ForWard 09.10.23
Upcoming Events
Monday September 18, 2023 (Date change)
Back to School Picnic - Ward Field: 5:30-7:00pm
Wednesday, September 20
K Parent / Guardian Potluck
Thusday, September 21
Fall PTO Meeting
Thursday , September 28
Grade 1 Parent / Guardian Potluck
Thursday , October 5
Back to School Curriculum Night 6:00pm-7:30pm
Wednesday, October 18
Grade 2 Parent / Guardian Potluck
Friday, October 27
Ward Fun Run
See all events on our Calendar
News
From the Co-Presidents
Congrats! We all made it through week one. As you settle into September, please consider how you plan to support the PTO this year. We are actively seeking room parents for following classes: 1C, 2S, 3K, 4G, 5C and 5G. Each classroom needs 1-2 volunteers. We are also still looking for potluck hosts for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. Have an interest that we have not suggested? Reach out - the PTO belongs to all of us and we love new ideas and new volunteers!
Have a great week,
Rashi Khanna & Bryan Saltzburg
Ward PTO Co-Presidents 2023-24
Back to School Picnic (Please note the date change)
Welcome back Ward! Due to inclement weather tomorrow, we will celebrate the start of the new school year together on Ward Field on Monday, September 18th from 5:30-7:00 PM. The PTO will provide pizza* for everyone along with fun games by Knucklebones. Don't forget a picnic blanket, refillable water bottles and some treat money for the Ice Cream Truck. Please note, *if your family requires dietary accommodations for pizza, it would be VERY helpful to let us know so we can order accordingly. Please complete this quick survey ASAP if needed. Also - we would welcome volunteers that can help with picking up pizzas and serving pizza slices. If you are able, please email Caitlin Cusick at caitlincusick@yahoo.com.
Call for Grade-level Potluck Hosts for Grades 3-5
We could use your assistance! One of our cherished fall traditions at Ward Elementary is the grade-level potlucks. Would you be interested in hosting a grade level gathering this coming fall? The hosting process is straightforward. All you need to do is provide a space, some paper goods, and send out invitations. Your guests will take care of the rest! Last fall, many of us enjoyed delightful outdoor events, so we encourage hosts to select a date SOON to take advantage of the pleasant September weather. We're pleased to announce that we have potluck hosts for Kindergarten (Sep 20th), first grade (Sep 28th) and 2nd grade (Oct 18th) and are hoping for additional hosts for grades 3-5.
We want to express our gratitude to Tracy Buckner for generously offering her assistance in coordinating these potlucks for the fall. If you'd like to learn more or if you're ready to sign up, please don't hesitate to reach out to her at bucknertracy3@gmail.com.
Call for Room Parents
We are seeking 1-2 parents per class to serve as “Room Parents”. Here is a glimpse at some of the responsibilities of a room parent:
Serve as a liaison between the classroom teacher and the parent/guardian community to coordinate classroom events, volunteers, supplies, teacher appreciation, gifts and more.
Serve as liaison between the PTO leadership and your classroom community by helping to solicit volunteers (example field trips, grade level potlucks, grade level programming, etc), encouraging participation in events/meetings and representing your class to the PTO.
Support all Creative Arts and Sciences programming for your grade level - this could involve coordinating volunteers, providing materials for guests and more.
And more! You will have regular communication with the PTO Board to support overall efforts to build community amongst your class and grade level.
Interested? Please email copresidents@wardpto.org with your name, contact information, grade level and classroom of your student.
Ward Directory
Whether you are a new or returning family - please be sure your information is current in our directory! Remember this quickly becomes the key to all playdates, birthday parties and more - you don’t want to miss out! This directory is a must for family access to class lists so please be sure your child(ren) is/are listed. It just takes a minute!
Community Notes & Announcements
Free STEM Enrichment Program for Ward Students K-8
The Greater Boston STEM Program (gbSTEM), is a non-profit enrichment program that delivers free introductory computer science, math, engineering, environmental science, and science courses to elementary and middle school students in the Greater Boston area. Since March 2020, our team of dedicated high school volunteers have brought free lessons to over 1000 Massachusetts youth from K-8. Classes will be held both through Zoom and in-person. We pride ourselves on our innovative, creative, and engaging curriculum. This is a great opportunity for students to supplement their learning and get ahead in their STEM education.
We are delighted to announce that we will be offering a fall semester of gbSTEM to Ward students, which will run from September 24th to December 23rd, 2023! The registration deadline is September 20th, 2023.
Information about our program and the registration form can be found at our website: https://gbstem.org. If you have any questions, please contact contact@gbstem.org. We are so excited to work with your family this fall!
Join Newton Cub Scouts Pack 210
Boys and girls grades K-5 are invited to join Newton Cub Scout Pack 210 (http://pack210newton.scoutlander.com). Scouting is a great opportunity to make new friendships and learn new skills. We have an exciting year planned, with fun activities including camping, hiking, Pinewood Derby, outdoor activities, community service, overnights, and monthly Den/Pack meetings. Stop by “Join Scouting Day” in Newton Centre on Sunday, Sept 10 from 10am-2pm to learn more - we will have fun, food and games.
Our first meeting is on Thursday, September 14 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. at Carroll Center for the Blind, 770 Centre St in Newton Centre. The meeting will feature SubZero Ice Cream, who will provide an exciting science demo, followed by frozen treats for all (food allergies will be accommodated, please contact with specific allergy needs), and it will be a great opportunity to learn more about our upcoming year. Please join us (if able, please let us know you will be attending for planning purposes, but drop-ins are welcome) or email Tom at (tom@tdwright.co.uk) with questions or if you’re interested in joining. We look forward to a great Scouting year ahead!
Join a cool after school class this fall! Check out the Newton Community Education schedule to enroll now. Financial assistance is available too, just apply here. We look forward to welcoming your child! Newton Community Education
Please follow Community Notes updates throughout the summer at https://newtonptocouncil.org/community/
And please continue to follow the PTO on instagram @wardelementary_pto