Come see the work of local photographer Tony Irving, “The People’s Photographer.”
Tony’s work is known by many from his column, “The Roving Camera” featured weekly in the Bay State Banner Newspaper.
The exhibit is at the
Mattapan Branch Library
1350 Blue Hill Avenue
Mattapan, MA
02126
All are invited.
“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” ~ Henry Adams
It’s that time of year again to honor exceptional Newton teachers and staff who have touched your child’s life. The suggested donation is $25 per teacher/staff member. Newton Schools Foundation celebrates Newton Public Schools teachers and staff by:
To honor a teacher or staff person go to www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org.
At Newton Community Education we would like to expand our Kids & Teens program. To do that we need some help. We are looking for an elementary school parent available to work part-time (maybe as few as five hours a week or so) to help plan our Fall program. You would be involved in brainstorming ideas for new programs and recruiting teachers to work for NCE. The ideal candidate for this position is an elementary school parent who has been involved in the PTO and has some awareness of other Kids program offerings around Newton. If you’re interested, please email a cover letter and resume to: lisa_rucinski@newton.k12.ma.us.
Mondays at 6pm BikeNewton leads a group Bike Ride starting and ending at the Newton Main Library on Homer St. Arrive at 5:45. These are “No Rider Left Behind” rides; Anyone may ride as long as their bikes are in good working order, and they are confident they can handle a leisurely 7 to 10 mile ride. Children must be with an adult, all riders must wear helmets, and adhere to safety rules of the road. We will go to scenic points in and around Newton. All new riders get a free copy of Bike Newton’s new Bike Map of Newton!! See www.bikenewton.org for last-minute schedule changes and further information. Questions? Email: nathan.aronow@verizon.net
It’s that time of year again to honor exceptional Newton teachers and staff who have touched your child’s life. The suggested donation is $25 per teacher/staff member.
We celebrate Newton Public Schools teachers and staff by:
· Notifying honored teachers and staff of your gift
· Listing all honored teachers and staff in the Newton TAB
· Sharing honoree names with the Superintendent and Principals
· Ensuring your donations go to support teaching & learning in Newton schools.
To honor a teacher or staff person go to www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org.
Stress can be both positive – preparing for school graduation, or negative – dealing with the death of a loved one. Stress is a condition that is often characterized by symptoms of physical or emotional tension such as irritability, loss of appetite, sleep difficulties or crying. It is a reaction to a situation where a person feels threatened or anxious. For children, simply the loss of the regular routine of the school year can be stressful, even if the days are filled with fun activities such as camps or vacations. Similar coping tips apply to families whether they are helping a child work through positive stress or something more traumatic.
May is Mental Health Month, which according to Mental Health America “began in 1949 to raise awareness of mental health conditions and mental wellness for all.”
It’s natural for children to worry, especially when scary or stressful events happen in their lives. Talking with children about these stressful events when they happen, and monitoring what children watch or hear about the events, can help put frightening information into a more balanced context. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers parents these suggestions to help children through their questions:
耀 Reach out and talk. Create opportunities to have your children talk, but do not force them. Tell your children you are there to listen to their thoughts and feelings. It is important for children to feel like they can share their feelings and to know that their fears and worries are understandable.
耀 Express yourself. Your children may be feeling different emotions at different times. Sadness. Anger. Fear. Confusion. These feelings are normal reactions to stressful events. Encourage your children to appropriately express how he or she feels. Acknowledge that you may have these feelings too, and model good coping for your children.
耀 Watch and listen. Be alert for any change in behavior. Are children sleeping more or less? Are they withdrawing from friends or family? Are they behaving in any way out of the ordinary? Any changes in behavior, even small changes, may be a red flag that the child is having trouble coming to terms with the event.
耀 Reassure. Stressful events can challenge a child’s sense of physical and emotional safety and security. Take opportunities to reassure your child about his or her safety and well-being and discuss ways that you, the school, and the community are taking steps to keep them safe.
耀 Share information with other parents. Get to know your children’s friends and their parents. Make an on-going effort to check in and talk to other parents about any issues or stress. You don’t have to deal with problems alone-it is often helpful for parents, schools, and health professionals to work together in providing support to and in ensuring the well-being of children in stressful times.
耀 Stay Connected. After a stressful event, it is easy to pull away from those close to you. Make sure that you are setting aside time to spend time with those who are important to you. Consider planning fun activities with your child to facilitate staying connected.
耀 Keep it going. Ask your children how they feel about the event in a week, then in a month and so on. Each child has his or her own way of coping under stressful situations. The best thing you can do as a parent is to listen to your children and allow them to express their concerns and fears.
This article was adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Violence Prevention
The Newton Parents Advisory Council for Special Education (NewtonPAC) is thrilled to announce our Third Annual NewtonPAC Special Educator Awards!
The awards ceremony will be held on Tuesday, June 5th at 7pm at Newton North, Lasker Theatre, 457 Walnut St and will be followed by a casual reception.
Once again, we will be honoring a few of the many members of NPS staff who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to have truly made a difference in the lives of our children. Do you have someone you’d like to recognize? Send your nominations PACawards2012@gmail.com by May 15th.
Please read the following important information regarding nominations! All nominations must be received by May 15th.
Nominations MUST include:
1) Your name (will not be made public – nominator’s names are known only to award recipients).
2) Nominee’s home school and e-mail address. If s/he is a district-wide employee, please designate as such and note which school your child attends.
3) A SHORT paragraph on why you believe s/he should be recognized (please help by keeping it short!) .
Please note that the awards are for the CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR ONLY. All nominees will be recognized.
Nominees can be any member of NPS staff. They do NOT have to be special education dedicated if they made a difference to a child receiving special education services. There is no official limit to the number of staff members nominated per family, but please use your discretion. The awards are meant to recognize truly outstanding efforts.
Send your nominations directly to Eileen at PACawards2012@gmail.com by May 15th.
If you are interested in helping with refreshments, set-up or clean-up for the awards ceremony, please write to PACawards2012@gmail.com to volunteer.
If you have any questions, please contact Eileen Sandberg, Awards Ceremony Coordinator, at PACawards2012@gmail.com
The City of Newton is updating its Recreation and Open Space Plan and would like to learn more about how residents view the City’s existing open space resources. Newton has a wide range of open spaces, from parks, playgrounds and other areas for active recreation, to wetlands, conservation lands and the Charles River. We’re interested in the priorities of residents for improving, acquiring and maintaining open space in Newton. Everyone has a stake in our natural spaces and we’re seeking your input and ideas!
Results from the survey will be used to help guide the City and the Recreation and Open Space Plan Advisory Committee. With public participation and input, we will developing a vision and set goals and priorities for Newton’s open space and recreation facilities over the next 5 years, consistent with the Newton Comprehensive Plan.
A link to the survey can be found on the City’s website at:
http://newtonma.gov/gov/planning/lrplan/os/default.asp
Or directly at:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TH3M3BB
Questions? Contact Claire Ricker at openspace@newtonma.gov, or call the Newton Planning Department at 617-796-1122.
Sat. May 19th 1-3.
27 George Street (Near Centre and Cabot/Sargent).
Let’s do it again! Bring a Plant/Take a Plant: Ferns creeping out of bounds? Hostas growing like weeds? Lily of the Valley taking over your yard? Don’t put those Iris divisions in the compost bin. Trade them in! Use flower pots, milk cartons, coffee cans, yogurt tubs, even plastic bags to pot up your cast-offs. Early drop-offs okay. This is recycling at its best! Exchanges free, but please watch for the box for voluntary donations. This is a project started by a Bigelow student, now at NNHS, to raise money for worthy METCO students. All proceeds go to the METCO Scholarship Fund. Questions: BHoward617@aol.com
The Oak Hill/Brown Speech Team is a proud member of the Massachusetts Middle School Forensics League. Part of this esteemed membership provides the opportunity of two of our students to be appointed to the MMSFL Leadership Council. This year our team’s Leadership Council Representatives are Melissa Klein (Oak Hill) and Sophia Tang (Brown).
The mission of the MMSFL Leadership Council is to raise money for the League’s selected charity. This year’s charity is EMARC, a local resource that promotes services and supports for persons with intellectual disabilities and their families.
Melissa Klein will be selling OAK HILL BRACELETS during lunch time this week to raise money for EMARC. The bracelets are $3 a piece and all proceeds will be donated to charity. If you do not see Melissa but wish to purchase a bracelet, please contact her at happysmiley400@gmail.com.