Hello Sprague!

It's almost here — Sprague parent Dr. Allie Baker's event, Are the Kids Alright? on Tuesday, May 14 at the Sprague gym. 

If you've never talked to Allie, you're in for a treat - she will give an overview of the state of pediatric mental health and provide actionable steps for parents and caregivers to support our children's well-being. This is a not-to-be-missed event, so mark your calendars 🗓️ , hire a sitter, order a pizza 🍕 ... we hope you can make it! 

2024-2025 Current Board Openings

Treasurer (2); Communications (1); Social Chair (2); Secretary (1); Spring Raffle (2)
Contrary to what you may think... it doesn't necessarily take a lot of time each month to hold a Board Seat. Information about all Board Seats are available on our website at https://www.spragueschoolpto.com/board

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6 - 10

Please join us in thanking our Sprague teachers for all they do! Sign up to help.

Kindergarten Events

We're still looking for volunteers to give incoming kindergarten parents some much-welcomed guidance to Sprague. Sign up to help - even if you can come for only part of each event!

Spring Auction

It's almost here! Buy your tickets at https://www.spragueschoolpto.com/spring-auction

Day-of volunteers needed - sign up to help.

Wellesley Wonderful Weekend - Sprague Float 

Sign up to help and ride/walk with the float!

Best, 

Rose & Wendy

Purchase your tickets for the Sprague Spring Auction here

Or complete THIS FORM and drop it off with a check payable to Sprague PTO in the box labeled Auction Tickets in the Sprague Office.

* Smart Casual Attire includes shorts, slacks, and acceptable denim  (cargo or denim shorts of any kind are not permitted). For more details please visit the Charles River Country Club Guest Information page. 

The auction is a true labor of love pulled together by Sprague parents. 

Please consider volunteering to help out on the big day! 

Sign up to volunteer HERE

Please join us in thanking our Sprague teachers for all they do! 

Sign up to help!

Calling all outdoor lovers — spring is here and we need lots of helpers! Please join us on Planting Day!

Planting Day

Date: Sun. May 19th, 2024 (no rain date)

Time: 9:30 - 11:30am

Sign up: https://tinyurl.com/spgarden24-2

Feel free to email SpragueGreenTeam@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Garden Committee

Sunday, May 19 from 12:00pm - 2:00pm

Volunteers Needed!

Join the Sprague community and show your school pride in this year’s Sprague float during the Wellesley Wonderful Weekend parade! 

Parents and kids are invited to help decorate the flatbed truck and participate in the festivities by riding or walking alongside the truck as it makes its way along the parade route. The route is a 2-mile walk up Washington and Central Streets (not a loop), starting on Washington St. right before the David Locke Bridge.

Sign up HEREto volunteer to decorate and/or ride in the parade.

We're looking for help from this year's kindergarten parents to give incoming kindergarten parents some much-welcomed guidance to Sprague.  

Sign up HERE to help!

Contrary to what you may think... it doesn't take a lot of time each month to hold a Sprague PTO Board Seat! 

Below you'll find the current open positions for next school year along with contact information for the current Board Chair. Interested in a position? Reach out to the current chair(s) to email or even grab a coffee to learn more about the position. 

Current Board Openings:

Treasurer (2) 

Interested? Contact Jill Wells (jpollyniak@gmail.com) or Hande Alparslan (hehande@gmail.com)

Communications (1)

Interested? Contact Liz Sower (lizsower13@gmail.com)

Social Chair (2)

Interested? Contact Dena Giggie (denac916@gmail.com) or Tanya Johnson (tanyatylerjohnson@gmail.com)

Secretary (1)

Interested? Contact Ceren Bayulgen (ceren.bayulgen@gmail.com)

Spring Raffle (2)

Interested? Contact Bry Tartamella (bryanne.tartamella@gmail.com)

Information about all Board Seats are available on our website at https://www.spragueschoolpto.com/board

The Hunnewell PTO would like to extend a very warm welcome to those families joining the Hunnewell community this fall. For those that would like to start learning more about Hunnewell now, we’d love to get connected! Complete this Google Form to share some information & we’ll reach out to guide you on accessing PTO communications and invitations to PTO activities.

Additionally, as we're filling PTO positions for the upcoming school year, we encourage parents from our redistricted schools to consider taking on roles. Explore our PTO and volunteer opportunities on our website at www.hunnewellschool.org and feel free to express your interest in the Google Form. For any inquiries, please email our co-presidents, Heather Conway and Lillian Lau, at info@hunnewellpto.org.

WHO: 1st Grade

WHEN: Wednesday, May 8th

WHAT: Wingmasters 

The children will get to learn about North American birds of prey, including their special features that make them excellent hunters, habitat, diet, and how to protect these important animals in the "food web." Wingmasters programs are noted for a calm atmosphere that promotes learning, and there is always an interactive exchange of questions and answers during the program. However, for the safety of the audience and the well-being of the raptors used in their programs, the birds are never free-flown and are never handled by anyone but the Wing master professionals. 

WHO: 1st Grade

WHAT: On Wednesday, Sprague favorite Lisa Moore of the Wellesley Natural Resource Commission, took our first graders on a nature walk around campus. In contract to last fall's walk, the students saw signs of new life - flower buds, leaves, birds, animals and, a class favorite, bugs! Ms. Moore showed them invasive and native plants and detailed why the former can be so problematic. 

Ask your first grader:

1. What is an invasive plant? 
2. Can you remember the name of the invasive plant Ms. Moore showed you? What did it smell like? 
3. Some animals are nocturnal. Others are awake during the day like humans. What word did Ms. Moore use to describe animals that are awake both during day and night? (Answer: crepuscular)
4. Where do turkeys sleep?

Can you volunteer for 45 minutes to help with Sprague Walk, Ride or Roll to School? This monthly event is a great tradition and the kids love collecting their footies! 

Volunteer time 7:45 - 8:30am. Volunteers help with table setup, assisting kids with signing in, and table breakdown.

Our next Walk, Ride & Roll to school is June 5th - with a Sprague School Update meeting to follow.

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER HERE

Questions? Contact Ezra Englebardt at ezra802@gmail.com or Alex Baker at alexander.baker@icloud.com

Spend your 1/2 Day Wednesday at The Painting Place now through the end of the school year! 

Mention Sprague on a 1/2 day Wednesday and The Painting Place will donate 15% of your purchase to our PTO!

ORDER SPRAGUE GEAR FROM 1ST PLACE SPIRITWEAR

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6^th through May 10th. There's no better way to show your gratitude than to give a WEF Red Apple. A cherished Red Apple is a wonderful way to thank special teachers and staff members who make an impact in your child's daily life, while also supporting innovative educational programs for all WPS students from pre-K to grade 12. 

Click here to donate a Red Apple today!

Join us on Thursday, June 6th from 9-10:30 for our monthly PAC coffee! The coffee will be at the home of Christine Mizzi at 16 Suffolk Road. The PAC supports families in town who have children (PAWS through WHS) that are receiving special education services from the district. 

If you are unable to attend, following are the dates for the 2023-2024 school year. Please feel free to bring a friend or forward to someone that you think may benefit from meeting others within the Special Education PAC community. 

Road Race Registration NOW LIVE!

NEWS FLASH! - Schofield 5K - REGISTRATION IS NOW LIVE!!!! Sign up today and get early bird pricing and a FREE T-Shirt for the first 300 registrants! 

Click Here To Register

Event Details:

Sunday, June 2nd at 9:30am

Kids FunRun, FunFair, DJ, food and games to follow!  

BIGGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR!!  Sign up today!

Race Link: https://schofieldpto.redpodium.com/2024-schofield-road-race

SAVE THE DATE

Wellesley EV Test Drive and Showcase

Thursday May 9, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.; rain date Thursday May 16, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m

MassBay Community College (parking lot), 50 Oakland St., Wellesley

• Test drive an EV or hybrid: 10+ makes and models available

• Chat with Wellesley residents who own EVs and hybrid cars

• Get expert advice on buying an EV, incentives, charging, & more!

Passionate about sustainability? 

Join our team at the Town of Wellesley to lead efforts to minimize waste and promote eco-friendly practices. 

The Waste Reduction Coordinator position is part-time, flexible, and provides an opportunity to help our community and protect our planet.  

Read more here.

Parents & caregivers are invited to take part in a three-part workshop series, “Building Resilience: Supporting Youth Mental Health,” held at the Wellesley Free Library’s Wakelin Room.

The series is sponsored by Thrive Wellesley and will feature guest speakers from Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s The Resilience Project. It is designed to help families - parents, guardians & caregivers - gain a better understanding of the skills, community support, and resources for developing positive mental health and connections within their families. Join for one, two, or all three sessions. Full details here.

• May 8 – The Continuum of Care from Prevention to Treatment

• May 22 – Building Resilience in Kids and Ourselves

Register through the WFL website  

Thrive Wellesley is an Initiative of the Kiwanis Club of Wellesley, in partnership with the Wellesley Youth Commission and Wellesley Health Department, and funded by the Community Fund for Wellesley.

On Monday evening, May 20, 2024, WPS will host a Family STEAM evening for our PreK-12 families.  

We will have STEAM activities including coding, programming robots, science and math games, working with circuits and more.  

Additionally, Amon Millner, Associate Professor of Computing and Innovation at Olin College of Engineering will be our featured speaker. He will talk about a variety of technology and engineering topics including ways children can incorporate computing and programming into the way they play, learn and prepare for ways to help their community.  

Please join us for an evening immersed in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math).

The Wellesley School Committee is seeking applications for an interim Committee member to replace Catherine Mirick, who is relocating out of town. Per MGL c. 41, § 11, the School Committee and Select Board are seeking a resident to fill the open position until the next Town election in March 2025. At that time, an election will be held for the final year of Ms. Mirick’s term, which expires in 2026.

Interested candidates are invited to apply by sending their resume and a brief statement of interest to School_Committee@wellesleyps.org" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); border: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">School_Committee@wellesleyps.org by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14. Applicants must be a registered voter in Wellesley. More information available here.

Did you know Shopper’s Corner is a unique resale shop located right in the basement of Schofield Elementary School? The shop sells new and gently used clothing and accessories from infant through adult. 

Not only do they promote sustainability, their prices are rock bottom: items start at $1 and most are less than $5!  

The store is open during the school year every Wednesday that school is in session from 8:30am to 12:15pm and the first Saturday of most months from 9am to 11am. 

Click HERE to access our Family Directory.

Instagram @sprague_pto

Share your photos with our Social Media Chair, Nicole Katz (nicolestacykatz@gmail.com)!

Co-Presidents: Rose Nolan & Wendy Englebardt

Vice President: Ezra Englebardt

Treasurers: Hande Alparslan & Jill Wells

Creative Arts and Sciences: Carolyn Kornwitz

Secretary: Ceren Bayulgen

Communications: Liz Sower

Social Co-Chairs: Dena Giggie & Tanya Johnson

Social Media Chair: Nicole Katz

Spirit Wear Chair: Inia Perez

Raffle Co-Chair: Bry Tartamella & Sneha Patel

Wellesley Wonderful Weekend Co-Chairs: Alejandra Tejada & Open Position

Yearbook Coordinators: Julie Covino-Vogel, Ambika Hoguet, & Hadley Stephens

METCO Liaisons: Kasia Schwarzman & Nicole Katz

Parent Advisory Council Rep: Nicole Katz

Walk-to-School Coordinators: Ezra Englebardt & Alex Baker

Green Team: Tomoe Harrison & Jenny Lee

Garden Masters: Tomoe Harrison, Rose Nolan, & Margaret Flitsch

Sprague Night at Fenway Coordinator: John Wells