November Newsletter

This October has been packed with excitement and creativity at The Big Mystic! Our kids had a blast getting into the spooky spirit with Halloween-themed arts and crafts, ghosts, pumpkins, and plenty of glitter! They also loved challenging themselves with Blank Slate, a fun word game that always gets everyone thinking and laughing together. We’re so proud of our explorers who continue their road to 1 mile club showing determination and teamwork every step of the way. And one of the month’s biggest highlights was our trip to Tufts University, where we got to experience a fantastic haunted house, enjoy face painting, and make even more creative crafts. Overall, this October was filled with creativity, laughter, and new adventures, another magical month for The Big Mystic community!

We’re excited to recognize our amazing October nominees: Alchess and Dean!

In October, Alchess has done an incredible job showing kindness, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude every day. His energy and teamwork help make Mystic a fun and welcoming place for everyone!

Dean has shown outstanding dedication and leadership as part of our staff. His positivity and commitment shine through in everything he does, helping our team and kids thrive.

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 are so surprised with how quickly the school year is going, in no time we will be going to the beach again. But before we start imagining ourselves swimming in cool waters again. We have to recap our October and how we want the next few months to go. October has been full of learning new skills and understanding and solving problems we have never seen before. The MELC has almost fully mastered the use of the computer, from turning it on to how to create passwords and remembering them. We have also been on the science wave building catapults to towers to bridges and more, and yes there has been some candy and spooky involved. It is that time of the year where we have the holidays back to back, so we are just wishing for good food and happy holidays for the next two months. And that we get some snow this year to actually get a snow day!!

Congratulations to October’s Staff and Kid

Kid- Nadia is a new kid at the MELC but she has adapted to the program with ease. Nadia is a friendly and caring student to everyone around her. She is willing to participate in any club thrown to her. She also is one of the first to take out her homework and do it without a staff needing to ask. We are so proud of her and can not wait to see what the next few months bring her.

Staff- Isaiah has been such a good role model for MELC boys, giving them great advice when it comes to sports and emotions. He also is always reliable to make a choice all the kids will want to participate in and keep going to each week. We are so glad to have Isaiah over at the MELC and can not wait to do the next activities he has coming up.

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.

Pumpkins are the perfect pick for October, bringing cozy fall flavor and bright orange cheer to the season. Rich in vitamin A, fiber, and antioxidants, they’re as nutritious as they are fun to eat. Whether blended into smoothies, baked into muffins, or roasted for a hearty snack, pumpkins add warmth and goodness to every meal. Easy to cook, naturally sweet, and full of festive flair—pumpkins make October deliciously unforgettable!

Happy Birthday to our Kids!

Angelo 11/01

Tatum 11/15

Alchess 11/18

C 11/19

Sherlyn 11/28

Holidays

Election Day 11/04

Veterans Day 11/11

Thanksgiving Day 11/27

The MLC & MELC will be open as early as 1:00 pm:

Somerville Public Schools:
November 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th (Every Wednesday)

Medford Public Schools:
November 26th (Holiday Early Release)

Stoneham Public Schools:
November 26th (Early Release – Thanksgiving Eve)

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

Thursday November 27th and Friday 28th- MLC/MELC is CLOSED

Election Day Tuesday, November 4 and Veterans Day Tuesday, November 11 — MLC and MELC open for a full day.

Our Parent Meeting will be on Monday, November 10th

• Meetings are on the second Monday of the month unless stated otherwise.
• Parents are responsible for arriving at 5:30 pm, eating family dinner together in the community room, and signing them back in for childcare during the meeting.
• Parent Meetings time is 6:00-7:30pm.

FEF Committee meeting will be on Monday, November 24th , from 5:30- 6:30 pm at the Mystic Learning Center.

Free Birds

Animated/Comedy | Ages 7+
Streaming on: Prime Video / Apple TV

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Animated/Family | Ages 5+
Streaming on: Apple TV+

The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Animated/Adventure | Ages 8+
Streaming on: Netflix

The MLC had an incredible time at the Haunted House event hosted by our amazing Tufts Buddies! The afternoon was filled with laughter and creativity. The kids dove right into all the fun activities painting pumpkins, getting their faces decorated with festive designs, playing games, and collecting sweet treats at every turn. From spooky decorations to cheerful music and candy galore, every detail helped make the day feel special. A huge thank-you to our Tufts Buddies for planning such a fantastic event and for bringing so much energy and creativity.

As of January, MLC and MELC have openings for school-age children (youth ages 5 in kindergarten through 13). Give us a call (617-623-0110) or send an email (info@mysticlearningcenter.org) if you have any questions or are interested in enrolling your child(ren).

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. Click the link below for more info.

** At the moment we aren't accepting children under 5 due to not having a Lead Preschool teacher.

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