Category Archives: Summer

Sleepaway Camp for Creative Kids and Teens

Fall is finally here, which means it’s time to start planning for next summer! Are you looking for an amazing and different experience for your artistic and imaginative 9 to 16-year- old? A nurturing and creative summer camp where they can combine all the fun of a traditional sleepaway camp with high quality instruction across multiple arts disciplines and activities? A camp that provides access to outstanding facilities in a beautiful college campus setting?

Maine Arts Camp is a small, inclusive camp community led by experienced professional instructors and mature dorm counselors, with a 3:1 camper/staff ratio. Its stunning Colby College location provides access to several art studios, a theater, two dance studios, a full commercial kitchen for cooking programs, Johnson Pond, tennis courts, a photography/film studio, and much more. Your child can enjoy an individualized schedule of activities chosen from a huge range covering visual arts, theater, music, dance, culinary arts, individual sports, film making, photography, and creative writing.

Choose from 2 or 4 week sessions in July. The maximum enrollment for each session is 100 campers, so early application is recommended. For more information, visit www.maineartscamp.com, or contact Rick Mades, Camp Director, at 561-865-4330, or maineartscamprick@gmail.com. Better still, come and meet Rick and some current
campers at the Newton Harvest Fair on Sunday, October 16th. Look for the Maine Arts Camp table, or follow the sound of the ukulele!

Click here to download a flyer.

YMCA’s Camp Frank A. Day to Celebrate 100 Year Anniversary

It was 100 years ago when the Y’s residential camp, Camp Frank A. Day, opened for its first season thanks to a $5,000 gift from one of its greatest benefactors, and one of Newton’s most well-known citizens at the turn of the last century, Frank Ashley Day.

Frank A. Day spent his boyhood in Newton, was educated in the city schools and made his mark as a Boston financier. He served as alderman for the city from 1903 to 1909 and as the first Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the YMCA. Following his death in 1914, Mrs. Day felt that it was fitting that the camp property which was so beautifully situated on Lake Quacumquasit in East Brookfield, MA and so well adapted for camp purposes should be a memorial to her husband who was always ministering to the needs of others and yet loved nature and all her beauty.

At first, nine boys lived in tents, which were erected among the pines in the same spot that houses senior boy campers today. Campers filled their summer with activities such as baseball, tennis, woodcraft and nature studies. By 1966, the camp was in its 50th year of operation and was one of the larger and better known camps in New England. In 1979, Dick and Sonia McKnight began a 25-year stint as the camp’s directors, helping to build the camp up to where it stands today.

On September 10th and 11th, Camp Frank A. Day will celebrate its centennial anniversary with a two-day reunion. Current and past campers, staff and alumni are invited to attend the celebration which will feature a line-up of traditional camp activities such as flagpole, color war (green versus grey), campfires, waterfront activities, and more.

To find out more about how to register for the celebration, visit www.cfad100.com.

Try the Y this Summer

Try the Y this Summer
Discover all you can do at the Y. They’re opening the doors every Saturday this summer for  FREE, through September 3rd. You’re invited to enjoy the pools, state-of-the art fitness center, gymnasium, cycle studio, group exercises and more! It’s absolutely FREE. There’s no obligation to join. No fees to pay. Enjoy fun and healthy activities, make new friendships and discover ALL that the Y offers.

Late Summer Camp Specials
The Y’s camp programs inspire kids to work and play together, create friendships that can last a lifetime, and we make sure all kids feel welcome and comfortable being themselves. They’re currently offering Late Summer Specials for Camp Pikati at the Y (ages 3 to 15), Camp Chickami in Wayland (ages 6 to 15) and our overnight camp in East Brookfield, Camp Frank A. Day (ages 7 to 15). Sign up for a week at Camp Chickami or Camp Pikati between August 8th and September 2nd and receive a $50 discount per session. Or, sign up for Camp Frank A. Day’s Session 3B, 4 or Adventure Week and receive $100 off the regular fee AND a pair of camp flannels.

For more information, visit wsymca.org/camps or contact Camping Services at campings@wsymca.org or 617-244-6050 x 3008.

Preschool and After-School Care at the Y
The Y is currently enrolling children in the brand new Preschool Center for Child Development and After-School programs (children in grades K-8) for the 2016-2017 School Year. For more information on preschool and out-of-school time programs, please contact Brenda Banks at brendab@wsymca.org or 617-244-6050 x3022.

Fall Programs
Registration for Early Fall Programs at the Y opens on August 15th for YMCA members and August 19th for nonmembers. Early Fall Programs begin on September 6th.

· Learn to swim – swimming lessons for all ages including Parent & Child classes
· Youth Sports Leagues & Classes – YBA, Soccer, NFL Flag Football and more
· Karate
· LIVESTRONG at the YMCA
· Music & Creative Arts
· Personal Training and Small Group Training

Visit wsymca.org to register online or stop by the Y’s Welcome Center.

Work at the Y
The West Suburban YMCA is hiring! Join a dynamic and fun team that is dedicated to strengthening the community:

– Lifeguards, Swim Instructors and Swim Coaches
– Fitness Center Staff
– Group Exercise Instructors
– Child Care Program Staff

Please contact Laura Snow for more information at lauras@wsymca.org or 617-244-6050, ext. 3030.

Financial Assistance is always available for Y Memberships, Programs
and Summer Camp
The West Suburban YMCA is a non-profit charitable organization whose mission is to never turn anyone away due to their inability to pay. Please contact the Membership Department at 617-244-6050 x 3653 for financial assistance with membership or program participation.

How to Write Great College Essays

A lot of great kids write average (even bad) college essays—essays about “life lessons learned from football” or “how my trip to Europe broadened my cultural horizons.” Better tales are there for the writing. This workshop will show you what admissions officers really look for in great college essays, and offer suggestions for finding and sharing your best stories. You’ll even learn the five most over-used topics you must avoid and get tips on how to start (and even finish) your essays this summer.

Join Sara Kratzok, Director of Collegewise of Newton and graduate of Wellesley College and Harvard University, for this great workshop for teens and adults!

August 15th, 7:00 pm
Druker Auditorium
Newton Free Library

Dinner on the Farm 2016 – Newton Community Farm is Ten Years Old and Still Growing!

Join the annual Dinner on the Farm, and enjoy a beautiful evening with fantastic food, a gorgeous view of the fields, and the company of others who share your love of your local community farm. New this year…. Chad and Sharon Burns of Farmstead Table will be treating us to dessert from the Farmstead Table kitchen.

Friends of the Farm – $75.00, Non-Friends of the Farm – $85.00

Registration deadline is July 14th. Your ticket will cover the cost of the dinner, and an additional contribution to the NCF education programs. Please visit the website for information and registration.

July 19th, 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Newton PTO Council 2016-06-28 14:30:51

STEAMAs part of the ongoing programming for all ages related to the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) initiative from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation the Library will be holding a STEAM Expo.

The Expo is a gathering of tech enthusiasts, traditional crafters, artists, musicians, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers and students.  It is a place for creators to show their work and interact with members of the community.  Come experience a fun, interactive afternoon at the library, and get involved in the rebirth of Do-It-Yourself.

Check here for an updated list of exhibitors.

Newton’s 4th of July Celebrations

July 4th Celebration in Newton
Kids’ Morning
July 4th, 10:00 am – Noon
Newton Centre Playground at Tyler Terrace
Free event for children ages 3 – 12 years. Children and families are invited to join in the Grande Pet Parade, Decorated Doll Carriage Promenade, Teddy Bear Parade and Foot Races. Free ice cream, candy and drinks complete the morning celebration – courtesy of Cabot’s Ice Cream and Trader Joe’s.

Afternoon/Evening Events
July 4th 1:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Albemarle Field
The fun continues with kiddie amusement rides, craft vendor booths, food vendor booths, face painting and other childrens’ activities. There is free music and dancing 6:00 – 9:00 pm on the Main Stage.

At 9:00 pm, don’t miss the grand finale…a fantastic fireworks display! Visit www.newtoncommunitypride.org for details.

Special Note: This year, the amusement rides are also open on Saturday & Sunday, July 2nd and 3rd from 10:00 am – 8:00 pm. Check www.newtoncommunitypride.org for details.

July 4th Celebration in Newton

July 4th Celebration in Newton

Kids’ Morning
Monday, July 4th, 10:00 am – Noon, Newton Centre Playground at Tyler Terrace.
Free event for children ages 3 – 12 years. Children and families are invited to join in the Grande Pet Parade, Decorated Doll Carriage Promenade, Teddy Bear Parade and Foot Races. Free ice cream, candy and drinks complete the morning celebration – courtesy of Cabot’s Ice Cream and Trader Joe’s.

Afternoon/Evening Events
Monday, July 4th, 1:00 – 10:00 pm – Albemarle Field.
The fun continues with kiddie amusement rides, craft vendor booths, food vendor booths, face painting and other childrens’ activities. There is free music and dancing 6:00 – 9:00 pm on the Main Stage. At 9:00 pm, don’t miss the grand finale…a fantastic fireworks display! Visit www.newtoncommunitypride.org for details.

Special Note: This year, the amusement rides are also open on Saturday & Sunday, July 2nd & 3rd from 10:00 am – 8:00 pm. Check www.newtoncommunitypride.org for details.

STEAM Expo

Join in for an interactive afternoon at the library and get involved in the rebirth of Do-It-Yourself! The STEAM Expo is a gathering of tech enthusiasts, traditional crafters, artists, musicians, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers and students (like the Ligerbots!). It is a place for creators to show their work and interact with members of the community. Check here for a list of exhibitors: http://guides.newtonfreelibrary.net/steamexpo

July 16th, 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Newton Free Library

Tutor available for the summer

Need some help on preparing for a standardized test or catching up on a high school subject? Justin’s here for you! A rising senior at Newton South with three years of tutoring experience at the Russian School of Math, he works with young kids very often as a junior swim coach. His expertise is ACT math, SAT math, or any kind of math. He’s taken AP Statistics and BC Calculus and is a two time National Spanish Exam gold award winner, so can help in Spanish as well.

As a high school student without a college degree (yet), Justin doesn’t ask for much in terms of pricing; he’s not motivated by a paycheck but the opportunity to teach and make a contribution to this amazing community! Want to find out more about qualifications (ACT score, SAT subject test scores, awards etc.), availability, etc.? Please email him at justincheong6@gmail.com.