Category Archives: Community News

LE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION – THIS WEEK! Thursday, June 16th

In partnership with Ward FORJ and with funding from Bigelow FORJ & PTO and Underwood FORJ & PTO, join us Thursday, June 16th from 4:30 pm -7:30pm for our second annual L-E Juneteenth Celebration in the Lincoln-Eliot backyard. There will be music, food, Double Dutch, a scavenger hunt by our Bigelow Middle School student friends (some L-E alum), lawn activities, an inflatable slide, and Mr. Hani’s Ice Cream Treats. We’ll need inflatable slide helpers to get kids on and off safely and food helpers to distribute orders throughout the event. Sign up here to help: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e44aba72ea2fd0-juneteenth

LE Celebration Day on Wed, 6.15 – Volunteers Welcomed!

LE Celebration Day is back and in person on Wednesday, June 15! Other places call this day Field Day, and other schools in Newton call it Color Day. On Celebration Day, (10:00-12:00) we celebrate our school community through fun physical activities.

LE PE teacher, Dave Rota would love your assistance to run 30 activity stations. Classes travel around the stations to participate/compete in activities they choose run by family adult volunteers (parents, caregivers, grandparents, older siblings).

If you can help out and run a station on Wednesday, June 15 from 9:30 (arrive & get oriented) -12:00 (activities from 10:00-12:00), please sign up at this link: https://www. signupgenius.com/go/ 8050F44AFA822A7F58-celebration

Thank you for helping to make this the best LE Celebration Day yet!

FORJ Updates – 6.12.22

BOSTON’S LGBTQ PAST – WALKING TOUR (June 13th, June 16th, or June 23rd)

Presented in partnership with The History Project, this guided walking tour follows the footsteps of Boston’s gay and lesbian friends from the 1840s to the 1980s, “from Thoreau’s walks along the Common and Charlotte Cushman’s cross-dressing roles, to the World War II bars and baths, to the AIDS Action Committee and the AIDS memorial quilt project.” Children $8/ Adults $15 (Kids under 6 free). For more info: https://www.bostonusa.com/event/bostons-lgbtq-past/67643/

LET’S SAY GAY! A COMMUNITY PRIDE EVENT – Saturday, June 18th

The Mosesian Center for the Arts is proud to partner with the Boston chapter of Drag Queen Story Hour for Let’s Say Gay! A Community Pride Event. LGBTQ+ role models from both organizations will lead this afternoon of family-oriented visual and performing arts activities that celebrate creativity, inclusivity and self-expression. The event will feature an all-ages read-along by the performers of Drag Queen Story Hour, collaborative visual arts projects and acting and movement workshops, and a Pride-themed dance party! Most arts activities will be geared towards 3rd-5th graders, but everyone ages 5 and up is welcome to attend and join the fun! 12p-4p at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown. FREE. Register here.

NNHS JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION – Sunday, June 19th

THE LEGACY OF JUNETEENTH: Access to Education that Empowers Us All – Tuesday, June 21st

An interactive discussion on Tuesday, June 21st, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Newton Free Library. The discussion will be led by Jesse Tauriac, Assistant Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer at Lasell University and is part of the Overdue: Confronting Race and Racism in Newton series. Register for this program here.

THE BOUNTY OF THE SEASON: A WAMPANOAG DINNER BY CHEF POCKNETT – Tuesday, June 21st

Join Chef Sherry Pocknett, Chef Owner of Sly Fox Den Catering, Sly Fox Den Too Restaurant in Charlestown RI, for a delicious five-course dinner featuring local Indigenous ingredients of the late spring and early summer seasons. Chef Sherry is a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and daughter of Chief Sly Fox and Bernadine Hendricks-Pocknett. June 21st at 6:30pm at Eliot Church of Newton UCC on Centre St. Suggested donation, $150 per Individual, $250 per Couple. All proceeds will go to fund Newton’s 2022 Indigenous Peoples’ Day Celebration.

BREATHE LIFE TOGETHER FESTIVAL – Saturday, June 25th

FREE and open to all, enjoy a pop-up roller rink, free skate rentals, live music, performances, DJs, painting, and food trucks along the Rose Kennedy Greenway (next to South Station in Boston). This event will feature celebrate and activate Rob “ProBlak” Gibbs’ mural Breathe Life Together. The aim of the afternoon is to cultivate an accessible, collective public space of joy, care, sustenance, and belonging that centers and supports diverse communities, families, and youth from across Boston. From 2-8pm in Dewey Square, Boston.

 

WALKING TOUR OF METCO HQ AND NUBIAN SQUARE – Saturday, July 9th at 10am

Join METCO high school students as they uncover the past and present of Boston’s historic Nubian Square in Roxbury. This unique 90-minute walking tour highlights their research into the artistry, activism, and achievement in the backyard of METCO’s new Headquarters. RSVP here

 

PARENT GROUP ON EDUCATION ABOUT ANTISEMITISM AND ALLYSHIP

This year the FORJ community has been in dialogue about how to best support our Jewish community. One of the initiatives, being led by a Newton Temple, is a working parent group that aims to continue education about antisemitism and allyship to our community. If you are interested in participating please contact Melissa Waltuck @ melissa@slpworks.com.

 

FAMILIES ORGANIZING FOR RACIAL JUSTICE (FORJ) is a group of diverse Newton families helping our children learn about issues of power and inequality and how to stand up for racial justice. We seek to generate understanding and curiosity about differences in our society, and to work together towards racial equity.

May 2022 PTO Meeting Recap

We had a great last meeting, highlighting all the events of the past year, talking about our exciting upcoming events, and discussing help needed to continue running the PTO next year. As you can see from the chart below, we have a lot of open positions and opportunities to shadow. Please email secretary@lepto.org if you have interest for next year.

We also discussed the new principal search and timeline. A Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) of 3 parents/guardians will be chosen today and proceed for the next two weeks, being a part of interviewing candidates. Thank you to all who have volunteered to be a part of the committee.

May 2022 PTO Meeting Slideshow

Juneteenth Celebration – Thurs 6.16

Join L-E FORJ, our L-E PTO and FORJ groups from Bigelow Middle, Ward Elementary and Underwood Elementary as we prepare for our second annual Lincoln-Eliot Juneteenth Celebration! Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 16th from 4:30-7:30pm in the playground and our own backyard. We’ll have music and dancing, Double Dutch, craft activities, a big slide, Mr. Hani’s Ice Cream Treats, classroom guests and more. Contact Lanni to learn more and to lend a hand, lanni_harris@yahoo.com.

Rockland Trust – Reading Makes Cent$

Reading Makes Cent$ aims to boost literacy and financial responsibility for students during the summer months. Running June 1 through August 31, the program allows students to earn money by tracking their summer reading in a journal and drawing a picture or writing about the books they read. Students have until September 13 to open their account or have it credited.

Students entering grades 1-8 in the fall of 202, are eligible to participate in the program­­. Participants, and a parent or guardian, can download a Reading Makes Cent$ Journal from RocklandTrust.com/Read or pick up a journal at one of our branches. Students who participate can earn $2.50 in a Rockland Trust savings account for each book they read, up to a maximum of 10 books for $25. To qualify, students must read at least four books and record a journal entry for each book they finish.

For official rules and eligibility, visit RocklandTrust.com/Read.

FORJ Updates – 06.05

Keep on listening to our kids and encouraging communication. June is Pride Month – a time to celebrate and educate. People from all walks of life are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Check out the many free videos and films available on PBS this month focused on LGBTQ+ life and history: https://www.pbs.org/collections/pride-month/ (Not all of these may be appropriate for all ages, but there are some brief, informative videos to share. And some good stuff for those family members who often ask, “Why?” about everything.)

Here are some FORJ-endorsed/sponsored events coming soon!

Walking Tour of METCO HQ and Nubian Square

Saturday, June 11th and Saturday, July 9th at 10am

Join METCO high school students as they uncover the past and present of Boston’s historic Nubian Square in Roxbury. This unique 90-minute walking tour highlights their research into the artistry, activism, and achievement in the backyard of METCO’s new Headquarters.  RSVP here

Boston Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, June 12th

See dragon boat racing teams from across the country come together to compete, plus enjoy a weekend filled with cultural performances by local, national, and international AAPI groups, arts and crafts, and plenty of delicious food. Between JFK St Bridge and Western Ave Bridge, Cambridge. FREE

Lincoln-Eliot Juneteenth Celebration – Thursday, June 16th

Join L-E FORJ, our L-E PTO and FORJ groups from Bigelow Middle, Ward Elementary and Underwood Elementary as we prepare for our second annual Lincoln-Eliot Juneteenth Celebration! Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 16th from 4:30-7:30pm in the playground and our own backyard. We’ll have music and dancing, Double Dutch, craft activities, a big slide, Mr. Hani’s Ice Cream Treats, classroom guests and more. Contact Lanni to learn more and to lend a hand, lanni_harris@yahoo.com.

FAMILIES ORGANIZING FOR RACIAL JUSTICE (FORJ) is a group of diverse Newton families helping our children learn about issues of power and inequality and how to stand up for racial justice. We seek to generate understanding and curiosity about differences in our society, and to work together towards racial equity.

Last PTO Meeting – Tues 5.31

We will have our last general PTO meeting on Tuesday, May 31st from 6:15-7. We have an exciting June coming up, so please tune in to hear more about those events. We also hope to have interested parents to help with any board related positions next year.

This meeting will be virtual and the Zoom link will be sent out Tuesday morning.