Announcing FREE four session Parent Group Series: Navigating the Rocky Road of Adolescence.  Starting Nov. 2, for parents of teens, led by licensed psychologist Deborah Weinstock-Savoy, Ph.D.  We will explore the many changes that occur during adolescence and how they affect relationships at home and school.  Parents will discuss relevant topics such as promoting healthy choices; setting realistic limits and appropriate consequences; understanding when and how to negotiate; dealing with changes and crises (e.g., divorce); identifying risk factors for anxiety and depression; handling experimentation with sex, alcohol, drugs, and learning to “let go” while maintaining family connections.  Sponsored by the Friedman Center for Child and Family Development and The Newton Partnership. Held at the Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada St.. Newtonville on four Wednesday evening sessions (11/2, 11/9, 11/16 and 11/30) from 7:00-8:30 PM. Groups fill up quickly. Pre-registration required: at http://freedman.mspp.edu  or 617-244-INFO.

On Tuesday October 4, Whole Foods Markets at 647 Washington Street in Newtonville and 916 Beacon Street at Four Corners will donate 5 percent of the day’s net sales to the Newton Schools Foundation.  Do your grocery shopping for the week, prepare for the Yom Kippur break-fast, or get your fall pie ingredients on that day to help NSF support the Newton Public Schools’ efforts to integrate technology throughout the learning and teaching environment.

To celebrate Archaeology Month, The Archaeological Institute of America and the Boston Museum of Science will host the 5th Annual Archaeology Fair on October 7th and 8th. Experience the excitement of archaeology with dozens of hands-on activities, live presentations, and special programs including many connected with the special exhibit A Day in Pompeii. Talk to more than 25 archaeologists from New England and explore how their research is changing the way we look at the past.

•  24 Saturday, September 24, noon-5 pm: NEWTON JAZZ FESTIVAL
• 24 Saturday, September 24, noon-5 pm: SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM DAY
•  25 Sunday, September 25, 2 pm: HISTORIC NEWTON WALKS: Colonial Nonantum Hill: “Praying Indians” and Revolutionarie
• 1 Saturday, October 1, noon – 5 pm: HOMESTEAD HAYFEST
• 1,2 Saturday, Sunday, October 1, 2 , noon – 5pm: NEWTON COMMUNITY WEEKEND
• 16 Sunday, October 16, 11:00am -5:00pm: HISTORIC NEWTON AT THE NEWTON HARVEST FAIR 
• 23 Sunday, October 23, 1:00 PM: DIGGING FOR EVIDENCE: AN ARCHAEOLOGY FAMILY PROGRAM
• 27 Thursday, October 27, 7:30 PM: UNEARTHING A PIECE OF NEWTON’S PAST: ARCHAEOLOGY AT THE DURANT-KENRICK HOUSE AND GROUNDS

24 Saturday, September 24, noon-5 pm
NEWTON JAZZ FESTIVAL

Come out for a free-and-easy afternoon of some of the area’s best jazz presented by the Newton Jazz & Wine Festival in association with Historic Newton. Bring your blankets, lawn chairs and picnic lunches – it’s sure to be a swingin’ time! Rain date Sunday Sept 25th noon–5 pm. Visit www.newtonjazzfest.org for more info. Free.

24 Saturday, September 24, noon-5 pm
SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM DAY

Historic Newton is participating in Museum Day, an annual event hosted by Smithsonian magazine in which museums across the country open their doors for free to anyone presenting a Museum Day Ticket. For more information or to print a ticket, visit their website.

25 Sunday, September 25, 2 pm
HISTORIC NEWTON WALKS
Colonial Nonantum Hill: “Praying Indians” and Revolutionaries

Come explore Newton Corner’s Colonial history with Historic Newton staff members Sarah Cole and Jennifer Hance as they lead a trip back in time to 17th and 18th centuries. Discover the complicated history of John Eliot’s “praying Indian” settlement and hear about Newton families who participated in the birth of their new nation. Meet at the Durant-Kenrick House, 286 Waverley Avenue. Free.

1 Saturday, October 1, noon – 5pm
HOMESTEAD HAYFEST

Join us for a family-friendly outdoor festival at the Jackson Homestead. Travel back in time to the 19th century: learn to weave wool into cloth, make your own butter, press your own cider, dip candles, and more! Learn through hands-on activities how Newton families lived in the 1800s. Rain date Sunday October 2. Free.

1,2 Saturday, Sunday, October 1, 2, noon – 5pm
NEWTON COMMUNITY WEEKEND

Newton residents are invited to enjoy free admission to the museum.

16 Sunday, October 16, 11:00am -5:00pm
HISTORIC NEWTON AT THE NEWTON HARVEST FAIR

Stop by our table at the Harvest Fair on the Newton Centre Green to learn how to make dyes from plants and common foods as they would have in the colonial era. At Langley and Center Streets. Free.

23 Sunday, October 23, 1:00 PM
DIGGING FOR EVIDENCE: AN ARCHAEOLOGY FAMILY PROGRAM

Learn the basic methods of archaeology by taking part in a mock dig in the backyard of the Jackson Homestead. Bring the whole family to see what archaeology can teach us about the Native American people who flourished in this area before European settlement. This program is appropriate for families with children ages 8 and up. Cost: $20 per family ($15 for members) includes museum admission and materials. Prepaid registration is required, limit 25; call 617.796.1450 to register.

Thursday, October 27, 7:30 PM
UNEARTHING A PIECE OF NEWTON’S PAST: ARCHAEOLOGY AT THE DURANT-KENRICK HOUSE AND GROUNDS

Based on the findings from the summer 2011 excavation at the 1734 Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds by archaeologists from UMass Boston, this illustrated talk will explain what stories the archaeology around colonial houses can tell us. Archaeologist Christa Beranek will describe the results of the excavations at this house, including the newly discovered dairy, and the light they shed on the lives of the Kenrick and Durant families. Free.

Fun and adventure await in Cub Scouting, where boys get a chance to do all sorts of great activities with friends, like building and racing pinewood derby cars, roasting hot dogs around the campfire, and being part of a team. Cub Scouting aims kids in the right direction, building their confidence through activities and helping them learn leadership skills. Newton Cub Scout Packs meet at the following locations: Union Church, Waban; Sacred Heart School, Newton Center; Temple Reyim, West Newton; Myrtle Baptist Church, West Newton; Our Lady Help of Christians, Newtonville; Second Church, West Newton. For more information visit www.BeAScout.org or www.ktc-bsa.org.

Registration is now open for Newton Cub Scouts. There are 6 packs that meet in Newton (Newton Center, Newtonville, Waban & 3 in West Newton) for boys in grades 1-5. In Cub Scouts, boys do all sorts of great activities with friends like building and racing pinewood derby cars, camping, community service projects, and being part of a team. The Scouts’ annual October food drive, Scouting for Food, is overwhelmingly the largest contributor to the Newton Food Bank. For more info or to find a pack near you, visit www.BeAScout.org You can also find information about Boy Scouts for boys ages 11-17, grades 6 and higher.

Registration is now underway for Fall classes through Newton Community Education and we still have openings in the following classes for middle schoolers:  Speech Club at South on Mondays (open to Brown and Oak Hill students), Fencing at Bigelow on Mondays, More Math Please at Brown on Tuesdays, Chess and Archery at Day on Tuesdays, Lego Robotics at South on Tuesdays or Fridays, Cartooning at South on Tuesdays, The Stockmarket Game at Oak Hill on Tuesdays, and Babysitting at North on Saturdays. All our classes are for kids from all schools. We have many family classes, such as Cooking Wizardry, Chocolate with a Twist, Family Robotics Clinic, Family Night under the Stars, and more. We also have Saturday sports options for kids ages 2 and up, and weekday afternoon sports options such as Basketball, Archery, and Sports Jam. For more information or to register, call our office at 617-559-6999 or visit our website at newtoncommunityed.org. Be sure to check out our adult classes too!