Please note below the dates for Newton SEPAC Open Board Meetings for the 2020/21 school year. Meetings will be held via zoom, at 7:00pm on the following dates.
Meeting reminders, including zoom info and agenda will be announced and posted prior to each meeting. Please visit newtonpac.org for more information about Newton SEPAC.
October 6th
November 17th
December 15th
January 12th
February 23rd
March 16th
April 13th
May 18th
June 15th
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s race will support the Newton Turkey Trot mission while at the same time adhering to local and federal guidelines around social distancing. There will not be a traditional race day, runners will run their own virtual race in their own time the week of November 21st – 29th. Run this race when you want, where you want! All of the race proceeds will go to the Newton Food Pantry and the Travis Roy Foundation’s Ethan Wang Fund. Both of these amazing organizations need our support more than ever.
The Newton Food Pantry is seeing an unprecedented increase in new clients during the current health crisis. We are standing by our commitment to raise $10,000 to support these families over the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Travis Roy Foundation’s Ethan Wang Fund provides funding for spinal cord research, medical and rehabilitative therapies and adaptive equipment. This special fund reflects the mission of the Travis Roy Foundation to help victims of spinal cord injuries achieve independence and to enjoy lives as full and complete as possible.
Get your turkeys in a row and trot on! Register or donate at www.newtonturkeytrot.org.
Newton Turkey Trot 5K November 2020 Virtual Edition – We Will Trot On Together, Apart!
The annual Homestead Hayfest, a FREE family-friendly day of 19th century activities and crafts will go online this year! Visit Homestead Hayfest anytime during the week of October 7th – 14th for online exhibits about what life was like in Newton in the 1800s with activities you can try at home. Topics will include butter churning, a special Hayfest Storytime, weaving with Beth Guertin of A Place to Weave, Native American baskets, 19th century fun and games, and much more.
Join fellow Newtonians for the first ever Indigenous Peoples Day Newton Celebration!
We live on the homelands of the Massachusett Tribe. Today, Massachusett people live throughout the state, country and world.
Indigenous Peoples Day is a great chance to learn more about the Massachusett and their history in the place we call Newton! A family-friendly, socially-distant scavenger hunt encourages kids and adults to learn some of the Indigenous place names in Newton and to dig into the history of our region.
The Indigenous Peoples Day Newton celebration was created in collaboration with the Massachusett Tribe at Ponakapog and Historic Newton. Visit the Facebook page Indigenous Peoples Day Newton or click on this Google Doc to learn how to participate!
October 12th
Please join Horizons for Homeless Children at their annual fall event which will be hosted virtually. Horizons’ mission is to alleviate the stress and trauma of homelessness on children and families by providing access to early education, opportunities for play, and support for parents.
Participants will hear from members of the Horizons family, including a mother who has overcome homelessness with Horizons’ support, and listen to a fabulous keynote speaker.
This year the keynote will be given by Angie Thomas, author of the NYTimes best-seller The Hate You Give; a poignant young adult book (and movie) about racial inequity in America.
To purchase individual tickets of $50.00/person and/or make a donation, please visit the Horizons website where you will also find descriptions of the impact that your gift will have on families experiencing homelessness.
For more information, please contact Zervas Parent, Kate Cox, at katescox@gmail.com.
October 29th, 7:00 pm on-line
The MGH Center for Cross Cultural Student Emotional Wellness “Fact Sheet Project” has created fact sheets with topics related specifically to Asian American mental health. They get translated into multiple different Asian languages and are FREE.
The latest factsheets are COVID 19 related:
– COVID 19 Infographic has information on Coronavirus, its symptoms, and safety measures to keep everyone healthy.
– COVID 19 Racism addresses the xenophobia and acts of racism that have increased dramatically since the pandemic started.
These fact sheets and sheets on other topics are now available in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese. Visit the website at https://www.mghstudentwellness.org/resources
The virtual edition of the annual Paddy’s Road Race will take place from October 16th – 18th this year. This great race benefits Newton Athletes Unlimited, a non-profit that provides therapeutic recreation opportunities for children and adults with disabilities.
In addition to the 3 mile race, this year’s virtual event offers a 1K Youth and All Abilities Race, as well as, Youth Field Races. All participants will receive a t-shirt, bib and medal. To learn more and to register please visit www.paddysroadrace.com.
Newbery Award and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author/illustrator Jerry Craft takes us behind the scenes of his bestselling graphic novel New Kid and the upcoming Class Act. Join in on Zoom as Jerry gives tweens and their families a look into his writing and drawing process.
This event will be moderated by Morgan Harper, a Library Teacher at Peirce and Williams Elementary Schools and is intended for 5th to 8th-graders and their families. Please use this google form to register for this event. They will send regsitered participants the Zoom link on the day of the event.
This program is part of Overdue: Confronting Race and Racism in Newton, a city-wide read and series of events and conversations on race and racism.
October 28th at 7:00 pm
Newton Free Library will provide lead-up events to the virtual visit from the Newbery and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author/illustrator Jerry Craft which include book clubs, a comic workshop, and a New Kid Trivia Night for grades 5 to 8.
New Kid Book Clubs
Take part in a lively conversation about Jerry Craft’s Newbery Award-winning New Kid. Participants in this book club will help brainstorm questions to ask Jerry Craft during his visit. Registration required to receive the zoom link. New Kid is available on Hoopla. Grades 5 – 8. October 7th, 8th, and 13th, 7:00 pm
Draw Your Own Comics!
Come have fun while drawing your own comics! In this workshop, students will play drawing games, generate ideas for their own characters, and start to write their own comic book stories. All levels of experience welcome! Workshop is run by Cathy G. Johnson, Providence-based writer and author of the graphic novel The Breakaways! Registration required to receive the zoom link. Grades 5 to 8. October 14th, 7:00 pm
New Kid Trivia Night
Use your New Kid knowledge to challenge your friends and family in a fun evening of trivia. Library staff will challenge players with questions taken from the pages of New Kid on Zoom. No restrictions on team size. One registration per team. The Zoom link will be sent out the day of the event. This event is kids, tweens, and their families. October 21st, 7:00 pm
The Bowen After School Care Program is running remote programming for families in the community. For $5.00 per hour, less than a fancy cup of joe, your child will have access to numerous engaging opportunities throughout the week. The K-1 Program students have been having a wonderful time getting to know each other, participating in daily activities, and being silly. Daily activities have been carefully planned to allow for learning, socializing, hands-on creating, and movement.
The 2-5 Program students have enjoyed their 3:00 pm meeting time in which they have an opportunity to share with their peers about their school day, extracurricular activities, and discuss the Topic of the Day (Big Foot, fossils, sharks, etc.). At 3:30 pm is when the magic begins, the first of two classes of the day. Students have been engrossed in their work and have been exploring numerous skills ranging from cooking to 3D printing. Materials are provided in the activity supply kits that are delivered for each class. Continue reading