CUE PTO Newsletter - MAY 2026

May feels like…mayhem?! Good luck to us all with the busy Spring schedules (and this last full month of school, *gasp*!). Here goes with what’s coming up for CUE - and what to catch up on…

Tech tip: Click "VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE" at the top or bottom of this email to catch the full newsletter - in longer issues some content gets chopped off the email format.

Our Belmont Books Fundraiser Week is LIVE *NOW*!

Sunday May 3 - Sunday May 10

Buy books for CheneryTeachers' Wishlists (hint: it's a great way to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week!!) - and stock up for your own summer reading lists!

20% of online sales all week, and in store (for one day) on Monday May 4, will be donated to the CUE PTO when you enter our special code: CUE2026

(Note: this is not a discount coupon but an important code to enter so Belmont Books knows your sale supports our school).

Click below for CUE Teachers’ Wishlists to help stock your classrooms, Allied Arts shelves, and the CUE Library:

Please also alert family and friends who may want to browse any and all books…

Come to our special Read-Aloud Session with Mystery Guest Readers (clue: you’ll recognize them from the CUE hallways and 4th grade classrooms…!):

Monday May 4 | 4.45pm-5.40pm at Belmont Books (upstairs in the Children’s Section)

And it's the perfect opportunity to browse the shelves and buy: purchases in-store on this day will count towards the CUE PTO Fundraiser when you mention code CUE2026 at checkout.

All family members and friends welcome!

💙 Let’s show our teachers some Chenery love all this week!

There are lots of different ways you can chip in…

🧁 Staff Treats

Our amazing Teacher Appreciation Committee is organizing snacks and thoughtful surprises in the Staff Lounge every day this week (wow!). 

Please consider contributing either food/drink items (eg seltzer cans, baked goods, fruit… - drop off at Chenery or Beatrice Circle) or your time to help students write Thank You notes to staff.

There are 37 slots that need filling, so don't hold back!

📘 Give a book

Surprise your class teacher, Allied Arts teachers or the CUE Library by buying a book through our Fundraiser with Belmont Books now through Sunday May 10.

A great way to support both our teachers and our students:

📝 Send a note

Simply writing a note of gratitude to your teacher(s) through Talking Points can really make their day. (Or see if your child is up for giving them a written note or drawing? Often they say it best!)  

THANK YOU for boosting our teachers with some appreciation - it’ll help see them through this busy home stretch to the summer vacation…!

This is our last PTO Meeting of the year! So it’s your last chance to offer ideas on what you enjoyed this year, what the PTO should repeat (or pause - or add) next year - and just enjoy a chat with other CUE caregivers.

If you’re considering helping out with the PTO next school year, it’s also the perfect opportunity to see us in action, ask questions about what volunteering entails - and see what’s in it for you.

Read more about that below!

In case you haven’t heard….we need you! 

To keep CUE growing and thriving next school year with PTO community events, support for our staff, and student enrichment, we need some extra People Power.

If you missed it, here’s another chance to learn what we do, where we need help soonest, and how you can join in:

Call for Volunteers

There’s also something in it for you: 

🧡 You get to feel a stronger sense of connection to your child’s school (especially if you don’t come to CUE often due to bussing or distance)

🧡 You get to know staff and other CUE caregivers

🧡 If you’re new to town or Belmont Public Schools, it’s a great way to meet other families

🧡 You get to know you’re making a difference for the school, staff, students and whole CUE community :)

If you’re interested, it’s easy to get in touch - either fill in the Volunteer Form below (it shows the full list of volunteer opportunities) or drop us an email.

Contacting us doesn't mean committing! It just starts a friendly conversation :)

Our PTO Grade Coordinators and teachers have been (very!) busy finalizing plans for field trips and in-school enrichment - plus some fun party celebrations.

There may be opportunities for parents to volunteer to chaperone Field Trips and help out with Field Days and Parties. All details, consent forms, requests for contributions etc will come via your homeroom Teacher or Room Parents.

Your donations really do make a difference: did you know it costs approx $4000 to cover just the bus transportation for each grade’s Field Trip?? (And the entry fees get added on top…)

Here’s a reminder of what your students have coming up...

In-school enrichment | Jump Rope Performer | May 6 + WhaleMobile | June 5

Field Trip | Harvard History Museum | May (x4 dates, watch for news from teachers) 

Field Day | June 11 at CUE (rain date June 18)

End-of-year Celebration | Kickball Tournament | May 29 

In-school enrichment | Visit from the Discovery Museum | May (x4 dates, watch for news from teachers) in the LCR

Field Trip | Belmont Library & playground | May (x multiple dates - watch for news from teachers)

Field Day | June 15 at Payson Park

End-of-year Celebration | Date & details coming soon!

Field Trip | Nova Adventure Park | June 5 (Waverley), June 12 (Cushing)

 Field Day | June 18 at PQ, Grove Street, Payson, and Town Field

End of Year Party | Friday May 8, 7-9pm at CUE - RSVP HERE! (no cost to attend; free water & snacks; all funded by CUE PTO)

6th Grade Moving-Up Ceremony | Monday June 22, 9am (approx 45 mins, in the Auditorium) 

We had a change of scene for this one! Well done to those who tracked us down in the Staff Lounge - where we checked out Swag samples, talked about the many, many things coming up with the PTO, what events we should do or adapt next year, and how we need new volunteers to make all that happen.

We also heard from Will Jason, board member of The Belmont Voice. Attendees were asked what we appreciate about the weekly local paper and our top reads.

A few responses…

Ideas for new additions:

If you want to keep in touch with the Belmont Voice news or share your own ideas, here’s how:

Email newsletter: Sign up for weekly updates and occasional breaking news or special coverage

Facebook - Follow for updates

Community Events: Click ‘submit event’ if you have local events to include

Feedback and story ideas: Pitch articles to the editors

Our April session was with both our CUE Principal Dr. Laura Smith and BMS Principal Mr. Russ Kupperstein, with a special focus on transition to Belmont Middle School.

For rising 7th Grade / Middle School families…

Find Principal Kupperstein’s slides about BMS Transition HERE.

For another chance to learn about BMS and ask your questions, join the virtual orientation on June 11 (see below).

Important dates (also listed in the full BMS Transition Info doc)

🔹 June 8-11 - Students have info sessions with BMS Administration (in person, by team) and campus tours (in person, by team)

🔹 June 11 | 6-7:30 pm - Family and Student Orientation | virtual: https://meet.google.com/kng-vavq-wkf

🔹 August 27 | 4-7 pm: Welcome Picnic and Tours (in person - students & families)

🔹 September 8 | 8-9am: Parent Coffee (in person, on the BMHS patio)

🔹 September 24 | 6:30-8:30 pm: Back to School Night (in person)

There was some Q&A majoring on topics like:

- Navigating the building and new lesson block structure (insight: the students learn where to be when surprisingly fast!); 

- Homework; 

- Chromebooks and personal devices policies;

- Lunch and recess (insight: 27 mins sounds short for both but grab-to-go food speeds up the lunch part so students can max out on recess. Parent tip: before-school breakfast from 7:15am is also a sociable part of the day if your student can be an earlybird arrival)

- Bikes (They’re a good idea to ease on-site traffic, many students use them! No e-bikes)

And Dr. Laura Smith updated on CUE happenings:

- Students are in MCAS season

- Literacy Week / Book Character Day in April

- Early dismissal Wednesday May 13

- Everyone’s excited for Field Days!

It’s a record: we filled nearly every seat in the LCR!

It was great to welcome so many new caregivers whose rising 4th graders will soon be joining Chenery.

There was chat about what’s going on right now at CUE and with the PTO; what transition info sessions are coming up for incoming families; and what September and the CUE hallways will look like for new students (the novelty of lockers is always a hit!)

See Dr. Smith's presentation slides HERE

What a night! There was music, dancing, and even a unicycle on stage...CUE’s got a whole lot of talent - every performer was a winner :) 

Thanks to everyone who put time and effort into rehearsing, organizing the event, and supporting our talented CUE students.

A double thank you to our Staff Appreciation Committee who not only provided another spread of snacks in the staff lounge, but also braved the rain to plant stunning flowers in the plant pots at our CUE entrances to brighten everyone’s arrival! 

You can still contribute: sign up for Teacher Appreciation Week (see above) and/or the last Teacher Snacks in June:

And remember us saying bulbs were planted by a team of helpers back in the Fall? It was worth the wait for these colorful tulip results!

Congrats on your generosity and spring cleaning skills, Chenery!

Cradles to Crayons have reported back that Chenery donated 18 bags of clothing and shoes - and Belmont as a whole donated 2,844 gallons of clothes!! That’s 237 x standard trash bags - all going to a good cause to support children in need.

The clothes are at their Giving Factory ready for sorting and delivering locally to make sure babies, toddlers and teens have appropriate clothing at home, at school and at play.

We can’t wait to see the Chenery hoodies, T-shirts and more walking the CUE hallways and around town!

Clothing orders are ready for pick-up at Champions on Leonard St - check your inboxes for pick-up details.

Thanks to your shopping skills and our collaboration with Champions, the CUE PTO received $1264 from this Swag Sale!

If you missed out, don’t worry - there’ll be another chance to buy at the August CUE Meet-ups and in the Fall.

That’s it for now! Keep paddling and stay afloat in this busy month :)

- The CUE PTO Team 🐾

Cortney Eldridge (Co-President)

Sheena Patel-Roberts (Co-President)

Deepa Shakya (Vice President)

Georgina Lamont (Comms Coordinator)

Galdy Haces (Secretary)

Lee O'Neil (Treasurer)

✉️ Say hello: cheneryPTO@gmail.com

👍 Follow the CUE PTO Facebook page for news alerts

🌐 Find info and answers on the CUE PTO website

📰 Catch up on recent Newsletters

💲 Support the PTO

🧁 Contribute to the monthly Teacher Appreciation Drive