ForWard 2.23.25
From the Co-Presidents:
We sincerely hope that everyone enjoyed a wonderful February Vacation filled with joy and memorable experiences! It’s hard to believe that we have already reached the halfway mark of this school year.
Kindergarten & 2nd Grade have their Morning Meet Up in the Library with teachers from 8-8:30 on Thursday, March 6. This will be an informal opportunity to mingle with both teachers and parents. We look forward to seeing you there!
Please save the date for the our next in-person PTO meeting on Tuesday, April 1st from 8:30-9:30 in the library. We will be joined by Superintendent Anna Nolin and member(s) of the School Committee. Please come prepared with any questions you have - this will largely be a Q&A style format. If you aren't able to attend but have some questions you’d liked ask, please email us at copresidents@wardpto.org. We will see you there!
The Ward Spirit Store received a total of 52 orders, amounting to 124 items! This generated $538 for the PTO. Thank you to everyone who made a purchase—we can’t wait to see you showing off your new gear! We will contact you within the next week or two with information on how to pick up your order at a designated time before school and during pick-up at school or After School dismissal.
If your child/children are missing any items (clothing, water bottles, etc.), please check Ward’s lost and found, which is located in the school’s foyer.
We are truly grateful to everyone who has donated to the Annual Fund. We raised $9,266! Thank you!! If anyone would like, you can still make a last-minute donation via check to Ward PTO or Venmo to @WardPTO. We have two upcoming fundraisers - the Teacher Raffle in March and the Mystery Dinner in May. Thank you to Caitlin Cusick and Betsy Blazar for coordinating the Teacher Raffle and Emily Derr and Betsy Blazar for leading the Mystery Dinner.
Please note that the 1st grade meet-up in the library was cancelled due to the snow day. We hope to reschedule this and will share more information once we have it.
As we look ahead to next year, we’d love to have additional voices join us on the PTO Board as Fundraising Chair, Parent Volunteer Coordinator and Secretary. If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out. We’d love to hear from you and chat more. As always, please email us anytime at copresidents@wardpto.org with your ideas, questions, concerns, or ways we can help.
- Elizabeth Loehr + Elizabeth Weinberg, Ward PTO Co-Presidents 2024-26
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION FOR 2025-26
Ward is already planning for the next school year. Your child must turn five on or before August 31, 2025, to join the kindergarten class in September 2025.
If you have an incoming kindergartener, please inform us by completing THIS FORM. Please also forward it to neighbors who may be sending a child to kindergarten next year.
Save the Date: On the evening of Monday, February 27th, 2025, NPS will hold a virtual information session for families NEW to the Newton Public Schools.
For more information about the kindergarten registration process, please click HERE.
Upcoming Creative Arts and Sciences (CAS) Programming:
March 7th - 4th Grade: Taiko Drum
March 11th - 2nd Grade: A Day in Ghana
March 13th - 1st Grade: Mass Audobon - Wild Adaptations (Birds of Prey)
March 23rd - 1st Grade: Author Visit - Emilie Boon
May 5th - 3rd Grade: Origamido
June 6th - 3rd & 5th Grade: Techsploration
Volunteers Needed
Girls on the Run (GOTR), Date TBD: This non-profit program serves girls in grades 3-8 to build self-confidence and increase physical activity too, Participants will complete a celebratory 5K run. We are looking for a volunteer (or two!) to become a coach. Seasons run for 8-9 weeks. For more information, reach out to us at copresidents@wardpto.org.
As a coach, you will:
Receive all the tools and support you need to lead interactive and easy-to-follow lessons with your co-coaches
Help girls grow their confidence, stand up for themselves, and give back to their communities
Help to transform and strengthen the next generation of girls
Experience the positive impacts yourself!
Ward Community Day (Sponsored by NewtonSERVES), May 4: We need a volunteer (or two!) to lead our annual Ward Community Day (Sponsored by NewtonSERVES). This position requires coordinating materials with the City of Newton and will help to organize the event. For more information, check out the NewtonSERVES website or email elizabethweinberg@wardpto.org with any questions.
Attention 5th Grade Parents: Would you like to see some more great events for your Bigelow student in the next school year? Volunteering with the PTO is a great way to enhance your student’s middle school experience while meeting other parents and building a stronger school connection.
It is time to start to planning for the 2025-26 school year! We are actively recruiting for several positions that will be open next year as 8th grade families move on from Bigelow. Now is the ideal time to volunteer as overlap with current volunteers will make for an easy transition. In particular, we would like to identify volunteers for the following:
President/Co-President Lead and support the team, preside over PTO meetings, serve as primary contact and representative of the PTO.Communications/Website Send weekly PTO newsletters and other communications. Maintain PTO website. **Training available from current volunteer!**
In addition to the positions highlighted above, there are many other ways to get involved in the PTO. Please email bigelowbulldog@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering or learning more about any of the opportunities to become involved with the Bigelow PTO. Co-volunteers welcome!
Upcoming Event Highlights
Newton Community Education Classes! Are you looking for fun and enriching activities for your child after school? NCE has three classes that will take place at Ward:
Check out their full schedule here!
New Art Center is offering a Creative Connections class in the New Year! This class is facilitated by a registered art therapist and begins with a warm-up game to facilitate peer connections, followed by creative/collaborative artmaking and closing with a compliment circle. The last session culminates in a parent-child artmaking and sharing experience! We operate this program on a sliding scale so that the cost of tuition is not a barrier to any students.
If you are interested, please click here to sign up or share with a friend.
Newton Girls Lacrosse Registration has been dedicated to providing Newton lacrosse players and their families a community based developmental lacrosse program since 1999. The program delivers a fun, safe and inclusive youth sports environment. The goal of this instructional program is to teach our players sportsmanship, lacrosse skills, core lacrosse elements (attacking, defending, transition) as well as to provide a space for building new friendships with players from across Newton. Our program is open to players in grades 1-8. Please note, our program offers financial assistance to families that have a need for some financial support. Before you register please email ngl.program@gmail.com and the Program Director will follow up with you. A large part of our program relies on parent coaching volunteers. We will train you! If you would like to coach with us we offer a 50% Discount on one child's registration. Use 2025COACH at checkout.
Newton Youth Lacrosse Spring 2025 Registration. Learn to play North America’s oldest team sport and the fastest game on two feet! Newton Youth Lacrosse 2025 season registration is now open! NYL is a town-based program teaching and playing boys' lacrosse. We field teams at Grades 1/2, 3/4, 5/6 and 7/8. NO PRIOR LACROSSE EXPERIENCE is NECESSARY – we welcome new players at EVERY level! Our season runs from March through early June, with practices twice a week with volunteer and professional coaches and games on Sundays against local towns.
Learn more about our program and the sport of lacrosse on our website and follow us on Instagram at @newtonlax !
Please contact us with any questions about the program or to be connected with a current NYL parent: registrar@newtonyouthlacrosse.com
Ward Community Day (Sponsored by NewtonSERVES) is May 4. This is an AMAZING event where Ward families work to clean and beautify our school grounds. It is truly a great way for students and families to give back, meet other families, and make a difference!
Mystery Dinner will be on Saturday, May 10. Please save the date and get those babysitters lined up!! And while it’s still 6 months away, it’s never too early to let us know you may be interested in hosting :). If you’re new to Ward, go to our website or email us with any questions about what this fun adults-only community event and fundraiser entails. More to come!
Please reach out to us by emailing copresidents@wardpto.org