Vibrant and busy Centre Street Food Pantry is seeking a new Pantry Manager! Be part of a non-profit that directly supports hundreds of families in Newton and surrounding communities in a kind and meaningful way. The best candidate will be flexible, great with people, deal well with details and handle lots of moving parts. This is a paid part-time position with an immediate start date. If you are interested, please send your resume to info@centrestfoodpantry.org
Chinese Tutor Available
Private, in home tutoring avaialble for all levels by a tutor with years of experience. Please contact Stella at Stellapan@comcast.net or 617-512-3827.
Youth choir currently welcoming new members, grades 2-12
Does your child love to sing? Find your community at Youth pro Musica! They offer three choirs (grades 2-5, 5-8, and 9-12) with high quality instruction in classical choral music for boys and girls.
Rehearsals are held on Tuesdays in West Newton. If interested in learning more, please email auditions@youthpromusica.org .
Do you have a child that loves to sing and perform?
Join VOICES Boston children’s chorus for the 2019-2020 season! VOICES Boston focuses primarily on singing and music literacy, with an added emphasis on dance technique and drama performance. VOICES Boston changes the lives of children, building confidence, discipline, leadership and a love of music that will last a lifetime.
There are ensembles for singers grades K-8 and rehearsals are in Brookline. VOICES Boston singers perform a wide range of repertoire, from classical to world music, gospel to new music, and even present an opera each year.
If you would like to sign up your singer for VOICES Boston or have any questions please contact Jojo Davila at programmanager@voicesboston.org. For more detailed information about past performances, staff, curriculum and more visit www.voicesboston.org.
Newton Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC)
Does your child have an IEP or 504 plan? Is your child receiving special education services? Are you interested in getting support services for your child? Then check out the Newton Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) at newtonpac.org .
We are a volunteer organization of parents of children with special needs from preschool through high school. We run an online forum where parents can ask each other about special education programs, issues, policies and resources both within and outside of the public-school system. We work directly with the school administration regarding our childrens’ special education through our school liaisons, meetings with the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services and by attending Newton School Committee meetings. In addition to sponsoring monthly speakers here in Newton, we publicize presentations and conferences held by other SEPACs and organizations in the area. We also hold monthly board meetings that are open to all parents whose dates are listed on our website – please join us! In the meantime, you can join our online community at newtonpac.org.
We are also in need of a parent representative from Bigelow. If you are interested in the position or would like more information about the SEPAC in general, please contact Liaison Coordinator Kim Gallaugher at momofiggy@hotmail.com
Bus Transportation Update
Dear NPS Families,
The first two days of school have presented some significant challenges for our bus transportation. We apologize to those of you who have experienced delays, frustrations, and anxiety related to transportation on these first days of school.
Please know that we are receiving your voicemails and emails and will respond as soon as possible. There will be some delay in response given the extremely high volume of communications we are receiving. Our first priority is to resolve the issues related to bus routes so as to ensure your student’s timely transportation to and from school. Eastern Bus, our transportation vendor, has shared with us that the shortage of bus drivers is impacting operations. They are working diligently to get all drivers up to speed as soon as possible.
We know that many families have not received their bus passes and significant numbers of applications are still being submitted. All applications submitted prior to the August 16th deadline were processed, printed, and mailed. Please know that bus passes WILL NOT be checked until several weeks into the school year. This information has been communicated to all schools.
For families utilizing special education transportation, we are resolving issues on an individual basis as each student and ride is unique.
Given the significant construction projects in process throughout the City of Newton, additional bus delays may occur throughout the year. Because our buses operate on a tiered system (same buses are used for high school, middle school, elementary school), delays in one tier impact schools throughout the system.
Next year, we plan to implement changes to the registration process and timing to address the challenges we have experienced this year. Please look for additional information later this year.
We know this is a time of transition for all families. Lack of certainty in transportation makes that transition more difficult. Please know we are working hard to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding and patience.
Sincerely,
Liam Hurley, Assistant Superintendent/Chief Financial and Administrative Officer
Regina Moody, Director of Transportation
New Food Service Comment Form
How do your students like the new food vendor at Bigelow? Did you check out the new menu? Your feedback is important as food service continues to improve for our schools. Please use the form at the link below to provide feedback, ask questions or express concerns about the new Food Service provider at Bigelow! Please use one form for each suggestion or concern.
Did you Know? – Bigelow is on Twitter
Students and the whole school community can get up-to-the-minute updates on clubs, sports, and other Bigelow events by following the school @BulldogWoofs on Twitter. You can read the Twitterfeed on the Bigelow website, or click on the blue button to “Follow Us” on Twitter.
By following @BulldogWoofs, families can get timely notifications sent right to their cellphones, tablets and computers! This is a great way to keep informed of meetings for new clubs, changes in sports practices and contests, upcoming events, and much much more.
New Newton FORJ Book Group
Check out the new FORJ Book Group, meeting monthly at various locations throughout Newton. Given that the books could be shared with older students, this group is designed for Newton Middle and High School parents/guardians, faculty and staff, in mind, however it is open to anyone who is looking to increase their awareness and connection regarding these topics.
For teachers this could be a great opportunity to think through how to introduce a particular book and get feedback in a supportive space. This will be an excellent opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and meet some new people, please consider joining! Please contact Jen Dirga with any questions jenniferdirga@gmail.com.
Click here to learn more about theFORJ Group.
Applications for Harmony Foundation Community Grants are currently being accepted
As part of its mission, Newton’s Harmony Foundation (The Foundation for Racial, Ethnic and Religious Harmony) provides small grants to Newton organizations whose programming facilitates community learning, understanding, respect, and unity across the divides of racial, ethnic, religious and cultural differences. The Foundation’s scope is intergenerational with many program grants benefitting those in preschool through high school.
The Harmony Foundation is now accepting grant proposals from community groups, K-12 educational institutions and other related local organizations whose program initiatives align with their primary mission, to assist the Newton community in cultivating and valuing diversity as a unique source of community strength.
Grants typically are in the range of $200-$1,500, with an expected average grant size of $500-$750. This fall’s application deadline is September 30th. Applications may be submitted for current programs or for programs scheduled to occur in 2020.
For more information about eligibility and application instructions, please visit http://harmonyfoundationnewton.org/grants/submit-a-grant/