Category Archives: Education/Enrichment

Teen Programs

Teen Crafternoons,  December 2nd, 3:30 pm, second floor Teen Area: Get creative making wrapping paper, gift tags, carving stamps, and eating snacks.

Get Hooked: Knitting and Crochet Club, December 4th, 7:00 pm, second floor Teen Area: Join the ongoing Knitting and Crochet Club. They have crochet hooks, knitting needles, yarn and the know-how to teach the basics of crocheting. Or, bring your own project. Refreshments will be served. Open to ages 10 and up.

Girls Who Code Club, December 5th, 12th and 19th, 4:00 pm, second floor Computer Center: Want to learn how to build an app, design a video game and change the world through code? Join the Girls Who Code (GWC) Club! GWC is a national non-profit organization leading the movement to inspire, educate and equip girls with the computing skills they need to pursue 21st century opportunities. Join them every Friday throughout the school year to learn about artificial intelligence, graphics, game design, cryptography, mobile development and so much more! Open to grades 6-12. For more information: www.newtongwc.com

Create Your Own Light-Up Card, December 16th, 3:30 pm, second floor Teen Area: Learn some elementary electronics, and how to create fun and flexible circuits on paper. You can make holiday cards or pictures that light up.

“Beautiful Music for Ugly Children,” Dec. 15

Please join a special meeting of Books & Brownies, the Newton Free Library’s parent/guardian and teen book club in the second floor Teen Area!

The group will discuss Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills, which received the 2014 Stonewall Award from the American Library Association, given to a book of “exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience.”

Monday, December 15th, 7:00 pm
Newton Free Library

BMUC tells the story of Gabe, a high school senior with a serious love of music, who is learning to leave Liz behind – the person everyone has known him as until now. We hope you’ll join for a great discussion and of course, brownies!

Special Education Parent Advisory Council

For information about Newton PAC, please go to the Newton PAC website: www.newtonpac.org . If you have questions for the Newton PAC Board, please email info@newtonpac.org

Topics to be presented in 2014-2015:

  • Panel discussion on mental health, with emphasis on depression in children and adolescents
  • Assistive Technologies workshop with Kayla McAllister, NPS staff
  • Screen time for children with disabilities: What is recommended? What is too much?
  • Telling your child about their disabilities / diagnoses
  • IEP in a fishbowl
  • Understanding Neuropsychological Testing and Evaluations

Future Newton PAC meeting dates:

December 10th
January 8th
February 5th
March 4th
April 15th
May 14th
June 2015 – Sixth Annual Special Educators Awards Ceremony, Date TBA

The Growth Mindset

Come to a Parent/Guardian workshop on getting up to speed on the growth mindset.

Have you heard that Newton Public Schools is asking teachers and staff to explore how
encouraging a “growth mindset” can motivate students to learn? Do you know that the research-based growth mindset is useful for all ages and in all settings—school, home, work, athletics?

Newton North School Council and PTSO invite ALL parents/guardians to a fun and engaging evening exploring the growth mindset. As Principal Jen Price shows you how Newton Public Schools faculty are being trained in the use of the growth mindset, you’ll learn:

 Effective ways to give praise

 Useful methods for encouraging children and teens to try new things and accept

challenges

 Constructive ways to respond to failure

 Successful strategies for creating a parent-teacher dialogue about students’ development

You will also have a chance to apply the growth mindset during an interactive challenge.
To learn more about the growth mindset, read The Significance of Grit . or view this Ted Talk by Angela Duckworth.

December 3rd, 7:00-8:30 pm
Newton North High School cafeteria

Preschool Openings

Pine Manor College Child Study Center in Chestnut Hill currently has a few part time and full time openings for children ages 2 yrs. 9 months up to age 3 ½ yrs and openings for 2015-2016 include children ages 2 years 9 months up through age 5.

Applications are currently being accepted for both the current year and the 2015-2016 academic year. If you are looking for a quality preschool program, licensed by the Dept. of Education and accredited by NAEYC, please come for a tour and visit their classrooms.

Open 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, the Child Study Center’s professional staff provide exciting curriculum activities. PUDDLESTOMPERS, an outdoor science program, and music with Hugh Hanley are two of the enrichment activities offered throughout the academic year. The large playground serves as an outdoor classroom for children to run, climb, swing and explore. Located on the campus of Pine Manor College, the preschool program is conveniently located just off Route 9.  For more information, please visit http://www.pmc.edu/csc or email Lynne Love, Director, at llove@pmc.edu.

Suzuki Preschool Open House

The Suzuki Preschool of Newton will be hosting an open house on Sunday, December 7th. This event is free and open to the public. This a great opportunity to come and acquaint yourself with their integrated arts curriculum, meet the teachers and staff, enjoy light refreshments, participate in fun crafts for children of all ages and receive a guided tour of the facility.  For inquires please contact: Marlene Lerer at marlene@suzukinewton.org or 617-964-4522

December 7th,  12:00-4:00 pm
1860 Washington Street, Auburndale

Kumon Math and Reading Center

The Kumon Math and Reading Center of Newton announces a new location: 56 Winchester St. The Center offers supplementary math and reading programs from Pre-K to 12th grade. To celebrate the move, they are offering a $25 donation to the Newton school of your choice untill the end of 2014. Just mention this offer and enroll during our free testing/orientation.

Winston Chiong, Ph.D. and Jane Chiong, Ed.D., the parents of four children who graduated from Newton Schools, have over 23 years experience running a Kumon center in Newton.  Additionally, Winston was a full professor of Economics and Jane taught Special Education, is a School Psychologist and published author. She is now writing her second book on Math Culture in America.

www.newtonkumon.com
617-244-9540

Info Session on Domestic Workers Bill of Rights

Do you employ someone who works in your home? If so, you will most likely be affected by a new state law — the Massachusetts Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights (DWBR). The law will give basic protections to privately hired nannies, housekeepers and care givers who work in our homes – protections that other workers have had for decades and that many of us take for granted.

If you are interested to learn about the DWBR, which was signed by Governor Patrick in July 2014, and goes into effect on April 1st, 2015., join this information session. Lydia Edwards of the Massachusetts Coalition for Domestic Workers and Marya Axner of the New England Jewish Labor Committee will be there to answer questions and to provide materials to help you and your employees make a smooth transition to the new law. This will be an employer friendly environment!

Please RSVP, if you plan to attend, to Beth Polasky at samissie@comcast.net or 617-244-5675.

December 1st, 7:15 pm
26 Walter Street, Newton

The Newton Solar Challenge

The Newton Solar Challenge is a City-wide residential solar campaign sponsored by Green Decade Newton, the City of Newton Sustainability Office, and Newton-based BarnRaise Energy. The Newton Solar Challenge provides: preferred pricing for Newton residents, American-made solar equipment, high-quality regional solar installers and “solar loans” from local banks to support residential ownership.

The Newton Solar Challenge will have two “Solar Workshops” for interested Newton homeowners at the Auburndale Community Library. In the Solar Workshops, the team will give a brief presentation and then will have interactive “breakouts” in small groups covering:

  • How would solar work at my house?
  • How would it “look” on my house?
  • Show me the numbers !
  • How does solar reduce increasing utility bills (NSTAR’s recent 29% increase) ?
  • How do the numbers work to provide a payback on a solar investment ?
  • Solar Loans: How will solar loans enable residential ownership and help make the numbers even better ?

The Solar Challenge will introduce Newton-based Village Bank’s new “solar loan” solution and have a banking representative available in the breakout session. This is an opportunity to learn and get involved in an informational, community-based setting. To learn more, visit http://www.newtonsolarchallenge.com/

Coffee, soft drinks and desserts will be provided

November 16th, 4:00 pm
November 19th, 7:00 pm
Auburndale Community Library
375 Auburn Street, Auburndale