From the Co-Presidents:

Dear Ward Families,

Can you believe it’s already February? The school year is progressing quickly, and we hope our families are staying safe and warm as winter settles in and the snowy landscape becomes a familiar part of our days. As we move deeper into the season, we’re also approaching an exciting milestone—February 13th will mark the 100th day of school. This is an opportunity to reflect on how much our students have learned and grown so far this year. As always, the PTO remains dedicated to supporting our students, staff, and the school community, and we appreciate your ongoing involvement.

International Night is coming up next month on Thursday, March 26th from 5:30-7PM in the gym. This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the amazing diversity here at Ward. We are looking for volunteers to host a table to represent their country - whether this means having a poster with information, sharing a tradition or game, or bringing food. This can look however you’d like! If you are interested, please sign up here or email our wonderful International Night Chair Cristina Garcia at cristina@wardpto.org for more information. Thank you so much to those who have already signed up!

As always, please reach out to 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

Upcoming Events

School Spirit Week - February 9-13th
Making Sense of Student Data - Monday, February 9, at 6:30-8 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). Target Audience: K-5; the Star report overview may also be helpful to parents in grades 6-9. Need information on how to read the recent Star Reports and progress reports, and what they mean? Join us for Parent Academy Education Sessions, run jointly by the Offices of Teaching and Learning, Elementary Education, and Family Engagement. Bring questions for this interactive session!
School Committee Meetings - 6:30-9:30 PM - 3/9, 3/16, 3/23. You can join in person at 100 Walnut St. or via Zoom.
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 a community event and is a great way to build connections throughout Ward.

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: This every other year tradition is back in March! We hope you’ll consider hosting a table to showcase your culture. 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. Sign up to host a country here! Questions? Reach out to Cristina Garcia at cristina@wardpto.org.
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!

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 Spring 2028.

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

Interest Form

Upcoming Event Highlights

The Dragon King marionette show at Newton Community Stage

Newton Community Events & Programs offers a special performance by The Tanglewood Marionettes of the Dragon King. The show will run at the new Newton Community Stage at Lincoln-Eliot School on Tuesday, February 17, at 11 am. It features colorful sea creatures, an exciting adventure, and all the visual splendor that audiences have come to expect from a Tanglewood Marionettes production. Please join us there—it's great fun for all ages! For more information or to reserve your tickets, click here.

Trivia Night to Benefit Newton Schools Foundation

Friday, March 13, 2026 7 pm to 10:30 pm at the American Legion Nonantum Post 440, 295 California St., Newton. $45 per person - $270 for a team of 6. Participants must be at least 21 years old. Doors open at 7 pm for socializing, snacks, and refreshments (cash bar) with multiple rounds of entertaining, interactive, and challenging trivia hosted by Games with James to follow. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams.

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 2.8.26