat at school.