Category Archives: Education/Enrichment

November events at Historic Newton

BOOKER T. JONES IN CONCERT

As the architect of one of the first racially integrated rock bands (Booker T. and the M.G.’s), Booker T. Jones set the cast for modern soul music. He created classic hits like “Green Onions,” and backed artists ranging from Otis Redding to Willie Nelson. Join an unforgettable concert featuring the legendary Jones, a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award winner, and his band performing “Songs and Stories from the Birth of Soul.”

Purchase tickets for individual seats and sponsorships through www.newtonma.gov/BookerT. For more information please call 617-796-1450.

November 17th, 7:30 pm
Newton North High School, 457 Walnut Street


MUSEUM STORE SUNDAY / MEET THE MAKERS

Get a head start on your holiday shopping when the shops at the Jackson Homestead and the Durant-Kenrick House offer a 25 percent discount on museum store merchandise. Also Meet the Makers! Artists from Newton will show and sell their work from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (1:00 – 3:00 pm authors including Barbara Berenson, Ken Bresler, Beryl Gilfix and Lenna Kutner will be stationed in each museum and you can purchase directly from them.

The shop selection includes posters and maps of Newton, Historic Newton’s custom-made ginger-pear jam, books about the Underground Railroad and abolition, interactive toys, and hand-made candles. Each purchase supports the mission and programs of Historic Newton. Museum Store Sunday takes place at 700 museum stores around the world.

Admission is Free. For information, call 617-796-1450

November 25th, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Jackson Homestead and Museum, 527 Washington Street and the Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds, 286 Waverley Avenue


STORYTIME – THANKSGIVING

Come learn how Native people in Massachusetts grew their food. We will read a tale about the Three Sisters, the story behind growing corn, beans, and squash together. Preschoolers and their caregivers will have the chance to interact with our own three sisters crops and make a corn husk doll. Admission is Free. For information, call 617-641-9142

For a complete schedule of ongoing Storytime events, go to www.newtonma.gov/story.

November 28th, 10:00 am
Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds

Your help is needed to feed people

Centre Street Food Pantry is looking for volunteers to help staff the pantry on Tuesdays and the first Saturday of the month.  Volunteer shifts are available in two hour increments and sign up is flexible.

Tasks include stocking shelves, helping clients shop, clean up and more. For more information, please visit the Get Involved tab on the website  https://www.centrestfoodpantry.org/get-involved-2. Volunteers must be 16 and older to volunteer without an adult and 12 is the minimum age with an adult.

Blood Drive to Benefit the Jimmy Fund & Dana-Farber

Boy Scout Troop 205 will be hosting a blood drive as a part of an Eagle Scout project for one of the scouts. The project will help benefit Kraft Blood Donor Services and patients at Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund. The scout organizing the drive was diagnosed with leukemia when he was one year old and is now over 10 years cancer-free and in a position to give back to the people who gave so much to him.

To donate (donors must be 17 years or older), you can simply come to the MacKenzie Center between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, but if you prefer to schedule an appointment in advance, please use this link tinyurl.com/BishopMac2018. Donors will receive a Kraft Family Blood Donor Center blanket!

November 10th, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Bishop MacKenzie Center Parking lot, 1337 Centre Street, Newton

Math Festival and Open House

Come and learn more about Studio of Engaging Math’s programs. Play games, do STEM activities, solve puzzles, and win prizes! Check out robotics, coding, and chess classes as well. See https://www.facebook.com/events/333915890498710/

Studio of Engaging Math is a pre-K-8 after-school math program. Their mission is to cultivate students’ appreciation of mathematics by fostering intellectual curiosity, critical and logical thinking, spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills to build student confidence and self-esteem. They emphasize creativity, original thinking and reasoning over memorization. A small group setting with curriculum that is tailored for students of various levels creates positive attitude about math and redefines math learning experience.

November 11th, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Studio of Engaging Math
320 Washington Street, Suite 301, Brighton

Waban Library Center Kids’ Book Club!

Join the next WLC Kids’ Book Club!  The next book will be A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban.

This program is a monthly book club for elementary school kids. An adult should accompany each child, BOTH of whom have read the book and are ready to participate. The book will be aimed at about a third grade reading level. However, elementary school students from any grade are welcome to join. (The child can either read the book on their own or have it read to them.)

There is no commitment to attend every month, just come when your schedule allows. At the end of the meeting the group who is there will choose the next book. Please contact Alison Corkery at al************@***il.com with any questions.

Refreshments will be served. See you at the library!

November 19th, 6:30 pm
1608 Beacon St, Waban

Newton Community Preservation Committee meeting November 13th

The Community Preservation Committee’s agenda includes discussions of a pre-proposal for supplemental funding of the Allen House historic rehabilitation project in West Newton; a partial return of unspent funds and planning a change of purpose for the Homebuyer Assistance program; and potential future proposals for listing in the Community Preservation Plan.

The program website, www.newtonma.gov/cpa, includes the full agenda and pre-meeting packet. For assistance, contact Alice Ingerson at ai*******@******ma.gov or 617-796-1144.

November 13th, 7:00 pm
Newton City Hall, Room 204

Newton Power Choice

What is Newton Power Choice and how can you impact the City’s decisions about your energy sources?  Come learn with LWVN!

The City of Newton is developing a new electricity program, called Newton Power Choice.  It will increase the amount of renewable energy in your electricity supply.  How much renewable energy do you think the City should include in its energy contracts?  And how much would you be willing to pay for cleaner energy?

Join members of the League of Women Voters of Newton (LWVN) to hear about this electricity aggregation program and the impact it will have on our community’s efforts to address climate change.  RSVPs to in**@*******on.org are appreciated!

November 15th.,  8:00 – 9:30 am
Durant-Kenrick House, 286 Waverley Ave, Newton

For more information on Newton Power Choice, go to www.newtonpowerchoice.com.

Bringing families together at the Newton Family Conference

The 2018 Newton Family Conference to be held on Saturday, December 1st,  1:00 – 4:00 pm at Newton North High School. The goal of the conference is to build relationships between families of color and white families within the district, advance dialogue around issues of race, culture, and identity and create opportunities for families within NPS to connect.

Participants will attend workshops on “Courageous Conversations About Race” facilitated by NPS trained facilitators. These sessions will be similar to the workshops in which Newton faculty and staff are participating.

The Family Conference is one way in which the Newton Public School District is seeking to create culturally responsive school communities with equity and excellence for all.

Please RSVP at https://2018familyconference.eventbrite.com. (limited childcare is available.)

Registration is OPEN for all Winter children’s theatre programs

Programs at Watertown Children’s Theatre include:

Peter Pan Jr. (Grades 3-6)
Jr. Players 3:30 (Grades K-2)
Jr. Players 4:45 (Grades K-2)
Holes (Grades 6-9)

Plus classes, workshops, and more! Register NOW!

Or email pr************@**********ts.org sign up now for an audition slot for:

Hamlet (Grades 9-12)
Rent (Grades 9-12)