Welcome to October 2026
News from the Paws of Farley| October 26, 2026
Principal Johnson | Assistant Principal, Rachel McMenemy
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October 26, 2026
Farley Families and Caregivers!
The Farley Specialists have started to give out the Specialist Spotlight Award to a class in each grade. The classes that earn the award have earned the most points in Art, Music, P.E., Library, and Technology. This is a classwide effort, and all students need to follow the Class Rules: Listening, Calm Body, Raise Hand, and Be Kind & Respectful.
The following classes from their grade were the winners in the last two weeks:
Week of Oct.12
Kindergarten: Charbonneau & Brenda (tie)
1st Grade: Gaffney
2nd Grade: Sequenzia
3rd Grade: Freitas
4th Grade: Clifford
Week of Oct.19
Kindergarten: Charbonneau & Brenda (tie)
1st Grade: Thais
2nd Grade: Sequenzia & Cronin (tie)
3rd Grade: Freitas
4th Grade: Pucillo
These classes showed they were Respectful, Responsible, and Ready in Specials, and we congratulate them for their hard work. Great job to all classes for trying hard, and keep up the good work! Let’s see who wins next week and takes over the Specialists Spotlight Award trophy!
As we settle into the autumn season, we want to share a brief update regarding our school-day routines and seasonal activities. In alignment with Hudson Public Schools districtwide policy, our school day remains focused on core instruction and creating an inclusive environment where every student feels a sense of belonging.
To maintain a consistent learning environment for all children across the district, school-day activities do not include Halloween costumes, classroom parties, parades, or candy distribution. Our staff are incorporating rich, engaging, curriculum-aligned learning activities that may be connected to the fall season throughout our classrooms.
We know how much families enjoy seasonal traditions! While instructional hours are dedicated to learning, our Home and School organization sponsors fun, seasonal-related events outside of school hours, giving our community great opportunities to celebrate together. Please see our upcoming events below.
Lost and Found Reminder: Our lost and found is located by the cafeteria, and families are welcome to come in and check it or remind their students to stop by when coming in from recess or exiting the cafeteria during breakfast and lunch.
Farley's School Improvement Plan: Where We Are and Where We Are Going
At Farley Elementary School, our mission is to prepare every student for high growth in literacy, mathematics, and social-emotional development toward grade-level proficiency. We want every child to feel connected, experience success, and develop a love of learning by igniting their curiosity and creativity.
Our Current State: Our school data show important areas for growth. In spring 2026, 21% of students met or exceeded grade-level expectations in MCAS English Language Arts, and 23% did so in Mathematics. We also recognize strengths in our school community, including dedicated educators, growing family partnerships, and students who bring unique talents and perspectives to learning.
Our Desired State: We envision a Farley where every student receives strong grade-level instruction, demonstrates meaningful academic growth, feels safe and valued, and has the support needed to succeed. We want families to understand their children's progress and participate as partners in learning.
How Will We Get There?
Our 2026–2027 School Improvement Plan (SIP) focuses on four priorities:
Strengthening connections with every student and family.
Raising achievement through effective instruction and targeted support.
Building a safe, inclusive, and collaborative school community.
Using student learning and schoolwide data to guide decisions and continuous improvement.
A Collaborative Process
Our SIP is developed and refined through a shared process involving our Instructional Leadership Team (ILT), faculty and staff, and School Improvement Council (SIC). Together, we will examine student achievement, attendance, school culture, and family feedback to continue to identify strengths, needs, and priorities for improvement.
The School Committee provides district-level oversight and accountability for school improvement.
Implementation, Monitoring, and Adjustment
Our work continues throughout the school year. Teachers and instructional teams implement the plan through classroom instruction, collaboration, and student support. Our ILT and school leaders examine progress, identify what is working, and determine where adjustments are needed. We review progress each trimester and share findings with staff, SIC, and families.
Family perspectives are essential to this process. Through surveys, conferences, TalkingPoints, School Council, and family events, your feedback helps us strengthen our practices and respond to the needs of our school community.
Pumpkin Day Celebration in the cafeteria on October 28
During lunch, the Food Service Department is hosting a special Pumpkin Day table featuring pumpkin applesauce taste-tests, nutrition coloring sheets, and a seed-guessing contest to make lunchtime fun and interactive.
Last Week of National Anti-Bullying Month
As we enter the final week of National Bullying Prevention Month, we continue our commitment to fostering a safe, welcoming, and inclusive school community where every student feels secure, valued, and empowered to learn.
Throughout October, our students have been engaging in social-emotional learning (SEL) focused on understanding empathy, recognizing unkind versus bullying behaviors, and practicing "upstander" skills to support one another. Final Week Focus: Being an Upstander & Promoting Inclusion
- Recognize Bullying: Understand that bullying involves intentional, repeated behavior with a real or perceived power imbalance.
- Practice Upstander Actions: Encourage students to speak up when safe to do so, reach out to include peers, and report concerns to a trusted adult.
- Empathy & Kindness: Reinforce the importance of treating peers with dignity and respect across all school spaces—in the classroom, cafeteria, playground, and online.
Curriculum Resources
- Bullying Awareness Lessons:
- District Policies & Information:
Key Handbook Reminders
Important Reminders:
We know everyone has a busy schedule, but partnering with you is key to keeping our school safe, smooth, and running smoothly! Here is a quick refresher on a few key policies from our handbook:
- Morning Arrival & Tardiness: School starts promptly at 8:35 AM. Student arrival and breakfast begin at 8:20 AM. Please ensure your child arrives on time, as late arrivals disrupt classroom learning.
- Drop-Off & Pick-Up Safety: For the safety of all students, drop-off and pick-up take place in a single, one-way lane behind the school entering via Packard Street and exiting onto Cottage Street. Never park or drop off students in the bus lane or staff parking lot excluding necessitating special needs.
- Personal Electronic Devices: All cell phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and gaming devices must remain turned off and stored in backpacks throughout the school day. If you need to reach your child during the day, please call the main office.
- Visiting & Volunteering: All visitors and volunteers must sign in at the office and wear a visitor's badge. Remember that volunteering for school events requires an approved CORI form on file, which can take up to three weeks to process.
Thank you for your continued support in making Farley Elementary a wonderful place to learn and grow!
School Resources and Important Links
School Links
Other Resources
A new school year means new routines, new classrooms, and a fresh start. It can also bring anxiety, stress, or emotional challenges that make it harder to settle in. Cartwheel, our virtual mental health partner, can offer:
- Individual teletherapy for students — appointments with a licensed therapist available within days, with no waitlist
- Parent and caregiver guidance — practical support for navigating challenges at home
- Family therapy for transitions, stress, or ongoing challenges
- Psychiatric support, when appropriate
- Care Programs for specific challenges like school avoidance, screens and social media, and intense emotions and behavior challenges
Appointments are virtual, scheduling is flexible, and care is available in multiple languages. For students with Medicaid, care is completely free. Most private insurance plans are also accepted.
Getting started takes just a few minutes. Complete this simple interest form, and someone from Cartwheel will follow up with you. Explore Cartwheel for mental health resources for our students well-being.
HUDSONRECREATION.ORG Email hudsonrecreation@townofhudson.org to connect with a staff member! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
Home and School Corner
Join Us for Our Home & School Meetings!
We would like to invite all parents and guardians to join our Home and School Association! Much like a Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), this group is a fantastic way to stay connected, share ideas, and help organize fun school events and activities for our students.
Dates:
- Thursday, November 5, 2026
- Wednesday, December 9, 2026
- Wednesday, January 13, 2027
- Wednesday, February 10, 2027
- Wednesday, March 10, 2027
- Wednesday, April 14, 2027
- Wednesday, May 12, 2027
Where: School Library
Who: All parents and family members are welcome!
Please note that a teacher will be available to provide Portuguese translation if needed.
We hope to see you at our next meeting as we work together to support our school community!
Ice Cream Social Friday November 6, 2026
“BubbleMania Assembly November 6
Science, Art & Comedy” performed by Casey Carle is coming to Farley Elementary on November 6th
Farley is excited to welcome Casey Carle on November 6th to lead a workshop “BubbleMania: Science, Art & Comedy”. Kids will learn how bubbles form, why they’re spherical, how to make a cube bubble and the science of bubble bursting. Bubblemania engages kids creatively and analytically showing students that beautiful art can be made with the help of science and scientific discovery. Be sure to ask you kids about what they learned and how they enjoyed the workshop!
This program is supported in parts by grant from the Hudson Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
2026-2027 Yearbook Photos Wanted
Calling all families, especially those of the 4th graders! We are starting to work on the Farley yearbook. All students will be included (if there is no photo restriction), but the 4th graders will be showcased. Please start gathering and sending photos to the following email- farleyyearbook2027@gmail.com. If you could include the student's name and event information that would help us out. Photos from current and past field trips, cultural assemblies, concerts, field day, classroom events, etc are what we are looking for. Thank you so much from the yearbook committee!
CA Farley School Directory 2026-2027
School Year 2026-2027 Directory. If you would like to be included in the directory, please complete and submit a separate form for each student.
Meals Menu
Monthly Meals Calendar
🧺 Reminders to Families
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Extra Clothes: Please send a full set of labeled extra clothes for your child (including socks and underwear) to be kept in their locker in case of an accident.
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Dress for Weather: Our building is air-conditioned, so we recommend that students bring a light sweater or sweatshirt each day.
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Toys at Home: We kindly ask that balls, tablets, and other toys and fidgets stay at home unless a teacher has specifically asked students to bring something in for a project or share time.
School Improvement
Our next School Improvement Council meeting scheduled for October 22, 2026: School Improvement Council Meeting agendas are always shared in this bi-weekly newsletter, and families are welcome to add discussion topics for upcoming school-year meetings in our feedback survey link .
SIC Meeting Dates 2026-2027
- November 12, 2026
- December 17, 2026
- January 28, 2027
- February 11, 2027
- March 18, 2027
- April 15, 2027
- May 20, 2027
- June 10, 2027
- Two-Way Communication & Engagement Opportunities
- Questions & Feedback: Please submit your questions or feedback regarding our curriculum and programs using our so we can address them in upcoming communications.
- Coffee Hours & Curriculum Conversations: Join Principal Johnson at our upcoming family coffee hours and trimester curriculum conversations, where we discuss student progress, curriculum updates, and answer family questions. Meeting Link.
- Friday, November 6, 2026
- Friday, December 11, 2026
- Friday, January 8, 2027
- Friday, February 5, 2027
- Friday, March 12, 2027
- Friday, April 9, 2027
- Friday, May 14, 2027
- Friday, June 11, 2027
- Look for updates in our biweekly newsletters sent through TalkingPoints.
- School Improvement Council (SIC): Add your questions and discussion topics to our ongoing feedback survey. The SIC brings together parents, teachers, and administrators to review data, guide the School Improvement Plan, and collaborate on school priorities.
Save the Date
Important Dates
Save the date: Upcoming School Dates
October Events
- 10/28 Cafeteria Pumpkin Celebration
- 10/30/26 Monthly Attendance Celebration
- 10/30/26 Grade 3rd Field Trip to Stone Zoo
- Here is your updated November events list with the conference dates added:
- 11/2/26 DL4 Conferences
- 11/3/26 DLK Conferences
- 11/3/26 School Improvement Plan Presented at School Committee
- 11/3/26 Quinn Drama Club Performance: Miss Nelson is Missing 9:00 AM
- 11/4/26 No School: Full Day Professional Development for Teachers
- 11/5/26 DL1 Conferences
- 11/5/26 Home and School Meeting
- 11/5/2026 Picture Retake Day
- 11/6/26 DL2 Conferences
- 11/6/26 Coffee and Conversation
- 11/6/26 Bubblemania Assembly
- 11/6/26 Ice Cream Social
- 11/9/26 DL3 Conferences
- 11/10/26 Early Release: Parent/Teacher Conferences- 12:30pm to 3:30 pm
- 11/11/26 No School Veteran's Day
- 11/12/26 School Improvement Council
- 11/12/26 Early Release: Parent/Teacher Conferences - 12:30pm to 3:00pm and 3:30pm to 5:30pm.
- 11/18/26 Grade 4th Danforth Falls Field Trip
- 11/19/26 November Birthday Lunches
- 11/20/26 Spirit Day: Wear Plaid and Flannel Day
- 11/25/26 Early Release day
- 11/26/26 No School
- 11/27/26 No School