From the Co-Presidents:

Dear Ward Families,

Happy New Year to our wonderful school community! We hope you and your families enjoyed a restful and joyful winter break, filled with memorable moments and opportunities to recharge.

As we begin 2026, we want to celebrate the remarkable strength of our community. Since September, families, teachers, and staff have united in countless meaningful ways to support our students and one another—and it truly shows. Thank you for the unwavering energy, generosity, and school spirit you share each day.

We’re excited for what’s ahead and look forward to building, growing, and celebrating together. Let’s make 2026 even more exceptional than the months behind us!

We are starting 2026 off with a PTO meeting this Thursday, January 15th at 8:30 in the cafeteria. We will be joined by Superintendent Anna Nolin, members of the School Committee, and City Councilors. Your presence demonstrates that our children’s education is our top priority and is your opportunity to ask questions, learn about NPS priorities, and hear directly from our superintendent and elected officials. We looking forward to seeing a strong Ward turnout. You showing up truly matters and makes a difference. Coffee will be provided.

Upcoming Events

Making Sense of Student Data - Monday, February 9, at 6 PM at Bigelow Middle School - Save the date for this information session, which will help parents make sense of all the data we receive on our students’ academic performance. NPS Literacy Specialists will lead these meetings and the Q&A and will bring together families from the other two schools that feed into Bigelow Middle School (Ward, Underwood, and Lincoln-Eliot). More information to come as we have it!
International Night - Thursday, March 26 - We’re excited for this every-other-year tradition to return. This is one of our most treasured Ward events and will be held indoors in the gym. We are looking for volunteers to host a table to represent their cultures. See below for more information.
Mystery Dinner - Saturday, May 16 - You don’t want to miss this fun night so be sure to get those babysitters lined up. This doubles as both a fundraiser and as a community event and is a great way to build connections throughout Ward.

Volunteer Opportunities

Ward Library Volunteers - Our wonderful librarians are looking for help shelving books in the library every Monday and Thursday from 10-10:30 AM. Please sign up here! Thank you to the many volunteers who have already signed up!
International Night - host a table! - The International Night Committee is beginning to plan and will share more details soon. In the meantime, we hope you’ll consider showcasing your culture by hosting a table. How you do so is entirely up to you - whether it’s sharing savory treats, giveaways, or finding a way to share different elements of your culture. More information to come.
Mystery Dinner Hosts - Do you love to host or know a Ward family who does? Would you be interested in hosting a dinner party for 8-16 people at your home on May 16? Reach out to Betsy Blazar (betsyblazar@gmail.com) and Emily Derr (emilyjderr@gmail.com) if you’re interested or have any questions!

As always, please reach us at copresidents@wardpto.org with any ideas, questions, concerns, or suggestions on how we can help you. You can also subscribe to our PTO calendar here.

- Elizabeth Loehr + Elizabeth Weinberg, Ward PTO Co-Presidents 2024-26

This is the final week to honor a teacher with the special winter edition of Honor Thy Teacher from Newton Schools Foundation!

Our beloved Honor Thy Teacher campaign is available for a very limited time this holiday season and is the perfect way to recognize the incredible educators and staff who make a difference every day — all while fully adhering to the Newton Public Schools gift policy.

We’re thrilled to offer this special winter edition for the first time, but it’s only available until January 15th! Don’t miss your chance to honor someone special before it ends!

NSF is a 501(c)(3) organization, so all contributions are tax-deductible. Every dollar donated to NSF, including Honor Thy Teacher, goes directly to educator-driven grants that support equity initiatives, professional learning, and innovative classroom approaches. NSF has invested over $4 million in programs that enhance teaching and learning across all Newton schools.

Celebrating 100 Years of Ward — 1928 to 2028

In 2028, our school will mark an incredible milestone: 100 years of learning, growth, and community. As we prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime celebration, we’re inviting you to play a special part.

Our centennial events will bring together students, alumni, families, and the community. To make it unforgettable, we’re building a dedicated team of volunteers and school alumni to support planning and day-of activities.

Be part of a historic milestone
Connect with other parents and staff
Help create meaningful memories for students
Show your pride in our school community

We Need Our Community. Join Us in Honoring the Legacy by filling out this form to let us know if you are interested in attending or participating in the Ward School's 100th Celebration, which will take place in June 2028.

We're currently only collecting contact information; the celebration committee will get in touch as we get closer to the event.

Interest Form

Ward School Garden Meet Ups!

Thursdays and Fridays (around pick-up) | 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

Come check out the garden, learn about the Weed of the Week, and help with whatever needs to be done! It's absolutely a "drop in when you can" activity, not a drop-off activity. Every kid needs a responsible grown-up with them.

Mystery Dinner Co-Chair: Our fabulous dynamic duo Betsy Blazar and Emily Derr will be coordinating this event this spring. Betsy Blazar will be graduating from Ward at the end of next year, so we are looking for another volunteer to be involved and learn from the best!
International Night - host a table: This every other year tradition is back this year! The International Night Committee is starting to plan and will share more details soon. In the meantime, please think about whether you would like to showcase your culture by hosting a table. How you do so is completely up to you - whether it’s sharing savory delights, intriguing giveaways, or finding a way to share different elements of your culture. More to come!

Upcoming Event Highlights

Belmont World Film 23rd Family Festival: Where Stories Come Alive!

Guided by this year’s theme, Lights, Camera, Magic!, Belmont World Film's Family Festival showcases a diverse selection of films from around the world—many making their North American or U.S. premieres—offering young audiences an immersive and culturally rich cinematic experience. It’s a wonderful way to “travel the world” during MLK Weekend and beyond without the cost or hassle of a trip.

The festival takes place at the West Newton Cinema January 17 & 18, the Brattle Theatre on Monday, January 19, the Belmont Media Center on Saturday, January 24, and the Regent Theatre on Sunday, January 25.

The majority of films are North American premieres and are adapted from or inspired by classic and contemporary children’s books—a longstanding festival hallmark. For young readers and those who struggle with reading, a professional voice-over will read subtitles aloud for films in languages other than English, creating an experience much like story time.

Children can also engage in hands-on workshops--including Learn to the Draw the Minions and Hotel Transylvania Characters and Introduction to Storyboarding for Animated Films--with this year’s Artists-in-Residence, story artist and director Dave Feiss and story artist and writer Paul McEvoy, both of whom have most recently worked on The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, as well as the Minions and Hotel Transylvania franchises and many others.

After-School & Weekends with NCE

Newton Community Education is offering fun and engaging programs for students this season, including Buildwave, Weird Science Television, Cinema Kitchen, Dungeons & Dragons, Comics & Digital Animation, Kangaroo Math, and Winter Swimming & Diving Lessons. If a club has already started, give us a call—we’ll do our best to include your child.

We're excited to announce the launch of Special Early Release Afternoon Programming at Bowen, Burr and Mason-Rice! Starting on October 28th, each club runs from 12:15-4:00 pm and features STEAM-related fun and activities.

NCE Summer Camps & Swim Lessons

2026 summer camps are now live, with offerings such as 3D Printing, Glass Art, Creative Filmmaking, Wide World of Storytelling, Art Adventures, Swim Lessons, and so much more! Families can view full camp listings and register through the new NCE Registration Portal. Scholarships are available through NCE’s Financial Assistance program

Click here to learn more and register!

If NCE is not yet at your school, email Sarah Housman at housmans@newton.k12.ma.us and we'll work with you to get clubs started!

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

ForWard 1.11.26