Research on depression and anxiety in adolescents

Genesis Vergara, a research assistant with the Child and Adolescent Mood Disorders Lab at McLean Hospital,  is involved in conducting a research study to improve the understanding of mental illness in youth.

At present, they are recruiting adolescents aged 14-15 years with depression or anxiety to participate in research designed to better understand brain connections and mental illness.  Adolescent participants will be administered a clinical interview and self-report questionnaires, and eligible participants also will receive an MRI brain scan.

Please find attached a letter from the director of this lab, Dr. Randy Auerbach, detailing the study further: Letter.  If you have any questions, please contact Genesis at 617-855-4290 or gvergara@mclean.harvard.edu.

Not quite ready for kindergarten?

Begin your child’s journey to school and lifelong learning at Bowen. Enrollment in Bowen’s Pre-K Program is now open for Fall 2017.  Bowen’s Pre-K program offers a unique opportunity for a third year of pre-school. Pre-K combines an exciting mix of academics and social skills, taught by a dedicated team of educators. Older 4’s and young 5’s work toward goals comparable to those in kindergarten, but at a modified pace in a much smaller community with a 7:1 child teacher ratio. This class of 14 quickly becomes a cohesive group working and playing together with enthusiasm. The program runs Monday-Friday from 8:30 am-1:00 pm.

Parents are welcome to visit the school to observe firsthand how their child will benefit from Bowen’s Pre-K program. For more information about Bowen’s Pre-K program, please contact Bowen’s Director Nina Tebaldi at 617-332-3923 or visit www.BowenCoop.org for more details and our online application form.

For questions, please contact Nina Tebaldi at 617-332-3923 or director@bowencoop.org.

Reschuled Meeting of the Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education

The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education is having its next meeting on March 20th. This meeting is a rescheduling of the March 14th meeting which was canceled due to snow.

“Everything you always wanted to know about Student Services and Special Education in Newton and were afraid to ask” The NewtonSEPAC Board Officers invite you to join an open conversation and Q & A session. No topic is too small or insignificant. The agenda will include a presentation of proposed amendments to the by-laws, and then an open conversation with questions and answers. All NewtonSEPAC meetings are free and open to the public.

Please rsvp to rsvp.newtonpac@gmail.com and include a topic of interest, if possible.

March 20th
7:15 pm Light refreshments and networking
7: 30 –  9:00 pm General Meeting
The Education Center, 100 Walnut Street, Room 210

Studio of Engaging Math & STEAM summer program!

Come learn about the math classes & STEAM summer program. Play games, solve puzzles, and win prizes! STEAM is a summer program in July and August for children ages 6 – 12. Broaden your child’s exposure to science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). The fun and intimate, hands-on activities of the classes strive to excite and inspire participants about STEAM, creating enthusiasm that will spill over to schoolwork and school choices in future years. Classes include introduction to programming, building and modeling, arts and crafts, logic puzzles and board games.

OPEN HOUSE:
March 26th, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
320 Washington Street, Suite 301, Brighton

*Studio of Engaging Math is a K-8 after-school math program. The small groups and expert teachering provide an ideal environment for developing critical thinking and advanced problem-solving skills.

JCC All Camps Fair

Meet the day, overnight, and specialty (arts, sports, technology, science) camp directors and register for Summer 2017 at the All Camps Fair.  No charge for camp fair. Everyone is welcome. JCC camp options for boys and girls from preschool to high school, with transportation from many locations in Greater Boston:

Day Camps/Programs
Camp Grossman
Camp Kaleidoscope
JCC Specialty Camps
Empow Camps
JCC Early Learning Center preschool summer programs
JCC Kids’ Choice School Vacation Programs
Overnight Camp
Camp Kingswood
Camp Kingswood Zohar Special Needs Inclusion and Vocational programs

Register on March 26th and receive a $36 credit, per camper, for 2017 camp tuition with your deposit — $50 if your child enrolls in two camps! For more information, visit bostonjcc.org/camp or contact camp@jccgb.org or 617-244-5124.

March 26th, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Leventhal-Sidman Center, 333 Nahanton Street,  Newton

Boston-area Jewish Education Program (BJEP) Open House

Boston-area Jewish Education Program (BJEP) located on the Brandeis University campus, an independent and vibrant Jewish learning community from pre-K to Grade 7, invites the community to join the April 2017 Open House.

Through an interactive curriculum, BJEP instills in their students a sense of joy and belonging within the Jewish community and knowledge of Jewish traditions and the Hebrew language. BJEP celebrates its 50th anniversary during 2017-2018, and looks forward to meeting new families at the upcoming Open House:

April 2nd, 10:00 -11:30 am
Brandeis University, Waltham

For more information, please email info@bjep.com or call 781-386- 7278 or visit www.bjep.org.

What’s Happening at the Y-Late Spring Programs

Registration for the following late Spring Programs opens April 3rd for WSYMCA Members and April 7th for Non-Members. Visit wsymca.org to download a copy of our Early & Late Program Spring Guide, or stop by the Y if you’d like help to register.

  • Swim Lessons for all ages, Aquatics Fitness Classes
  • Sports Leagues – Soccer, Tee Ball and NFL Flag Football
  • April School Vacation Week Programs
  • Music Lessons and Rock Band
  • Personal Training and Small Group Training

NFL Flag Football League – Ages 9-11. Get your friends together to enter a team or join as a free agent. Games are 5 v 5, played on the Y’s Turf Field, officiated by Y staff and authentic NFL team jerseys are provided. For more information, or to sign up, contact Kimberly Benzan at kimberlyb@wsymca.org. April 2nd – May 21st

How to Find a Summer Job

Summer may seem a long way away, but the time is fast approaching to start thinking about summer jobs. This workshop will help you begin thinking about what kind of jobs you might be interested in, and how to go about finding them.

The workshop will be led by Louise Zornoza, Director of School Outreach with HelpAroundTown.com, a Lexington, MA-based website designed to help students find work and volunteer opportunities. The site was launched in 2011 by a Lexington High School parent to provide an easy, safe and unintimidating platform for kids to find local, flexible jobs and begin to build “real world” experience. Since then, the site has helped over 2,000 people find nearly 3,000 jobs. THere will also be time at the end of the session for working on resumes.

For grades 9-12. Please register.

April 5th, 4:00 pm
Newton Free Library, second floor Computer Center

Find your inner dragon!

Find your inner dragon! The Wellness Warriors are looking for new paddlers to join the team. The Wellness Warriors Dragon Boat Team is a fun Paddling support Program for those touched by cancer. Come for an information session and Paddling Skills Building Workshop to learn more about this exciting program!

The Wellness Warriors will teach you what you need to know to get started in the exciting sport of dragon boating. There are two opportunities to participate in informational and skills building workshops designed to prevent injury and teach the fundamentals of dragon boat paddling. Please email membership@wellnesswarriorsboston.org for additional information and to RSVP if you can attend one of these dates.

Skills Building Workshop dates:
April 12th, 7:00 – 9:30 pm
April 30th, 3:00 – 5:30 pm
BodyScapes Longwood, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston

Additional info and directions/parking will be provided once you sign up.