Upcoming Events
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Monthly Book Club
Our Digital Wellness Book Club meets monthly on topics that impact kids’ mental health. This is an opportunity for parent reflection and connection, regardless of where you are in your parenting journey!
Our next discussion will be on Tuesday, September 2, from 7:00PM-8:00PM at Sing Explore Create, located at 33 Rockland Street in Hanover.
In preparation for our Fall speaker, we will be reading Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life by Dr. Peter Gray.
As always, reading is encouraged but not required. Just come meet local parents and share your lived experiences.
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Monthly Outdoor Family Meet Ups
Get to know our beautiful outdoor public spaces at monthly SSDW family meet ups! We meet regardless of the weather except in cases of high wind or lightning.
Our next meet up will be at Bare Cove in Hingham on Saturday, September 6 at 10:00AM. We will meet at the entrance by the South Shore Model Railway Club.
Families are encouraged to bring bikes and scooters. We may visit the marshes to find the exoskeletons of horseshoe crabs which molt this time of year — so you may also wish to bring water shoes.
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Tech Talk
Save the date for an important presentation from the play guru himself, Peter Gray, PhD, Research Professor of Psychology at Boston College, author of a longstanding introductory psychology textbook now in its 8th edition, and a founder of Let Grow, a nonprofit promoting childhood independence and pushing back against a culture of “helicopter parenting”.
Sunday, October 5 at 3:30PM, Dr. Gray will be joining South Shore Digital Wellness at Inly School in Scituate to speak on “Raising Resilient, Happy Children: How to Provide Children & Teens With the Play and Independent Activity They Need for Mental Wellbeing and Long-Term Success.”
You don’t want to miss him!
Offline Engagement
This month we’re excited to share the following digital wellness events:
Taters & Tots at Appleton Field Community Garden
The potatoes are ready! The ones SELA families planted this spring, that is, at Appleton Field Community Garden, located at 251 Clapp Road in Scituate.
Drop in with the kids to dig some spuds the morning of Saturday, September 13 (rain date Sunday) between the hours of 8:30AM-10:30AM. All ages welcome. Appleton Director Sally Rossi-Ormon will be onsite to answer questions about the garden and make sure you get your hands dirty!
Join us for this fun "treasure hunt” connecting kids with nature and the source of their food. Potatoes may be brought home or donated to the food pantry.
An Introduction to Play Clubs
Scituate’s Wampatuck elementary school play club is offering a preview of its open-ended, child-led style of play for incoming Wampatuck families, neighborhood kids, and South Shore families who may consider joining or facilitating new play clubs at their own schools.
On Monday, August 25 from 4:00PM-6:00PM, Wampatuck play club welcomes families both old and new to come experience the unstructured, mixed-age, outdoor play shown to improve children’s learning, mental health, and behavior. This is a great opportunity for local caregivers to make their Fall afterschool plans with a no-cost, transit-free, community-based option… The proof is in the experience. Come out and play!
Social Networking #IRL
We partner with aligned community groups on in-person events that help South Shore families learn, play, and connect #IRL. If you have ideas for community partnerships, please get in touch. We’d be happy to do what we can to make them happen!
Most recently, we enjoyed a playful art pop up “Creative Refuse Jam” at Scituate’s St. Luke’s Church with The Spare Studio of Rockland, “Log Off & Lace Up!”, parent-and-child fitness classes with CrossFit SciCoh of Cohasset, and a “Garden Clean Up” with SELA: The International Private School of Norwell/Hingham at Appleton Field Community Garden in Scituate.
Scituate Parent Updates
This is a list of known relevant school and community discussions. We want to help parents share and coordinate school day-related concerns with their child’s teacher and principal, local school council, PTO, and school committee. Please contact us if you would like to be put in contact with a parent partner from your school for additional information.
We have monthly meetings at the library to touch base at a district-wide level; please join us!
We also want to grow a parent-led community to enhance activities children can engage in outside of the school day. It takes a village! We want to grow that supportive mentality and provide outlets for both parents and children to connect in the real world.
Early Education and Elementary
Community playgroup meet ups.
Parent-run playgroups before school.
Better quality indoor recess options.
Wait Until 8th social media presence.
Expanding bike to school events throughout the year
Middle School
Monthly Book Club discussion for parents and caregivers.
Tech Talk newsletter for Families seasonal
High School
FY25 is first year of having cell phone ban policy.
Note students are allowed to have phones between classes, lunch and open periods.
SHS Podcast of Superintendent and students speaking to new policy
(Dec 2024)