ForWard 8.24.25
From the Co-Presidents:
Dear Ward Families,
Welcome to the first PTO newsletter of the 2025-26 school year! We’re excited to begin another school year filled with opportunities to support our students, connect as a community, and make lasting memories together. Whether you're a returning family or new to our school, we’re thrilled to have you with us. This newsletter will keep you informed about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and ways you can get involved. Let’s work together to make this a fantastic year for our children, teachers, and school community!
The fall season is a busy one, and we have lots of fun events coming up. We strive to make upcoming events and information as clear as possible by designing a graphic calendar (above) and by notifying you through paper print-outs that go home in Friday folders. You can also subscribe to our PTO calendar here.
Upcoming Events:
First Day of School Coffee - Tuesday 9/2 at 8:20AM: Meet us at the picnic tables in front of school for coffee and to kick off the school year together. Mrs. Brogadir and a few staff members will join us after 8:30.
Ward PTO Picnic - Monday 9/8 from 5:30 PM - 7 PM: Meet us on the field for fun and games from Knucklebones and pizza provided by the PTO. Don’t forget a picnic blanket, water bottle, and some money for treats from the ice cream truck. Continued thanks to Katie Megrian for all her work on this! **Please park on the neighboring streets to keep the parking lot accessible for After School and minimize traffic. If you have any dietary restrictions, please email us at copresidents@wardpto.org.
Back-to-School Night - Thursday, 9/11, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM: We hope to see you all at Ward for a chance to build community connections, learn about your child(ren)’s classroom, and get an overview of the grade-level curriculum. As a PTO, we’ll share information about our PTO calendar for the upcoming year, give an overview of our finances and share our goals for the year. More to come!
4th Annual Fun Run - Wednesday 10/22 from 9:00 AM to 9:45 AM: Support and cheer on students and staff as they run, walk, or stroll around the Ward Field! This is a fun Ward event that everyone looks forward to! We are looking for volunteers to help set up, distribute water, give high-fives, and take photos! We always love seeing so many parents attend this event. Just so you know, this is no longer a fundraising event due to new NPS regulations.
Ward PTO Meeting with Marc Laredo - Thursday 10/23 from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM: An event you don’t want to miss! We welcome you to this morning's PTO meeting, where you will have the opportunity to hear from and ask questions of our special guest speaker, Marc Laredo, who will most likely be Newton’s next mayor. Let’s turn up as a community to show him how invested we are in our schools and ask the important questions about his priorities for NPS.
Fall Spooktacular - Sunday 10/26, from 2 PM-4 PM: We encourage your kids (and you!) to wear your costumes and meet us on the playground to celebrate together. Interested in being a part of this fun event? We will have volunteer opportunities coming soon! Many thanks to 1st and 5th-grade parent Kerry Reynolds for her creativity in bringing this event to life for another year. Please email us at copresidents@wardpto.org if you are interested in helping to plan and organize this event.
School Supplies: Supporting Our Teachers. Helping Every Student.
This year, we’re doing things a little differently — and better! We are collecting shared classroom supplies that will be given directly to teachers to relieve the burden on teachers to organize and often purchase their own supplies. This allows teachers to distribute items as needed throughout the year, ensuring all students have access to the tools they need to succeed.
Let’s come together to give our teachers the support they deserve — and make sure every child starts the year strong! We recognize this is a change from previous years and thank everyone for their support.
We know that back-to-school time can be both exciting and a little stressful. If getting school supplies is a financial stretch this year, please don’t worry. We’ve got you covered! If the cost of school supplies presents a financial burden, please be assured that your child's needs will still be met — without question. For assistance or to request supplies confidentially, please don't hesitate to contact brogadirr@newton.k12.ma.us.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Room Parents: We’re looking for 1-2 parents per classroom. The role will vary depending on the grade level and the specific teacher's needs. General responsibilities include 1) coordinating with the teacher to acquire classroom supplies, 2) organizing and identifying volunteers, 3) sending emails about upcoming PTO events and volunteer opportunities, and 4) coordinating teacher gifts. This is an excellent opportunity to build relationships with teachers and families, as well as to be involved in the PTO. Please sign up here.
Grade Level Potluck Hosts - We’re seeking one host per grade level for this wonderful Ward tradition. Hosts choose a date, provide a space and paper goods, and send an Evite - your guests do the rest! We will guide you through the entire process. This year, we will combine grades 1 and 3 for a combined potluck to accommodate our smaller cohorts. Last fall, many people enjoyed beautiful outdoor events, so we encourage hosts to set a date soon to take advantage of the September weather. Check out this link to review available dates that account for upcoming holidays and plan around school events. Please email us at copresidents@wardpto.org if you would like to learn more or to sign up!
Girls on the Run (GOTR): We need 2+ more coaches for this incredible 3rd-5th-grade after-school running program. More information can be found below.
As we start planning for the 2025-26 school year, we are looking for a few specific volunteer roles*:
Creative Arts and Sciences (CAS) Grade Level Coordinators (1-2)
Mystery Dinner Co-Chair (1) with a focus on design and the website for Mystery Dinner
International Night Co-Chairs (2-3)
*More detailed information for each role is provided below. Please feel free to email us directly with any questions.
As always, please email us at copresidents@wardpto.org with your ideas, questions, concerns, or suggestions on how we can help you.
- Elizabeth Loehr + Elizabeth Weinberg, Ward PTO Co-Presidents 2024-26
Sneak Peek: Classroom Visits
Thursday 8/28 at 2:00 pm-2:30 pm
On Thursday, August 28, from 2:00 to 2:30 pm, staff will welcome students into Ward for a brief visit to their new classrooms before the first day of school.
If your child cannot attend the "Classroom Visit Time," there is no need to worry; we will be ready to greet all children on the first day of school. It is going to be a great year at Ward! See you soon!
PTO Popsicles in the Park
Thursday 8/28 at 2:30 pm-3:30 pm
Families are invited to an informal social gathering, Popsicles in the Park, from 2:30-3:30 pm on Thursday, August 28, at the Ward School playground, immediately following the Sneak Peek.
NCE Class at Ward this Fall
Dungeons & Dragons: Ithreach Adventures
New and returning players welcome! Be a hero and have an adventure in Ithreach, the D&D fantasy setting exclusively created by Roll Models. In our custom-written adventures, players confront evil and save the day while practicing problem-solving, storytelling, empathy, risk-taking and teambuilding skills in a fun and supportive environment. Whether you join for a single adventure or a multi-year story arc, it's sure experience you won’t soon forget!
This fall, NCE will offer a 5-session Dungeons & Dragons class at Ward, starting Thursday, September 18th. This class is for fourth and fifth-graders only. Click here for more information and to register.
Drawing and Painting: Creatures of Worldwide Folk and Legend
Get ready to work with drawing and painting to explore monsters from across time and cultures! Taking inspiration from global stories, traditions, and belief systems, you'll examine a wide range of fantastical creatures. Topics will include Medieval manuscripts, Chinese scroll paintings, Aztec carving, and Greek hybrid beasts. Along the way, you'll strengthen your creativity, deepen your cultural understanding, and create your own imaginative creatures inspired by these sources.
Begins on Wednesday, September 17th. This class is for third - fifth-graders only. Click here for more information and to register.
Financial Assistance: Newton Community Education strives to ensure that all community members have the opportunity to participate in its programs and provides scholarships to as many students as possible. Full and partial scholarships are available with preference to Newton residents and students of Newton Public Schools. Click here for more information on how to apply for financial assistance.
**This is currently the only NCE class being offered at Ward due to low enrollment in previous years. If you are interested in bringing a NCE class to Ward in the winter, we encourage you to look over their course offerings, see if friends would be interested, and email NCE directly to ask if it can be offered at Ward. They usually need a minimum of 4 students to run a class.
Story Starters at Ward and Mason-Rice Elementary Schools!
Who: Ward and Mason-Rice Elementary School families with kids age
s
3 to 8 years old. Older and younger siblings welcome!
Location: 2 in-person family programs and 2 evening virtual parent workshops.
Program
Dates: Oct 9th - Nov 19th, 2024
Girls on the Run (GOTR)
We’re excited to announce that Girls on the Run, a 3rd-5th grade after-school running program, will be coming back to Ward this Fall but we need your help to make this happen! This empowering program utilizes running and other engaging activities to help girls develop confidence, connection, and resilience.
Ward parent Aleksandra Lamont will coach the team, and we are seeking another volunteer to join her. If you have any questions, please reach out to Alexandra at Alessandra.itk@gmail.com or our GOTR coordinator, Teresa Ferguson, at teresa.ferguson@girlsontherun.org for more information. Girls who go to After School are more than welcome to join and will be brought back to After School once practice is over.
We can't wait to see our girls run, grow, and shine this spring!
Room Parents - please sign-up here for this fantastic opportunity to get to support your classroom teacher and be involved in the PTO.
Grade Level Potluck hosts -
Grade Level Creative Arts and Science (CAS) Coordinators (1-2): We are looking for 1-2 volunteers to work with grade level teachers to coordinate and schedule CAS coordinators for the 2025-26 school years. This volunteer position is done over email on your own free time. This is one of the PTOs biggest expenses and brings fun curriculum aligned programs like the Tanglewood Marionettes, Origami, museum visits, and authors visits to each classroom. Please reach out for more information.
International Night Co-Chair - This is another cherished event that happens every other year. We are looking for 2-3 volunteers to help plan and coordinate event. Responsibilities include finding parent volunteers to set up tables for a country they would like to represent, sending email communication, and helping to set up the event. This is a fantastic one to be involved in.
Mystery Dinner Co-Chair: Our fabulous dynamic duo Betsy Blazar and Emily Derr will be coordinating this event next year. Betsy Blazar will be graduating out of Ward at the end of next year so we are looking for another volunteer to be involved and learn from the best!
Upcoming Event Highlights
Our Mission
Run Chestnut Hill is a non-profit organization that aims to build an inclusive community around the sport of running. We aspire to foster children’s growth into healthy, confident, and inspired individuals.
Our Vision
To build a future where collegiate athletes join with local communities to ensure team sports are accessible to all kids regardless of socioeconomic factors.
Program Structure
Run Chestnut Hill is a 6-week program that occurs in both the fall and the spring. It is completely free and open to kids in grades K-8. Within each season, there are three practices and three race days, alternating between the two throughout the 6 weeks. We are located each Sunday afternoon at Newton South High School outdoor track.
Our program begins on September 4th and will conclude on October 26th. Interested parents can sign their kids up, using this link.
Please reach out to us by emailing copresidents@wardpto.org