Category Archives: Education/Enrichment

Piano Lessons

Local piano teacher Donna Gross Javel has few spaces available on Tuesdays in Waltham for students of all ages and levels.  Piano lessons can include studies in sight-reading, theory, improvisation, composition, piano duets and trios, and of course solo repertoire.  She offers five workshops and two recitals during the academic year and will also provide additional opportunities for those students who wish to participate in additional recitals, festivals and/or competitions.  As a teacher, Donna is particularly interested in teaching the ‘Whole Child’. Her main focus is to give each child the ‘Gift of Music’  so that they can enjoy a lifetime of music. For more information, visit http://www.anythingpiano.com/biography.html

Contact Donna Gross Javel at 781-354-0170 or an***********@***oo.com.

Food for Families: Free backpacks filled with breakfast and lunch essentials

Weekends and school vacations can be a significant hardship for families without access to school-supplied breakfast and lunch. The City is offering FREE backpacks to families filled with breakfast and lunch essentials at community locations to help ensure that all our families with need have adequate food on the table throughout the school year. Here is a list of the locations to pick up a free backpack:

Newton Health and Human Services, City Hall, 1000 Commonwealth Avenue
Fire Station 10, 755 Dedham Street
Newton Boys & Girls Club, 675 Watertown Street
Newton Free Library,  330 Homer Street

The FUEL program will also be providing FREE backpacks of breakfast and lunch essentials at some Newton Public Schools this year. The backpacks are designed for a child to have breakfast and lunch on the weekends. To request to have FUEL backpacks at your school, contact fu**@******************ll.org or call the Health Department at 617-796-1420.

For more information on food programs or for additional services offered by the City of Newton Social Services division, visit www.newtonma.gov/food or call 617-796-1420.

Cultural understandings through language study

Come to an evening with Deborah Fallows, linguist and author of Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language. Deborah will speak about cultural understandings acquired through language study from her personal experience of living in China from 2006-2010. The evening will also include an armchair conversation and Q&A with the audience, before concluding with refreshments and a chance to meet Deborah.

Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language and her new book Our Towns (written with husband James Fallows) will both be available for purchase at the event. This event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is requested. Please email na***************@*****st.net to sign up.

October 2nd, 6:30 – 8:15 pm
Newton South High School
140 Brandeis Road

Sponsored by The Newton-Beijing Jingshan School Exchange Program, the Newton Chinese Language School, and Primary Source

Learn about PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychatric Disorder Associated with Strep)

Have you ever heard of a child suddenly developing separation anxiety, OCD, aggression, bedwetting or having difficulty in math and handwriting?  Learn more about PANDAS and where to get medical help/treatment.

October 16th, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street

Learn more about anxiety disorders

Minding Your Mind and the Newton After School Association present the original movie documentary Angst, a film created to open up the conversation about anxiety and provide tools, resources and hope. Appropriate for all adults and children ages 10 and up. Some scenes may trigger those who have anxiety.  Additional information is available here: Angst.

Admission $15.00 per person. Registration in advance at: mindingyourmind.org/events/angst-newton/.

October 15th, 6:30 pm
Newton Free Library

Empowerment Self-Defense for girls in grades 6-8

Girls, get the tools you need to stand up to harassment, bullying, and violence, and discover your power in this supportive environment. You’ll engage in skill-building activities, and group discussion on assertiveness, boundary-setting, and verbal and physical defense and learn strategies like how to speak up, state your needs, and advocate for yourself in a variety of situations.

Fee is $149.00 Register online at newtoncommunityed.org or by phone at 617-559-6999.

Five Tuesdays, October 16th – November 13th, 2:00 – 3:30pm
Day Middle School

ActiveMinds Tutoring

Let ActiveMinds Tutoring help your child get off to a strong start. They’ve provided effective, personalized, convenient tutoring services in the Greater Boston area for 12 years. Offerings include all academic subjects and standardized test prep (ISEE, SSAT, SAT, ACT).

Email or call  to learn more about their expert tutors. Reserve your tutor today at
617-227-2225 or in**@*****************ng.com or visit www.activemindstutoring.com!

Correction: Spots Open in 2nd (not 1st) Grade Brownie Troop!

Parents of second grade girls, Troop 82115 is looking for Girl Scouts to meet every other Monday during the school year starting October 1st, 3:30-4:45 pm at the Auburndale Community Library.

As a Brownie your girl will earn badges, do projects that helps others, explore nature & the outdoors, and most of all have fun and make new friends along the way. Some parent or guardian involvement is required from each family, since the troop is entirely volunteer run.

To sign up go to https://www.girlscouts.org/en/about-girl-scouts/join.html. For questions feel free to reach out to co-leaders Julie and Meghan at ju***********@***il.com & me********@*****il.com.