DESE’s Return-to-School Working Group

DESE’s Return-to-School Working Group will help develop a K-12 summer and fall restart and recovery plan. This plan will include guidance in the following areas:

  • Physical and virtual learning environments;
  • Teaching and learning;
  • Operations and business services; and
  • Behavioral health and social and emotional learning.

The working group held its first meeting on Thursday, May 7 with an initial focus on possible programming for this summer. Going forward, the working group will meet regularly to draft the restart and recovery plan for the next academic year. We anticipate sharing a draft with key stakeholders for feedback before releasing a final document. Please visit this webpage for information as it becomes available.

Comments to the Return to School Working Group can be directed here: RTSWG@mass.gov 

Food Insecurity Resources

During this pandemic, we know that many families have been negatively impacted in different ways. We wanted to be sure that all families are aware of some important resources in our community.

  1. Pandemic-EBT Card: Eligible families can receive funds on an EBT card (like a pre-paid gift card) which can be used to purchase food while schools are closed. Pandemic – Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) is a crisis response nutrition program that has been activated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

How to apply online: The online application is easy to complete and is the quickest and most efficient way for you to confirm your eligibility and to enroll your student(s).

How to call for assistance: Please leave a message at 617-559-9038 with return phone # and a representative will reach out to assist you in completing an application. Additional information on P-EBT can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/pandemic-ebt-p-ebt

THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR P-EBT BENEFITS IS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5th

  1. Grab and Go Meals- Monday-Friday from 10am-noon, children and adults can pick up a “grab & go” bag containing breakfast and lunch from one of these locations: Newton North (theater entrance), Newton South (front entrance) and 150 Jackson Rd. (parking lot).

  2. SNAP Program- Do you need help buying fresh nutritious foods? You may be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. Apply online here. or Call 877-382-2363. Emergency SNAP benefits are for recipients who need food within 7 days. Click here for an informational video on how to apply for SNAP

These are just a few of the resources available for Newton residents. To find out more, please call 617-559-6021.

S.P.A.C.E. Camp 2020 Summer Program for Academic & Creative Endeavors

Virtual SPACE is a four week enrichment program specifically designed to enable campers to explore, learn, and connect with their peers under the guidance of highly qualified educators. The staff is excited and motivated to be working with small groups … Continue reading →

Literacy Specialist/ESL Teacher Available

Newton mom and former Newton literacy specialist available for tutoring this summer, and possibly beyond! Over 15 years experience in education, and also the parent of two kids with complex learning and emotional needs.

State certified in ESL, Reading, Early Childhood, English. Pending certification in Mild/Moderate Special Needs. Know of other interested families? Put together a group for a more affordable rate!

Available for individual or group tutoring, enrichment, instruction, and  support. Experienced with all ages, prefer to work with prek-grade 5 students. Rates available upon request.

Please email Lessonswithlani2@gmail.com

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K-12 Reading Program

The Boston University K-12 Reading Program has opened early, reduced rates, and converted all classes to a live online format, to help parents and schools maintain student education during these unusual times.

The live, teacher-led online classes are available now and throughout the summer, for Pre-K through 12th grade students.

The curriculum is high caliber and has been taught in a live, online format for 5 years already with over 50,000 school-age students. The classes are led by highly-trained teachers with many years’ experience teaching effectively in online classrooms. Skills taught include:

  • Early Elementary: letter recognition, phonemic awareness, sight words, phonics
  • Mid-to-Late Elementary: fluency, phonics, long-word decoding, comprehension, textbook reading, writing
  • Middle and High School: doubling reading speed, comprehension, writing, notetaking, test preparation, textbook strategies

For additional imformation, see the flyer here or visit the website  https://bu.readingclasses.org/.