Annual Fund Drive 2023-2024
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Thank you for your support of the Ward School PTO (of which we are all members!) this school year. So far this year we have come together for a Fall Fest, six grade-level potlucks, the annual Fun Run, and together we contributed an enormous amount of food to the Newton Food Pantry through the 5th Grade food drive. We have room parents helping out in every classroom; our teacher appreciation committee is hard at work organizing breakfast, lunches and holiday gifts for our wonderful staff and we are gearing up for an amazing 2024 with Mystery Dinner, International Night and more events!
We are all asked often to support many worthwhile causes, and we find ourselves asking you now to consider supporting the elementary school experience of your child(ren) at Ward. The Ward School PTO generally spends in the range of $200-$250 per student per year. Our projected expenditures for the 2023-2024 year are approximately $60,000. This pie chart shows a general breakdown of expenses. On our website are descriptions of the categories.
In order to fully fund these expenses, we have three major fundraising opportunities:
The Annual Fund: the simple ask to all families to make a contribution to the PTO if they are in the financial position to do so (no donation is too small - we aim for participation!). With the funds raised, we are working closely with Newton Parks and Rec to add a year round weather proof shaded structure to the park adjacent to the John Ward Elementary School in Newton. Such an addition can offer several benefits for our school such as an outdoor learning space during the warm summer months, shaded meeting area for social interaction and outdoor recreation.
The Fun Run: This event invites students to be involved in fundraising- helping them feel connected to the school and their community. It also is a vehicle to provide a fun way for extended family, friends, and neighbors to contribute to the PTO - increasing our donor base.
The Spring Mystery Dinner: Nothing puts the FUN in fundraiser as much as this event and we are grateful to the many families that donate their time and talents as hosts to make this event not only a huge fundraising success but also a can’t-be-missed night out for adults in our community.
Additional funds are raised through partnerships with local businesses, the spring teacher/staff experience raffle, spirit wear sales and more but the bulk of our needs are addressed by these major events.
As always, our focus is on building our community of parents and students; funding curriculum enrichment; and supporting the needs of our principal and teachers and staff - and the truth is that PTO funds are critical to this mission.
Can you please consider a donation to The Ward School PTO? Also, remember that matching gifts are a great way to maximize your donation and some companies double or triple your gift to education. Our goal is to raise $30,000 and we would love if all families could contribute in some way - this can include a donation of any amount - no amount is too small!
There are two ways to donate:
Online at our Donate page by either PayPal or Venmo (@WardPTO - note “annual fund donation” and name if it is not obvious in your Venmo handle)
By Check: Made out to “Ward PTO” and sent in an envelope to school clearly labeled “Kristin Golden, Treasurer - Ward PTO”
THANK YOU for your ongoing support! We look forward to serving the needs of our school with your continued support.
Best Regards,
Rashi Khanna
Co-President Ward School PTO
Bryan Saltzburg
Co-President Ward School PTO