Doyon News
Friday, November 21, 2025
Dear Doyon Families,
Happy Friday - we hope your week has been a great one! It has been a pleasure connecting with so many families who visited for parent-teacher conferences. Thank you for taking the time to come in and talk with us about your child’s growth. Creating a warm and cooperative school community truly supports your children’s overall experience.
Looking ahead, next week will go by quickly. Students will attend school on Monday and Tuesday, and Wednesday will be our usual early-release day, with dismissal at 11:55 AM for grades K-5 (preschool dismissal on Wednesday will be at 11:40 AM). If you expect any changes to your child’s dismissal plans before the break, please remember to update the Main Office by submitting those changes in the School Dismissal Manager application.
There will not be a family message next Friday, but please know that all of us here are wishing you a peaceful and enjoyable Thanksgiving with loved ones. We look forward to welcoming our wonderful students back on Monday, December 1st. As always, please reach out if you need anything. We're here to support you!
Warmly,
Mr. Whitehouse-Mullen & Mrs. Benincasa
R is for Responsibility!
As we take some time away from school for the Thanksgiving Break next week, please think together with your child(ren) about ways they can show responsibility at home. Perhaps they could be responsible for preparing (or helping to prepare) part of the meal, setting the table, clearing the dishes, or loading or unloading the dishwasher.
Our Fall DEEP session has officially come to an end, and we want to say another huge THANK YOU to all of our amazing volunteers for helping to make our DEEP program so successful! Our Doyon community is so fortunate to have such a wide range of classes to choose from! We hope to see you again during our spring session!
Tentative DEEP Volunteer Round Up - Late February/Early March
Tentative Spring DEEP Session - April 27th - May 20th (Mondays or Wednesdays)
See you in the Spring!
Doyon DEEP Coordinators
Kerrie Titus & Jena Woodworth
The library will be open to students on Friday mornings from 8:00-8:40! Students can come to the library before school to read, draw, play with Legos, code, or work on a STEAM project. If your child would like to attend, please sign up below. Space is limited to 12 students per week.
Reach out to Teresa Hohenstein at thohenstein@ipsk12.net with any questions.
Sponsored by the Ipswich Public Library, this program will be held at Ipswich Town Hall, 25 Green Street, on Saturday, November 22 at 11 a.m.
Join Jim Parks from Wingmasters for this amazing presentation, Native American Artifacts and Birds of Prey, which includes live birds. This program is recommended for children ages 6 and up. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult caregiver. Teens and adults will enjoy this program also. Registration is required at www.ipswichlibrary.org/events
Native Americans revered birds of prey for their majestic appearance as well as for their hunting prowess. To invoke the spirit of these powerful predators, Native peoples followed the ancient tradition of wearing or carrying bird of prey feathers. They also admired the subtle beauty of raptor feathers, from the black-and-white tail feathers of juvenile golden eagles to the wing feathers of hawks and falcons, patterned with arrowhead-shaped markings. The strong connection between raptors and Native Americans suggested this program. It combines four live birds of prey with authentic artifacts, many of museum quality, and both explains and shows how different Native American cultures transformed natural materials into objects of beauty and drama. Crafts displayed at this program range from shields and headdresses to clothing and jewelry. Beadwork, quillwork and basketry are showcased as well.
Ipswich Public School third graders study native American Indians, so it is a great fit for them!
Curious about school safety procedures? Take a peek at the documents displayed below. These documents are shared with students at the start of the school year by Detective Joe Perna, our School Resource Officer. The documents may serve as a guide to support families in discussing school safety. As always, please be in touch with questions around school safety at the Paul F. Doyon Memorial School.
Support Our Specialists This Winter
As we head into the busy winter months, germs are making their rounds and our teachers could use a little extra support. If you’re able, please consider donating the following items for our Specialist team:
- Clorox wipes
- Tissues
- Hand sanitizer
Your contributions help keep classrooms clean and healthy for everyone!
Help Families in Need This Thanksgiving
We’re also collecting non-perishable breakfast items for Open Door to support local families over Thanksgiving break.
Items such as cereal, oatmeal, granola bars, pancake mix, or shelf-stable milk are greatly appreciated.
Dear Doyon Families,
November is here! Please have students dress in layers as well as boots, hats, and gloves/mittens when the weather calls for it. Please remind students to bring and wear a coat to school and recess.
Thank you so much for keeping your children home when they are ill and continuing to inform the school as we track trends. I am very grateful for such a wonderful school community. Wishing you all a healthy upcoming holiday weekend!
Mary Sforza RN, MSN, NCSN
Doyon School Nurse
Today is Harvest of the Month and the Green Team Parent Volunteers served up Cranberries, just in time for the holiday! We passed out samples of Fresh Cranberry Relish on apple slices, the cranberries coming from Old Earth Orchard in Taunton, MA and the honey crisp apples coming from Brooksby Farms in Peabody, MA.
Here is the recipe we used if you all would like to try it at home with your families next week:
1 orange, sliced with peel
12- ounces of fresh, clean cranberries
1/4 cup of honey, more to taste
Pulse cranberries and oranges in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and mix in honey. Add more honey, depending on sweetness preference. Enjoy served with sliced apples, crackers, sliced bread, cheese or with Thanksgiving dinner!
Ask your kiddos how they liked this nutrient and vitamin packed superberry grown right here in MA.
