Category Archives: Other

Please join the Playground Community Build

Sign Up To Volunteer at The Memorial Spaulding Playground Community Build.

Are you or someone in your family a Memorial Spaulding Elementary alumni? Or maybe you’re a Newton resident looking for a great way to get involved in a community project. They’re building an amazing new playground and looking for volunteers to help during the community build October 20th -23rd. No construction experience necessary, there will be something for everyone to do. All volunteers must be 18+ and no children are allowed at the construction site. Please click on the link to sign up and help!

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e094da4a72ca13-memorial

Thanks!

Lauren Siff & Shelly Pearlstein
Playground Committee Co-Chairs

Ali Newman
Tracy Lin
Anne Fetterman
Jennifer Morrison
Lia McKay
Hillary Price
Bela Ved
Playground Committee

Meet our Assistant Superintendent for Student Services

Dear Newton Community:

I look forward to partnering with you as the new Assistant Superintendent for Student Services. The summer has been busy and exciting meeting new colleagues, families and community members. Please click here for my complete introduction and welcome letter.

Please take a few minutes to click on the link below and complete this brief survey to assist my learning in how best the Office of Student Services can support and serve you.

goo.gl/forms/aRt39WiyDzyrMnTA2

Many thanks,
Karen Shmukler

Harvest Fair

The 42nd annual Harvest Fair is a two day event on the Newton Center Green:

  • Saturday, October 15th, has kiddie rides and face painting
  • Sunday, October 16th from 10:00 am –5:00 pm is the Craft Show, Green Expo, Free Pumpkin Decorating and all of the fabulous entertainment. The entertainment begins with Newton’s young musical talent The Dominoes and Jared and the Giants – two fabulous middle school bands you won’t want to miss, followed by Martial Arts, Dance Performances by local dance studios, the YCCA Rock Band and a performance by the amazing students of the Suzuki School of Newton. Closing out the afternoon, are three terrific local bands: The Highlands Conservatory Band- instructors from the local Conservatory of Music; Loose Change – a rock band of Newton educators, and Spicolli’s- yet another talented Newton band.

The favorites at Harvest Fair on Sunday are still there…free pumpkin decorating, kiddie amusement rides, the 150 different craft and business booths selling everything from hand-made beautiful jewelry, clothing to imaginative gifts, and the Green Expo, sponsored by Green Newton, with exhibitors offering solutions for reducing your carbon footprint. As always, gotta have great food and they do!

Visit www.newtoncommunitypride.org or call 617-796-1540 for more information.

Music School Seeking Interns

The Conservatory at Highlands, a cool new music school in Newton Highlands, is currently looking for high school students who would like to work in a fun and fast-paced environment, while gaining valuable hands-on experience in the field of music.

Interns should be friendly, organized, reliable, and self-driven, and enjoy working with people. Interns will greet students and parents as they arrive at The Conservatory, answer the phone, and do other office tasks as directed by our staff. Depending on the interest of the intern, other projects may be assigned, such as creating marketing materials or working in the recording studio. Interns may also be asked to distribute Conservatory flyers at various sporting and other events around Newton on the weekends.

Although internships are unpaid, interns are welcome to work on homework, practice an instrument, and use The Conservatory facilities and recording studio while on the job.

For more information about The Conservatory at Highlands and to view a full internship job description, please visit highlandsconservatory.com.

One-to-One Program

Newton’s One-to-One Program, our very own “Big Brother/Sister Program” has been matching wonderful high schoolers with children in grades one through five for over 30 years.

If you think your elementary aged child would benefit from a mentor in their life and you can you commit 2.5 hours each week to have your child meet with a high school mentor from November to May – you should consider the One-to-One.

To get more information, please contact Rebecca Young, Program Coordinator, at rebecca_young@newton.k12.ma.us or 617-315-8733, For flyer, please click here: One-to-One.

QPR Training with Newton Cares

Newton Cares in collaboration with Historic Newton invites you to learn a suicide prevention training called QPR, Question, Persuade, Refer.

It’s an evidence based, simple technique that offers everyone strategies and approaches to responding to someone experiencing distress and information about how to get the expert help required.

To register and for more information visit www.newtonma.gov/newtoncares.

September 27th, 9:30 – 11:30 am
Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds, 286 Waverley Avenue

NewtonPAC Meeting September 28th

The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education invites parents to join the first meeting of the new school year. This will be a great opportunity to meet our new Assistant Superintendent for Student Services, Karen Shmukler. She will speak about her background and philosophy, and there will be time for questions and answers.

Everyone is welcome. All PAC meetings are open to the public. For questions, please contact: info@newtonpac.org

September 28th, 7:30 pm (Light refreshments served at 7:15 pm)
Room 210, the Education Center, 100 Walnut St

Coping Options for Positive Emotion

Are you a parent of a 7-14 year old child who appears sad, withdrawn, or irritable? Your child may be eligible to participate in Coping Options for Positive Emotion (COPE).

COPE is a treatment research study for child depression funded by the National Institutes of Health. COPE includes therapy that focuses on coping skills. COPE is free of charge and compensation is provided for interviews and parking. COPE is part of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at MGH.

Additional information can be found on the Massachusetts General Hospital website http://clinicaltrials.partners.org/trials.aspx?tId=6279 or by phone at 617-643-7821.

Dikla Eckshtain, PhD can also be reached at deckshtain@mgh.harvard.edu.

Study Participants wanted

Are you a healthy female between 10-21 years old? Interested in the relationship between the brain, hormones and appetite? You could be eligible to participate in an MRI study investigating that very relationship.

This MGH study includes one screening visit to confirm eligibility and three morning visits which will include a meal, questionnaires, blood draws and two MRI scans. Visits are spread over 18 months. In order to be eligible, participants must be willing to not take oral contraceptives (birth control pills).

If you are eligible, you can receive up to $550 for completing the study. Local transportation and parking costs will be reimbursed. Fill out the survey here: https://redcap.partners.org/redcap/surveys/?s=vXBQ2peXoD or contact anebrainstudy@partners.org for more information.