ForWard 2.11.24
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, Feb 13
Ward Winter Chorus & Instrumental Concert
Thursday, Feb 15
Parents Night Out
Monday, Feb 19
No school
Friday, March 1 - 8:30 - 9:15am
Principal Coffee - Learn about ELL Curriculum
Saturday, May 4
Spring Mystery Dinner
Friday, May 31
Ward School Night at Fenway Park
See all events on our Calendar
News
From the Co-Presidents
We enjoyed seeing all the students back at school this past week embodying the school spirit and hope everyone had a good return to school. We are happy to resume our weekly newsletters and have some exciting activities planned for the weeks ahead, so get your calendars out!
The backbone of our PTO are the parents and family members that are so incredibly generous with their time and talents. Our mission, ForStudents, ForFamilies, ForWard, takes many hands to accomplish and we are so lucky every year to collaborate with many of you. It is time now to plan for the 2024-2025 school year and we need your help! Please consider volunteering in the year ahead. We have SO many different types of opportunities and ALL of these roles are critical to our success.
It is important to note that we are actively seeking a Co-President (or two!) and Treasurer for school years 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. Kristin has been the Treasurer for Ward PTO for 3 years and we want to express our sincere gratitude to her for her expertise and dedication to our community. Rashi is completing her 2-year term and Bryan is looking forward to collaborating with a (few) new co-presidents in his second year. We would like to identify co-presidents and treasurer soon so that we can support a seamless transition. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to copresidents@wardpto.org - we look forward to connecting!
Thank you for your continued support of Ward PTO. It takes a village and we love this village!
Rashi & Bryan
Ward PTO Co-Presidents
Parents Night Out
Calling all parents! It's time to take a break and have a night to yourselves. Join us for Parents Night Out at Baramor (45 Union St in Newton Centre) this Thursday at 7:30PM to have a drink with old friends and meet some new ones. For any questions, please contact Keren Wainger or Elizabeth Loehr
Ward Book Fair
Thanks to the incredible efforts of parent volunteers, we are in the process of rescheduling the Scholastic Book Fair for March. Please stay tuned for details.
State of the Schools - Discussion between City Council and School Committee members
The City Council will meet jointly with the School Committee in a hybrid meeting, joined by Mayor Fuller, Chief of Operations Jonathan Yeo, Chief Financial Officer Maureen Lemieux, Superintendent Anna Nolin and Assistant Superintendent Liam Hurley on Monday, February 12, 2024 at 7:00 pm in City Council Chambers - see Zoom link and Agenda
Here are some ways to follow when School Committee and City Council meetings are happening:
Local news website Fig News Upcoming Meetings webpage
School Committee website (right hand column showing schedule, links to agenda, relevant documents)
City of Newton Electronic Posting Board
City of Newton Calendar (e.g., filter by City Council)
Newton City Council meeting archives, etc. including links to dockets, action, etc.
Here is a way to access meeting recordings if you can't make them live: NewTV YouTube Channel A trick is to click on the "Live" tab and it's mostly ordered by most recent.
Newton SEPAC: Special Education Transition to Middle School Presentation
All parents of 5th grade students receiving special education services (IEP/504 plans) are welcome to attend a Zoom on February 15 from 7:30-8:30pm hosted by Newton SEPAC (passcode: sepac) about the transition to middle school process. You can read our general information handout here: https://1drv.ms/w/s!Aqwhq2Ph_7JAvR3j0KSiuE4-kLwO
If you have any questions, please contact SEPAC member Kim Gallaugher at momofiggy@hotmail.com
Topic: SEPAC Transition to Middle School
Time: Feb 15, 2024 07:30 PM Eastern Time
Join Zoom Meeting : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7967420402?pwd=d1RhRlZsVmk3WEtFdUJkbmY0ZUk0UT09&omn=89869885368
Meeting ID: 796 742 0402 Passcode: sepac
Spring Mystery Dinner
Save the date for the Ward mystery dinner! This is an adults only event and the most fun you’ll ever have as an elementary school parent/caregiver! If you are interested in hosting appetizers, a dinner or dessert please let us know. Appetizers and dessert are 75-125 ppl. Dinners are 8-15 people. This event is made possible by the generosity of our hosts! It’s a wonderful way to meet and get to know our Ward community. Sign up to host! Questions? Emily Derr (emilyjderr@gmail.com) or Betsy Blazar (betsyblazar@gmail.com)
Ward School Night at Fenway Park
Link to buy tickets (pricing goes up on March 1): https://fevo-enterprise.com/Ward24.
Community Notes & Announcements
Public Speaking & Debate Summer Camps in Newton, Lexington, and Acton (Rising Grades 4-10)
Give your child the opportunity to meet new friends, develop critical thinking skills, and practice their public speaking in a fun, low-pressure learning environment!
Public Speaking Confidence
Body Language and Tone
Fun Games and Activities!
Outdoor Activities and Sports!
Lumos teaches debate through fun games and activities that students love. And the instructors are friendly, warm, and great at making public speaking exciting! Please register quickly as we typically sell out and need to move students to the waitlist. Earlybird discounts up to $300 off. Choose your dates and register now at: LumosDebate.com
Please let us know if you have any questions!
And please continue to follow the PTO on instagram @wardelementary_pto