PTO Meeting Minutes

hardy pto agenda minuteS

April 15, 2026

For your information

Hardy Garden Clean-up, spring planting (part 1). Sunday, May 12th 10am-12 pm
EcoFest Summit: Greening Our Neighborhoods Together. Saturday, May 9th from 2-5pm
5th Grade Caregiver Information: Jim Swan Trash Pick-a-thon Sunday, May 3rd from 2-3:30pm
Field Day: June 5th. Sign up genius to be created for volunteers/lending of items needed (pop-up tents, coolers, etc.)
Arlington Town Meetings: Start Monday April 27th. If any groups (4th grade, 5th grade, clubs, etc) would like to do bake sales, it is a great way to raise money. Submit a request here.
PTO Elections: June PTO Meeting on June 10th - Positions needed: President/Co-President
Friday’s are Hardy Spirit Day! Wear your favorite Hardy gear or blue to show your Hardy Husky pride!

MEETING MINUTES

Welcome & Updates
- PTO Elections - current officers to decide if they plan to hold the position for the next school year
- End of year picnic
  - Tentative dates - 12 June or 18 June
  - Lisa to reach out to Dell’s as a potential sponsor for this year’s event
- Preparing for 26-27 school supply purchase
  - Supply lists to be reviewed for possible cost reductions
  - Planning to bulk purchase supplies
- SLC Caregiver Coffee to be planned
Principal’s Report - Gretchen Saunders
- Beginning end of year and next year planning underway. Topics include:
  - Student cohorts and placement for students
  - Family input forms sent out on 20 April
  - Families will be notified of their child’s class placement over the summer
- Mrs. Jam planning for field day; there will be a sign up genius to volunteer for field day
  - PTO will provide colored bandannas to allow students to coordinate with their respective grade
- Music concerts for families to attend
  - K-2nd concert - 10 June
  - 3rd-5th grade - 11 June
- 5th Grade moving on ceremony 24 June
- Clap-out for graduating seniors from Arlington High School on 2 June
Teacher Representative Reports - Emily Vecchione & Laura Ribiero
- Kindergarten
  - Finishing module 3 about trees; end of module celebration for families being planned
  - Science - animals in woods of Massachusetts
  - Beginning unit on digraphs
- 1st Grade
  - Writing informative paragraph about bird beaks; students will share with 3rd grade writing buddies
  - Data unit - writing survey questions and collecting answers
- 2nd Grade
  - Finishing unit writing about pollinators and how they help plants
  - Measuring unit - inches and centimeters
  - Learning about Japan
  - Studying the life cycle of plants
- 3rd Grade
  - Finished Peter Pan book review
  - Fractions - practicing for upcoming MCAS
  - Upcoming field trip to Jason Russell House
- 4th Grade
  - Opinion writing on the American Revolution; writing from perceptive of Patriots
  - Finished fractions and now working on multiplication and division - practicing for upcoming MCAS
  - Immigration - push and pull factors; understanding challenges immigrants face in a new country
- 5th Grade
  - Successfully completed ELA MCAS
  - Science MCAS - 28th & 30th April
  - Studying Jackie Robinson - Athletes for Social Change
  - Writing summaries; comparing and contrasting and opinions essay
  - Multiplying and dividing fractions and decimals
  - Moon, constellations, and stars
  - Upcoming field trip in May to Edward M. Kennedy Center
- Library
  - Q4 - saying goodbye to digital learning teacher
  - Launching Poetry month - students are learning about different types of poems and different elements in poems
    - Other poem types include spine poems using spines of books and blackout poetry

Committee Updates
- Treasurer - Brian Gibree
- Fundraising - Lisa Morella
  - Potential event at Sacco’s on 3 November. Event coincides with Teacher Development Day
  - Linda's water bottle fundraising still ongoing
  - Beginning to schedule events for next academic school year
  - Possible PTO-themed trunk for “Trunk or Treat” event
  - 4th grade is doing a bake sale for town meeting - 27 April
- Enrichment
  - Exploring possibility of one more assembly before the end of school year
- Safe Routes to School
  - Car Free Day - 17 April - will be promoting and going to use as a change to kick off the bike bus
  - Arlington Transportation Advisory Committee will be reviewing the SRTS routes - timing TBD
  - Moving bike bus day to Thursdays instead of Fridays
- DIG/Green Team
  - 10th Annual Textile Recycling Competition: 30 April - 30 May
  - Request for another clothing donation bin has been approved by Principal Saunders
- AEF
  - Continuing scholar grants - due 25th of each month
- Spirit Wear
  - Rainbow Alliance has shirts for sale - minimum of six shirts needed for an order
- Events to Plan
  - Teacher Appreciation Week - May 4-8
  - Field Day Friday, 5 June
  - End of Year Picnic