April Newsletter

We marched right into April; but, of course, there was snow, but there were better days filled with beautiful weather too! We planted, made rocket-powered cars, conducted a Lima bean experiment, and even made rock candy! Making wind chimes was awesome; playing at the park; soaking in the beautiful days that march brought added to the fun. But, let's not forget the Butterfly club, where students got to watch caterpillars grow; soon, they will see them blossom into beautiful butterflies.

Around 20 friends and family members of MLC showed up to our family game night on Friday, March 18th. Monopoly, Uno, and Family Feud were just a few of the games offered. We gathered together to enjoy quality time partaking in family-oriented activities. We recognize the need for life’s moments being allotted to wholesome events; we were happy to see such support from the community. Families and friends competed and collaborated to create the most successful game night we have had yet. For that, we are tremendously grateful!

The Mystic & Mudflat just wrapped up it's 3rd week of our collaboration to create a youth designed bench for the community. We were so impressed by Teen Empowerment's collaboration with Mudflat to create a beautiful and unique bench for the community and we are deeply fortunate to have this opportunity now. Mudflat you are the best!

We are equally excited for our June 15th MLC community arts festival to unveil the bench for the community & to celebrate the diverse arts of our community. Stay tuned for the details!

Our MLC junior staff program, comprised of teens & young adults, from Somerville meet every Wednesday from 6-8 pm. During this time youth receive academic and career support, work on team-building, connect with more community resources, brainstorm events & ways to contribute to their community & so much more!

We want to thank Tony Barros & Will Alexis for donating their time this month to inspire & motivate our teens & young adults. Your insights, words of wisdom, and experiences made a deep impact. Thank You!

Happy Birthday!

• Sophia: 04/03
• Brandon: 04/08
  
• Rihanna: 04/10
• Lenz: 04/14
• Nykhari: 04/14
• Jarmani: 04/16
• Ja'Nya: 04/22
• Isaiah: 04/23
• Kayla: 04/24
• Hugo: 04/30

Holidays!

• Friday, April 1st: April Fool's Day
• Saturday, April 2nd: Ramadan Begins
• Saturday, April 2nd: Autism Awareness Day
• Friday, April 15th: Good Friday
• Friday, April 15th- 22nd: Passover
• Sunday, April 17th: Easter
• Monday, April 18th: Patriot's Day
• Friday, April 22nd: Earth Day

The MLC & MELC will be open as early as 12:00 pm.

• Somerville Public Schools: Wed. 04/06
• Prospect Hill Academy: Wed. 04/06, 04/27
• Medford Public Schools: Wed. 04/06, 04/13, 04/27
• Stoneham Public Schools: No half days this month

** Friday, April 15th: No School. The MLC/ MELC will be open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm.

Thank you for understanding that the MLC & MELC will be closed. We appreciate your consideration during our planned closing on the following days:

• Monday, April 18th: Patriots Day
• Friday, June 3rd: Staff Professional Development Day

• Monday, April 18th: Closed all day
• Tuesday, April 19th: Open 7:30 am- 5:30 pm
• Wednesday, April 20th: Open 7:30 am- 5:30 pm
• Thursday, April 21st: Open 7:30 am- 5:30 pm
• Friday, April 22nd: Open 7:30 am- 5:30 pm

New month, new fun activities! Every day of the week, we create lesson plans according to our daily themes:

Movement/ Mindfulness Monday: Activities to get the body moving, whether it's yoga and connecting with their minds, playing kickball, or a game of capture the flag.

STEAM Tuesday & Thursday: Science, math, technology, arts and crafts, oh my! These activities focus on creativity and building.

Service Learning Wednesday: Activities focused on giving back to our community, whether it's making a card for the elderly or picking up trash in our neighborhood!

Fun Friday: Activities based on all things fun! The activities range from cooking and baking to playing at the park.

We love our Planet! To help save the Earth and keep it beautiful, we have decided for our activities this month to focus on the Earth and how we can help it. This month, we won't be placing orders for new materials; instead, we will use recyclables and materials already at our sites. Students will have the chance to participate in a Mystic River Walk clean-up to help keep the trails clean and enjoy the spring weather.

Our Parent Meeting will be on Monday, April 11th from 6:00-7:30 pm. in the community room.

• Meetings are on the second Monday of the month unless stated otherwise.
• Parents are responsible for picking up their children at 5:30 pm, eating family dinner together in the community room, and signing them back in for childcare during the meeting.

Personnel Improvement & Policy (PIP) Committee Monthly meeting will be on Monday, April 25th, from 6:00- 7:30 pm at the Mystic Learning Center.

• PIP meetings are on the third Monday of every other month.

Calling all teens, who have turned 16 years of age, to apply for the City of Somerville Mayor's Summer Youth Jobs Program. The Mystic Learning Center is a site for this city sponsored job program. The Mystic Learning Center is happy to support teens with filling out the application. Please come by to see one of our senior staff for support!

• The application will go live Monday, April 4th.
• The application is due no later than 12:30 pm on Friday April 29th.

The Mystic Learning Center is going to commence its series of events called Golden Gatherings on April 8th. Every second Friday of the month, our golden agers in the community (50 years+) are welcomed to join us at the Mystic Learning Center, Room 103 for coffee and donuts. We will leave an hour's time for relaxing, socializing, and donut munching with our awesome Mystic community members. This social event is meant for ensuring no one here feels isolated, especially coming out of these trying times of COVID-19. We are excited to see our golden agers come out and enjoy these breakfast essentials all together!

• Help us reach our fundraising goal during our Annual Basket Bonanza Fundraiser!
• Help us reach our basket fundraising goal!
• Booklets of raffle tickets are now available to sell for our Annual Basket Bonanza.
• If you want to support the MLC even more, we are accepting basket donations for the Basket Bonanza Raffle. Donated baskets due by Wednesday April 13th.
• Raffle Winners will be called during a live instagram feed on Thursday April 14th
• For more info see Tracey or Bridget at the MLC

It's a big milestone year for the Mystic Learning Center. Help us to fundraise and reach our big goal to raise $50,000 for our Fabulous Fifty years of service to the Mystic Community and surrounding neighborhoods. We appreciate you all so much!

For even easier donating simply text, DonateMystic, to 44321. This simply donating feature makes it easy to donate directly from your PayPal Account or using a credit or debit card.

Join our free evening program for youth on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at the Mystic Learning Center. It's a great opportunity to get involved in fun activities and meet new friends!

Click below to learn all of the information about our programs! We're licensed; by Massachusetts to provide child care for youth between the ages of 2.9 - 13 years old. Youth with special needs can attend up to age 16. We are currently enrolling and open spots are filling very quickly!

If yes, join us at the Mystic Early Learning Center today and work with an energetic and great group of students! We are now hiring for a Lead Preschool Teacher.

Are you 21 years of age? Have an Associate Degree in education or a related field? Can you work independently, support team needs as they arise, be flexible, and work in a fast-paced environment? Do you relate well with a diverse low-income community and local community agencies? If yes, click the link to learn more about the Lead Preschool Teacher position today!

The Human Service Division of the City of Somerville Department of Health and Human Services is now available to take online referrals for services through a new online contact form. Referrals may be completed by individuals directly seeking services, parents or guardians, service providers, or community partners.

The services provided are available at no cost to Somerville residents of all ages and include:

• Supportive counseling for individuals and families
• Briefcase management
• Service coordination for individuals and families
• Information and Referral to services
• Including mental health services, utility and benefits assistance, workforce development, housing support, youth services, financial literacy, legal assistance, survivor services, literacy, and language development, public health services, substance misuse services for youth.

• School consultation, support, and advocacy

• Text Nichole, Nita, and Tracey by 11:00 a.m. if your child will not be attending the Mystic that day. We need to let our staff, who do school pick-ups know when they are not picking up your child. Thank You!
• The MLC and MELC close at 5:30 p.m. If you're running late, please give us a call.
• Only persons listed on your child's pick-up list will be allowed to sign them out. If you'd like to add more people to the pick-up list, contact us in writing.
• Between the hours of 3:20 and 5:00 p.m., students will have their phones stored away in their backpacks until the end of choice time. You can call the main Mystic number or contact Nichole or Nita if you need to reach your child(ren).