Bates Family Newsletter

Dear Bates Families,

What a busy and exciting start to the school year! 🎉 Our PTO meeting was packed, and we had a full house at Open House. Thank you to all who came out to connect and show support. Many thanks to everyone who also brought food to share.

Now we’re looking ahead to another busy week. Please remember that Wednesday is an early release day. This time is built into our schedule so that teachers can participate in valuable professional development, which helps us continue to grow and bring the very best to our students.

We are so grateful to our teachers and staff for the thoughtful ways they are building strong relationships with students. It’s clear that a wonderful year of learning and belonging is ahead!

Our best,

Ms. Smith

Mr. Mac

Mr. Lister

We work off of three basic priorities here are Bates: Center Belonging, Empower Educators, Elevate Student Learning. You'll notice that our weekly newsletters are divided into these three sections for a reason - We always work toward our goals, and we want to keep you informed as to how we're doing it!

This week we introduced the term “trusted adult” during morning announcements. Each day, different staff members shared a little bit about themselves so that students could see just how many trusted adults they have here at Bates. Trusted adults are so important because they give students someone they can go to if they have a problem, need help, or simply want to share a success. Knowing that every child has caring, supportive grown-ups around them is key to feeling safe and connected at school.

Next week, we’ll continue highlighting trusted adults while also focusing on “Be You”—the second part of our school commitment: Believe, Be You, Belong…at Bates. “Be You” reminds students that they are celebrated for who they are and that their unique identities, talents, and stories are valued in our community.

This work is part of our strong commitment to social-emotional learning (SEL). We believe SEL is just as important as academics—it builds the confidence, resilience, and relationships that help children thrive both inside and outside the classroom.

At Bates, we want to provide flexible opportunities for families to engage with our school community—both during the school day and after school. To make sure these opportunities reflect what families want most, we’re asking for your input through a short poll.

Your feedback will help us design events and activities that feel welcoming, meaningful, and accessible for all. Maybe we implement all of them? Maybe just some? We're not sure yet, but we do know that new events/experiences will be offered!

• Use the front door for drop-off. We have a designated section where PreK and K students wait and are escorted to their classrooms by two staff members. This option works especially well if you are dropping off both PreK/K students and older siblings—older siblings can walk them in through the front.
• Park and walk. If you notice traffic is backed up, you can park on Liberty Hill Avenue and walk your child to either the front door or PreK/K entrance.
• Choose the front door when traffic is heavy. If the line is backed up on the PreK/K side, we strongly recommend using the front entrance instead.

Our first early release day is scheduled for Wednesday, September 17. PreK will be dismissed at 10:55, K at 11:00, and grades 1-5 at 11:05. Teachers and staff will remain at Bates to engage in important professional development.

We're excited to offer after-school clubs to our students again this year!

Preliminary details:

• These clubs will be open to students in grades 3-5 only, and fall clubs run from the week of October 13th-the week of December 8th from 2:30-3:45. Clubs are FREE! Sign up is on a first come, first served basis.
• Kids who are being picked up by their grownups will be leaving school at 3:45 and those taking buses will be picked up at 4:00.
• Clubs (except Student Voice) will be capped at 10 participants. Student Voice is only open to students in grades 4 and 5 and will be capped at 15 participants.
• In the future, we're hoping to offer clubs to grades K-2 students, but we don't have the capacity to do that at this time.

• Girls on the Run (Tuesday and Thursday - participants must attend on both days, facilitated by Ms. Mielcarz and Ms. Flewelling) - Just what it sounds like...it's a running club that culminates with the participants running a 5K offsite, ususally on a Saturday morning.
• Student Voice (likely running on Tuesdays - grades 4 and 5 only, facilitated by Ms. Acconcia and Ms. Shannon) - Explore what is means to have a voice as a student. This platform empowers students to speak up and improve their school environments. Culminates in a fantastic presentation at the Peabody Essex Museum in the spring showcasing the work of all students in Salem involved in this city-wide initiative.
• Garden Club - (Tuesdays, facilitated by Mr. Mac) - Prepare the garden for fall, think about what should be planted in the spring, roll your sleeves up and get a little dirty!
• Soccer Club - (Thursdays, facilitated by Mr. Ben) - New! Students will learn the fundamentals of soccer then will get to play in a championship game against other schools in Salem who are also running soccer clubs!
• STEM Club (T OR TH...not quite sure yet, but will be facilitated by Ms. Koci) - Explore all things STEM! Designing, building, creating...so much fun😃

Sign up forms will be sent out this week!

Shout out to PTO for funding one of the clubs!

It's always a good idea to be familiar with our general operating rules and procedures. Please take some time to read through our Bates School Handbook. Thank you!

Halloween is going to be here before we know it, and the Grand Parade is just around the corner. Mr. Bleckley has some cool ideas for this year's theme: Stronger Together, The Magic of Us.

The Concept

Basically, the premise will be "Making Magic", so if you plan on marching with us, think about costumes having to do with magic or making magic -- the sky's the limit!

Parade Prep - Sign up today!

*****New this year!***** We're always thinking about ways to invite parents into our school to take part in the fun "stuff" that we're doing. This year, we're inviting families to come to Bates on Monday, September 22nd or Thursday, September 25th, from 2:30-4:00, to help create/paint props for the parade! These are wearable props, so they can even serve as your costume or part of your costume.

Mr. Bleckley will be assisting families with creating playing cards or illusion cards that will be wearable sandwich-style boards. He'll explain the concept in person, too!

SIGN UP HERE if you want to come join in on the creativity!

Be be mindful that we have a "no dogs" on the premise policy, and that's hard for us because many of us REALLY love dogs. Thank you for leaving your fur babies at home so that all of our students and their families can enjoy safe arrivals and departures from school.

Smile! School picture day is scheduled for Friday, September 19th! Forms should be in students' backpacks.

If your child’s dismissal plans change, please notify Ms. Julie in the Main Office at (978) 740-1250 as early in the day as possible.

Please do not inform your child’s teacher directly, as this interrupts classroom instruction. Ms. Julie will make sure the teacher is notified.

Attendance Reminder
Consistent attendance is essential for your child’s success. Unless they are sick, students should be in school every day to stay engaged with their classmates and keep on track with their learning. If your child is sick and will be staying home, please call our absentee line at (978) 740-1172. You can leave a message with your child’s name and the reason for their absence. If your child sees a doctor, please send them back to school with a doctor’s note so the absence can be excused.

If you have any questions about the importance of attendance or need support in making sure your child gets to school every day, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Family Engagement Facilitator, Rosalyn Guevara, on ParentSquare or email: rguevara@salemk12.org. Families of students with multiple absences will receive letters and may be asked to meet with our attendance team at school so we can work together to identify any support you might need.

Planning Vacations During the School Year
As you plan, please keep the school calendar in mind when scheduling family vacations. Below are the vacation dates for the 2025–26 school year:

• December 22 – January 2 (please note: this break is a full two weeks)
• February 16 – 20
  
• April 20 – 24

Thank you for making school attendance a priority. We look forward to partnering with you to support your child in the year ahead!

September 17 - Early release for students (PreK at 10:55, Kindergarten at 11:00, Grades 1-5 at 11:05) and our first Town Hall - More on that soon!

September 19 - School picture day - SMILE😀

October 2 - Halloween Grand Parade

October 17 - Monster Mash! More details to follow soon

October 22 - Early release - PreK at 10:55, K at 11:00, Grades 1-5 at 11:05

October 31 - Early release due to Halloween

We officially kicked off of our Name the Lane fundraiser! Tickets are $5 each! The winner gets a $100 Visa gift card. The best news is that the winning student gets to name our lane for the school year and enjoys a limo ride to school on the day of the unveiling of the street sign. Extra tickets are available in the main office or here. All the money raised helps fund field trips and assemblies for our students.

Look no further! Sign up to rent the rock here.

Reserve the spirit rock from the PTO for the following: Birthday, ½ Birthday (summer birthday), school spirit, congratulating someone, etc. Spirit Rock is a PTO fundraiser for the school year of 2025-2026. Funds raised will help pay for school programs and/or initiatives.

Interested in field hockey?

Join Swampscott Youth Field Hockey this fall! All local towns are welcome to join. The SYFH Director, Stephanie Rouse, is mom to two of our own here at Bates! Programs offered for Preschool-6th grade. No experience required & gear is available upon request.

Shoutout to our school's City Connects Coordinator, Sari Rudolph, as she is one of our coaches. Join in on the fun!

Bates Elementary School, in partnership with our families and community, will provide all students with a culturally responsive, student – centered, and equitable learning experience that celebrates our students’ diverse backgrounds, creative pursuits, and their academic, social, emotional success.

School Hours:

Monday through Friday

PreK - 7:45 - 2:10 pm

Kindergarten - 7:45 - 2:15 pm

Grades 1-5 - 7:45 - 2:20 pm

Early Release:

PK at 10:55 am

Kindergarten at 11:00 am

Grades 1-5 at 11:05 am