• Fluent in Spanish
• Massachusetts licensed/certified
• 6 years teaching experience
• BA Latin American Studies: Brown University
• MA Teaching: Boston College
• CAES School Leadership/Administration: Boston College
• Newton Highlands resident
• Available Services:
o Spanish (all levels)
o Organizational skills
o Study skills
Contact: Libby Sands at libby@libbysands.com or at 617- 256-4780.
If you often feel that your ideas are better than your papers, join the summer writing course and improve your academic writing in all subjects. In this class, learn how to define a clear thesis and organize evidence to support it. You’ll practice structuring logical paragraphs, drawing convincing connections between them, and building up to a strong, emphatic conclusion. You’ll also learn to avoid common word use and grammatical errors that can detract from your arguments. You’ll finish this class with increased confidence
to tackle your future writing assignments.
This program is offered through Newton Summer School, which is now part of Newton Community Education. You will receive 1.5 credits upon completion of this course; these credits will count toward graduation, but do not satisfy department-specific graduation requirements. Learn more at newtoncommunityed.org.
Join us to investigate the amazing biology of marine organisms and explore the ecology of their environment through experiential, hands-on learning. To supplement our classroom and lab work, we’ll do the following work in the field during 4 full-day field trips:
1) Conduct a physical, chemical, and biological oceanographic analysis of Massachusetts Bay aboard a UMASS research vessel.
2) Explore and analyze the rocky inter-tidal ecosystem in Nahant.
3) Assess shorebird ecology and soft sediment habitat at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and Sandy Point Reservation in Plum Island.
4) Investigate salt marsh ecology and restoration at Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Falmouth.
This program is offered through Newton Summer School, which is now part of Newton Community Education. You will receive 2.5 credits upon completion of this course; these credits will count toward graduation, but do not satisfy department-specific graduation requirements. Visit newtoncommunityed.org for more information. Register here.
Explorations in Art Week
3-D Project, Acrylic Painting, Sculpey Clay Creations, Paper making, Duct Tape Art, and more. Class size limit is 10 students.
July 24th – 28th, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
3-Day Fairy House Intensive
Create your own take-home fairy house, fairies and fairy furniture. Develop scenes if time allows using a variety of materials. Class size limit is 10 students.
August 28 – 30th, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location: Instructor’s home near Zervas Elementary School in Waban. More details and references available upon request. This is the 5th year Amy Behrens has offered these programs, which have filled every summer. Please register as soon as possible.
About the Instructor: Amy Behrens is a Zervas/Oak Hill parent and former middle school teacher who is now a parent coach, educator and artist. She loves helping kids create art with high quality materials in the summer.
Learn more at http://www.amybehrens.com/workshops/ and email amy@amybehrens.com if you want to hold a space for your child in one or both art programs this summer or have questions about the fee, activities, or anything else.
Is your child heading to Bigelow next year? Middle school is a very different experience for kids and parents so getting involved is a great way to stay connected with the school community! There are many PTO Board roles available for next year as well as committee chair positions and we would love to have representation from all the feeder school parents.
Please contact your Nominating Committee representatives or Tracy Carroll, Nominating Committee chair, for more information. Thank you!
Tracy Carroll – tracy_carroll@yahoo.com, 617-913-9332
Miriam Alandydy – miriam.alandydy@gmail.com (Lincoln-Eliot)
Una Simmons – una@ethannet.com (Underwood)
Beth Hicks – beth.hicks@gmail.com (Ward)
If you want to help with the planning of the Bigelow Big Night Lual 2017, our next committee meeting will be Thursday, April 6th, at 7pm, at Beth Panella’s house, 5 Channing Road in Newton Center. Please contact Beth at beth.panella@comcast.net for more information.
We still need donations to our silent auction. You can donate by clicking here or you can help by soliciting local businesses for a donation. Click here for a printable business solicitation letter and donation form.
We appreciate all your help!
Thank you,
Tammy McKenna and Beth Panella – your event co-chairs
If you are concerned and would like to voice your opinion about the recently announced budget for upcoming school year, there will be a public hearing on the subject.
When: Tuesday, April 4, 2017, from 6:00pm – 6:30pm
Where: Education Center, 100 Walnut Street, Newton, MA, 02460, Room 210
More information: FY18 Proposed Budget
We’re rapidly approaching the end of the year with lots of exciting activities for our 8th graders. We need parents to volunteer to support our students as we successfully bring their 8th grade experience to the finish line.
Jessie Gilmartin will host an organizing meeting for interested volunteer parents and guardians of 8th graders at her home at 11 Garrison Street in Chestnut Hill, (617) 281-4535, on Sunday April 9th from 7:30 to 8:30 pm. The time of the meeting changed to 2pm – 3pm.
Some volunteer opportunities include supporting the 8th grade graduation reception, the 8th grade dance, and supporting fundraising activities surrounding the 8th grade trips.
We hope you can help!
The Newton Schools Foundation is honored for the second consecutive year to have a
very generous donor who will match up to $25,000 in contributions from the community
to the Calculus Project during the month of March.
Double your impact and donate today: www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org
The Calculus Project has been transformational for Newton students. Since its 2013
launch, enrollment growth in high-level mathematics among traditionally
underrepresented student groups is significant:
• Hispanic student enrollment has increased 70 percent.
• African-American student enrollment has tripled.
• Low-income student enrollment has increased nine-fold!
Here’s how the program works:Calculus Project students attend intensive small-group
summer classes to preview upcoming curriculum, boost their math skills, foster
attitudes that support academic risk-taking and perseverance, and cultivate relationships among peers in the program. During the school year, students receive mentoring and after-school academic support. The program also uses lessons and activities designed to improve self-perceptions about academic accomplishment.
Your support this year will help deepen and extend the Calculus Project’s reach.
Currently serving 109 students in grades 7-10, the program will welcome a new cohort
of 30 incoming 7th graders this summer. If we successfully complete this match challenge,
the resulting $50,000 will support nearly half of the students in the Calculus Program for
this coming year—including the entire new 7th grade cohort.
At a cost of $1,000 per student for a full year of programming, the Calculus Project’s
success depends on a public-private partnership between the Newton Public Schools,
private foundations and corporate donors, and generous individuals like you.
Please help us meet the donor match challenge. Please Donate today!
www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org
The Newton Highlands After-School Program, just for middle school children is hosting 3 Open House events for interested families. This is a terrific opportunity for parents of 5th graders to learn more about the program as they plan for the next school year. Please join them and see the wonderful space that is the home base of this terrific program. For more information please contact: Rochelle Acker at 617-999-4617 or highlandsafterschool@gmail.com or visit our website highlandsafterschool.org
March 27th, April 6th, April 9th, 5:30-6:30 pm
Brigham House, 20 Hartford Street, Newton Highlands