ForWard 06.11.23
Upcoming Events
Monday, June 12, 2023
Spring Picnic
Thursday, June 15, 2023
Volunteer Appreciation
Tuesday, June 20, 2023
Fifth Grade Graduation
See all events on our Calendar
News
From the Co-Presidents
What a week for Ward Students! Congrats to all the Ward Musicians who entertained large crowds Tuesday evening under the direction (and dedication!) of Mr. Miles. Bravo to all!
Thank you to Chelsie Garrett who collaborated with Ms. Pargoli to coordinate an EPIC Color Day! We appreciate the many volunteers that helped to make the day a success. The Red, Blue and Green Teams all came out as winners with fun memories made.
We are so grateful for our community members that support the PTO with their time and talents and we look forward to toasting all of our volunteers this Thursday evening. Please let us know if you can join us!
Up next: the Spring Picnic is TOMORROW!
See you on the field!
Caitlin, Rashi & Susan
Spring Picnic - Tomorrow!
LAST CHANCE TO ORDER FOOD
UNTIL 11:45 PM TONIGHT!
Join us on Ward Field to celebrate the school year! We will have music, games and fun! Dessert is the PTO’s treat - visit the ice cream truck for one treat each please. Pack a picnic dinner or place an order from the Work Hard Eat Good Food Truck. The truck will be open 5:30-7PM.
Here is the link to preorder by 11:45 tonight:
https://www.clover.com/online-ordering/work-hard-eat-good-boston
VERY IMPORTANT: When checking out, select “curbside” and “order ahead” and select June 12 and choose a time between 5:30-7. It’s a little clunky but we are assured it will work. Drinks will be available for purchase directly from the food truck on Monday, or water is available from the PTO for free (BYO water bottle).
Please remember your non-perishable items for the Student Council Food Drive for the Centre Street Food Pantry!
Questions? We owe a huge thanks to Zlatena Simeonova for coordinating another fun Ward picnic: zlatenas@gmail.com.
Safe Routes to School Update
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), through the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program, held its annual awards ceremony this week to recognize the Program's partner schools, community champions, stakeholders, and Crossing Guards who have made significant contributions within their communities by strengthening, promoting, and improving safety for students walking, biking, and rolling to school.
Ward school was recognized at the Massachusetts State House as a silver partner this year. Thank you for your efforts, keep on walking, biking and rolling to school, and let's aim for gold next year!
Many thanks to our school’s Safe Routes to School representative Keren Wainger for her dedication, her time, and her energy!!!
Paper Directory
It has been brought to our attention that many families miss the days of the paper directory. We love it too! If you are someone who missed it this year, please consider volunteering in this capacity! We are happy to support the efforts but as with all PTO initiatives - the ideas and inspiration are wonderful - the volunteers to bring it to life are even better! We already have a volunteer to do the online directory and that data entry piece is a large part of the work. The additional volunteer(s) to bring the paper directory to life would be responsible for seeking advertisers (to cover costs), coordinating layout and printing and soliciting artwork from students. This is not a light lift but in a matter of weeks the work is done and you can have the rest of the school year to feel you served the PTO well and everyone will be thanking you everytime they plan a playdate or birthday party! We are confident that previous Directory Volunteers would be willing to share tips and resources too! If you are interested, sign up here.
Community Notes & Announcements
Newton Schools Foundation Honor Thy Teacher
As the school year comes to an end, if you are looking for a way to express your appreciation to a teacher or other school staff member for the hard work that they do and the care they show for your student each and every day, while also complying with the NPS no-gift policy, here is a way to say thank you. By donating to Newton Schools Foundation’s Honor Thy Teacher, you can show your appreciation AND support your children’s schools. NSF will notify each staff member honored of your gift and share their names with Principals and the Superintendent. Each honored staff member will receive a certificate and commemorative display magnet, and a list of honored teachers will appear on the NSF website.
Your tax-deductible donation will go towards funding NSF grants for new approaches in the classroom, professional development for teachers, and programs that promote equity for all students.
It’s easy to donate online at the NSF Website. Please be sure to include the name of your student and the names of the teachers and/or staff that you are honoring.
Restore Kindergarten Aides
With recent budget cuts, this very critical position has been eliminated. How can you help?
• Please add your signature to this letter:
https://www.thepetitionsite.com/760/723/039/restore-kindergarten-aides-in-newton-public-schools/
Share this message with all your friends, preschool families, teachers and anyone who might be interested in signing.
• Contact your elected officials by writing emails/letters, attending office hours or if unavailable, inviting them to coffee/walk/conversations.
Email the Mayor at rfuller@newtonma.gov, she has the power to change this.
Email your city council and school committee representative https://www.newtonma.gov/government/city-clerk/city-council and https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/688 (Email messages sent to schoolcommittee@newton.k12.ma.us will be received by the entire School Committee)
Email the Superintendent smithkath@newton.k12.ma.us
• Make a public comment at a school committee meeting.
For more community notes: https://newtonptocouncil.org/category/community/
And please continue to follow the PTO on Instagram @wardelementary_pto