Tag Archives: mid

One book One Newton

If everyone in Newton buys just one book through the Bookshop.org page, it would greatly reduce the financial burden facing Newtonville Books. If you start your browsing on the  landing page https://bookshop.org/shop/Newtonvillebooks  the site tracks all your purchases and the bookstore receives 30% of all sales. Please help spread the word about this challenge and thank you if you can help  Newtonville Books and Jaime and Mary (parents of a Cabot student).

Girls Connecting, Mentorship Program

Alix de Saint-Aignan, a junior at Newton North, is the Founder of Girls Connecting. The concept is to connect 4th-8th grade mentees with high school mentors (from 10th grade to college) for an hour a week of video chat for support, help with schoolwork, game playing, etc.  Check out the website www.girlsconnecting.com.

She has successfully recruited enough high school-age volunteers to accommodate ~100 mentees. In such an isolating time, Girls Connecting offers mentors and mentees an additional outlet and source of connection to the community.

Please e-mail girlsconnectinginfo@gmail.com or text 617-997-8761 with any questions or to sign up.

Middle School After School Program Enrolling for the fall

The Newton Highlands After-School Program, just for middle school children, is accepting applications for the 2020-21 school year. They provide terrific programming for children in the Newton middle schools at the Newton Highlands location in Brigham House and the Hyde Gym. Transportation is arranged daily. To learn more about the program or attend any of several Zoom Open Houses please contact Rochelle Acker at 617-999-4617 or highlandsafterschool@gmail.com or visit www.highlandsafter-schoolprogram.org.

Two ways to help

Newton South High School’s Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Club feels tremendous gratitude to the countless healthcare workers who put their own lives on the line to help those afflicted with COVID-19. With that in mind, they have decided to mount a campaign to help our local hospitals battle this pandemic.

There are two ways people can help:

First, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is asking for iPads so hospitalized patients can talk to their loved ones at home. If you can donate any old but functioning iPads, it can help reduce the social isolation for hospitalized patients. A club member can do a contact-free curbside pick-up if you live in the Greater Boston Area. All the patients and the hospital will undoubtedly appreciate it!

Here is the link to donate an iPad: https://forms.gle/uNiNPnzKYFphKM4h8

Second, if you do not have an old iPad but would still like to join in our fight against COVID-19, they’ve also started a GoFundMe page to help the Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center through their fights against COVID-19. Every dollar donated will go towards saving the life of a doctor, nurse, friend or neighbor. Even though we are all apart, we are all in this together!

Here is the link to donate money to the Go Fund Me: http://gf.me/u/xycbfz

Please consider donating to the iPad and fund campaigns so NSHS HOSA can help these wonderful local hospitals during this devastating COVID-19 crisis.

Bass, Voice, Ukulele lessons

Brittany Karlson is a Boston-area resident of 9+ years and professional musician offering Zoom lessons in Bass (upright and electric), Voice, Ukulele. She is a Berklee College of Music graduate, active performer across Europe and USA, experienced teacher with people of all ages from multiple walks of life. Fun, patient, encouraging, knowledgeable. Located nearby in Jamaica Plain and ready to move to in person lessons once it is safe to do so. Please contact Brittany with any questions at brittany.c.karlson@gmail.com

Mindfulness Tutoring and Consulting

Mindfulness Tutoring and Consulting offers experienced and secure online tutoring for students grades 6-12. They can help with staying organized and assisting with assignments.

  • Rates are affordable
  • Schedule is flexible
  • References from Newton parents are available

More information availabble on the website at www.mindfulnesstutoring.com
or contact Susan Alves, PhD at susan@mindfulnesstutoring.com or 617-515-5285.

#NewtonTogether has launched!

Let’s stay connected as a community in the face of COVID-19! On April 20th, Patriots’ Day/Marathon Monday, we invite all Newtonians to make handmade #NewtonTogether signs and display them in your windows. Get creative–make paper signs, use sidewalk chalk, whatever inspires you–and share the incredible joy, strength, and resiliency of Newton. Just because we can’t gather for the Marathon this year, doesn’t mean we can’t connect! Tag your creations in the Facebook event or on social media with #NewtonTogether. For more information, click HERE.

Some Newton villages are also choosing to stand outside at noon on April 20th to clap/bang pots in recognition and gratitude for all the hometown heroes (medical personnel, pharmacists, grocery workers, teachers, etc.) who are working the front lines to keep us all safe. Feel free to recognize your favorite hometown hero in your #NewtonTogether social media posts.

The idea came to the Mayor’s Office from Newton resident Rakashi Chand:

Let us bring our community together in a shared message of perseverance and pride. Let us inspire one another as we are and always have been an unwavering city, that has stood tall and united in the face of adversity and overcome again and again, every challenge, hardship, tragedy and crisis. We will persevere, we will fight in every way we can, we will unite and we will see the dawning of a brave new day. This epidemic will make each day harder than the last, but we will persevere, we will face the challenges that present themselves, because we are strong.

Let’s find a way to inspire our citizens, and remind them that we, like our forefathers and foremothers, will overcome this, and find ways to raise each other up with hope.

In addition, for those of you who are big fans of the Boston Marathon, the Newton, Wellesley and Natick Historical Societies will be showing vintage photos of the Boston Marathon on their websites on April 20th. You are welcome to share your marathon thoughts, memories, and photos of your favorite site on the route using #VirtualMarathon.

Thanks so much for being a part of #NewtonTogether on April 20th! Click here for the flyer with information.

Newton Community Ed offers enrichment online

Here at NCE Kids, we’re working to bring you enrichment classes online. We’ve converted most of our ongoing winter Kids classes to Zoom, and will be offering new classes throughout this spring. See below for our current online offerings and check here regularly for updates.
If you have questions, contact us at staff@newtoncommunityed.org.
Grades 4-5: 7 Tuesdays, April 21 – June 2, 3-4pm
Grades 6-8: 7 Thursdays, April 23-June 4, 3-4pm
Make big money fast (virtually, that is). Play The Stock Market GameTM and you’ll learn about the real world of investing, which incorporates academic concepts that relate to what you learn at school. In this fun and high-spirited setting, you’ll try to grow a virtual $100,000 cash account into a top-performing portfolio, and learn how daily events that shape our world affect our finances. Working individually and in teams, you’ll compete against your classmates and other schools across the state, applying your leadership, negotiation, and cooperation skills.
Grades 3-5
Thursday, May 7, 3:15-4:30pm
Take the first steps towards independence. Learn about Internet safety, phone and door-answering techniques, accident and fire protection, and first aid. We’ll watch an instructional video, discuss how to manage your time when you’re home alone for short periods, and explore scenarios through role-playing.
Grades 3-5
8 classes, Mondays & Thursdays,
April 27-May 21, 2:45-3:30 pm
Flex your math muscles and have some fun while you’re at it. Join us to explore a variety of different games, puzzles, and creative problem-solving activities. We’ll investigate the world of numbers in new and exciting ways that will make math feel cooler than you ever thought it could be. Learn to break big problems into small ones, find patterns, create step-by-step plans, and think outside the box. Complete this class and you’ll be well prepared to apply your new math skills to the ever-changing world around you.
Grades 2-5: 6 Wednesdays, April 22 – May 27, 2:30-4pm
Grades 2-5: 6 Thursdays, April 23 – May 28, 2:30-4pm
Create a city within a virtual Minecraft world. Learn all about what it takes to make a great city and answer important questions such as: What will you name your city? How many structures can you afford to build? Will you allow gas-powered cars, electric cars—no cars? Use Minecraft to design and build your buildings, use Powerpoint to create a compelling presentation to sell your city, and apply your math skills to make sure you come in on budget! Join us to test the limits of your Minecraft skills.

Safe Routes to School yard sign contest – deadline extended!

Massachusetts Safe Routes to School has extended their deadline to May 1st for their annual yard sign design contest. This year’s theme is eliminating distracted driving, especially in and around school zones. The contest is a way for students to use their creativity to help promote safe routes for cyclists and pedestrians in their communities. Winning entries will be made into yard signs – signs from prior years are on display around Newton.

Signs may be hand drawn or created digitally. Either way, please submit them digitally; also, a school signature is no longer needed unless your student’s design is selected as a winner.

The contest is open to students in grades 2-8. Guidelines and more details here: https://www.mass.gov/doc/yard-sign-design-contest-signups-and-guidelines-2020/download. Direct questions to NewtonSafeRoutes@gmail.com.

Newton Schools Foundation grants $85,500 to NPS for student access to online learning

Newton Schools Foundation this week approved a grant of up to $85,500 for the Newton Public Schools to purchase 300 Chromebooks for students who need access to online learning during school closures. NSF is committed to closing gaps in achievement and opportunity as part of its mission to advance educational excellence and equity in the Newton Public Schools. When the schools closed unexpectedly, NSF committed to working with school administrators to make available the balance of unrestricted NSF grant funds for this year for emerging system needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The district has already distributed more than 400 Chromebooks to families. As additional requests for Chromebooks continue to come in, this NSF grant will help the Newton Public Schools fulfill the need to support remote learning for students who otherwise wouldn’t have access to educational opportunities online. For more information or to donate click www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org.