PTO Meeting Minutes

hardy pto agenda minuteS

May 13, 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
Field Day: June 5th. Sign up genius to be created for volunteers/lending of items needed (pop-up tents, coolers, etc.)
PTO Elections: June PTO Meeting on June 10th - Positions needed: President/Co-President
Music Concerts: K-2, June 10th at 9am; grades 3-5, June 11th at 9am - families are encouraged to attend.
Clap-Out for Arlington High School Students: June 2nd at 2pm
Hardy Native Plant Sale: June 14th from 10am-1pm
New APS Responding to Hate Incidents Reporting Protocols have been developed: Learn more here
Rescheduled APS-wide Pride Event: June 13th from 11am-2pm
Clap-out for Hardy 5th Grade: June 25th at 11:30am
Nurse’s Office Request: If you have any pants size 6-10 to donate, the nurse’s office would appreciate the donation!
Friday’s are Hardy Spirit Day! Wear your favorite Hardy gear or blue to show your Hardy Husky pride!

Thank you Hardy caregivers for all your donations of items, baked goods, and help to make Teacher Appreciation Week a success! Thank you Jennifer Kupiec and Kim Metellus for coordinating all the fun events and treat train!

MEETING MINUTES

Screen Time Safety Workshop hosted at Hardy Elementary School by APS Social Work Team, Suzanne Hawkins & Jen Breneisen
- Link to the powerpoint presentation can be found here.
Welcome & Updates
- PTO Elections scheduled for June 10th
- All current board members are willing to hold positions for next school year, but there are still openings for co-chair positions
- More volunteers needed for various committees. Learn more here
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
- Kindergarten
  - Thanks families for attending tree expo on May 13th; more end of the year activities planned
  - Math - addition and subtraction
- 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
  - Pollinators study - studying bats
- 3rd Grade
  - Successful field trip to Jason Russell House
  - MCAS is over!! Finished math testing the week of May 11th
  - 4th module - threats to fresh water sources
  - Science - weather and climate
- 4th Grade
  - Started final ELA module - ratifying 19th amendment (women's right to vote)
  - Creating project on famous immigrants
  - Robo Hub field trip on May 26th
- 5th Grade
  - Math MCAS this week - May 14th is last MCAS
  - Learning about formation of the US government
  - Edward M. Kennedy Center visit
  - Learning the branches of government
  - Lots of end of year activities planned
  - 5th grade t-shirts arrived on May14th
  - Visiting Gibbs Elementary to tour new school
  - Are selecting leaders for upcoming Field Day
  - Field trip - duck tour and Quincy Market in June
  - 1st inaugural kickball game on May 29th including students and staff
- Art
  - 5th grade participating in Mystic River Watershed project
- PE
  - Wrapping up baseball and softball unit
  - Students are practicing some of the games that will be played during Field Day

Committee Updates
- Treasurer - Brian Gibree
- Fundraising - Lisa Morella
  - Calendar being drafted
  - End of year picnic - Del’s has been solidified
  - Water bottle fundraiser still ongoing
- Enrichment
  - Exploring possibility of one more assembly before the end of school year
- Safe Routes to School
  - Looking for more volunteers from Lake Street area
- DIG/Green Team
  - 10th Annual Textile Recycling Competition: 30 April - 30 May
  - Additional textile recycling bin available
- Garden Team
  - Native plant sale scheduled for June 14th
  - Need volunteers to water the Hardy garden over the summer - sign up genius to be sent out
  - Plant donations are welcome!
- Events to Plan
  - End of Year Picnic