SECC ~ Learning & Growing Together

Hello, SECC Families!

What a wonderful first full week of October we have had at SECC! As the leaves begin to change and the days get a little cooler, our school continues to be filled with so much learning, energy, and growth.

This time of year is such a special one in our primary school classrooms. Our students are becoming more comfortable with routines, building friendships, taking on new challenges, and growing in their independence each day. It is wonderful to see their confidence continue to grow as they learn and discover together.

I also want to thank our families for your continued partnership and communication. The conversations we have with you, whether they are about a celebration, a question, or a challenge, help us better understand and support your children. Please continue to reach out, share your thoughts, and keep those lines of communication open. We are all working toward the same goal: helping our students feel safe, supported, successful, and excited to come to school each day.

As we head into the weeks ahead, we have lots to look forward to, including our upcoming Spirit Week at the end of the month and the many fun fall activities happening throughout SECC. Thank you for helping make our school such a welcoming place for our youngest learners.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Lisa

District Calendar LINK

• 10/12 - NO School - Indigenous Peoples' Day
• 10/12 - NM Unified Sports Fundraiser @ The Alamo (see flyer below)
• 10/16 - Boo-Gram Orders Due
• 10/16 - Title I Family Engagement Meeting @10 AM (Virtual LINK)
• 10/16 - Trunk-or-Treat @NMRHS (6 PM - 8 PM)
• 10/26 - 10/30 - SECC Spirit Week

This week, Mrs. Powell's PreK class had so much fun exploring measurement with apples! Each student had the opportunity to find out how many apples tall they were. They practiced counting, measuring, and comparing our heights with our friends. The children loved seeing just how many apples it took to measure them! It was a fun, hands-on way to practice our early math skills!

Our first graders are bringing their creativity and imagination to life as they work on building their very own Magnificent Things! As part of Module 1 of the EL Education curriculum, students are exploring what it means to create something meaningful, use their ideas, and learn through the process of designing and building. We love seeing our young learners put their creativity, problem-solving skills, and perseverance to work as they bring their magnificent ideas to life!

We are looking for a few SECC family volunteers to join our School Council this year!

Our primary focus for this year's School Council will be School Climate. We’ll come together to share ideas, listen to family perspectives, and explore ways we can continue building a positive, welcoming, and inclusive school experience for all of our students and families.

Our goal is to meet 4–6 times throughout the school year, from 3:30–4:15 PM. We’ll work together to determine meeting dates that work for our council members.

Interested in being part of the conversation? Please reach out to Lisa Comeau at lcomeau@nmrsd.org.

We would love to have your voice at the table!

We had a great week of practicing our school safety routines! On Monday, we completed our fire drill, and on Wednesday, we practiced our ALICE safety drill. These drills are an important part of helping our students and staff know what to do and how to respond safely in different situations.

A huge shout-out to all of our students and staff for taking these practices seriously, following directions, and showing such great teamwork! We are so proud of the way our SECC community continues to learn, practice, and grow together.

For the safety and comfort of all our students, elementary students need to wear appropriate athletic footwear (sneakers) for gym class. Sneakers provide the support, traction, and stability students need for running, jumping, and participating safely in physical activities.

Please keep in mind that boots, sandals, flip-flops, and other open-toed footwear are not appropriate for gym activities. Students who do not have appropriate footwear will not be able to participate in gym that day.

We also understand that purchasing athletic shoes can sometimes be a financial challenge for families. If your family is having difficulty obtaining appropriate footwear, please reach out to me. We are happy to work with families to help ensure that every student has what they need to participate safely, comfortably, and fully in gym class.

We’re getting ready for a little fall fun at SECC! 🎃🍂 Our Spirit Week will take place October 26–30, with a fun theme each day for our students and staff to enjoy!

From Pumpkin Patch Day and Spooky Socks to Wacky Wednesday, Scarecrow Day, and Halloween Day, we’re looking forward to celebrating the season and bringing a little extra joy to our school days. 🧡

Be sure to check out the Spirit Week flyer for all of the details and ideas for each day. We can’t wait to see our SECC littles showing their spirit! 👻🌾🧦

We’d love to have you join us for an upcoming Family Engagement Title I Virtual Meeting! This meeting is open to all North Middlesex families, whether or not your child currently receives Title I support.

This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Title I in North Middlesex, what the program looks like across our schools, and meet the team who works to support our students and families.

We believe family engagement is an important part of student success, and we welcome your questions, ideas, and participation. We hope you’ll join us!

📅 Date: Friday, October 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 10 AM
💻 Location: Virtual — meet.google.com/ivk-iaex-ibe

Our SECC PTO has been busy planning some fun ways to bring our school community together!

🎃 SECC BooGrams

There’s still time to send a little Halloween surprise to your favorite SECC kiddo! Families can order a BooGram to be delivered to their child at school during Halloween week.

We have just one week left to get your orders in! Orders are due by Friday, October 16th, and BooGrams will be passed out during Halloween week.

🔗 Click here to order your BooGram!

👻 SMS PTO Trunk or Treat

We also want to give a shoutout to our friends at SMS PTO, who are hosting their annual Trunk or Treat at the NMRHS parking lot on October 16th, from 6-8PM!

All of our school communities are welcome to attend, and it is always such a fun night filled with creativity, costumes, and lots of community spirit. We hope to see some of our SECC families there!

Thank you to our PTOs for all they do to create opportunities for our families to connect, have fun, and build community. We are so grateful for all of the ways they support our schools

NM SEPAC will be hosting our 2nd annual transition fair on October 20th from 5:30-7:30pm. While it is typically geared towards high school students, we will have community services there such as DDS and recreation options that are available to all ages.

Looking for dinner plans on Monday, October 12th? Head over to The Alamo Texas Barbeque in Brookline, NH and enjoy some delicious BBQ while supporting NM Unified Sports!

10% of all proceeds will be donated to NM Unified Sports throughout the day. It’s an easy way to enjoy a great meal while helping support our Unified athletes and the amazing opportunities they have to learn, compete, and build friendships together.

📅 Monday, October 12th
📍 The Alamo Texas Barbeque — Brookline, NH
❤️ 10% of proceeds benefit NM Unified Sports

Bring the family, grab some BBQ, and help make a difference for our Unified Sports community!

We’re looking for families who may be interested in volunteering at SECC throughout the school year! There are lots of ways families can get involved, and opportunities may look different throughout the year—from helping with a special event or classroom activity to supporting a school-wide project.

You don’t need to commit to volunteering regularly. If you’re interested in being part of our family volunteer list, please complete the form below. When opportunities come up, we’ll reach out with more information.

We’d love to have you be part of our school community in whatever way works for your family!

Interested in volunteering? Complete our Family Volunteer Form

Thank you, families, for helping us establish smooth and safe arrival and dismissal routines! As we continue to fine-tune our procedures, we want to highlight a few important reminders:

• Please remain in your vehicle during parent pick-up and drop-off. This helps keep the line moving safely, smoothly, and efficiently.
• Students should enter and exit vehicles on the passenger side only, where staff can safely assist them.
• Please have your car placard clearly visible so we can quickly identify your child.
• If your child needs assistance getting in or out of the car, please park in the parking lot and meet your child at the Main Entrance. You are welcome to walk your child to/from the entrance alongside our other families.
• Please follow staff directions and avoid pulling around or passing other vehicles, buses, or vans.

These routines help us keep everyone safe while making the parent pick-up line as efficient as possible. Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping SECC safe! 💛

At SECC, one of our goals is to help our littles learn how to learn, how to play, how to problem-solve, how to make friends, and how to navigate relationships with others. These are important skills that take time, practice, and lots of adult support!

We’re sharing the district’s Bullying Awareness & Prevention presentation as a resource for families. It provides helpful information about recognizing bullying, responding to concerns, and supporting children as they develop positive relationships and social-emotional skills.

We appreciate your partnership as we work together to help every child feel safe, valued, connected, and ready to learn. 💛

If your child will be absent/tardy from school, please be sure to call our absence line at 978-597-5254 to let us know. Please call each day your child will be absent.

Thank you for helping us keep our attendance records accurate and, most importantly, ensuring that we know where our students are each day.

🍎 Breakfast & Lunch
Breakfast and lunch continue to be free for all students through the USDA food program. Monthly menus are available here.

Email: secc@nmrsd.org
Website: https://secc.nmrsd.org/
Location: 66 Brookline Street, Townsend, Ma 01469
Phone: 978-597-3085