Melville Message Community Update

In partnership with families and community, the mission of Melville Elementary School is to provide all students with a strong academic foundation through diverse and challenging instruction in a safe and nurturing environment enabling them to achieve their greatest potential while developing self-confidence, respect, responsibility, compassion and a love of learning.

This year, we have made a few small but exciting changes to our Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) strategies and recognition system based on feedback from our leadership team and families.

Our goal is to continue celebrating students for being Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Ready to Learn while making the process even more engaging.

Here’s what’s new:

• Weekly Recognitions:

  • Most Fridays, we will announce five grade-level Whaledone Students and one Unified Arts Whaledone of the Week.

  • On special weeks (such as Spirit Week or before vacations), we will highlight one Whaledone Student from each class. This will be shared with students in the weekly Monday Melville Message, to encourage them to meet the expectations of being Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Ready to Learn.

• Classroom Whaledone: Classrooms will hold a raffle to select one Class Whaledone Student of the Week. Teachers may celebrate this student with special roles or privileges.

At Melville, we have so many fun celebrations throughout the year—from monthly recognitions to spirit weeks, family engagement nights, the book fair, and Reading Spirit Week. We believe in working hard and playing hard, because kids learn best when they’re having FUN! Here are some examples of the good times we will have.

• 1st Friday Trivia with ribbons and prizes 🏅

• Community Gatherings throughout the year with special recognitions 🎤

• Dance party visits from Principal Laurie on certain celebration days 💃

• Class BOOST Competitions where top classes can win extra PE with Mr. Soares ⚽

• Schoolwide Bingo in January

Throughout the year, students will also earn certificates, tokens, and class ribbons. The fun continues right through June with grade-level celebrations and special prizes for top classes.

Thank you for supporting our recognition system—together,

we can help every student feel seen, valued, and celebrated!

On Tuesday evening, we held our first MPTG meeting of the new school year. Thank you to all who were able to join us! This month the school highlight was on Student Supports and Strategies.

From the moment we meet our students, we focus on building strong relationships. We teach our school expectations, celebrate successes, and provide reteaching and additional support when needed. We also engage our school community through events like It Starts With Hello Week to encourage connections. This year, all students will make friendship bracelets with members of our support team to strengthen their network of caring adults at Melville.

In October, we will celebrate Unity Day as part of our bullying prevention efforts. Students will learn the signs of bullying, strategies to stand up for themselves and others, and ways to seek support. Some of our 4th grade students will take the lead by sharing strategies with our school community.

While these proactive steps are important, we recognize that bullying may still occur. Please know that we are here to support your child. If something does not feel right, it deserves attention. Our district’s bullying policy, which outlines the steps we take, is available on the district website and is also summarized in the attached flyer.

Next month, our MPTG meeting will highlight our Response to Intervention (RTI) and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework.

If you shop at Clements and then send your receipt into school, Clements gives us a percentage back! Thank you for your support.

Dear Parent/Legal Guardian,

Melville Elementary School will have a hearing screening on September 16, 2025. The Rhode Island School of the Deaf Audiology Center will perform this screening. Please note this is not a consent form.
The following grades will be screened:
* Preschool

* Kindergarten
* Grades 1, 2, and 3
* New Grade 4 students
* Grade 4 students who were absent during last school year’s screening or who were referred
for further evaluation last school year.

It is important that we are aware of any factors that might affect your child’s performance on the screening. Please read the following questions:

• Has your child had ear pain at any time during the past month?

• Has your child had drainage from the ears during the past month?

• Has your child had tubes inserted during the past 6-8 weeks?

• Is your child currently under the care of an ENT?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, please inform me via email or telephone call before the screening date.

If you do not want your child to participate in this screening, please email me at trainora@portsmouthschoolsri.org or call me at the number listed below. You will need to provide me with documentation that a hearing screening test has been performed in accordance with Rhode Island General Hearing Screening Requirements if you opt your child out of this screening. Documentation must be received by September 15, 2025. Please see Rhode Island State Law 216-RICR-20-10-4 for additional information as this is a mandated state screening.
If you have specific questions about the hearing screening, please contact Christen Kelly, Au.D., CCC-A at (401) 243-1022.

I will notify you if your child has difficulty with the screening.

All the best,

Alexia Trainor, BSN, RN, CSNT
(401) 683-1650, Option 2

In an effort to help streamline our VIS process we will have a staff member available in the lobby at Open House to assist with paperwork.

If you need to submit new VIS paperwork or need to renew your paperwork, please print at home and complete the Volunteer In Schools Forms. Bring the completed forms with you along with a copy of the front and back of your driver's license and a check for $5 made out to BCI. Without these 2 forms we will not be able to process your paperwork. We will have a limited number of printed copies available and will not have access to a copier, so please plan ahead.

- Volunteer In Schools Forms

- Volunteer In School Homepage

Please note: once the paperwork is submitted to the school it takes 2-3 weeks for the forms to be approved. Once approved you should receive an email from Tracy Lima along with a link to our Vector Training Videos. If you have any questions please contact the office with questions.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As the winter season approaches, we understand that keeping our children warm is a top priority. The Portsmouth United Methodist Church has committed to supporting our community and ensuring that every child has the necessary clothing to stay warm during the colder months.

To assist with this, they are offering to provide winter coats to students who may be in need. If your child needs a coat for the upcoming winter season, they would be honored to help.

How to Request a Coat:

Please complete the short form attached to this letter and return it to Nicole Pascoe by September 26th. This information will be kept confidential and will only be used to ensure that we provide the correct size and style for your child.

What Happens Next:

Once we receive your request, I will reach out to the church with the information you provided. The coats will be provided at no cost to you, and the goal is to distribute them before the winter weather sets in. Once we receive the coats, I will be in touch regarding a pick up date and time. The coats will need to be picked up at Melville School.

We are grateful to the Portsmouth United Methodist Church for their community support and hope this initiative will make a positive impact on your family this winter.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at the number or email below.

Warm regards,

Nicole Pascoe
Melville School Social Worker PascoeN@PortsmouthSchoolsRI.org (401) 683-1650 Ext. 5034

September

15-19 It Starts with Hello Week

17: One-hour early release for students-Dismissal will be from 2:15-2:30

18: Open House & Ice Cream Social 5:00-6:30

23: Fall Festival Planning Committee 6:00-7:00 in the Melville Library

October

2: Yom Kippur (No School)

13: Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day (No School)

14: MPTG 6:00-7:00 - In the Melville Library

16: Family Teacher Conferences, 3:30-6:30

18: Fall Festival

22: Unity Day-Wear Orange to unite against Bullying

23:Family Teacher Conferences, 3:30-6:30

31: Schoolwide Storybook Character Day, 2PM K Parade for Melville staff, students, and K families

November

11: Veterans’ Day Observance (No School)

18: MPTG 6:00-7:00 -In the Melville Library

19:One-hour early release for students-Dismissal will be from 2:15-2:30

26 – 28: Thanksgiving Recess (No School)

December

10:One-hour early release for students-Dismissal will be from 2:15-2:30

13: Merry Melville 9:00-12:00 (Chorus performs at 10:30)

15-19 Winter Spirit Week

22 – 31: Holiday Recess (No School)

January

1 - 2: New Year’s Day (No School)

13:MPTG 6:00-7:00 - In the Melville Library

14:One-hour early release for students-Dismissal will be from 2:15-2:30

19: Martin Luther King Day (No School)

26-30: Scholastic Book Fair and Reading Spirit Week

February

Family Teacher Conferences (Flexible, each grade level will notify families and find door support)

10: MPTG 6:00-7:00 - Library

16 - 20: Winter Recess (No School)

March

Wellness Week-TBD

Arts for Life- TBD

Whale of an Evening-TBD

10: MPTG 6:00-7:00 - In the Melville Library

18: One-hour early release for students-Dismissal will be from 2:15-2:30

April

Month of the Military Child

3: Good Friday (No School)

7: RICAS grades 3 and 4 ELA Session 1

8: RICAS grades 3 and 4 ELA Session 2

14: MPTG 6:00-7:00 - In the Melville Library

20 - 24: Spring Recess (No School)

May

Family Teacher Conferences (Flexible, each grade level will notify families and find door support)

12:

RICAS grades 3 and 4 math Session 1

MPTG 6:00-7:00 - In the Melville Library

13: RICAS grades 3 and 4 math Session 2

20:One-hour early release for students-Dismissal will be from 2:15-2:30

21: Fun Run (Rain Date 22nd)

25: Memorial Day (No School)

June

5: PHS Graduation

8: Pre K Graduation

9: MPTG/Volunteer Appreciation 6:00-7:00 - In the Melville Library

10: Field Day (rain date 11th)

TBD -Grade 4 Stepping Up & Family Picnic

17 or 180th day: Last Day of School – All Students

If your child is going to be absent, or it is absolutely necessary to make a dismissal change, then please complete the: Attendance Notification Form. Please bookmark this form or you can find it on our website. Dismissal changes must be made by 2:15

Going forward please use meloffice@portsmouthschoolsri.org to notify the main office of changes to your child's dismissal routine or of your child's absence.

We love to celebrate our students. If they have special news that you would like us to share, e.g. State Wrestling or Cheerleading Championship accomplishments, then please email me at lauried@portsmouthschoolsri.org and we will be sure to include their recognition in our morning announcements.

In keeping with the spirit of giving, our Feinstein Jr. Scholars are excited to start an in-school food pantry that our students and families can donate to and access when needed.

Please help us as we continue to support our community by sending in food items with your child from time to time. Please email

Mrs. Powell: powelld@portsmouthschoolsri.org or

Mrs. Pascoe: pascoen@portsmouthschoolsri.org

if you would like to access our food pantry during the school year.

Securly Home is an app that allows parents to monitor their child’s Chromebook activity at home and add rules for home use. Please take some time to review the slideshow from the informational parent meeting hosted for families.

We encourage you to sign up now for Securly Home!

Google Slideshow

At Melville School we provide continuous updates on student progress. Mid-Trimester Progress Reports and Report Cards help us to better communicate student progress with parents and caregivers.

All families will be invited to parent teacher conferences the week of October 15th. At the conference teachers will review beginning of year data and benchmarking assessments. Benchmarking assessments are assessments given to students three times a year to measure their progress towards achieving the end of year standard for their grade level. If your child qualifies for a Response to Intervention Plan, this will be discussed during the conference. Report Cards are published three times a year and will be available on the ASPEN Platform.

Report Cards reflect your child's current mastery of end-of-grade level standards. The grades earned by your child, as reflected on the Report Card, are their current mastery of end-of-grade level standards. For example, if your child is in second grade they are being assessed on the standard that is expected of a student exiting second grade. If your child receives an S (secure), this means that they are secure and have reached the end of the year benchmark. Earning a D (developing) means your child is demonstrating growth towards meeting the end of grade level with support. If your child is beginning to progress towards meeting the end of year standard, then they will receive a B (beginning). It is common for most students to receive B’s and D’s during the first trimester now that we are switching to reporting out on end-of-year standards. An N/A means that this standard has not yet been taught. NP means that your child did not participate in the learning/activities related to this standard.

Email: lauried@portsmouthschoolsri.org
Website: https://www.portsmouthschoolsri.org/Domain/11
Location: 1351 West Main Road, Portsmouth, RI, USA
Phone: 4016831650
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009159177892
Twitter: @MelvilleSchool