Newton South High School
Encyclopedia
Newton South High School is one of two public high schools in the city of Newton
, Massachusetts
, the other being Newton North
.
The four houses are:
is the oldest exchange of public secondary school students between the United States
and the People's Republic of China
. The city of Newton hosts students and teachers for four months each fall and sends students and teachers to Beijing each spring. It has become a tradition for the Jingshan students to give an entertaining presentation about their culture to the school just before returning to their country.
Newton has also had a long-standing relationship with its sister city of San Juan Del Sur
, Nicaragua
. Every February, a small group of Newton South students go to Nicaragua to live with local families and do community service.
Newton South competes in the DCL (Dual County League), which includes Arlington High School, Acton-Boxboro High School, Bedford High School, Boston Latin School, Concord-Carlisle High School, Tyngsboro High School, Wayland High School, Westford Academy, Waltham High School, and South's rival, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School
South has 29 Varsity Sports.
The Department is headed by Athletic Director Scott Perrin and Secretary Barbara Castoldi
Fall Sports
Football (B), Cheerleading (B+G), Soccer (B+G), Cross Country (B+G), Volleyball (G), Golf (Co-Ed), Ultimate Frisbee (B+G), Field Hockey (G)
Winter Sports
Basketball (B+G), Cheerleading (B+G), Gymnastics (B+G), Nordic Skiing (B+G), Alpine Skiing (B+G), Indoor Track and Field (B+G), Wrestling (B), Hockey (B+G), Swimming (B+G)
Spring Sports
Lacrosse (B+G), Baseball (B), Softball (G), Volleyball (B), Track and Field(B+G), Tennis (B+G), Ultimate Frisbee(B+G)
Awards and Recognition
During the mid and late 90's Newton South's Men Tennis Team led by Coach Dr. Edward Jackson "Doc", made a state record of three consecutive state finals, bringing Newton South the State Championship in 1997. Ten players from these teams over a four year period (1995–1998) would become Boston Globe All-Scholastics and Boston Herald All-Stars. The tennis team is currently let by Coach Pat McFarland and continues to be one of the strongest teams at Newton South. During the 2010 Spring campaign the team had a fantastic season, posting a record of 14-4 in by far the toughest tennis league in the state.
The Newton South Men's Basketball team led by Coach Killilea reached the Division 1 South final during the 2001-2002 season, posting one of the best results in school history.
In 2006, the Gymnastics Team was a Cinderella story, reaching the State Finals and placing well. The team was featured in the Boston Globe for their unprecedented success.
In 2007, the Football team was featured in the Boston Globe for taking the DCL Championship and a playoff spot from rival Lincoln-Sudbury because they scored enough points in the first half to let Wayland's points against average dip below L-S's, breaking a tie between the two teams.
Newton South's Cross Country and Track and Field Teams have enjoyed enormous success since Steven McChesney took control of the programs. The teams are now coached by Ted Norton, and Steven McChesney a high school (South Eugene H.S.
) and college (University of Oregon) All-American in his youth. They are undoubtedly the most successful athletic teams at South.
During the 2010 Cross-Country Season, Newton South Seniors David Melly and Kathy O'Keefe enjoyed enormous success, coming in first and second in the boys and girls DCL Championship Varsity races, respectively.
The Sprint Medley Team of Elizabeth Fineman, Madeline Frieze, Alekhya Chaparala, and Kathy O'Keefe placed 6th at the 2011 Indoor Nationals.
In 2008, the Girls' track and field team won the DCL, Massachusetts Division I, and Massachusetts All-State Titles, led by many All-Americans including Bridget Dahlberg, Kelsey Karys, Madeline Reed, Kathy O'Keefe, Juliet Ryan-Davis, Diana Braver, Julia Frieze.
Also in 2008, the Golf team won the DCL, Massachusetts Division I and finished 5th at the State Championship, ending their best season yet.
In 2009, the quartet of Bridget Dahlberg, Kathy O'Keefe, Melanie Fineman, and Kelsey Karys, competing as "Newton Centre Athletics," won the 4x1 Mile relay at both the Nike Indoor Nationals and the Nike Outdoor Nationals. The day after their Nike Indoor win, they substituted Juliet Ryan-Davis for Karys and took second in the 4x800 meter relay in what was a school record, Massachusetts record, and New England record.
For the 2009-2010 Boys' Gymnastics Season Carlos Enrique Morales competed as a one man team, respesenting his school despite everything that was against him. He says that he did this to promote Gymnastics in his school.
Subsequently, Newton South was named Massachusetts's top athletic program by Sports Illustrated.
South also sports a Science Team that competes regularly in state-wide championships such as the National Ocean Science Bowl, the State Olympiad and a 2-person team-based engineering competition sponsored by Boston University
. Newton South's team finished first at the BU competition in June 2007. The Science Team finished first in the Western Suburban Science League and fourth in the state Science Olympiad for the 2005-2006 season. They then went on to finish third in state during the 2006-2007 season.
The Newton South Speech and Debate Team is also very successful. It was the top-scoring public school in Massachusetts at the State Finals in 2006, and again in 2007. In 2008, and again in 2009, it won the State Championship. In 2010, it ranked fourth in the state, and in 2011 came in second place. In recent years, Newton South's Speech team has been home to many finalists and champions at prominent national tournaments. National-level tournament champions from Newton South High School within the past five years include:Addie Lerner, Extemporaneous Speaking (Villager, 2006); Antonia Lassar, Dramatic Performance (Columbia University, 2007); Justine Lassar, Oral Interpretation of Literature (Yale University, 2007); Becca Goldstein, Extemporaneous Speaking (Villiger, 2007); Antonia Lassar, Humorous Interpretation (George Mason University, 2007); Charlie Li & Ben Tolkin, Public Forum Debate and Becca Goldstein, Extemporaneous Speaking (Columbia, 2008); Becca Goldstein, Extemporaneous Speaking (Harvard, 2008); Jackie Lebovits, Oral Interpretation of Literature (Columbia University, 2010); Harry Neff, Dramatic Interpretation (Yale University, 2010); Nahuel Fefer & Ben Tolkin, Public Forum Debate (Columbia, 2011)
The Newton South Speech Team has also had several national champions. At the National Forensics League national tournament in June 2008, Becca Goldstein became the champion of U.S. Extemporaneous Speaking, Alex Tolkin of Commentary, and Antonia Lassar of Storytelling. At the National Catholic Forensics League's national tournament in May, 2011, Maddy Schulman became the national champion of Oral Interpretation of Literature, and the Newton South High School Speech and Debate Team won the Founders Award for Excellence in Speech and the Masterson Award for Overall Excellence in Speech & Debate, two very prestigious awards.
The budding Programming Club at Newton South has also had early success, placing first at the Providence College High School Programming Contest in its first year attending, merely one year after the club's creation. It was also the first team to beat the consistently strong Westborough High team in 8 years. It also won a competition held at Fitchburg State College.
B. J. Novak
, writer and actor for NBC's comedy The Office graduated from Newton South, as did fellow Office actor John Krasinski
. In addition to The Office, Novak recently starred in the highly successful Inglourious Basterds, and Krasinski has appeared in films such as License to Wed
and It's Complicated
. Novak, along with fellow classmates, wrote the first play that Krasinski ever performed in at Newton South. They both graduated in 1997.
Ben Kurland
, actor in The Artist
which won Best Actor at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
winning an award for best actor, graduated from Newton South in 2002.
Eli Roth
, film director, producer, writer, and actor, graduated from Newton South in 1990.
Sam Mettler, television producer, creator and executive producer of A&E Network's real life series, Intervention
graduated from Newton South in 1985.
Andy Katz
, a senior college basketball writer for ESPN.com graduated from Newton South in 1986.
Priyanka Chopra
, class of 1999, a Bollywood actress and Miss World 2000.
Brian White, Actor and former professional football and lacrosse player.
Jonathan Mann
, class of 1965, World Health Organization chief against AlDS.
Bill Lichtenstein
, class of 1974, Peabody Award-winning journalist, filmmaker, radio producer.
Aaron Perlman-Price, class of 2000, is currently a successful stand-up comedian. In fact, at his most recent performance (in May 2011), legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld opened up for him.
Marisa Catalina Casey
(class of 1997), co-author of Born in Our Hearts: Stories of Adoption, is the Founder and Executive Director of the arts education nonprofit Starting Artists, lnc. located in Brooklyn, NY.
David Miller (class of 1998), second place in the first season of the FOX reality cooking competition show MasterChef (US TV series)
Newton South is also cited for having one of the strongest performing arts programs in Massachusetts. The Newton South Jazz Band has won a gold medal performing in the lAJE Jazz Festival in both 2006 and 2007. Also, the Newton South Madrigals won a gold medal at the MICCA chorus festival in 2008. Every year, the school sends students to participate in MMEA District and All-State ensembles. For the past few years, a select group of these students have qualified and represented Massachusetts in the MENC National Music Ensembles.
South is also famous for its annual Sophomore Speech competition, in which each sophomore must give a 5-6 minute speech on a topic of their choice. There are two rounds of speaking, before the teachers each rank the students 1-6 (1 being the best, 6 being the worst). The top 6 speakers with the lowest cumulative score then advance to the prestigious final round where they must deliver their speech in front of the entire grade, teachers, faculty, staff, family and three important school administrators who are the judges.
Newton South's student run a cappella group, The Newtones
, are featured on Ben Folds College A Capella Album. Folds discovered the Newtones on Youtube singing an original arrangement of his song "Evaporated," and e-mailed the group to come record with him. The Newtones are the only high school group to be featured in the album. The album is currently being sold in stores nationwide and in Itunes under Sony Music Entertainment.
professor who studies high school journalism, "I don't know of any school other than that one that has two papers at least in part supported by the school. That really is rare, if not unique".
The two papers are consistently ranked among the best in the region. In the fall of 2004, The Lion's Roar won the Pacemaker Award at the National Scholastic Press Association's annual conference. In the Spring of 2007, 2008, and 2010 Denebola won first place at the annual New England Scholastic Press Association conference, making it the best high school newspaper in New England to date. In 2009 Denebola won second place at this annual conference. In 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010 Denebola also won the Massachusetts Press Association's Award for General Excellence at Suffolk University, currently ranking it the best high school newspaper in Massachusetts. In 2009 Denebola lost to The Lion's Roar. In 2009, The Lions Roar was once again nominated for the Pacemaker Award, and received a finalist position.
In 2007, both editors in chief of The Lion's Roar finished first and second, respectively, in the 2007 JEA Massachusetts Journalist of the Year Award. In November 2007, The Lion's Roar placed 10th in the nation for "Best of Show" in Philadelphia at the National Scholastic Press Association's annual convention. All five of the Lion's Roar write-off participants placed in their respective categories, earning the highest and second highest distinctions. One of the editors-in-chief was also published in "The Best Teen Writing of 2007" for a story she wrote about a teacher battling cancer. She also received a Gold Award from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
In November 2008, at the NSPA/JEA National Convention in St. Louis, the Lion's Roar moved up four slots to sixth place in the "Best of Show" category. One of the editors-in-chief also placed second in the "Story of the Year" category for sports writing, for a piece on concussions in high school sports. In the write-off competitions, the Roar fared well for the second straight year, as six students placed: one with a Superior rating, one with an Excellent rating, and four with honorable Mentions in their respective categories.
In its December 2007 issue, Denebola reported on five hidden security cameras found at the school. According to the article, students, parents, faculty, and administrators were unaware of the cameras, three of which were disguised as smoke detectors. The article was highlighted in the local newspaper, The Boston Globe, and reports appeared on local TV channels WCVB, WHDH, and WBZ.
owns the rights to a movie based on the incident, co-written and directed by alumnus Eli Roth
.
Norman Swerling, a Drivers Education teacher at the school, was accused of sexually assaulting one of his students. Although he was acquitted, the school district no longer offers Drivers Ed, and refers its students to the Brookline Driving School.
In October 2005, Newton South's theater program (South Stage) performed a production of The Laramie Project. The performance of this play was scheduled to be picketed by Reverend Fred Phelps
and the Westboro Baptist Church
; articles about this have appeared in The Boston Globe
, The Boston Herald
, and The Newton Tab. However, the three sold-out performances of the production passed without incident.
On April 11, 2006, Howard Zinn
visited the school to talk to the members of the Social Awareness Club of both Newton South and the Social Justice Academy. Also on April 28, 2006, Michael Dukakis
, the 1988 Democratic nominee for President, visited the school to advocate political participation among the school's students. Noam Chomsky
spoke on April 11, 2007 about the War in Iraq and American policy in the Middle East. Alan Dershowitz
, at the invitation of the Social Awareness Club and the Jewish Student Union
, spoke to students on June 5, 2007 on the Arab-Israeli conflict and American foreign policy. Jodi Picoult
, author of many popular young adult novels, spoke to a small group of students in February 2007 before the release of her book Nineteen Minutes
.
On February 8, 2007, the Newton South STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition chapter organized a Darfur Benefit Concert with the well known band, State Radio
, raising over $23,000 for Save the Children
and the Genocide Intervention Network
.
On March 28, 2008, for the first time in Newton South's history, the Mock Trial team became the Mock Trial state champions. Mock Trial is a program of the Massachusetts Bar Association. The team advanced to the national championships in Delaware, where it finished in 22nd place.
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, the other being Newton North
Newton North High School
Newton North High School, formerly Newton High School, is the larger and longer-established of two public high schools in Newton, Massachusetts, with about 2,000 students, the other being Newton South High School. It is located in the village of Newtonville...
.
Mission statement
Newton South High School, a community of students, parents, faculty, and staff,- Is dedicated to peace and love for all citizens
- Expects integrity; responsibility; and respect for self, others, and the environment
- Creates a climate of safety and kindness
- Nurtures curiosity, creativity, and a passion for learning
- Fosters self-confidence and success for all learners
Ground plan
Newton South High is divided into four sections known as houses. The houses are Goldrick, which contains the History and English departments, as well as the Preschool; Wheeler, which contains the English department and some math and science rooms; Cutler, which contains the Math and Science departments; and Goodwin, which contains the World language department. Building 1 is Goldrick; 2 is Wheeler; 3 is the science wing; 4 is Cutler; 5 is the field house, and associated classrooms; 6 is Goodwin; 7 is the cafeteria, and the college and career resource room; 8 is the administrative section; and 9 is the arts wing, as well as the Van Seasholes Auditorium.Organization
Newton South places all students into one of four houses, in which they remain for the duration of high school. Unlike many other schools, the houses at Newton South are only for administrative and attendance purposes. They have no effect on the courses or activities of students, except for students' homerooms.The four houses are:
- Cutler House
- Housemaster: Mrs. Donna Gordon
- Assistant Housemaster:
- Secretary: Janice Ingemi
- Counselors: James Medieros, Donna Segal, Marcy Davidson, Jeremy Rischall
- Goldrick House
- Housemaster: Mr. Henry Turner
- Secretary: Mitchell Wong
- Counselors: Lenny Libenzon, Sue Batler, Molly Gadenz
- Goodwin House
- Housemaster: Mr. Charles Myette
- Assistant Housemaster: Mary Ann Price
- Secretary: Camile Connolly
- Counselors: Kara Veley, Marcy Davidson, David Kershaw
- Wheeler House
- Housecleaner: Ms. Josepha Busaba
- Assistant Housemaster: Maksim Mints
- Secretary: Lucia Curran
- Counselors: Aaron Lewis, Jeremy Rischall, Homer Turner
Partnerships
The Newton-Beijing Jingshan School Exchange ProgramNewton-Beijing Jingshan School Exchange Program
The Newton-Beijing Jingshan School Exchange Program is the oldest student exchange of public secondary school students between the United States and the People's Republic of China...
is the oldest exchange of public secondary school students between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The city of Newton hosts students and teachers for four months each fall and sends students and teachers to Beijing each spring. It has become a tradition for the Jingshan students to give an entertaining presentation about their culture to the school just before returning to their country.
Newton has also had a long-standing relationship with its sister city of San Juan Del Sur
San Juan del Sur
San Juan del Sur is a municipality and coastal town on the Pacific Ocean, in the Rivas department in south-west Nicaragua. San Juan del Sur is popular among surfers and is a vacation spot for many Nicaraguan families and foreign tourists....
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. Every February, a small group of Newton South students go to Nicaragua to live with local families and do community service.
Athletics
Newton South's ultimate frisbee team, Angry Corn, placed first in the 2009 div II state tournament in Greenfield, Ma.Newton South competes in the DCL (Dual County League), which includes Arlington High School, Acton-Boxboro High School, Bedford High School, Boston Latin School, Concord-Carlisle High School, Tyngsboro High School, Wayland High School, Westford Academy, Waltham High School, and South's rival, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School
South has 29 Varsity Sports.
The Department is headed by Athletic Director Scott Perrin and Secretary Barbara Castoldi
Fall Sports
Football (B), Cheerleading (B+G), Soccer (B+G), Cross Country (B+G), Volleyball (G), Golf (Co-Ed), Ultimate Frisbee (B+G), Field Hockey (G)
Winter Sports
Basketball (B+G), Cheerleading (B+G), Gymnastics (B+G), Nordic Skiing (B+G), Alpine Skiing (B+G), Indoor Track and Field (B+G), Wrestling (B), Hockey (B+G), Swimming (B+G)
Spring Sports
Lacrosse (B+G), Baseball (B), Softball (G), Volleyball (B), Track and Field(B+G), Tennis (B+G), Ultimate Frisbee(B+G)
Awards and Recognition
During the mid and late 90's Newton South's Men Tennis Team led by Coach Dr. Edward Jackson "Doc", made a state record of three consecutive state finals, bringing Newton South the State Championship in 1997. Ten players from these teams over a four year period (1995–1998) would become Boston Globe All-Scholastics and Boston Herald All-Stars. The tennis team is currently let by Coach Pat McFarland and continues to be one of the strongest teams at Newton South. During the 2010 Spring campaign the team had a fantastic season, posting a record of 14-4 in by far the toughest tennis league in the state.
The Newton South Men's Basketball team led by Coach Killilea reached the Division 1 South final during the 2001-2002 season, posting one of the best results in school history.
In 2006, the Gymnastics Team was a Cinderella story, reaching the State Finals and placing well. The team was featured in the Boston Globe for their unprecedented success.
In 2007, the Football team was featured in the Boston Globe for taking the DCL Championship and a playoff spot from rival Lincoln-Sudbury because they scored enough points in the first half to let Wayland's points against average dip below L-S's, breaking a tie between the two teams.
Newton South's Cross Country and Track and Field Teams have enjoyed enormous success since Steven McChesney took control of the programs. The teams are now coached by Ted Norton, and Steven McChesney a high school (South Eugene H.S.
South Eugene High School
South Eugene High School is a public high school located in Eugene, Oregon, United States.-History:It was founded as Eugene High School around 1900, and was located at Willamette Street and West 11th Avenue in a brick building that later served as Eugene's city hall. In 1915, Eugene High moved to a...
) and college (University of Oregon) All-American in his youth. They are undoubtedly the most successful athletic teams at South.
During the 2010 Cross-Country Season, Newton South Seniors David Melly and Kathy O'Keefe enjoyed enormous success, coming in first and second in the boys and girls DCL Championship Varsity races, respectively.
The Sprint Medley Team of Elizabeth Fineman, Madeline Frieze, Alekhya Chaparala, and Kathy O'Keefe placed 6th at the 2011 Indoor Nationals.
In 2008, the Girls' track and field team won the DCL, Massachusetts Division I, and Massachusetts All-State Titles, led by many All-Americans including Bridget Dahlberg, Kelsey Karys, Madeline Reed, Kathy O'Keefe, Juliet Ryan-Davis, Diana Braver, Julia Frieze.
Also in 2008, the Golf team won the DCL, Massachusetts Division I and finished 5th at the State Championship, ending their best season yet.
In 2009, the quartet of Bridget Dahlberg, Kathy O'Keefe, Melanie Fineman, and Kelsey Karys, competing as "Newton Centre Athletics," won the 4x1 Mile relay at both the Nike Indoor Nationals and the Nike Outdoor Nationals. The day after their Nike Indoor win, they substituted Juliet Ryan-Davis for Karys and took second in the 4x800 meter relay in what was a school record, Massachusetts record, and New England record.
For the 2009-2010 Boys' Gymnastics Season Carlos Enrique Morales competed as a one man team, respesenting his school despite everything that was against him. He says that he did this to promote Gymnastics in his school.
Subsequently, Newton South was named Massachusetts's top athletic program by Sports Illustrated.
South notables
Roger Myerson, Newton South class of 1969, was one of the three recipients of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2007 "for having laid the foundations of mechanism design theory".South also sports a Science Team that competes regularly in state-wide championships such as the National Ocean Science Bowl, the State Olympiad and a 2-person team-based engineering competition sponsored by Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
. Newton South's team finished first at the BU competition in June 2007. The Science Team finished first in the Western Suburban Science League and fourth in the state Science Olympiad for the 2005-2006 season. They then went on to finish third in state during the 2006-2007 season.
The Newton South Speech and Debate Team is also very successful. It was the top-scoring public school in Massachusetts at the State Finals in 2006, and again in 2007. In 2008, and again in 2009, it won the State Championship. In 2010, it ranked fourth in the state, and in 2011 came in second place. In recent years, Newton South's Speech team has been home to many finalists and champions at prominent national tournaments. National-level tournament champions from Newton South High School within the past five years include:Addie Lerner, Extemporaneous Speaking (Villager, 2006); Antonia Lassar, Dramatic Performance (Columbia University, 2007); Justine Lassar, Oral Interpretation of Literature (Yale University, 2007); Becca Goldstein, Extemporaneous Speaking (Villiger, 2007); Antonia Lassar, Humorous Interpretation (George Mason University, 2007); Charlie Li & Ben Tolkin, Public Forum Debate and Becca Goldstein, Extemporaneous Speaking (Columbia, 2008); Becca Goldstein, Extemporaneous Speaking (Harvard, 2008); Jackie Lebovits, Oral Interpretation of Literature (Columbia University, 2010); Harry Neff, Dramatic Interpretation (Yale University, 2010); Nahuel Fefer & Ben Tolkin, Public Forum Debate (Columbia, 2011)
The Newton South Speech Team has also had several national champions. At the National Forensics League national tournament in June 2008, Becca Goldstein became the champion of U.S. Extemporaneous Speaking, Alex Tolkin of Commentary, and Antonia Lassar of Storytelling. At the National Catholic Forensics League's national tournament in May, 2011, Maddy Schulman became the national champion of Oral Interpretation of Literature, and the Newton South High School Speech and Debate Team won the Founders Award for Excellence in Speech and the Masterson Award for Overall Excellence in Speech & Debate, two very prestigious awards.
The budding Programming Club at Newton South has also had early success, placing first at the Providence College High School Programming Contest in its first year attending, merely one year after the club's creation. It was also the first team to beat the consistently strong Westborough High team in 8 years. It also won a competition held at Fitchburg State College.
B. J. Novak
B. J. Novak
Benjamin Joseph Manaly “B. J.” Novak is an American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for being a writer and co-executive producer for and playing the role of Ryan Howard on the US version of The Office, as well as appearing in Inglourious Basterds...
, writer and actor for NBC's comedy The Office graduated from Newton South, as did fellow Office actor John Krasinski
John Krasinski
John Burke Krasinski is an American actor, film director, and writer. He is most widely known for playing Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom The Office...
. In addition to The Office, Novak recently starred in the highly successful Inglourious Basterds, and Krasinski has appeared in films such as License to Wed
License to Wed
License to Wed is a 2007 romantic comedy film starring Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, and John Krasinski and directed by Ken Kwapis. The film was released in theaters on July 3, 2007.-Plot:...
and It's Complicated
It's Complicated (film)
It's Complicated is a 2009 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Nancy Meyers, starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.-Plot:...
. Novak, along with fellow classmates, wrote the first play that Krasinski ever performed in at Newton South. They both graduated in 1997.
Ben Kurland
Ben Kurland
Benjamin David Kurland is an American actor. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts to parents Jim and Robyne Kurland. He and his older brother Zack Kurland grew up in Newton, Massachusetts....
, actor in The Artist
The Artist (film)
The Artist is a 2011 French romance film directed by Michel Hazanavicius, starring Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo. The story takes place in Hollywood between 1927 and 1932 and focuses on a declining male film star and a rising actress, as silent cinema grows out of fashion and is replaced by the...
which won Best Actor at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
winning an award for best actor, graduated from Newton South in 2002.
Eli Roth
Eli Roth
Eli Raphael Roth is an American film director, producer, writer and actor. He is known for his role as Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds for which he won both a SAG Award and a BFCA Critic's Choice Award...
, film director, producer, writer, and actor, graduated from Newton South in 1990.
Sam Mettler, television producer, creator and executive producer of A&E Network's real life series, Intervention
Intervention (TV series)
Intervention is an American television program about the realities facing addicts of many kinds.Each program follows one or two participants, each of whom has an addiction or other mentally and/or physically damaging problem and believes that they are being filmed for a documentary on their problem...
graduated from Newton South in 1985.
Andy Katz
Andy Katz
Andy Katz is a senior college basketball journalist for ESPN.com. He is a regular sports analyst on College GameNight on ESPN. Katz earned a B.A. at the University of Wisconsin–Madison , and has worked for ESPN since January 5, 2000....
, a senior college basketball writer for ESPN.com graduated from Newton South in 1986.
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000. She is often referred to by the nickname "Piggy Chops", which was given to her by co-stars on the set of the film...
, class of 1999, a Bollywood actress and Miss World 2000.
Brian White, Actor and former professional football and lacrosse player.
Jonathan Mann
Jonathan Mann
Jonathan Mann was a former head of the World Health Organization's global AIDS program.Mann was medically qualified, receiving his B.A. from Harvard College, his M.D. from Washington University in St. Louis , and the degree of M.P.H. from the Harvard School of Public Health in 1980.Mann was a key...
, class of 1965, World Health Organization chief against AlDS.
Bill Lichtenstein
Bill Lichtenstein
Bill Lichtenstein is a print and broadcast journalist and documentary producer. Lichtenstein is president of the independent media production company, Lichtenstein Creative Media....
, class of 1974, Peabody Award-winning journalist, filmmaker, radio producer.
Aaron Perlman-Price, class of 2000, is currently a successful stand-up comedian. In fact, at his most recent performance (in May 2011), legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld opened up for him.
Marisa Catalina Casey
Marisa Catalina Casey
Marisa Catalina Casey , is a photographer, graphic designer, educator, and co-author of the book . A current Peace Corps invitee to Ecuador , Casey is the Founder and Executive Director of , a nonprofit organization benefiting underserved youth in Brooklyn, New York through training in the arts and...
(class of 1997), co-author of Born in Our Hearts: Stories of Adoption, is the Founder and Executive Director of the arts education nonprofit Starting Artists, lnc. located in Brooklyn, NY.
David Miller (class of 1998), second place in the first season of the FOX reality cooking competition show MasterChef (US TV series)
Newton South is also cited for having one of the strongest performing arts programs in Massachusetts. The Newton South Jazz Band has won a gold medal performing in the lAJE Jazz Festival in both 2006 and 2007. Also, the Newton South Madrigals won a gold medal at the MICCA chorus festival in 2008. Every year, the school sends students to participate in MMEA District and All-State ensembles. For the past few years, a select group of these students have qualified and represented Massachusetts in the MENC National Music Ensembles.
South is also famous for its annual Sophomore Speech competition, in which each sophomore must give a 5-6 minute speech on a topic of their choice. There are two rounds of speaking, before the teachers each rank the students 1-6 (1 being the best, 6 being the worst). The top 6 speakers with the lowest cumulative score then advance to the prestigious final round where they must deliver their speech in front of the entire grade, teachers, faculty, staff, family and three important school administrators who are the judges.
Newton South's student run a cappella group, The Newtones
The Newtones
The Newtones is a student a cappella group from Newton South High School in Newton, Massachusetts.The Newtones, which is entirely student-run, sing a variety of pop songs. The group consists of 14 Newton South High School students...
, are featured on Ben Folds College A Capella Album. Folds discovered the Newtones on Youtube singing an original arrangement of his song "Evaporated," and e-mailed the group to come record with him. The Newtones are the only high school group to be featured in the album. The album is currently being sold in stores nationwide and in Itunes under Sony Music Entertainment.
Newspapers
Newton South's two school newspapers are Denebola, the school's official paper, and The Lions Roar, a student-started paper. According to Jack Dvorak, an Indiana UniversityIndiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
professor who studies high school journalism, "I don't know of any school other than that one that has two papers at least in part supported by the school. That really is rare, if not unique".
The two papers are consistently ranked among the best in the region. In the fall of 2004, The Lion's Roar won the Pacemaker Award at the National Scholastic Press Association's annual conference. In the Spring of 2007, 2008, and 2010 Denebola won first place at the annual New England Scholastic Press Association conference, making it the best high school newspaper in New England to date. In 2009 Denebola won second place at this annual conference. In 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010 Denebola also won the Massachusetts Press Association's Award for General Excellence at Suffolk University, currently ranking it the best high school newspaper in Massachusetts. In 2009 Denebola lost to The Lion's Roar. In 2009, The Lions Roar was once again nominated for the Pacemaker Award, and received a finalist position.
In 2007, both editors in chief of The Lion's Roar finished first and second, respectively, in the 2007 JEA Massachusetts Journalist of the Year Award. In November 2007, The Lion's Roar placed 10th in the nation for "Best of Show" in Philadelphia at the National Scholastic Press Association's annual convention. All five of the Lion's Roar write-off participants placed in their respective categories, earning the highest and second highest distinctions. One of the editors-in-chief was also published in "The Best Teen Writing of 2007" for a story she wrote about a teacher battling cancer. She also received a Gold Award from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
In November 2008, at the NSPA/JEA National Convention in St. Louis, the Lion's Roar moved up four slots to sixth place in the "Best of Show" category. One of the editors-in-chief also placed second in the "Story of the Year" category for sports writing, for a piece on concussions in high school sports. In the write-off competitions, the Roar fared well for the second straight year, as six students placed: one with a Superior rating, one with an Excellent rating, and four with honorable Mentions in their respective categories.
In its December 2007 issue, Denebola reported on five hidden security cameras found at the school. According to the article, students, parents, faculty, and administrators were unaware of the cameras, three of which were disguised as smoke detectors. The article was highlighted in the local newspaper, The Boston Globe, and reports appeared on local TV channels WCVB, WHDH, and WBZ.
Public attention
The school gained notoriety in 2002 for its "Senior Scavenger Hunt", a student-organized contest that featured theft, vandalism, illegal drug use, and various sexual acts committed by the graduating seniors in exchange for points. Universal StudiosUniversal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
owns the rights to a movie based on the incident, co-written and directed by alumnus Eli Roth
Eli Roth
Eli Raphael Roth is an American film director, producer, writer and actor. He is known for his role as Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds for which he won both a SAG Award and a BFCA Critic's Choice Award...
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Norman Swerling, a Drivers Education teacher at the school, was accused of sexually assaulting one of his students. Although he was acquitted, the school district no longer offers Drivers Ed, and refers its students to the Brookline Driving School.
In October 2005, Newton South's theater program (South Stage) performed a production of The Laramie Project. The performance of this play was scheduled to be picketed by Reverend Fred Phelps
Fred Phelps
Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr. is an American pastor heading the Westboro Baptist Church , an independent Baptist church based in Topeka, Kansas...
and the Westboro Baptist Church
Westboro Baptist Church
The Westboro Baptist Church is an independent Baptist church known for its extreme stance against homosexuality and its protest activities, which include picketing funerals and desecrating the American flag. The church is widely described as a hate group and is monitored as such by the...
; articles about this have appeared in The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, The Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
, and The Newton Tab. However, the three sold-out performances of the production passed without incident.
On April 11, 2006, Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn was an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist. Before and during his tenure as a political science professor at Boston University from 1964-88 he wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United...
visited the school to talk to the members of the Social Awareness Club of both Newton South and the Social Justice Academy. Also on April 28, 2006, Michael Dukakis
Michael Dukakis
Michael Stanley Dukakis served as the 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts from 1975–1979 and from 1983–1991, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He was born to Greek immigrants in Brookline, Massachusetts, also the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, and was the longest serving...
, the 1988 Democratic nominee for President, visited the school to advocate political participation among the school's students. Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
spoke on April 11, 2007 about the War in Iraq and American policy in the Middle East. Alan Dershowitz
Alan Dershowitz
Alan Morton Dershowitz is an American lawyer, jurist, and political commentator. He has spent most of his career at Harvard Law School where in 1967, at the age of 28, he became the youngest full professor of law in its history...
, at the invitation of the Social Awareness Club and the Jewish Student Union
Jewish Student Union
The Jewish Student Union, or JSU is an organization aimed at educating youth in public schools about the Jewish culture, heritage, and religion...
, spoke to students on June 5, 2007 on the Arab-Israeli conflict and American foreign policy. Jodi Picoult
Jodi Picoult
Jodi Lynn Picoult is an American author. She was awarded the New England Bookseller Award for fiction in 2003. Picoult currently has some 14 million copies of her books in print worldwide.-Early life and education:...
, author of many popular young adult novels, spoke to a small group of students in February 2007 before the release of her book Nineteen Minutes
Nineteen Minutes
Nineteen Minutes, published on March 9, 2007, is a novel by Jodi Picoult. It was her first book to debut at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list.This book is about a school shooting, and focuses on the events leading up to and following the incident....
.
On February 8, 2007, the Newton South STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition chapter organized a Darfur Benefit Concert with the well known band, State Radio
State Radio
State Radio is an alternative rock band from Sherborn, Massachusetts, consisting of Chad Urmston , Chuck Fay and Mike Najarian...
, raising over $23,000 for Save the Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
and the Genocide Intervention Network
Genocide Intervention Network
thumb|right|300px|Genocide Intervention Network logoThe Genocide Intervention Network is a non-profit organization that "envisions a world in which the global community is willing and able to protect civilians from genocide and mass atrocities...
.
On March 28, 2008, for the first time in Newton South's history, the Mock Trial team became the Mock Trial state champions. Mock Trial is a program of the Massachusetts Bar Association. The team advanced to the national championships in Delaware, where it finished in 22nd place.