10th anniversary GELF dinner

Help support our students by coming to the GELF dinner on May 5th!

GELF (Jennifer Price Global Education Leadership Fund) enables low-income Newton high school students to participate in Newton Public Schools’ life-changing educational travel opportunities. This not-to-be-missed community event features a 5-course gourmet meal paired with fine beer and wine, as well as an auction, live band, dancing, and table service by Newton administrators.

Click here for tickets.

The annual GELF dinner raises more than $30,000, which allows 20-25 low-income students to participate in the dozen different international programs offered every year through Newton Public Schools–providing learning opportunities they could not otherwise have.

Whether or not you are coming, please consider donating to support a teacher to attend the event ($100/person) or making a tax-deductible donation here. For questions or more information, please email Samantha Mandel at Samantha_mandel@newton.k12.ma.us.

Payment by check: Make checks ($150/per person for dinner tickets) payable to Newton Schools Foundation with GELF dinner in the memo line, and mail to Newton Schools Foundation, 100 Walnut Street, Newton MA 02460.

Thank you for your support!

May 5th, 6:30 – 11:30 pm
Newton North High School

New Summer Program!

Service Stars Newton is running fun community-service based projects for kids entering grades K-5. The goal is to introduce children to local charities, show them how they can be involved, and develop empathy for others.

This program runs the weeks of August 13th and 20th. Sign up for full weeks, individual days, or half days! Email with any questions at servicestarsnewton@gmail.com. See the website for more information: https://sites.google.com/view/service-stars/home.

Math tutor available

Do you know a student having difficulty with math class? Or one who wants to try to improve a math ACT/SAT score? Barbara Wolke, a retired math teacher who has been tutoring all levels of math for over 25 years and tutoring for the ACT/SAT for over 15 years, has two slots open to help students in these areas.

Contact her by email at barbarawolke1@gmail.com or call 617-645- 7122.

Call Y3K tutor in your home today,

When schoolwork goes the wrong way!

Their many years of experience in teaching and educational consulting have developed the right way to motivate, the right way to teach, be understood, and be remembered. Y3K tutors special ed. such as ADD, ADHD, Asperger’s, Autism, Executive Function, and gifted, regular ed. and test preparation. In addition to academic subjects, they teach children organizational skills, homework coaching, study skills, and time management.

All subjects and ages are taught. Parents can now receive 25% off the first lesson. Call 781-492-8700 or visit http://www.Y3KTutorInYourHome.com.

Einstein’s Workshop: Newton Summer Camp Discounts / Vacation Week Programs

Einstein’s Workshop Summer Camps provide a wide range of STEM programming for children in grades K-9 at their Newton (Zervas) and Burlington locations.

Register for the Newton camp by April 1st to take advantage of a 10% early bird discount and refer a friend by May 1st for an additional 10%. For more information or to register, please see www.einsteinsworkshop.com/summer-camp.

Einstein’s Workshop also offers Good Friday and April Vacation Week programming at its Burlington location. Learn more at https://www.einsteinsworkshop.com/holidays-vacations/holidays-vacations.

Einstein’s Workshop: Newton Summer Camp Discounts / Vacation Week Programs

Einstein’s Workshop Summer Camps provide a wide range of STEM programming for children in grades K-9 at their Newton (Zervas) and Burlington locations.

Einstein’s Workshop also offers Good Friday and April Vacation Week programming at its Burlington location. Learn more at https://www.einsteinsworkshop.com/holidays-vacations/holidays-vacations.

School Committee Update

Dear Friends,

We, your Newton School Committee, are writing to provide you with an update on the happenings within the School Committee.

This update is for the SC meeting which occurred on 03/19/2018:

This meeting was the first in several meetings aimed at reviewing the Superintendent’s Proposed 2018 – 2019 budget. A helpful tool to use when looking over the budget book is the Superintendent’s Budget Presentation. According to the presentation, the goals of the budget proposal are:

“To continue the forward momentum toward achieving key system goals and preserve the programs and supports we have built over the last several years, while addressing growing high school enrollment, our largest elementary and middle schools, and the increasing social and emotional needs of students.”

There are no major cuts, and the budget proposal supports some program improvements.

Please note, we will have a public hearing at 6:30pm on April 2nd and look forward to hearing your thoughts. You are also welcome to speak at public comment Monday, March 26th.

Here are some key takeaways from the March 19th meeting:

Assistant Principal positions are being added to Franklin, Mason-Rice and Angier.
Reduction of 2 elementary classrooms/teachers based on enrollment declines. Class sizes will not increase.
Addition of 0.5 Full Time Employee (FTE) at Day (Student Services administrator) and 0.5 FTE at Oak Hill (teacher)
Five full-time teachers are being added to our High Schools due to enrollment increases.
An additional 0.5 FTE math coach and purchase of materials to support the rollout of the new elementary math curriculum, Investigations 3.0, to all grade levels.
One-time funds are being used to purchase 1,000 Chromebooks to be added to the current high school supply.

Upcoming Budget Meetings:
March 22 @7:00 p.m.: Special School Committee Meeting, Budget Review: Student Services and Non-Instructional Areas
March 26 @7:00 p.m.: Regular School Committee Meeting, Straw Vote: FY19 School Budget
April 2 @6:30 p.m.: Public Hearing, Discussion: 2018-19 School Budget
April 9, @7:00 p.m.: Regular School Committee Meeting, Discussion and Vote: FY19 Budget

We hope you have found this summary useful. You can access all School Committee meeting documents via the NPS website (https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/domain/69). Additionally, if you are interested in watching an SC meeting from home or a recorded meeting, you can obtain access via www.newtv.org.

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

Sincerely,
The Newton School Committee

Urban Search and Rescue Robotics Challenge

Urban Search & Rescue is a robotics challenge based on real-life scenarios involving
search-and-rescue robots. The event challenges competitors to engineer a robot which can
navigate a unique obstacle course to locate and remove an object within a specified time,
using heavy-duty, aircraft-grade aluminum elements, powerful drive motors, and wireless
cameras.

For 11th and 12th graders. Online registration is required. Presented by the Massachusetts Army National Guard.

Druker Auditorium at the Newton Free Library
March 22nd, 4:00 – 8:00 pm

Newton Women Artists in the Spotlight

You’re invited to an eclectic evening celebrating Women’s History Month. Enjoy a Renaissance comedy play co-written and performed by Chiara Durazzini, a short film from Bosnia-Herzegovina directed by Sanja Zdjelar, and Israeli artisanal pastries from Galit’s Treats! Laugh, cry, and break some bread (and pastries) together!

Free Admission and Free Refreshments! Everyone is welcome (not recommended for younger than 6 years).

March 25th, 5:00 pm
Newton City Hall, War Memorial Auditorium

Newton Heartbreak Hill Road Race & Walk

If you are ready for winter to be over, start dusting off those running (or walking) shoes! The 26th annual Heartbreak Hill Road Race and Family Walk is a perfect way to shake off some of that cabin fever! Just one mile, up and down famed Heartbreak Hill! Every runner receives an official digital-clock time, a race medallion, goody bag and a free ticket to the pre-race pasta party at Newton City Hall on Saturday, April 14th.

The 1st, 2nd & 3rd place runners in each category win a trophy! The first 500 registrations receive a free t-shirt. There are free activities for kids organized by the Lasell College Special Events students.

Not a runner? Everyone can walk the course at 11:30. Registration is easy at www.newtoncommunitypride.org $10.00 child/$12.00 adult.

April 15th, Newton City Hall