ForWard 9.27.26

Written By Ward Elementary PTO Newton, MA

From the Co-Presidents:

Happy Fall, Ward Community!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Open House and stayed to hear more about the PTO, the programs we support, and our fundraising goals for the year ahead. Family donations are critical to making these programs and experiences possible. This year, we need to raise approximately $40,000 to fund our baseline annual budget, including $13K for Creative Arts & Sciences (CAS) alone. We are pleased to announce that we have raised $14,783 so far, and we are grateful for all of your donations.

Last year, thanks to the incredible generosity of Ward families, we raised more than $53,000—and that additional support allowed us to do so much more. Beyond our annual programming, we funded a new Ward sign outside the school, books for our early readers, new technology, an all-school CAS assembly, and flexible seating for every classroom.

Every contribution helps us go beyond the basics and invest even more in our students and school. If you haven’t donated yet and would like to contribute, you can donate here. And don’t forget to check whether your employer offers matching gifts, which can double your donation's impact.

If you’d like a closer look at where PTO funds go and what your contributions make possible, you can review our fundraising and expenses slide deck here.

Support Ward - Donate Here!

A huge thank you to Elizabeth and Jon Loehr for hosting the 2nd and 4th Grade Potluck on September 22 and Emily Derr and Brent Markus for hosting Kindergarten families on September 24! These gatherings are such a lovely way to reconnect, meet new families, and strengthen the sense of community that makes Ward so special.

Upcoming Events:

  • Room Parent Meeting - Monday, 9/28, 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM (Meet in the Art Room): This meeting is for Room Parents only! Please join us to learn all about the role and helpful information to get started.

  • 1st Grade Potluck - Saturday, October 3 from 6:30-9:30 PM at the home of Jaime and Matt Wluka Switkes 

  • 5th Grade Potluck - Tuesday, October 6 from 6:30-8:30 PM at the home of Jessie and Shawn Jackson 

  • 5th Annual Fun Run - Wednesday 10/21 from 9:00 AM to 9:45 AM (Rain date 10/28): Support and cheer on students and staff as they run, walk, or stroll around the Ward Field! More information and the sign-up link are below.

  • Fall Spooktacular - Sunday 11/1, 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 opportunity descriptions below! Many thanks to 2nd grade parent Kerry Reynolds for her creativity in bringing this event to life for another year.

  • Movie Night - Monday 11/2 at 5 PM (Rain date 11/10): Save the date for an outdoor movie under the stars! Wear your pajamas! Dress warmly! Bring blankets and lawn chairs! Open to all Ward Families and Neighbors/Guests. Tickets: $10 per person or $40 per family. Concessions and pizza will be available for purchase. Click here to purchase tickets and learn more. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the graduating fifth-grade class activities.

  • Boston College Football Ward Family Fun Night: Saturday 11/7: Save the date! Tickets cost $30 each and are limited—text Dan Rubin at 978-273-3436 for details and to purchase via Venmo.

- Elizabeth Loehr + Elizabeth Weinberg, Ward PTO Co-Presidents 2024-26 & Jenn Epstein, Ward PTO Co-President 2026-28 

Thank you again to the many families who signed up for volunteer roles in the spring. We still have open positions and are always happy to discuss volunteer opportunities and help you find one that matches your interests, schedule, and availability. There’s truly something for everyone! Feel free to browse available opportunities here. If you still have something you are interested in that is full, please reach out - we are always happy to have more volunteers!

We are especially looking for volunteers to help with the following roles:

  • Room Parents: We’re still looking for room parents for the following classrooms: KCM, 3K, and 4M. Room parents help support classroom teachers and keep families connected throughout the year. 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 and get involved in the PTO. Please sign up here.

Room Parent Sign Up

  • Library Volunteers: Support our librarian, Krystal Powers, with shelving and checking in books! Sign up here.

  • 3rd Grade Potluck Host: These casual adults-only gatherings are a great opportunity for families to connect, meet others in their child’s grade, and spend time together outside of the school day. This is the only grade without a host! If you’re interested, please reach out to copresidents@wardpto.org.

  • Staff Room Restock: If you are able, please consider donating individually packaged snacks, seltzer, or soda at any time. Every contribution is greatly appreciated and helps give our wonderful teachers and staff a little boost during their busy days! You can drop off donations in the front office. Thank you!

  • As we start planning for the 2026-27 school year, we are looking for a few specific volunteer roles*:

  • PTO Treasurer (Fall 2027 to Spring 2029): Help oversee the PTO’s finances by managing the budget, tracking income and expenses, coordinating reimbursements, and handling required tax filings and financial reporting throughout the year.

Please email us directly with any questions.

The Ward Fun Run! Wednesday, October 21st, 2026, from 9–10 AM

Support and cheer on students and staff as they run, walk, or stroll around Ward Field! This is a fun Ward event that everyone looks forward to! We are looking for volunteers to help set up, distribute water, and give high-fives! Sign up here! We always love seeing so many parents attend this event.

SIGN-UP TO VOLUNTEER

Please Join Us for an Outdoor Movie Under the Stars at Ward School Field!

Monday, November 2, 2026 (There is no school on Tuesday, 11/3! Rain Date: 11/10)

Tickets: $10 per person or $40 per family 
Time: 5:00 PM - Concessions and Pizza
5:30 PM - Movie begins
Details:  Wear your pajamas! Dress warmly!
Bring blankets and lawn chairs! Open to all Ward Families and Neighbors/Guests

Movie:  TBD, but it will be appropriate for Grades K-5

Pizza & concessions will be available for purchase the night of!

Get Tickets Here!

The Annual Fall Spooktacular! Sunday, November 1st, 2026, from 2–4 PM

We are so excited for our upcoming WARD Fall Spooktacular! Join our school community for a memorable event that is fun for the whole family!

Volunteers Needed:

  • Cider Donuts & Drinks

  • Face Painting

  • Temporary Tattoos

  • Music/Karaoke Station

  • Art Project

  • Craft Station

  • Games Table

  • Sac Races

  • Estimation Table

Even if you can only volunteer for half the event, your help would make a huge difference. These events can’t happen without our fantastic community's support, and every bit of time you give helps the kids have a wonderful experience. Please review the available slots below and click the button to sign up. Thank you so much for your support—we couldn’t do it without you!

SIGN-UP TO VOLUNTEER
ORDER HERE

There's still time to sign up for the NCE classes!

Newton Community Education (NCE) offers after-school classes, making it a great way to inspire or support your child's interests through affordable, quality programs. Enrollment is limited. Sign up today! Classes start the week of September 14th.

These are on-site at Ward, so your child will be escorted to their NCE class as soon as school lets out. Your child can still attend the Ward After-School Program and take an NCE class. Just email Donna to let her know!

Early Release Day Adventures:

These are exceptionally helpful if you need childcare coverage on the NPS early release days!

Sign up for classes here
Learn more

Upcoming Event Highlights

Sign up for Halloween Window Painting!

Calling all Newton students in grades 3-8: Registration for Halloween Window Painting 2026 is now open! The event takes place on Saturday October 24 (raindate Sunday October 25). This year's event is a contest—winning painters will be chosen in each of our seven participating villages, but we celebrate every painter's work! Sign up for your spot today. Click here for more information and to register.

Paint your window, then join the party!

Once your window is complete, head to Newton Highlands for Newton’s Halloween Party, from 2–8 p.m. Come in costume and enjoy live music, dancing, circus fun, trick-or-treating and lots more Halloween spirit!   We hope to see all of our window painters at the party!  Click here for party details.

CUB SCOUTS PACK 210
Who:  Boys and girls grades K-5
When:  Tuesday, Sept 15, 6-7:30pm
Where: Carroll Center for the Blind, Tech Center, 770 Centre St in Newton Centre
What:  Kick-off Meeting with Magician and Frozen treats!Pack 210 (Friends of Hemlock Gorge) has an exciting year of activities planned including camping, hiking, Pinewood Derby, outdoor activities, community service, and overnights. We are a strong and active Pack; Scouts have a monthly Den meeting on the 1st or 3rd Thursday of the month, and we have additional fun events every month on weekends for those who would like to participate. Join to learn more at our Kickoff Meeting – we will have an entertaining magician as we connect with new friends and old, followed by parent Q&A and allergy-friendly frozen treats (pls reach out with food allergy questions).
If you cannot make our KO meeting, please join for our first Pack Hike on Saturday, Sept 19 at 1pm, at Cold Spring Park - old and new members invited!  Please email Kevin newtoncubscoutspack210@gmail.com with questions https://www.pack210newton.org/

Penguin Coding - Newton Half-Day Program

We’re happy to share that we will be offering half-day programs in Newton! The program will take place Wednesday’s from 1:00-3:30PM and includes:

  • Free play

  • LEGO robotics

  • Coding projects

  • Flexible enrollment

  • $100 enrollment fee per afternoon

Whether you want to attend every week or just once a month, sign up here.

Please reach out to us by emailing copresidents@wardpto.org

Ward Elementary PTO Newton, MA
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ForWard 9.13.26