Category Archives: Community Notes

Bike Rodeo for grades K-6, May 7th

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Education/Enrichment, Elementary Schools, Green School Connections, Middle Schools, Sports

Sunday, May 7th at Newton South High School

Celebrate biking at the 3rd Annual Bike Rodeo in Newton! MA Safe Routes to Schools instructors will teach and review bike riding skills.  Volunteers from Bike Newton and the Newton Safe Routes to Schools Task Force will share information about making sure your body and bicycle are ready to ride, road signs, hand signals, and more. 

Register here: https://newtonma.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30165

This program is for students in Kindergarten through 6th grade at Newton Schools who are comfortable riding a bike independently.  Each participant:
-needs to bring their own bike.  Please make sure the bike fits the child and is in usable condition (chain is intact, brakes work, tires are not flat, etc)
-needs to bring and wear a properly fitting helmet.
-must have a parent or adult present for the duration of the program.  Adults, we want you to learn with your child to encourage the skills learned when you go home.

Parents/adults will have an opportunity to meet with volunteers from Bike Newton and Newton Safe Routes to Schools to learn more about biking opportunities in Newton.

Nominate staff members for SEPAC special education awards

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, SEPAC

As you may know, each year, parents, guardians, and students are able to nominate NPS and
Out of District teachers and staff for a Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC)
Award. A SEPAC Award recognizes exceptional NPS and Out of District teachers, aides,
behavior therapists, psychologists, bus drivers, crossing guards, administrators, and other staff
for the role they played in a student’s special education journey this past academic year.
Interested in nominating an exceptional NPS or Out of District teacher and/or staff member?
The deadline for nominations is Monday, May 22nd. Here’s how the process works:
? Submit a nomination through the nomination form
? All celebratory nominations will be recognized
? In early June, your nominee will receive:
? A printed SEPAC Award delivered to their home school
? A note with the kind words you wrote about your nominee
? A short slideshow of anonymized nominations lifting up the good work taking
place across the district

? Each principal will receive a list of nominees from their school
Do you need to nominate everyone from your student’s team? Please only nominate the
teachers and staff members who you feel have been exceptional!
Questions? Reach out to: newtonspecialeducationawards@gmail.com
Thank you so much for your participation recognizing the exceptional NPS and Out of District
teachers and staff who work so hard to support special education students. Please help us
share this message as widely as possible so the SEPAC Awards can reach all corners of our
community!

Community DPW Day in celebration of National Public Works Week, Saturday, May 20, 2023

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Elementary Schools, Environment & sustainability, Events, Food Drive, From The City of Newton, High Schools, Middle Schools

The City of Newton Public Works Department is excited to host a Community DPW Day in celebration of National Public Works Week. We invite you to join us for an exciting event at the War Memorial at Newton City Hall on Saturday, May 20, 2023, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with a rain date of Sunday May 21st.

It is great day for families to enjoy games, prizes, music, a touch-a-truck event, food for purchase from a local restaurant, and learn about how Newton is “Connecting the World Through Public Works”. Did you know that Newton’s Department of Public Works (DPW) is comprised of eight divisions including Streets, Sustainable Materials Management, Fleet, Engineering, Transportation, and Utilities? DPW divisions will be sharing project success stories and fielding your questions.


You can also support local families dealing with food insecurity by donating non-perishable items that will help DPW Fill a Truck. All non-perishable items will be given to the Newton Food Pantry.

Supporting Communication:  A Mental Health Workshop for Teens & Parents

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, From The City of Newton, Health and Social Emotional Learning, High Schools, Middle Schools

The City of Newton Health & Human Services Department, in partnership with Samaritans Inc., is hosting an in-person workshop for parents & teens titled, “Supporting Communication.” This program will be Wednesday, May 10th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the Druker Auditorium at the Newton Free Library. We will focus on the development of healthy communication between parents and teens, as it relates to mental health and stress, and encourage honest talk and active listening skills.

Supporting Communication:  A Mental Health Workshop for Teens & Parents

Date:  Wednesday, May 10, 6:00-8:00 p.m. (check in/refreshments 5:30 p.m.)

Location:  Newton Free Library, Druker Auditorium

The City of Newton Health & Human Services Department in partnership with the Newton Youth Commission, invite teens, parents and caregivers to a workshop led by Samaritans Inc. Join us for an evening to support the development of healthy communication by exploring feelings, and learning how to express them, practice honest talk and active listening and how to access resources and support.  

CLICK HERE to register.

ActiveMinds Tutoring

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Tutors

Shine this summer with ActiveMinds Tutoring! 

Let us keep your learning bright through the summer months. 16 years providing tutoring for all academic subjects, studying skills, and standardized test prep (SAT/ACT, ISEE, SSAT). Contact ActiveMinds to inquire about our personalized plans with experienced tutors. 617.227.2225 | learnmore@activemindstutoring.com | http://www.activemindstutoring.com/

Newton Family Singers: “Land of Hope and Dreams: The Music of Bruce Springsteen” on May 7

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Concert, Elementary Schools, High Schools, Middle Schools

Join the Newton Family Singers on May 7th as we perform our favorite, family-friendly songs from throughout Springsteen’s career at our next concert: “Land of Hope and Dreams: The Music of Bruce Springsteen”.

The concert is at 4:00pm May 7th at Temple Beth Avodah, 45 Puddingstone Ln, Newton, MA. Tickets on sale now at the NFS website.

There are several kids from our Newton schools that will be performing at this event, singing songs from Bruce Springsteen. https://www.newtonfamilysingers.org/events.html

This season, we’re partnering with Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast,
a Newton based nonprofit providing donor milk to medically fragile infants
in hospital NICUs. The milk bank also provides donor milk to families in
our community who need a safe short-term feeding supplement for their
newborn. Show your support for premature and medically fragile babies by
donating to Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast, and learn more about them at the show.

Celebrating Jewish Composers

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Concert, Elementary Schools, Grade Levels, High Schools, Middle Schools, NSHS Music

Sat, May 6, 3-4:30, JCC

At this challenging time of escalating antisemitism, join us to celebrate the enduring power of Jewish composers.

Delight in the music of the Jewish composers Felix Mendelssohn, Ernest Bloch, and George Gershwin. Performing the works are Border Colleagues, a collaboration of three virtuosic musicians from Canada, Spain, and US who connect across geographic boundaries to celebrate music-making together.

Tickets: https://www.bostonjcc.org/calendar/honoring-jewish-composers-a-musical-celebration-with-border-coleagues/

Welcome Baby Birthday Bash

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Elementary Schools, Events

Welcome Baby is throwing an epic Birthday Bash to celebrate all of our little ones! Enjoy an interactive musical performance with Evan Haller from Music at the Blissful. Boost your spirits with snuggles from baby animals in the petting zoo. Birthday treats provided for all. Smoothies and bowls available for purchase from the Norwood Juice Bar truck. Please bring a NEW board book to be donated to Birthday Wishes! This event is open to any family with a child 0-2 years old, siblings welcome!

Tickets: https://www.bostonjcc.org/calendar/welcome-baby-birthday-bash/

Theaterworks USA Presents “The Poutpout Fish”

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Newton PTO Council in Art, Community Notes, Elementary Schools, Events

Grab the whole family and join us for some of the BEST live theatre in the Greater Boston Area. TheatreworksUSA Presents The Pout Pout Fish, a new musical featuring whimsical puppets and live performers. This colorful adaptation of The New York Times bestseller is directed and designed by the acclaimed puppeteers of Acheson Walsh Studios. Great for families with children 3-8 years!

Purchase tickets: https://www.bostonjcc.org/calendar/magic-ark-presents-the-pout-pout-fish/

Disrupting Implicit Bias Presentation

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Newton PTO Council in Community Notes, Education/Enrichment, From Our PTOs, Lecture, Newton PTO Council, Newton Public Schools, SEPAC

SEPAC is co-hosting an event with the Newton PTOC (Parent Teacher Organization
Council), FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice), and ELPAC (English Learners Parent
Advisory Council). The event will be held at the Angier Elementary School cafeteria for those who are
able to attend in-person 7:30-9pm and over Zoom: 
HTTPS://US02WEB.ZOOM.US/J/83085228831 
MEETING ID: 830 8522 8831

We’ll first hear a presentation from Dr. Tessa Charlesworth, a researcher at Harvard who studies how
and why beliefs and attitudes about different social groups can change. Her presentation will
provide an overview of bias in society with respect to various social groups and explore what
research tells us are the best interventions to shift the biases of a society, organization, and
individual. Q&A and then a community discussion to follow.