Doyon News
Friday, September 18, 2026
It has been a wonderful start to the school year at Paul F. Doyon Memorial School, and we continue to be encouraged by the energy, kindness, and enthusiasm we see throughout our school each day. Students continue to put C.A.R.E.S. values into practice in meaningful ways, and we appreciate the partnership of our families in helping make the opening of the 2026-2027 school year so successful.
This week, we were pleased to gather for our first FRIES meeting of the year. Thank you to everyone who participated and continues to give their time and support to our school community. Our next FRIES meeting will take place virtually via Zoom, immediately following School Council on the third Wednesday in October. We would love to see even more families become involved as the year continues.
We are also looking forward to opening our doors to families for Curriculum Night over the next two weeks. A detailed schedule is shown below to help families determine the appropriate time to attend. Please take a moment to review it as you make your plans.
Thank you, as always, for your continued partnership and support. If questions come up or there is anything you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Warmly,
Mr. Whitehouse-Mullen & Mrs. Benincasa
On Thursday, our school community gathered for our first assembly of the year. The focus of this assembly was our new common expectations, which are rooted in CARES. During the assembly we played What's That Expectation? as students watched several staff members perform skits set in different common areas of our building (the cafeteria, bathrooms, playground, hallway, and bus). Students then worked together to determine what common area each skit was set in and what expectations were modeled.
The posters shared here will be placed around our building as reminders of how to show CARES. Consider looking at each poster together at home and talking with your child about how they show Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-Control when they demonstrate these expectations.
We look forward to welcome families to Curriculum Night on September 24 & September 29! Here is our schedule for the evening's events:
Thursday, September 24:
- Second Grade Presentations: 5:15 - 6:00 PM in classrooms
- Third Grade Presentation: 5:15 - 6:00 PM in the Library
- Grades Second, Third, and Fourth General Session: 6:00 - 6:30 PM in the Cafe
- Fourth Grade Presentation: 6:30 - 7:15 PM in the Library
Tuesday, September 29:
- PreK Presentations: 5:15 - 6:00 PM in classrooms
- Kindergarten Presentation: 5:15 - 6:00 PM in the Library
- Grades PreK, Kindergarten, First and Fifth General Session: 6:00 - 6:30 PM in the Cafe
- First Grade Presentation: 6:30 - 7:15 PM in the Cafe
- Fifth Grade Presentation : 6:30 - 7:15 PM in the Library
Please be sure to review the district wellness policy, as revisions were made in the spring. Thank you for your cooperation!
Are you interested in serving as a parent representative on the Doyon School Council? We are anticipating at least one vacancy on the School Council at this time.
What is a School Council?
A school council is a representative, school-building-based committee comprised of the principal, parents, teachers, and community members that work together to establish goals, shape the policies and programs of the school, and improve student achievement. The school council assists the school administration in:
Adopting educational goals for the school that are consistent with local educational policies and statewide student performance standards
Identifying the educational needs of students attending the school
Reviewing the annual school building budget
Formulating a school improvement plan
School councils also serve as a voice and sounding board for the school community. Each member of the council is available to hear concerns and suggestions from parents, teachers, students, and the community at large.
The Doyon School Advisory Council consists of parent representatives, teacher representatives, administrative representatives, and one community representative. The mission of the School Advisory Council is to develop the school improvement plan through monthly meetings with input from all different representatives involved in the school: parents, teachers, administration, and community members.
The Doyon School Council typically meets once per month on a Wednesday at 5:30 PM alternating in-person and via zoom. Our first meeting is to be announced in the Doyon Library. All school council meetings are open to the public and all parents are welcome to attend.
If you are interested in joining the school council, please fill out this Google Form.
Should there be a larger interest than spaces available, elections will be held during Curriculum Nights and the information provided in the Google Form will be made public.
Friends of Ipswich Elementary Schools, aka FRIES, is a parent group of volunteers who support our school community in a variety of ways. Donating their time, ideas and fundraising efforts, this group is inclusive of all families attending the Doyon and Winthrop Schools.
Please check out and join the Doyon FRIES Facebook page for up to date information: facebook.com/groups/doyonFRIES
Dear Doyon Families,
The symptom of the week was: Sore throat! There were many culprits including post-nasal drip, strep throat, COVID, and viral illnesses.
Strep throat is an infection in the throat/tonsils caused by group A streptococcus. It is most common in children 5-15 and rare in children under 3 (but possible) . The signs and symptoms include: fever, pain when swallowing, red/swollen tonsils, white patches or streaks in throat, tiny red spots on roof of mouth (petechiae), swollen lymph nodes, headache, stomach pain, nausea/vomiting, and also can present as a fine sand-papery rash.
The treatment is antibiotics as well as supportive care including tylenol/motrin, encouraging fluids, soothing foods such as popsicles, and avoiding acidic foods/beverages which can be irritating. In addition, you should discard your child's toothbrush after 48 hours of antibiotic treatment.
If you suspect your child may have strep throat, please visit your pediatrician or urgent care facility for a rapid/throat culture.
I am also reporting some cases of lice in some grades. 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.
Thank you so much for keeping your children home when they are ill and continuing to inform the school as we track trends. Please be sure to sign up for the flu vaccine ---we are already seeing cases of flu in some communities!
As always, I am here to help and answer any questions you may have.
Mary Sforza RN, MSN, NCSN
Doyon School Nurse
September 2026
- Wednesday, September 23: Geskus Picture Day
- Wednesday, September 23: FRIES Marini Farm event 5-8PM (no rain date)
- Thursday, September 24: Curriculum Night Grades 2, 3, & 4
- Tuesday, September 29: Curriculum Night Grades PreK, K, 1 & 5
October 2026
Saturday October 3: FRIES Spooky Walk
Sunday October 4: RAIN DATE; FRIES Spooky Walk
Wednesday October 7: Walk, Bike & Roll to School
Monday October 12: Indigenous People’s Day; NO School
Tuesday October 13: Teacher Professional Dev. Day; No School
Monday October 19: DEEP Week 1 Monday Classes
Wednesday, October 21: DEEP Week 1 Wednesday Classes
Wednesday, October 21: FRIES Meeting via zoom
Monday October 19: FRIES Pasta Night at Doyon 5:30 - 7:00 PM