Dear Fifth Grade Families,

​

It seems the year is flying by! Before we know it, the fifth graders will be leaving Hardy to move on to middle school. Traditionally, there are many end-of-the year activities that the fifth graders enjoy as they prepare to conclude their elementary years. These activities are carried out by 5th grade caregivers, with the support of the 5th grade teachers and last year’s volunteers. They are supported through 5^th grade caregiver/student led fundraising events along with a donation from the PTO’s Direct Donation Fund. PTO manages the money needed for all of the 5th grade’s events and supports the coordinators for the fundraisers.

​

There are 3 main fundraising events left this year:

• Jim Swan Trash Pick-a-thon, May 3, Rain Date May 17 (Coordinator: Annie Clarke-Lauer)
• Skate Night - TBD (Coordinator: We need one!)
• Town Meeting Bake Sale - one already happened!

​

Please take a minute to check out the different areas in which families can help out (fundraising, T-Shirts, Memory Book, Student Gift, Moving on Ceremony Documents, Ceremony Setup, Class Celebration) and see if any spark your interest! You can reach out to your student’s teacher if you have any questions. If you can volunteer your time, please click on this link to sign up.

​

Thanks in advance for volunteering your time! We couldn’t do all of these great things without your help!

​

Brandon Jackson, Laura Ribeiro, Abby Lieder

5th Grade Budget

​

• Budget is on each slide
• Income: Election Bake Sale, Skate Night, Trash Pick-a-thon, PTO $30/student
• Reimbursement form on Hardy PTO website: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7ZcFmatOfQWwN14RJwM-rNliQ_zKhQAzwKuZgNMVEbUgRzg/viewform
• If you have any questions or need additional budget, please reach out to PTO Treasurer Treasury@hardypto.com to discuss
• If extra funds are raised, it will be donated back to Hardy via the PTO

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

• We are also currently soliciting funds for the 5th Grade Spa Day Basket for the Hardy Auction on Feb. 28.
• If you’re able - please consider donating to the cause. Patsy O’Brien will be coordinating purchasing a combo of spa theme items(or let us know if you have any of those things lying around the house!)
• You can venmo Patsy at @Pats-OBrien

Jim Swan Annual Trash Pick-athon

The 5th Annual Jim Swan Memorial 5th Grade Trash Pick-a-thon will be

Sun., May 3, from 2 pm to 3:30 pm.

Meet at the Hardy main entrance.

Rain Date: Sunday, May 17th (PLEASE LEAVE THIS DATE OPEN)

This event perfectly exemplifies the Hardy motto of Hand, Mind, and Heart. Jim Swan was a Hardy dad who passed away in 2021. Among the many ways Jim made an impact on the Hardy community was walking to Hardy and around town with his family, picking up litter with a bucket and picker, making the world a bit of a brighter, cleaner place. Learn more about Jim here.

In his memory, the 5th grade class picks up litter around East Arlington and collects pledges from family, friends, and neighbors to support 5th grade end of year activities.

Please email Annie Clarke-Lauer at ajoclarke@gmail.com if you can help day of. We will need someone to provide water, ice, juice boxes and some items from the PTO closet like water dispenser and cups. Two caregivers will sit at the table and sign out/ collect supplies.

​

• For this fundraiser, the collective 5th grade goal is to pick up at least 30 bags of garbage around East Arlington.

​

• The students will ask for a sponsorship amount per trash bag collected by the entire grade. For example, if a neighbor pledges $1 per bag and the class collects 35 bags, the neighbor will donate $35. People can also make a flat donation.

​

• We accept cash, Venmo (@Hardy-Arlington-PTO), Paypal (https://tinyurl.com/DonateHardyPTO), or a check made out to "Hardy PTO.”

What 5th graders need to do:

​

1) Ask friends and family members to sponsor the Hardy 5th grade at the Trash Pick-athon! Have sponsors write in name, contact info and their pledge/donation.

​

2) On Sunday, May 3, meet at Hardy at 2:00 pm to pick up gloves, pickers and trash bags. Students will then spend 1.5 hours picking up trash in East Arlington and return to Hardy at 3:30 pm to count bags. *If you can’t make it on that day, you can complete this event on your own and send in a picture of what you collect. We will use 13 gallon trash bags.

​

3) Collect the pledge money from your sponsors via cash, paypal, or check.

​

4) Turn in your money and pledge sheet to your teacher by May 11th.

​

5th grade caregivers plan a Skate Night fundraiser at the Ed Burns rink and the entire school is invited. The event includes a bake sale, food sale, chuck-a-puck, mascot visit, skating buddies, raffles and more. The goal is to raise money to fund end of year items and activities.

​

For 2026, [OPEN] is the lead organizer. Please email her to join the planning committee:

​

A sign-up genius will be created to solicit volunteers for the event, which should be 5th graders and their caregivers.

​

5th grade teachers will work with students to create posters to hang at school to advertise the event.

​

5th Grade Skate Night

Planning document ->

The T-Shirts

​

​

• All students will be able to submit a design for the front of the t-shirt.  

​

• The drawing will need to meet predetermined requirements and these will be explained to the students.

​

• Each year the fifth grade has a unique t-shirt.  

​

• The t-shirts are printed on blue with white or yellow print.

​

Adult Volunteer Role (1 volunteer needed, $600 Budget):

​

• Bringing in sample sizes for students to try on (arrange time with teacher)

Sizes: YM, YL, YXL. AXS, AS, AM, AL, AXL

​

• Taking care of the ordering at the t-shirt vendor.

​

• Receiving the order and sorting by class for distribution

​

• It is great to have the t-shirts before field day and our end of year field trips. Teachers will try to get the final designs to you asap.

​

Vendor: The Hartnett Company, Inc

Phone: 781-935-2600

Email: hartnettco@rcn.com

​

Student Role:

• Submit design for t-shirt based on the requirements

​

• Wear the t-shirt with Hardy Pride!

​

Last Year’s Volunteer:

2025 volunteer: Brian Smith (mr.brian.r.smith@gmail.com)

​

HARDY

Memory Book

This is such an important memory for the fifth graders

​

Caregiver Volunteer Role (one volunteer for each class, plus an overall coordinator: $2,400 budget)

​

• Vendor: Bob Morello (bobmorello999@gmail.com)

​

• Get premade template pages for each classroom from teachers.

​

• Put the book together

​

• Edit the pages

​

• Make sure all students have submitted a page and issue reminders.

​

Student Role:

​

• Each student will create a page for the memory book

​

• Return page by deadline

​

• All students will be able to submit a design for the front of the memory book based on requirements.

​

​

​

​

​

​

Last Year’s Volunteer:

2025 volunteer: Akhila Sravish

(akhilav@gmail.com)

Student Gifts

​

​

**The student gift contains something that represents

Hardy and then something for the future*.  

​

This year the gift will be:

​

• Hardy Cinch Bag or Backpack or bag (Vista Print)
• Memory Book
• Notebook and Cool Pen (Custom Ink)
• Sunglasses with a note on it (Custom Ink)
• Sample of last year’s bag is available
• Budget is $800

​

​

Adult Volunteer Role (1 - 2 volunteers):

​

• Inventory what we already have (see teachers)
• Order what you need
• Assemble bags and deliver the day before Moving On Ceremony

​

​

​

2025’s Volunteer:

Brian Corcoran (bacorcoran@gmail.com)

​

Moving On Ceremony Documents

​

There are three documents that we need help with for the ceremony: Certificates, Invitation, and Program. 

​

Adult Volunteer Role (1-2 volunteers):

​

Certificates ($80 Budget, PTO holds 5th grade funds and can reimburse)

• Inventory/Purchase quality paper for printing and document folders to hold certificates. (PTO can order if you send links to Treasurer@Hardypto.com)

​

• Teachers have samples available

​

• Print and assemble

​

Invitation

• Create an invitation for students to take home and for faculty.
• Teachers have samples available

​

Program

• Create a program with information provided by teachers. Teacher’s have samples available.

​

• Copy programs at Hardy School on yellow and blue paper.

​

• Students will

fold programs after printing.

​

Last Year’s Volunteer:

2025 Liz Crowley (lizcrowley3@hotmail.com)

​

Hardy Elementary 5^th Grade Recognition

Kristin DeFrancisco

Principal

Kristin DeFrancisco

Principal

Ceremony Setup

​

Adult Volunteer Role (the more the better!) It is best

to have one overall coordinator and then volunteers:

​

This group of caregivers will decorate the gym the day

before the ceremony. It involves:

• hanging up student picture stars ($165 budget, PTO holds 5th grade funds and can reimburse)
• Inventory Congratulation Signs, Create new ones, hang
• Setting up our walk-in arch
• Decorating the risers
• Order two small flower arrangements to put on certificate tables and having them the morning of the ceremony
• Order a small bouquet for the music teacher and one for the accompanist.
• Purchase two blue tablecloths for rectangle tables
• Decoration budget (beyond stars) is $110 (we may need

more to re-purchase arch decor)

• Ms. Ribeiro orders the stars

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Last Year’s Volunteer:

2025: Liz Crowley (lizcrowley3@hotmail.com)

​

Tie Dye Shirts

(This is a surprise for 5th graders so please don’t share this activity with your student.

​

Adult Volunteer Role:

• Order tie dye materials ($150 budget) - PTO holds 5th grade funds and can reimburse
• Send email to families to send in white t-shirts or items
• Coordinate a tie dye day for each classroom.
• Organizer volunteers to help on each classes tie

dye day (1-2 volunteers needed per class to set up, assist and clean up).

​

​

Last Year’s Volunteer:

2025 –

​

​

​

Tie Dye Shirts

(This is a surprise for 5th graders so please don’t share this activity with your student.

​

Adult Volunteer Role:

• Order tie dye materials ($150 budget)
• 4 tie dye sets. Per the reviews each kit should just cover one class. I think an extra is probably good to be safe, and can be returned if not needed. ($76)
• 1 bag Elastics ($9)
• Plastic tablecloth ($6 for two tablecloths) - order 4-6
• Ziplock bags for the wet shirts ($7)
• 12 Extra shirts for students who don't have them - white/size small men's ($36)
• Plastic gloves for all kids

​

​

Last Year’s Volunteer:

2025

​

​

​

Class Pizza Party Celebration

​

​

Each year following the Moving On Celebration, the fifth grade enjoys a pizza party with cake or cupcakes. They also use this time to sign each other's memory books.

​

Adult Volunteer Role ( 1-2 volunteers, $560 budget, PTO holds 5th grade funds and can reimburse):

​

• Arrange for pizzas to be delivered to school by 11:30 am

​

• Arrange to pick up a special lunch for students who have pizza allergy

​

• Order cake or cupcakes for the day. BJ’s and Costco sheet cakes work well – please make sure the cake is nut free and decorated to represent the class. Alternative dessert may be needed for students with allergies.

​

• Supply classrooms with beverages, cups, plates, flatware, etc.

​

Last Year’s Volunteer:

2025 Agapi Stratakias

(agapiks1@gmail.com)

​

​

​