Tag Archives: elem

Computer Science concepts for kids

Hey Newtonians! If you’re looking for a new activity for your kid aged 10-15,  Ethan Kopf teaches coding with the Swift programming language over Zoom. His lessons are one-on-one and he teaches computer science concepts through small games and projects. As a recent graduate of Newton South High School’s class of 2020, Ethan has taken a bunch of computer science classes there and plans to study CS next year at Yale University. If you’re interested, please email ethan.kopf@yale.edu.

On-line tutoring available this summer

Experienced tutor available this summer! Haralie Alpert, retired from the Wellesley Public Schools, lives and tutors in Newton. Haralie works with K-5th grade students in reading, writing and math and can make remote learning fun, engaging and a great learning experience!

Please contact Haralie Alpert, M.Ed., MS at haralie@gmail.com or 617-630-0608.

Newton Food Pantry Front Porch Drive: Diapers & Baby Wipes

Please Support the Newton Food Pantry Front Porch Drive: Diapers & Baby Wipes

Many food pantry clients have young children and are in need of diapers and wipes. Please see important details surrounding this critical drive and signup sheet HERE.

Once you signup, all donated diapers/wipes can be dropped off on the front porch of 133 Waban Ave., Waban from May 28th to May 31st. Any questions please email: admin@newtonfoodpantry.org. Thank you for your generous support!

Bus Driver/Crossing Guard Appreciation

Interested in thanking our crossing guards, bus drivers, and van drivers? Newton Safe Routes to School normally hosts Bus Driver/Crossing Guard Appreciation Day in June each year to thank these important community safety helpers.

This year instead appreciation will be in the form of a photo collage from grateful families all across Newton. If you’d like to participate, make a sign thanking them, hold it up, snap a pic, and email it to newtonsaferoutes@gmail.com by Friday, June 5th. Adults and kids alike are welcome to make signs! Please note that the photo will be shared.

May is National Bike Month. For tips on bike sizing, the ABC’s and helmet fit, visit www.newtonsaferoutes.org.

Emergency Housing Relief Program

Are you struggling to pay your rent because you have lost income due to COVID-19?

The City of Newton in partnership with Metro West Collaborative Development is providing three months of rent assistance to qualified individuals and families. Please see the flyer HERE and visit the web page at COVID-19 EMERGENCY HOUSING RELIEF PROGRAM for details and application instructions. The application deadline is June 3, 2020.

This information is also available in Arabic الترجمة العربية ; Chinese 简体中文; Japanese 日本語; Korean 한국어; Portuguese português; Russian русский; Spanish español; Turkish Türk Dili; and Vietnamese Tiếng Việt.

Contact Robyn to begin the process by emailing robyn@metrowestcd.org or calling 617-923-3505 x 5. Translation services available. Applications received after June 3rd will be added to the bottom of the list and considered while funding lasts.

Summer programs for public speaking and debate!

Lumos is running online summer programs through Zoom that teach public speaking and debate! All Lumos programs have a 4:1 student-teacher ratio and offer daily one-on-one coaching sessions with the instructors. Each day is designed to be fun, engaging, and active, even in an online format! Go to LumosDebate.com to register for summer!

They are are also running 1-day trial workshops 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, from May 23rd to June 7th. Sign up for a trial workshop at https://www.lumosdebate.com/summer-posts/trial-workshop.

General Support Resource

The Newton Public Schools, in collaboration with Newton Health and Human Services, is providing a support phone number for families with children enrolled in our schools. This service is staffed by Newton Public Schools counselors and is designed to support families experiencing food scarcity, housing scarcity, domestic or substance abuse, and other mental health struggles exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The phone number, 617-559-6021, is answered live Monday -Friday from 8:00 am – 3:00 pm and is equipped with voicemail.

Help the Newton Food Pantry by making face masks

Want to help the Newton Food Pantry by doing an at-home craft project?

Consider making and donating cloth face masks that are individually packaged in a ziplock bag for distribution to Food Pantry clients. These mask donations can be dropped off at 36 Metacomet Road or at 61 Ballard Street.

Help them meet their goal of 400 masks!

Greetings from Newton Free Library!

The Newton Free Library staff have cooked up another exciting week of virtual offerings to help you stay connected and engaged from the comfort of your home. Read all the way down to learn about opportunities for adults, teens and tweens, and kids!

Calling all Makers and Crafters! Librarians have created an impressive Virtual Makerspace Guide. The guide is broken into sections by age and skill level to get you creating with tools you have at home. The Low Tech section focuses on drawing and fiber arts, the Medium Tech area highlights cooking, gardening, and sewing, and if you’re a High-Tech maker, there are sections on 3-D printing, robotics, and web design. Kids will love the painting, weaving, and puppet projects and tweens and teen audiences can tackle creating personalized Zoom backgrounds, temporary tattoos, and sewing projects.

Virtual Trivia Night. Join on May 14th at 7:00 pm to test your knowledge of books that were made into movies. Library staff will challenge players with questions from a variety of categories on Zoom. One registration per team; the Zoom link will be sent out a few hours before the event.

NEW Adult Events:
Beginner Drawing Studio on May 12th at 6:30 pm. This workshop will help you understand how your brain interprets the world and give you the tools to start drawing fearlessly! Learn new skills and join a community of creative practice. All levels welcome.

Saddle Stitching Booklets: Introduction to Basic Bookbinding on May 13th at 2:00 pm. Learn basic bookbinding as you make simple folded booklets using the saddle stitch with supplies you are likely to have around the house. You’ll see an informational video with step-by-step instructions and be available for questions and support.

Virtual Knitting Circle on May 13th at 6:30 pm. Are you missing your regular knitting circle? Or are you looking for folks to craft with for chat and advice? If so, come join the virtual knitting circle! Whether you’re just starting out, an advanced fiber artist, or somewhere in between, grab your project and come chat.

Generation Zapped Q&A on May 13th at 10:00 am. Learn more about how wireless devices may impact your health by emitting radiation. Watch the movie Generation Zapped anytime before the program on the Library’s Kanopy service, then join the group for a Q&A with Cecelia (Cece) Doucette, Technology Safety Educator and Dr. Judy Tsafrir, a Newton-based holistic adult and child psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. Registrants will receive an email with the zoom link the day of the event.

Genealogy Resources on May 14th at 11:00 am. Join a brief overview of some online genealogy resources.

Introduction to Citizen Science on May 14th at 12:00 pm. Citizen Science is real science investigation conducted by you the average Citizen! From experiments on the International Space Station to exploring the inhabitants of tide pools there are investigations that will appeal to all ages. Join this workshop to discover how you can become a scientist too! You don’t need a background in science—just interest and enthusiasm!

Don’t Take the Bait – Finding Fact Based News on May 15th at 10:00 am. Learn new strategies to help you sift through what is exaggerated, misleading or completely false to find more accurate information and become better consumers of digital news during coronavirus and in general.

Positive/Negative Space: Drawing for Beginners on May 15th at 2:00 pm. Drawing is a skill anyone can learn. Explore how negative and positive spaces can help shape your drawing skills. Discover some of the tricks and methods taught in art school. All you need is a pencil and paper.

NEW Tween/Teen Events :
Magic the Gathering on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm. Interested in finding a virtual meet up to play Magic: The Gathering after school? Come to Zoom! Moderated by a local Newton South student, please download Magic the Gathering Arena.

Virtual Teen Area on Saturdays at 3:00 pm the Teen Area is going virtual! Use this time to be together at home, ask questions, play games, complete challenges, and craft! This is a librarian-moderated Zoom program hosted for tweens and teens in grades 5-12.

NEW Children’s Events:
Pajama Storytime on May 11th at 7:00 pm. Put on your pajamas and bring your favorite stuffed animal friend to pajama storytime on Zoom! For kids ages 4 and older.

Kids Craft! on Tuesday afternoons, check the Kids Facebook Page for a new DIY craft video for kids age 5-8. The current craft video is creating a nature diary, and on May 12th, they’ll release a video to show you how you can make a cool paper hat!

Kids Poetry Club Do you love discovering new poems? Would you like to listen to a librarian or author reading their favorite poems aloud? Every Thursday you’ll receive the Kids Poetry Club email featuring video links, writing prompts, and reading suggestions for budding young poets. This week we are celebrating the poems from the book Spectacular Science edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins. For kids ages 6-9.

Facebook Challenges for Kids. Each Wednesday and Friday, discover a new activity challenge on the Kids Facebook Page! This Wednesday’s Lego Challenge is Tallest Tower! Friday’s Art Challenge is Simply Silly Collage! Families are encouraged to send a picture of their child’s creation to newtonkids@newtonfreelibrary.net to be shared on the library’s social media. For kids ages 5-8.

Virtual Morning Storytimes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00 am. Zoom in for online stories, songs and rhymes for kids 4 and younger.

Wait there’s more! Don’t miss the continuing programming:

  • Tech Time appointments: Need help with your device or to borrow ebooks from the library? Book a session to have a librarian help you over the phone. Appointments available Monday-Friday.
  • Tele-Librarian: You’ve got questions? Sign up for an appointment for a librarian to assist you with a research-related question.
  • Star Wars Virtual Escape Room available anytime. BB-8’s missing! Try to find him before Kylo Ren gets to him and is able to download the map to find out where Luke Skywalker is! May the force be with you. (For all ages)
  • Teen Zoom Poetry Mondays at 7:00 pm. (For grades 7-12).
  • Virtual Jackbox Party Games Tuesdays at 4:00 pm. (For grades 5-12).
  • Virtual Queer Netflix Party Fridays at 4:30 pm. (For grades 7-12).
  • Stack ‘Em Up Youth Spring Reading Challenge. You can earn badges by logging the books you are reading and participate in fun activities through June 30th. For all ages.
  • Call Dial-a-Story line at 617-796-1415 to listen to a new story each day read by one of the Children’s Librarians.
  • Stay tuned for even more great remote offerings from your Library!

Honor Thy Teacher

Over these past weeks, many parents have developed a deep appreciation for the job that our teachers do each day. Here is a way to say thank you.

By donating to Newton Schools Foundation’s Honor Thy Teacher program in the name of one or more teachers, you can show your appreciation for them AND support your children’s schools.

In recent weeks, NSF directed its resources toward the challenges of COVID-19 with a $85,500 grant for the Newton Public Schools to purchase 300 Chromebooks for students needing access to online learning during school closures. Dollars raised will go to funding grants for promising educational initiatives, professional development and programs that close gaps in opportunity and achievement.

NSF will notify each teacher honored of your gift and share their names with Principals and the Superintendent. A list of honored teachers will appear on the NSF website and in the Newton TAB.

It’s easy to donate online at http://www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org/honor-thy-teacher .