Author Archives: Newton PTO Council

Mother’s Day Memorial Bike Ride

The Christina Clarke Genco Foundation (CCGF) will hold its third annual
Mother’s Day Memorial Bike Ride  to commemorate the life of Christina Genco by raising funds to support bike safety and affordable housing projects. The Foundation aims to inspire youth to find their passion and make a difference in their communities, and focuses on bicycling safety education, athletic scholarships and support for affordable housing.

The Ride kicks off at Newton City Hall and offers four routes of 68 miles, 34 miles, 17 miles and a family ride to accommodate all ages and abilities. Start times are staggered at 8:00 am, 9:00 am, 10:00 am, and 10:30 am, respectively.

International Bicycle Center and Cycle Loft will provide overall logistical support, a safe biking clinic will be offered on-site in partnership with Bike Newton, and the Boston University Pep Band will perform as the riders cross the finish line. Food and refreshments will be served, and prizes will be awarded for the most creative costumes at the ride.

Sunday May 11th at Newton City Hall 

Kids FunFEST

Kiddie amusement rides and face painting  will be going on both Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday only, participate in free themed arts and crafts activities to celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Try Indian Rongoli – making beautiful patterns on the pavement using colored rice flour, and decorating jute ‘flags’ , as well as origami.

On Sunday only, come enjoy the craft fair, with many types of craft booths where you might be able to find a special treasure for Mother’s Day, as well as several food vendors. See 3 Newton dance studios performing: Star Dance School, Creative Dance Steps and All That Jazz; and a performance by the West Suburban YMCA Band!

Admission is free. Visit www.newtoncommunitypride.org for more information. Saturday, May 10th and Sunday, May 11th, 10:00 am – 5:00pm. Newton City Hall Green, 1000 Commonwealth Avenue

Free cookie decorating and more

Its a FREE cookie decorating at L’Aroma Cafe, no reservations or purchase necessary, open to all children. Six other West Newton businesses nearby are participating, so kids would not only get a free cookie to decorate, they will also get a free kids popcorn from the West Newton Theater, free slice of pizza from West Newton Pizza, a free Silly Putty from Morning Silver Gallery, free craft making at Hipstich (reservation required), a $5- voucher against any purchase at Artitudes and a free lesson at Rhythmic Dreams.

Saturday, May 10th, 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

Let’s Get Organized workshop for families of special ed children

Come to a special workshop called Let’s Get Organized, where experts from Family Ties of Massachusetts will present on how to organize all of the paperwork and materials that come with being a special ed parent, and will provide concrete written materials to expand our organizational skills. Participants will take home a three-ring binder, organizational supplies, and lots of ideas on ways to bring order to the mountains of paperwork that relates to their child’s medical and educational needs.

If you’d like to come, please RSVP to may13organization@gmail.com. When RSVP’ing, indicate if you would like the materials in a language other than English. Materials for this workshop are available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Chinese, and Vietnamese. For questions, please email Eileen.sandberg.newtonpac@gmail.com.

May 13th, 7:30 pm (networking starting at 7:15)
Room 210, Education Center, 100 Walnut Street.

Part time nanny needed

A professional couple with a 4 year old child in Newton seeks a part-time nanny to work on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm, and on Tuesday from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The ideal candidate should someone with SPEd background (aide, BT, ST, etc). Must be able to drive and maintain a clean driving record. Pay is commensurate with education background and experiences ($20-$30 per hour). To express interest or for any questions, please email helenh986@gmail.com.

Donate your change to help preserve the Newton Civil War Monument!

The Soldiers’ Monument to Newton’s fallen sons stands in Newton Cemetery and turns 150 years old this year. A coin drive by Newton’s school children in 1863 helped fund construction of the monument, which was dedicated in July 1864 before the war was over. The Monument was restored last fall and paid for with Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds. A coin drive this year will start a maintenance fund for the upkeep of the Memorial.

We need YOU to adopt a coin bucket for your school! Please contact Katy Hax Holmes at (617) 796-1143 or kholmes@newtonma.gov and we can get you started. This coin drive would start May 5th and last about one week.

Please join us on May 18, 2014 at 1:00 pm in Newton Cemetery to honor Newton’s Civil War sons, husbands, brothers, and friends. And see how far spare change can go when we work together to remember the youth of Newton who gave “the last full measure of their devotion.”

Dragon Boat team for Cancer survivors and caregivers

The Wellness Warriors Dragon Boat Team is holding New Paddler Orientations. Exercise and support groups are so important in the fight against Cancer. The Wellness Warriors Dragon Boat Team combines both in a way that is fun and exciting. They practice from May through August on the Charles River in Cambridge as well as competing in races around New England.  They share the common bond of being Cancer survivors and caregivers,  a floating support group that is truly unique.  Awaken your own dragon and feel the power of pushing yourself in ways you never thought you could! The rewards are great. To learn more about the Wellness Warriors, visit www.wellnesswarriorsboston.org.

The Sunday School for Jewish Studies Open Enrollment

Once a week Hebrew School for Grades 1 – 7 and once a month Pre-K / Kindergarten class and free family toddler program.

The Sunday School for Jewish Studies is now accepting registrations for the 2014-15 school year. They are an independent school, located at the Oak Hill Middle School in Newton, which provides a Jewish education for children and families with diverse traditions of Jewish observance. Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation is available but not required, and students may enter in any grade. Interfaith and nontraditional families are welcome. For additional information, please visit the website at www.SundaySchoolforJewishStudies.org or call 617.264.8855.

Highlands After-School Program

The Highlands After-School Program is enrolling now for the 2014-15 school year –
just for middle school kids, serves children attending Brown and Oak Hill Middle Schools.

Activities include sports, arts, cooking, science, homework, field trips, community service and team building. It’s a place to go and hang with friends, enjoy activities, and get a head start on homework. For more information contact Rochelle Acker at 617.999.4617 or highlandsafterschool@gmail.com or visit the website: www.highlandsafterschool.org

 

The Newton Ligerbots are going to the World Championships

The Newton Ligerbots are going to the World Championships, but need your financial support.

The LigerBots are the joint robotics team of Newton North and South High Schools, which competes in the FIRST FRC competition. The team has had a great season this year. They won the District competition at Worchester Polytechnic, and came in second at the Northeastern competition. This earned them a spot at the New England Championships at Boston University. On Monday, after the BU event, they were invited to go to the World Championships in St. Louis on April 23-26 (less than 1 week away).

However, this is the best the team has ever done and the additional expense of going to St. Louis was quite unexpected. The LigerBots have received a number of supplemental grants from our generous sponsors, but there is still a very large shortfall. The team families are ready to pay substantial amounts to make this happen, but not everyone can afford it. The team has members from all parts of Newton and all income levels.

Please consider making a tax deductible donation to the LigerBots to help offset the cost of the trip. You can donate online at http://ligerbots.org/support/ . Alternately, you can send a check to the Newton Schools Foundation http://www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org/support/support-donate.html and please be sure to write “LigerBots Championship” on the check memo so that the money is earmarked for the LigerBots.

If you want to learn more about the team, the web site is http://ligerbots.org
You can see videos of many of the LigerBots’ recent matches on the home page. The LigerBots are Team 2877.

Thanks for any support you can provide.