Category Archives: Community Notes

Meatless Monday Cooking Club for Tweens and Teens

Meatless Monday cooking club is an afterschool online program where tweens and teens cook meatless dinners for their families to enjoy mealtime together. They will be developing important cooking skills as well as positive relationships with food.

Each week they’ll try a variety of creative and tasty vegetarian dishes from every corner of the globe. The goal of these classes is to help kids not only to become healthy eaters, but also to develop their palates so they can enjoy the diversity of food.

These will be live, fun and interactive 2-hour cooking classes over Zoom in their own kitchen. The program runs once a week for 5 consecutive weeks, beginning November 9th.
For more details please visit http://www.essenceofjapan.net/meatless-monday-cooking-club-an-online-cooking-class-for-kids/

Virtual Photo Safari & Silent Auction

Join a virtual photo safari with safari guide Brad Hansen of GeoEx. This exciting evening will include wildlife photography and storytelling, a message from a SEGA student, and a virtual auction where you can bid on unique auction items, Tanzanian crafts and much more. All proceeds support Nurturing Minds and the SEGA Girls’ School.

For more information please visit https://www.nurturingmindsinafrica.org/events/2020/11/19/virtual-photo-safari

November 19th, 8:00 pm

Newton Families for In-Person Leaning

Newton Families for In-Person Leaning is a group of concerned parents who are advocating for a return to the classroom for Newton students. Their primary focus is on the high school students however members include parents of elementary and middle school students. They are advocating for NPS and the School Committee to:

  • Open ALL schools In accordance with the MA DESE Guidelines
  • Provide in-person instruction, at a minimum, of CORE SUBJECTS for ALL high school students that opt-in, with fully remote electives
  • Develop and support live-streaming options for at-risk children and teachers
  • Reduce curriculum to achieve equity of instruction and access across NPS
  • Comply with Individual Education Plans
  • Extend educational, emotional and social support to ALL Newton HS students
  • Provide weekly updates on SC plan for In-Person High School Plan in order to ensure that we are making haste to institute ASAP

Contact newtonforinpersonlearning@gmail.com to be added to an email list which provides updates on the status of in-person learning efforts and provides ways to advocate for these goals.

BASCP in the Cloud Remote Programming

The Bowen After School Care Program is running remote programming for families in the Newton community, welcoming all K-5 children.

For a low monthly rate, your child will have access to numerous engaging opportunities throughout the week.  In November, the K-1 Program students will head under the sea, explore multiple modes of transportation, investigate Fall in New England, and end the month with a week of being silly!  Daily activities have been carefully planned to allow for learning, socializing, hands-on creating, and movement.

The 2-5 Program students begin their day Continue reading →

Donations Needed

Do you have small appliances you’d like to donate?  Welcome Home, a nonprofit in Newton Centre, accepts used household donations.  They are low on blenders, toasters and coffeemakers.  Make an appointment to drop off your unwanted items by emailing welcomehomemass@gmail.com and learn more at www.welcomehomemass.org.

Need home goods?  No fees, no forms, no requirements.  Just contact 617-454-4795 or welcomehomemass@gmail.com to let them know what household items you need.

Newton Turkey Trot

Ever wondered where to get that T-shirt you see running around Newton?  Get yours for free when you register by November 2nd for the 7th annual, and hopefully only virtual, Newton Turkey Trot – We Will Trot On Together, Apart!

Newton Turkey Trot 5K November 21-29, 2020 – T-Shirt deadline is November 2nd

There will not be a traditional race day, runners will run their own virtual race in their own time the week of November 21st – 29th.  All of the race proceeds will go to the Newton Food Pantry and the Travis Roy Foundation’s Ethan Wang Fund.  Both of these amazing organizations need our support more than ever.

Register or donate at www.newtonturkeytrot.org. Get your turkeys in a row and trot on!

Youth Basketball Returning to the Y

The West Suburban YMCA’s YBA league is returning this November.  YBA offers children a safe and positive environment, an opportunity to work as a team, and enjoy physical activity.   The program utilizes the Y’s seven principles: everyone plays, safety first, fair play, positive competition, family involvement, sports for all, and sports for fun.

YBA will be running this fall and winter with various age groupings: Mini (ages 4-5), Biddy (ages 6-7), Rookie (ages 8-9), and Collegiate (ages 10-12.)  The session will last 10 weeks.  The first 5 weeks will consist of practice weeks and YBA will begin playing games when state guidelines are updated to allow games.

YBA will be taking all COVID precautions, including transition buffers in between sessions, teams of 10 players, only one parent/guardian allowed to spectate while remaining physically distanced in the indoor track, and a mask requirement.

Register by November 1st.  For more information contact Chris Ellison at chrise@wsymca.org or 617-244-6050 ext. 3806.

The program will run from  November 14th – February 7th.

Newton Youth Hockey – Co-ed Middle School Hockey

Newton Youth Hockey has opened registration for its Co-ed Middle School Hockey program. These are games-only teams open to any Newton resident in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade. Participants do not need to attend a Newton school, nor do they need to be current Newton Youth Hockey players.

Games are played on weekend evenings, and the season runs from December to February. For more information, please see www.newtonyouthhockey.com or email president@newtonyouthhockey.com.

Newton Youth Hockey – Learn to Play Program

The Learn to Play program is an introduction to hockey for boys and girls aged 5 through 10. Participants follow a progression of drills designed to teach them the core hockey skills of skating, stick handling, passing, and shooting. NYH places a strong emphasis on having fun, using a variety of games, challenges, and scrimmages as key components of the program. Participants skate twice per week on Saturday and Sunday. One day is structured around skills progression while the other day is dedicated to scrimmages. This is a 16-week program that begins in mid-November and ends in mid-March.

Saturdays, Ryan Arena, Watertown: Grades K-2, 9:20 – 10:10 am and Grades 3+, 10:20 – 11:10 am
Sundays, Daly Rink, Newton: 8:00 am

For more information and registration please click here https://www.leagueathletics.com/Page.asp?n=11670&org=newtonyouthhockey.com

Music teacher available

With modifications or reductions in music instruction at many schools, a lot of students might opt to take private music lessons. Gabriel Mininberg, an experienced music teacher with a degree in Music from Yale University and a certificate in jazz studies from the New England Conservatory can teach students of all ages and levels in saxophone, guitar, music theory, jazz improvisation, composition, and ear training. He has taught students in the New Haven Public Schools (K-12), coached performing ensembles, and helped direct the New Haven All-City Jazz Big Band.

For more information, please contact Gabriel at 617-775-2056 or gabriel.mininberg@aya.yale.edu.