Tag Archives: mid

What’s Happening at the West Suburban YMCA

Welcoming Wednesdays:  Try the Y for free every Wednesday in September! Present a valid ID at the welcome desk and your guest fee will be waived.

Expanded Kids’ Corner Hours – Sunday Hours begin September 8th: The West Suburban YMCA has added 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Sunday hours to its Kids’ Corner schedule, taking effect September 8. Kids’ Corner offers up to 90 minutes of child care to members and guests who are using the Y facilities to workout. The service is free for Y family members and $5 for individual Y members or guests.

West Suburban Singers – Adult Community Choir: The Creative Arts Department at the West Suburban YMCA invites adults of all ages to join their new community choir. The group consists of individuals ranging in age from mid-20s to mid-60s. Weekly rehearsals will be held on Mondays,  7:00 – 8:30 pm, and cost is $65 for Y members, $95 for community. For more information, contact Sunny McGovern at sunnym@wsymca.org.

Family Fun Night – September 10th,  6:00-7:00 pm: Bring the whole family to the Y for some family fun time. The Y sets up games, crafts, and a bouncy house for all to enjoy. Light snacks are provided. Free and open to all. Family Fun Nights occur on the second Tuesday of every month.

LIVESTRONG at the YMCA – Two new sessions beginning in late September:  LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is a free 12-week, research-based physical activity and well-being program designed to help adult cancer survivors achieve their holistic health goals. The program focuses on building muscle mass and strength, increasing flexibility and endurance, and improving confidence, self-esteem, and overall well-being. Join one of two sessions beginning the week of September 23rd. To learn more or participate in the upcoming session, contact Jane Carroll at janec@wsymca.org.

School Vacation Day Programs – September 30th: Do your kids need care on Rosh Hashanah? The West Suburban YMCA is offering full day and half day program options from both the Out of School Time program and the Sports Department. Ensure your child has a safe, fun day and you have peace of mind! Call 617-244-6050 for more information or to register.

Kids Night Out – October 4th,  6:00 – 10:00 pm: Kids Night Out is back for the school year! Parents, drop off your kids for a fun Friday night with the Y’s staff. Go out for the night and take advantage of this low-cost alternative to hiring a babysitter. They order pizza for dinner and keep the kids entertained with games, swimming, movies and sports. Open to children in grades K-5. Cost is $25 per child for Y members and $30 per child for the community. A 20% discount is offered per child for those with two or more children attending.

Fall 2019 Afterschool Program: Enroll in the West Suburban YMCA’s Out-of-School Time (OST) program for the 2019-2020 school year. OST provides afterschool care for children in grades K-8 following the Newton Public School calendar, including extended hours on Early Release Days. There are options for students to attend two, three, four, or five days per week. Transportation to the Y is available from most elementary schools in Newton including Bigelow, Bowen, Burr, Cabot, Franklin, Horace Mann @ Carr, Lincoln Eliot, and Underwood. Daily activity choices include homework support, physical fitness, STEM, the arts, free swim, age-specific clubs and more. For information about Out-of-School Time, contact Tricia Mansfield at triciam@wsymca.org or 617-244-6050 ext. 3022.

Preschool Center for Youth Development: The West Suburban YMCA’s Preschool Center for Youth Development is an early education program for ages 2 years 9 months to 5 years. The year-round, full-day preschool is licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, and boasts a large, bright and open classroom with a secure entrance. In addition to the well-rounded curriculum, students receive a 30-minute weekly YMCA Swim Lesson as part of their enrollment. Students can enroll any time of year, provided there is space in the program. For information about Preschool, contact Tricia Mansfield at triciam@wsymca.org or 617-244-6050 ext. 3022.

Work at the Y – Full-Time and Part-Time Opportunities: The West Suburban YMCA is hiring for a variety of full-time and part-time positions. The Y offers great benefits, free membership and professional development opportunities. Please contact Laura Snow, VP of Human Resources, at lauras@wsymca.org or visit wsymca.org/careers to apply online.

Financial Assistance is always available for Y Memberships and Programs: The West Suburban YMCA is a non-profit charitable organization and it is their mission to never turn anyone away due to an inability to pay. Please contact the Membership Department at 617-244-6050 ext. 3653 for financial assistance with membership or program participation.

Paid part-time opportunity to work at the Centre Street Food Pantry

Vibrant and busy Centre Street Food Pantry is seeking a new Pantry Manager! Be part of a non-profit that directly supports hundreds of families in Newton and surrounding communities in a kind and meaningful way. The best candidate will be flexible, great with people, deal well with details and handle lots of moving parts. This is a paid part-time position with an immediate start date. If you are interested, please send your resume to info@centrestfoodpantry.org

Youth choir currently welcoming new members, grades 2-12

Does your child love to sing? Find your community at Youth pro Musica! They offer three choirs (grades 2-5, 5-8, and 9-12) with high quality instruction in classical choral music for boys and girls.

Rehearsals are held on Tuesdays in West Newton. If interested in learning more, please email auditions@youthpromusica.org .

Do you have a child that loves to sing and perform?

Join VOICES Boston children’s chorus for the 2019-2020 season! VOICES Boston focuses primarily on singing and music literacy, with an added emphasis on dance technique and drama performance. VOICES Boston changes the lives of children, building confidence, discipline, leadership and a love of music that will last a lifetime.

There are ensembles for singers grades K-8 and rehearsals are in Brookline. VOICES Boston singers perform a wide range of repertoire, from classical to world music, gospel to new music, and even present an opera each year.

If you would like to sign up your singer for VOICES Boston or have any questions please contact Jojo Davila at programmanager@voicesboston.org. For more detailed information about past performances, staff, curriculum and more visit www.voicesboston.org.

Bus Transportation Update

Dear NPS Families,

The first two days of school have presented some significant challenges for our bus transportation. We apologize to those of you who have experienced delays, frustrations, and anxiety related to transportation on these first days of school.

Please know that we are receiving your voicemails and emails and will respond as soon as possible. There will be some delay in response given the extremely high volume of communications we are receiving. Our first priority is to resolve the issues related to bus routes so as to ensure your student’s timely transportation to and from school. Eastern Bus, our transportation vendor, has shared with us that the shortage of bus drivers is impacting operations. They are working diligently to get all drivers up to speed as soon as possible.

We know that many families have not received their bus passes and significant numbers of applications are still being submitted. All applications submitted prior to the August 16th deadline were processed, printed, and mailed. Please know that bus passes WILL NOT be checked until several weeks into the school year. This information has been communicated to all schools.

For families utilizing special education transportation, we are resolving issues on an individual basis as each student and ride is unique.

Given the significant construction projects in process throughout the City of Newton, additional bus delays may occur throughout the year. Because our buses operate on a tiered system (same buses are used for high school, middle school, elementary school), delays in one tier impact schools throughout the system.

Next year, we plan to implement changes to the registration process and timing to address the challenges we have experienced this year. Please look for additional information later this year.

We know this is a time of transition for all families. Lack of certainty in transportation makes that transition more difficult. Please know we are working hard to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Sincerely,

Liam Hurley, Assistant Superintendent/Chief Financial and Administrative Officer

Regina Moody, Director of Transportation

New Newton FORJ Book Group

Check out the new FORJ Book Group,  meeting monthly at various locations throughout Newton. Given that the books could be shared with older students, this group is designed for Newton Middle and High School parents/guardians, faculty and staff, in mind, however it is open to anyone who is looking to increase their awareness and connection regarding these topics.

For teachers this could be a great opportunity to think through how to introduce a particular book and get feedback in a supportive space.  This will be an excellent opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and meet some new people, please consider joining! Please contact Jen Dirga with any questions jenniferdirga@gmail.com.

Click here to learn more about theFORJ Group.

Applications for Harmony Foundation Community Grants are currently being accepted

As part of its mission, Newton’s Harmony Foundation (The Foundation for Racial, Ethnic and Religious Harmony) provides small grants to Newton organizations whose programming facilitates community learning, understanding, respect, and unity across the divides of racial, ethnic, religious and cultural differences. The Foundation’s scope is intergenerational with many program grants benefitting those in preschool through high school.

The Harmony Foundation is now accepting grant proposals from community groups, K-12 educational institutions and other related local organizations whose program initiatives align with their primary mission, to assist the Newton community in cultivating and valuing diversity as a unique source of community strength.

Grants typically are in the range of $200-$1,500, with an expected average grant size of $500-$750. This fall’s application deadline is September 30th. Applications may be submitted for current programs or for programs scheduled to occur in 2020.

For more information about eligibility and application instructions, please visit http://harmonyfoundationnewton.org/grants/submit-a-grant/

Destination Imagination (DI) registration open

Registration is open for the 2019 – 2020 season of Destination Imagination (DI),  a creative problem solving competition that blends Science and Technology with the Arts. For the past 10 years, over 500 Newton students have participated in the Destination Imagination (DI) program and they’re ready for their biggest and best season ever.

Clikc to hear from Alumni about how DI changed their lives: Destination Imagination Alumni Video  and/or watch to find out how DI works: What is Destination Imagination?

Ready to have fun?! Click HERE to register your child

Newton DI is run by a team of dedicated volunteers and is a non-profiting fully inclusive program. Please visit the website to learn more: www.newtondi.com.