Category Archives: Education/Enrichment

During April, Raise Money for South Stage while you shop!

Throughout the month of April, WALNUT MARKET, at 20 Lincoln Street in Newton Highlands, will give 10% of its sales to Newton South High School’s theater department when you mention “SOUTH STAGE!”

Walnut Market sells international groceries, local free trade, fresh breads, fine wines, craft beers, and custom gift baskets.  This is a wonderful opportunity to buy hard-to-find, artisanal foods and beverages AND support the Newton South theater department. You don’t have to have a student in South Stage to participate – anyone can chip in! Please remember, you must mention that you’re shopping for Newton South High School’s South Stage for them to donate 10% to our theater program!

Walnut Market
Open Tuesdays-Fridays from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturdays and Mondays from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm

Newton CPC: Newton Highlands Historic District Pre-Proposal

The Newton Community Preservation Committee will hear a report on a CPA-funded citywide survey of historic architecture and discuss a pre-proposal for surveying a potential new local historic district in Newton Highlands. If the CPC agrees to consider a full proposal for the new district, that proposal would be due in September 2016.

Full information is online from www.newtonma.gov/cpa. For assistance, contact Program Manager Alice Ingerson at 617-796-1144 or ai*******@******ma.gov.

April 14th, 7:00 pm
City Hall Room 204

Parent Strategies for Adapting to Life with Food Allergies and Asthma

Parents of children of varying ages will lead a panel discussion on adapting to life with food allergies and asthma The program is free and open to the public. All are welcome and pre-registration is not required.

For info, call the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, New England Chapter at 781-444-7778 or visit www.asthmaandallergies.org.

April 13th, 7:00 pm
Newton-Wellesley Hospital

Free film part of the Created Equal series

The documentary Slavery by Another Name shows how systems of involuntary servitude affected African-Americans long after the end of slavery in America. Watch excerpts and discuss the legacy of this history with Daunasia Yancey of Black Lives Matter and James DeWolf Perry of the Center for Reconciliation.

The series of programs, Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle, is made possible through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Free.

April 14th,  7:00 pm
Durant-Kenrick House, 286 Waverley Avenue

Support Historic Newton by becoming a member today! http://www.newtonma.gov/gov/historic/support/member.asp

New memberships or renewals at the $100 level come with North American Reciprocal Museum Program (NARM) membership. NARM’s 800 museums offer reciprocal membership benefits of free/member admission, etc. Area museums include the deCordova, Peabody Essex, & Harvard’s art museums.

Stretch your mind

You are invited to Temple Ohabei Shalom’s TOS Talks Speaker series where great thinkers share their big ideas from the fields of art, culture, ethics, health, religion, science, and politics, followed by provocative Q & A’s led by Temple Ohabei Shalom’s Rabbi Sonia Saltzman. Stretch your mind this Spring.

The first talk, on April 13th, features Loretta Claiborne. Loretta is a World Class Athlete who happens also to be a Special Olympics Athlete and a person who has an intellectual disability. She will speak about her journey from Anger to Inspiration.

On May 18th, bestselling author Ron Lieber will explore the connection between values and money—Ron is a wonderful speaker, especially appealing to parents of children of all ages looking for guidance in this area!

Complimentary light refreshment follows each speaker. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite at: www.tos-talks-16.eventbrite.com. More information can be found on the website: www.ohabei.org.

West Suburban YMCA Aims to Bring Out the Wow! Factor

Bring Out the Wow! Factor in Local Kids During 25th Annual Healthy Kids Day®

The West Suburban YMCA is holding a free community event to inspire more kids to keep their minds and bodies active. This year marks the 25th annual YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day®, the Y’s national initiative to improve health and well-being for kids and families.

YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, celebrated at over 1,300 Ys across the country by over 1.2 million participants, works to get more kids moving and learning, creating habits that they continue all summer long, which is a critical time for kids’ health. When kids are out of school, they can face hurdles that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Research shows that without access to out-of-school physical and learning activities, kids fall behind academically. Kids also gain weight twice as fast during summer than the school year. As spring turns to summer, Healthy Kids Day is a powerful reminder not to let children idle away their summer days. Instead, the Y hopes to focus on wowing them with their potential and make this their best summer ever by staying active and learning.

Healthy Kids Day will be held outside on the Y’s New Balance Track & Field. Bring or ride your bicycle to the event. Thanks to the generous support of the Newton Elks and Farina’s Bicycles, they are giving away bicycle helmets. The day also features fun, active play and educational activities such as:

• Face Painting from 1:00-2:00 pm
• Bicycle Decorating from 1:00-3:00 pm
• Drumlin Farms Presentation – “Where Food Comes From” at 1:15 pm
• Family Zumba & Yoga Class from 1:30-2:00 pm
• Curious Creatures presentation from 2:00-3:00 pm
• Bouncy House, GaGa Ball & Obstacle Courses from 2:00-4:00 pm
• Bicycle Parade at 3:00 pm

April 30th, 1:00 to 4:00 pm

YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day is sponsored by the Belmont Savings Bank Foundation, the Newton Elks and Farina’s Bicycle Center in Watertown. For more information, contact Trevor Williams at 617-244-6050 x 3021 or visit wsymca.com.

New Preteen Wellness Group!

Safe and fun environment for students ages 9-12 to discuss any of life’s stresses or issues. It will be a four week after school psychoeducational group that will promote wellness around topics such as body image, peer pressure, self-esteem and bullying.

Contact MEDA at 617-558-1881 or email in**@*****nc.org to learn more or visit the website: www.medainc.org.

Reminder: Forum on High School Start Time

for Middle & Elementary Parents/Guardians.

Join this Wednesday night at Brown Middle School to explore the research on teen sleep to understand why the Newton School Committee is studying a later start time for our high schools. Speakers include sleep expert and Newton parent Dr. Christopher Landrigan of Brigham & Women’s and Boston Children’s Hospitals. Be a part of the community conversation from the beginning stages; if changes happen, our younger students will be affected as they move into their teen years. Hosted by Brown and Oak Hill PTOs and the Newton South School Council. Parents and guardians from all schools welcome.

For more information, including a link to resources on adolescent sleep and later start time click here.

April 6th, 7:00-8:30 pm
Brown Middle School
125 Meadowbrook Road, Newton Centr

Upcoming Teen Programs @ the Library

Minecraft Club: Come play Minecraft with your friends on the library’s server with different challenges each session. Don’t have an account? No problem, use one of the library’s. The club meets the first Thursday of every month. Grades 6-12. Register online. Thursday, April 7th, 4:00 pm, second floor Computer Center.

Get Hooked! Crochet & Knitting Club: The monthly crochet and knitting club is back! They’ll be meeting the first Thursday of every month. They have crochet hooks, knitting needles, yarn and the know-how to teach the basics of crocheting. Refreshments will be served. Open to ages 10 and up. Register online. Thursday, April 7th, 7:00 pm, second floor Teen Area.

Teen Crafterhours: Meet on the third Tuesday of every month to make crafts and eat snacks. This month you’ll be making steampunk magnets. Grades 6-12. Tuesday, April 19th, 7:00 pm, second floor Teen Area.

Trivia Nite @ the Library: Are you a genius at Jeopardy!? A consumer of crossword puzzles? Back by popular demand, come join the fun and test your mastery of useful (and useless) information! Some of your favorite library staff will challenge players with 4 rounds of questions from a variety of categories. Stretch your brain and win great prizes! Come alone or with friends. Teams can be up to 6 people, and they can match you with fellow devotees. Refreshments will be provided. Teens and families welcome. Register online. Thursday, April 21st, 6:30 pm, Druker Auditorium.

Interested in helping out the Centre Street Food Pantry?

The volunteers at Centre Street Food Pantry run an efficient organization, given all the moving parts. But they have had one speed bump for many months. Can you think of anyone who can do lifting and toting AND has a small truck or nearly empty cargo van? And a good spirit? You? A neighbor? A friend? Your company? A vendor?

Twice a month (Tuesday mid-mornings) they go to the Greater Boston Food Bank in South Bay and load up with food and fresh items…..and it would be great to have consistent help. Please contact ce****************@***il.com if you can help. Thanks!