Upcoming Program for Senior parents from Youth Services

College Acceptance & Financial Award Review – “How to make the best decision for you.”  (Flyer attached)

  • The final workshop of our College Financing series titled, “College Acceptance & Financial Award Review,” will be held on Thursday, February 17 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. via Zoom webinar.   The workshop will be facilitated by MassBay Community College in partnership with the Village Bank.  It is highly recommended that the young person attends with their parent/caregiver.   
  • Pre-registration required, CLICK HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_quWo-lbIRHmei9nv71PR-g

Please reach out if you have any questions!

Meg

Meghan Murtagh, M.Ed (she/her/hers)

Asst. Director of Youth Services

City of Newton Health & Human Services Department

617-796-1436

mmurtagh@newtonma.gov

Interactive Media Use & Youth Mental Health: Guidance for Parents of Students Across the Developmental Span

Description. The Newton Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is excited to partner with Boston Children’s Hospital’s Digital Wellness Lab to offer a comprehensive presentation on the relationship between children’s and teens’ media use and their mental health. 

The Digital Wellness Lab’s senior content strategist, Kristelle Lavallee Collins, will discuss the most recent research on the relationships between interactive media use and the well-being of children and adolescents. The presentation will also cover the latest science-based strategies parents and caregivers can employ to support children in developing a “healthy” relationship with technology and screen media. 

For questions, contact info@NewtonSEPAC.org. We hope you will join us!

Date/Time. Jan 27, 2022 07:00 PM

Register. https://bostonchildrens.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jYYsTQrKQNq6Voan9rvqwA

Questions. Submit your questions in advance here:
https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6642281/Newton-SEPAC-Digital-Wellness-Lab-Presentation

Bigelow Annual Fund

Thanks to everyone that have already donated to the Bigelow Annual Fund goal!

As of today, we have raised $13,820. We are -$1,180 short of our goal of $15,000. If you have not yet donated, please consider doing so at https://bigelowpto.org/donate/ and help us reach our goal for this school year! 

We are truly appreciative of our strong community of supporters, and we are excited for all the upcoming community events and programing support for our students. 

Centre Street Food Pantry Kids’ Club

The Centre Street Food Pantry is introducing a new initiative to bolster our Kids Club program and we are hoping that the elementary schools in Newton can help make this program a success. Some of your schools have already contributed to this program and we really appreciate your participation!

As some of you know, we distribute around 100 Kids Club bags to families with children under 18 each time the Pantry is open. In an effort to better manage the influx of bags, we are recruiting schools, churches, temples and other local organizations to commit to contributing a minimum of 30 bags for a specific week. Your school can do this as often or a little as you choose. Some schools recruit a specific grade to participate; others make it a school-wide event.  It would be most helpful if bags could be dropped off on Mondays, as our distribution day is Tuesday. Of course, we can accommodate you any time if Mondays are not convenient.

The bags should be doubled bagged with handles and contain: 

1 jar jam/jelly
2 boxes mac n’ cheese
1 box of cereal
1 six-pack of applesauce or fruit cups
2 packs of cereal/granola bars 
1 large bag of pretzels/chips

The items are also listed on our website. If your school  is interested in participating in this great project, please sign up here.
Deborah Elliott will get back to you to confirm drop-off date and answer any questions. You can also contact her directly at kidsclub@centrestfoodpantry.org.

Repurpose Your Unwanted Home Goods

Do you have gently used or new household items doing you no good?  Please consider donating blenders, toasters, queen and king bedding, pots, pans, dishes, cooking utensils, silverware, towels and other basic household necessities.  Welcome Home in Newton Centre collects home goods and redistributes them, at no cost, to people who need them.  Please be sure your items are clean and not rusty, torn, stained, chipped or broken before donation.

Please contact us to schedule a dropoff appointment or make a request for items at www.welcomehomemass.org.

Something From Nothing: A History of Hip Hop, a virtual presentation from Corey DePina for 7th graders


Bigelow is excited to welcome back Corey DePina. In “Something from Nothing: A History of Hip Hop”, Corey will take students through the early history of hip hop and its four elements – MC-ing, DJ-ing, breakdancing and graffiti – to inspire them with the possibilities of creating something positive out of nothing. This virtual workshop will take place on January 21st at 9am and will features storytelling, rap performance, free-styling demonstration and activities that bring groups together to improvise beats verse or movement, adding in their own style and spin. Corey is a skilled rapper and workshop leader whose work as a facilitator for local and national non-profits and community centers has earned him numerous awards, including: the 2008 Good Neighbor Award from East Boston’s NOAH, the 2008 Community Leadership Award from Jamaica Plain’s Hyde Square Task Force, the 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, and the 2014 Best Initiative, Best Youth Worker of the Year. He is also the Director of Programs for Zumix Boston.

Sponsored by Creative Arts & Sciences and the Bigelow PTO.

Invitation to Joint FORJ Event (NNHS & NSHS): Building School Community Through Affinity Spaces

Building school community through affinity spacesNewton North and Newton South’s Families Organizing for racial Justice (FORJ) chapters are hosting a joint event to discuss how we are building school community through affinity groups on Thursday, January 27 at 7-8.30pm. Students, teachers and administrators will be discussing the history of affinity groups, what they are (and what they are not), and how they function in our schools for various members of our community. All members of the Newton community are welcome, not just those with a connection to these high schools! Please click here to RSVP, and you will receive a Zoom link on the day of the event.

Thanks so much!
FORJ NNHS & NSHS Planning Committee