Category Archives: Other

HELP NEWTON NEIGHBORS COLLECT MOUNTAINS OF FOOD DONATIONS FOR OUR LAST INITIATIVE OF 2022! 

Posted on December 11, 2022 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Community Service opportunity, Other, Resources for Families in Need

We are halfway through our drive to benefit the Arabic Baptist Church Food Pantry! We hope to collect mountains of nonperishable foods including cereal, pasta, rice, canned tuna, canned vegetables and fruit, and other similar items to share with families that use the Arabic Baptist Church Food Pantry! Donations are starting to trickle in but we can’t do this without your support!

Looking for a way to give back to your community? Copy this post and share it with your networks. Organize a mini-drive at your school, organization or place of worship! Going to the grocery store? Pick up a few extra items to share with your neighbors!

Donation dropoff locations:

  • 137 Annawan Road, Waban (leave in box on front steps)
  • 1525 Commonwealth Avenue, West Newton (leave in box at front door)
  • 22 Florence Court, Newtonville (leave in box on front porch)
  • Baystate Physical Therapy, 29 Crafts Street, Suite 570, Newton
  • Or donate directly to Arabic Baptist through their website

A message from Pastor Samy Ibrahim, Arabic Baptist Church:

Your support and help is so valuable and very important for our food pantry. We are so appreciative to you and your team. May God bless you richly.

Waban Lights & Family Sing-Along

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Elementary Schools, Events, High Schools, Middle Schools, Other, Upcoming Events

Date: Sunday, December 4

Time: 4:45pm

Location: Waban Library Center (1608 Beacon St)

‘Tis the season for celebrating with neighbors. The holiday season is nearly here and what better way to kick it off than with the Waban Improvement Society’s annual Waban Lights & Family Sing-Along event.   

We look forward to lighting up our beloved Waban Library Center building and surrounding grounds and turning the entire area into a wonderland of light to enjoy throughout the winter. Before we flip the switch to light up the WLC, please join us for hot chocolate, sweet treats and a festive community sing-along featuring songs celebrating the winter holidays.

Constructive Conversations about Race

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Other

Designed to help white people understand their racial identity and learn effective ways to take action to dismantle racism

Adapting the work from Constructive White Conversations, Constructive Conversations about Race provides an opportunity for white people to come together to better understand their racial identity, so that when they engage in conversations in their community and consider actions, the work they do will be more effective.  Through discussion and sharing of experiences, participants will gain a foundation (awareness of one’s racial identity) so they are able to take meaningful and sustaining actions to dismantle racism in all its forms.

Constructive Conversations about Race provides a unique opportunity to further an anti-racist community through self-reflection.  It runs 6 sessions over a 12-week period and is facilitated by beloved Horace Mann emeritus teacher Mike Feldstein, and Grammy-award winning performer Dan Zanes (who performed for a FORJ meeting with his wife, Claudia, in 2021).  

This will be the second Newton cohort to participate in these sessions. Several members of the first session, which began in late 2020, are continuing to meet. At the end of these 6 sessions, participants will be encouraged to join that original group to continue the conversations. We will have a brief informational meeting TBD once we hear from those of you who might be interested in participating.

Please email Mike at mikefeldst@gmail.com if interested.

Isabel Harvey Shopping Event to Support South Stage

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Other

SAVE THE DATE AND SHOP FOR A CAUSE!

On Thursday December 1st the South Stage Supporters will be hosting a private shopping event at Isabel Harvey Boutique in Wellesley.

Isabel Harvey

41 Central Street Wellesley

6 – 7:30 pm for the private event

You can shop for holiday gifts for yourself and others. Check out the website!

http://isabelharvey.com

15% of the proceeds will be donated to South Stage Supports to support the South Stage Theatre!  If you can’t make the event but shop in the store anytime on December 1st (10 am – 6pm) and mention South Stage, your purchase will also contribute!

First Unitarian Universalist Society Holiday Fair

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Events, Other

Come join us for fun holiday shopping at the annual FUUSN Holiday Fair! Lots of different items, including toy and games, and a silent auction.  Sat., Dec. 3rd, 9:30 am-2:00 pm.  First Unitarian Universalist Society of Newton, 1326 Washington St., W. Newton.

New Art Shop Brings Unique Handmade Good for the Holiday Season

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Other

The New Art Shop hosted by the New Art Center, will open on Friday, November 18 at the New Art Center’s space at the Trio, 245 Walnut Street, 2nd Floor. The shop will be open for run for six weeks (Wednesday through Sunday) until December 23, 2022.    Building upon the New Art Center’s mission and vision by creating an accessible platform for artists to share and sell their work, this cooperative style store is run by the artists whose work is available. Work featured in the New Art Shop ranges from handmade jewelry to paintings and wearable textiles to sculptures. More than fifty artists, craftspeople, and makers are participating this year. 

New Art Center’s Executive Director Emily O’Neil said, “The New Art Center is excited to re-open The New Art Shop for an extended season this year. The New Art Shop will have a variety of unique handmade gifts from local artists, including paintings, prints, wood work, ceramics, jewelry, hand-knit goods, and more. We encourage the surrounding community to check out the shop and support local artists by purchasing gifts for your loved ones.”

The New Art Shop will be open Wednesday-Sunday after the opening weekend.
Days: November 18-20, 25-27, 30, December 1-4,  7-11, 14-18, 21-23.
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 12-6 on all days (Fridays hours will be 12-7)

More information available at https://newartcenter.org/the-new-art-shop/.

Child Tax Credit, Stimulus and Other Federal Money

Posted on October 30, 2022 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Elementary Schools, High Schools, Middle Schools, Other

There’s still time to get your Child Tax Credit, stimulus & other federal money!

Apply even if you have no income or low income and don’t usually file taxes!

What could I get?

? Up to $3,600 per child with the 2021 Child Tax Credit,

? Any missed stimulus payments for you and your

children/dependents – up to $1,400 per person

? Other payments if you had earnings last year

Click here to learn more and apply.GetCTC.org/can-do

Questions? Contact CAN-DO

Josephine McNeil

617-527-5071

info@newtoncan-do.org

¡Aún hay tiempo para obtener su Crédito Tributario

por Hijos, estímulo y otro dinero federal!

¡Solicítelo aún si no tiene ingresos o tiene bajos ingresos y no

suele presentar impuestos!

¿Qué sucede si soy inmigrante?

Incluso si NO tiene un Número de Seguro Social, puede recibir pagos por sus hijos que tienen Números de

Seguro Social. Según la ley actual, recibir el Crédito Tributario por Hijos u otros créditos tributarios no afectará

su estatus migratorio, su capacidad para obtener una Tarjeta Verde o sus planes de inmigración futuros.

¿Qué podría obtener?

? Hasta $3,600 por hijo con el Crédito Tributario por

Hijos de 2021

? Cualquier Pago Estímulo perdido para usted y sus

hijos/dependientes – hasta $1,400 por persona

? Otros pagos si tuvo ingresos el año pasado

Regístrese antes del 15 de noviembre con un simple formulario en:

GetCTC.org/can-do

Bike Rodeo event on May 1st

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Elementary Schools, Events, From The City of Newton, High Schools, Middle Schools, Other, Upcoming Events

Hello Newton School Families,

Celebrate safe biking in Newton at the Bike Rodeo hosted by Newton Parks and Recreation.  MA Safe Routes to Schools instructors will teach and review bike riding skills.  Volunteers from Bike Newton will help teach fun stations including knowing signs and hand signals, how to care for your bike, and more. 

The Bike Rodeo event will be on Sunday May 1st at Newton South High School and space is currently available for children in grades 2 – 6.  The Bike Rodeo is for children who live in Newton or attend Newton Public Schools, have their own bike, and are comfortable riding independently.  Helmets must be worn and an adult must attend. 

Please check out the registration website at https://newtonma.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30165 for more information and to register. 

For questions, please contact Channon Ames at cames@newtonma.gov
When responding, please be aware that the Massachusetts Secretary of State has determined that most email is public record and therefore cannot be kept confidential.

Social Media and Our Youth: A VIRTUAL Mental Health Forum

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Events, Other, Upcoming Events

On Sunday, May 1st, the Becca Schmill Foundation will present “Social Media and Our Youth: A VIRTUAL Mental Health Forum,” at 2:00 pm EDT. Please join us for this free event which includes two consecutive and informative panels featuring nationally recognized and esteemed researchers, child/adolescent mental health professionals, teachers, and youth advocates. Panelists will discuss the significant evidence linking social media use to the skyrocketing increases in rates of clinical level depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and eating disorder cases among adolescents, the impact screen overuse is having on children’s ability to focus, and what changes are needed to reverse these trends. There will also be an opportunity for Q&A at each session.

This mental health forum follows on the heels of President Biden’s State of the Union statement, in which he acknowledged the harms of social media. Furthermore, in the pre-speech Fact Sheet, the White House states “..[T]here is mounting evidence that social media is harmful to many kids’ and teens’ mental health, well-being, and development. As the Surgeon-General has said, ‘…[T]hese tools can pit us against each other, reinforce negative behaviors like bullying and exclusion, and undermine the safe and supportive environments young people need and deserve.’“

To learn more about the event and to register for free click here. To learn more about the Becca Schmill Foundation, please visit www.Beccaschmillfoundation.org.

Newton Food Pantry – School Break

Posted on April 9, 2022 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Other, School Breaks

With the upcoming school breaks, The Newton Food Pantry wants to make sure that anyone experiencing food insecurity knows how to get help, even when school is not in session. Two easy options are the Newton Food Pantry and the Newton Community Freedge.  

The Newton Food Pantry is now serving over 1,800 Newton residents at our renovated City Hall basement location, 1000 Commonwealth Avenue. Clients are able to shop for the items they want and need, selecting from a variety of dry goods, fresh produce, dairy, proteins, personal care items and culturally-relevant foods. Walk-in shopping hours are every Wednesday from 3pm to 7pm.

Shoppers at the Newton Food Pantry must be Newton residents (or they can be Newton-based college students or staff), provide proof of residency and complete a New Client Registration Form, found 
here. 

The Newton Community Freedge is at 420 Watertown St. The Freedge is a free refrigerator & pantry stocked by community and local businesses in the parking lot of Central Drapery & Dry Cleaner.  It can be accessed 24 hours a day by anyone.  No forms or Newton residency required.   

Additional information about the Newton Food Pantry and Freedge can be found, translated in 4 languages, on our Get Help  page.