Category Archives: Education/Enrichment

How to Write Great College Essays

A lot of great kids write average (even bad) college essays—essays about “life lessons learned from football” or “how my trip to Europe broadened my cultural horizons.” Better tales are there for the writing. This workshop will show you what admissions officers really look for in great college essays, and offer suggestions for finding and sharing your best stories. You’ll even learn the five most over-used topics you must avoid and get tips on how to start (and even finish) your essays this summer.

Join Sara Kratzok, Director of Collegewise of Newton and graduate of Wellesley College and Harvard University, for this great workshop for teens and adults!

August 15th, 7:00 pm
Druker Auditorium
Newton Free Library

STEAMAs part of the ongoing programming for all ages related to the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) initiative from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation the Library will be holding a STEAM Expo.

The Expo is a gathering of tech enthusiasts, traditional crafters, artists, musicians, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers and students.  It is a place for creators to show their work and interact with members of the community.  Come experience a fun, interactive afternoon at the library, and get involved in the rebirth of Do-It-Yourself.

Check here for an updated list of exhibitors.

It’s not too late to Honor Teachers!

You still have time to do something special for your child’s teacher or other staff this year! Make a donation in their names to Newton Schools Foundation’s Honor Thy Teacher program. Teachers, Principals and the Superintendent will be notified of this honor, and names of those honored will appear in the Newton TAB.

Go to www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org all summer long to donate online and learn more about the programs that NSF funds. Donations are tax-deductible and go toward enhancing the quality of education throughout Newton’s schools.

Questions? Call 617-559-6120 or email in**@*********************on.org.

Newton Destination Imagination – Webinar Recording and Registration

If you are a parent of a student in Newton and are interested in learning more about the Destination Imagination program, you can now access a free Webinar from our website.

Please click the link below for access to that recording as well as a link to our registration page. Newton Destination Imagination Website

Please send any questions to Matthew Miller: ma*****@******di.net

High School Start Time Year End Report

The High School Start Time Year End Report, which will be presented to Newton School Committee on June 20th, has been posted online. The report contains:

I. Key learning from research and community feedback
II. Start time scenarios
III. Scenario descriptions
IV. Next steps

A timeline also has been posted for next steps in the fall for community engagement on these potential scenarios for high school start time. Please visit the Newton Public Schools web site for full information.  www.newton.k12.ma.us/laterstarttime

STEAM Expo

Join in for an interactive afternoon at the library and get involved in the rebirth of Do-It-Yourself! The STEAM Expo is a gathering of tech enthusiasts, traditional crafters, artists, musicians, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers and students (like the Ligerbots!). It is a place for creators to show their work and interact with members of the community. Check here for a list of exhibitors: http://guides.newtonfreelibrary.net/steamexpo

July 16th, 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Newton Free Library

Save the Date and Plan Your Summer Reading:

Understanding Our Differences will hold its 5th Annual Family Book Event with a disability theme on October 18th at 7:00 pm at Newton South High School Auditorium. The featured author is Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, who will talk about and sign her award winning middle grade novel, The War That Saved My Life.

The book is a moving story of triumph against all odds by a girl with a physical disability, set during World War II. Admission will be free for children and NPS teachers and staff. Requested donation at the door for adults. For more information, contact UOD at in**@*************************es.org.

Tutor available for the summer

Need some help on preparing for a standardized test or catching up on a high school subject? Justin’s here for you! A rising senior at Newton South with three years of tutoring experience at the Russian School of Math, he works with young kids very often as a junior swim coach. His expertise is ACT math, SAT math, or any kind of math. He’s taken AP Statistics and BC Calculus and is a two time National Spanish Exam gold award winner, so can help in Spanish as well.

As a high school student without a college degree (yet), Justin doesn’t ask for much in terms of pricing; he’s not motivated by a paycheck but the opportunity to teach and make a contribution to this amazing community! Want to find out more about qualifications (ACT score, SAT subject test scores, awards etc.), availability, etc.? Please email him at ju***********@***il.com.

Summer Chemistry Tutoring with “The Chem Coach”

Summer AP homework? Want to get a head start on Sophomore Chem? College student taking Chem over the summer? The Chem Coach is for you. She’s passionate about chemistry and wants students to like learning science! Jean Lindsay-Dwyer has a degree in chemistry, teaching and industrial experience, and has been tutoring for 10 years. Her daughters graduated from the Newton Public Schools, so she knows the curriculum. Please contact Jean Lindsay-Dwyer at 617-584-8885 or Th**********@***il.com.

Get a head start on college essays this summer

Summer is a great time for rising seniors to begin work on their college essays. Jane Hirschhorn is a Newton resident and a writing coach with more than 20 years of experience. Jane guides students toward crafting compelling, authentic college essays. For more information, please contact Jane at ja**@*********ng.com.