PTSA and Foundation Biweekly News
01/29/26
Greetings Spartans!
We would like to send a huge THANK YOU to all of the amazing families who attended our joint meeting on January 27th. The turnout was incredible, and we truly appreciate your voices, ideas, and continued support! For those who weren’t able to attend, we missed you and hope you’ll be able to join us at one of our upcoming meetings. In the meantime, we always welcome your feedback—feel free to email us or drop a note in our yellow mailbox located in the front office. We genuinely love hearing from you.
✨ Don’t miss out! ✨
Join us for a special Family Night Magic Show with Brock the Magician on February 6, 2026 at 6:00 PM in our auditorium! 🎟️ Tickets are on sale now (see the purple flyer below). Online ticket sales close on February 5th, and prices will increase for at-the-door purchases—so be sure to grab yours early!
📅 Upcoming Dates to Remember
- 1/31: Registration closes for our 2nd Annual STEAM Science Fair
- 2/6: Magic Show & 5th/8th Grade Panoramic Pictures
- 2/27: Newcomb Talent Show
- 2/28: Registration closes for our 2nd Annual STEAM Art Share
- 3/9: ES Spring Pictures & 5th Grade Promotion Certificate Pictures
- 3/11: MS Spring Pictures & 8th Grade Promotion Certificate Pictures
- 3/14: 2nd Annual STEAM Event
- 3/24–4/2: APEX Spartan Sprint
- 3/30: PTSA Association Meeting & Vision Board Cultivation
- 4/25: Multicultural Fair
We’d like to thank our readers who participated in the Reader Giveaway featured in our last issue. We truly appreciate your engagement and hope the lucky winners of our drawing enjoy their swag! The winners are listed below!
Also, a huge congratulations to all of our Middle School Jeopardy participants, Semi-Finalists (Kara T, Kris A, Fox M, Noah H, Mina T, Declan D, Heidi H, Sofia P), and our Newcomb Champion (Maya K)—you were all absolutely incredible!
And finally, thank you to our amazing Run Like It’s Recess coordinators and to everyone who attended this fun-filled event. We love creating opportunities for our families and community to come together, have fun, and build strong connections. Each of you helps make Newcomb such a special place! 💙💛
With gratitude…
Amber DeVeny, PTSA President
Lauren Arevian, NAF President
It pays to be a Newcomb PTSA/NAF Newsletter Reader! In our last issue, we invited readers to enter their names in a drawing for Newcomb prizes. We had a GREAT response, and with the help of a random number generator, our five winners are:
- Karen Banach - PTSA "Supporting the Magic" Baseball Cap
- Sundy Burke - Comp ticket to the PTSA Magic Show (Feb 6)
- Molly Enjem - NAF Spiritwear Baseball Cap
- Natasha Liebeck - Long-Sleeve "Spartan Spirit" T-Shirt
- Sara Tarne - NAF Spiritwear Baseball Cap
Swing by the front office to pick up your prizes next week!
AND NOW, we encourage you to head over to PTSAs Instagram account and participate in the Giveaway happening there! @newcombacademyptsa
PTSA: Christina Pearce
I love staying active, helping others, and connecting with the Long Beach community. When I joined the Run Like It’s Recess committee eight years ago, I saw an opportunity to bring all of those passions together and help grow the event from Newcomb into something special for the broader community.
Over the years, I built a dedicated team of volunteers who share a love for sports, running, and supporting their children. Together, we created an inclusive event that brings people of all ages and abilities together for a day of movement, connection, and positivity. I’m proud to say that’s exactly what we accomplished.
PTSA: Nora Walsh
I love staying active, helping others, and connecting with the Long Beach community. When I joined the Run Like It’s Recess committee eight years ago, I saw an opportunity to bring all of those passions together and help grow the event from Newcomb into something special for the broader community.
Over the years, I built a dedicated team of volunteers who share a love for sports, running, and supporting their children. Together, we created an inclusive event that brings people of all ages and abilities together for a day of movement, connection, and positivity. I’m proud to say that’s exactly what we accomplished.
PTSA: Je'nelle Hughlett
We volunteer for the Run Like It’s Recess 5K/1K because we’re passionate about making fitness accessible and fun for the entire community. Whether it's the Toddler Dash or the full 5K, we love seeing people of all ages realize they can be active and have a blast doing it. Supporting Newcomb Academy while bringing neighbors together is a highlight of the year for our family!
We captured hundreds of pics on the day. Come take a look… feel free to add pics you took!
"Liam and the Long Last Name" is making strides!
Newcomb 6th grader Olivia E's original film, "Liam and the Long Last Name" is in the running for REFLECTIONS Film of the Year across the state of California. If it wins at the State-Level, it moves on to the final competition… National-Level!
Each year, Newcomb students submit works of art in the REFLECTIONS Creative Arts Competition. Their artwork is guided by a directed theme. This year's theme was "I Belong!" Students' works are reviewed and scored. The highest scoring entries move on from the school-level competition to the Council-Level, where their entries compete with winning entries by students from area schools. Winners at the Council-Level, move on to the District-Level, and from there, if they qualify, on to the State-Level.
We caught up with Olivia and her mom, Molly, to get a little background on the video.
Artist Statement
Liam and the Long Last Name
This film was edited, produced, and directed by Olivia E, 6th grade, using iMovie. This film relates to the theme "I Belong" because it is about a student who gets bullied because of his long last name and by the end realizes his friends stand up for him and that he does belong.
Read more about the making of "Liam and the Long Last Name" by CLICKING HERE
Planning is underway for Newcomb Academy PTSA’s 4th Annual Multicultural Fair! Join us for our first planning meeting via Zoom on Monday, February 2 at 6:30 PM. This is a low-pressure meeting to learn more, share ideas, and collaborate—no commitment required. If you’re interested in joining a team, email Kenna Welch at newcombsankofa@gmail.com. Bring a friend—you don’t have to do it alone. A small budget and contacts from previous years are already in place
Join our Zoom Meeting
Monday, February 2
6:30 PM
