The Village Voice

Welcome back! We hope everyone enjoyed their long holiday weekend!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Our parent teacher conferences this year will be held on November 3rd from 8:00 - 3:00 (no school for students) and again on November 10th from 4:00 - 6:00 PM. Please reach out to your child's teacher(s) to schedule a conference. Please be cognizant of your scheduled conference time and duration, as we are meeting with hundreds of parents during these very important meetings! We appreciate your help!

MPS User Fees

The MPS School Committee has approved User Fees for Village students to participate in school-based activities, and the fee approved by the School Committee for unlimited club/intramural/activities is $300 per student.

For more information regarding MPS User Fees, below is the link to the approved user fees for the 2026-2027 School Year: MPS User Fees

Village Clubs!

The following clubs will be offered this year at Village School for 2026-2027!

• Steam Club (Advisor Katie Deely)
• Coffee Bean Club (Advisor Natalie Belli)
• After School Sports (Advisor Phil Murphy) Fall Sports
• Winter Board Game Club (Advisor Jeff Newsome)
• Writing Club (Advisor Liz Pruett)
• Jazz Club (Advisor Nick Sears)
• Year Book Club and iTeam Club (Advisor Jonathan Heller)
• Peer Leaders (Advisors Olivia Pelletier and Kaitlin McGreal)

Here is a detailed description of each club:

Steam Club: This Design Squad STEAM Club will explore various fields of engineering, through fun packed, high energy, hands on activities in the form of design challenges! Steam Club will meet on Mondays in the second floor Maker Space Room, from October 19th, 2026 - May 10th, 2027 from 2:20 - 3:15 PM.

Coffee Bean Club: Is a before school breakfast club, meeting on Friday mornings from 7:15 - 7:50, from October 23rd , 2026 - Friday, May 21st , 2027 in Mrs. Belli's classroom (Room 138). Our mission is to make a difference, at Village and in the world! We aim to foster positive change in Marblehead and beyond, through various philanthropic projects, including knitting reflective headbands, service projects with SPUR, and supporting a school in Zambia, Africa. Come be a coffee bean!

After School Sports: Click here for more information Fall Sports

Winter Board Game Club: Are you ready for a challenge? Are you ready to compete? And most importantly, are you ready to have some fun? Come join us for the Board Game Challenge! We will be enjoying the classic games of yesteryear, including Connect Four, Battleship, Uno, and Trivia (to name a few)! This club is open to grades 4,5 and 6, where connections can be made, friendships can be formed, and having fun for an hour after school is a priority!

Village Writing Club (Currently Full, But Students Can Be Added To The Waitlist): The Writing Club is for students who love to write (this is not a tutoring time). This is an opportunity for students to be creative, write what they want, and grow as a writer. Throughout the year we will learn different writing strategies, share story ideas, learn from different authors, and write our own stories for publishing. The Writing Club meets every other Tuesday, starting on October 27th from 2:15 - 3:00 in Room 16!

Jazz Band is an after school club that meets on Thursdays from 2:45 - 3:30. In Jazz Band, we will be learning jazz repertoire, as well as discussing the many important people that contributed to the tradition's rich culture. Students will become familiar with complex harmony and improvisation. Students will perform three times during the school year, and this club is only available to fifth and sixth grade students.

Village iTeam: Innovate • Invent • Inspire (Open to Grades 4–6)

The Village iTeam is an after-school technology and innovation club where students will explore coding, engineering, robotics, and design through hands-on, project-based activities. Students will have opportunities to code, design, build, problem-solve, and work collaboratively on a variety of challenges.

The iTeam is limited to 20 students. If interest exceeds the number of available spots, participants will be selected by lottery. Meeting information: first and third Monday of each month, 2:15–3:15 pm, through June. Additional meetings may be scheduled as needed.

Village School Yearbook Staff (Open to Grade 6 Students Only)

The Yearbook Staff gives sixth graders a hands-on opportunity to work together, capture memories, and help tell the story of our school year. Students will design class picture pages, photograph school events, create photo collages, develop page layouts, and help shape the overall theme of the yearbook.

Yearbook members are expected to participate regularly, work well with others, meet deadlines, and take pride in creating a yearbook for the entire Village School community. Regular meetings: Second and fourth Monday of each month, 2:15–3:15 pm, through April. Additional meetings may be scheduled as needed.

You can find more information about both programs and register using the form below:

iTeam and Yearbook After-School Club Registration

Sketchbook Club

On Wednesday mornings from 7:20-7:50, Ms. Semple will be running Sketchbook Club. Picture this: soft lighting, calm music, a quiet space, and creative self-expression. There will be sketchbook prompts given. Students will choose their materials and create a sketchbook page based on the prompt. Some examples of prompts are:

• What is something that makes you smile every time you think about it?

• Use half a page to create a design or doodle that represents how you are feeling. Swap sketchbooks with a partner. In your partner's sketchbook, create a design or doodle responding to their feelings.

• Create an image of a fork in the road. Where do the two sides go?

Sketchbook Club is open to 5th and 6th graders only and caps at 20 students. A Prang Mixed Media Journal is required. It is spiral-bound and has 60 sheets of heavy-duty 11x8.5” 98lb paper that can handle pencils, markers, pastels, collaging, and painting. It is 6.93$ on Amazon and at Walmart.

A few things before you sign your student up:

• This is not free draw, free art, or free choice time.

• This is separate from the morning art duck passes to Mrs. McCarthy’s room.

• This club will encourage students to challenge their creative minds and artistic skills. We will prioritize freehand and self-made art over light table tracing and online generating.

• The magic of the art room is that most students enjoy it. We all benefit from using a different part of our brain and expressing ourselves creatively. Sketchbook Club is designed for students who have a passion for art beyond enjoying their allied arts art block. Consider whether your student will engage in open-ended prompts and challenge their artistic abilities.

Our start date is 10/14/26. This will allow time for purchasing Prang journals. To secure your space, please sign up through Marblehead User Fees. Here's the link for information about Marblehead User Fees and Marblehead User Fees and Waiver. Please email

Ms. Semple (semple.gina@marbleheadschools.org) with any questions, and once your student is signed up.

Village Peer Leaders! Peer Leaders is a club open to sixth graders who are interested in leadership, being a role model, and acting like a team player. If you are in the sixth grade and are interested in building a community, supporting peers, and making a positive impact, this club is for you! We will meet on Tuesday mornings from 7:00 - 7:50!

Here is an informative link to our Harvest of The Month Program, which is also up and running at Village! Harvest of The Month

Ongoing Reminders:

• School Hours: Student Drop Off begins at 7:30 (students remain outside in a designated area unless there is inclement weather, or they are going to breakfast). First bell rings at 7:50; second bell rings at 7:55 (at which time the school day has begun - any student not in class will be marked tardy). Dismissal begins at 2:15. Please note: after buses and bikers depart the Village campus, students will not be supervised after school. If your child chooses to remain on the Village campus, there will not be adult supervision.
• Safety and Security: We ask that all visitors use the front door entrance located at the Village Street entrance. When you arrive and ring the bell, we will ask for your name and who you are here to see. When the front office staff lets you in, you will be given a Visitor's Badge and will be asked to provide a driver's license or other state issued ID. All licenses will be scanned through our RAPTOR system, for the safety of our students and staff members. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding - your child's safety is our highest priority! All Village Volunteers must complete a CORI check in order to volunteer at Village. For volunteering information, check out this link: Volunteering Marblehead Public Schools
• Forgotten Items At Home: If your child forgets something at home (homework, lunch, sneakers, instrument) you may drop it off at the front desk. Our goal is to minimize interruptions to student learning and to promote responsibility. Thank you for your help with this!
• Cell Phones/iWatches: Cell phones and i-Watches are not allowed at Village School during instruction time! Students will be required to put away their phone or watch in their backpacks in their student locker upon arrival, or teachers will be taking the phone. The phone will be returned at the end of the school day.
• Student Absences: Please use Villageabsent@marbleheadschools.org or call the absentee line for reporting absences, dismissals, tardiness, etc. If your child is marked absent by their homeroom teacher and you have not notified the office through the absence line or absence email, you will receive an automated phone call regarding the absence.
• Marblehead Public Schools offers a Digital Backpack to families, where you can gain more information about local happenings in and around Marblehead! Check it out here: Digital Backpack

Upcoming Dates of Interest:

• October 15th: MCAS Student Reports Mailed Home To Families
• Tuesday, October 20th: Village School Advisory Council Meeting, 1:15 - 2:15
• Wednesday, October 28th, Picture Retakes
• Thursday, October 29th: Sixth Grade Vocabulary Day Parade!
• Saturday, October 31st: Happy Halloween!
• Sunday, November 1st: Daylight Savings Time Ends - Clocks Back One Hour!
• November 3rd: No School For Students, Parent-Teacher Conferences 8:00 - 3:00
• November 10th: Parent Teacher Conferences, 4:00 - 6:00 PM
• November 11th: No School, Veterans Day
• November 12th: Author Visit with Jennifer Bertman, The Book Scavenger
• November 17th: School Advisory Meeting, 1:15 - 2:15
• November 18th, November 19th, November 20th: Copper Dog Book Fair At Village!
• November 25th: Early Release For Students, Thanksgiving Recess
• November 26th & 27th: No School, Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Village Counselors are available to help with any questions:

• Olivia Pelletier (Grade Four) pelletier.olivia@marbleheadschools.org
• Jeff Newsome (Grade Five) newsome.jeffrey@marbleheadschools.org
• Kaitlin McGreal (Grade Six) mcgreal.kaitlin@marbleheadschools.org

Thank you so much! Go Ducks!

Sincerely,

Scott Williams

Principal, Village School