Dewey's Details: Caregiver Update

Hello, Dutile Families!

We have an exciting week ahead at Dutile as we get ready for our annual PTO Walk-a-Thon this Thursday, October 15th! This is always a fun and special event for our students, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone out on the track, walking with their classmates, enjoying some fresh air, and showing their school spirit!

The Walk-a-Thon is much more than just a fun day for our students. It is also our PTO's biggest fundraiser of the year, and the money raised directly supports so many of the wonderful experiences and opportunities we are able to provide for our students throughout the school year. From grade-level field trips and educational assemblies to author visits, enrichment programs, special celebrations, and family events, the generosity of our school community helps make so much of this possible.

We also recognize that not every family is in a position to make a financial contribution, and that is absolutely okay! Simply registering your child and sharing their fundraising page with family and friends can make a difference. Every registration, donation, and share helps support our students and our school.

A special thank you to our amazing PTO for all of the time, energy, and planning that goes into organizing this event and for everything they do to support our school community throughout the year. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated group of volunteers working to make Dutile a special place for our students.

We are looking forward to a great week and a fantastic Walk-a-Thon on Thursday!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

~ Scott Middlemiss, Principal

Just a friendly reminder that there will be no school on Monday, October 12, 2026, in observance of Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

We hope all of our Dutile families enjoy the long weekend! Whether you're spending time with loved ones, enjoying fall activities, or simply taking a well-deserved break, we wish you a restful and enjoyable day. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Tuesday!

With our Dutile School Walk-a-Thon coming up this Thursday, October 15th, we want to share a few important reminders to help everyone prepare for a fun and successful day!

Please make sure your child wears comfortable clothing and appropriate shoes for walking. Students should also bring a water bottle clearly labeled with their name. If you feel sunscreen is necessary, please apply it before your child arrives at school.

We are excited to share that our school community has officially reached the $35,000 fundraising milestone, unlocking our next whole-school prize:

🍦 POPSICLES AT LUNCH ON WALK-A-THON DAY! 🍦

A HUGE thank you to all of our students, families, friends, and sponsors who have helped us reach this incredible milestone! Your generosity and support make such a difference for our students and school community.

There is still time to register, donate, and share your fundraising links! Let's see how far we can go before Thursday!

Thank you for making this year's Walk-a-Thon such a success!

The race for the top fundraising class is heating up, and the competition is getting exciting! Check out our current Top 4 Fundraising Classrooms to see who's leading the way!

There are still a few days left to help your child's class climb the leaderboard! And there's a little extra motivation this year! The top fundraising class will earn special Walk-a-Thon sweatbands and other fun swag to wear proudly during Thursday's Walk-a-Thon! 🏆🎉

Keep registering, donating, and sharing those fundraising links with family and friends! Remember, every dollar raised helps our PTO provide wonderful opportunities for our students, including field trips, educational assemblies, enrichment programs, and special fourth-grade experiences and celebrations!

Let's keep the momentum going, Dutile! Thank you for your continued generosity and support. Let's see which classroom comes out on top!

Get those smiles ready! O’Connor Studios will be visiting Dutile School on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, to photograph our students and staff for this year’s school portraits!

Families will receive ordering information and portrait package details within 10 business days following Picture Day.

If you have any questions, please visit www.oconnorstudio.com/support.

We look forward to seeing all those wonderful Dutile smiles!

Get ready to show off your team spirit! Our Dutile Student Council is excited to announce Sports Day on Friday, October 23, 2026!

Students and staff are encouraged to dress in their favorite team's gear or represent a sport they love! Whether you're a football fan, basketball player, soccer enthusiast, or just love cheering on your favorite team, this is your chance to show your sports spirit!

We can't wait to see everyone sporting their favorite teams and sports!

We wanted to share an important update regarding student snacks. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to provide extra snacks through the nurse’s office. We understand that this may be an inconvenience for some families, but we kindly ask that caregivers make sure their child comes to school each day with a snack to enjoy during their scheduled snack time before lunch.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping ensure that all students have what they need to stay energized and ready to learn throughout the school day. Thank you for your support!

Get Involved with the Dutile PTO!
The Dutile PTO is already planning exciting events for the 2026–2027 school year—and we’d love your help! Whether you’re interested in leading a committee, helping plan behind the scenes, or just showing up to volunteer for an hour or two, we have a role for everyone. It’s a great way to stay connected, meet other families, and support our amazing school community.

Fill out our quick volunteer interest form here: https://dutilepto.com/volunteer/

Let’s make this year the best one yet!

Ready to show off your Halloween creativity? We’re looking for families to decorate a trunk and join us for our Trunk or Treat!

Trunk decorators should:

• Sign up by October 19th
• Arrive by 5:00 PM to decorate and get set up

Trunk or Treat begins at 5:30 PM

Donated candy will be distributed - please consider purchasing some extra candy to hand out throughout the night

Best Trunk wins a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

Get creative, get spooky, get silly — and help make it a fun night for our Dutile families!

Sign up here: https://signup.com/go/sqerrVZ

We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

To help us maintain a safe and secure environment for our students and staff, all visitors and volunteers must report directly to the main office upon arrival. At the office, you will be asked to sign in and wear a visitor badge so that we can easily identify who is in the building. When your visit is complete, please remember to sign out and return your badge.

For safety reasons, entry during school hours is permitted only through the front door. If you are in the building and notice someone without a badge, staff members will kindly direct them back to the office. This is a standard safety practice, not a confrontation.

In addition, anyone wishing to volunteer at the Dutile School is required to complete a CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) check each school year. Forms are available in the main office and must be completed in person, along with a copy of your driver’s license. Since processing can take several weeks, we strongly encourage you to complete this step as soon as possible. Please note that outside CORI approvals cannot be accepted, and volunteers may not begin until clearance is received.

For more details, please see the district website.

If your child will be absent or tardy, please call the Dutile Attendance Line at 978-528-8530 before 7:55 AM on the day of the absence.

This line is available 24 hours a day, so you may leave a message at any time. After the greeting, please provide the requested information about your child.

If your child is not in school by 8:05 AM and we have not received a call or email from you, we will reach out to confirm your child’s whereabouts.

For your convenience, you can click here for a printable version of this information.

For the safety and smooth dismissal of all students, please send any written notes regarding a change to your child’s dismissal plan to the classroom teacher on or before the day of the change.

Please do not email teachers with same-day or last-minute dismissal changes, as teachers are busy with students throughout the school day and may not see your message before dismissal.

If an unexpected or emergency change arises during the school day, particularly after 1:00 p.m., please call the school office directly. This allows us to make sure your child and the appropriate staff members receive the updated information before dismissal begins.

Thank you for helping us keep our dismissal process safe, efficient, and well-coordinated for all students!

Strong communication and close collaboration between home and school are essential to every child’s success. To support this partnership, we’ve put together some simple guidelines to help you know who to contact when you have a question, concern, or need assistance.

At the Dutile School, we take a team-based approach to problem-solving. Depending on the situation, several staff members may work together to provide support and determine the best next steps. While we always do our best to respond as quickly as possible, please keep in mind that teachers and staff are often working directly with students or participating in meetings throughout the school day.

To make communication as easy and efficient as possible, we’ve created a quick reference guide outlining who to contact in a variety of situations.

👉 [Click here to view the document]

Ms. Oestreicher is creating a Fit with Fam bulletin board to celebrate families staying active and healthy together. Families are invited to submit photos of their student(s) with family or friends doing something active or healthy. Photos will be printed and displayed at school. By submitting a photo, you give permission for it to be printed and displayed on the school’s Fit with Fam bulletin board. Use this link to submit throughout the school year!

Please follow and "like" the "Frederick J. Dutile Elementary School" Facebook page. I will be posting often to share examples of the incredible teaching and learning that takes place at our school each day!

https://www.facebook.com/dutileschool

Monday, October 12, 2026

• NO SCHOOL: Columbus Day & Indigenous Peoples' Day

Thursday, October 15, 2026

• Dutile PTO Walk-a-Thon

Friday, October 16, 2026

• RAIN DATE: Dutile PTO Walk-a-Thon

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

• Dutile Fall Photo Day!

Friday, October 23, 2026

• Student Council Spirit Day: Sports Day
• 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM: Trunk or Treat

Thursday, October 29, 2026

• EARLY RELEASE DAY!
• Dismissal @ 12:05 PM
• 12:20 PM - 2:20 PM: Caregiver-Teacher Conferences Afternoon Session
• 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Caregiver-Teacher Conferences Evening Session

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

• NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS: Election Day!

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

• NO SCHOOL: Veterans Day

Mark your calendars for the Billerica Wellness Festival on Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 10:00 AM–1:00 PM at Marshall Middle School (15 Floyd Street).

This family-friendly community event will focus on health, community, and fun and will include apple cider donuts and cider, pumpkin decorating, face painting, fire trucks, food trucks, games, local vendors, and more!

We hope many of our Dutile families can stop by and enjoy a fun fall day with the Billerica community!

Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. is inviting students to participate in its 2026–2027 Poster and Public Service Announcement (PSA) Project! This year’s theme, “Help You, Help Me, Help Us,” encourages students to celebrate teamwork, kindness, friendship, inclusion, and the power of working together to make a positive difference.

Students are encouraged to get creative and share their vision of how helping one another can build stronger, more connected communities. Whether through artwork or video, this is a great opportunity for students to showcase their creativity and spread a positive message!

Important Dates:

• Poster Submission Deadline: January 29, 2027
• PSA Submission Deadline: April 9, 2027

Families interested in learning more about the project, including submission guidelines and contest rules, are encouraged to visit the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth website.

We would love to see some of our Dutile students participate!

The Billerica Scholarship Committee invites families and community members to join them for their annual Trivia Night on Friday, February 5, 2027, at the Billerica Lodge of Elks!

This year's theme is "Battle of the Decades!" Gather your friends, form a team, and get ready for a fun-filled evening of trivia, prizes, and friendly competition—all while supporting Billerica's graduating seniors!

This event is the committee's largest fundraiser of the year. Last year, the committee awarded an incredible $189,650 in scholarships to the Class of 2026!

Interested in participating or supporting this great cause? Click here to register online!

For questions or more information, please contact Alyssa Bartlett at BillericaScholarship@gmail.com.

Join the fun and help support the future of Billerica's students!