Category Archives: Community Notes

Book Donations Needed – starting April 27

Please donate your gently used books to the Newton South High School Used Book Sale.

Drop off on Mondays and Thursdays April 27th through May 18th, from 7:15 am to 8:15 am and 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm at the Eagle storage unit in NSHS parking lot (next to Goldrick House) and by appointment. Please contact Andrew Szanton to make arrangements.

Please note: they cannot accept any books in poor or moldy condition, children’s books, textbooks, parenting, health and medicine, travel, and erotica.

The post Book Donations Needed – starting April 27 appeared first on Newton PTO Council.

Join the Newton Girls Ultimate Frisbee Team!

Mark Goodman and his daughter Sophie formed the Newton Girls Ultimate Frisbee team for middle school girls in 2013. The team had a successful season last Spring competing in 3 tournaments. Mark has played and taught Ultimate for 20+ years, and he looks forward to coaching the team again this Spring. There are a few roster spots open as some of the 8th graders have moved on. If your daughter is interested in playing, please contact Mark. MGoodmanhome@gmail.com.

Who: Newton Girls in grades 5 – 8.
When: Sundays 4:00 – 6:00 pm. Practice begins on March 22nd.
Where: 171 Pine Street, Auburndale (Burr elementary)
What: The girls will learn to play Ultimate Frisbee. The team is tentatively playing in local tournaments May 16th and 31st and in Amherst on May 17th.
How: If your daughter might be interested in playing, please contact Mark.
MGoodmanhome@gmail.com. The team will be limited to a max of 24 players.
Cost: $80. This will fee cover field rental, insurance. Each player will receive their own disc (Frisbee).
Why: reasons to learn to play Ultimate
1. Ultimate teaches kids integrity in sports. There are no refs in Ultimate Frisbee. The players must learn the rules and make their own foul calls. In national championships there are observers who help make rulings on difficult calls – but no refs.
2. A player can be a receiver and quarterback on every play.
3. Ultimate teaches field spacing and cutting techniques that can be applied to other sports like soccer, lacrosse and basketball.
4. Ultimate is a lifetime sport. Virtually every major US city has adult leagues – and some (like Boston) now feature masters leagues for those over 40+ years of age.
5. There more than 700 colleges with Ultimate teams, and larger schools often field 2-3 teams grouped by skill level.

The post Join the Newton Girls Ultimate Frisbee Team! appeared first on Newton PTO Council.

Child Care Scholarship Applications are now open for next year!

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.

Healthy Kids Day

To kick-start physical activity and learning now and throughout the summer – a critical out-of-school time for kids – the West Suburban YMCA is celebrating Healthy Kids Day® with a free community event for kids and families. Healthy Kids Day, the Y’s national initiative to improve families’ health and well-being, features:

  • healthy activities and games
  • arts & crafts
  • curious creatures petting zoo
  • concert by food allergy musician, Kyle Dine
  • bike helmet fitting and giveaway from Farina’s Bicycle Center
  •  visit from Elroy the Elk
  • Kid’s ID
  • skate park demonstration
  • free and open to the community

Saturday, May 2nd, 12 noon – 2:00 pm
The West Suburban YMCA’s gymnasium, 276 Church Street, Newton

In celebration of YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, the Y offers the following tips to help families develop healthy habits:

· Try, try, repeat – There are many great tasting fruits and vegetables that many kids have never heard of, let alone tried. Grab a new fruit or vegetable and encourage
everyone in the family to try at least a bite.
· Play around town – Challenge the family to play on a different playground every week. Identify playgrounds at a variety of parks; expand definitions of playgrounds to
include nature trails, a nearby stream, and a bike path.
· Families at play for an hour a day – From walking to gardening, swimming to shooting hoops, make playful movement a part of your family’s day. To get 60 minutes of
moderate activity throughout your day just add 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there.
· Foster a passion for reading – Read to and with your kids. Help children read at every age and every stage of their development.
· Make sleep a priority – Doctors recommend 10-12 hours of sleep a day for children ages 5-12 and 7-8 hours per night for adults. Sleep plays a critical role in maintaining
our healthy immune system, metabolism, mood, memory, learning, and other vital functions.

The post Healthy Kids Day appeared first on Newton PTO Council.

Huge Yard Sale

BOWEN COOPERATIVE NURSERY SCHOOL is having it’s annual HUGE YARD SALE on Saturday, May 2nd from 9 AM to 2 PM, rain or shine, at St John’s Episcopal Church
in Newtonville (96 Otis Street off Lowell Avenue, 617-332-3923).

Over 40 families contribute so come to find fantastic bargains on quality toys, games, kids’ clothing, baby equipment, household items, strollers, videos, books, furniture and so much more. All proceeds support Bowen’s exceptional preschool programs.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1568938340051576/

The post Huge Yard Sale appeared first on Newton PTO Council.

The Sunday School for Jewish Studies Open Enrollment

Once a Week Hebrew School for Grades 1 – 7
Once a Month Pre-K / Kindergarten Class and Free Family Toddler program

The Sunday School for Jewish Studies is now accepting registrations for the 2015-16 school year. They are an independent school offering a once-a-week program for children
in the greater Boston area for over 40 years. Located at the Oak Hill Middle School in Newton, they provide a Jewish education for children and families with diverse traditions
of Jewish observance. Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation is available but not required, and students may enter in any grade. Interfaith and nontraditional families are welcome. For
additional information, please visit www.SundaySchoolforJewishStudies.org or call 617-264-8855.

The post The Sunday School for Jewish Studies Open Enrollment appeared first on Newton PTO Council.

Mindful and Effective Parenting

Newton Community Education presents Mindful and Effective Parenting: The Heat of the Moment at Home. Parents: learn how to better manage your reactions when your kids
present difficult behaviors. Through thoughtfully designed exercises, skill-development activities, and group discussion, session leader Dr. Mitch Abblett will help parents
understand their own roles in their interactions with their kids, and teach parents how to effectively respond to challenging situations. Mitch Abblett is a clinical psychologist,
supervisor, consultant, and trainer specializing in the treatment of children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders and the Clinical Director of the Manville School at the Judge Baker Children’s Center, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

Tickets are $25.00 and can be purchased in advance at newtoncommunityed.org or by calling 617-559-6999. Tickets will also be available at the door (cash or check at the door, please).

May 5th,  7:00 – 9″00 pm
Newton South High School
140 Brandeis Rd., Newton.

The post Mindful and Effective Parenting appeared first on Newton PTO Council.

Helen Gee Chin Scholarship Foundation Fundraiser

Calvin Chin’s Martial Arts Academy (CCMAA) will be putting on a performance to benefit the Helen Gee Chin Scholarship Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity. Helen Gee Chin was the administrator at CCMAA for 15 years and a proponent of preserving the history and promoting the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts. Since 2011, the Foundation has awarded nearly $40,000 in college scholarships. The event showcases the talent of Academy students and instructors and includes lion and dragon dances, Kung Fu and Tai Chi. Please see a trailer from the fundraiser DVD: http://vimeo.com/113768366 for a snippet of last year’s event.

Tickets are $25. Please go to www.hgcscholarshipfoundation.org for more information or to purchase tickets. Wheelchair seating is available by emailing hgc@calvinchin.com or at least 72 hours in advance.unday, May 31, 2015, 2:30-4:30pm

Newton North High School (NNHS) Lasker Auditorium

The post Helen Gee Chin Scholarship Foundation Fundraiser appeared first on Newton PTO Council.

Sweeney Todd presented by Watertown Children’s Theatre

Watertown Children’s Theatre presents Sweeney Todd School Edition in the Black Box Theater, Arsenal Center for the Arts, Watertown.  Tickets are $15.00 each, general admission, and can be purchased at www.watertownchildrenstheatre.org or by calling Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006.

Parental discretion is advised due to violence and adult content. A cast of 9th-12th graders, including Newton residents Julia Dwyer and Sam Hoban, presents this thrilling musical in an intimate black box setting. For more information, visit WCT’s website at www.watertownchildrenstheatre.org or call 617-926-ARTS.

May 1st & 2nd, 7:00 pm
May 3rd, 1:00 pm
May 7th & 8th, 7:00 pm
May 9th, 1:00 pm & 7:00 pm
May 10th, 1:00 pm

The post Sweeney Todd presented by Watertown Children’s Theatre appeared first on Newton PTO Council.

WHAT is NewtonSERVES?

WHAT is NewtonSERVES?
NewtonSERVES is a Day of Community Service that brings together over 1,000 volunteers of all ages to complete more than 50 community projects for the benefit of numerous non-profit organizations and City of Newton departments. Volunteers work in teams on morning, afternoon or all day projects throughout the city, such as cleaning up parks, planting gardens, building and painting school bookshelves, spring cleaning at non-profit organizations and helping senior citizens. By enhancing the City of Newton’s sense of community, NewtonSERVES helps to foster a culture of year-round volunteerism.

WHO can participate?
Individuals • Families
Students (ages 8 and up)
Young Adults • Senior Citizens
Corporations & Businesses
Neighbors

WHY volunteer with NewtonSERVES?
Make a difference in your own community
Meet new people
Discover a new part of Newton
Develop your teamwork and leadership skills
Make Newton a better place in which to live, work, learn and play
Give back
Get a free t-shirt and food
It’s fun!

How do I volunteer for NewtonSERVES?
Please register before April 24 to be assigned to the project you want & receive important information! Everyone must complete and submit a release form before going to the project site.

Please click to REGISTER ON-LINE

The post WHAT is NewtonSERVES? appeared first on Newton PTO Council.