Author Archives: Newton PTO Council

Literacy Specialist/ELL Teacher Available for Tutoring

Newton mom and former Newton literacy specialist, Lani Verges-Radack who is presently working as an ELL teacher in Needham Public Schools, has over 15 years experience in education and is also the parent of two kids with complex learning and emotional needs.
She has experience in a variety of methods and can assess your child to design the best plan for progress.

Lani can work on ALL areas of literacy – decoding, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, writing, oral language and phonics/spelling – depending upon the needs of your child. She is experienced with preschoolers through high schoolers. References and rates available upon request. Please contact Lani at mailto:Lradack@gmail.com.

Celebrate the 4th of July in Newton

Kids’ Morning

Free event for children ages 3 – 12 years. Children and families are invited to join in the Grande Pet Parade, Decorated Doll Carriage Promenade, Teddy Bear Parade and Foot Races. Free ice cream, candy and drinks complete the morning celebration – courtesy of Cabot’s Ice Cream. Kids Morning is cancelled in the event of rain.

July 4th, 10:00 am – 12 Noon
Newton Centre Playground at Tyler Terrace

Afternoon/Evening Events

The fun continues with kiddie amusement rides, face painting, craft vendor booths and food trucks. Look for the Circus Arts performances from students and staff of Gravity Alternative Movement! Then, the fun moves over to the main stage with the fabulous Bo & Bill Winiker Band (courtesy of the Village Bank) for music and dancing from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. Bring lawn chairs, try out the delicious food from the many food trucks and pick up your light-up novelties. At 9:00 pm, don’t miss the grand finale…a fantastic fireworks display! In the event of rain, the concert and fireworks will be rescheduled for a date to be determined. Visit www.newtoncommunitypride.org for details.

July 4th, Noon – 10:00 pm
Albemarle Field/Halloran Sports Complex.

Summer tutoring and enrichment

Former Horace Mann parent and experienced tutor is available this SUMMER! Haralie has worked in the Wellesley Public Schools and currently works in the Winchester Public Schools and at MassBay Community College and tutors K-5th grade students in Reading, Writing and Math. Each visit is a positive and fun learning experience! Please contact Haralie Alpert, M.Ed., MS at haralie@gmail.com or 617-630-0608.

Smart Kid Looking for a Challenge?

This summer, the Lumos Young Speakers Program is running a public speaking and debate program for students in grade 4-6.  Your child will love Lumos’s friendly instructors and fun activities as they learn about:

  • Speaking Confidence
  • Impromptu Speaking
  • Debate Basics
  • Argumentation and Reasoning

Right now you can use the code COMMUNITY to get $125.00 off. To register, go to lumosdebate.com/1-week-public-speaking-program/.

Email zephchang@lumosdebate.com or call 617-901-4564 with any questions.

July 23rd – 27th or July 30th – August 3rd,  9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Lexington, MA

Piano instruction available

Flexible summer scheduling makes now an ideal time to try piano lessons. Berklee and New England Conservatory graduate with 30+ years teaching experience. Beginners welcome. Build a high quality musical foundation with a patient, upbeat, and caring teacher. Contact Gloria Jasinski at 617-566-9704 or piano566@comcast.net.

Kids Day July 7th

Newton Theatre Company is thrilled to present its first ever Kids Day! On July 7th, stop by the Hyde Bandstand between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm to enjoy readings from three Junie B.
Jones stories, live music, crafts, and other activities.

This event is free, with a bake sale and optional donations to benefit Newton Theatre Company. Appropriate for children ages 3-12. Any teens or adults looking to volunteer at the event can email Abby Lass at abbylass@gmail.com.

Summer Food for Families

When school’s out for the summer, so is breakfast and lunch for many Newton students. This year the city is partnering with the FUEL program at the Church of the Redeemer to help families in need of additional food.

The already successful FUEL program fills backpacks with nonperishable items for students to take home from school. The expanded summer version of the program will offer backpacks in more locations throughout the city, all available for children and their caregivers to pick up as much as twice per week. Locations include Newton Health and Human Services Department, Church of the Redeemer, West Suburban YMCA, Newton Fire Stations 7 & 10, Crystal Lake, Gath Pool, Newton Free Library, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Good Shepherd, St John’s Church, Arabic Baptist Church, the Boys & Girls Club, NCDF Houghton Village and more.

For a full list of locations and pick up times, visit www.newtonma.gov/food.

Don’t miss your chance

As the school year comes to a close, don’t miss your chance to thank teachers and staff who made a difference to your child this year! Making a donation to Newton Schools Foundation’s Honor Thy Teacher program is a great way to do this.

Look for a flyer in your child’s backpack or if you have children in the upper grades, you will have already received a letter by mail. To donate online and to find out more about the programs NSF funds, go to www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org. Donations are tax-deductible and go toward enhancing educational excellence, including teachers’ professional development, initiatives to close the achievement gap, and new curricula and learning opportunities throughout Newton’s schools.

Teachers, as well as their principal and the Superintendent, will be notified of this honor, and if you donate by July 31st their names will appear in a special notification in the Newton TAB.

Affordable College options

A local parent group is looking into options for studying abroad as a way to reduce the cost of college as well as provide kids with an expanded worldview.

They’re in the process of inviting international colleges and universities to provide the membership with information on degree programs and costs and if possible, present in person. In addition, they are looking for venues and parents to join the group. Contact the group here https://www.meetup.com/College-Abroad/