Author: Mia

A Discussion for Preschool Parents
Learn how to determine if your child is ready to move on to pre-kindergarten or kindergarten, how to make that transition seamless, and what to look for in your child’s next school.

REGISTER NOW!

Preschool to Kindergarten: Is Your Child Ready? How do You Know?

Date: Wednesday, April 27

Time: 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Location: The Fessenden School

Hart House (Admissions Building)
250 Waltham Street
West Newton, MA 02465

This event is open to the public and free of charge. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Please visit fessenden.org/kinlan or call 617-964-5350 to reserve your seat.

Preschool to Kindergarten: Is Your Child Ready? How do You Know?

As a parent of a preschooler, you have so many questions about the next step in your child’s educational and developmental journey:
- How can I tell if my child is ready for pre-K or kindergarten?
- How do I choose the best fit for my child’s learning style and personality, when both are still emerging?
- What can I do to nurture his/her readiness to transition from preschool to school?
Join us on Wednesday, April 27, from 9:30-10:30 a.m., for coffee and conversation with early childhood development expert Carol Kinlan. Carol is a leading educational consultant with McMillan, Howland & Spence of Boston, and specializes in helping parents of children ages two through six navigate their child’s early educational path.

You Will Learn:
- The five signs your child is ready to move from preschool to pre-K or kindergarten
- The keys to preparing your child for the next step in his/her educational journey
- How to choose the pre-K or kindergarten that is the best fit for your child and your family
Following the discussion, you will have the opportunity to tour Fessenden’s Pre-K/K center, talk to teachers, and see the students in action. We know how busy parents of young children are, so this part of the program is completely optional.

Register Now

With key insights into how to determine your child’s readiness to move beyond preschool, how to make that transition seamless, and what to look for in your child’s next school, parents will leave with a solid plan on how to navigate the next steps on your child’s educational path.

Carol Kinlan is dynamic speaker who has extensive knowledge of our local public and private school systems and has been helping parents make the best educational choices for their children for over 25 years. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear her practical and actionable advice. Reserve your seat today!

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Suzanne Murphy at 617-964-5350 or smurphy@fessenden.org.

Hope to see you there,

Your friends at The Fessenden School

P.S. All pre-registered attendees will be entered into a drawing for a “Fessy Fun Pack” which includes:
- An adorable Fessy Teddy Bear for your child;
- A BPA-free Fessy water bottle for you; and
- A copy of The Way of Boys: Promoting the Social and Emotional Development of Young Boys, to share with your partner or favorite playgroup parent.
RESERVE YOUR SEAT NOW!

About the Speaker

Carol A. Kinlan, M.Ed., M.B.A., Educational Consultant McMillan, Howland & Spence

Carol is a leading educational consultant with McMillan, Howland & Spence of Boston who enjoys working with students of all ages, from pre-kindergarten through college, and specializes in school placement for children ages two through six. She holds a master’s degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education’s Mind, Brain and Education Department and worked in private schools for many years as a learning specialist. Her intimate knowledge of our local public and private school systems, combined with her expertise in child development and early childhood literacy, has made her an invaluable resource for parents in the Boston area and a highly sought-after speaker across the United States.

About The Fessenden School

The Fessenden School, located in West Newton, MA, is a private boys’ day school, Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 9, which offers boarding options for Grades 5-9. For more than 100 years, The Fessenden School has provided state-of-the-art facilities, curriculum, and programs specifically designed to meet the educational needs of boys.
April 8, 2016
Josh and the Jamtones

Click Here to Register for Weekday’s Spring Fling Event with Josh and The Jamtones – sponsored by Village Bank

Entertainment by Josh and the Jamtones

Kids Face Painting and Tattoo Table

Wine & Craft Brew Raffle Table

Cool Gift Baskets Auction

Baked Goods, Snacks & Drinks Available for Purchase

Sponsored By:

WHEN

Sunday, April 10, 2016 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM (EDT) –

WHERE

Hyde Community Center – 90 Lincoln Street, Newton, MA 02461

Tickets are $22.09 each.

April 8, 2016
Updates from Late Start High School Working Group

Updates from the High School Start Time Working Group

Given the belief of the Newton Public Schools and the Newton School Committee that a later high school start time has important health and wellness benefits for adolescents, the High School Start Time working group was created in September 2015. The working group includes School Committee members Ruth Goldman and Ellen Gibson, as well as Superintendent David Fleishman, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Toby Romer, and Long-Range Planning Manager Julie Kirrane. The school committee’s charge to the group is to define the necessary changes to make a later high school start time happen in Newton.

New items have been posted on the High School Start Time web page including information about the faculty/staff survey and about timeline. Here’s the presentation made March 14, 2016 at School Committee, or check out the full broadcast on NewTV. Also, the F.A.Q has been updated.

HS Stress: Start Time & Other Initiatives from Newton Public Schools on Vimeo.

April 7, 2016
Newton Open Studios

April 6, 2016
Legit Activewear Pop Up Store at The Street

The Street announces that Wellesley-based Legit Activewear is now open inside The Pop-Up, The Street’s storefront concept devoted to a rotating mix of innovative and locally grown businesses.

The Pop-Up opens, April 1, 2016, through April 16, 2016, bringing luxury activewear brands like Adidas by Stella McCartney, ALO, Michi NY, HPE, Vimmia, Koral, and Spiritual Gangster from Legit’s flagship Wellesley boutique to The Street.

Previous tenants in The Pop-Up include Kane’s Donuts, Alice’s Table, The Third Piece and OMG! Bagels. The Pop-Up at The Street is located at 3 Boylston Street Chestnut Hill, MA.

Since opening last April, Legit Activewear has offered Wellesley shoppers the best in luxury, fashion, and fitness with their mix of designer activewear brands including SukiShufu, Ultracor, Blanc Noir, pheel and L’urv. Legit’s emphasis on the athleisure trend has caught the attention of The Boston Globe, which placed the boutique on their “Best of the New” list of shops and services.

Legit Activewear is open daily, Monday through Sunday, from 10am to 6pm at The Pop-Up at The Street.

Following Legit Activewear, The Pop-Up will host gourmet marshmallow and confection maker Sweet Lydia’s, with a special selection of cards from local stationary brand Crumple & Toss in celebration of Mother’s Day from April 25 to May 15, 2016.

Looking ahead to summer, Rancatore’s Ice Cream will occupy The Pop-Up space, bringing specialty frappes and ice cream flavors such as Hazelnut Cream, Lemon Lemonsnap, and Tiger Milk, available by the cup, cone and pint, to The Street.

April 5, 2016
Family Concert from New Philharmonia Orchestra

Beethoven’s “Pastoral Symphony” sets a radiant tone for a family program, mixing music of springtime and visual art in celebration of the season! For this idyllic Family Discovery Concert, the New Phil will collaborate with student artists from across the region, including Newton’s All City Orchestra and the New Art Center.

Sunday, April 10 at 3:00pm

First Baptist Church in Newton Centre

$10 for Children/Students

$17 for Adults

This concert is general seating.

The program will run approximately 1 hour, and will be followed by New Phil’s highly acclaimed Instrument Petting Zoo!

Buy tickets here.

April 5, 2016
Shop at Portobello Road to help Wondermore!

Save the Date!

Tuesday, April 12th

6 – 9 pm

Shop at Portobello Road to help Wondermore!

Wondermore is a non-profit that brings authors and illustrators into the most underserved Boston Public Schools for presentations, writing workshops, and book discussions.

To kick off the spring season, join us on April 12th for a fun evening of shopping at Portobello Road in Chestnut Hill along with wine and light bites. Portobello Road, A Store with a Soul, has offered to donate 20% of the proceeds to Wondermore.

If you are unable to join us for the evening event from 6-9 pm, you can also shop and support Wondermore during the day on April 12th (10-6). Please be sure bring along the attached coupon so Wondermore can get credited for your purchase.

To learn more about Wondermore, please visit our website.

April 4, 2016
Teen Sleep Expert Speaker

3rd Community Forum on High School Start Time: Especially for Middle and Elementary Parents

Join the Brown and Oak Hill PTOs and the Newton South School Council to explore the research on teen sleep and starting high school later. We hope to continue the community conversation around the the impact of inadequate sleep on our teens and welcome middle and elementary parents to the discussion.

The featured speaker will be Dr. Christopher Landrigan, Director of the Sleep and Patient Safety Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Research Director of Inpatient Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Landrigan is also a Brown and South parent; he was the featured speaker at January’s High School Start Time Forum at Newton North. Catch up on the research and join the conversation-we look forward to seeing you there.

April 6th, 7:00–8:30 pm
Brown Middle School Auditorium

April 3, 2016
Indoor Cycling Class with Sue Bear

An indoor cycling class with Sue Bear

All levels welcome.

Whether you have never been on an indoor bike or you are an expert, this class is for you.

Get back in shape. Recover. Get stronger. Thoughtful music. Easy cues. Pedal hard. Dream Big. Come along for the ride.

April 2 10am-11am

April 5-May 24: Tuesdays, 9am-10am

Premier Fitness Training/Power pedal

55 Charles Street

Needham, MA behind Staples

$15 per class Bring sneakers, indoor cycling shoes and water. Towels provided.

Questions: Ask Sue Bear

Call/text: 617-413-6109

Email: sue.bear@mac.com

April 2, 2016
Hate Crime Training for Newton School Administrators

This is when you really appreciate having a mayor of color. He has a personal understanding of racism and hate crimes. I think this is a step in the right direction. I am hoping there will be a program that Newton students can go through as well at some point. Like anti-bullying training, those who observe hate crimes need to understand that this is something that isn’t “just kids joking around” and that “kids who are of that ethnicity or religion do not need to ‘lighten up’ and not take the joke so seriously.”

Students should also understand the history behind White Privilege and Structural Racism. For example, did you know that Hearst Magazines had a policy not to hire African Americans before the Civil Rights Movement, yet Conde Nast did not? Imagine you were an African American fashion photographer who would have been hired for Harper’s Bazaar except their racist hiring policies prevented it. You could work for Vogue magazine though.

Now, decades after the Civil Rights Movement, racism in the fashion world still exists if you look at models of color and how many get magazine covers or runway shows. Is structural racism still in place?

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Dear Resident,

I am writing to let you know that effective immediately, along with Superintendent of Schools David Fleishman, I will be setting in motion a series of initiatives to ensure an accepting and welcoming environment for all residents, visitors, students, staff and faculty throughout the Newton Public sSchool system.

In response to recent incidents that are contrary to the City of Newton’s values, we will be implementing programs to strengthen protocols, provide training for administrators on how to respond to hateful incidents, and engage and educate students on maintaining our community values at all times.

In order to facilitate these initiatives, we will be working with Richard W. Cole, Esq, a Civil Rights and Safe Schools consultant. Attorney Cole is a former Assistant Attorney General and former Chief of the Civil Rights Division at the Massachusetts Office of Attorney General.

I look forward to engaging the community and schools throughout the City to promote broad participation in the our efforts to ensure that a welcoming environment is in place at every school.

Lastly, earlier this month I announced that I will be hosting the first annual community discussion on ensuring that Newton is a welcoming place for all.

The event will be held on Thursday, April 7th at 6:30pm in the War Memorial of Newton City Hall, located at 1000 Commonwealth Avenue. I hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Setti D. Warren
Mayor
City of Newton, MA

April 2, 2016