PTO Meeting Minutes

hardy pto agenda minuteS

June 10, 2026

For your information

5th Grade Caregiver Information: Slides can be found here and caregivers can sign up to help with year-end activities here
PTO Elections: June PTO Meeting on June 10th - Positions needed: President/Co-President. If you're intersted in helping on a committee, there are plenty of opportunities. Learn more here.
New APS Responding to Hate Incidents Reporting Protocols developed - Learn more here.
Hardy Native Plant Sale: June 14th from 10am-1pm
Thank you Hardy caregivers for volunteering at Field Day! And thank you Kim Metellus for coordinating the Field Day Edition Treat Train!
Rescheduled APS-wide Pride Event: June 13th from 11am-2pm
Clap-out for Hardy 5th Grade: June 25th at 11:30am
Fourth annual APS Pride Celebration is Saturday, June 13th! This event will take place on the front lawn of Arlington High School from 11:00am - 2:00pm
East Arlington Pride Crosswalk Painting: June 10th at 7pm - part of Arlington Pride celebrations
Friday’s are Hardy Spirit Day! Wear your favorite Hardy gear or blue to show your Hardy Husky pride!

END OF YEAR EVENTS

Music Concerts: Families are invited; Grades 3-5, Thursday, June 11, 9am in the Gym
EOY Hardy Picnic: Friday, June 12 at 6pm on the Chandler St. Playground
5th Grade Moving on Ceremony: Wednesday, June 24th
5th Grade Clap Out: Thursday, June 25, Starts inside at 11:10, likely on the playground ~11:20.

MEETING MINUTES

Welcome & Updates
- PTO Elections - co-VPs, co-President, co-anyone candidates welcome!
  - Everyone on the bard would like to be re-elcted for next year. Still looking for others to step up to co-lead.
- Committee participants are always welcome. Learn more here and submit ideas, questions, etc to president@hardypto.com
- School supplies for Academic year 26-27
  - Orders were placed by grades, shipped to them, and already in their closets.
- End of year picnic - Arlington Reading Buddies will join!
PTO Election Kick Off
- Link to election: https://forms.gle/D4r8QMm9KBpTXXZB9
- Election begins 6/11, ends 6/18
- Will not put out paper ballot, online ballot only
- Kate will send link to class coordinators to send out to families
- Jen will add to newsletter and Emilie will post to Facebook
Principal’s Report - Gretchen Saunders
- Family Input Form - We’ve started working on student cohorts
  - Busy with staff planning
  - Working on student placement
  - Many activities planned for end of year
  - Arlington HS seniors clap-out
Teacher Representative Reports - Emily Vecchione & Laura Ribiero
- Stan Tucker assembly was phenomenal! Very motivating, great presenter, can tell he was a teacher because he had command of the audience. He stayed around in the library the rest of the day, so classes got to see him again.
- Kindergarten
  - Finishing module about appreciating trees in our community, learning about community helpers, making memory bags and crowns.
- 1st Grade
  - Wrapping up caring for birds module with opinion writing piece.
  - Luau day at the end of the year
- 3rd Grade
  - Learning about issues facing water around the world.
  - Going to work in groups to create a public service announcement and perform.
  - June 18th- Caregiver open house.
- 5th Grade
  - Enjoying last weeks at Hardy!
  - Successful field trip to Quincy Market.
  - Currently doing the Potato Olympics.
  - Begun countdown to summer with a daily fun event.
  - Working on module about natural disasters
- OT/PT
  - Thank you for the adaptive scooter donation. Well-used and much appreciated.
  - The motor room has been great to have this year.
- PE
  - Thanks to Vicki for running Field Day!
- Feedback for PTO:
  - Love the Treat Train!
  - Teacher Appreciation Week is amazing, but can we substitute some food events for non-food events.
  - In some classrooms, class didn’t do anything to acknowledge Teacher Appreciation Week.
  - Discussion around lower caregiver engagement this year in general.
  - Raffle - would love to have a list to see who won each item. Very appreciative of all things purchased with auction funds.

Committee Updates
- Treasurer - Brian Gibree
- Fundraising - Lisa Morella
  - DRAFT Calendar for 26/27 School Year Fundraising Events
  - Linda’s water bottle fundraiser is going on
    - Becky will post the incoming kindergartners Facebook group
- Enrichment
  - Teachers - please be aware we can get discounts if we plan Acton Discovery Museum workshops early. Email enrichment@hardypto.com for assistance in planning
  - Teachers are doing more of the planning because buses need to be booked by an APS staff member.
  - Theater Club - not PTO, but PTO helps manage finances
    - May need new leaders for 26/27 year as kids move to Gibbs.
- Safe Routes to School
  - Arlington Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) will be reviewing the SRTS plan and routes - timing TBD
  - Bike Bus reminder- contact Ashley Kresl if interested in joining.
- DIG
  - AHRC Commissioner and Hardy caregiver, Griffin Jones, is stepping away from coordinating the AHRC Schools and Education Workgroup (SEWG) and will be replaced by another Hardy caregiver - Commissioner, Michelle Zeitler
  - AHRC Empowering Students Projects
    - AHS Inclusion Workshops, “Human Rights in Action: Solving Community Challenges” delivered at high school. Discussion initiated about reframing/positioning for elementary and middle school options.
    - APS Excellence, Access & Opportunity Office + AHRC (APS) Student Taskforce in development
  - Empowering Parents and Educators Projects
    - Rights-based information and resources for Parents and PTO DIGs being gathered (asking for feedback)
- Teacher Appreciation
  - Jennifer Kupiec’s son is graduating from Hardy - we need a Teacher Appreciation Committee leader. Thank you for all your hard work, Jennifer!
    - Kim Hunter organizes the Treat Train. Jennifer organizes pizza dinners, one lunch during winter, and Teacher Appreciation Week in the first week of May
    - Jennifer has a hand-off document ready to pass along to someone
    - Jen will put a blurb in the newsletter.
  - See above feedback about events/teacher appreciation
- Garden Team
  - Native Plant Sale: Sunday June 14th, 10am-1pm. Donations welcome! Email garden@hardypto.com
  - Black Swallow Wort removal - Thursday, June 11th (time TBD). Will post on Facebook when time is finalized
  - Looking ahead: will need volunteers to water during the summer

Please find archived minutes here:

Archived PTO Agenda Minutes 2025-2026 School Year

Archived PTO Agenda Minutes 2024-2025 School Year

Archived PTO Agenda Minutes 2023-2024 School Year

Archived PTO Agenda Minutes 2022-2023 School Year

Archived PTO Agenda Minutes 2021-2022 School Year

Archived PTO Agenda Minutes 2020-2021 School Year

Archived PTO Agenda Minutes 2013-2019

hardy pto agenda minuteS

For your information

END OF YEAR EVENTS

Committee Updates