Tag Archives: elem

Ethnic Heritage Festival and Mother’s Day Poetry Walk

Heritage Festival Featuring: Craft Vendors; Indian, Thai and Mexican food; henna; face painting; free arts & crafts; fun games and activities, inflatable obstacle courses and Roaming Railroad. Free admission.

Enjoy exciting performances by multiple ethnic groups, including Indian, Chinese, Ugandan, Vietnamese, Italian, Jewish, and even some Flamenco dance! Celebrate India’s colorful and vibrant culture by joining the Indo-American Youth Group volunteers to paint Indian folk murals welcoming Spring to Newton. If you are a sari-wearer or have been gifted one by a relative, come share your wearing style and audio record the story of your sari at the “Journeys with your Saris” booth. Join in with the Bollywood-inspired Zumba dancing for some great exercise and fun. Everyone can take part in the Indian folk-art mural painting, and try out some Chinese calligraphy and Tai-chi.

Mother’s Day Poetry Walk: In honor of mothers from near and far, poem contest winners who put their moms to poetry will supply a background of these words for all to read. Ten winning poems selected by event chair and award winning Newton poet, Grey Held will be chalked onto the stairs of the War Memorial Auditorium steps at City Hall. The poets will assemble at 11:00 am on Sunday to read their moving poems. For more information, visit www.newtoncommunitypride.org/festival

May 8th, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Newton City Hall Grounds, 1000 Commonwealth Avenue (rain location: City Hall)

Come Be Part of Acafest!

The Newtones’ annual end-of-year a cappella show is just around the corner! Acafest consists of different high school acts from around Massachusetts. They hope you can join them for a fun night of singing! This year’s acts include Perfect Pitch (Brookline), Northern Lights (Newton North), Euphoria (Lexington), and Accent (Lincoln-Sudbury).

General Admission tickets are $8.00. Purchase online: Eventbrite tickets for Acafest. Tickets also available at the door. Proceeds benefit Music and Youth Initiative: www.musicandyouth.org

May 13th, 7:30 pm
Newton South Auditorium

10th Anniversary Seedling Sale

It’s almost time to start your home garden! Come get your seedlings for vegetables, herbs, flowers, and that favorite summer crop, tomatoes! The greenhouse is already busy with hundreds of varieties from the same seeds they use to grow the produce they sell. Get seedlings specially selected for local growing conditions and support your local community farm in the process.

The Newton Community Farm is a non-profit, that operates for the benefit of the community. If you would like to send in a preorder to be picked up during the Seedling Sale, use the Preorder Form, (due on May 9th). Preorders are only available to Friends of the Farm. Not a Friend of the Farm? Become one today! Please visit the website for more information.

May 14th and 15th , Noon – 3:00 pm
Newton Community Farm

Join the Newton Family Singers

Come to a very special concert. In addition to performing songs by legendary folk rock artist Neil Young, NFS will be singing some well-known and beloved songs by Crosby Stills & Nash, John Fogerty and Buffalo Springfield, as well as a few song surprises. In recognition of Neil Young’s environmentalism and advocacy for small farmers, proceeds from this concert will benefit the educational programs of the Newton Community Farm. The farm’s mission is to teach and model sustainable agricultural and environmental practices in our community, on the historic Angino Farm.

So bring your family to enjoy the Newton Family Singers benefit concert on May 14th! It will be a fun filled afternoon including great music, concern for our environment, education and community.

To purchase tickets online, please visit www.newtonfamilysingers.org. Please also consider purchasing a family sponsorship for $100. Family Sponsors will receive four tickets, a mention in our program and our undying gratitude!

May 14th, 3:30 pm at the Newton South High School auditorium.

Mindfulness: Two events

Finding Your Quiet Place: Mindfulness Skills for Children & Families
Being a parent can be stressful. When your child experiences a meltdown or has difficulty concentrating and following directions, it can be difficult to keep your cool-let alone help your child to calm down and focus. Mindfulness can help. In this discussion, Mindfulness authors and clinical social workers Deborah Sosin and Carla Naumburg share their experiences helping parents and children learn how to pay attention to the present moment with kindness and curiosity.

In addition to learning the benefits of mindfulness, participants will practice fun exercises that they can do at home to bring peace to their daily lives and build more harmonious family relationships. Register online at newtoncommunityed.org or call 617-559-6999. Tickets: $14.00 in advance ($20.00 at the door).

May 3rd, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Newton South High School

Growing Up Mindful: Encouraging Compassion and Connection in Children and Teens
Many of us are seeking ways to share Mindfulness with our children to prepare them for a world that is often less than compassionate. We cannot protect them from every challenge, but we can offer them the lifelong gift of mindful awareness to ease their way.

Christopher Willard will discuss how Mindfulness can help kids build resilience for dealing with life’s challenges and cultivate emotional, cognitive, and spiritual intelligence. Willard is a Boston-based psychologist and educational consultant specializing in Mindfulness for adolescents and young adults. He has been practicing meditation for over 15 years and teaches at Harvard Medical School and is a published author. Copies of his new critically acclaimed book “Growing Up Mindful” will be available for purchase.

May 10th, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Newton South High School

Solar Energy discussion

The Newton Community Farm welcomes Philip Warburg to discuss his latest book, Harness the Sun: America’s Quest for a Solar-Powered Future. Mr. Warburg will address solar energy’s dramatic rise, the challenges it faces, and how the people at the center of the solar revolution are finding common ground as they advance new ways to tap the sun’s power and steer America toward a lower-carbon future.

This event is part of NCF’s new adult programming initiative to offer an array of educational events on a variety of topics of interest to the community in their newly renovated barn. This event is cosponsored with Green Newton and is free and open to the public. Preregistration is suggested.

April 28th, 7:00 pm
303 Nahanton Street, Newton

One Can Help

Join One Can Help for an evening of food (Farm Grill), drinks (Vino di Vino) and conversation as they celebrate 10 years of helping the neediest local families and children. One Can Help is a Waban-based innovative social justice nonprofit that provides the much-needed additional resources underserved children and families require in order to be able to improve their lives.

They have now served over 1,000 families and children in Middlesex County, including right here in Newton. The program includes special guest speaker Maria Mossaides, Child Advocate of Massachusetts.

Tickets are going fast, get yours and learn more at http://onecanhelp.org/news-events/ or contact info@onecanhelp.org.

May 5th, 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Windsor Club
1601 Beacon Street, Waban

Question, Persuade, Refer community training

Newton Cares invites you to learn a suicide prevention training called QPR, Question, Persuade, Refer. It’s an an evidence based, simple technique that offers everyone strategies and approaches to responding to someone experiencing distress and information about
how to get the expert help required.

May 11th, 8:30-10:30 am (Breakfast included)
Cook Restaurant
825 Washington Street, Newton

Click here to register for May 11th – Registration is required/Space is limited. Or visit www.newtonma.gov/newtoncares to register for upcoming trainings.

Special Needs Trusts and Estate Planning

The May meeting of the Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education (NewtonPAC) will feature Annette Hines, Esq., who will speak on Special Needs Trusts and Estate Planning.

Annette M. Hines has been practicing in the areas of Special Needs, Elder Law and Estate Planning for over fifteen years. She received her JD from Howard University School of Law, her MBA from Suffolk University and her BA from the University of Vermont. Her clients include individuals and families of children with special needs, the elderly and others in the community. Ms. Hines is the mother of two daughters, one of whom passed away from Mitochondrial disease in November 2013. Her personal experience as the mother of a child with special needs fuels her passion for quality special needs planning and drives her special understanding and dedication to the practice.

All NewtonPAC meetings are free and open to everyone. If you plan to attend, please email newtonpacmeetingrsvp@gmail.com so they know how many people to expect. Any questions, please contact Eileen Sandberg at eileen.sandberg.newtonpac@gmail.com

May 12th, 7:30 pm. with refreshments and networking at 7:15 pm
Education Center, Room 210
100 Walnut Street, Newton

Spring Cleanout Swap Day

DROPOFF & PICKUP FOR NEWTON RESIDENTS ONLY

Clear Out Clutter without adding to the waste stream!

Swapping and Donating…bring along useful but unwanted belongings for swapping or
donating. Bring your stuff, or just come along & pick something up – for free!
• Computers – Appliances – Bicycles – Books
• Household items and non-upholstered furniture (No mattresses or couches)
• REUSABLE building materials (cabinets, doors, plumbing and light fixtures, lumber,
drywall, etc.)
• NO computer monitors, NO televisions, NO hazardous materials
• Pretty much anything, so long as it is usable, non-toxic, non-hazardous – and clean!

Recycling and Reuse…bring along any of the following and the City of Newton will make
sure that they are recycled, re-used, given to charity or disposed of safely.
• Fluorescent bulbs and other mercury-containing items
• Cell phones, all printer cartridges, CDs, DVDs
• Clothing
• Paper, cardboard, glass, metal, stiff plastic bottles (#1 – 7)
• Dead rechargeable batteries

If you cannot make it to the event, please visit http://www.2good2waste.com/newton/
a free website to swap and trade stuff!
RAIN OR SHINE RAIN OR SHINE
Saturday, May 14th, 8:00 am – 2:00 pm (item dropoff until 1:00 pm)
Rumford Avenue Recycling Depot (off Lexington Street in Auburndale)
http://www.newtonma.gov/gov/dpw/recycling