Gooney Bird Greene and Her True Life Adventures

Wheelock Family Theatre’s performance of Gooney Bird Greene and Her True Life Adventures features Brown 8th grader Ava Lyons.  Ava will perform as Felicia Ann, a classmate of Gooney Bird, and the show runs approximately 90 minutes.

Gooney Bird Greene and Her True Life Adventures is an adaptation by Kent R. Brown of the Lois Lowry book that charts the quirky course of Gooney Bird, a new student at Watertower Elementary with a flair for the theatrical. Gooney Bird inspires her classmates to maximize their own self-expression through wearing brightly-colored mismatched ensembles and telling wildly imaginative stories that are 100% true.

There will be 16 performances between October 26th and November 18th, with shows available to the public mostly on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  Tickets can be ordered from Wheelock Family Theatre’s website at https://wheelockfamilytheatre.org/ or https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/993442/prm/Sox9.  Additionally, tickets for the Saturday 10:30 am shows are discounted at $15.

Winter Basketball League needs volunteer coaches and refs

As the winter season is upon us, the Newton Boys & Girls Club annual Winter Basketball League will be starting in late November. Coming off of a strong season last year when the league consisted of 20 teams with high competition, they look to continue the streak.

The Boys & Girls Club is looking for volunteers who can commit to:

  • 2 hours weekly of coaching, 1 hour on a week night and 1 hour Saturday morning/afternoon
  • 2-7 hours of refereeing between Friday nights 5:00 – 8:00 pm or Saturdays 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
  • Commitment would be needed through mid-March

These leagues success relies on our amazing volunteers and community sponsors. Please consider donating your time as a coach or referee and help the Winter Basketball program grow.  Click here for a link for our volunteer application.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email jkithcart@newtonbgc.com or call Jordan at 617-630-2066 ext 121.

Each team is designated one practice and one game per week. Practices and games are about an hour long. Games are Saturday mornings/afternoon depending on which age group is playing. This league consists of three divisions.

  • Development League (Grades K-2) The Development League will focus on player development both on and off the court. There will be a skills and drills segment along with team-building and discipline. The season ends with a tournament in which all teams compete. All games will be played on Fridays.
  • Premier League (Grades 3-5)  The foundation of the Premier League is built on learning the basic fundamentals of the game. All games will be played on Saturdays.
  • Junior League (Grades 6-8) The Junior League is designed to help players prepare for a higher level of competition. They’ll be introduced to team concepts such as zone defense, team defense, motion offense and proper floor spacing. All games will be played on Saturdays.

Summer camp registration opening soon

Whether you love to sing and dance at Camp Kaleidoscope, learn important swimming skills at Camp Grossman or hone your skills at Specialty Camps an exciting summer awaits.

Enjoy an unforgettable summer with JCC Greater Boston filled with land & water sports, outdoor adventures, visual arts, performing arts and Jewish culture. Save $75.00 on your day camp registration when you sign up on November 18th! Learn more at bostonjcc.org/re-registration https://www.bostonjcc.org/classes-and-events/re-registration-day.

Early bird registrati0n on November 18th,  2:00 – 4:00 pm at the Leventhal-Sidman Center at JCC Greater Boston.

TEN Tables is sold out

Thank you to all who bought tickets for our fundraiser! TEN Tables is sold out and online registration is now closed.

If you have registered for the event but have not received a corresponding email after registering, please let us know. We will send reminders to all registered guests with details about the evening during the week.

Sweet temptations are needed! We are welcoming dessert contributions for Saturday night. Please contact bigelowbulldog@gmail.com or Una at una@ethannet.com to make arrangements or if you have any questions about the evening.

We are thankful to all the generous hosts for opening their houses and making this great event happen!

Election Day Bake Sale: Tuesday, Nov 6

The 8th Grade will be hosting an Election Day Bake Sale next Tuesday, November 6th, from 7:00am-8:00pm. This is generally a great success and we have potential to make a lot of money to help fund all sorts of 8th grade events! However, in order for it to be successful, we NEED YOUR HELP! We need parent volunteers to sell the goodies and we need all families to BAKE, BAKE, BAKE! (All Baked Goods should be Nut-Free and Individually Wrapped for efficient sales!)

Please sign up here to volunteer and/or bake!

Please bring your items to the Bigelow Gymnasium entrance on the 6th or drop off in the office during school hours on the 5th. If you have any questions, please contact Miriam Alandydy at miriam.alandydy@gmail.com or 781-424-7340.

Your help is very much appreciated by all the 8th Graders!

Bigelow 8th Grade Parents

Team Believe’s Pumpkin Patch for Best Buddies!

Please visit the Team Believe Pumpkin Patch. Pick up beautiful jack o’lanterns and sugar pumpkins just in time for Halloween carving, as well as mini-pumpkins and gourds for your Thanksgiving decorations, and, of course, delicious baked goods and the best apple cider donuts in town. Enjoy warm spiced apple cider, get creative with Halloween and Thanksgiving crafts, and help raise funds to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities!

Every penny raised through the Pumpkin Patch will be donated to Best Buddies, an organization which empowers the special abilities of people with IDD by helping them form meaningful friendships, secure successful jobs, improve self-advocacy and communication skills, and live independently as valued members of society. So please come by and pick up a pumpkin for a great cause!! Any questions, please email bestbuddies.teambelieve@gmail.com.

October 28th, from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
232 Collins Road, Waban (just off Chestnut Street)

Newton Parent Transition Group

The Newton Parent Transition Group is a yahoogroup that may be of interest to parents of students receiving special education services in Newton.  It is a dedicated forum for parents or guardians who are interested in sharing information and resources related to transitioning from high school into adult life.  Open to families who have students in 6th grade and up.  To subscribe, please send a request to:

newtonparenttransitiongroup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Please include the current grade of your student and if you wish, the name of the school attending. To learn more about transition planning, follow this link:

https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/cms/lib/MA01907692/Centricity/Domain/108/TransitionBrochureFinal2013%20.pdf

Upcoming Events at Historic Newton

HALLOWEEN TOUR OF EAST PARISH BURYING GROUND

Who says cemeteries have to be spooky? Newton’s oldest cemetery, the East Parish Burying Ground, dates back to 1660 and serves as the resting place of Newton’s founding families. Learn about Newton’s history and explore this community resource as an educator from Historic Newton guides you in this special tour of the art of remembrance, and life and death in Newton. Hear the stories of those memorialized and consider the lives and deaths of those whose final resting places are unmarked. Suggested donation, $10 per person. Register at newtonma.gov/HNwalks. Call 617-796-1450 for more information.

October 28th, 3:30 pm
Meet at the corner of Cotton and Centre Streets; park on Cotton Street

STORYTIME – HALLOWEEN

Come celebrate Halloween with fun-filled activities! You’ll read The Roll-Away Pumpkin by Junia Wonders, and preschoolers and their caregivers will create their own pumpkin and jack-o-lantern artwork with apple stamps. For a complete schedule of ongoing Storytime events, go to www.newtonma.gov/story. Admission: Free. For more information call 617-641-9142.

October 31st, 4:30-6:30 pm​
Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds, 286 Waverley Avenue

TRICK OR TREAT AT THE JACKSON HOMESTEAD

As you make the rounds with children on Halloween night, please stop by the Jackson Homestead and Museum for treats and free museum admission tickets that may be used throughout the fall. Enjoy trick-or-treating at the historic home that is part of the neighborhood! Admission: Free. Call 617-796-1450 for more information.

October 31st
Jackson Homestead and Museum, 527 Washington Street

FREE WEEKEND AT HISTORIC NEWTON

Everyone is invited to enjoy free admission to the museums.  Call 617-796-1450 for more information

November 3rd and 4th, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Jackson Homestead and Museum, 527 Washington Street, and the Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds, 286 Waverley Avenue

One week left for early bird registration

One week left for early bird registration for the Newton Turkey Trot. Prices will increase after October 25th for the 5th annual Newton Turkey Trot!  Sign up today at www.newtonturkeytrot.org to secure your spot and be guaranteed an awesome T-shirt.
This event kicks off on November 17th at 8:30 am with a kids’ 1mile fun run followed by the 5K race at 9:00 am.

Not a runner?  Join in the fun as a volunteer! Details are in the volunteer section of the website. Sign up soon, this race will sell out! All proceeds from the race go to the Newton Food Panty.