Author: Mia

New Valeo’s Girls Director!

Valeo Families,

Kia McNeill the girls director at Valeo FC was recently offered the women’s head coaching position at Brown University. It was a difficult decision for Kia to make, but in order to pursue an amazing opportunity, Kia has decided to step down from her position.

Kia made a positive impact on the lives of many young athletes during her time here at Valeo.

We are excited for Kia’s new opportunity at Brown University and want to wish her all the best.

She will still have a reduced role here at Valeo and continue to be a part of the Valeo family.

Here at Valeo, our mission is focused on developing competitive athletes, outstanding citizens and strong leaders. We provide a challenging and rewarding environment that teaches the virtues of teamwork, discipline, hard work, commitment, respect and leadership.

After significant consideration, we would like to announce the promotion of Brian Leighton as Valeo’s girls director. Brian has been part of the Valeo family for two seasons coaching the

GU10, GU11, GU12 and GU15 teams. Brian brings an abundance of experience both from a managerial and soccer standpoint.

Brian spent his college career as the starting goalkeeper for the Mount Ida Mustangs. He also played in the NPSL Division 1 for the Maine Sting. Brian has coached at various clubs throughout Greater Boston and is currently the men’s assistant coach at MIT.

Brian has a Master’s of Science in Management degree and is an avid entrepreneur. Brian is excited to carry on the Valeo tradition that focuses on player development in his role as the new girls director.

Please join us in welcoming Brian as the new girls director! Feel free to contact Brian at

Brian@valeofc.com with any questions or comments.

February 8, 2016
Valeo February Vacation Clinic 2016

Valeo February Vacation Clinic 2016. Register here.

February 7, 2016
DIY Flower Arranging Class for Men at Shake Shack

DIY FLOWER ARRANGING WORKSHOP FOR MEN: Alice’s Table is hosting a men’s flower arranging workshop at Shake Shack at The Street in Chestnut Hill. Participants will create a bouquet for their Valentine with step-by-step instructions by Alice’s Table while enjoying complimentary beer and snacks from Shake Shack.

WHEN: Alice’s Table will host the men’s flower arranging workshop on Saturday, February 13 from 10 am to 11:30 am.

COST: $65; www.alicestable.com

WHERE: Shake Shack is located at The Street in Chestnut Hill, 49 Boylston St, Chestnut Hill

February 6, 2016
Housemaster is Now Dean at NNHS/NSHS

To the Newton North and Newton South communities,

We are writing to announce a change of terminology for Newton’s high schools: The “Housemaster” title in each school will be replaced with “Dean.”

We are making this change because we believe that the words we choose to describe ourselves indicate our values and beliefs. The usage of words also changes over time, and the intentions of those who chose a title over a century ago may be betrayed by new meanings.

The term “Housemaster” is an extension of “master,” which is a word meaning “teacher” in a different century. While it is important not to lose touch with our history, it is also important to recognize when current meanings of words hamper our ability to establish who we are and what we care about. The term “master” has powerful negative connections that override the more benevolent definition from previous eras. The word no longer communicates the supportive, welcoming relationship that our Housemasters share with their students. “Dean,” on the other hand, is a term used throughout education to mean a person in authority over a specific academic area.

Housemasters will now be formally known as “Dean of Wheeler House,” “Dean of Riley House” and so on. This is only a change in title – our Deans will continue the same supportive work with students, families, and faculty as before.

We are most fortunate to have eight wonderful educators in our two schools overseeing the emotional and academic needs of our students. We think that this title will better convey their relationship and connection with our students.

Thank you,

Joel and Mark

February 5, 2016
Arsenal Project – Natural Science Saturdays – Feb 6

Arsenal Project – Natural Science Saturdays – Feb 6

February 4, 2016
Boston 6th Best Metro Area for STEM Professionals
With STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — jobs expected to grow 1.7 times faster than non-STEM professions in the coming years, the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2016’s Best & Worst Metro Areas for STEM Professionals.

On the heels of our earlier report on the Best & Worst Cities to Find a Job, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 100 most populated metropolitan statistical areas across 16 key metrics to help STEM professionals find the best markets for their valuable occupations. Our data set ranges from per-capita job openings for STEM graduates to annual median wage growth for STEM workers.

STEM Job Market in Boston-Cambridge-Newton (1=Best; 50=Avg.)
- 8^th – % of All Workers in STEM Positions
- 51^st – STEM-Employment Growth
- 1^st – Mathematics Performance
- 14^th – Quality of Engineering Universities
- 45^th – Annual Median Wage Growth for STEM Workers
- 24^th – Per-Capita Job Openings for STEM Graduates
- 2^nd – Projected Number of STEM Jobs Needed in 2020
For the full report, please visit here.
February 4, 2016
Newton in Motion Workshop

Dear Resident,

I am writing to invite you to join us for a very important event coming up next week. On Thursday, February 4th-Saturday, February 6th, our Planning and Development department is teaming up with the Department of Public Works to host “Newton in Motion” a workshop that will help lead us toward an equitable, economically and environmentally sustainable multi-modal transportation system.

We encourage interested residents to stop by 275 Needham Street (next to the CVS in Marshalls Plaza) on:

* Thursday, February 4^th from 10:00am-7:00pm

* Friday, February 5^th from 10:00am-7:00pm

* Saturday, February 6^th from 9:00am-12:00pm

There will also be a presentation from consultants Nelson/Nygaard at Noon on Thursday, 6:00pm on Friday, and 10:00amon Saturday. The Friday evening presentation will also include presenters from the Newton Housing Strategy, and MassDOT. All presentations will be made available online. Newton in Motion will have many kid-friendly activities, and we welcome families and children of all ages. Please stop by help set the vision and goals for how Newton’s transportation system is shaped in the future. For more information and to participate online, please click here.

Sincerely,

Setti D. Warren

Mayor

City of Newton, MA

February 3, 2016
Lunar New Year Party to benefit ATASK

Saturday, February 6th, 2016

Todos Dance & Fitness Studio is hosting a Lunar New Year Party to benefit ATASK. Join us for a fun-filled evening of celebration and ballroom dancing. There will also be some light catering by Weston’s own Dumpling Daughter!

Admission is free. Onsite donations will be accepted, and proceeds from a raffle and silent auction will benefit families in need.

7pm-8pm: Interactive group dance lesson (no partner necessary, beginners are welcome)

8pm-10pm: General dancing and special dance performances

RSVP to todosstudio@gmail.com by January 29th.

Todos Dance & Fitness Studio
677 Worcester Street
Natick, MA 01760

February 2, 2016
Williams Elementary School Online Auction

The Williams PTO Camp & Snow Auction Is Officially Open!

No need to wait any longer…You can bid now!

Place Your Bid.
Whether you’re looking for day camps or overnight camps or maybe looking to add a little adventure to your life, you’re sure to find something in our auction. Every bid helps support the Williams PTO to fund enrichment programs for elementary students from K-5 grades. We support Creative Arts & Sciences, Understanding Our Differences, instructional technology, library books, physical education equipment, and much more. Last year we were able to fund Redcat audio systems for every classroom for a better learning experience for all students!

Tell Your Friends.
The success of this online auction depends on spreading the word to as many people as possible. We need your help. Please Refer a Friend and encourage them to participate so they don’t miss a single moment of the deals and excitement.

And our Spring Auction opens on March 12th! This auction contains lots of items from local restaurants, gyms, beauty, and more.

February 1, 2016
NNHS Bomb Threat: Response from Superintendent

January 22, 2016

Dear Newton Community,

As many of you are aware, there have been a multitude of threats to schools across the state over the past week, including Newton North. Fortunately, nothing hazardous was found at any of the schools but it is most troubling that we have to address such threats in schools that should be sanctuaries of safety and learning. I also recognize that what we experienced earlier this week makes us feel vulnerable and anxious.

On Tuesday, we received a threat that claimed to involve both a bomb and the possibility of an active shooter. After consulting with local and state law enforcement officials, we made the decision to keep Newton North students in school, following our well-established internal safety protocols. This decision was made with the most up-to-date information from a range of law enforcement agencies, with the goal of protecting students and staff.

Tuesday’s events are a reminder that school districts face many challenges when we address issues of safety and security, including when and how we communicate with the community. In this era of instant communication, it is inevitable that high school students will use text and social media to share information more quickly than we can. We do our best to share information with families as quickly as possible while our partners in law enforcement review all of our communication for accuracy. This ensures that our communication does not inhibit an active investigation or spread inaccurate information.

As a system committed to continuous improvement, we will debrief this incident and evaluate our protocols with police and other agencies. In the meantime, I am grateful to Newton North Interim Principal, Mark Aronson, and the staff and students at North for their responsiveness. I want to recognize our local and state public safety officials for their swift and effective actions to protect our students and staff.

Sincerely,

David Fleishman

Superintendent of Schools

January 31, 2016