Front and CENTER

The school was buzzing with excitement as students and staff showed off their wonderful costumes, enjoyed festive classroom gatherings, and learned some important Halloween safety tips from Officer Church.

There was plenty of fun, laughter, and Halloween spirit throughout the school! A big thank-you to everyone for helping make the day so much fun.

What a wonderful way to celebrate Halloween!

• Monday, November 2 - Monday, November 9 - Scholastic Book Fair

• Tuesday, November 3, 2026 - No School - Professional Development Day

• Tuesday, November 3, 2026 - Mattapoisett School Committee - 6:00 pm (Center School)

• Wednesday, November 4, 2026 - Family Literacy Night - 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

• Wednesday, November 11, 2026 - No School in Observance of Veteran's Day

• Wednesday, November 25th, 2026 - Early Release Day - Thanksgiving

• Thursday, November 26th & Friday, November 27th - No School for Thanksgiving Break

A special thank you to all our wonderful families and dedicated teachers for making our Parent-Teacher Conferences such a success! I truly appreciate the time, commitment, and effort everyone took to come together, share insights, celebrate student progress, and discuss ways to support our children's learning growth and success.

Your partnership, open communication, collaboration and continued support make a meaningful difference in the lives of our students. When families and teachers work together, we create a stronger foundation for learning and achievement. Thank you for your cooperation and commitment in supporting our students.

With Much Appreciation, Charley West - Principal

Vision and hearing screenings will be happening in the health office this Fall. The BMI screening for 1st grade will be happening in the health office as well. If you would like your child to opt out of the BMI screening, please submit a written request to Mrs. Balsis. Information regarding annual mandated screenings can be found in the Center School handbook.

Dear Center School Families,

The safety and well-being of our students and staff are always a top priority. As part of our district’s ongoing commitment to school safety, we will be introducing ALICE information and training to our students in a way that is appropriate for their age and developmental level.

Over the next couple of weeks, students will participate in conversations to initially help them learn how to respond if an unfamiliar person enters the school and creates a safety concern. These lessons will take place gradually, rather than all at once, to help students feel comfortable and confident as they learn.

You may be wondering, “What is ALICE?” ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Escape. These are different strategies that help students and staff respond to a dangerous situation. The strategies are not necessarily used in a specific order; the appropriate response depends on the situation. Our staff have practiced these strategies and will guide students in understanding how to stay safe, follow adult directions, and know when they may need to evacuate or find a safe place to go.

For our kindergarten students, we will introduce these concepts gently and in an age-appropriate way, including reading "I'm Not Scared, I'm Prepared" by Julia Cook. Our goal is to help children build safety awareness without creating unnecessary fear or worry.

We will also hold grade-level gatherings to review important safety information and reinforce these skills throughout the year. We recognize that conversations about safety can bring up questions for children, and we will approach these discussions with care, reassurance, and sensitivity.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Working together, we can help ensure that our students feel safe, supported, and prepared at school.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Regular school attendance plays an important role in your child's success. Every day in school provides valuable opportunities to learn, grow, build friendships, and develop important life skills.

When students miss school, they may miss lessons and activities that are difficult to make up. Being present every day helps children stay on track academically, build confidence, and develop responsibility.

We understand that absences are sometimes unavoidable, but we encourage families to make school attendance a priority.

Every day counts, every student matters, and every day is an opportunity to learn!

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

• Please check your child's Golden Ticket!

• Each student, or “Jr. Scholar,” has been assigned their own individually numbered Golden Ticket. Tickets will be sent home with students within the next week.

• ⭐ How It Works

• 🎟️ Keep your child’s ticket in a safe place!

• 📣 Check SMORE:
  Mr. West will share the winning numbers in the weekly SMORE newsletter.

Please click here for 2026-2027 Bus Routes Center School

School Bus schedules are also posted on the District website under Families and Students - Transportation. Posted times are estimates, and routes are subject to change. Please have your child at their designated bus stop 5-10 minutes before the posted time. As school gets underway, please periodically check your child's bus route for any changes that may have occurred. Please note:

Students in 3rd grade and below need to have an adult caregiver present to be released from the bus. Thank you, and we look forward to a great school year!

QUESTIONS?

Amaral Bus Company

Cheryl Sweeney, Dispatch Manager
Phone: (508) 324-0551
Press 1 (for Amaral Bus Co)
Then press 2 (for Tri-Town District)

Email: mailto:amaralbustritown@gmail.com.

MATTAPOISETT PTA's fundraiser starts Wednesday!

Every student who's selling needs to be registered. It takes about a minute and creates their own online store, that's how purchases turn into money for our group.

Start here:
https://portal.meadowfarms.com/?page=authSignup&groupid=1032141

Every student (or staff member) who sells 5 or more items is entered to win a gift card. There will be two winners, one from each school. The PTA is raising money to help support field trips and enrichment programs in school.

Scholastic Book Fairs:

Please note: No coins will be given as change, any leftover change will be donated to “Share The Fair.” All proceeds are for purchasing books, materials, and necessary supplies for both libraries. The e-wallet now does not expire! Books in the flyers that come home are guaranteed during the book fair so if you don't see it on the shelf it can be ordered online.

Center: 11/2- 11/9. Public shopping hours are: 11/4: 8-8:40 and 5-7 and 11/6: 8-8:40am.

Please join the PTA at our annual Family Literacy Night. The book fair will be open, we will have pizza (from Nick's!), baked goods, and water for sale. Each item is $1 (cash). This is a fun time for kids to share the book fair with family and to hang out. Have dinner with friends at the Book Fair!

There are volunteer opportunities at each Book Fair to assist during classroom visits and during public shopping hours. These events cannot happen without the support of volunteers, please consider if you can help fill a time slot. All money raised from Scholastic Book Fairs is dedicated towards our libraries.

Volunteer Links: (You must have a CORI on file)

Center School Book Fair 11/2 - 11/6 volunteersignup.org/3J8XM

Family Literacy Night 11/4: https://signup.com/go/yiQMqsx

ORRconnect is available in the Apple and Android store. This mobile app allows families to receive targeted, real-time updates right at their fingertips regarding school happenings along with app alerts. Families can filter content, calendars and settings unique to one building or all.. If you have questions, please email weareor@oldrochester.org.

Search ORRconnect in the app store or use the links from your mobile device.

From Your Apple Mobile Device

Center School

Charles West - Principal

Email: charleswest@oldrochester.org
Website: https://cs.oldrochester.org/
Location: 17 Barstow Street, Mattapoisett, MA 02739
Phone: 508-758-2521

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