Newton Public Schools has named longtime Newton METCO Director Lisa Gilbert-Smith, M.Ed. the Interim Principal of Newton North High School. This was announced via press release late in the afternoon on June 3. The release noted that Ms. Gilbert-Smith “brings a rare combination of deep instructional expertise, proven turnaround leadership,…
Fig City News
The June 1 School Committee meeting covered public comment (Math Pathways, homework policy, anti-semitism) and Committee deliberations on:
- Sports-related early dismissals
- Plans for Ward and Underwood Elementary Schools
- NPS’s long-range building plan
- Preschool curriculum
- Homework policies
- Students’ use of electronic devices
- Time-outs, seclusion, and physical restraint of students
- Superintendent’s evaluation ...
The fifth annual Lions 5K returned to Newton South High School on Sunday morning, drawing 294 finishers for the Newton South Booster Club’s signature fundraiser for the school’s athletic programs (results). Fig City News has a gallery of over 600 photos of the event and of most finishers. “Gabe M.”,…
Celebrated former rapper, real estate entrepreneur, and Newton Public Schools alum Ronnie DeVoe received the first‑ever Newton Portrait of a Learner Award on May 28 at a ceremony conducted at Newton North High School. DeVoe was praised for exemplifying the qualities of the new Portrait of a Learner initiative, which…
Whipped cream is usually just a dessert topping, but for Piper Hart, it was so delicious that she couldn’t help but bury her face in the sweet treat. While that may be odd or rude behavior for a child, for a toy poodle like Piper, it was totally predictable. The…
Staff, residents, and supporters of the Carroll Center for the Blind were upbeat for the 14th annual Walk for Independence on the Charles River campus of UMass Amherst, despite forceful wind and rain on May 30. There was no rain date, and no need for one. They walked the Walk.…
Despite heavy rain and wind on May 30, roughly 300 participants visited the War Memorial Auditorium at Newton City Hall for Newton’s first-ever public Eid-ul-Adha festival — a milestone event celebrating Muslim traditions, hospitality, and community. Originally planning to have an outdoor festival, the organizers quickly moved the entire event…
Over the last 30 years, Newton Open Studios (NOS) has grown from 28 participating artists to 110 exhibiting and selling their original pieces over the May 30-31 weekend throughout the city. The organization is “a nonprofit arts initiative dedicated to fostering meaningful connections between artists and the public,” according to…
Neighbors and friends gathered under umbrellas on Saturday, May 30 to celebrate the reopening of a fountain on West Newton hill, following eight months of repairs. The bronze sculpture, titled Child with Calla Lily Leaves, was first installed on the small traffic island at the corner of Chestnut and Highland Streets…
Newton’s own Harmony Foundation hosted the 52nd annual Theodore D. Mann Newton Mayor’s Community Breakfast on May 27 at the Charles River Campus of UMass Amherst. The breakfast was organized around the theme of Reimagining Community, Together, aimed to inspire participants to reflect on their current and potential individual contributions…
What started as a grassroots effort to promote poetry in the city will be marking its fifth anniversary this year as a public art project that honors local haiku writers by placing decorative signs featuring their work throughout Newton. “I think it’s important to bring poetry out of the book…
Back in 2022, Upper Falls resident Jay Werb came up with a unique idea for an Upper Falls neighborhood event to celebrate the history of the village – A Walk Through Time. The story of Upper Falls is largely the story of the mills. Much of the housing in the village…