Doyon News
Friday, November 7, 2025
Dear Doyon Families,
We hope everyone has enjoyed a wonderful week! It’s been lively and full of energy here at the Paul F. Doyon Memorial School. It’s hard to believe November has already arrived, bringing with it some cooler temperatures!
We had a fantastic Harvest Day celebration last week. Thank you for your help and support in coordinating special activities for our students to enjoy. Our annual Kindergarten Parade was another highlight, as students lined the hallways to cheer on and admire our youngest learners in their festive attire.
DEEP continues to be a great success in our building. Thank you to our volunteers and coordinators for providing such exciting opportunities for our students. We also send our appreciation to the FRIES team for hosting the wonderful Fall in Love with Reading event. We look forward to more academic-based family nights that bring our school community together.
Just a quick reminder: there will be no school on Tuesday, November 12, in honor of Veterans Day. The Paul F. Doyon Memorial School community extends heartfelt gratitude to all who have served our nation.
Please take a few minutes to look through the rest of this newsletter for updates and important announcements. As always, if you have any questions or need support, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re happy to help.
Warmly,
Mr. Whitehouse-Mullen & Mrs. Benincasa
R is for Responsibility!
As you talk with your child(ren) about responsibility this week, please help them build an understanding of what is meant by "doing what's expected". This big idea may be hard for elementary-aged children to understand. Talk about the ways they are responsible at home, at school, and at extracurricular activities by helping them to identify "what is expected" at different times and places. A next step would be to help them reflect on their own choices compared to what is expected.
We appreciate your partnership in building a strong understanding of the CARES skills and helping children see their importance at home as well as at school! Thank you!
Good Luck to Our Second Grade Cheerleaders! Let’s give a big cheer for our 11 amazing second grade athletes as they head to the New England Regional Cheerleading Competition this weekend! Your dedication, teamwork, and spirit make us so proud! Go show them what you’ve got!
Our first Student Leadership Team (SLT) meeting is Wednesday, November 19, from 3:05 - 4:00. Please send your child with an appropriate dismissal note or use “School Dismissal Manager”. Students without proper arrangements will not be able to stay for the meeting or call home. Pick up will be promptly at 4:00pm. Dismissal will be similar to regular school dismissal, please stay in your car, have your child's last name on a card visible from your front windshield and we will get your child to your car. We look forward to seeing them there!
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.
In the event of a late arrival, please begin walking your child(ren) into the school building to be signed in with Ms. Digby. Our hope is that this helps us to quickly and safely get students to the classroom. Thank you for your cooperation! We will be implementing this practice, Monday, November 3, 2025.
REVISED 2025-2026 ACADEMIC CALENDAR
Please note that the 2025–2026 school calendar has been updated to include a district-wide Professional Development Day on Monday, March 9, 2026. On this day, there will be no school for students. The revised calendar is attached for your reference, with all changes highlighted in yellow.
The last day of school for students remains the same as originally scheduled.
The last day of school for students will be:
Preschool and Kindergarten: June 11, 2026
Grades 1–11: June 16, 2026
The updated calendar is also available on the district website: https://www.ipsk12.net/domain/413.
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.
Snack Donations Needed
We’re collecting snacks for students who come to school without one!
Suggested items include:
- Pirate’s Booty
- Goldfish
- Pretzels
Thank you for helping keep our students fueled and ready to learn!
Donation Drive for Local Families in Need
A donation box will be out front of Doyon this weekend to collect items for local families in need.
Due to the temporary pause of the SNAP program, many families are feeling the impact. If you’re grocery shopping or running errands this weekend, please consider picking up a few extra items and dropping them off on your way home.
Your generosity makes a difference — thank you for supporting our community!
If your family is in need, please feel free to take from the donation box.
Help Plan the Winter Wonderland Glow Party!
Join us for a planning meeting on Tuesday, November 12 at 7 PM in the Doyon Library.
We’d love your ideas to help make this magical event shine bright!
Dear Doyon Families,
Many things to report this week:
We had had a few cases of flu. If you have not already received your flu vaccine, now is a good time to schedule before the holidays with family.
Also, with the changing of the weather and cold air, I am seeing many junky coughs, especially in those with asthma and prone to reactive airway disease. Please remember to obtain a med order from your child's doctor if your child should require an inhaler at school.
Please remember to dress your child in layers! While it hopefully is warming up throughout the day, it is cold in the mornings so please send your child with jackets, hats, mittens/gloves.
Finally, we are seeing some cases of lice. While we no longer check whole classes or send individual class letters home due to confidentiality, I am happy to check those exposed or close contacts to relieve some anxiety which I'm sure this topic creates-just call or email. In the meantime, it is a good idea to keep hair tied back and use spray such as fairy tales or tea tree oil shampoo as preventative measures. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Mary Sforza RN, MSN, NCSN
Doyon School Nurse
