hardy pto agenda minuteS
October 13, 2026
For your information
- Hardy PTO Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-j6Cv-riOPmpVRl5QfXANI2oOhM5dvMm68KyHe_gjxRr2LQ/viewform?usp=header
- Water Bottle Fundraiser: Hosted by Linda Carella (Lake St. Crossing Guard). $5 for every $20 water bottle goes to Hardy PTO: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdGFT6BNyMAwti8MDXH17itJZs8Bkz9t46kKSmUWRQsQEtAmQ/viewform
- Label Everything: Please label everything your child brings to Hardy - clothing, lunch bag, water bottle, tupperware, etc. Use a sharpie pen or buy labels such as Mabel’s Labels. 20% of Mabel’s Labels purchase goes to Hardy PTO if you use the link and search for Hardy Elementary School PTO (Arlington): https://mabelslabels.com/fundraising/support
- EVENTS:
- Hardy PTO Activities:
- Trunk or Treat: October 30th
- Sacco's Bowling: November 3rd
- Hardy School Activities
- No School November 3rd
- Early dismissal November 4th and November 5th due to parent-teacher conferences
- Arlington Community Activities:
- Community Budget Forum: October 29th
- Arlington EATS Turkey Trot Walk 5K: November 8th
- Hardy PTO Activities:
MEETING MINUTES
- Welcome & Updates
- Still looking to fill the following PTO positions:
- PTO President
- DIG Co-chair
- Safe Routes to School Co-chair
- Garden Team Chair & Co-Chair
- Classroom Coordinator
- Still looking to fill the following PTO positions:
- Principal’s Report - Gretchen Saunders
- Students are settled into scheduled and working on their curriculums
- Looking for some PTO sponsored field trips
- 2nd and 5th grade field trips planned
- Conferences November 4- from 12-3pm ; November 9th 6-8pm
- Sign up geniuses to be sent out
- on October 27th, teachers and instructional leadership participated in a Learning Walk
- Done twice a year by internal school administration
- Done once a year by other administrators from district
- PTO Representatives Report
- Kindergarten - focusing on routines and good citizenship
- 1st grade - establishing routines & learning tool functions
- 2nd grade - establishing routines, building science fair towers, discussing what schools look like around the world
- 3rd grade - discussing about how students overcome learning challenges around the world, multiplication and division, inherited vs. acquired traits, and seed plants
- 4th grade - working on writing their own poetry and the different elements of poetry, reading Sharon Creech called “Love that Dog”
- 5th grade - community building activities; establishing time management skills; embracing being leaders and of school - practicing being safe, kind, and responsible
- Art - Wow Projects - independent projects that students plan from start to beginning and have an arts show
- PE - soccer unit (kicking unit); basketball unit to start following week
- Library - learning about the library space and learning how to find their own books
-
Committee Updates
- Treasurer - Brian Gibree
- Harvest Fest was successful - hit a record for turnout!
- DDD in full swing
- Fundraising - Lisa Morella
- DDD underway - wraps up around end of October/beginning of November, but donations are always welcome
- Grant submitted to Bank of America - waiting on response
- Wicked Bagel was a success - made double to amount as last year
- Harvest Fest was successful
- Feedback from attendees about wanting to have the “guess the weight” on the giant pumpkin return next year
- Ordered less pumpkins and mums; some still left over that were given to teachers and staff
- Bike Rodeo - 15 little kids; 5 medium kids, and two big kids showed up
- Looking for suggestions for new name for the event
- Launch Tickets - 100 1hr jump passes donated
- Ski Lease Program - Boston Ski and Tennis
- Domino’s - Arlington/Lexington locations
- Pizza weekend - 15% kick back to PTO on pizza purchase that weekend
- December 13-14th
- Draft fundraiser handout created - need to finalize by Nov
- Sacco's coming up
- Arlington Education Foundation (AEF) - Rachel Miller
- Grants
- Continuing Scholars up to $2500
- Educators can apply and submit by 25th of each month year round
- Excellence in Education up to $4000
- Reviewed twice a year due by November 1st and April 2nd
- Continuing Scholars up to $2500
- Grants
- Enrichment
- Several field trips planned (2nd and 5th upcoming)
- No assemblies planned and looking for input for ideas
- Brazilian Beats in March
- Teachers can reach out to enrichment@hardypto.com for assistance with ideas and suggestions
- Safe Routes to School
- Requesting for parents to reiterate with students biking and walking safety
- Massachusetts Safe Routes to School hosted a similar event the same day; looking to potentially partner to bring more attention to school
- Reached out the Pedestrian Safety to coordinate an event for the school
- DIG
- Reminder to follow the protocols to respond to federal enforcement efforts
- Reminder to fill out the Panorama and well being survey - data is used by administrators to determine how to support students
- Coat Drive upcoming
- Classroom Coordinators
- Looking for volunteers to assist teachers
- Snack - Annie Clarke-Lauder
- This committee collaborates with school to provide snacks for students in partnership with PTO and Arlington Eats
- Garden
- Fall bulb planting TBD
- Green Team
- Coordinating with town on Great Pumpkin Rescue
- Continying HASP Friday clean-ups
- Teacher and Staff Appreciation
- need to nail down a date (Dec or Jan)
- Potential ideas:
- Pizza for conferences
- Possible winter treat day
- Oatmeal Bar
- Upcoming Events
- Trunk or Treat - October 23rd
- Craft Day - need to solidify a date (maybe November or December)
- STEAM Fest - solicit organizers and team to start planning and set a date
- Auction (March 6th) - need to nail down date with a venue so fundraising committee can begin soliciting return vendors
- Mom’s Night Out - Oct 28th
- NEXT MEETING(s):
- November 12th
- December 10th
Please find archived minutes here:
Archived PTO Agenda Minutes 2026-2027 School Year
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
