2026-02-01 Newsletter

Dear Countryside Families,

We hope everyone fared okay during last week’s snowfall and that your children were able to get outside, enjoy the fresh snow, and have some fun during our two snow days— winter season is definitely upon us!

We wanted to take a moment and remind everyone that we have our Annual Countryside Parent Party coming up later this week on Saturday, February 7. This is a great opportunity to meet and mingle with other parents in our Countryside community over appetizers and drinks and opportunity to win some fun door prizes too!

Please see below for link to RSVP — we hope to see many of you there! Looking ahead, we would also like to wish those who celebrate a very happy Lunar New Year, as well as a wonderful February vacation week. We will be back with our next newsletter on Sunday, February 22.

Warmly,
Steve, Tera and Melissa
PTO Co-Presidents
copresident@countrysidepto.org

Coming Up

Thursday, February 5

Early Release at 12:10 p.m.

Saturday, February 7

Countryside Parent Party

Monday, February 16 - Friday, February 20

Winter Recess, No School

View Calendar

Updates

Parents Party - Saturday Night, February 7!

Get ready for a fun night out with the Countryside community! Join us for our Parent Party on February 7 at 7:00 pm at The Biltmore on Chestnut Street. Enter to win some great door prizes, sign up for a Super Bowl square (Go Pats!) and enjoy mingling with friends.

Tickets are $35 per person and include heavy apps, a drink ticket and tickets for door prizes. Please RSVP by Wednesday through the Evite and send payment via Venmo to @Countryside-PTO, noting “Parent Party” and attendee(s) name in the memo. Visit our website for more details—we can’t wait to see you there!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our Parent Party co-chairs: Melissa Monokroussos, Adam Bernstein, or Steve Lee.

RSVP to Parent Party

February Teacher Appreciation Event - Wednesday, February 11

Please join us in celebrating our staff this February with a Cookie & Hot Cocoa Bar!

We invite families to sign up below to donate 1–2 dozen cookies or boxes of hot cocoa for this special event. Cookie donations may be dropped off during school drop-off on Wednesday, February 11 and boxes of hot cocoa may be dropped off at 12:00 p.m., on Wednesday, February 11 to ensure it is hot and ready to drink. Please make sure cookies are clearly labeled with ingredients.

Staff will enjoy the Cookie & Hot Cocoa Bar during their professional development time that day. Questions? Please reach out to Maegan Spontak.

Bingo Night – Saturday, March 7!

Bingo is back! Join us for an afternoon of fun and prizes on Sunday, March 7. Concessions will be available. We will have three sessions:

Sensory session: 2:15–2:45 (a smaller, quieter session for those who prefer this)

K–2: 3:00–4:30 p.m.
3–5: 5:00–6:30 p.m.

RSVP link will follow later!

Boks Spring 2026 Registration Now Open!

We’re excited to share that registration for the Spring 2026 BOKS session is now open! Whether your child joined us in the fall or is curious to try it for the first time, we’d love to welcome them this spring.

BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Success) is a before-school fitness program at Countryside that gets kids moving through fun games, strength-building, and age-appropriate activities—helping them build healthy habits, confidence, focus, and a positive connection to movement in a supportive, inclusive environment. Best of all, BOKS is completely free!

Spring session begins Monday, March 23. We will meet on Mondays & Wednesdays, 7:30–8:05 a.m. Students are greeted at the main office entrance.

Spots are limited to 26 students across all grade levels: Click here to register

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Chris Campbell, Ryan Allen, Nanda Campbell, or Casey Pepek.

Looking forward to another fun and energizing season ahead!

Multicultural Festival - March 28!

We have a great line up this year! See the full list of participating Countries below. If your child/ren connect with and would like to participate in one of our Country performances, please visit the PTO website for participant signup link. Students are able to sign up to participate in the Parade of Nations for all countries (where Table and Performance is listed) and on stage performances (where performance is listed). Once you complete the signup, Country leaders will reach out to you to coordinate practices.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the MCF Co-Chairs.

Countryside Online Auction

We're gearing up for our annual Countryside Online Auction later this Spring! This continues to be a wonderful opportunity for our Countryside families to get access to great deals on awesome items, while supporting our school at the same time - what a win! Every dollar raised goes directly back to Countryside students and our community.

We're asking for your help!

Whether you own a business, provide a service, or know someone who does, we'd love to feature any items you would like to donate to our auction. We're seeking:

Gift cards from local restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, or entertainment venues
Services such as landscaping, tutoring, music lessons, piano lessons, photography, or home services
"Gifts of Time";—teach a skill or class you're passionate about (cooking, art, fitness, languages, etc.)
Connections to local businesses willing to contribute

Reach out directly to Amye Kurson-Collins with details or questions about your donation. All donors will be recognized in our auction catalog, and your generosity will help us make this year our best auction yet!

Community Updates

Newton Community Education (NCE)

NCE Winter/Spring Clubs

Winter/Spring after-school clubs are now open for enrollment! Elementary students can explore a variety of interests, including STEM, art, cooking, chess, sports, and more. Families can browse and register through the new NCE Registration Portal. Scholarships are available through NCE’s Financial Assistance program.

NCE Summer Camps & Swim Lessons

2026 summer camps are now live, with offerings such as 3D Printing, Glass Art, Creative Filmmaking, Wide World of Storytelling, Art Adventures, Swim Lessons, and so much more! Families can view full camp listings and register through the new NCE Registration Portal. Scholarships are available through NCE’s Financial Assistance program.

Newton February Break Soccer Clinic

ASA Holiday Clinics will provide a positive yet competitive atmosphere where players can improve their game. Players will be expected to exhibit a strong work ethic and willingness to learn new skills. ASA staff is committed to teaching the game of soccer in an organized and structured environment. Register Online Here.

The Dragon King - Marionette Show at Newton Community Stage

Newton Community Events & programs offers a special performance by The Tanglewood Marionettes of the Dragon King. The show will run at the new Newton Community Stage at Lincoln-Eliot School on Tuesday, February 17 at 11:00 a.m. It features colorful sea creatures, an exciting adventure, and all the visual splendor that audiences have come to expect from a Tanglewood Marionettes production. Please join us there—it's great fun for all ages! For more information or to reserve your tickets, click here.

Think Spring Think Softball

Registration for Spring Rec Softball is open! Our Rec program welcomes players in grades K through 8 of all abilities and experience playing softball. All teams are coached by parent volunteers.

Sign up your player(s) at https://www.newtongirlssoftball.org/. For any questions, please first read our policies and guidelines page on our website. If you have further questions feel free to email info@newtongirlssoftball.org.