Category Archives: Education/Enrichment

February vacation arts classes at Arsenal Center for the Arts

The Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown offers February Vacation Art Workshops from February 19 – 22 for three age groups:  5 & 6 year olds, 7-10 year olds and 11+.  In Comics, Cartoons and Creative Creatures, students will use drawing, painting, clay and other media.  Younger students will create comics, cartoons and creative creatures; the older group will focus on graffiti art, t-shirts, hats and simple jewelry.

Full or half-day options available.  Morning classes run from 9:30AM – Noon.  Afternoon classes run from 12:30 – 3PM.
Supervised Lunch and Extended Day options are available.

Classes are held at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street in Watertown, with free parking and access to public transportation.
Scholarships and Membership discounts are available.
For class descriptions, visit  the Arsenal Center’s website.

To register, call 617-923-0100, ext. 309.

Marathon Reading of the Bestseller “Wonder” – March 16

You are invited to the first ever staged marathon reading of the book, Wonder, on Saturday, March 16 from 9:00am- 7:30pm, at the Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada Street. Come for the entire reading or for parts that you particularly want to hear.

R.J. Palacio’s bestseller Wonder is the story of an ordinary 10-year-old boy, born with an extraordinary face, which explores themes of bullying, empathy, kindness and ultimately acceptance. The cast is comprised of 14 actors and 55 community readers. Taking the lead role of Auggie is Chapin Galowitz, a 6th grader at Oak Hill, appearing with his parents, Pamela and Adam Galowitz who play Auggie’s parents.  8th grade Oak Hill student Abby Lass will play the role of Via, and Zervas teacher Michael Stern will play Mr. Browne. The cast includes retired Zervas Principal Steve Griffin and Adam Brown, Chair of Newton North High School’s Theatre Ink.

Children are invited to submit a Wonder-inspired drawing, painting, or collage that embrace the themes of inclusiveness, kindness, courage and friendship for an art exhibition which will be on display all day. Artwork should be dropped off to the Newton Cultural Center no later than Wednesday, March 13.

More info is available at the Newton Youth Players website or by calling 617-796-1540.

The event is supported by the Newton Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs, Understanding Our Differences, and Newton Community Pride. A grant from the Newton Cultural Council underwrites the event.

Yoga, movies, crafts — Teen programs at Newton Free Library

The Newton Free Library is collaborating with the Newton Partnership and organizations throughout Newton on the ”I heart my heart” teen health and wellness campaign happening February 1-14. All programs are FREE at YOUR library.
Heart Felt – Teen Crafternoons, Wednesday, February 6, 3:30 pm
Get creative! Make a heart handwarmer or a Valentine’s Day card in the second floor Teen Area of the Newton Free Library

“How to Cook Your Life” Screening, Saturday, February 9, 2:00 pm
Celebrate Heart Healthy Month at the Newton Free Library, in Druker Auditorium with a screening of How to Cook Your Life. In this charming and enlightening film, Zen priest and famous chef Edward Espe Brown uses Zen Buddhist teachings to demonstrate how cooking can help us overcome feeling disconnected from the physical world and awaken our capacity to feel human. Following the film, in conjunction with the Newton Partnership’s Teen Health and Wellness Campaign, a nutritionist
will lead an informative Q and A discussion about healthy eating habits. Snacks will be provided by Whole Foods. The film is rated PG-13 and runs for 93 min. The program is open to ages 13 and up.

Yoga for Teens, Monday, February 11, 7:00 pm 
De-stress by taking a yoga class at the Newton Free Library! An instructor from Down Under Yoga in Newtonville will lead a session that builds strength and flexibility, while relieving the stress of daily life. The class will provide the opportunity for teens to focus on themselves in an environment that encourages a balance between pushing boundaries and accepting where they are today. The class will take place in Druker Auditorium. Bring your own mat if you have one, extra mats will be available. For grades 6-12.
All Levels Yoga for Adults, Monday, February 11, 8:00 pm
Attend a free, stress-relieving yoga class at the library! Bring your own mat if you have one, extra mats will be available. The class will take place in Druker Auditorium.

A City Of Villages – The 2013 Newton History Series – Oak Hill Park – A “Local Utopia” – Thursday, February 7 @ 7PM

In 1995, Boston Globe architecture critic Robert Campbell wrote, “The greenbelt system is what’s unique about Oak Hill Park. There’s nothing else like it in Massachusetts. And it’s still intact. Even in today’s privatized world, nobody has chopped the Oak Hill Park greenways into private, fenced barbecue patios.” Join resident Paul Eldrenkamp for a discussion of the origins and evolution of this little-known corner of Newton, a planned community built by a public-private partnership to provide inexpensive housing for veterans returning from WWII. Discover what Campbell found so appealing about this close-knit neighborhood, and learn what’s changed in the years since Campbell wrote so compellingly of its charms. Co-Sponsored by Historic Newton and the Newton Free Library. Thursday, February 7, @ 7PM at the Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street. Free.

Ask The Archivist at Jackson Homestead – Sunday, February 10, noon-5PM

Need help organizing or preserving your family photos and papers? Drop in for a brief, on-the-spot consultation with Archivist/Curator Sara Goldberg. Sara will provide advice and resources that will help keep your precious collections alive and well. (Please feel free to bring samples, but NOT whole collections of what you’d like help with.) Free and open to the public. At the Jackson Homestead, 527 Washington Street, Newton.

WEAVING WORKSHOP – Vacation Week Family Program – Wednesday, February 20, 2PM

Have you ever wondered how people made cloth at home before store-bought cloth was available? Want to try weaving your own cloth? Join Beth Guertin, a weaver and teacher of weaving for over twenty-five years, in this hands-on workshop. Watch a demonstration of loom-weaving techniques, and then give it a try yourself! Cost: $25 per family ($20 for members) includes museum admission and materials. Program is from 2-4PM. Prepaid registration is required, limit 25; call 617-796-1450 to register. At the Jackson Homestead, 527 Washington Street, Newton.

KIDS ON THE FARM – THEN AND NOW – A Vacation Week Family Program – Thursday, February 21, 2:00-4:00PM

Want to know what life on a farm would have been like for kids in Newton in past centuries? Using real artifacts from the Museum’s collection and real stories from the Angino family who lived on what is now the Newton Community Farm, we’ll explore how kids would have helped on the farm. Then we will plant some seeds which will be transplanted into our garden in the spring. Cost: $30 per family (4 people max, 1 adult required) $25 for members of HN or NCF. Includes museum admission, materials, and snack. Prepaid registration is required, limit 25; call 617-796-1450 to register. Co-sponsored by Historic Newton and Newton Community Farm. At the Jackson Homestead, 527 Washington Street, Newton.

Not quite ready for Kindergarten?

Bowen’s Transitional Kindergarten offers a unique opportunity for a third year of pre-school. TK combines an exciting mix of academics and social skills brought together by a dedicated team of teachers. These older 4′s and young 5′s work toward goals comparable to those in Kindergarten but at a modified pace in a much smaller community with a 7:1 child teacher ratio. This class of 14 quickly becomes a cohesive group working and playing together with enthusiasm. You are welcomed to visit the school to observe first hand how your child would benefit from the program. Parents of former students remark that “it was the best thing I did for my child.”

Contact Meredith Andrews at 617-332-2752 or me***************@***il.com

Food Allergy Update for Families – Tuesday, February 12, 7PM, Newton-Wellesley Hospital

Learn about the latest thinking and innovative approaches to living safely with food allergies. Speaker: allergist Jessica Savage, MD, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, recently completed her training in allergy and immunology at Johns Hopkins where she conducted several studies of food allergy epidemiology and treatment with Dr. Robert Wood, an internationally recognized leader in the field of food allergy. She recently joined the faculty of Brigham & Women’s Hospital and is currently seeing patients at its offices at 850 Boylston St. in Chestnut Hill and at Faulkner Hospital. Her current research is related to chemical exposures and their potential role in causing allergy. She is also interested in developing better diagnostic tools and treatments for food allergy.

At Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Bowles 1 (2nd floor), free admission. For info, call the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America – New England Chapter at 781-444-7778.

2013 Environmental Art Contest

The theme is “How our schools can help the environment!”. The contest is open to Newton students in grades 2 – 5.

Poster contest guidelines:
• Enter as an individual or in teams of 2 children
• Entries are limited to 2-dimensional posters – 12”x18”max.
• Photos & recycled collage materials may be used
• Attach the entry form (provided at http://www.greendecade.org/artcontest.html) to back of poster
• Judging will be according to grade level with one prize awarded in the after-school category

Art entries are due at one of the following locations by Friday, March 1:

• The Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada St. Newton
• The Mayor’s Office at City Hall, 1000 Commonwealth Ave, Newton Centre
• The New Art Centre, 61 Washington Park, Newtonville
• Green Planet Kids, 22 Lincoln St, Newton Highlands

Contest sponsored by Green Decade Newton. Student winners will receive email notifications by March 15th.