Registration for Ma’or Enlightened Jewish Education is Open

Ma’or (illumination) is a joint program of Congregation Mishkan Tefila and Temple Emeth of Chestnut Hill, and Temple Reyim of Newton. Ma’or offers student-centered enlightened Jewish education for grades K-5 organized around five pillars of study/torches of illumination: Israel, Torah, Community Service, Spirituality, and Hebrew and other Jewish languages.

Classes meet at the JCC in Newton; grades K-5 meet on Sunday mornings and grades 2-5 meet on Tuesday afternoons. Please call 617-564-0460, email maorboston@gmail.com or visit www.maorboston.org if you have any questions.

Destination Imagination

Come to a “DI Info Night” to find out more about enrolling your child in a life changing experience.

Tuesday, September 9th, from 7:00-8:00 pm
Zervas Elementary Library at 30 Beethoven Avenue

Wednesday, September 10th, from 7:00-8:00 pm
Burr Elementary Cafeteria at 171 Pine Street

Monday, September 15th, from 7:00-8:00 pm
Cabot Elementary Cafeteria at 229 Cabot Street

Wednesday, September 17th, from 7:00-8:00 pm
Memorial Spaulding Auditorium at 250 Brookline Street

Monday, September 22nd, from 7:00-8:00 pm
Horace Mann Elementary at 687 Watertown Street

The Destination Imagination program encourages teams of learners to have fun, take risks, focus and frame challenges while incorporating STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), the arts and service learning. DI students learn patience, flexibility, persistence, ethics, respect for others and their ideas, and the collaborative problem solving process.

More than 1.5 million youth have taken part in Destination Imagination problem-solving challenges in the past 30 years. Participating in DI has helped them develop critical thinking skills they can apply to their future schooling and careers to give them a competitive advantage for the rest of their lives. Last year, 80 students from nine different Newton Public Schools participated in Regional and State competitions.

NCE Fall College Prep Classes

This fall, NCE is offering a variety of affordable classes to help families prepare for college admissions:

ACT Math/Science Review  4 Wednesdays @ NSHS, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, 9/24-10/, $185
ACT English/Reading Review  – 4 Tuesdays @ NNHS, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, 9/23-10/14, $185
SAT Math Review  – 4 Thursdays @ NSHS, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, 10/9-10/30, $185
SAT Verbal Review Mondays @ NNHS 9/29-10/27, $185
Write Successful Essays for Your College Application – 4 Thursdays @ NNHS, 7:00 – 8:30 pm 10/2-10/23, $185
You Can Do It: Manage Your Own (Child’s) College Application Process– 2 Mondays/1 Wednesday @ NNHS, 7:30 – 9:00 pm, 9/22, 9/29, &10/15, $75

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

NewtonPAC meeting

The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education (NewtonPAC) will meet on September 17th for a session for the parents and guardians of any child with special needs. They will have a dessert potluck (contributions welcome!), with time for networking and getting to know each other, and will plan the PAC’s meetings and events for the 2014-2015 school year. Come and meet other parents of kids with special needs in a relaxed, informal setting!

Any questions, or if you’d like to sign up to bring a dessert, feel free to email Eileen Sandberg, PAC chairperson, at eileen.sandberg.newtonpac@gmail.com.

September 17th,  7:30-9:00 pm
Room 210 at the Education Center, 100 Walnut Street

 

When schoolwork goes the wrong way..

Call Y3K Tutor in your home today. Their many years of experience in teaching and educational consulting has developed the right way to motivate, the right way to teach, be understood, and be remembered. They tutor special ed. such as ADD, ADHD, Asperger’s, Autism, Executive Function, and gifted as well as regular ed. and test preparation.

In addition to academic subjects, they teach children organizational skills, homework coaching, study skills, and time management. All subjects and ages are taught. Parents can now receive 25% off the first lesson. Call 781-492-8700 or check http://www.Y3KTutorInYourHome.com

The Maestro Musicians Academy

The Maestro Musicians Academy is now taking students for the fall semester of 2014!

Expert lessons in Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello, Trumpet, and Voice. Locations at the Young Israel of Brookline in Coolidge Corner and the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association in West Newton. Perfect for children ages 4 and up.

Stellar faculty with emphasis on developing the potential of every unique student. FREE TRIAL LESSON for all students who get in touch with the academy by September 18th. Contact Artistic Director Daniel Broniatowski, D.M.A. at 857- 756-5230 or visit http://www.maestromusiciansacademy.com

Bigelow Bridge Club – 1st Meeting Monday, Sept 8

Would you like your son or daughter to learn a game that, studies have shown, will improve their academic performance?  And is also enjoyed by just about everyone who has learned the game?

If you answered “yes”, then talk to your son or daughter about joining the Bigelow Bridge Club.  This fall, Bigelow parent Jeff Lehman will be teaching participating students how to play the card game of bridge.  Math teacher extraordinaire Sue Mortimer will be the faculty advisor.

The first club meeting is Monday, September 8 from 2:50 pm to 3:50 pm.  Club meetings will continue each Monday that school is in session, for the duration of the school year.

Bridge is a game full of strategy and tactics.  It is part science, part math, part reason.  Bridge embodies cooperation, logic and problem-solving.  Bridge can be played in social or tournament settings, and also online.  In the past couple of years, youth bridge players representing Bigelow and other schools in New England have competed against each other at tournament venues in eastern Massachusetts and in New Hampshire.  This fall, youth bridge activities are scheduled for a national bridge tournament to be held in Providence, RI.

Oh, about that impact of learning bridge on academic performance?  Well, one study showed that young bridge players outscored their non-playing counterparts on standardized test scores by 39.31% in Science, 24.22% in Math, and 22.74% in Social Science.

The Bigelow Bridge Club lesson plans are designed just for youth.  No more than ten minutes of each club meeting will be spent on formal instruction.  The rest of the time will be spent doing what your children want most to do, play.  Although bridge is a game of infinite nuance and sophistication, it is also a game of very few rules.  As a result, your children will be playing bridge by the end of the first class!

Will your child enjoy learning bridge?  Well, listen to this video and you will hear how much fun other youth have learning to play bridge, even traveling to tournaments and winning scholarships.  http://www.youth4bridge.org/about/why_play_bridge_video.php

Please contact Jeff Lehman by phone at 617-332-2134 or by e-mail at Jeffrey.Lehman.MA@verizon.net with any questions.

Cross Country Meeting – Sept 11

A mandatory meeting for all students interested in running cross country will be held on Thursday September 11.  The meeting will be held after school in the library and important information & consent forms will be distributed.  All students including 6th graders are welcome to join.  No experience is required.  Please make sure your child attends the meeting if interested.  Please contact Patty Summa at Patty_Summa@newton.k12.ma.us with any questions.

NCE Fall Classes for Middle Schoolers

Looking for an affordable, conveniently located, after-school activity for your child? Newton Community Education is offering the following two classes for Middle Schoolers AT OAK HILL this fall:

Archery (Tuesdays, Grades 3 and up), and Yoga For Middle Schoolers (Thursdays, Grades 6-8).

More great courses for Middle Schoolers are available at other Newton school locations: Flag Football (Tuesdays @ Brown, Grades 5-8), Fencing for Middle Schoolers (Fridays @ Brown, Grades 6-8), Babysitting & Safety Training (Fridays @ NSHS, ages 11+), Pediatric First Aid & CPR (Fridays at NSHS, ages 11+), Self Defense Combat Sambo (Mondays/Wednesdays @ Franklin, ages K-8), Game Design (Wednesdays @ NNHS, Grades 6 & up), Speech Team (Mondays @ NSHS, Grades 6-8).

If you want to join in on the fun, sign-up for one of their single-meeting Family classes like Crab Catching Adventure (10/19), Cranberry Picking (10/5) or Glass Mosaic Jewelry (10/3). And, don’t forget th adult classes!

For a complete listing of all NCE fall classes, or to register, visit newtoncommunityed.org or call 617-559-6999.

Guitar Lessons In Your Home

Berklee College of Music graduate seeking a limited number of students for private/group guitar lessons. Lessons are offered in your home. All levels are welcome, including beginners. Through a comprehensive approach that combines technique, ear training and harmony,  your son or daughter will develop music skills applicable to all styles of guitar playing. S/he will learn to play and analyze songs and solos from a broad range of musical genres.

For references, video and audio samples, please contact Maldi Kellici at maldi.k@gmail.com or 617-792-2244.