ForWard 5.3.26
From the Co-Presidents:
Dear Ward Families,
Thank you to everyone who came out to volunteer for our Community Gardening Day. Your time, energy, and enthusiasm made a meaningful difference, and it was wonderful to see so many families working side by side to support our school. This event would not have been possible without the incredible efforts of Jessie Jackson and Katie Shearer, a truly outstanding team who helped bring everything together so seamlessly. We are also so grateful to our Gardening Chair, Sara O’Connor, for providing the beautiful new flowers that have added such vibrant pops of color across the school grounds. Because of all of you, our school is looking brighter and more welcoming than ever. It was inspiring to see our community come together, and we hope you feel proud every time you pass by the gardens you helped create. Thank you again for your support and dedication!
As you may have seen in an email earlier this week, we are piloting a new, streamlined way to order back-to-school supplies. It’s quick and easy for families—just click the link and select your child’s grade for the fall—and it ensures teachers receive high-quality, name-brand supplies, organized and ready before the school year begins. We’re hopeful this new process will be a true win-win for both families and teachers! Order by July 1. Supplies arrive and are classroom-ready in mid-August.
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4-8, and it’s a special time for us to recognize the dedication, creativity, and care our teachers bring to the classroom every single day. Their commitment to our children’s growth—both academically and personally—helps shape a positive and inspiring school environment. Throughout the week, we’ll be celebrating our incredible teachers with small tokens of gratitude and thoughtful gestures to show how much they mean to our community.
Here is this week’s schedule of events:
Monday - Kindergarten families stock the kitchen
Tuesday - Staff Bagel Breakfast
Wednesday- Staff lunch
Thursday - Staff coffee cart
Friday - Consider sending a note of thanks and help your child create a card
There’s still time to purchase Mystery Dinner tickets, which are available through May 8th. Thank you, as always, for showing up to support our school—this truly is a night you won’t want to miss. Don’t forget to line up your babysitters now, as this is an adult-only event. We can’t wait to see you on Saturday, May 16!
As always, please reach out to us at copresidents@wardpto.org with your 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 2024-27
Upcoming Events
Mystery Dinner - Saturday, May 16th - Our signature spring fundraiser is right around the corner! Invitations have gone home, and tickets are available online—hope you’ll join us for this special night.
Internet Safety PTO Coffee Meeting - Friday, May 22 - Join us in the library at 8:30. The PTO will provide coffee as we listen to the expertise and experience of fifth-grade teacher Mark Tugwell and NPS Resource Officer Isaiah guide us through a data-driven session on what happens when we give young people phones and how to keep them safe online.
Ward Family Fun at Fenway - Saturday, May 23 - There are just a few tickets left! Grab your peanuts and Cracker Jacks because we’re heading back to Fenway! Join us for an afternoon of baseball as the Boston Red Sox take on the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, May 23rd at 4:10 PM. Information on how to buy tickets is below!
Upcoming CAS Events (Your PTO donations are going to work!)
May 14th - Scott Magoon, author visit (K and Grade 1)
June 2 - Rob Buyea, author visit (Grade 5)
June 11 - Techsploration (Grade 3)
June 17 - All-school assembly featuring violinist Adrian Anantawan
As a reminder, Creative Arts and Sciences (CAS) is our biggest PTO spend item and accounts for about 1/3 of our budget. Through CAS and your donations, we’re able to bring up to 3 programs to each grade level each year. Think of these programs as enriching in-school field trips that are tied to the curriculum. Huge thank-you to our Ward families for all your support, and to our CAS volunteers (Anita He, Ceri Evans, Chloe Comins, Jessica Harkiewicz, and Jaclyn Rubin) for coordinating and planning these events.
We’re always looking to grow and welcome new voices into the PTO—whether that’s stepping into a role down the line, shadowing a current board member, or simply getting more involved in ways that fit your schedule. If you’re curious or want to learn more, we’d love to connect!
We’re also currently looking for support with the following role:
Teacher Appreciation Committee – Coordinate bi-monthly staff appreciation efforts (such as restocks and/or breakfasts) and help organize Teacher Appreciation Week in partnership with the PTO board.
Ward Auction Committee - We’re looking for an additional volunteer to help organize and upload items to our online platform—and we’d love your ideas and creativity to help make this fundraiser a success! The process is very straightforward, and it’s a great way to support the PTO while working closely with the board.
PTO Treasurer - This board position manages PTO funds, tracks expenses, and helps ensure transparent financial reporting. We’re planning ahead and looking for a treasurer for Fall 2027–Spring 2029, with training beginning in Spring 2027.
Ward Garden Committee: Do you enjoy gardening, getting your hands dirty, or having an excuse to get outside? If so, this is the committee for you! The Garden Committee is looking for new members to help, and no experience is necessary. Some responsibilities include garden maintenance and helping with the Spring Planting days (where each grade gets to plant something in the garden!) Please reach out to the Garden Chair, Sara O’Connor, here to learn more!
250th Anniversary Salute to Service Parade - Newton’s annual parade will take place this year on Sunday, May 17th at 3 pm. Mayor Laredo is encouraging schools to participate by marching or creating floats to expand community involvement and honor those who have served. We are reaching out to see if anyone would be interested in organizing and leading our Ward community to do this. See more information below.
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!
Lost & Found Volunteers
If you are willing to assist with the bagging, laundering, and donation of the remaining items, please email brogadirr@newton.k12.ma.us
Parents: please take a moment to check the lost and found for any of your children's items before they are donated!
We have only 6 Red Sox tickets left! We will sell out, don’t wait!
Grab your peanuts and Cracker Jack because we’re heading back to Fenway! Join us for an afternoon of baseball as the Boston Red Sox take on the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, May 23rd at 4:10 PM.
Seats: Right Field Box – $65 each
Transportation: You’re on your own—carpool, Uber, or take the T
Limited tickets available – don’t wait! If interested, text Kevin Woo at 857-472-1092 and send payment via Venmo.
Newton Community Education (NCE) at Ward School — School Year 2026-2027
We are happy to announce a 10% Early Bird discount for families who enroll for the whole year 26/27 (all 3 sessions) before June 1st. To take advantage of this discount, please call the NCE office at 617-559-6999 to enroll.
Session Dates:
Fall: 9/14 -12/18
Winter: 1/11 - 3/26
Spring: 3/29 -6/11
No classes held on holidays and early release days (9/29, 10/27, 12/3, 2/4, 3/18) and 5/6/27 (make-up day). NCE plans to run all clubs for the entire 26-27 school year. You can now enroll your child for the whole year (all 3 sessions: Fall/Winter/Spring):
To ensure the club runs successfully throughout the year, we need an upfront commitment from the families. The minimum number of enrolled families depends on the club (see below)
You can also sign up for the individual sessions (depending on space availability)
STEAM Clubs with CinemaKidz will be offered for the whole year, with 3 different options:
Adventures in Animation (Fall session)
Creative Filmmaking (Winter session)
Pokémon Movie Adventures (Spring session)
For more information about CinemaKidz, please visit their website and watch the YouTube video:
Destination Imagination will be offered for the whole school year (no individual sessions). More info about Destination Imagination can be found on their website:
A Zoom info session for interested parents will be held in early May
Tuition is $1860. Payment plan
Beginner Chess Club with Santiago will run: Fall session: 9/17- 12/11; Winter session: 1/28 - 3/25; Spring session: 4/2 - 6/11
Dungeons and Dragons will run the whole year with five, 5-week sessions. Tuition for each session is $300.
Session 1 - 9/17-10/15
Session 2 - 10/29-12/10
Session 3 - 1/14 - 2/25
Session 4 - 3/11 - 4/15
Session 5 - 4/29 - 6/3
Questions? Email Monika with any questions.
NCE Summer Camps and 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!
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.
Bring the Energy to Newton’s Salute to Service Parade!
We’re looking for community groups and teams ready to bring music, movement, color, and fun to the
streets in Newton.
We’d love to hear from:
Dance troupes
Youth and adult sports teams
Drumlines, bands, and music performers
Cheer squads and spirit teams
Costumed characters and mascots
Cultural groups and community organizations
...and anyone with a creative idea to help make the parade unforgettable!
If your group can march, perform, dance, play, cheer, or entertain, we want you to be part of this year’s
walking and rolling 2-mile celebration. All entries should feature a patriotic theme in keeping with the
spirit of the event as we come together to honor those who have served our country. You can tow a float
as you walk, march, or dance your way down the parade route.
Participants will meet at 2:15pm at Newton City Hall for the 3pm kickoff, and finish at Coletti-Magni Park
by 5pm.
Email Cluc@newtonma.gov with your ideas and to learn how your group can join the parade lineup!
Join us on Saturday, May 9, 2026 as we come together to run, remember, and celebrate Meghan--a daughter, sister, teammate, and bright light in so many lives. Last year, the first annual Meghan's 5K, was a beautiful day with almost over 400 volunteers and participants, who showed up to support their community, and overall - enjoy a day of Meghan's light and laughter.
We hope this year, more than ever, our community shows up - to support one another, to honor Meghan, and be part of something bigger than ourselves. Whether you run, walk, volunteer, or simply come to cheer others on, your presence means everything. Register or donate now! Let's run for Meghan!
Upcoming Event Highlights
Volunteer at Service Stars - Early Release Day
On Thursday, May 7, Service Stars is hosting an Early Release Program Toy Sort for Newton Neighbors.
Students will help collect, sort, and prepare toys for local families in need, while learning about the importance of community service and generosity.
Spots are limited; please register in advance here.
Newton’s Earth Day Festival - May 3, 12 pm-3:30 pm
Join us for Newton’s Annual Earth Day Festival, a celebration of all things green for the whole family! Groove to live music and savor delicious food while discovering countless ways to make a positive impact. Explore booths hosted by local businesses and nonprofits, offering guidance on everything from going solar and choosing electric vehicles to home insulation and composting.
Next Play Newton Youth Basketball Clinic
Registration is now open for a co-ed small-group basketball skills clinic led by Brody Ryan, a basketball coach and school adjustment counselor at Newton South High School. This spring, the program will serve students in grades 3–5, emphasizing skill development, confidence-building, and fostering a positive, structured environment for young athletes to thrive. For additional details and registration, please visit here.
Location: Newton South High School
Dates/times: Wednesdays & Fridays, 6-7pm
ActiveMinds Tutoring
April Tutoring: Nurturing Growth, Harvesting Success
Over 15 years of providing tutoring for all academic subjects, studying skills, and standardized test prep (SAT/ACT, ISEE, SSAT). Contact ActiveMinds to learn more about our personalized plans with experienced tutors. 617.227.2225 | learnmore@activemindstutoring.com| http://www.activemindstutoring.com/
Bright Pearl Academy
Join the Bright Pearl Academy family! This enrichment after-school programs and summer camps offer the perfect balance of academic excellence and creative expression for your child, providing an all-in-one home for families that features immersive Mandarin language, Singapore Math, and professional dance training in both ballet and Chinese dance. In our vibrant, year-round environment, we focus on building your child's confidence and love for learning, even offering carpool and transportation assistance to help support your busy schedule. Secure your spot today by visiting us at 61 Chestnut St, West Newton, MA 02465 or online at www.brightpearlacademy.com.
Please reach out to us by emailing copresidents@wardpto.org