Category Archives: Community Notes

Family ski trips

Randy Friedman, father of two boys in the Newton schools with over 25 years experience in the ski and travel business, recently started Seven Travel LLC for the purpose of creating community by planning ski and ride family trips. He and his family of skiers have met many other families through school that also like to ski and ride.

If you are interested please check out www.seventravel.org for all the details on family trips to Sugarloaf; Jay Peak; Bolton Valley; and Smugglers Notch this season. Come join the fun, meet some new families and make new friends!

You’re invited to a music event for the whole Newton Community

Please join in a fun-filled evening in support of a great cause. Student ensembles from Newton North and South will provide live music. You’ll enjoy other entertainment including a raffle and silent auction. There will be light fare and a cash bar.

The benefit will raise funds for the Newton Music Ambassadors Scholarship Fund (MASF) which supports Newton high school student enrichment activities such as music travel & off-site performances, and private music lessons and summer music camps for students with limited means.

The mission of MASF is to empower Newton students to positively impact the world around them through music. Tickets will be $25.00 for adults and $10.00 for kids. To purchase tickets, click http://newtonmusicambassadors.seatyourself.biz/.

December 1st, 7:00 pm
Hibernian Hall, 151 Watertown Street, Watertown

Newton Family Singers Celebrate the Music of Bob Marley

Lively Up Yourself, pack the minivan, and join the Newton Family Singers as they perform irresistible reggae tunes from Bob Marley. Adults $10.00/children $8.00, tickets can be purchased online: Tickets. Family-friendly, live music! See a flyer here: NFS. For questions email admin@newtonfamilysingers.org

In addition to enjoying a great concert, all net proceeds will be used to rebuild the Island Health & Wellness Center, a non-profit affordable medical facility that was destroyed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, so that its medical staff can continue to serve their patients on the Caribbean Islands.

Sunday, December 10th, at 4:00 pm
The Ellsworth Theatre of Pine Manor College, 400 Heath Street, Chestnut Hill (free parking available on campus – please come early to park).

The Newton Family Singers is an intergenerational family chorus that brings together families and friends of all ages to sing American folk music.

FREE Diversity Children’s Books for Parents, Teachers, Librarians (anyone!)

Mia Wenjen, a parent at FA Day and NNHS who co-founded Multicultural Children’s Book Day (coming up January 27th) to celebrate diversity in KidLit, is offering FREE diversity children’s books.

1) Simply post a short review on Facebook or Instagram or YouTube or a blog and receive one FREE diversity children’s book for ages 1 through 14. You will receive a book based on the age range you request. Sign up here:
https://www.pragmaticmom.com/2017/10/sign-up-for-free-diversity-childrens-book/

2) Host a book event in your home, library or classroom and receive 3 FREE diversity books and a swag pack:
http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/category/offline-classroomlibrary-event-project/

Creating Successful Students

High school parents and students are invited to “Creating Successful Students”, presented by Dan Levine of Engaging Minds, to learn strategies for reducing academic stress, conquering procrastination, and strengthening executive functioning skills at home. Specific strategies include:

  • Managing nightly homework
  • Short-term and long-term assignment planning and time management
  • How to get “unstuck” when having trouble initiating tasks
  • How to organize papers, assignments, belongings, and more.

This workshop is FREE and open to the public. Click here for flyer: Successful Students. Engaging Minds is an after school learning center with locations in Newton and Natick. The strategies presented will not require purchasing services from Engaging Minds. Please RSVP to  qetchie@newtonma.gov.

December 7th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Druker Auditorium, Newton Free Library.

Newton Girls Softball Spring 2018 regitration now open

Registration is now open for Newton Girls Softball, a recreational league for Newton girls (residents or girls who attend Newton Schools) in grades K-7. Register soon for guaranteed placement and pair-me-with requests. For more information and to register, please visit www.newtongirlssoftball.org.

The league welcomes players of all skill levels and will provide your daughter with an experience that fosters positive self-esteem, team spirit, and individual growth through personal achievement and as a team member.

The wildly successful Kindergarten T-Ball program continues this year. Register your daughter now, you’ll be glad you did.

2018 Registration Dates:
January 31st: Deadline to register without paying a late fee.
February 28th: Deadline to register with guaranteed placement and pair-me-with rights. A $15 late fee will be applied.

Newton SouthEast Little League Spring 2018 Registration Now Open

Registration for all divisions (T-ball through Majors) is now open for students who reside within or attend private or public schools within the public school district boundaries of Memorial-Spaulding, Mason-Rice, Bowen, Angier, Countryside and Zervas. Children who attend one of these schools but live out of district may participate in NSELL’s program under Little League’s 2018 rules without a waiver.

T ball: ages 5-6 (pre-K and K)
Farm: ages 7 and 8 (one division for age 7/1st grade and one division for age 8/2nd grade)
AA: age 9 (3rd grade)
AAA: ages 10-11 (4-5th grade)
Majors: ages 10-12 (4th-6th grade) are eligible to tryout.

New this year, NSELL is offering a $30 early bird discount for T-ball for players registered before February 1, 2018.

www.newtonsoutheastll.org

Letter from the Hydro-Dragons

We are a group of 6th graders at Brown Middle School that are part of The First Lego League (FLL). FLL is an organization that allows kids ages of 9 to 16 to have the opportunity to help work as a team, and start to research real-world problems. The theme this year is Hydro Dynamics (water) and we are FLL Team #34813 Hydro-Dragons.

We have to find a problem related to water. Originally, we thought about the Flint water crisis, but since Flint is too far away to do much, we decided to focus on lead in Newton water. With this idea, we have developed a goal to raise awareness on lead and its dangers. We have learned that some Newton schools and public buildings have had high-levels of lead in drinking water.

To help raise awareness on lead in drinking water, we made a website, for more information please visit it at https://leadwaterawareness.wixsite.com/lead.
To learn more about FLL, visit their website: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/fll
For information on 2017-2018 season challenge, please watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMuE4PKosys&feature=youtu.be

Free rain gauge

On behalf of the Newton FFL Lego Robotics Team, the Robotics Team of 4-8th graders in Newton,  thank you so much for taking the time to complete the lawn water survey!

They received almost 100 responses and are now in the process of making rain gauges to help Newton residents determine how much they should water their lawn every week. If you are interested in a FREE rain gauge please email at newtonbotanists@gmail.com.