Boys & Girls Club Annual Holiday Party

Monday, December 16
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Biltmore Bar & Grille
1205 Chestnut Street, Newton Upper Falls

Join us as we ring in the holidays at the Biltmore Bar & Grille’s 2nd Annual Holiday Party to benefit the John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club!

Tickets are $20 and include food, open bar, raffles and more!

We have a few tickets left, and welcome you to stop by the Club to purchase yours. Please see Diane or Piper in the administrative offices or call 617.630.2066.

OurNewton.org is new source for Newton community news

Run by volunteers, OurNewton.org is “one-stop shopping” for Newton community news. OurNewton.org lists not-for-profit events around Newton: concerts, plays, festivals, sports clinics, lectures, workshops, classes, volunteer opportunities, walks, bike rides, and more.

Check out some of this week’s events in Newton:

12/9 Mother-Daughter book group at Newton Free Library
12/10 Irish Christmas concert at Boston College
12/10 Reading and discussion with Ari Shavit, author of My Promised Land
12/12 Handbell ringers concert at Newton Free Library

WCT seeks Young Actors for Pirates of Penzance

The Watertown Children’s Theatre is still accepting registrations for its winter musical, Pirates of Penzance, now open to grades 4-9. Join WCT to sing, dance and act through this classic, comic operetta!

Orientation is Sunday, December 8, so register now by visiting the WCT website at www.watertownchildrenstheatre.org or calling 617-926-ARTS (2787).

Winter Solstice Celebration, Dec. 21

All are invited to the Iranian Association of Boston’s special event celebrating Yalda Night, the longest night of the year.

Saturday, December 21
7 p.m.
Watertown Middle School, 68 Waverley Avenue, Watertown

Come see Persian dances, hear live music, a choral recital, and poetry readings from Hafez.

Admission fee for online tickets is $20 for adult, student and senior members; $25 for non-members; and kids 3 – 12 years of age are $10 each. Additional $5 per ticket at the door. Please visit the event website to learn more.

Any questions, please email Newton South parent Susan Ghafouri.

A conversation about teens, parents and media use for parents of middle schoolers

A conversation about teens, parents and media use featuring: Sonia Livingstone, London School of Economics and  David Luis Ortega, Private Practice, Cambridge, MA,  moderated by Nancy Baym, Microsoft Research New England.

This event will bring experts and the community together to discuss many of the concerns parents and teens have about media use. Discussions will bring research evidence and practical advice to bear on understanding questions like: What realistic risks may teens face with their media use? How can teens benefit most from digital media? How can parents create and enforce appropriate boundaries for their teens’ media use to best balance risks and opportunities?

The session will conclude with a half hour for parents to mix and mingle and compare strategies and experiences. Parents from all of the Newton middle schools are welcome.

Wednesday. December 11th, 7:00 pm
Auditorium, F.A. Day Middle School

Make your shopping merrier with the Arts Stroll & Shop: Dec 13th – 15th

NCA’s Arts Stroll & Shop is back for its third year and they’ve expanded to three villages over three days. Enjoy spontaneous performances and pop-up galleries while you shop and dine in Chestnut Hill, Newton Centre and West Newton this December 13th – 15th.

December 13th from 6:00 pm-9:00 pm: Kickoff Event at THE STREET (Chestnut Hill)

December 14th from Noon-6:00 pm THE STREET at WEST NEWTON SQUARE

December 15th from Noon-6:00 pm NEWTON CENTRE at THE STREET

Don’t miss the special discounts, giveaways, exclusive items, and, of course, the arts and culture that the Stroll brings to town! You’ll feel great after you Shop Local. Eat Local. Art Local. Click here http://www.artsstrollandshop.com/ to access the new Stroll website with detailed participant and schedule information.

Yoga for all

Down Under Yoga provides an environment in which children learn to exercise their minds as they move their bodies. Winter class offerings include yoga for ages 3-6, 5-7, 8-11, families, tween, and teens. Young yogis are taught practices to calm and strengthen their bodies, balance stress, and respect the needs of themselves and others. These are skills to last a lifetime which can be applied to any aspect of their daily lives. Series classes offered throughout the year. Drop-ins are welcome!

For more information see the website: www.downunderyoga.com   or call 617-244-9642.

NewtonPAC Evening Meeting: Stepping Up: Transitions to Middle and High School

The NewtonPAC will hold an evening presentation on December 10th on the topic of Stepping Up: What Parents Need to Know to Prepare for the Transition from Elementary to Middle School and Middle to High School.

Representatives from Bigelow and Brown Middle Schools and Newton North and Newton South High Schools will present on the issues involved in transitions, from the first planning IEP meetings to navigating the new social environment.  The meeting is free and open to all, and will be held in room 210 of the Education Center at 100 Walnut Street, Newtonville.   If you have any questions, please contact Eileen Sandberg at eileen.sandberg.newtonpac@gmail.com.

Networking and refreshments will begin at 7:15 pm., and the meeting will begin with the Elementary to Middle School portion from 7:30-8:15 pm.  The Middle to High School portion will follow from 8:15-9:00 pm .