ForWard 4.6.25
From the Co-Presidents:
As you can see, our PTO calendar is becoming increasingly busy with events as we approach the end of the school year. We have been actively planning these gatherings while staying informed about the Newton Public School FY26 Budget Crisis. If you are unfamiliar with this important issue, please review this informative page on our website.
We are grateful to the over 50 parents, guardians, and staff members who attended our Tuesday PTO/Superintendent/School Committee meeting at Ward. Though we may be a small school, our presence was certainly felt. It was inspiring to see our community come together.
We proudly watched superstar Keren Waigner advocate to the School Committee on Wednesday night. That evening, the School Committee voted 6-3 in favor of Superintendent Dr. Anna Nolin’s proposed budget (with the exception of a contingency for K aides and title grants). But, this does not mean NPS has yet secured the funding required to enact this FY26 budget and it will still need to be approved by Mayor Fuller. Our very own Alicia Piedalue, recently sworn in as our School Committee representative, made this motion! This was a win, but the fight is far from over, and will next go to City Hall.
We will continue to keep you updated on this situation, as it directly affects our children’s educational future, because the budget will implicitly affect our school. In the meantime, here are some actions you can take to make an impact:
1. Attend a School Committee Meeting.
2. Write or call the City Council to express your support for the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget and urge them to approve it.
3. Write or call the Mayor to advocate for an increased allocation to Newton Public Schools to support the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget.
4. Talk to your neighbors and friends, especially those without students in the Newton Public Schools. Only 30% of Newton voters have children enrolled at NPS, and many who don’t have students may not be aware of this issue.
Your involvement is crucial!
Additionally…
Last Thursday, third-grade parents met with Mrs. Kaplan and Mrs. Beaulieu-Jones for an informal meet-up in the library. Thank you to all the parents who attended!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Teacher Raffle! We appreciate your continued generosity and the many teachers and staff who donated their most precious commodity, time, to support our school! We raised almost $5000 to put towards important PTO initiatives. All winners have now been notified. If you have any questions, please contact Caitlin Cusick at caitcusick@gmail.com. Special thanks to Caitlin Cusick and Betsy Blazer for their incredible hard work in making this fundraising event happen.
Calling All Mystery Dinner Hosts!! The Mystery Dinner is only two months away, and we can’t wait!! We are looking for volunteers to host dinner parties of 8-12 at their homes. This is a fun community event and one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, made possible thanks to our generous and fun volunteers. Please visit our website for more information or to volunteer to host.
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
Digital Wellness for Kids Book Club
Join us for Part 2 of the Ward digital wellness discussion. This session will explore resources, share experiences, and discuss strategies to empower kids to thrive online. Topics will include open communication, setting boundaries, digital safety resources, and balancing the benefits and risks of technology. We will also reference ideas and strategies discussed in Part 4 of "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt. Reading the book or having attended the first meeting is optional.
If interested in participating, please email keren.wainger@gmail.com
Meeting Details:
Date: Thursday, April 10th
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Ward Parents’ house (address will be shared when you RSVP)
Potluck style - Bring something to nibble or sip on
Discussion Focus: This meeting will discuss part 4 of the book.
We are looking forward to a great discussion!
Anjolie Laubach and Keren Wainger
The Annual Mystery Dinner will be on Saturday, May 10th.
We are looking for host families to make this night a success! Please visit our website for more information or to volunteer to host. Or email us with any questions about what this fun, adults-only community event and fundraiser entails. This is THE event of the year. Please save the date and get those babysitters lined up!! Thank you in advance to Betsy Blazar and Emily Derr for leading this incredible event!
Ward Community Day (Sponsored by NewtonSERVES)
Ward Community Day (Sponsored by NewtonSERVES) is May 4! It is an AMAZING event where Ward families work to clean and beautify our school grounds. It is a great way for students and families to give back, meet other families, and make a difference! This is a fun family event; we need our entire community to help! Past efforts at Ward have included clearing debris and spreading mulch, trimming branches, tidying flower beds, and adding new plantings.
This event is sponsored by NewtonServes, an annual citywide event focusing on building community through the clean-up and “greening” of public spaces. This one-day event spans many sites in Newton, and the Ward school grounds are a designated site. If you have any questions, please email us at copresidents@wardpto.org. We are so thankful for our incredible volunteers, Jessie Jackson and Mary Jo Sisk, who are chairing this event!
Girls on the Run at Ward! (GOTR) - It isn’t too late to sign up!
Girls on the Run, a 3rd-5th-grade after-school running program, has started at Ward successfully! This empowering program uses running and other fun activities to help girls build confidence, connection, and resilience. Registration is open through April 10!
The 8-week season kicked off last week and culminates with the Girls on the Run Regional Celebratory 5K at Boston Common on May 31st. Ward’s team will join over 180 teams and 2,700 girls from across Eastern Massachusetts for this exciting event!
The team will be coached by Ward parents Christina DiNardi and Aleksandra Lamont, kindergarten teacher Mrs. MacKenzie, and social worker Erin Byrne! If you have any questions, please reach out to Christina at christina@christinadinardi.com, Alexandra at Alessandra.itk@gmail.com, or our GOTR coordinator, Teresa Ferguson, at teresa.ferguson@girlsontherun.org for more information. Girls who attend after school are more than welcome to join and will be brought back to after school once practice ends.
We can't wait to see our girls run, grow, and shine this spring!
Team Details:
Grades: 3-5
Practice Days & Times: Tu/Th 3:00-4:15 PM
First Practice: Tuesday, 4/1
Celebratory 5K: 5/31 at the Boston Common!
Program Fee: Sliding Scale ($35 - $225)
Financial Assistance is always available!
Story Starters at Ward
We are hoping to offer a Story Starters program at Ward Elementary in Fall 2025. This is an incredibly meaningful program that helps families have conversations with their young kids about race and racism, using picture books as tools. The goal is to help kids become comfortable with their own and others' identities, and be mindful of how to create a more just world.
Because this is a family program, events will be scheduled when parents can participate. The two in-person family events last about 90 minutes and will be scheduled either on weekends or other times when parents can be available. The two online parent workshops will take place on weekday evenings and are also 90 minutes.
Interested in joining the program? Please fill out this form. If you have any questions, reach out to elizabethweinberg@wardpto.org
Register Now for Kindergarten 2025-26 - Don’t Delay:
Please fill out your kindergarten form as soon as possible! To join the kindergarten class in September 2025, your child must turn five years old on or before August 31, 2025. It is essential that you log on to the REGISTRATION GATEWAY now to register your child for the 2025-26 school year!
Without this information, we cannot include you in all of the related upcoming events and scheduling, and plan for classrooms for the fall!
For more information about the kindergarten registration process, please click HERE. And feel free to contact Ms. Tempesta at 617.559.6450 directly with any questions or concerns.
MA SRTS Family Transportation Survey - Deadline Extended to April 11th!
How do NPS students arrive and depart school? To improve safety for all, we would like to better understand our student transportation choices. Please complete this two-minute MA Safe Routes to School Family Travel Survey. The survey is available in 9 languages and paper copies in 9 languages can be downloaded and printed from the SRTS website or through the QR code below.
https://masaferoutessurvey.org/srtssurvey/
Once on the website, Families should choose Newton as the district and then choose their school from the drop-down menu. Please contact Stephanie Gilman at gilmans@newton.k12.ma.us with any questions.
Each school with a 50% or higher response rate will receive a prize package worth over $250 —reflective drawstring backpacks, wrist pedometers, and bike lights! Congratulations to Bigelow Middle School, which has already exceeded 50% participation in the survey.
Upcoming Creative Arts and Sciences (CAS) Programming:
May 5th - 3rd Grade: Origamido
May 21st - 4th Grade: Mitali Perkins
June 6th - 3rd & 5th Grade: Techsploration
Volunteers Needed
Ward Community Day (Sponsored by NewtonSERVES), May 4: We are so grateful for Mary Jo Sisk and Jessie Jackson, who volunteered to lead this amazing event! Please save this date to your calendar so you can join Ward families in helping clean up and beautify our school. Whether you have an hour to spare or a whole afternoon, we need as many hands as possible to help. Bring your whole family; everyone is invited! 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 students in the next school year? Volunteering with the PTO can 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 two classes that will take place at Ward:
Check out their full schedule here!
Newton’s S.P.A.C.E. (Summer Program for Academic and Creative Endeavors)
Newton’s S.P.A.C.E. is a four-week summer enrichment program run by the Newton Public Schools from July 7th through July 31st. Students entering kindergarten through 9th grade in the Fall of 2025 are eligible to attend. We offer two programs - an upper camp (entering 5th-9th grade) and a lower camp (entering kindergarten- 4th grade).
LOWER CAMP - Campers are assigned to age-appropriate classes taught by two licensed teachers. Teachers create project-based activities that focus on the theme of the lower camp. Last summer, the theme was “Summer Olympics”. Campers learned about the history, countries, cultures, and sports of the Olympics. Lower Campers will also attend various specials throughout the week led by certified staff, which include Physical Education, Yoga/Minfulness, Art and Science classes.
UPPER CAMP - Campers will create their own schedules by choosing from a variety of electives to design their own camp program. Elective choices include studio and digital arts, performing arts, athletics, STEM, music, and language arts classes.
Check out the S.P.A.C.E.website for more information or REGISTER NOW!
Questions?SPACE@newton.k12.ma.us
LigerBoxes: A STEAM Extravaganza with the LigerBots!
Ever wondered how to make magnetic slime, tie-dye milk or a robotic arm? In this fun and engaging class developed and led by members of the LigerBots, Newton's award-winning high school robotics team, get ready to explore chemistry and physics properties, conduct labs with friends, and gain a better understanding of the world we live in all through STEAM activities! Register here!
Students are welcome to join us for one, or both weeks- no prior experience or knowledge is necessary!
Grades 3-6
Angier Elementary School
August 11-15, 2025 from 9:00-12:00 pm
August 18-22, 2025 from 9:00-12:00 pm
Please reach out to Sarah Housman, Summer Program Coordinator at NCE with any questions: housmans@newton.k12.ma.us.
Newton Girls Softball: Registration is OPEN for the 2025 spring season of Newton Girls Softball. We are a warm, welcoming community open to grades K-8 for any girl interested in playing softball. Any skill level is welcome, so if you are a new (or returning) player, sign up today! Register at www.newtongirlssoftball.org. Questions? Please contact info@newtongirlssoftball.org.
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!
Please reach out to us by emailing copresidents@wardpto.org