ForWard 10.11.26
From the Co-Presidents:
We made it through September! What a busy and wonderful start to the school year! As we settle into fall, we have so many fun Ward traditions to look forward to, including our 5th Annual Fun Run, Fall Spooktacular, and Movie Night. These events are some of our favorite opportunities to come together, connect with other families, and have fun as a community. We hope to see you there!
We also want to sincerely thank everyone who has contributed to our Annual Fund so far. Thanks to your generosity, we've raised $17,053.67 toward our $40,000 baseline fundraising goal! Your donations directly support the programs, experiences, and resources our students benefit from throughout the year. Each donation genuinely makes a difference, and we are so grateful for the support we’ve received from Ward families.
If you haven’t had a chance to contribute and would like to, you can donate here. And remember to check whether your employer offers matching gifts—it’s an easy way to double your contribution's impact. If you’d like to learn more about where PTO funds go and what your donations make possible, you can also view our fundraising and expenses slide deck here.
A huge thank you to Jaime and Matt Wluka Switkes for hosting the 1st Grade potluck on October 3rd, and to Jessie and Shawn Jackson for hosting the 5th Grade Potluck on October 6! 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:
3rd Grade Potluck - Tuesday, 10/ 20 from 6:30-8:30 PM at the home of Elizabeth Weinberg and Peter Chang
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.
Special NPS Early Release Day/NCE Adventure Option - Tuesday, 10/ 27 at 12:10 PM: If your child doesn’t attend the Ward After-School Program and you need a backup plan for this early release day, Newton Community Education (NCE) is offering a program at Ward called Early Release Adventure: Toy Factory. This awesome afternoon adventure includes time for a snack and lunch, 2 hands-on lessons, and 45 minutes of free-choice activities. Pick-up is at 4 PM. Registration can be found here.
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? Volunteer opportunity descriptions are 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.
Ward PTO Silent Auction - December 6 - December 13: Our PTO is getting ready for our upcoming Silent Auction Fundraiser, and we’re looking for donations and/or unique experiences to help make it a success! We’d love to collect items or experiences that our school community would be excited to bid on. More info can be found below!
PTO/Principal Coffee Meeting - Tentatively Save the Date for Tuesday, 11/16, at 8:30 AM: Join Mrs. Brogadir and Ward educators to discuss real-life challenges and strategies to support our children in building muscles and resilience for productive struggle.
Just a quick heads-up for anyone already thinking about holiday cards: Ward PTO has partnered with Minted this year. If you choose to order through Minted, you’ll get 20% off, and 10% of your order goes back to the PTO. Details are below for those interested.
As a reminder, you can now order Ward School Spirit Wear year-round and have it shipped directly to your home. Use this link to look at the fantastic selection of t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, hats, and more.
- 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:
Library Volunteers: Support our librarian, Krystal Powers, with shelving and checking in books! Sign up here.
Future Ward School Building Project: We are seeking parent and community volunteers to join our school building committee for the future Ward building project. We are looking to fill four positions:
School Building Committee (2 volunteers): General community representatives with knowledge of the school and surrounding neighborhood.
Design Review Committee (2 volunteers): Community representatives who have background or expertise in design and construction.
Qualifications: Reside near the school (ideally non-abutters) with knowledge of the school and local neighborhood.
Time Commitment:
Meetings: One monthly 1.5-hour evening meeting via Zoom on a Wednesday (starting very soon)
Prep Work: Review materials sent on the Friday before the meeting.
Total Time: Approximately 3–4 hours per month
If you or a neighbor is interested in helping shape the future of our school facilities, please contact Becca Brogadir, School Principal, at brogadirr@newton.k12.ma.us, to express your interest.
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.
PTO Board Members (Fall 2027 to Spring 2029): We’re looking for a few parents who would be interested in joining the PTO Board for the upcoming school year! The PTO is a great way to get involved, help support our students and teachers, and be part of our school community. No prior PTO experience is needed — just a willingness to help and share your ideas. There are a variety of ways to contribute, and we’d love to have some new faces join us! If you’re interested or would like to learn more about what’s involved, please reach out copresidents@wardpto.org We’d be happy to chat and answer any questions.
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.
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!
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!
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!
Ward PTO Silent Auction: December 6 - December 13
Our PTO is getting ready for our upcoming Silent Auction Fundraiser, and we’re looking for donations and/or unique experiences to help make it a success! We’d love to collect items or experiences that our school community would be excited to bid on. Some ideas include:
Gift cards or gift baskets
Tickets to sporting events, concerts, or shows
Restaurant or café gift certificates
Family activities or local attractions
Classes, lessons, or camps
Beauty, wellness, or fitness services
Vacation homes or weekend getaways
Special experiences or behind-the-scenes opportunities
Tickets or experiences from local businesses
Handmade items or specialty products
If you own a business, have a connection to a local business, or have an experience you’d be willing to donate, we would be incredibly grateful for your support! Every donation makes a difference and helps us raise funds to support our students, teachers, and school community. Please reach out to auction@wardpto.org if you’d like to donate something or know someone who might be interested in contributing. Please donate Silent Auction items by November 15th. Thank you so much for helping make our fundraiser a success!
The 5th Grade Community Service project has organized a drive to support the Newton Food Pantry. Donation boxes will be placed in the school's front foyer starting October 19th. PLEASE NOTE: No glass bottles or jars, oversized products, candy, chips, soda, sugary drinks, travel-size or oversized toiletries. All items must be unopened and within the expiration date.
We appreciate your support in helping our local community!
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!
Pretzel Kids® Yoga & Mindfulness (Mondays, 3 PM to 4:30 PM, 09/14-12/14, Grades K-5)
Adventures in Animation! (Tuesdays, 3 PM to 5 PM, 09/15- 12/15, Grades K-3)
Ukulele Lessons! (Tuesdays, 3 PM to 4 PM, 09/15-12/15, Grades 2-5)
Destination Imagination (Tuesdays, 3 PM to 5 PM, 9/15/26 - 6/8/27, Grades 3-5)
Chess Club: Intermediate/Advanced (Wednesdays, 12:30 PM to 2 PM, 09/16 - 12/16, Grades 1-5)
Chess: Beginner (Thursdays, 3 PM to 4:30 PM, 09/17 - 12/10, Grades K-5)
LEGO Challenges (Fridays, 12:30 PM to 2 PM, 09/18 - 12/18, Grades K-3)
Dungeons & Dragons: Ithreach Adventures, Session 1 (Thursdays, 3 PM to 5 PM, 09/17/2026 - 10/15/2026, Grades 4-5)
Dungeons & Dragons: Ithreach Adventures, Session 2 (Thursdays, 3 PM to 5:30 PM, 10/29-11/19, Grades 4-5)
Early Release Day Adventures:
These are exceptionally helpful if you need childcare coverage on the NPS early release days!
Early Release Adventures: Toy Factory: Tuesday, 10/27, 12:15 PM to 4 PM, Grades K-5
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 (rain date: 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.
Fall / Winter Newton Learn to Play Hockey
Newton Learn to Play Hockey is a fun way for kids to get on the ice, build skating skills, learn the fundamentals, make friends, and fall in love with hockey. Learn. Skate. Play. Register today and get in the game!
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