Coin Drive for Newton’s Civil War Heroes

Donate your change to help preserve the Newton Civil War Monument!

The Soldiers’ Monument to Newton’s fallen sons stands in Newton Cemetery and turns 150 years old this year.  A coin drive by Newton’s school children in 1863 helped fund construction of the monument, which was dedicated in July 1864 before the war was over.  The Monument was restored last fall and paid for with Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds.  A coin drive this year will start a maintenance fund for the upkeep of the Memorial.

We need YOU to adopt a coin bucket for your school!  Please contact Katy Hax Holmes at(617) 796-1143 or kholmes@newtonma.gov and we can get you started.  This coin drive would start May 5th and last about one week.

Please join us on May 18, 2014 at 1:00 pm in Newton Cemetery to honor Newton’s Civil War sons, husbands, brothers, and friends.  And see how far spare change can go when we work together to remember the youth of Newton who gave “the last full measure of their devotion.”

Home Needed for a Guinea Pig

Guinea Pig For Adoption.  We have a sweet-natured almost 2 year-old male guinea pig that needs a new home.  Our kids have allergies which mean they cannot give the guinea pig the love and attention he needs.  We will include all the gear you need: a large cage, food bowl, water bottle, house, nail clipper, etc.  We would really like this little guy to go to a good home.  Please contact me at: aliciamatos17@gmail.com

Reminder – Tuesday is “Dining for Dollars” Night at Bertucci’s

April 29th is Dining for Dollars Night at Bertucci’s to support the Bigelow 8th grade field trips.  Bring the attached  flyer to the Newton Corner Bertucci’s at 275 Centre Street and Bigelow will recive 15% of any purchase on April 29th.  Join friends and family to eat, socialize and support scholarships for Bigelow Students. Dine-in, take-out, or order delivery.  Please forward the attached flyer to local friends, colleagues and family, and post it on social media.

Mabel’s Labels to support 8th grade field trips

A message from Bigelow Middle School:

Support Our Fundraiser!

Bigelow is fundraising with Mabel’s Labels, the leading provider of durable personalized labels that are as tough as they are cute.  Get prepared for the summer camp season and help us eliminate our lost and found pile!

Sticky Labels, Peel and Stick Clothing Labels, Bag Tags, Allergy Alert labels & more… there’s a label for everything your kiddo brings for the day.  Personalize your labels with names, initials, phone numbers – whatever you choose. Unique ‘tween’ themed labels are perfect for your middle-schooler!  Great for water bottles and athletic gear too! Dishwasher, microwave, laundry safe and kid tested!  Easy, online ordering gets your labels dispatched within one business day to your door.

Visit www.bigelowms.mabelslabels.com to place your order while helping us raise much-needed funds.  Bigelow will receive 20% of each order!

Please contact Meghan Martin at meghan_martin@newton.k12.ma.us if you have any questions.

 

The Newton Ligerbots are going to the World Championships

The Newton Ligerbots are going to the World Championships, but need your financial support.

The LigerBots are the joint robotics team of Newton North and South High Schools, which competes in the FIRST FRC competition. The team has had a great season this year. They won the District competition at Worchester Polytechnic, and came in second at the Northeastern competition. This earned them a spot at the New England Championships at Boston University. On Monday, after the BU event, they were invited to go to the World Championships in St. Louis on April 23-26 (less than 1 week away).

However, this is the best the team has ever done and the additional expense of going to St. Louis was quite unexpected. The LigerBots have received a number of supplemental grants from our generous sponsors, but there is still a very large shortfall. The team families are ready to pay substantial amounts to make this happen, but not everyone can afford it. The team has members from all parts of Newton and all income levels.

Please consider making a tax deductible donation to the LigerBots to help offset the cost of the trip. You can donate online at http://ligerbots.org/support/ . Alternately, you can send a check to the Newton Schools Foundation http://www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org/support/support-donate.html and please be sure to write “LigerBots Championship” on the check memo so that the money is earmarked for the LigerBots.

If you want to learn more about the team, the web site is http://ligerbots.org
You can see videos of many of the LigerBots’ recent matches on the home page. The LigerBots are Team 2877.

Thanks for any support you can provide.

Support 2009 South Grad and NPS Employee Jason Agress’s Boston Marathon Run for NSF

Jason Agress, 2009 Newton South graduate is running the Boston Marathon to support NSF.

Newton Public Schools truly made a difference for Jason Agress. An alumnus of Memorial-Spaulding, Oak Hill, and Newton South (Class of 2009), his experiences as a student in Newton helped him to discover and pursue his passions, as well as gain the skills needed to succeed.

Now Jason is connected to NPS in his role as a Network Media Specialist for the district. Through his work, Jason has gained a deep appreciation for the excellent resources – including dedicated faculty and staff – that Newton is home to, and which provided for his own first-rate public school experience. No stranger to marathon training, Jason has worked with the Dreamfar High School Marathon program for the past three years as a mentor and Team Leader at Newton South.

“Through training for the marathon, it is gratifying to help Newton students experience the sense of accomplishment that comes with achieving a huge goal and learning important life lessons in the process.” says Jason.

Come out on Monday, April 21st at Heartbreak Hill and to cheer on Jason! A group of supporters will be on the Commonwealth Ave. berm between Sumner St. and Chestnut Terrace. Follow Jason’s Progress at http://boston2014.jasonagress.com.

April Vacation Week Programs for Teens

April Vacation Week Programs for Teens @ the Newton Free Library

Saving Mr. Banks Movie Screening
Teens are invited to watch Saving Mr. Banks on Tuesday, April 22nd at 3:00 pm. The film tells the story of how P.L. Travers, author of Mary Poppins, half-heartedly meet with Walt Disney who wanted to adapt her book for the big screen. Rated PG-13, runtime 125 min. Open to ages 13 and up.

Rockets: There and Back Again
Create an air rocket that launches across the room, and engineer a way for a payload to return safely to Earth. Join a hands-on workshop at the Newton Free Library in Druker Auditorium on Thursday, April 24th at 2:00 pm that explores the science behind rockets and space exploration. Use your imagination to plan, build, and test your own design. Please be advised that this workshop uses latex balloons. Presented by the Museum of Science and open to grades 6-12. Space is limited, register (required) at http://newtonfreelibrary.net/steam/.

Thor: The Dark World Movie Screening
Teens are invited to watch a screening of Thor: The Dark World on Friday, April 25th at 3:00 pm. Thor returns to do battle in this big-budget comic-book adventure. Rated PG-13, runtime 112 min. Open to ages 13 and up.

Mini-Creator Faire
On April 26th from 1:00-4:00 pm, the Newton Free Library will be hosting a mini-Creator Faire in Druker Auditorium to kick off the unveiling of the new MakerBot 3D printer to the community and begin a year of programming for all ages related to the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) initiative from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation.

The Faire is a gathering of tech enthusiasts, traditional crafters, artists, musicians, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers and students. It is a place for creators to show their work and interact with members of the community. Come experience a fun, interactive afternoon at the library, and get involved in the rebirth of Do-It-Yourself. Meet the Makers: http://www.newtonfreelibrary.net/steam/mini_faire.php

Magic and Music at Boston’s Symphony Hall

“Bon Voyage”, a special concert for families of all ages featuring music and magic from around the world. The concert features Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra’s talented young musicians and “Matt the Magician”.

See objects magically appear, pass through each other, and transform before your very eyes, while your ears enjoy the talents of over 100 amazing young musicians. You even get a chance to conduct the orchestra right from your seat!

Adults: $20.00, Kids under 18 years old are free (limit 4 per family. To get free kids tickets, phone SymphonyCharge 888-266-1200.) For regular tickets, please purchase here: http://www.bso.org/Performance/Detail/56084/?utm_source=Bon+Voyage+evite+4.15.14&utm_campaign=Bon+Voyage+evite&utm_medium=email

Saturday, April 26th, 12:00 Noon
Symphony Hall

New Volunteer Project – Recycling Education

Green Decade Newton, in collaboration with the City of Newton Department of Public Works, is seeking numerous volunteers (16 years and older) to walk in pairs around Newton’s neighborhoods, while adhering “recycling education stickers” onto all residential green bins, during the spring and summer months. Maps will be provided and work will be conducted primarily in the morning hours.

The “Recycle Sticker Project” will help remind everyone of what may or may not be placed in our green bins. Funding for the stickers has been provided by Green Decade, Whole Foods Market and Waste Management with a goal to raise awareness about recycling…not only to benefit our environment, but to also reap substantial financial savings on the cost of disposing the City’s trash.

So, if you enjoy spending time outdoors and want to help increase participation in Newton’s recycling program, please contact info@greendecade.org to volunteer.

An Open Conversation: A Lecture Series for Parents of Teens

Part II: Success Under Stress
The session will address how our definitions of success as a high-achieving community can contribute to the stressors in our lives. We can’t eliminate stress, but we can strive to teach our children to manage it in healthy ways.

The Newton Free Library and Newton Youth Services will be hosting a five-part series of
workshops for parents around the topics of wellness, stress management, and
communication.  Presenters will include mental health professionals and experts in adolescent development and communications. This series is free and open to the public.

Wednesday, April 30th, 7:00 pm
Druker Auditorium
Newton Free Library