PTO Funding At Work

Your donations give Lawrence educators the flexibility to respond to student needs, try creative approaches, and create memorable learning experiences. Some grants place new books or materials directly into students’ hands. Others bring an expert into the classroom, help students encounter history in a more immediate way, or give educators new tools for supporting different learners. Many relatively small grants benefit an entire grade, and some continue benefiting Lawrence students for years.

Here are some of the ways PTO funding is making a difference.

2025–26 Educator Grant Highlights

Sixth-Grade Chemistry Magic Show

After studying physical and chemical changes, sixth graders formed teams, researched reactions, and transformed their findings into a Chemistry Magic Show. PTO funding supplied the materials needed to turn scientific concepts into hands-on experiments, creative performances, and a memorable shared experience.
History Beyond the Textbook

Seventh graders took a live virtual tour of Heart Mountain in Wyoming while reading We Are Not Free, deepening their understanding of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Eighth graders studying Elie Wiesel’s Night heard from a scholar at Boston University’s Elie Wiesel Center about Wiesel’s life and legacy.
Learning Life Skills in the Community

Students practiced navigating public transportation, managing money, and shopping for a nutritious meal. This grant supported practical independence and gave students of different abilities an opportunity to apply classroom learning in the community.
Supporting the Whole Child

New social-emotional learning books help younger students explore empathy, bullying, grief, family changes, and learning differences. The books are used in classroom guidance lessons and help educators begin thoughtful, age-appropriate conversations.
A Reading Challenge for Grades 4–6

New copies of the Massachusetts Children’s Book Award selections made it possible for more students to participate in the statewide reading challenge. Students choose from 25 titles, read at least five, and earn the opportunity to vote for their favorite.
Math Stories for Every Kindergarten Classroom

Every Kindergarten classroom received a collection of engaging mathematics picture books. The books introduce mathematical ideas through stories and feature characters, authors, and experiences from a range of backgrounds—helping children see both themselves and mathematics in the books they read.

Ongoing & Lasting Impact

A Lawrence Tradition: Seventh-Grade Farm School

Each year, the PTO helps subsidize tuition and transportation for the seventh-grade overnight trip to The Farm School, covering approximately half of program costs. Students build relationships, contribute to farm life, and deepen their connection to the land.
School Spirit and Team Pride

From Lawrie the Leopard’s new mascot costume to new singlets for the track and cross-country teams and warmups for volleyball and basketball, PTO funding helps students represent Lawrence with pride and strengthens their sense of belonging.
Recognizing Positive Choices

The PTO purchases most of the prizes awarded through Lawrence’s “Spotted Ticket” program, which supports the school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) efforts in grades K–5. Students receive tickets in recognition of positive behavior and can redeem them for prizes.
Stronger Literacy Instruction

PTO-funded Orton-Gillingham training expanded an educator’s ability to provide structured, research-based reading instruction—an investment that continues benefiting students each year.
Inclusive Classrooms

Flexible seating gives Kindergarten students options that support movement, sensory needs, focus, and independence.
Books and Learning Resources

Decodable readers, Vox listening books, diverse classroom libraries, and shared literacy collections continue putting engaging, accessible books into students’ hands.
Space to Play and Connect

Soccer goals and the Gaga Ball court remain well-used additions to recess, after-school activities, and neighborhood play.
Connecting Authors and Families

Author and illustrator visits, including Lawrence Reads events, have brought students, educators, and caregivers together around books and ideas.
Supporting Students Beyond Lawrence

Through the Nathan Purpel Scholarship, the PTO supports a graduating Brookline High School senior who attended Lawrence and exemplifies generosity of spirit and respect for the differences that enrich our community.