Melville Message Community Update
November 7, 2025
Melville Mission
In partnership with families and community, the mission of Melville Elementary School is to provide all students with a strong academic foundation through diverse and challenging instruction in a safe and nurturing environment enabling them to achieve their greatest potential while developing self-confidence, respect, responsibility, compassion and a love of learning.
Visiting Melville
Dear Melville School Community,
As many of you are aware, in accordance with Portsmouth School Department policy, Melville Elementary School has a new visitor system in our vestibule. This system is used to sign guests into our building by scanning a driver’s license and verifying your identity with a comparison photo.
Please note that any person that is entering our school building for a meeting or an event is REQUIRED to sign in.
In order to expedite the sign in process, we are strongly encouraging all families to download the app and create your profile today. You may do so by scanning the QR code below or by visiting the App Store or Google Play Store and searching for Raptor Safe.
For any questions or for assistance contact the main office. Thank you for your help in keeping our school safe.
As we enter the winter months, it’s especially important for students to attend school regularly so they can stay on track with learning and maintain strong connections with their teachers and peers. Consistent attendance helps children build good routines and prevents them from falling behind academically or socially. Parents can help by encouraging healthy habits—like getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods, washing hands often, and dressing warmly for the weather. If you are questioning if you should send your child to school, here are our school guidelines regarding illness. Working together, we can keep students healthy, learning, and thriving all winter long.
If your child is absent, tardy or dismissed early for medical appointments, please provide the school with documentation of this so the absence can be excused. For more information on excused vs. unexcused absences, please see the PSD Attendance Policy
Please report absences using: Melville Attendance Notification Form
Art
Physical Education
Health with Mrs. Powell
Health with Nurse Trainor
This week, Grade 3 students identified symptoms or signals the body sends when a person is sick. They defined medicine and learned the difference between prescription and over-the-counter medicine. Discussions revolved around the benefits that medicine offers when used correctly and students identified risks of using medicine improperly.
Music
Library
November Book Recommendation
Sour Apple by Linda Liu is a SEL picture book about an apple who learns about self-acceptance and patience after not being chosen during picking season. This is a great book for children ages 4-8 (grades K-3rd).
MAKE NOTE-Change of Procedures
If your child is going to be absent, or it is absolutely necessary to make a dismissal change, then please complete the: Attendance Notification Form. Please bookmark this form or you can find it on our website. Dismissal changes must be made by 2:15
Help us to Celebrate our Students!
Our Food Pantry is Always Open!
In keeping with the spirit of giving, our Feinstein Jr. Scholars are excited to start an in-school food pantry that our students and families can donate to and access when needed.
Please help us as we continue to support our community by sending in food items with your child from time to time. Please email
Mrs. Powell: powelld@portsmouthschoolsri.org or
Mrs. Pascoe: pascoen@portsmouthschoolsri.org
if you would like to access our food pantry during the school year.
Melville Elementary School
Email: lauried@portsmouthschoolsri.org
Website: https://www.portsmouthschoolsri.org/Domain/11
Location: 1351 West Main Road, Portsmouth, RI, USA
Phone: 4016831650
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009159177892
Twitter: @MelvilleSchool