|
|
ForWard
The John Ward Elementary School PTO Newsletter
April 27, 2009
|
|
Ward Quick Links and Contacts
|
|
|
|
|
Dear WardPTO Notice,
Welcome to the latest edition of the Ward Elementary School Newsletter ForWard.
* To stop receiving this newsletter, or update your email information please use the links at the end of the newsletter.
|
 Mark Your Calendars For a full schedule of events, see the Calendar.
- Friday, May 15th, 8:35 AM - PTO Meeting
|
|
|
|
School News
Fabulous News from Ms. Singer: Congratulations to Ward School dancing sisters fourth grader Sasha Dubinsky and third grader Valerie Dubinsky. The girls competed in the US National Dance Competition in Baltimore early in April. They both did a fabulous job! How exciting to announce that Valerie became a preteen US champion in ballroom dancing. She placed first in Silver Standard and Gold Latin at the event. Bravo to both girls for a job well done!
Fifth
grader Dianne Lee just received a letter from Mayor David Cohen to
inform her that she is a second place winner in the 3rd Annual Newton
Student Energy Conservation Art and Essay Contest. She will be honored
on April 29th at 6:30 PM at the Energy Contest Awards Program at the
Newton War Memorial Auditorium. Congratulations Dianne! Your
participation shows your dedication to preserving and protecting our
beautiful planet!
Books 4 Bikes Program News: The Books 4 Bikes Program, sponsored by Farina's Bicycle Center and Giant Bikes, was an enormous success. During the five week program which ended on April 17th, the one hundred twenty-seven students who participated handed in 206 scorecards, logging in 1,563 hours of home reading. 680 hours were recorded in K, 1 and 2 and 981 hours were recorded in 3, 4 and 5. Bravo to all Ward School Readers who read with enthusiasm and interest every day! Special congratulations to lucky bicycle raffle winners third grader, Yasemin Ersen, who read for her kindergarten sister who needs a bike, and fourth grader, Nalini Khurana. Everyone is excited about reading and happy that two Ward students will have new bicycles this spring! Oh, the joy of reading and riding!
Ward School Art Show is Coming! Wednesday, May 6th, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Art Show Volunteers Needed!
- Tuesday, May 5th from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM: help is needed to set up in the gym. Any amount of time you can give is appreciated and the kids can play in the playground.
- Thursday, morning May 7th help is needed to take the show down after drop off at 8:45 AM.
Please get in touch with Suzin Osborne soon at: suzin@purneydesign.com. Or call at (617) 332-1665 If you already said you would help get in touch with her anyway to confirm. We are very short of help this year so please do what you can.
Volunteers Needed! Ward Garden Spring Clean-up on Sunday, May 3rd, from 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Ward School PTO has received a grant from Newton Conservators to create a "Helping Harvest Garden!" Our students will cultivate more vegetables and herbs this year in a new two season harvest garden to donate to the Newton Food Pantry. On May 3rd we will build a new bed area on the east side of the school for the butterfly garden, and we will clean up our existing beds in front of the school so they are ready for classroom planting. Please make plans to help out for a few hours of light (or heavy) labor by emailing Lili Sloan (ests40@comcast.net ) or by signing up on board in school lobby. Sign up by May 1st. Thanks in advance for your help!
Rototiller Needed for Ward Garden Clean up on May 3rd: Do you have a rototiller that you would let the Ward PTO Garden Team borrow for the Spring clean-up day on May 3rd? Please email Lili Sloan (ests40@comcast.net ) to arrange. Thanks!
The 5th Grade Community Service Project: The 5th grade class will begin the first of 3 community service projects this week. They will be raising money for Nothing But Nets, an organization that helps save lives by buying mosquito nets. These nets help prevent malaria, the leading cause of death of children in Africa. The 5th grade class will be holding Guesstimation activities on April 29th and Thursday April 30th both before and after school. Children can make a guess for 50 cents and can win prizes. Please support the 5th grade class in their efforts to raise money for Nothing But Nets.
Care Committee: Thank you to everyone who participated in the Pajama Drive for children in need all across Massachusetts. A special thank you to Ms. Singer, Mr. MacPherson and Lindsey and the After-School Program who helped us to spread the word and collect PJs. By the end of the drive we amassed over 300 pairs of pajamas. We were so proud of the Ward School's contribution for Cradles to Crayons! We learned last month that while we had a "top tier" contribution, the winner of the Boston Bruins prize collected over 1200 pairs of pajamas!
Please save the following dates for our upcoming CARE events:
- Friday, May 8th: This year we decided to take a break from our Annual Senior Citizen Talent show. Instead, we will spend an afternoon with Seniors planting and decorating spring pots. We are still finalizing details, but it should be a rewarding afternoon for all. STAY TUNED...
- Early Release Thursday, June 4th: We are visiting Waltham Farms and will have a nice program to learn about the farm. This is usually a lot of fun for the kids! Contact Amy Silberstein (amyjim45@comcast.net) with questions, but there will be more details as we get closer to the date.
- Monday, June 1st: Last CARE Meeting of the 2008-09 school year. (8pm at the home of Sherri Wolf) Please join us if you would like to get involved or have a social action idea you would like to share.
Pretzel Sale: Yummy Super Pretzels! Tuesday, April 28 bring $2 for 5th Grade Pretzel Sale
$1 for Pretzel and $1 for Water bottle-to benefit 5th Grade Graduation Fund. On May 5th there will be a Popsicle Sale.
National Teacher Appreciation Week: In recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Week, the Ward School PTO is sponsoring a luncheon on Tuesday, May 5th at 12:30 PM in honor of our teachers and staff. Teacher Appreciation Week is a week in the academic calendar which is dedicated to all of our teachers around the world. The Ward School has done a great job providing a nurturing and supportive environment for our children and this is our opportunity to express how grateful we are to have them as part of our community.
We would also like to decorate the teacher's lounge with notes and pictures from the children. Each year during Teacher Appreciation Week you get a wonderfully warm feeling when you walk into the teacher's lounge and find yourself surrounded by warm sentiments from the children. We'd like to ask our children to draw a picture, or write a note, reminding their teacher(s) and staff how much they are truly loved and appreciated. They can be as simple or creative as the children would like to make them. Please drop these cards and notes in the box in the lobby marked "Teacher Appreciation" by Friday, May 1st.
|
What's New at After-School?
Congratulations to the cast of Treasure Island! From our Kindergarten pirates to our cast of over 50 children in grades 1-5 to the huge effort by the After-School staff, this show was a complete success! We were truly impressed with the dedication and joy the performers brought to the show. We also thank the parents of our program and the Ward School for their support, and for being such wonderful audiences!
It is now time to officially register your child for After-School 2009-2010. If you submitted an application in March, you by now have received a registration packet in return. This packet, along with a one-month's non-refundable deposit, are due by April 30th. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
We also are still accepting applications for next school year on a first-come, first-serve basis. Our program offers a variety of fun clubs and activities (e.g. pottery, soccer, drama, etc.), as well as supervised homework time, field trips, vacation programs and special events. Please contact us at (617) 965-3087 or wardafter@juno.com with questions or to request an application.
Happy Spring!
Sincerely,
Donna Marohn
Director
|
Newton News and Events
CelebrateNewton! is accepting applications for the eighth annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Festival. This juried craft show to be held December 6th at Newton South High School from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. The day will feature 60+ artisans with ties to Newton. The artisans in the show are Newton residents, teachers, parents, students and more. There will be live music, children's activities and food. This Citywide PTO-sponsored fair raises money for ALL Newton schools.
Visit our website to download an application or email. Please submit samples of your work with an application. You may also call (617) 243-0261 and speak with Denise Joseph, for an application. Final date for submission is June 1st.
Bike Newton, an organization dedicated to "Making Newton a Bicycle-safe City", has two big upcoming events: On April 23rd at 7:00 PM --Transportation Forum with Mayoral Candidates, Newton City Hall War Memorial Auditorium. Moderator: Jenn Adams of NewTV. We'll ask the candidates their views about the gamut of transportation issues - Safe Routes to School, transit-oriented development, bicycle paths, etc., including questions from the audience. Then on May 17th at 12:30 PM - "2nd Annual Rally and Friends and Family Ride" at the 'War Memorial Circle' at Newton City Hall. Free: raffles, services, live music, healthy snacks, rides on the incomparable Conference Bike. Rally at 1:00 PM. 3.5-mile Ride at 2:00 PM. Pre-register for the Ride at http://bikenewton.org, email or call lois levin at (617) 527-1237.
Soring Tennis with Nate, Tim, John, Doug, Andrea, and the rest of the Newton Park and Rec Tennis Staff. Directed by Mike Lewitt, www.newtontennis.com Kids, adults, programs 7 days per week. Starting May 7th.
The Paul Green School of Rock (http://www.schoolofrock.com/boston) will be hosting 3 Rock Star Boot Camps in July & August. Session I (7/6-7/11), Session II (7/27-8/1), and Session III (8/17-8/22) all run from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM weekdays and are open to students ages 6-17 who play bass, guitar, drums, piano, or vocals. No experience needed! Please call (617) 923-3434 or visit our website for more information. Registration closes on June 1st.
Excel Basketball Clinics is now registering boys and girls, ages 9-17, for another exciting summer of basketball clinics at Oak Hill Middle School: August 3 - 6. Register before May 15th to receive NPS student discount. Applications available at www.excelbasketballclinics.com or contact Coach Roberts for more info at Robertsgwa@aol.com.
The first Spelling Bee was oversubscribed, so a 2nd Spelling Bee has been added. Due to an overwhelming response to the call for students in grades K-9 to sign up for the annual spelling bee, the Mayor's Office for Cultural Affairs and the Newton Pride Committee have added a second Spelling Bee, on Thurs. May 14, 6:00 - 8:00 PM at the Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada St. Entry fee is $5. Proceeds support the Newton Pride Committee's free cultural events. Participants will spell grade level appropriate words. Registration: www.newtonpride.org or call (617) 527-8283.
Attention Families of High School Students - Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Opportunities: 1) Applicant must fulfill high school graduation requirements by June 2009. 2) Applicant must intend to pursue studies in a business related field at an accredited college or university. 3) Applicant must be a resident of Newton or Needham even if matriculating elsewhere. 4) Application must be submitted by the student's principal or guidance counselor to the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce by May 1, 2009 at 2:00 PM. 5) Applicant must present proof of successful completion of their first college semester in order to receive scholarship payment (Approx. Jan. 2010). Applications are due by 2pm Friday May 1st. Further information, contact the Chamber: (617) 244-5300.
Want to Clean Out Your Bookshelves? Newton South English Department is having a used book sale in May and needs classic and contemporary fiction and current non-fiction for all ages. Books need to be new or gently worn. Please support this sale and bring books to Wheeler House Commons at Newton South High School. If you have too many books to carry into the school, require pick-up, or have questions please contact Patrice Wilson (pwwilson1@verizon.net)
All proceeds will be used to support literacy programs at Newton South.
Newton Taiwan Day: On Saturday, May 2nd the Culture Center of Taipei Economic Culture Office in Boston and the Hyde Community Center will jointly sponsor Newton Taiwan Day. Festivities will kick-off at 1:00 PM. with a Dragon Dance starting at the Hyde Community Center, continuing down Lincoln, which will be briefly blocked off to traffic, and returning to the Hyde Center, 90 Lincoln Street, Newton Highlands.
The fun continues in the Hyde Center gymnasium, where there will be a Taiwan dance performance. The afternoon will also include Taiwan craft project tables for children and cultural activities for adults. There will be 30 Taiwan booths with many giveaways. Join us for a fun event bringing together the Taiwan and the Newton communities! Free admission. Contact John Rice at (617) 201-7088 or director@hydecenter.org for more info.
The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education announces its May 7th meeting: Sensory Diets - Developing Healthy Living Skills: Using Sensory Rich Activities to Reduce Stress and Create Optimal Learning Environments, presented by Jane Koomar, Ph. D., OTR/L, FAOTA.
Dr. Koomar is the owner of OTA - Watertown, an occupational therapy private practice specializing in sensory integration treatment. She was formerly an assistant professor in occupational therapy at Boston University and completed her doctoral studies in developmental psychology at Boston University. Dr. Kooman has co-authored several book chapters on sensory integration dysfunction and intervention.
This presentation is supported by a grant to the Physical Education, Health and Wellness Department, Newton Public Schools. PAC meetings are held at 7:30 PM in Room 210 at the Education Center, 100 Walnut Street, Newtonville. Networking and light refreshments begin at 7:15 PM. For more information go to www.newtonpac.org or email info@newtonpac.org.
|
Community Classifieds
Bowen Cooperative Nursery School, located in Newtonville, has one opening remaining for the 2009-2010 school year in the Transitional Kindergarten program, which is for children who turn five years old by end of December of 2009. Because the class is balanced for gender, the opening happens to be for a boy. The Transitional Kindergarten program is an academic program that meets five mornings a week from 8:30 AM until 1:00 PM For more information, please contact Priscilla Howland, Director, at (617) 332-3923 or visit www.BowenCoop.org.
Thundercat Sports (www.thundercatsports.com) is partnering with Newton Recreation to bring several camps/clinics to Newton this summer. Sports include: Basketball, Baseball, Flag Football, Soccer, Sports Jam (multi-sport) and Kiddie Cat Jam (multi-sport for ages 4 - 6). Thundercat Sports follows a basic phiosophy of participation, teamwork, sportsmanship, and FUN while relating sports skils. We do this through uniques games/drills/activities and enthusiastic well trained instructors. More information can be found at www.thundercatsports.com or calling (617) 499-4820.
Esperienced Babysitter Available: Freshman at Hamilton College, returning home for the summer on May 15th. Available all day, with a car, for babysitting from May 15th until July 6th, and during evenings from July until mid August. Have had significant experience as a camp counselor, preschool teacher's assistant, and babysitter, and would be interested in hearing from families in need of a sitter. By phone at (617) 894-0036, or by email at hschacte@hamilton.edu.
|
|
|
ForWARD Submissions
Next deadline: Friday, May 8th for the May 11th issue. Please send articles to news@wardpto.org
The ForWard will now be distributed
electronically every other week instead of monthly as in past years.
On weeks when the full newsletter is not distributed This Week at Ward will be used to inform you of
dates and events in the upcoming week. We hope that a single email each week will help you keep track of
important dates and events.
The
Ward PTO, at its discretion and as space is available, may permit
announcements to appear in the ForWard from not-for-profit
organizations that offer a direct service to children/families in the
Ward community and from for-profit individuals or businesses that offer
a direct educational service to children/families in our community. The
Ward PTO may edit announcements and does not endorse any individuals or
business whose announcements are published.
|
About NPS TAC Support for PTO Communications
Volunteers from the Newton Public Schools Technology Advisory Council (NPS
TAC) are helping to set up and support PTO communications, including this system used by the Ward PTO.
Learn more here.
|
|
|
|
|
Sign-up
