School’s out and it’s time to play. Newton’s summer calendar is filled with fun events the whole family can enjoy. Every Sunday, Newton Civic Pride hosts live music performances at the Heritage Festivals. Be sure to bring your lawn chairs and blankets as you enjoy the music talent of guests such as Veronica Robles and Mariachi Quartet, Hankus Netsky Klezmer Night, Tom LaMark Orchestra, and Rumbafrica. Newton also offers free children’s performances at various locations throughout the summer including Ware’s Cove on Thursdays at 1pm, and Newton Centre Playground on Tuesdays at 1pm. If you have young children ages 18 months to 4 years old, try enrolling in Time for Partners, a fun program that channels your child’s creative abilities in art and music.

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If you live (or are planning to live) in Newton, the future of your children’s education is in good hands. Newton’s public school system offers fifteen elementary schools, four middle schools, two high schools, and one alternative high school. Students at Newton schools are diverse and motivated; a whopping 89.4% of the 2008 graduating class went on to pursue higher education. The 2008-2009 NCLB Report Card for Newton (NCLB stands for No Child Left Behind) showed that the student/teacher ratio was 13.3 to 1 and that all but one school (peirce) has a percentage of highly qualified teachers over 90. Newton public schools all come equipped with active parent-teacher organizations, career and technical education programs, full range honors and AP courses, professionally staffed automated libraries, summer school programs, job-embedded professional development program opportunities, and much more.

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Newton, Massachusetts is well known by residents as ‘The Garden City’. Whether you call Newton home or are simply visiting for the weekend, you should take some time to learn about the city’s rich history. The most popular historic destination is the Newton History Museum at the Jackson Homestead. This culturally rich museum has a variety of permanent and temporary exhibits that show visitors what it would be like to live in Newton when New England was first being settled. There are exhibits that highlight the abolition movement in Newton and how the Jackson family’s home was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Other exhibits include ‘Peeking into Newton’s Toy Chest’—a fun way to learn about the values and lessons in our favorite toys, and ‘Four-legged Newton’—a family oriented exhibit that explores the connections between animals and people. The museum is home to an extensive library which holds valuable information on the history of Newton available to anyone interested in learning.

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The city of Newton has a lot to offer-both inside and out. The Newton Parks and Recreation Department is home to a multitude of fun activities, a great assortment of parks and lakes, as well as many different programs that will appeal to any age group. Here’s a look as some of the great outdoor activities The Garden City has to offer:

Sports

If you like to stay active and want your kids to do the same, enroll them in one of the many recreational sports activities the city has to offer. There are swim programs that include lessons, lifeguard training, and swim teams, tennis courts that offer lessons and registered matches, Rec leagues for baseball, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, swimming, and volleyball, and appropriate courses for golfing and hiking. The Parks & Rec center also offers a variety of camps that include many of these fun sporting activities plus a variety of other services.

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In 2004, Newton, Massachusetts was named ‘The Safest City in America’. Since then, the city has remained safe but has lost its number one spot. Of course, the safety of your home and family are much more important than a ranking on a list. To ensure the safety and wellbeing of your loved ones (and loved possessions) be sure you are taking all necessary safety precautions. If you don’t have a home security system in place, we HIGHLY recommend you install one.  Locks and bolts may keep stray visitors from waltzing in, but they do relatively nothing when up against an armed and determined burglar. There are many affordable options for home security on the market today. We recommend looking into ADT-America’s number 1 security provider. ADT home security systems come with a digital keypad with one-touch access, a keychain for remote access, infrared interior motion detectors, a high decibel alarm siren, battery backup, ADT yard signs and decals (if a criminal knows you’re protected they’re less likely to break in), and best of all, professional installation. Home security systems ensure your home is protected both while you’re in it and away. (more…)