The SHARK Alert
Chatham Elementary School Community Update
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Dear CES families and friends,
I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the families who came out and joined us this past week. Our SHARKS were truly exceptional tour guides, showing off our school with so much enthusiasm and energy. We hope every visitor left feeling the incredible joy and pride our students have for their school every single day.
It was a week filled with learning, trips, and community. You can certainly see that CES is always busy and this was just our first five-day-week!
Looking ahead, we are eager to explore our SHARKS Around the World theme even more. We hope you will join us in this celebration of what makes each of us unique, as well as the common bonds that bring us all together as a community.
CES is a genuinely special place, and we are so grateful for your ongoing support, partnership, and presence.
With deep appreciation,
Dr. Kelly
Active SHARKS
Nurse Heidi asked students and families their favorite ways to move their bodies. It's no surprise that our SHARKS prefer swimming!
Creative SHARKS
Expressive SHARKS
Social Emotional Learning Assessments
As noted in our School Handbooks, Monomoy Regional School District is committed to developing a comprehensive program that provides support and services that address the five core competencies of social and emotional learning (SEL). This goal has been developed and supported by members of the school community in alignment with the district's strategic plan. The five core competencies of SEL are: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. In order to gain a better understanding of the needs of our students, assessment tools are used to obtain baseline data regarding the social and emotional competencies of the students in grades 3-12, including the SELIS and SSIS. These questionnaires are administered a few times a school year to collect data and identify trends. Data from student responses are collected and analyzed to assist in developing a strategy for implementing SEL throughout the curriculum as well as analyzing trends throughout the student body and school year. If you would like to opt your child out of participating in these questionnaires, please email Melissa Maguire at mmaguire@monomoy.edu by October 1, or within 30 days of enrollment.
Building Independent & Confident Learners at Our Monthly SHARK Assemblies
Each month, our entire school comes together for our SHARK Assembly—a tradition that directly supports our Portrait of a Graduate competency of developing Independent and Confident Learners. By practicing leadership, taking pride in positive choices, and standing tall before their peers, our students learn that confidence grows when we celebrate community and personal effort.
School Spirit and Student Leadership We begin each assembly by singing our school anthem (thank you Mrs. Finnegan for leading us on Wednesday). Assemblies also highlight our school-wide reward system, which recognizes students caught exhibiting SHARK expectations. Demonstrating real-world independence and responsibility, our 4th graders collect and count tickets from every classroom each week. They randomly select one winning student per class, who receives a SHARK prize on Monday!
Monthly Contests and Skill Challenges Assemblies keep our school community curious, connected, and motivated through interactive initiatives:
Mystery SHARK: Students follow weekly clues to guess a mystery staff member. Mrs. Grodzicki collects votes during library class, and the secret is finally revealed at the assembly.
The "Hi and Eyes" Challenge: Our current social challenge encourages SHARKs to greet others warmly while making confident eye contact. We invite families to practice this skill at home as well!
Enrichment Challenges: Students previewed two upcoming events: the Inktober drawing challenge and the Math Minutes challenge.
School Theme: We officially launched our 2026–2027 theme, Sharks Around the World.
Celebrating the Sea of Success The centerpiece of every assembly is our favorite segment: the Sea of Success. Students and staff who go above and beyond SHARK expectations are publicly recognized. Nominees come forward to receive a certificate while the person who nominated them speaks to the entire school about their positive impact. Hearing why they were chosen gives nominees a boost of confidence, while reminding every student that individual accomplishments make CES a better place for everyone.
Maeve & Tessa take on mascot duty
Spreading the SHARKS cheer
Engaged SHARKS
More More, Feel Better!
Being active is one of the best ways children can support their growing bodies and minds. For elementary aged children, physical activity isn't just about building strength and endurance but it can also help them feel happier, sleep better, concentrate in school, and develop healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
Children can get moving by riding a bike, dancing to their favorite music, playing tag, jumping rope, walking the dog, climbing at the playground, helping in the garden, or simply playing outside with friends and family.
Why movement matters
Regular physical activity can help children:
Build strong bodies: Movement helps develop strong muscles and bones and supports healthy growth.
Support learning: Active children may find it easier to focus, pay attention, and be ready to learn.
Boost mood: Physical activity can help children manage stress and support positive mental well-being.
Sleep better: Regular movement can contribute to healthy sleep habits.
Support heart health: Being active helps keep the heart and cardiovascular system healthy.
Develop important skills: Running, jumping, balancing, throwing, and climbing help children develop coordination and confidence.
Build lifelong habits: When children learn that movement can be fun, they are more likely to carry an active lifestyle into the future.
Make movement part of everyday life
Rather than focusing on how many minutes a child exercises, try focusing on finding more opportunities to move throughout the day. Make it a family activity! Take a walk after dinner, have a dance party in the living room, choose the playground instead of the couch, or let your child help with active household tasks.
Most importantly, keep it fun and positive. Children don't need to be the fastest runner or the best athlete. Every child can benefit from moving their body, discovering activities they enjoy, and feeling proud of what their bodies can do.
This year, let's encourage our children to move, play, explore, and have fun! Small bursts of activity throughout the day can add up to big benefits for growing bodies and minds.
PTO Meeting Dates:
- October 13
- November 10
- December 8
- January 12
- February 9
- March 9
- April 13
- June 8
Next Meeting: Tuesday, October 13th
Thank you to Mrs. Finnegan for leading us in the CES SHARK Anthem at Wednesday's assembly.
Thank you to the the Grade 1 parent chaperones for their assistance at Thursday's field trip to Red River Beach. The students had an amazing time exploring the wonders of low tide!
Thank you families for joining us at Thursday's Back to School Night. We had a wonderful time catching up, completing activities, and showing you how proud we are to be SHARKS!
We want to hear from you! We know that Monomoy is filled with great people - here's your chance to help highlight them! Our Staff Shoutouts recognize a member of our team each month, and nominations are now open. While it's still early in the school year, we're sure there are Sharks who have gone above and beyond - go to www.monomoy.edu/staffshoutout and tell us about them.
- Wednesday, September 23rd - Early Release Day
- Wednesday, October 7th - Early Release Day
- Monday, October 12th - No School - Indigenous Peoples/Columbus Day
- Wednesday, October 14th - SHARK Assembly
- Wednesday October 21st - Early Release Day
Contact us:
Email: jakelly@monomoy.edu
Website: http://ces.monomoy.edu/
Location: 147 Depot Road, Chatham, MA, USA
Phone: 508-945-5135
Facebook: facebook.com/ChathamElementarySchoolPto
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuaO-WElYPYfj1kU9LfhSzw
Instagram: ChathamElemMRSD