ForWard 10.31.21
Upcoming Events
Saturday, November 6 from 6-8PM
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
News
From the Co-Presidents
Thank you to all of our volunteers - especially our newest contributors who have emailed copresidents@wardpto.org and found a great match for their skill set and time. We would like to highlight a couple of open opportunities - please be in touch if you can help out!
NSF (Newton Schools Foundation) Liaison: attend a training session over Zoom with NSF then serve as a connection point between NSF and the Ward community - doing such things as sharing grant opportunities with Ward staff and promoting NSF endeavors around Ward.
Specialist Liaison: This is similar to the room parent role, however, instead of supporting the classroom teacher, you would offer support and collaboration to Ward’s amazing team of specialist teachers (Art, Library, Music, PE).
Safe Routes to School Representative(s): monthly city-wide zoom calls on Friday mornings; liaison between the school and the city with safety/traffic concerns; two annual walk & roll to school days; opportunity for new ideas too.
End of Year Picnic Coordinator(s): manage event execution (permits, food and entertainment orders, etc) and encourage community participation.
Teacher Appreciation Coordinator: manages the coordinating, ordering and item soliciting for Teacher Appreciation events (lunches, coffees, etc); oversees the set-up of such events; works with the co-presidents to identify dates and opportunities for teacher appreciation. This does require minimal “in person” assistance with set-up at Ward on occasion.
DON'T MISS! First Annual Ward Fall Fest
See our Fall Fest flier at the end of this email.
All family members are welcome to join us at Ward field on Sunday November 7th from 2-4 PM 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 here
Field Games and Fall-Themed Crafts
Fall Treats: Donuts, cider, and hot chocolate.
Lost and Found
Missing a jacket? Water bottle? Hat? Anything else? The Ward Lost & Found is filling up fast! Watch for an email with images of items this week and then claim your lost goods. You can always reach out proactively as well to our Lost and Found coordinator, Heba Haddad at hebaqhaddad@gmail.com.
Community Notes & Announcements
“Green your Halloween at Newton's annual Pumpkin Smash on 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.
See more Community Notes from the PTO Council here.
