Author Archives: Newton PTO Council

Get out of the cold and come run indoors!

Get out of the cold and come run indoors! Sign-ups are now open for two series of Winter sports clinics from Be Ahead of the Game to be held at Williams Elementary School.

Indoor Soccer Clinics : Your child will be introduced to the world’s most popular sport while focusing on having fun, learning through drills, small-sided games, and scrimmages. All games and drills will be age appropriate and are sure to improve skills.

These clinics will be a great opportunity to have fun, learn and meet new friends in a “no pressure” and non-competitive environment. Please wear, shin guards, sneakers and comfortable clothing. Balls will be provided at practice. Cost: $130

Enroll Online Now!

Mondays: January 11th – March 21st (9 sessions)
Ages K – 1st Grade, 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Ages 2nd – 4th Grade, 7:00 -8:00 pm

Indoor Basketball Clinics: Be Ahead of the Game basketball clinics will focus on the fundamentals of basketball through skills sessions, station work and competition. They emphasize shooting, ball handling and individual offensive and defensive skills. The clinics will stress the importance of fundamentals, smart decision-making and hard work while having fun along the way. Players may be divided by age and skill level to ensure that each individual has a meaningful experience. Please wear sneakers and comfortable clothing. Balls will be provided at practice. Cost: $145

Enroll Online Now!

Tuesdays: January 12th – March 22nd (10 sessions)
Ages K – 1st Grade, 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Ages 2nd – 4th Grade, 7:00 -8:00 pm

A New Way of Understanding and Parenting Kids

BE THE PARENT YOU WANT TO BE! A New Way of Understanding and Parenting Kids
Think:Kids Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) approach, based in MGH’s Department of Psychiatry, provides parents with concrete tools to better understand and parent their kids in the face of day-to-day challenges.

The CPS approach helps parents to:

Shift their thinking and approach to foster positive relationships with their child/teen
Reduce their child’s challenging behavior
Solve problems collaboratively and proactively
Help their child/teen develop skills related to self-regulation, communication and problem-solving

For more information and to register for January or March CPS Overview groups in Newton, please visit: http://www.betheparentyouwanttobe.weebly.com

COPE Therapy Study for Child Depression

Dikla Eckshtain, PhD, a clinical psychologist and a faculty member in the Division in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital is running a therapy research study for children with depression that is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

The therapy is an evidence-based treatment that focuses on the provision of coping skills, is provided at no cost, and compensation is provided for interviews and parking. For more information, please see attached copy of the study flyer.

Give your child the gift of manners this year!

A gift that will last a lifetime. The 8-week long etiquette program is specifically developed for each age group, Mind Your Manners (grades 2-4), Etiquette for Middle Schoolers (grades 5-8), and Etiquette for Young Adults (grades 9-12), and cover topics such as improving social and communication skills, projecting confidence, combating shyness, strengthening self-esteem and leadership skills, navigating friendships, resolving conflict, understanding social cues, basic manners and table manners, and much more.

For additional information and to enroll please visit www.theetiquetteacademy.org or call 617-608-3920.

January 30th – March 26th (8 Saturdays)
Chungdahm ReadWrite
1254 Chestnut Street, Newton

QPR Training with the Mayor

Join Mayor Setti D. Warren at The Street in Chestnut Hill to learn QPR Suicide Prevention on Wednesday, January 13th. Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) teaches ordinary citizens how to recognize a mental health emergency and how to get a person at risk the help they need.

Participants will learn how to:

Recognize the warning signs of suicide
Offer hope, and
Get help & refer

The evening will begin at 5:00 pm with a reception at DelFrisco’s Grill at The Street, 33 Boylston St., Newton. The Training will follow from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the nearby WS Development Offices. Register by visiting newtonma.gov/newtoncares.
Questions? Please call 617-796-1420

Teens Making Smart Choices Expo

Teens and parents/guardians are invited to the Just Think: Teens Making Smart Choices Expo. Come to this free Expo for participative, informative exhibits; student performances; refreshments; and fun.

Meet 30+ community exhibitors who help teens navigate high school pressures in order to stay safe and healthy. Get information about everything from driving and pedestrian safety to healthy eating and positive body image to stress reduction and mental health support. Snow date, Monday, January 25th. For more information, northptso.org.

January 21st, 5:00 to 7:30 pm
Newton North

Forum on High School start time on January 26th

Save the date! Join the Newton South PTSO and Newton North’s School Council to continue the community conversation around the impact of inadequate sleep on our teens and to explore the research on and impacts of starting high school later.

The featured speaker will be Dr. Christopher Landrigan, Director of the Sleep and Patient Safety Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Research Director of Inpatient Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital—who is also a South parent! If you missed last April’s forum at South, this is an important way to catch up on the research and join the conversation—with a new keynote speaker and updated information.

January 26th, 7:00 pm
Newton North cafeteria

Save the date for a Fun Free EXPO

Middle School and High School students, parents, and guardians are invited to a fun, free EXPO. Teens and adults are encouraged to come to the Just Think: Teens Making Smart Choices expo for participative, informative exhibits; live musical performances; free refreshments; and fun.

Meet 30 community exhibitors who help teens navigate life’s pressures in order to stay safe and healthy. Get information about everything from driving and pedestrian safety to healthy eating and positive body image to stress reduction and mental health support.

Highlights:

• Community resources for teens
• FREE and fun!
• Treat bags for first 50 students who come with a parent/guardian
• Giveaways and refreshments
• Prize drawing: Beats headphones
• “American Ninja Warrior” live demo!

Newton North High School
January 21st, 5:00 to 7:30 pm

Youth Theater

Freelance Players Musical theater program for youth is now enrolling in Newton. The Newton Freelance Troupe will meet after school on Mondays at the Parish of St. Paul, 1135 Walnut Street. Children 8-12 with little or no acting experience are encouraged to join. The troupe produces one original musical each season.

The next session starts on February 1st and initial meetings/auditions are by appointment during the month of January. The company is staffed by theatre professionals with physical and vocal techniques, drama improvisation, dance, and singing included in the rehearsal process.

For more information or to schedule a first meting, please call 617-274-6065 or visit www.freelanceplayers.org.

Watertown Childrens’ Theater programs

Wildcard: WCT Runway: Fashion and Re-Fashion (Grades 7-12)
Music & Movement: Movement for Performers (Grades 3-7 and 8-12)
Wildcard: Magic (Grades 5-9)
Intensives: Lyrics and Lattes (Grades 4-7 and 8-12)
and much more!

Mark your calendars – Summer Registration Opens January 4th! View the WCT Newsletter here for more details!

Also…Private Voice Lessons
Limited spaces on Wednesdays and Fridays are now available with WCT’s new private voice instructor, John Eldridge. Lessons begin week of January 4th! Contact voice@wctmail.org to check availability. Spaces are first come, first served!