June Welcome Center Newsletter

The Arlington Public Schools (APS) Welcome Center serves as a dedicated resource hub, providing support to students and families as they navigate the school system. Whether you're new to the district or need assistance, we're here to help!

Services Offered:

• Enrollment Support – Assistance with registration, residency verification, and school placement.
• Family Resources & Engagement – Guidance on school policies, district programs, and ways to get involved
• Basic Needs Assistance – Support with accessing food, clothing, housing, and other essential services.
• Language Support – Interpretation and translation services for multilingual families.

Need help? Please complete the APS Family Support Request Form, and a team member will follow up with you!

Support the APS Welcome Center- The APS Welcome Center strives to provide families with essential resources, and your support can make a difference! If you'd like to contribute, consider donating through our Amazon Wish List.

Contact Information:

📧 Email: welcomecenter@arlington.k12.ma.us
📞 Phone: 781-316-3332
📍 Address: 14 Mill Brook Drive, Arlington, MA
🕘 Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Welcome Center Closed: April 21-25

Thank you for supporting our mission to create a welcoming and inclusive school community!

Information about available support to address APS family needs

We support families with resources such as clothing, school supplies, toiletries, winter clothing, and much more! Let us know what you need through the APS Family Support Request Form and we'll have it ready for you to pick up.

The Family Support Request Form is designed to give families an avenue to request support and helps the District and schools understand the needs and concerns of families in order to provide the most effective support and resources. Once you complete this form we will share your responses with the family engagement department and/or school social workers or counselors to support your child(ren)/ family.

June 7th- AHS Graduation (1:00 p.m.)

June 16th- Last day of PreK (half day) and last day of Kindergarten (full day)

June 17th & 20th- Kindergarten screening

June 19th- Juneteenth (No school)

June 23rd- Last Day of School (Early Release at 11:30 AM)

Events, information, and resources supporting parents and caregivers

Join the APS Social Work team for a workshop, inspired by Lisa Damour's research, on strategies for summer screen time use for kids ages 8-13.

Date and Time: Tuesday, June 3rd from 7-8pm

Location: Arlington High School

Register Here

An evidence- and skills-based training for adults who frequently interact with youth. YMHFA is the help offered to a young person experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. Training is for anyone 18+.

Dates: June 3rd & June 10th

Time: 12 - 3:30 pm

Location: The School Committee Room in the Arlington Public Schools District Offices (14 Mill Brook Drive, Arlington, MA).

Register Here

Join us for our last free webinar of the school year. Watch live or receive the replay!

How can you show up best for your LGBTQ+ child or teen? As we kick off Pride Month, join Cartwheel and guest speaker Dr. Jessica Fish for a free live webinar which will provide strategies on how to foster meaningful connection and show support in ways that are authentic to you, while being affirming to your child or teen and their experience.

Date & Time: June 5th, 7-8pm ET / 6-7pm CT

Register here

Free events happening in the community

This market has one of the areas largest selections of farm fresh produce and locally raised, meat, local cheese, eggs, fish, honey, maple syrup, and flowers. You can also find wonderful baked goods from local area bakeries and restaurants.

Date: Opening day Wednesday June 4; repeats every Wednesday

Time: 2:00 – 6:30 pm

Location: Arlington Center in the Russell Common Parking Lot

Website: https://arlingtonfarmersmarket.org/

The Arlington Greek Festival, one of Greater Boston’s largest Greek Festivals, is set to return June 5, 6, 7, & 8!! Come visit us for the best Greek food around! Brought to you by your neighborhood friends at the Saint Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church, 4 Appleton St, Arlington, MA, the venue is handicapped-accessible and features their famous Roast Lamb, Gyros, Salads, Souvlaki, Loukoumades! As always, there is no admission fee.

Location: Saint Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church, 4 Appleton St, Arlington, MA,

Dates: June 5-8th

Times: Thursday night from 5-9pm Friday at 11am with live music from 5-9pm, Saturday at 11am with live music from 6-10pm and then finally Sunday 11am to 6pm for FOUR Fun Nights!

Enjoy live music and Beer by Arlington Brewing Company every week of the summer!

Dates: Every Saturday, June 7 through September 27

Times: 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm

This easy-paced bicycle tour around town is organized by the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee (ABAC) in local celebration of bicycling. The family-friendly bike tour will pass on both the Minuteman Bikeway and local roadways, featuring informational stops along the way.

Date and Time: Sunday June 8 at 9:30 – 11:30 am

Location: Meet at Hurd Field Parking Lot (behind Trader Joe’s)

The Regent Theatre is commemorating Juneteenth with a special, free screening of Hidden Figures. The inspiring true story of three Black women whose brilliance helped propel NASA's space exploration efforts. Enjoy complimentary snacks and book giveaways! All are welcome

Date: June 12
Time: Movie starts at 3:45 PM (arrive by 3:35 to settle in and grab free snacks!)
Location: Regent Theatre, Arlington

Come celebrate the beginning of summer and get a head start on your Summer Reading bingo sheet! Teens can sign up for Library Summer Reading, munch on snacks, and play fun games on the lawn.

Date: June 14

Time: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Location: Robbins Library, 700 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02476

Coming to a porch near you...Arlington's free, festive, one-day-only music extravaganza returns to our community in 2025! Porchfest is a grassroots music festival where bands play on front porches across town and people walk, bike, or drive around to enjoy tons of free outdoor music, dancing, and visual art exhibits.

Date: Saturday June 21

Times and Locations: West of Town Hall 12-4pm; East of Town Hall 2-6pm

Enjoy tours of the Mill, learn about its frame-making equipment that has been used in producing oval frames, and its history, having been in continuous operation since 1864. All ages welcome.

Date & Time: Saturday, June 21, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Location: Old Schwamb Mill Open House

Grab your lawn chair and your dancing flip flops and come on down to the Reservoir for a series of free concerts the entire family can enjoy. Local food and beverage vendors available. Concerts will be every other Thursday Night with Friday Nights being the Rain Date!

Date: June 26th; July 10th; July 24th; August 7th; August 21st

Time: Shows start at 6:00pm, Beer Garden open 5:30pm - 8:30pm

Location: Reservoir Beach

Accessing Arlington’s many community resources is now easier than ever! Check out our new spreadsheet to find local food support, recreation, affordable housing, english classes, childcare, mental health resources and much more

is annually updated guide showcasing the importance of participating in your child's educational journey, partnering with your child’s school, the many ways you can engage with the district.

It contains information about:

- Family- School partnerships at home, at school, and within the community

- Ways to stay connected

- Parent Teacher Organizations, School Councils, and special interest groups

- Opportunities to volunteer and participate at school

- Upcoming events in the district

and much more!

The APS Before School Breakfast Club is an expanded morning care and breakfast program available for all students K-12. To learn more about the program view the information sheet here. If you would like your child(ren) to participate in the program, please complete this form for each child. Please check in with your child's school on programming start dates.

How to communicate with the Welcome Center

Keep up with district news, events, and celebrations by following our social accounts!

Follow us on:

• Facebook: ArlingtonMASchools

• Instagram: @arlingtonmaps

• LinkedIn: Arlington Public Schools

• X (Formerly Twitter) @ArlingtonMAPS

The School News app by Edlio is an activity feed for alerts, news, and events from APS. It’s a simple way to view the school news feeds and calendars. The app is free to download to your iOS or Android phone and quick to set up:

• Go to the App Store or Google Play and search for “School News by Edlio” to install.
• Open the app and search for Arlington Public Schools; tap “Add School.”
• Enable push notification by going to the Alerts tab and tapping “Enable Notifications.”

All of the news and events posted to our website are posted on the app for easy access.