What’s Happening at the West Suburban YMCA in May

Connect at the Y – Friends are free all month long! Members of the West Suburban YMCA can bring a friend for free throughout the months of May.

Kids Night Out  May 4th,  6:00 – 10:00 pm
The West Suburban YMCA invites parents to bring their children (grades K-5) to the Y for a fun and supervised Friday night program. Children will enjoy pizza for dinner and engage in games, swimming, movies and sports! Go out for the night and take advantage of this low-cost alternative to hiring a babysitter. Everyone wins! Cost: $30 per child ($25 for members). A 20% discount is offered per child for those with two or more children. Kids’ Night Out is held on the 1st Friday of each month. For more information, contact the Y’s Youth & Teen Services Director, Jeremy Smith at jeremys@wsymca.org.

Poetry Night  May 4th, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Organized by Barbara Helfogtt-Hyett of Poemworks, the event begins with readings by two published poets. Then 10-12 guests participate in the Open Mic portion of evening to share their own written work. Young musicians from the on-site music program will play live music at the beginning of each event. This event is free and open to the public.

Family Fun Night  May 8th, 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Bring the whole family to the Y for some family fun time. Featuring arts & crafts, bouncy house, games and more! Free and open to all. Family Fun Nights are generously sponsored by the Belmont Savings Bank Foundation.

First Time Home Buyer Seminar  May 9th, 6:00 pm
If you are considering buying your first home, join us for an educational seminar. Our friends at Belmont Savings will answer your questions and help you understand the topics of credit, down payments, prequalifying, agent selection, application and purchase process.

Guided Meditation  May 12th, 12:00 – 12:30 pm
Take a moment out of your day for this short, guided meditation that will leave you feeling relaxed, grounded and rejuvenated.

 

Financial Assistance is always available for Y Memberships and Programs. The West Suburban YMCA is a non-profit charitable organization and it is their mission to never turn anyone away due to an inability to pay. Please contact the Membership Department at 617-244-6050 x3653 for financial assistance with membership or program participation.

What else is Happening at the West Suburban YMCA

Pickleball
Join on Tuesdays from 9:30 -11:30 am and take up a new sport: Pickleball! What’s Pickleball, you ask? Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis and ping-pong. All are welcome to come and try this up-and-coming sport. $5.00 drop-in fee.

Fall 2018 After School Program Registration
Enrollment for Fall 2018 Out-of-School Time at the West Suburban YMCA is open. Out-of-School Time (OST) is an engaging after-school care program for grades K-8. The school-year program follows the Newton Public School calendar, including extended hours and Early Release Days, and transportation to the Y is available from most elementary and middle schools in Newton. For more information, visit wsymca.org or contact Jeremy Smith at 617-244-6050 x3068 or jeremys@wsymca.org.

Have the Best Summer Ever
The West Suburban YMCA wants kids to have the best summer ever, so attend a camp open house and find your perfect fit:

Camp Pikati Open House
May 12th, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm and May 30th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
276 Church Street, Newton

Camp Chickami Open House
May 12th, 2:00 – 4:00 pm and May 31st, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
139 Boston Post Road, Wayland

Camp Frank A. Day Open House
May 20th, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm and June 3rd, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
125 South Pond Road, East Brookfield

Registration for summer camp is ongoing, but sessions are beginning to fill. For more information, visit wsymca.org or contact Camping Services at 617-244-6050 ex. 3008 or email campingservices@wsymca.org.

Help the LigerBots Get to the Detroit World Championship

The LigerBots, Newton’s combined North and South high school FIRST Robotics
Competition (FRC) team, have qualified for the FIRST Robotics World Championship in
Detroit from April 25th – 28th. The LigerBots’ ranked 24th out of 209 New England teams at the finish of the New England District Championship, and won two awards at district level events, earning the right to join 400 other FRC teams from around the world in Detroit.

The team now has only days to arrange for hotels and bus transportation to Detroit, and is undertaking a short-term fundraising drive to make sure that every LigerBot who wants to go with them has the chance to make the trip. First they need $5,000 for the competition registration fee, and are then hoping they can fundraise the $15,000 for a bus (2 days each way to Detroit).

If you’d like to help out, please visit https://ligerbots.org/sponsor, message the team on Facebook, or if you are a corporate sponsor, email sponsor-relations@ligerbots.org .

Use Less, Green the Rest

Mothers Out Front Newton is part of a powerful grassroots movement working for a livable future for all children. This campaign calls for a just transition from fossil fuels and for clean renewable energy.

Use Less, Green the Rest is a free presentation and discussion that shows how we can reduce our household carbon footprint by conserving energy and switching to “green energy.” Together we can make a difference.  Please contact Tish Upton at tishg.upton@gmail.com or Diane Becker at dibeck2ster@gmail.com to schedule a program for your friends and neighbors, group or organization.

Gas Leaks and Our Health

Please join a panel discussion describing how gas leaks damage human and tree
health and about organized efforts to protect our families and communities at the local and state level.

Newton has almost 600 unrepaired gas leaks from the pipelines under our streets. This gas is methane, a potent heat-trapping greenhouse gas. It can be explosive, kills our trees and contributes to air pollution. Most of our gas is “fracked gas” that is extracted in a process using more than 1000 chemicals. The utility companies add the cost of the lost gas to ratepayers’ bills.

Panelists include Newton residents Curtis Norgaard, Nathan Phillips, Ann Berwick and Mothers out Front leader Zeyneb Magavi. National Grid has been invited to send a representative.

April 23rd, 7:00 pm
Newton Main Library, 330 Homer Street, Newton

Your Opportunity to Comment on scenarios for adjusting school boundary lines

The Newton Public School district wants to make sure that all community members know that the final opportunity for public input on changes to student school assignments (adjustment of boundary lines) is on Wednesday, April 25th.

The schools that may be impacted by these changes are Cabot, Horace Mann, Franklin, Peirce, Burr, and Underwood. Changes to student school assignments only impact students entering the Newton Public Schools for the first time. Students currently enrolled and siblings of those currently enrolled are not impacted.

More information can be found here: https://goo.gl/4r6QNx

April 25th, 6:30 pm
The Education Center, 100 Walnut Street, Newton

3 Short Sessions to More Sustainable Living and Lower Bills

Sign up for Green Newton’s Green Lifestyle Course: 3 Short Sessions to More Sustainable Living and Lower Bills.

In the Green Lifestyles course, participants will learn how to reduce their use of energy (at
home and in transportation), water, waste and toxins, and be a more eco-friendly consumer. They will also discover new strategies for cutting their energy and water bills. Each class will be composed of 5 to 8 individuals or households.

Session Dates*:
Course 1: May 1st, May 8th, May 29th, 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Course 2: April 26th, May 10th, May 24th, 7:30 – 9:00 pm

*Participants who have scheduling conflicts can attend one of the other class’s meetings.

Session Components: Sessions will be part didactic and part participatory.

Materials:  The teacher will provide participants with a PowerPoint presentation and a
document that covers green lifestyle practices.

Requirements:  After the first meeting, participants will be encouraged to implement several small practices in their lives and consider at least one larger project. They will discuss their findings during parts of meetings 2 and 3.

Cost – Green Newton members: free. Non-members: $25.00, includes a complementary Green Newton membership. Bring a snack to share at one or two of the meetings.

To register or ask questions, contact Dan: dan_ruben@usa.net or 617-527-7950.

Dan Ruben will teach the class. He’s the Chairman of the Board for Green Newton. Dan has facilitated over 30 Household Eco-Teams and Low Carbon Diet Teams, and helped over 200 households live more sustainably. He trained the trainers of Low Carbon Diet Teams. In his own life, Dan has reduced his fossil fuel use by over 80%.

As a professional, Dan is the president of Boston Green Tourism, an organization that
educates hoteliers about reducing their properties’ use of fossil fuel, water, waste and toxins. Previously, he led an organization that brought environmental best practices to the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston.

In the Name of Love: Newton Family Singers rock the Music of U2

Let out your inner Rock Star and come belt along with Newton Family Singers as they
perform anthems of passion and justice by Irish superstars U2!  To benefit the Newton Food Pantry, they’re collecting food donations and holding a raffle. This kid-friendly rock concert is the perfect way to share your love of U2 with your whole family!

Tickets for the show (Adults $10.00/children $8.00) can be purchased online at
http://www.newtonfamilysingers.org/events.html. For questions pleae email admin@newtonfamilysingers.org.

May 6th,  4:00 pm
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.

Family-friendly, live music!

Harlem Rockets comedy basketball show/game

The Newton South High School Booster Club is hosting a fun-filled basketball comedy show and game. The Harlem Rockets incorporate the audience, especially children, into the show and are always available to meet the fans and give autographs after the show.

In this special event to raise money for the Newton South Booster Club, the “Teacher’s Nets,” a talented team of Newton’s finest educators, has graciously agreed to face the Harlem Rockets. Tickets for this fun-filled event can be purchased online at a discount up to the night of the event. Tickets will be available at the door on May 19th, subject to availability.

Children, students, seniors are $8.00 in advance, $10.00 at the door
Adults are $12.00 in advance, $15.00 at the door
VIP tickets are $30.00, $50.00 at the door (subject to availability)

To purchase tickets and get more information about the event, click on this link: http://buytickets.at/newtonsouthhighschoolboosterclub/162780

May 19th, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Newton South High School