ForWard 10.24.21
Upcoming Events
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
Many parents have expressed concern after hearing of a case of COVID at Ward this past week. Nurse Gretchen kept all involved families informed, and all Ward community members involved are doing well. We wanted to share with you that in this case, a home Binax now test was very useful. The student woke with one mild COVID symptom and the parents had a home test to use for screening. When it came back positive, they were able to act quickly and keep the child and siblings home from school - likely protecting our community from high viral exposure. As a reminder, always be monitoring for symptoms; follow the NPS “stay home” protocols (chart below); contact our amazing Nurse Gretchen when in doubt; and have access to home tests (https://www.cvs.com/shop/abbott-binaxnow-covid-19-antigen-self-test-2-tests-for-serial-testing-prodid-550147). If you are unable to procure Binax now tests to have at your own home due to financial difficulty, Ward Cares is here to help - please email Keren at keren.wainger@gmail.com. We are happy to support community members in obtaining these useful resources.
Directory Update
The Ward School 2021-22 Directories are back from the print shop - be sure to check backpacks this week for this incredibly useful resource! Thanks again to our amazing Directory Team of Kathy Shields and Ron Farrar. Thank you also to our featured artists, Zahra Khalil (2S) and Gabe Larimer (4G). Well done, all!
Ward School Garden
Ask your child(ren) about their experiences in the Ward School Garden this fall! We are so fortunate to have this wonderful learning environment and community resource. A huge thanks to our amazing Garden Committee, Elizabeth Apgar and Heba Haddad.
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 most 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 at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A45AEA72AA3FF2-ward
Field Games (Gaga anyone????) and Fall-Themed Crafts
Fall Treats: Donuts, cider, and hot chocolate.
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 - Only one week left!
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
First annual Newton Halloween Bike ride
Sunday 10/31/21 at 2PM
We will meet at Newton Centre Playground at 2pm on Sunday, 10/31 for a ~2 mile loop to the Highlands and back. This is a family friendly ride and costumes are encouraged. All ages and levels are welcome. There will be safety marshals, costumes and prizes.
“Green your Halloween at Newton's annual Pumpkin Smash
November 6 from 1pm-4pm.
What will you do with your pumpkin after Halloween? You could put it in with your yard waste, but how much more fun would it be to smash it? This family friendly event will be focused on options to manage food waste in Newton. All smashed pumpkins will be composted by Black Earth Composting. When you compost your pumpkin, you are reducing waste, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and creating a valuable amendment for our soils. It's going to be a smashing time! Make sure you remove any candles or decorations from your pumpkin (paint is okay). Pre-register for the event: https://bit.ly/3iLsTPP Remember to bring your old Halloween costumes for the costume swap, hosted by the Newton Recycling Committee.”
Newton Early Childhood Program (NECP) accepting applications for 2022-23 school year
NECP will be moving to its new location at 687 Watertown St. midway through next year. The fully renovated building will be completely customized for NPS’ littlest learners! If you have a preschool-age child and would like to learn more about enrolling in this fantastic program in an amazing new space, please visit the application process section of the NECP website at: www.newton.k12.ma.us/NECP.
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/
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.
