Bresnahan Weekly Wednesday

10/30 - Costume Parade (8:45, outdoors and open to families) *details below

11/03 - EARLY RELEASE

• Preschool/PreK Dismissed at 11:15am
• Grade K-3 Dismissed at 11:40

11/04 - Picture Make-Ups (please notify your child's teacher)

11/04 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (3:15-6:15 PM)

11/10 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (3:15-8:00 PM)

11/11 - NO SCHOOL (Veterans Day Observed)

11/16 -11/20 - Book Fair (Refer to the classroom teacher for details)

11/18 - Caregiver Conversations - Playful Learning (8:30-9:15 - Cafeteria)

11/25 - EARLY RELEASE

• Preschool/PreK Dismissed at 11:15am
• Grade K-3 Dismissed at 11:40

11/26 - NO SCHOOL

11/27 - NO SCHOOL

There will be an outdoor Costume Parade on Friday 10/30 at 8:45 am. Parents and guardians are invited to attend! Please stand behind cones set up along the rider area, bus area, and walker areas. Students will exit door 1, parade outside along the sidewalk around the entire building and re-enter the building through Door 4.

When preparing for this exciting event, please be mindful of costume choices. Students need to be able to move/walk on their own (for example, some students struggle to walk on their own in inflatable costumes). We also ask that students refrain from wearing full face masks and costumes with weapons.

We will have a parade alternative in the library for students who do not wish to participate in the parade. Please email your classroom teacher directly if you would like to opt-out of the parade.

Seeking Volunteers for the Bresnahan Library

Hello Bresnahan families!

The Bresnahan Library is a happy, busy place with some exciting events coming up! I am seeking volunteers for both the upcoming book fair and a few organizational projects.

Important Reminder: Volunteers must have a current CORI on file with the school in order to volunteer.

Scholastic Book Fair

The annual Scholastic Book Fair is scheduled for the week of November 16-20. Parent volunteers are essential to making the fair a success! Help will be needed with:

• Set-up before the fair begins

• Assisting during the school day while classes visit the fair

• Clean-up and breakdown at the end of the week

If you are interested in volunteering for the upcoming book fair (11/16-11/20), please complete this Sign Up Genius: Book Fair Volunteers or scan the QR code

Please complete this Sign Up Genius by Friday, 11/6 so that I have time to confirm the CORI status of potential volunteers.

Library - Special Projects

I am also looking for volunteers to help reorganize and update sections of the library to make them more accessible for students. Tasks will include organizing shelves, labeling books and bins, and removing outdated or damaged books. Current projects include:

• Labeling biography book spines

• Labeling picture book spines

• Labeling & organizing the picture book bins and shelves

• Labeling & organizing the animal section

These projects offer flexible volunteer opportunities, whether someone can help for a short period each week or dedicate a longer block of time.

If you are interested in supporting the library in this way, please fill out this

Google Form - Library - Organizational Projects

Please feel free to sign up for both the book fair as well as special projects if you’d like!

Please email me at rames@newburyport.k12.ma.us if you have any questions. Thanks!

Curious about Playful Learning and how it’s bringing joy and engagement to our classrooms at the Bresnahan? We would love for you to join us!

We’ll be sharing a quick overview of what Playful Learning is all about, highlighting the exciting progress we’ve made so far, and giving you a peek into what it looks like in action for our students this year. Come learn with us—RSVP here!

Kindergarten and Grade 1 will be starting their next unit in Fishtank soon. (Grades 2 and 3 units are longer. Check back in a few weeks for updates.)

Fishtank is our new knowledge building literacy curriculum. Your student is diving into literacy lessons that build reading, writing, and comprehension skills using engaging texts, class discussions and rich writing opportunities.

Below, you'll find an overview of what students are learning by grade, as well as ways you can support your child's learning at home!

CORI/SORI

• All volunteers must have an up-to-date CORI on file with the Newburyport Elementary Schools.
• Bring the completed CORI/SORI form along with your driver's license to the Administrative Assistant at our school office.
• Please note CORI's are only valid for three years; after that you must reapply.

Fingerprinting

In keeping with Newburyport's continued focus on safety, volunteers/parents are required to be fingerprinted in two instances:

1. If you are going on a day or overnight field trip and will have direct and unmonitored contact with children;
2. If you are a lunchroom volunteer and will be bringing children out to the playground. Parents who volunteer in the classroom DO NOT need to be fingerprinted, if there will always be another adult present.

Massachusetts has contracted with MorphoTrust for fingerprinting. To book an appointment, visit the Massachusetts IdentoGO Website.

Please be aware there is a $35 fee for fingerprinting. Fingerprinting does not expire.

Forms and Information

• CORI/SORI Form
• Fingerprinting Info

Important PTO Save-the-Dates:

Nov. 3: *PTO Election Day Bake is cancelled*

Nov. 10: PTO Board meeting *special meeting details below*

Dec. 1: Holiday Spirit Wear Sale begins (delivery for Christmas & Hanukkah)

Dec Cookie Swap details coming soon…

PTO Board Meeting Nov 10 6:30pm

In November we have a special opportunity for our PTO Board meeting. On Nov. 10th at 6:30pm at the High School Library, Superintendent Sean Gallagher will join us for a school budget walkthrough and discussion. All are welcome.

PTO Cookie Swap

Each year, in mid-December, we celebrate our teachers and staff during the holiday season with our annual cookie swap. Families are invited to bake, buy, or volunteer to make this event special. Stay tuned for firm dates and links to sign-up.

Newburyport Education Foundation (NEF) News

~Final call~ The NEF is still looking for help with class baskets for many classrooms. You can check if your classroom has a basket and sign-up at: https://tinyurl.com/nefbasketsignup.

These one-of-a-kind creations are showcased online in the Silent Auction from Nov. 7-14th, and several are even selected for the LIVE auction event on November 14th. A big thank-you to those who have already signed up!

The 2026 Lighthouse Auction, presented by the Institution for Savings, is the Newburyport Education Foundation’s largest event of the year. Thanks to your generosity, last year’s auction was a tremendous success - raising over $100,000 for our schools.

Send questions to: NEFAuctionClassBaskets@gmail.com.