Dear MMES Families,

Tonight is a big night at MMES! It is "Hit the Street for Little Feet" Day! A huge thank you to the MMPTO and their volunteers for planning a great community event for our school! The Fun Run heats start at 5PM with the 5K kicking off at 6PM. Lace up those sneakers...we will see you there!

Please remember that dogs are not allowed on school property. This is especially important at an event like this as we will have lots of little ones and excitement all around. As much as we love dogs, we respectfully ask that folks leave their four-legged friends home for this event. Unfortunately, we have had children bit on school property in the past and certainly don't want that!

Have a great weekend!

Best,

John

Please consider lending a hand with artwork display for the upcoming, district-wide elementary art show. The show is Thursday, May 29 at the Middle/High School. Families will be able to see elementary artwork from both schools, displayed just like at the high school art show, before heading in to hear the Elementary Music Concert.

To pull this all together, Mrs. Yutkins is seeking volunteers to help her mount all the artwork on Wednesday, May 28. Please reach out to Mrs. Yutkins if you can lend a hand between 7:30 am and 3:00 pm. Claudette Yutkins yutkinsc@mersd.org.

Last week, the Whalemobile came to Memorial and met with our first grade students. The Whalemobile is a life sized inflatable whale named Nile which filled the entire HUB! The inside displays the anatomy of the Humpback whale and children were able to hold baleen, bones and teeth. A discussion was held about whale poop; the importance of it for our environment and how to tell what the whales ate based on the color of their poop. As you can imagine, that topic was a huge hit with the students! After exiting the Whale, Cynde, the Whalemobile educator, described the whale migration process and students were able to act out and understand how they move around the ocean waters. The children were very engaged and asked wonderful questions. This Enrichment programming was funded due to the generosity of Cell Signaling.

On Monday, the kindergarten class had a visit from the Rainforest Reptile Show. The students got the opportunity to see and learn facts about turtles, frogs, lizards, and a tarantula. They were able to touch a 4 year old alligator and a 9 foot snake! The second grade students also met with Rainforest Reptiles on May 2nd. The students were very excited and eager to learn about all the reptiles.

Tuesday, our first grade students met with Jo-Ann from Engineering Action and had the opportunity to build animal habitats using LEGO bricks. Then they helped Jo-Ann to code Dash, her robot, to move between their habitats on the floor. Everyone was creative, engaged and excited!

This year, we’ve focused on building literacy skills by learning to make inferences and deeper connections with texts. These strategies help students understand not just what happens in a story, but why it matters. Families can support this work with fun activities like “What’s Going On?” Picture Talk, The “Book Detective” Game, and “What’s Missing?” (all designed to boost critical thinking). These simple games strengthen the reading skills practiced at school and make learning fun at home!

(Beth LeDoux, Elementary Literacy Coach, ledouxb@mersd.org)

Beth LeDoux

Elementary Literacy Coach

Manchester Essex Regional School District

Happy Spring!

Please remember:

· If your child is going to be absent, tardy, or there is a change to dismissal plans- utilize PickUp Patrol for those changes.

· If your child has a temperature of 100.4F or over, they need to be fever free for 24 hours (without the aid of Tylenol or Motrin) before re-entering the school.

· If your child is experiencing diarrhea or vomiting, they need to be symptom free for 24 hours and can tolerate solid food before re-entering the building.

· If your child has a contagious illness such as conjunctivitis or strep throat, it is the school policy that they are on medicine for 24 hours before re-entering the building.

· ALL CLASSROOMS ARE PEANUT/NUT FREE

Change of clothes: Each student should have a complete change of clothes (head to toe) in case of spills, wetness from playing outside, or any accidents. The weather is cool in the mornings and beginning to warm up in the afternoons... Layers are always a great option!

Physicals: Please send in the most current physicals for 1st and 4th grade students.

Thank you all for your cooperation, any questions or concerns please call or email,

Jaclyn Morrissey, R.N.

978-526-1909

morrisseyj@mersd.org

2024-2025 Calendar

May

16 – Hit the Street for Little Feet

19 - MCAS STE Testing G5

20 - Town Election

21 - MCAS STE Testing G5

22 - Spring Concert K-4, 9:30 am

23 - Enrichment: Tales from Greek Mythology Grade 4-5

26 - Memorial Day, No School

27 & 28 – G5 to Essex Ship Building

27 - Rock Band Dress Rehearsal, MERHS 7:30 a

28 – G3 to Dexter Pond

28 - Concert Band Dress Rehearsal, MERHS

29 - Chorus Dress Rehearsal, MERHS 7:30 a

29 - Elementary Art Show MERHS 5:00 - 6:00 pm

29 -Elementary Band/Chorus Concert MERHS 6:00 p

30 – G1 to Conomo Point

June

3, 5, & 6 - Enrichment: Potato Hill Poetry Grade 1-5

6 – G5 to Boston

10 - Field Day (rain date 6/12)

11 – G3 to Commonwealth Museum, Boston

11 – G5 to Project Adventure

13 - Kindergarten Last Day of School, dismissal 2:55

13 – G5 to Maritime Gloucester

16 - G5 Crossing the Bridge

18 - Last Day of School, Early Release 11:45

Menus with full nutritional information: https://mersd.nutrislice.com/menu/mersd-elementary-lunch/breakfast/2025-01-31

It’s almost here! Our Hit the Streets, Little Feet event is happening FRIDAY, May 16th for the FREE Kids Fun Dash and 5K!

Register Today

We’re so excited for a fun-filled evening with our school community—but we can’t do it without you! Please check out the list of day-of volunteers needed to help make this event a success.

VOLUNTEER HERE

What’s for dinner? FRIDAY NIGHT PIZZA from Prides Pizzeria & Deli will be onsite selling hot slices. Want to plan ahead? You can pre-order a large pizza for your family, and it will be delivered to the event.

Pizza Pre-Order Link

Captain Dusty's Ice Cream, snacks, and fun raffles will also be available throughout the night!

Please note: THIS IS A CASH-ONLY EVENT.

Pizza, ice cream, snacks, and raffles will all require cash—so please come prepared!

Let’s make this an amazing event for our kids and our community. We can’t wait to see you there!

Honor a MERSD teacher, staff member, or coach with a Golden Hornet!

The end of the school year is approaching and Teacher Appreciation Week kicks off May 5. Now is the perfect time to recognize an MERSD teacher, staff member, or coach who made a difference this year. Think of the teachers who inspired our students, the coaches who pushed our athletes, the staff members who supported our families. Let’s say thank you with a Golden Hornet!

With your $10 donation to Spaulding Education Fund, your Golden Hornet honoree will receive a Golden Hornet pin, a personalized dedication badge, and a certificate reflecting your words of gratitude. Donations are used to fund future Spaulding grants to MERSD faculty, staff, and students.

Golden Hornets can be dedicated online from May 6 until May 28.

Thank you for your support and for recognizing the wonderful people who make MERSD a wonderful place!

• Mobile Markets will then run from 2:30-3:30pm through January on the first Wednesday of each month.
• Mobile Market will run on an early release schedule of 11am-12:15pm on the first Wednesday of each month in February, March, May, and June.