The Newton ‘Girls Who Code’ club is recruiting software engineers and computer scientists to volunteer as instructors for the 2015-2016 school year. The club serves girls in grades 6-12 and aims to inspire, educate, and equip them with computing skills for the 21st century.

They meet for 2 hours each week, and follow a curriculum published by the national Girls Who Code organization. They work in Scratch, JavaScript, AppInventor, and HTML/CSS, to build a range of projects from graphics to video games to artificial intelligence to cryptography. They also host guest speakers, go on field trips, and develop soft skills like collaborating and presenting your work. Club volunteers are passionate about closing the gender gap in technology and getting girls into this rewarding field.

The Newton Free Library currently hosts two club sections with over 30 girls. Hoping to expand to a third section for 2015-2016 and host up to 60 girls, they need more volunteer instructors to do so. Instructors deliver short lectures, run discussions, and help girls with their coding projects during Make Time. The club provides the curriculum and all the instructional material (slides, code examples, assignments), though instructors are also welcome to design and use supplements. The club schedule is flexible: if you can commit to volunteering on a regular basis, they can create a section that meets at a 2-hour afternoon, evening, or weekend time that fits your schedule. The club year starts in October 2015 and runs through May 2016.

To qualify as an instructor you must:

* Be proficient in at least one backend programming language.
* Have intermediate knowledge of data structures and algorithms.
* Be able to pass a background screening.
* Commit to volunteer 2–3 hours per week.

Both men and women instructors welcome. Volunteers who have some experience working with youth (e.g. as coaches, teaching assistants, camp counselors, or tutors) are preferred but this is not required. Each section has 1 or 2 instructors, so consider volunteering as a co-instructor if you think you are not up to running a section by yourself.

Visit www.newtongwc.org for additional information. To learn more about volunteering or to arrange a time to see the club in action, please contact newtongwc@gmail.com.

The post Girls Who Code instructors needed appeared first on Newton PTO Council.

The Newton ‘Girls Who Code’ club is recruiting software engineers and computer scientists to volunteer as instructors for the 2015-2016 school year. The club serves girls in grades 6-12 and aims to inspire, educate, and equip them with computing skills for the 21st century.

They meet for 2 hours each week, and follow a curriculum published by the national Girls Who Code organization. They work in Scratch, JavaScript, AppInventor, and HTML/CSS, to build a range of projects from graphics to video games to artificial intelligence to cryptography. They also host guest speakers, go on field trips, and develop soft skills like collaborating and presenting your work. Club volunteers are passionate about closing the gender gap in technology and getting girls into this rewarding field.

The Newton Free Library currently hosts two club sections with over 30 girls. Hoping to expand to a third section for 2015-2016 and host up to 60 girls, they need more volunteer instructors to do so. Instructors deliver short lectures, run discussions, and help girls with their coding projects during Make Time. The club provides the curriculum and all the instructional material (slides, code examples, assignments), though instructors are also welcome to design and use supplements. The club schedule is flexible: if you can commit to volunteering on a regular basis, they can create a section that meets at a 2-hour afternoon, evening, or weekend time that fits your schedule. The club year starts in October 2015 and runs through May 2016.

To qualify as an instructor you must:

* Be proficient in at least one backend programming language.
* Have intermediate knowledge of data structures and algorithms.
* Be able to pass a background screening.
* Commit to volunteer 2–3 hours per week.

Both men and women instructors welcome. Volunteers who have some experience working with youth (e.g. as coaches, teaching assistants, camp counselors, or tutors) are preferred but this is not required. Each section has 1 or 2 instructors, so consider volunteering as a co-instructor if you think you are not up to running a section by yourself.

Visit www.newtongwc.org for additional information. To learn more about volunteering or to arrange a time to see the club in action, please contact newtongwc@gmail.com.

The post Girls Who Code instructors needed appeared first on Newton PTO Council.

May 4th – 8th  is Teacher Appreciation Week. Say “Thank You” to the exceptional teachers and staff who motivate, educate and inspire your students to be the best they can be by participating in the Honor Thy Teacher campaign.

Newton Schools Foundation created this special program for parents to honor teachers by giving a gift in their name. You may also choose to honor a special education aide, a fine arts or music teacher, or a coach or counselor who has touched your child’s life. Suggested donation is $25 per teacher/staff member.

NSF celebrates Newton Public Schools teachers and staff by:
• Notifying honored teachers and staff of your gift
• Sharing honoree names with the Superintendent and Principals.
• Listing all honored teachers and staff in the Newton TAB

You can make your donation on line at www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org or by mailing your donation to Newton Schools Foundation, 246 Dudley Road, Newton, MA 02459. Please include the names of teachers and/or staff at which school that you are honoring. Flyers will be going home in elementary school backpacks in the next week.

Newton Schools Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises funds to enhance the quality of education in Newton’s public schools. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

The post 2015 Newton Schools Foundation Honor Thy Teacher appeared first on Newton PTO Council.

The Newton Partnership, Inc. awards financial assistance for child care to income-eligible families residing in Newton or for children who are currently enrolled in Newton Public Schools. To qualify, the child care provider must be licensed and recipients will be determined by lottery.

Applications and more details for the 2015-16 year are available on the website.
Please find the application here: Scholarship Application 2015-2016. Applications are due by May 15th.

The post Child Care Scholarship Applications are now open for next year! appeared first on Newton PTO Council.