Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys Summer Kickoff Concert at City Hall!

All are invited to the War Memorial at City Hall as we blast into summer with Newton Free Library’s annual kickoff. Learn about the wonderful programs and reading opportunities revolving around the theme of space!

Vanessa Trien and her band the Jumping Monkeys will be performing a highly interactive and energetic show, featuring plenty of group singing and movement. For all ages. View the flyer here: Summer Kickoff.

June 18th, 5:30 pm
Newton City Hall

Summer Reading Lists

Summer is a wonderful time for students to relax and read books they enjoy!

The district has created a webpage with recommendations for summer reading for elementary schools. For middle and high schools, you will find summer reading assignments, as well as suggestions for books in a whole variety of genres.

Here is the link: http://bit.ly/newtonsummerbooks2019

There is something for everyone! Enjoy your summer and happy reading!

Dinner on the Farm July 22nd

Join the annual Dinner on the Farm,  an evening of great food with friends of the Farm. Enjoy one-of-a kind outdoor dining experience and connect with other community farm supporters.

As the sun sets on the 2.5-acre farm, you will be treated to a seasonal, produce-forward menu prepared by Gourmet Catering. Live old-time string music will be provided by local favorites, the Dixie Butterhounds.

Proceeds from the evening will support Newton Community Farm’s mission to promote a sustainable, agricultural community. For tickets, please visit www.newtoncommunityfarm.org.

July 22nd, 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Newton Community Fram
303 Nahanton Street, Newton

Babysitter available

Talia Raffel,  a 16 year old rising junior at Newton South High School, has been babysitting for 5 years. She has CIT experiences and first aid and CPR training. Talia loves doing crafts and being creative and with a flexible summer schedule, she can be available most of the time.  Please contact her via email at Talia.babysits@gmail.com, references available upon request.

In-Home Tutoring for Test-Prep and High-School Courses

Matt Siff, currently a junior at Brown University majoring in Computer Science and Economics, has long had a passion for helping students with a wide-range of math tutoring needs including algebra, calculus and linear algebra.  He recently started a tutoring company called Next Door Tutors which  specializes in tutoring for the ACT and SAT as well as nearly any high-school subject. All of their tutors have recently gone through the college-process with an average ACT score of a 35 and offer a structured tutoring program based on students’ individual needs.

For more information, please call Matt at 617-610-8444, email MyNextDoorTutors@gmail.com, or visit the website www.MyNextDoorTutors.com.

Newton PTO Council 2019-06-13 19:25:08

Dear Friends,

This update is for the 6/10/2019 Newton School Committee meeting:

Superintendent Update:

  • Both NNHS and NSHS hosted successful graduation ceremonies. Good luck to the Class of 2019!

Agenda Items:

  • Liam Hurley, Assistant Superintendent of Finance, and Josh Morse, Newton’s Public Buildings Commissioner. presented a facilities update focused on the Newton Early Childhood Program building. Initial cost estimates are over budget so they are exploring options to reduce costs. One key cost is the two classrooms planned to be constructed by infilling the gym. An exterior addition will now be considered. It was noted that none of these changes will affect the plan to have air conditioning, a separate van drop-off loop, and an appropriate playground.
  • Toby Romer, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education, presented a School Start Time, Schedule and Transportation Update. Three options were presented for possible shifts to the start time with a goal set of implementing a new start time by Fall of 2020. Steps to get there include community input and negotiating a successful contract with the NTA. The start time presentationoutlines the three options. For a deeper dive, please see the full transportation report.
  • Newton Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC) co-chairs Christine Carey and Rajeev Parlikar, presented an End of Year Report.  They also referenced a more detailed report which covered broad  themes, success and areas of improvement.
  • The NPS administrative team gathered to share several year-end reports including Superintendent’s Goals and Systemwide Goals. The School Committee will discuss these in greater detail at the next scheduled meeting.

Consent Agenda

  • The School Committee voted unanimously to re-elect Diana Fisher Gomberg as the EDCO Board Member.
  • The School Committee voted unanimously to approve several grants.
  • The School Committee voted unanimously to approve the 5/13/2019 minutes.

Next Meeting

On Monday June 17 at 7:00pm, we will hear a Fiscal and Operational Update, a Facilities Update, an Equity Committee Update and an Equity Working Group Update. We will also be discussing the Superintendent’s Assessment.

We hope you found this summary useful. You can access all School Committee meeting documents via the NPS website (www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee). Additionally, if you are interested in watching an SC meeting from home or a recorded meeting, you can obtain access via www.newtv.org. On the district Facebook page, you can find videos of past “Virtual Office Hours,” which are held once a month and provide the community with the opportunity to ask questions through the Facebook Live format.

As always, we are very happy to answer any questions or discuss any concerns you may have. Please feel free to contact us via the email address below.

The Newton School Committee

Equity Working Group Community Survey

Dear Newton Public School Families,

The Newton Public Schools Equity Working Group is looking for community feedback on questions relating to equity in PTO spending.  We have developed a survey that will provide us with important information to continue our work. We would very much appreciate your assistance by answering our survey.

Please click on this link to answer the survey in English. Please respond to the survey only once. It is due on June 28, 2019.  Thank you for your time and effort on this project.

Any questions or comments can be sent to the EWG: equityworkinggroupnewton@gmail.com.

Sincerely,
The Equity Working Group

Paddles and Picnics

The Crystal Lake Conservancy and the Newton Parks and Recreation Department invite you to come to a Sunday afternoon of activities on Crystal Lake.

Participants may sign up for half hour slots between 1:00 – 4:30 pm to enjoy the pleasures of canoeing/kayaking/paddle boarding. A lifeguard will be on duty and all participants will be required to wear life jackets and sign a waiver. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult while on the water.

A $15 donation per canoe/kayak/paddleboard supports the Crystal Lake Conservancy’s efforts to keep Crystal Lake healthy. To learn more, visit www.CrystalLakeConservancy.org or call Janice Bourque at 617-967-0797.

June 16th (rain date June 23rd), 1:00 – 5:00 pm
20 Rogers Street, Newton Highlands

Planning for Arts & Culture in Newton – Please take a brief survey

The City of Newton is currently undertaking a 7-month planning process to create a Comprehensive Arts & Cultural Plan for the City.

The plan, entitled Create Newton, will identify all of Newton’s arts and cultural assets – from our buildings and non-profits, to the events and festivals we host, to the local traditions and initiatives in our villages and neighborhoods. We will explore how arts and cultural goals and interests are aligned with our businesses, recreational opportunities, and commercial districts, and identify goals, set out recommendations, and seek opportunities to collaborate and expand our pool of funding.

Input from parents, and children 12 years and older, who enjoy Newton’s arts and cultural events is greatly valued. Please take 10 minutes to complete this anonymous survey to assist in the planning process: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QWJW2QH

(Please note that the survey is best taken on your computer and not on your smart phone or smaller device.)