Bates Family Newsletter

We can’t believe it’s already May! This time of year always seems to arrive so quickly, bringing with it busy days, special events, and so much incredible learning and growth across our school.

Next week is Staff Appreciation Week, and our PTO has planned an amazing celebration with a fun “Friends” theme to honor our incredible educators. We truly have the best staff around! They are dedicated, compassionate, and deeply committed to every child who walks through our doors. Each day, they lead with empathy, build strong relationships, and hold students to high academic expectations, ensuring that all learners are supported and challenged to grow. Their impact reaches far beyond the classroom, and we are so grateful for all that they do.

We also had a fantastic day yesterday at our annual Walk-A-Thon! It was filled with energy, excitement, and school spirit. A huge shout-out to all of our volunteers who helped make this event such a success, we couldn’t have done it without you!

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Our best,

Ms. Smith

Mr. Mac

Mr. Lister

We work off of three basic priorities here are Bates: Center Belonging, Empower Educators, Elevate Student Learning. You'll notice that our weekly newsletters are divided into these three sections for a reason - We always work toward our goals, and we want to keep you informed as to how we're doing it!

Kindergarten - Friday, June 12, 10:00

PreK - Friday, June 12, 1:30

Grade 5 - Monday, June 22, 9:00

We want to send a quick reminder about Cartwheel, our virtual mental health partner. If you notice that your child has been struggling— maybe school feels harder lately, emotions feel bigger, or something just feels off—Cartwheel can help.

Here's what makes it easy:

• Your child can see a licensed therapist within days

• Appointments happen virtually—from home, whenever works for your family's schedule (early morning, evenings, even weekends).

• Care is available in multiple languages

• If you have MassHealth, it's completely free. If you have private insurance, Cartwheel is in-network with most plans. If you don’t have insurance or your insurance doesn’t provide mental health care, we can work with you to ensure you still have access to services.

If you’re not sure if your child needs therapy, you can also schedule parent guidance sessions if you'd like support navigating what you're seeing at home. You don't have to figure this out alone.

It’s easy to get started. Just complete this simple interest form or learn more here.

Your child's well-being matters to all of us. We're here to help.

Each week at Bates, we shine a light on our Beacons of the Week, our rock stars who have truly embodied the social-emotional skill we’re focusing on. Their teachers share the many beautiful ways these students have shown up for themselves and for others, and how they personify what it means to live out our values.

Congratulations to these Beacons!

A bike bus is a group of students, parents and community members who ride their bikes to school together. The Bates Bike Bus will ride one morning a week (starting in April or May when morning temps are 50+) from Furlong Park through Greenlawn Cemetery to Bates.

To join, click the link to fill out the waiver form: https://forms.gle/7ZvsFj117yR7J6o5A

Why should we join?
Bike busses have popped up all over the country. It is a fun, healthy way to get to school,build community, reduce traffic, and help kids learn to safely ride on the road. Studies have shown that kids who ride their bikes in the morning perform better in school!

Grades 4 and 5 sang to Ms. Ramos in the cafeteria on Friday. It was very loud and so kind. She was overwhelmed by the sentiment. It was also School Lunch Hero Day, so she and her colleagues were shown some love by our students!

Nothing makes us smile like spirit days!

Friday, May 29 - Salem Gear/Red, Black, and White Spirit Day!

We're welcoming the Salem High School Class of 2026 to Bates on this day. These amazing scholars are visiting all the elementary schools to say "farewell" to Salem Public Schools while we clap and cheer for them as they stroll down our hallways in their caps and gowns. Let's wear Salem gear or red, black, and white to show our Salem pride!

Kindness Highlight!

On Friday, students explored how kindness can spread from one person to another, creating a positive ripple effect throughout our classrooms and school community. Through discussion and a short video, students identified acts of kindness and reflected on how even small gestures can inspire others to “pay it forward.”

Classes engaged in thoughtful conversations about how kindness makes people feel and why it matters, then worked together to brainstorm real-life “kindness ripple” examples. Students recognized that one simple action, like helping a peer or including someone in a game—can lead to a chain reaction of positivity.

Our shared takeaway: Kindness is contagious. When students choose kindness, they help create a more connected, supportive, and joyful school community.

With the four days off due to snow, our last days of school are as follows:

• PreK and K - Full day on Wednesday, June 17
• Grades 1 - 5 - Early release on Tuesday, June 23

Emily Goodale, author-illustrator and mom of a Bates School third grader(!), visited with PreK and K students before the break to share her new book "Robin and the Stick". Shout out to you, Ms. Goodale, for donating your time, sharing your talent, and for providing every PreK student with a signed copy of your book. Students loved the book, and if you take a look at the middle picture below, you can see that they made a connection with Emily as well!

Yesterday, local author Karen Gross came and shared her talent with grade 3 students. She has a series of books about Lucy, a brave knight in medieval times. She read the first book out loud, calling students up to help her act out certain parts. She even had the whole audience help her make sounds at different times based on what was happening in the text. The students has a great time!

It's always a good idea to be familiar with our general operating rules and procedures. Please take some time to read through our Bates School Handbook. Thank you!

If your child’s dismissal plans change, please notify Ms. Julie in the Main Office at (978) 740-1250 as early in the day as possible.

Please do not inform your child’s teacher directly, as this interrupts classroom instruction. Ms. Julie will make sure the teacher is notified.

Thank you for making school attendance a priority. We look forward to partnering with you to support your child in the year ahead!

May

4th and 5th - Grade 3 Math MCAS

6th and 7th - Grade 5 Math MCAS

11th and 12th - Grade 4 Math MCAS

12th - PTO meeting, school library, 6:30 PM

13th - Early release day

14th - School Site Council, 7:45 AM

18th-19th - Grade 5 Science MCAS

21st - K, 1, 2 Memorial Day Show for the school

22nd - K, 1, 2, Memorial Day Show for friends and family, 8:15 AM (Doors open at 8:00)

25th - No school Memorial Day

June

4th - School Site Council, 7:45 AM

5th - Field Day!

8th - Field Day rain date

9th - PTO meeting, school library, 6:30 PM

12th - Grade 5 to Canobie Lake

Kindergarten year end celebration for families - 10:00

PreK year end celebration for families - 1:30

17th - Last day for PreK and K (full day)

19th - Juneteenth (no school)

23rd - Last day for Grades 1-5 (half day)

School breakfast and lunch menus can be found here.

Look no further! Sign up to rent the rock here.

Reserve the spirit rock from the PTO for the following: Birthday, ½ Birthday (summer birthday), school spirit, congratulating someone, etc. Spirit Rock is a PTO fundraiser for the school year of 2025-2026. Funds raised will help pay for school programs and/or initiatives.

A School Site Council (SSC) is a representative group of stakeholders - parents, teachers, and the principal, who work together to improve the school. Our main role is shared decision-making around our school’s goals, programs, and budget.

Here’s what our SSC typically does:

• Develops and reviews the school improvement plan
  

• Advises on the use of certain funds
  

• Monitors progress toward goals

• Brings stakeholder voices together
  

• Builds transparency and trust

• Meetings are public and our agenda is posted below.

We meet monthly, and our agenda is here. Please let Mrs. Smith know if you'd like to join in for an meeting. Upcoming meetings: 5/14, 6/4 - 7:45-9:00 AM.

Bates Elementary School, in partnership with our families and community, will provide all students with a culturally responsive, student – centered, and equitable learning experience that celebrates our students’ diverse backgrounds, creative pursuits, and their academic, social, emotional success.

School Hours:

Monday through Friday

PreK - 7:45 - 2:10 pm

Kindergarten - 7:45 - 2:15 pm

Grades 1-5 - 7:45 - 2:20 pm

Early Release:

PK at 10:55 am

Kindergarten at 11:00 am

Grades 1-5 at 11:05 am