ForWard 10.17.21
Upcoming Events
Pizza Sale!
Wednesday, October 20 at 12:20
Help support the 5th grade in their fundraising efforts! $5 for a slice, a clementine and a cookie or $5 for 2 slices.
Saturday, November 6, evening
2nd Grade Parents Potluck
If you haven’t received your invitation, please email Rattna Phull at bitsyphull@gmail.com
Sunday November 7 from 2-4PM
Ward’s First Annual Fall Fest
Fall Fun for ALL!
News
From the Co-Presidents
Thank you to Jeanne Choe-Arrieta and Angela Brooks for co-chairing Ward FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) and for hosting a useful kick-off meeting Thursday night. If you were unable to attend and want to learn more please email them at angela.r.brooks@gmail.com or jeannechoe73@gmail.com.
Thank you to Ellen and Colin Murphy for hosting this weekend’s fabulous Kindergarten parent/guardian potluck. Five down and one to go, and we are thrilled with how many families have been able to participate in this fall social opportunity.
First Annual Ward Fall Fest
Mark your calendars for our newest community event! All family members are welcome to join us at Ward field on Sunday November 7th from 2-4 PM (note the slight time change due to early sunset) for festive fall fun.
5th Grade Food Drive: The 5th graders will be organizing a food drive and grocery bag decorating for the Newton Food Pantry. Look for fliers coming home with your children describing which types of food are most needed.
Chili Cook-Off: Start thinking about your best recipe! Since we live in Mass, we can be a bit “liberal” with our definition of chili, so don’t be shy - bring on the veggie, the smoky pineapple, the white turkey, or who cares…make a jambalaya or a paella! One regular sized chili batch is all that’s required. We will provide tasting cups and serving utensils. Electricity mostly likely will not be available, so please bring your chili piping hot to the event in your best, most heat-conserving container (e.g. I’ll bring mine in my crock pot in an insulated bag). Sign up for the Cook-Off here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A45AEA72AA3FF2-ward
Field Games and Fall-Themed Crafts
Fall Treats: Donuts, cider, and hot chocolate.
We are seeking volunteers to help with small aspects of event planning and execution. If you have a couple hours (at most) to spare and want to help please email copresidents@wardpto.org.
See our Fall Fest flier at the end of this email.
Ward Cares - Thankful for a Supportive Community
Thank you to so many families for sharing generously with a family in our community in need. We raised funds to contribute to Uber gift cards to help this family with transportation needs as they face health issues. The Uber solution works best for transportation to school and we are still seeking volunteers to help with afternoon rides (it can be a one time offer or a recurrent offer). Please email Jon Leib if you can offer a ride and want to discuss the schedule (needs are Mon-Wed): jonleib@gmail.com. If you have any questions/thoughts about Ward Cares please email Keren Wainger at keren.wainger@gmail.com.
Ivy Math Fall Fundraiser for Ward PTO
October 1st - 31st
RAISE $50 FOR THE WARD PTO BY HAVING YOUR CHILD’S MATH SKILLS ASSESSED! IvyMath.com is partnering with the Ward PTO to assist our students and raise money all at the same time! All you have to do is sign up for a FREE online math assessment at IvyMath.com (grades 3-8 only). After the assessment, you’ll receive an overview of your child’s math strengths and weaknesses, and the Ward PTO will receive a $50 donation from IvyMath thanks to you. The PTO has the opportunity to earn up to $5,000 through this fundraiser!
This fundraiser ends on Oct 31 and there are limited slots available, so please make sure to act quickly. Signup for FREE and raise $50 for the Ward PTO! Go to: IvyMath.com and click on “Sign up for FREE assessment.”
Ward PTO is Social
A reminder to follow @wardelementary_pto on Instagram to stay up to date on all things PTO!
Community Notes & Announcements
Register for Newton Girls Basketball today!
Registration is Now Open! We are thrilled to welcome players back to the court for the 2021 – 2022 NGBA Season! NGBA is a recreational basketball league for girls in grades 2 – 8 offering fun for beginner and experienced players alike! We welcome Newton residents, as well as players from neighboring communities. Come join us and bring a friend! Details here: https://newtonptocouncil.org/register-for-newton-girls-basketball-today/
One to One Mentoring, Accepting Applications
Newton’s One-to-One Program, our very own “big brother/sister program” has been matching wonderful high schoolers with children in grades one through five for over 40 years. If you think your elementary-aged child would benefit from a mentor in their life and you can commit 2 hours each week to have your child meet with a high school mentor from November to May – you should contact us.
Here is a link to the program information and application: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DUJsVEX4rEVbyJZkzSgZ8hH-CUttDSGNuhjBlK0BZWc/edit?usp=sharing
For questions or more information, please contact Rebecca Young, Program Coordinator, at youngr@newton.k12.ma.us or 617-315-8733.
Art classes for kids by local mom and teacher
Fall art classes for kids ages 3-9 are now available in Newton. Creation Station is a creative art program created for our children to engage in experiences that inspire imagination, spark curiosity, celebrate play, and promote art exploration.
https://linktr.ee/creationstationcs
Emily D’Amour ejdamour@gmail.com 617-797-7337
Mental Health Workshop - Youth Services
“Addressing Family Stress,” offered in partnership with Families for Depression Awareness on Tuesday, October 26 from 6:30pm-8:00pm.
The program will be facilitated by Families for Depression Awareness and delivered by a licensed mental health professional. Families and caregivers will learn how to identify symptoms of stress in themselves and family members, manage stress as a family, respond when symptoms become “more than stress,” and get help for themselves or a family member. More information can be found here.
See more Community Notes from the PTO Council here.
