Bigelow Beautification – April 30

Join us as we beautify the grounds of Bigelow Middle School. We plan to clean and mulch garden beds, prune shrubs and trees, etc. outdoors. We also may build a short wooden fence to protect planting beds from foot traffic. Please bring some tools to help with the efforts.

This volunteer opportunity is part of NewtonServes, a Day of Community Service that brings together over 1,000 volunteers of all ages. NewtonServes is a project of Newton Community Pride, Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs and the Newton Parks and Recreation Department.

Middle School Resources @ the City of Newton

The City of Newton’s Executive Office, Health and Human Services Department and Newton Public Schools are currently working on promoting out-of-school time for middle schoolers. While all young people benefit from out of school time activities that help them grow and learn, middle school tends to be an age when student participation decreases. While still in the early stages of this work, the city has created a webpage on the City website to help families find summer options for their middle schooler, as well as provide other valuable information like financial aid tips, helpful links and more. We will be continually adding more to the webpage in the coming months but with summer coming up we want to share what we have now to help with your planning. We welcome any feedback and ideas.

Middle School Summer Ideas – beyond summer camps

2017 Summer Youth Programs for Newton Youth Grades 5-8

Middle School resources webpage

Annual Youth Services Award

The Newton Parks and Recreation Commission and the Newton Health and Human Services Youth Commission are asking your help in seeking nominations for the 29th Annual Youth Services Awards. These awards recognize the hard work and dedicated efforts Newton citizens so generously contribute to youth work and community service.

There is a full description of all the awards and nomination forms at http://www.newtonma.gov/gov/parks/youthawards.asp.

Nominations must be received before May 19, 2017.

Drop-In Vacation Week PlaySpace

Looking for something fun to do with the kids over school vacation week? Come to Art & Music with Paula Gannon, with time for Play & Snack too! No registration needed, just drop in! For children ages 18 months – 5 years with a caregiver. $10.00 per child or $25.00 per family. Call 617-796-1540 for more information.

April 19th and April 21st,  9:30 – 11:00 am
Newton Cultural Center at City Hall, 1000 Commonwealth Avenue

Boston March for Science – Kids’s Rally

Come to the Kid’s Rally at the Boston March for Science at the Boston Common. The event is non-partisan and pro-science. Bring the kids by for an opportunity to get interested in science and recognize that everyone is and can be a scientist. For more information, visit https://www.marchforscienceboston.com/kids-march.

April 22nd, 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Parkman Bandstand on the Boston Common

Highs and Lows: Teens and Adults Talking about Drugs, Alcohol

Highs and Lows: Teens and Adults Talking about Drugs, Alcohol and more.
Judgement free conversations among teens and adults (but not your own parent/child!) about the risks and realities of drug and alcohol use.

All Newton families – parents and teens at North and South and anywhere else – are welcome. This facilitated event is sure to open your eyes and give you the words to face those unexpected realities when they appear in your life. Visit the website www.newtonma.gov/newtonpath for more information.

April 25th, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Newton South cafeteria

Volunteer opportunities

There are THREE volunteer opportunities coming up with the Rotary Club of Newton and friends. Please join in helping others – membership in Rotary is NOT required~

1. Sunday, April 30th, 9:00 am: Newton At Home: As part of NewtonServes, Rotary will help with an outdoor spring cleanup at the home of an older adult living independently in Newton. Will include light leaf raking, picking up twigs, sweeping, and possibly moving lawn furniture from the garage outside. Your donation of time and effort will make a big, positive difference to the well-being of an older adult. Suitable for anyone 8 and up and persons with disabilities To participate, please contact Maureen by CLICKING HERE.

2. Thursday, May 18th: Help pack bags at the Center Street Food Pantry. Time to be determined, but if you’re interested please contact Rae by CLICKING HERE. Suitable for adults.

3. The Southborough Rotary Club is holding a food packaging event on Sunday, April 23rd at 1:00 pm at St. Mark’s School in Southborough. This is a fast, fun and important project that helps get emergency food into the hands of those in crisis. Please contact Dave Vachris at St. Mark’s by CLICKING HERE. Suitable for adults and kids 10 and up.

Sign up for one or for all – you’re always welcome at Rotary!

Summer School is Now Part of Newton Community Education

Newton Summer School is now part of NCE. Students entering grades 9-12 can take elective classes like Marine Biology and Critical Writing for credit, as well as for-credit academic classes in Biology, Chemistry and US History. Pre-Calculus is also available (no credit) to prepare kids for high school calculus.

For more information, or to register, visit newtoncommunityed.org or call 617-559-6999.