April Vacation with Newton Community Education

Still making plans for April break? Fear not, NCE has your back.

Kids in grades 1-4 can sign up for our Engineering & Electricity Workshop.

Kids ages 11 and up can enroll in our Babysitting and/or CPR classes.

See the NCE website for upcoming spring classes as well, including Flag Football for grades 3-5, and Soccer and T-Ball for the younger set. Be sure to check out summer program offering, where you’ll find something for every child in the family, from your pre-school actor to your teenage technologist.

For more information or to register, call 617-559-6999 or visit the NCE website.

Book signing: Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo’s Mission to Pluto (4/13)

Dr. Oneeka Williams, author, will sign her book, Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo’s Mission to Pluto, at New England Mobile Book Fair, 82 Needham St, on Saturday, April 13, from 1:00 – 3:00pm.

Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo is a 9 year-old girl super surgeon, with special powers, who is committed to addressing problems in the Universe by using surgical techniques. She is assisted by her cast of surgical instruments, an irritable Koala bear, a Gullible Globe and is transported by a very capable Flying Ambulance. She loves science, has a very close knit and loving family and lives on the Island of Positivity. She believes that ‘Not even the Sky is the Limit” and so when Gordon the Gullible Globe sounds the alarm that Pluto is very sad because he has been downgraded from a planet to a dwarf planet, Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo is positive that she can do something about that. She jets off to Pluto with her team, operates on Pluto and restores his ability to become a planet again. Will he?

Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo’s Mission to Pluto introduces the concepts of the differences between planets and dwarf planet and explains why Pluto lost its status. It explains the significance of Pluto’s elliptical orbit and offers some understanding of gravitational forces. This is done in a playful and engaging way that will stimulate young minds. CREATED AND WRITTEN BY HARVARD TRAINED SURGEON- DR ONEEKA WILLIAMS.

Newton Family Singers spring concert, May 5

Get ready to dive into the warmer weather with the Newton Family Singers as they perform their spring concert, “The Tide is High, Songs Reflecting on the Water.”

Go with the flow and join us for a program of tender, poignant and rocking water-inspired songs by an eclectic mix of artists including the Beatles, Lyle Lovett, Blondie, the Grateful Dead and the Indigo Girls.

Sunday, May 5th, 4pm
Memorial-Spaulding Elementary School Auditorium, 250 Brookline Street, Newton.

Bring your family and come sing with us! The Newton Family Singers is an intergenerational chorus and band celebrating family, community, and American folk music.  Tickets can be purchased online   or by sending an email.

April teen programs at Newton Free Library

The Newton Free Library offers special events just for teens:

Teen Crafternoons, Wednesdays, April 3 and 17, 3:30 pm
Get creative on Wednesdays, April 3 and 17 at 3:30 pm in the second floor Teen Area of the Newton Free Library where we will be hanging out, working on crafts. April 3 we’ll be making mobiles & April 17 (April vacation week!) we’ll be making altoids photo albums and eating food! Grades 6-12.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Movie Screening, Friday, April 19, 2:30 pm
It’s vacation week, which means it’s time to watch movies! Relax at a screening of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” at the Newton Free Library on Friday, April 19 at 2:30 pm in Druker Auditorium. The film is rated PG-13 and runs for 169 min. The program is open to ages 13 and up.

“The Impossible” Movie Screening, Sat., April 27, 2:00 pm
The Impossible, starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts who was nominated for best actress for her performance in the film, recounts the tsunami that hit Southeast Asia in 2004. The film is based on the true story of one family who battled to survive. This hopeful story that shows the strength of the human spirit will be screened at the Newton Free Library on Saturday, April 27 at 2:00 pm. The film is rated PG-13 and runs for 114 min. The program is open to ages 13 and up.

Summer theater opportunities with Newton Youth Players

There are still a few spots open for the Newton Youth Players’ summer production of “Oliver!”. Newton Youth Players is a wildly popular theatre program for elementary school children that boasts filled registration one year in advance for its school year programs. The summer play is especially delightful because of the extra time that can be spent on the preparation.

Rehearsals are from 9am – noon, giving ample time to work on choreography, scenery and props production. The first rehearsal will take place on June 27 th at Newton City Hall in the War Memorial Auditorium. Subsequent rehearsals and performance will be at Franklin Elementary School, 125 Derby Street in Newton. The performance is July 17th. Please register at the NYP website.

For those looking for a full day of theatrical experience, Newton Youth Players offers a companion afternoon program, “Choices,” from 1pm – 3pm, June 27th – July 11th. Directed by Marlene Fereshetian and Ruth Housman, it is an original story-building program, using music, humor, magic, dance and art. This program will spend its opening day at Newton City Hall, and then continue to Franklin School. Registration and more information is on the NYP website. 

Do you have a video camera you no longer use?

Do you find yourself using only your smartphone for pictures or videos? If you have a working handheld video camera that you never use anymore, please consider donating it to the Bigelow411 program.  The students will be extremely grateful!!

Not sure what the 411 is …. 

The Bigelow 411 is the Student Morning newscast program.  In the past, the PTO has provided 3 iMac computers loaded with iMovie software. Each team can produce their episodes separately, which helps the group’s organization and productivity enormously.

The students who produce the 411 newscasts use three Flipcam-style Kodak cameras to produce their news episodes. That’s one camera for each team of 8-10 students, which often leaves a lot of students without much to do. And it takes longer to film each clip — usually between 6 and 9 clips per episode. (Each team produces an episode for one day of the Bigelow cycle, so on Day 3 they produce the episodes for the next Day 4, 5, and 6.) If just one camera is broken or low on battery power, then the entire system grinds to a halt.

Newton Community Preservation Comm meets April 11

The Newton Community Preservation Committee’s meeting on Thursday, April 11th will include discussion of a pre-proposal for the restoration and rehabilitation of the Nathaniel Allen House (35 Webster Street, West Newton), as well as committee business.
For the full agenda and full text of this pre-proposal, visit the program website.

Projects that would like to request funds in fy14 or fy15 must submit a pre-proposal by June 1 to qualify for consideration in the fall 2013 round. For assistance, contact Alice Ingerson by phone at 617.796.1144 or by email.

Community Concert: Meet the Orchestra, April 7

Bring your family and meet the orchestra through music, hilarity, and hi-jinx! The New Philharmonia Orchestra and the Newton All-City Orchestra present an imaginative and fun afternoon of music. Featuring music by Bach and Schubert plus a hysterical performance of “The Composer is Dead” with text by Lemony Snicket and narrated by local actor Jake Berger.

Audience members of all ages are invited to meet and try the instruments after the concert at New Phil’s famous Instrument Petting Zoo! Join us and make musical memories!

Sunday, April 7 at 3pm
First Baptist Church, Newton Centre
Tickets: $10-$15

More details at the New Phil website or by calling 617.527.9717

Community Concert: Meet the Orchestra, April 7

Bring your family and meet the orchestra through music, hilarity, and hi-jinx! The New Philharmonia Orchestra and the Newton All-City Orchestra present an imaginative and fun afternoon of music. Featuring music by Bach and Schubert plus a hysterical performance of “The Composer is Dead” with text by Lemony Snicket and narrated by local actor Jake Berger.

Audience members of all ages are invited to meet and try the instruments after the concert at New Phil’s famous Instrument Petting Zoo! Join us and make musical memories!

Sunday, April 7 at 3pm
First Baptist Church, Newton Centre
Tickets: $10-$15

More details at the New Phil website or by calling 617.527.9717