Doyon News
Friday, October 10, 2025
Dear Doyon Families,
It was such a joy to see so many familiar faces at this year’s Spooky Walk! Hudson had a wonderful time tagging along and was thrilled to say hello to many of our Paul F. Doyon Memorial School students. Events like this remind us of how fortunate we are to be part of such a warm, supportive community. Every time we gather, it’s clear how much we care about our school and one another. A heartfelt thank-you goes out to our incredible FRIES team for organizing the evening and creating a safe, festive way for our students, staff, and families to celebrate the season together.
It’s been another full and exciting week here at Doyon! Our fifth graders enjoyed exploring the Topsfield Fair, an annual tradition that serves as a milestone moment for learners at our school. Additionally, our Bike, Walk, and Roll to School event was another great success! It was wonderful to see so many students, families, and teachers choosing active ways to get to school. This tradition continues to grow in popularity, and we’re so appreciative of everyone who helps make it possible.
Please anticipate - the next couple of weeks - information to be presented around our building harvest celebration. Teachers are working to outline plans for student activities and we look forward to celebrating the season with our learners. Please note that, in compliance with our Wellness Policy, food will not be present during classroom celebrations this year.
Looking ahead, there will be no school on Monday in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day and no school on Tuesday for teacher professional development. On Wednesday, we invite families to join us for School Council at 5:30 PM followed by our FRIES meeting at 7:00 PM, both will be held virtually.
Please take a few minutes to read through the rest of this newsletter for important updates and reminders. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything.
Warmly,
Mr. Whitehouse-Mullen & Mrs. Benincasa
This week, have been talking about assertion. Some ideas that were shared are:
Assertion means speaking up for yourself in a kind and respectful way, with a calm voice and without being mean or bossy.
Being assertive helps others understand your thoughts and feelings.
Being assertive can also mean that you share what you like. For example, if someone asks you what you want to play or what you would like to do, you can be assertive by answering with an idea, instead of saying, “I don’t know,” or, “It doesn’t matter to me.”
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.
Doyon FRIES Newsletter: October Updates
Spooky Walk Success!
A huge thank-you to everyone who helped make this year’s Spooky Walk such a magical night!
We sold over 1,000 tickets — our best year yet — and are still tallying the final totals. This event is one of our biggest fundraisers and helps us continue to provide enrichment programs and activities for our students. A special shoutout to our incredible volunteers and sponsors — your generosity and hard work made all the difference. We couldn’t do it without you!
Snack Donations Needed
We’re collecting snack donations for students who come to school without one. If you’re able to help, please drop donations off at Mrs. Digby’s office. Your support ensures that every child has a healthy start to their school day! Please make sure that snack donations are in compliance with the district Wellness Policy.
Join the Green Team
Are you passionate about sustainability and helping Doyon go green? We’re looking for new members to join our Green Team — and someone who may be interested in leading it in the future!
If you’d like to get involved, please reach out to Dougherty.family91@gmail.com.
Parenting Book Club
Interested in connecting with other parents and sharing ideas? Join our Parenting Book Club! We’ll be starting with The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt.
Click the link below to add your name to the interest list.
Signing up now doesn’t mean you’re committed — we’re still working out the details and meeting schedule, so feel free to join later!
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0C4EAFAE2AA4FC1-58889120-parenting
Important Dates
FRIES Meeting (via Zoom): Tuesday, October 15 @ 7:00 PM
Agenda:
- Spooky Walk debrief
- Dance theme, logistics & committee formation
- Book Club
- November Reading Event
- Wrapping Paper Fundraiser
- Teacher Coffee & Donuts (Halloween morning)
- Teacher Requests
Have anything to add to next week's meeting, but want to ask anonymous. Click the link: https://s.surveyplanet.com/ypunv6hd
Thank you for being such an active part of our Doyon community — your time, energy, and support make a real difference for our students!
— The FRIES Team
Here is the recipe we used:
3 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 white onion, small dice
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Can add diced fresh jalapeño as well to make it spicy! Or add all ingredients together a blender and pulse to make a smooth salsa. Enjoy with corn tortilla chips.
🎃 The Green Team is still collecting used Halloween costumes for our costume shop and swap at the Spooky Walk. The collection bin will outside of Doyon until Thursday October 2nd! 🎃
Dear Doyon Families,
I want to encourage you, if you have not already, to sign up for one of the flu clinics next week. Keep in mind this clinic is for Doyon students and families so the whole family can attend and get vaccinated! You can also choose a time and location that works best for your schedules!
October 14th from 2-4pm at the Ipswich High School
October 15th from 4- 6pm at Winthrop
October 16th from 4-6pm at Doyon
Below is the link for Doyon and all the links are posted on Dr. Blake's weekly update.
Hope to see you there!
Please reach out if you have any questions.
Mary Sforza RN, MSN, NCSN
Doyon School Nurse
