1. Happy 10th Birthday, Newton CPA! The Community Preservation Committee will hold a neighborhood birthday party for the Newton Community Preservation Act and its projects in Waban, Newton Highlands and Newton Upper Falls tonight from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Waban Library Center. There will be a slide show about past Community Preservation Act projects and a chance for residents to share their ideas on what the CPA funds should be used for in the future. The event is free and open to all residents, regardless of village.

2. "Spiritual People of the Himalayas." The Scandinavian Living Center will host a slideshow and lecture tonight titled "Tibet and Nepal - Spiritual People of the Himalayas." Barry Pell will host the event, which covers the history and spirituality of the people in the Himalayas and how it relates to current political events. The event will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

3. Parenting seminar. The Freedman Center and The Newton Partnership will sponsor a parenting seminar tonight at Mason-Rice Elementary School. The discussion, titled "Understanding Temperament: Getting to Really Know Your Own Child," will include information on different types of temperaments among children and the varied parenting styles to handle those temperaments. The event starts at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. 

4. Real Property & Reuse Committee. The Real Property & Reuse Committee will meet tonight at 7:45 p.m. in room 209 at City Hall. The committee will take up discussion of the former Carr School (now the Newton Cultural Center) and the use of it as swing space during the rebuilding of Angier Elementary. Note: The School Committee approved the Carr School as swing space during last night's meeting. 

5. School budget approved. The Newton School Committee unanimously approved the $178.8 million fiscal 2013 school budget last night. During the discussion, Superintendent David Fleishman said that some savings found from unemployment costs will be used to hire some additional staff at the high schools, which will help keep the city's One to One program going. In addition, Assistant Superintendent Joe Russo said administrators have able to find some savings in the fiscal 2013 budget to add back some elementary art time, which was cut from 60 to 45 minutes last year. Newton Patch will have a full story for you later this morning.