April 1st thru November 30th!!
So watch those signs and be careful where you park!
Check this site to find out about certain streets! http://www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/sweeping/
Chiara
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Mother's Day is coming!
For all the Dad's out there, Mother's Day is May 8th! Make your reservations in the next week or so to have a better shot at dining at a time you choose!! Not what's left! It's a busy day :)
For all the Families : we are having our Annual Spring Hunt the following Saturday, May 14th, 10:30am on Thoreau Path, with a Mother's Brunch following at 11am at the West End Community Center!
Save the date!! :)
SNOW??!
So, heavy wet snow is in our forecast on Friday! :( Possibly up to a foot!
I, personally, am DONE with winter! I'm going to will it away and put my big winter coat away! Let's see if it works!!
I bought new beach towels for goodness sake!
Here's to hoping!
Chiara
West End Parents Group
Harvard-Kent Open House!
Welcome! The Harvard-Kent is a Boston Public School for grades K1-5.
For those who have been assigned to the Harvard-Kent or those that would like more information to determine if they would like to register for the Harvard-Kent in the second cycle (which ends on March 31, 2011), the Harvard-Kent would like to welcome you to an Open House on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 from 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm.
The agenda includes the following:
• Meet the principal Richard Martin
• Tour the kindergarten classrooms (K1 and K2)
• Meet Ms. Nunez, a K2 teacher
• Meet Ms. Collings, the K1 teacher
• Learn the size and composition of the kindergarten classrooms and student/teacher ratio
• Learn about the kindergarten curriculum, including care before and after school options
• An average day in the life of a Harvard-Kent kindergartener
• The school culture
• Any questions you might have about K1/K2 or the school in general
You will enter from the Tremont Street side of the building.
Please email harvardkentwelcome@gmail.com if you would like to attend this event.
Thank you.
The Enrollment Committee of Harvard-Kent
Chiara
West End Parents Group
For those who have been assigned to the Harvard-Kent or those that would like more information to determine if they would like to register for the Harvard-Kent in the second cycle (which ends on March 31, 2011), the Harvard-Kent would like to welcome you to an Open House on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 from 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm.
The agenda includes the following:
• Meet the principal Richard Martin
• Tour the kindergarten classrooms (K1 and K2)
• Meet Ms. Nunez, a K2 teacher
• Meet Ms. Collings, the K1 teacher
• Learn the size and composition of the kindergarten classrooms and student/teacher ratio
• Learn about the kindergarten curriculum, including care before and after school options
• An average day in the life of a Harvard-Kent kindergartener
• The school culture
• Any questions you might have about K1/K2 or the school in general
You will enter from the Tremont Street side of the building.
Please email harvardkentwelcome@gmail.com if you would like to attend this event.
Thank you.
The Enrollment Committee of Harvard-Kent
Chiara
West End Parents Group
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thinking about Summer and the Pool?!
The Clubs at Charles River Park are ramping up for summer with an early bird special – 10% off summer memberships and 4 free guest passes with each adult summer membership purchase! This offer expires 4/20/11 & some restrictions apply.
Visit
http://www.clubsatcrp.com/summer-season-pool/ for more information or stop by The Clubs at 10 Whittier Place.
Chiara
West End Parents Group
Visit
http://www.clubsatcrp.com/summer-season-pool/ for more information or stop by The Clubs at 10 Whittier Place.
Chiara
West End Parents Group
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Is this Spring???
It's cold out there today!
It's nice to see the sun, but that wind is COLD!
Someone mentioned a bathing suit today, and it just gave me chills. The thought of being that exposed, with the wind,....brrrrrr!! Can't wait to put the winter coats away, and break out the sandals and shorts!
Stay warm and let's be optimistic :)
The pool opens Memorial Day weekend!
It's nice to see the sun, but that wind is COLD!
Someone mentioned a bathing suit today, and it just gave me chills. The thought of being that exposed, with the wind,....brrrrrr!! Can't wait to put the winter coats away, and break out the sandals and shorts!
Stay warm and let's be optimistic :)
The pool opens Memorial Day weekend!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Nanny looking for full time!
Hi everyone!
Hong, whom I am sure many of you know, is looking for a full time position starting July 1st! She has been watching kids in the West End for years!! She watched Olivia and Peter, and most recently Melisa and Errol.
She is definitely a Nanny that I recommend. She is always busy with the kids and very attentive.
She is Chinese and speaks Mandarin. She is looking for a long term position with a great family.
Please contact her directly at:
Hong he
Honghered@gmail
781-330-8809
You can always email us directly at westendparentsgroup@gmail.com for a reference.
Hong, whom I am sure many of you know, is looking for a full time position starting July 1st! She has been watching kids in the West End for years!! She watched Olivia and Peter, and most recently Melisa and Errol.
She is definitely a Nanny that I recommend. She is always busy with the kids and very attentive.
She is Chinese and speaks Mandarin. She is looking for a long term position with a great family.
Please contact her directly at:
Hong he
Honghered@gmail
781-330-8809
You can always email us directly at westendparentsgroup@gmail.com for a reference.
The Little Mermaid!!
| Location: | 50 Oakland Street, Wellesley Hills, MA, 02481 |
| Phone: | 781-400-1411 |
| Dates: | Saturday, March 26, 2011 - Sunday, March 27, 2011 |
| Hours: | 2:15 PM-4:00 PM |
| Ages: | Toddlers, Kids, Teens, Adults |
| In/Outdoor: | Indoor |
| Cost: | $12 general admission $6 children under 12 $10 for seniors |
Tickets are general admission and may be purchased at the door for $12, children under 12 are $6, and senior adults are $10. Special group rates are available for groups of 20+. For information, please visit www.allaboutusinc.com. To reserve tickets, call 781-400-1411.
Metropolitan Water Works Museum: Grand Opening
| Location: | 2450 Beacon, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467 |
| Phone: | 617-277-0065 |
| Dates: | Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun from 3/27/11 - 3/27/11 |
| Hours: | Wednesday - 11AM - 9:00 PM Thursday-Sunday - 11:00 AM - 4:00PM |
| Ages: | Kids, Teens, Adults |
| In/Outdoor: | Indoor, Outdoor |
| Cost: | Free |
Enjoy the grand opening event for this new discovery and learning museum devoted to the environmental, technological and historical aspects of the supply of clean water to metropolitan Boston from the founding of the city to the present. The museum is located at 2450 Beacon Street, across the street from the historic Chestnut Hill Reservoir (recently re-named Chestnut Hill Reservation), in the Brighton section of Boston. The Metropolitan WaterWorks Museum Inc. is a newly formed and locally based non-profit organization. Its distinguished Board of Directors is drawn from Boston and the neighboring communities of Brookline and Newton. The Board brings a remarkable wealth of knowledge in the areas of museum operations, architecture, industrial technology, history, historic preservation, and landscape design, as well as finance, management, real estate, fundraising, and community leadership.
The new museum, situated in one of Boston's most magnificent and recognizable structures, will provide exhibitions, programs and collections that explore and interpret a number of important themes:
• the role of clean water in the development of Boston, past and present;
• the architectural history and significance of the Metropolitan Water Works and its water system;
• steam technology and the preservation and restoration of three original steam engines that soar almost three stories high; and
• water conservation and environmental issues related to preserving and maintaining clean water for everyone.
NEW Exhibit! Giant Anteater at the Franklin Park Zoo!!
| Location: | 1 Franklin Park Road, Boston, MA, 02121 map |
| Phone: | 617-541-5466 |
| Dates: | Saturday, April 2, 2011 - Saturday, April 2, 2011 |
| Hours: | 10 AM - 5 PM weekdays 10 AM - 6 PM weekends |
| Ages: | Infants, Toddlers, Kids, Teens |
| In/Outdoor: | Indoor |
| Cost: | Admission to zoo |
Zoo New England is pleased to announce that a new giant anteater exhibit will open April 2 inside the Tropical Forest at Franklin Park Zoo.The exhibit will be the new home for Jockamo, a year-old giant anteater. Giant anteaters are the largest known species of anteater, reaching 6-8 feet in length and weighing between 60-140 pounds.
“The giant anteater exhibit is a perfect fit for the Tropical Forest. Visitors will be amazed by this animal’s incredible adaptations and its distinct appearance. We’re thrilled to open this exhibit and educate people about this unique animal,” said John Linehan, Zoo New England President and CEO.
The giant anteater’s long, tube-like head extends up to 18 inches and is truncated by a small mouth. This animal can consume up to 1,000 insects in a few minutes with its sticky 2-foot-long tongue, and up to 30,000 ants and termites in a day.
To highlight the way giant anteaters eat, a special feeding tube, designed to give visitors a rare glimpse at this animal’s exceptionally long, sticky tongue as it rapidly consumes insects, will be presented periodically at the exhibit. While the feeding tube is not a permanent fixture in the exhibit, zookeepers will present it to the anteater during scheduled zookeeper encounters.
Giant anteaters are terrestrial mammals that live in moist tropical forests, dry deciduous forests, as well as swamp, savannah and grassland habitats. Their historic range is from the southern tip of Mexico down to Honduras and south through South America. These striking animals are noted for their distinct coloration and the general coat pattern is predominately brown or grey. Visitors will notice a large black stripe, surrounded by a thin outline of white, beginning beneath the snout and ending about mid-torso. The hair on their long bushy tails can reach up to 40 centimeters in length.
Big Apple Circus: Dance On!!
| Location: | City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA map |
| Phone: | (888) 541-3750 |
| Dates: | Saturday, April 2, 2011 - Sunday, May 15, 2011 |
| Hours: | The performance is 2 hours and 15 minutes long, including a 15-minute intermission. |
| Ages: | Toddlers, Kids, Teens, Adults |
| In/Outdoor: | Indoor |
| Cost: | $$ see below |
The spectacular Big Apple Circus leaps into its 33rd Season with a thrilling All-New Show, Dance On! The World’s Greatest Circus artists swing into action in the spotlight under our intimate Big Top, where no seat is more than 50 feet from the ring! Invited to the dance: an awesome troupe of monocyclists and lasso twirlers from China! A mind–bending group of Mongolian contortionists! A kinetic collection of Kenyan athletes who shimmy up a pole as though gravity were a joke! A herd of hoofers — twelve miniature horses in an equine chorus line! And an Ethiopian juggler with a lively up–tempo act that’s hard to beat!
Your Host is our charming and charismatic Ringmaster Kevin Venardos, aided with antic abandon by star clowns Rob Torres and of course, our leggy, lovable laugh–riot Grandma! With live music by the Big Apple Circus Band, there’ll be cavorting in the aisles — and even the audience will be dancing in their seats!
The Big Apple Circus comes to Boston each year in spring. This years performance will be at City Hall Plaza. Check their website for specific schedules and venues. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster and at www.BosTixJr.org.
 Cost |
Tickets range in price from $15 to $100 for Saturday, Sunday and Patriots Week shows, from $20 to $62 for weekday evening shows, and from $20 to $28 for 11 AM weekday matinees. Premium seating for $100 is available for Saturday, Sunday and all Patriots Week (4/21 – 4/24) shows. Tickets are available by calling (888) 541-3750 or at www.bigapplecircus.org.
Did you get in??
So people are finding out if they got into the Boston Public Schools they chose!
Let us know if you got in and where!!
We hope you got your choice, and are staying in the city!
Let us know if you got in and where!!
We hope you got your choice, and are staying in the city!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
This is the whole public school process for Boston Public Schools
Here is an article that tells it how it is pretty clearly!
As written in Boston Magazine:
The zones vary in size: the North Zone, for example, goes all the way from East Boston to Allston/Brighton to the South End. That means a lot of choices for you, but it also means that if you don't get any of your nearby favorites, your child could end up traveling by bus for an hour or so each way. (THIS IS OUR ZONE for the West End)
For this reason, BPS recommends doing your research (taking school tours, attending parent Q&A sessions, and using its Countdown to Kindergarten website to request at least five schools, ranked in order of preference. There's no limit to the number of picks you can make.
But what if you really have your heart set on just one or two schools? The assignment consists of the following factors, listed below in order of importance:
1. Siblings: If you already have a child in a given school, the next one to come along will have a much better chance of getting in.
2. Geography: Fifty percent of all seats are reserved for students within a one- to two-mile "walk zone" of any given school. One of the best things you can do to get your child into a school is to live near it.
3. Your order of preference: If you list a school as your top pick, that will be factored into your ultimate ranking.
4. Application date: Always apply within the earliest round that is available to you. Applying a round late is a huge factor in not getting the school you want. To find out what round you qualify for and the dates when it accepts applications, go to
bostonpublicschools.org/register.
5. Randomness: This is the most angst-provoking piece of the puzzle. Once students are ranked according to priority (by the above factors), they are given a random number which determines who is in and who is out. And there's not much you can do about that.
If your child doesn't get into the school you've had your heart set on, there's always the waitlist. In fact, you may be put on up to three waitlists. Here's how it works: Let's say you live in the West Zone and list the Curley, the Lyndon, and the Kilmer in order as your top three choices. If you don't get into any of them when assignments are announced in March, you'll immediately be put on the waitlist for all three. If you get into, say, your third choice of the Kilmer, but not the Lyndon or the Curley, you'll be put on the waitlist for the first two choices. And so on.
The BPS Family Resource Center in your area can inform you of your standing on each list — whether you're third in line or number 150 for a particular school. Your waitlist ranking is determined, again, by siblings, geography, stated order of preference, application date, and a random number.
If spots become available at a school, students are automatically assigned based on their waitlist number. When classes begin in September and students have been enrolled in schools, BPS staff continues to place waitlisted students in their choice schools, but only if parents authorize the move. Once January rolls around, however, the waitlist is retired and the process starts all over again.
Originally published in Boston magazine,
March 2011
Chiara
West End Parents Group
Monday, March 14, 2011
April Vacation
So, if you are thinking about April Vacation, know that NEMPAC is planning on being at the Community Center again!
$20 a day, and go when you can!
Not having to sign up for the week makes it easy!
Chiara
West End Parents Group
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Japan...
Lets think about all of the poor people in Japan who are suffering! There is so much loss!Text the Red Cross at 90999 to make a donation of $10.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Last Chance to Ice Skate at Steriti
This is the LAST weekend to ice skate!
Take advantage, and let's hit the ice this weekend!
Public Skating hours:
Tonight - Friday -7:00pm-8:50pm
Saturday 2:00pm-3:50pm
7:00pm-9:50pm
Sunday 2:00pm-4:50pm
Take advantage, and let's hit the ice this weekend!
Public Skating hours:
Tonight - Friday -7:00pm-8:50pm
Saturday 2:00pm-3:50pm
7:00pm-9:50pm
Sunday 2:00pm-4:50pm
MFA Fiesta! Celebrates Latin American Culture during March
March 2-March 31st
While the forecast for March in New England may be cold and dreary, inside the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), things will heat up during MFA Fiesta!, a month-long celebration of Latin American culture. Visitors will be able to enjoy magnificent works of art from Mexico, Central America, and South America in the Museum’s new Art of the Americas Wing; participate in a wide range of activities, including concerts, films, and special programs; and savor food and drink with a Latin twist.
Information about MFA Fiesta! is available at www.mfa.org/programs/series/mfa-fiesta. This month’s event is sponsored by El Planeta.
Monday & Tuesday: 10:00 AM-4:45 PM
Wednesday-Friday: 10:00 AM-9:45 PM
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 AM-4:45 PM
Members FREE Adults $20 Seniors and Students 18 and older $18 Youths 6 and under FREE Youths 7-17 FREE* *Weekdays after 3 pm, weekends, and Boston public school holidays; otherwise $7.50.
While the forecast for March in New England may be cold and dreary, inside the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), things will heat up during MFA Fiesta!, a month-long celebration of Latin American culture. Visitors will be able to enjoy magnificent works of art from Mexico, Central America, and South America in the Museum’s new Art of the Americas Wing; participate in a wide range of activities, including concerts, films, and special programs; and savor food and drink with a Latin twist.
Information about MFA Fiesta! is available at www.mfa.org/programs/series/mfa-fiesta. This month’s event is sponsored by El Planeta.
 Hours |
Monday & Tuesday: 10:00 AM-4:45 PM
Wednesday-Friday: 10:00 AM-9:45 PM
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 AM-4:45 PM
| Cost |
Members FREE Adults $20 Seniors and Students 18 and older $18 Youths 6 and under FREE Youths 7-17 FREE* *Weekdays after 3 pm, weekends, and Boston public school holidays; otherwise $7.50.
Rango
Rango Rated PG
Let us know if you see it and what you think!!
Is it scary? sad? funny? worth seeing?
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Comment Letters!
I am composing a comment letter on behalf of West End Residents and Families. I will send it out, so please be sure you are on our email list : westendparentsgroup@gmail.com, and I'll send it around. Please let me know if I can add your name to the letter.
Stay tuned!
Stay tuned!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Send a Comment Letter
Neighbors!
Send a comment letter to let the BRA know that we need a public school in our neighborhood!
Did you know that before the West End was torn down, there were 6 schools in the West End alone! They were supposed to build one when the neighborhood was rebuilt, and it hasn't happened in the last 40 years! The Coalition for Publication is working hard to bring a public school to our downtown neighborhoods!! The West End, Beacon Hill and the Back Bay does not have a public school! The North End, Eliot School, and the Warren Prescott in Chalestown are our only walk zone options! While both are GREAT schools, there should be at least one in our neighborhoods!
The West End, North End and Beacon Hill have formed this Coalition to work on this issue together!
Write to : Jay Rourke, Project Manager
Boston Redevelopment Authority
One City Hall Plaza
Boston, MA 02201
Jay.rourke.BRA@cityofboston.gov
617.918.4317
Letters are due in by MARCH 11!!
These letters will be submitted in reference to the project Equity has proposed for the Garden Garage ( bubble garage).
However you feel about the project, please voice your feelings concerning a school!! The BRA needs to keep hearing it! We want families to have the option to stay in our neighborhood!!
View the Project Notification Form for this project at http:/tinyurl.com/EquityPNF (click onthe Project Notification Form). Please copy and paste the website to your browser. I will convert this to a link when I can.
Chiara
Send a comment letter to let the BRA know that we need a public school in our neighborhood!
Did you know that before the West End was torn down, there were 6 schools in the West End alone! They were supposed to build one when the neighborhood was rebuilt, and it hasn't happened in the last 40 years! The Coalition for Publication is working hard to bring a public school to our downtown neighborhoods!! The West End, Beacon Hill and the Back Bay does not have a public school! The North End, Eliot School, and the Warren Prescott in Chalestown are our only walk zone options! While both are GREAT schools, there should be at least one in our neighborhoods!
The West End, North End and Beacon Hill have formed this Coalition to work on this issue together!
Write to : Jay Rourke, Project Manager
Boston Redevelopment Authority
One City Hall Plaza
Boston, MA 02201
Jay.rourke.BRA@cityofboston.gov
617.918.4317
Letters are due in by MARCH 11!!
These letters will be submitted in reference to the project Equity has proposed for the Garden Garage ( bubble garage).
However you feel about the project, please voice your feelings concerning a school!! The BRA needs to keep hearing it! We want families to have the option to stay in our neighborhood!!
View the Project Notification Form for this project at http:/tinyurl.com/EquityPNF (click onthe Project Notification Form). Please copy and paste the website to your browser. I will convert this to a link when I can.
Chiara
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Computer Issues!!
Hey there everyone!
I'll be making some posts soon! I got swept away with school vacation, and then some computer issues. But I can post through email, so will get some stuff on here soon!
Sorry for the delay!
Chiara
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