Category Archives: Community Notes

Volunteer to help NCE!

Newton Community Ed is looking for two PTO members to join its Commission. NCE Commission members guide the organization in administration of the program.

Volunteers will be asked to attend four-five meetings over the course of the school year, and to assist with various projects as assigned by the NCE Director. This is a low-commitment opportunity to support NCE in its mission to deliver high-quality Kids programs in Newton. Please contact Ed Hauben at ed_hauben@newton.k12.ma.us if you’re interested.

Are you a parent of a Mason-Rice Alum?

Please join in celebrating the retirement of Maureen Cahoon, beloved crossing guard of 40+ years! On June 9th at the Newton Marriott, the community will honor Maureen’s service with an evening of music, dancing and great food and drink.

For tickets, additional event details and information on how to lend your support, please visit the Mason-Rice page by clicking here. If you have been lucky enough to know Maureen during the last 40 years, then you know it will mean the world to her to see you there!

First Lego League (FLL) and Junior FLL Info Night

The Newton LigerBots are hosting a First Lego League (FLL) and Junior FLL Info Night.

FLL is the FIRST LEGO robotics competition for fourth through eighth graders. In addition to building and programming LEGO robots, each year’s themed FLL challenge includes a project for which team members brainstorm and present creative solutions to real life problems. This event is aimed at parents and students.

Junior FLL is a project based program for grades K-3. At FLL Info Night parents can learn more about the FLL program and students can participate in fun activities. Current LigerBots students and coaches who have participated in FLL in the past will lead a presentation with general information on FLL as well as on how to start your own team. There will be demonstrations of EV3 robots and people to answer any questions you may have.

Email fll@ligerbots.com for more information or see the fliers here: FLL

May 30th,  7:00 – 9:00 pm at the Newton North High School, Film Lecture Hall (just off the front entrance at Tiger Drive)

Newton Community Preservation Committee meeting May 31st

The agenda for the CPC’s next meeting includes a public hearing and possible funding vote on affordable housing and historic preservation on Auburn Street in Auburndale and a pre-proposal for a historic railing in Newton Cemetery in Newton Centre. For details, see the program website at www.newtonma.gov/cpa or contact Alice Ingerson at aingerson@newtonma.gov or 617-796-1144.

May 31st, 7:00 pm
Newton Senior Center, 345 Walnut Street

The Dominoes Benefit Concert June 3rd

Save the date for the Dominoes Benefit Concert for 2017 AIDS Walk & Run Boston.

Come for a picnic dinner and a concert at the Hyde Community Center Bandstand. Join The Dominoes, 8th graders Abby Matthews, Alexa Firkusny, Ben Baines, Jacob Trokel and Owen Beaver from Brown Middle School, hosting their first benefit concert to support their school’s fundraising effort and participation in the 32nd AIDS Walk & Run Boston.

Pack a picnic dinner, meet new neighbors and join in at a great concert and make a difference. The Dominoes perform classic rock, current pop songs, jazz and oldies. They will also be joined by performers from The Conservatory in the Highlands. Click on this link for more information: http://action.aac.org/site/TR/Events/AWB08?px=2055452&pg=personal&fr_id=1210

June 3rd,  6:00 – 8:00 pm
Hyde Park, Newton Highlands

The Dominoes will also be performing at The Hatch on June 4th at 10:30 am to open the post-party for the 2017 AIDS Walk & Run Boston event.

Newton Highlands Village Day 5k Run June 11th

Parents and children alike can start the morning off great by participating in this family-oriented Village Day 5K sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

$30.00 per adult, $10.00 per child. Runners registered by May 29th are guaranteed a race t-shirt. Register online today: https://racewire.com/register.php?id=7690. If you have any questions, email Maureen Oates at villageday5K@gmail.com.

Can’t or don’t like to run? Then help out the Village Day 5K team by volunteering for the event. Volunteers are needed to help with registration,  at the water stop at Cold Spring Park and as race monitors on the course. It’s fun and you get a free t-shirt. Click this link to volunteer. http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080d4ca4a72d6-newton1.

Middle School Summer Resources

While all young people benefit from out of school time activities that help them grow and learn, middle school tends to be an age when student participation decreases. The City of Newton’s Executive Office, Health and Human Services Department and Newton Public Schools are currently working on promoting out-of-school time for middle schoolers. While still in the early stages of this work, they have created a webpage on the City website to help families find summer options for their middle schooler, as well as provide other valuable information like financial aid tips, helpful links and more.

They will be continually adding more to the webpage in the coming months but with summer coming up, wanted to share now to help with planning. Feedback and ideas are welcome.

Click here for a link to the Middle School resources web page: http://www.newtonma.gov/gov/health/youth/middle_school_resources.asp

Summer Programs at the Y

Summer Programs

· Learn to swim – swimming lessons for all ages including Parent & Child classes
· Lifeguard Training Certification Classes
· Sports Leagues – NEW! SUMMER YBA Basketball
· Adult Sports Leagues
· Personal Training and Small Group Training

Registration for Summer Programs opens on May 30th for WSYMCA members and June 2nd for non-members. Visit wsymca.org to download a copy of the Summer Program Catalog.

Kids Night Out (Ages 7-13), June 9th, 6:00 – 10:00 pm
Parents: This is the last Kids Night Out until the fall! Drop off your kids for a fun Friday night with qualified staff members. They’ll order pizza for dinner and keep the children entertained with games, swimming, movies and sports. $25 per child for members and $30 for non-members. A 20% discount is offered per child for those with two or more children. Go out for the night and take advantage of this low-cost alternative to hiring a babysitter. Everyone wins!

Annual Golf Tournament, June 19th, 1:00 – 8:00 pm
Join Y staff and volunteers at the Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord for one of the premier yearly events. The tournament benefits the Y’s Annual Fund – providing financial assistance to local families in need. Registration includes 18 holes with a cart, lunch, dinner, player gifts and prizes for the winners of fun competitions like longest drive, closest to the pin, etc. For more information please visit wsymca.org/golf, or contact Rosie Carey at 617-244-6050 x 3099.

Financial Assistance is always available for Y Memberships and Programs.

YMCA Summer Camp Open Houses

· Camp Pikati – May 31st, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Stop by the West Suburban Y and learn more about Camp Pikati. Campers between the ages of 3-15 enjoy themed-weeks throughout the summer. Traditional camp and a sports camp are available.
· Camp Chickami – June 1st, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Meet the staff and take a tour of the beautiful 22 acre day camp located on Route 20 in Wayland. Camp Chickami is a traditional outdoor camp that welcomes kids between ages 6-15. Bus transportation is available from the West Suburban YMCA and stops throughout Newton.

· Camp Frank A. Day – June 4th, 10:00 – 2:00 pm
Join a tour of the overnight campground in East Brookfield. Spanning 52 acres, Camp Frank A. Day has direct lake access with a beachfront, athletic fields, modern cabins, basketball courts, climbing towers and all the facilities needed to run a fun and safe summer camp. For kids from 7-15. Sessions vary in length.

For more information, please contact campingservices@westsuburbanymca.org or call 617-244-6050 x 3008.

Reading/Writing Tutor Available

Does your child need more support in the areas of reading and writing? If you are looking for someone to provide your son or daughter support for completing essays or enhancing your child’s reading abilities, Amy McMahon would be delighted to hear from you. She’s an experienced reading specialist with a background in English and ELL who teaches on the north side of Newton. As one Brown parent shared, “You made school a joy for my son!”

Contact Amy McMahon 617-777-3531 or amymcm@rcn.com (References available).