Steere Farm Elementary Update
September 2026 Edition
From the Desk of Mrs. Francis
The 2026-2027 school year is off to a great start! Thank you to the entire Steere Farm community for making the opening of school successful and enjoyable. Our students came in with a positive attitude, ready to learn! Special shout out to our staff for taking their own time to ensure classrooms and shared spaces were ready for students!
The SFE staff recognizes the importance of cultivating a strong partnership between parents and the school in order to ensure student success. We encourage you to contact us if the need arises and to stay in the know about your student’s studies, activities, and other happenings. Our staff values your active involvement in your child’s education. We are ready for a year full of learning and fun!
We hope to see you at our Back to School Bash (Open House) on Thursday, September 24th from 5:30-7:30 p.m.!
Warm Regards,
Mrs. Francis
Take Note!
- Please make every effort to notify the office of dismissal changes before 12:00 p.m. Changes made to dismissal after 12:00 cannot be guaranteed.
- Please make sure notes to the office are dated. If you are giving permission for someone to dismiss your child, please include their full name in the note.
- Clearly mark water bottles, lunch boxes, coats, etc. with student's name.
- Lost & Found items will be donated monthly.
- District Policy requires all parents and school volunteers to maintain a current BCI check and to RENEW all BCI checks yearly prior to volunteering in classrooms/school or field trip activities. Please visit our PTA table during Open House to complete a form!
- Please read the handbook below in its entirety. Please note, sandals, slides and open toe shoes are a safety hazard at school and are prohibited. In addition, sneakers must be worn on physical education days.
- Cell phones, including smart watches, are prohibited.
Dojo!
We are excited to announce that Steere Farm Elementary is now using ClassDojo schoolwide as one of our primary tools for communication with families! Invitations have been sent to all families. If you are already connected with your child’s teacher on ClassDojo, you are automatically connected to the Steere Farm Elementary school account as well.
For families who still need to join, the schoolwide family invite link is below. If you are not yet connected with your child’s teacher, please reach out to them directly for assistance.
ClassDojo will allow us to share important school updates, reminders, celebrations, and other information throughout the year. We look forward to staying connected with our Bronco families!
Positive Behavior Intervention & Supports: 3 Rs @ SFE
Our PBIS initiative focuses on three school-wide expectations: Respect, Responsibility, and Ready to Learn! Students earn Bronco Bucks when they are “caught” demonstrating the 3Rs. Bucks can be saved and redeemed for prizes from a grade level reward menu.
Each month, we also celebrate Student of the Month! One student from each classroom is selected by their teacher, along with one school-wide honoree chosen by our itinerant staff. Families are then invited to join us during a special family ceremony where we celebrate each student and hear a special message written by their teacher.
Picture Day!
Picture Day is coming on Monday, September 21!
- You can place your order on mylifetouch.com using your Picture Day ID: EVTHG4XF2
- Order before midnight on Picture Day to get FREE shipping!
- Your child can also bring their completed flyer with cash or check on Picture Day.
- Orders after Picture Day must be placed online only on mylifetouch.com .
Nightly Homework
Recent research found that the amount of time students spent in independent reading outside of school was the best predictor of reading achievement. As such, all elementary students are expected to read no less than 20 minutes per night. In addition, students will also be assigned math practice. Other school related projects may also be assigned periodically.
If you have concerns regarding homework, please contact your child’s teacher.
Media Opt-Out Form
In our efforts to highlight activities and accomplishments, we will be taking videos and pictures for district and school communications as well as for news sources. If your child/ren should not be in videos or photographs, please fill out this Media Opt-Out Form by Monday, September 14, 2026. If you are ok with your child/ren being in videos and photographs, you do not need to fill out this form.
Family Skyward Access
*As a reminder, please provide us with your most current phone numbers, email addresses, and emergency contacts so that we can better serve your family. Updates can be made in Skyward or by emailing Mrs. Baillargeon (baillargeont@bsd-ri.net).
Skyward Family Access is a secure, Internet-based website that will allow you to see certain information about your students. We are very excited about how Family/Student Access will help you stay informed about your student and hope that we can use this tool to create a stronger relationship between parents and our school community.
Accessing Skyward:
If you know your Skyward Access login and password, please click here to go directly to the Skyward login page.
If you do not know your Skyward Access login and password or have forgotten your information, please click here.
School Lunch Application Form
Please be advised that the Burrillville School Department is requesting that ALL families who have children residing in their homes attending the Burrillville Schools complete the application for free and reduced lunch. Please complete this form, whether or not you believe your child is eligible. This information is important for a number of reasons; specifically, the majority of school education aid received from the state and the federal government will be based on the amount of eligible free and reduced student population.
All information provided on the application is kept confidential. Completion of these applications will ensure that the school department receives all available/entitled state and federal funds.
My School Bucks
Please visit www.myschoolbucks.com to create an account. Here, you can make view lunch transactions and make payments online.
If you have any questions, you can contact Theresa Beeley , Food Services Manager, at 401-568-1360 or theresa.beeley@compass-usa.com
Summer Reading Kudos!
A big Bronco shout out to all of our students who participated in any part of our Summer Reading and Math Challenges! We are so proud of the effort our students put into learning and practicing their skills over the summer.
A special congratulations to the 33 students who logged more than 12 hours of reading this summer! These students earned 50 Bronco Bucks for their outstanding commitment to reading. 🌟 A huge thank you to the Jesse Smith Library for supporting this important initiative and helping our students keep learning this summer!
Another shout out to our students who completed the reading and/or math packet! These students will receive extra recess! Way to go!
Thank you, PTA!
The Steere Farm PTA welcomed back the staff and students of SFE by providing:
- snacks in the teachers lounge
- a welcome back breakfast for staff
- a welcome back banner
- electric pencil sharpeners for every classroom
- writing tablets (to replace white boards)
- folders for all students
- soccer nets and recess equipment
- picnic table
- benches for the front entrance
Thank you, PTA!
Social Emotional Learning Curriculum: Everyday Speech
This school year, Steere Farm Elementary will continue to prioritize the social-emotional development and well-being of our students. As part of our Tier 1 social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum, we will be using Everyday Speech, a skills-based program that provides students with explicit instruction and practice in important skills such as communication, self-awareness, self-management, problem-solving, and building positive relationships. In addition, we will continue to incorporate meaningful components of our Choose Love curriculum, which has been an important part of our SEL work at SFE. By combining these resources, we will provide students with consistent opportunities to develop the skills they need to navigate challenges, build healthy relationships, and feel successful both in and out of the classroom.
Source: Everyday Speech
Eureka Squared - Math Curriculum!
All teachers in grades K–5 are using Eureka Math², a research-based curriculum that helps students build strong number sense, problem-solving skills, and deep mathematical understanding. Lessons are designed to be hands-on and engaging, encouraging students to explain their reasoning and connect math to the real world. Students have two workbooks for each module - Learn for in class work and Apply for home practice. The Apply book also includes parent letters to help families stay connected to what their child is learning in math.
Additionally, to support successful implementation, our teachers have access to professional development and coaching opportunities, ensuring consistency and high-quality math instruction across all grade levels.
HMH: Into Reading
Teachers will also continue to implement the literacy program, HMH Into Reading. The curriculum was built from the ground up using the latest in literacy research to ensure every student learns to read and write with confidence. The text topics help to build student's background knowledge and accelerate their reading growth. We are excited to introduce students to high interest texts that they can relate to!
We look forward to celebrating our students' reading growth this year!
Releasing Writers!
This year, we will be piloting Releasing Writers, formerly known as thinkSRSD, to help students become stronger, more confident, and independent writers. The program uses research-based writing strategies and practice to help students organize their ideas, strengthen their writing skills, and develop greater independence. Our teachers will use the pilot to explore how Releasing Writers can best support and enhance our current literacy instruction.
Fall Benchmark Assessments
As you may know, students are assessed periodically throughout the year using a variety of assessments, including STAR (reading and math). These assessments are designed to assist us in better understanding our students' strengths and making instructional decisions to meet the needs of our students.
Steere Farm teachers will begin fall benchmark assessments the week of August 31st. Staff members will then meet to analyze the data and create instructional groupings designed to provide targeted skill instruction to students with similar strengths and needs. Letters will be sent home to notify families if their child is placed in an intervention group. Please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher if you have any questions or concerns.
PTA Meeting
The first PTA meeting of the year is Monday, September 14th @ 6:30pm in person in the library or via Zoom.
Restaurant Fundraiser Night!
Join us for our first restaurant fundraiser of the school year!
Wednesday, September 16
4:00–8:00 PM
Chipotle in Lincoln, RI
Enjoy dinner with family and friends while helping support Steere Farm School! Simply show the fundraiser flyer when ordering in the restaurant or use Code F9EXQEX when ordering online.
We hope to see our Steere Farm families there—thank you for supporting our school!
Save the Date: Trunk or Treat!
Trunk or Treat is scheduled for Saturday, October 24!
Mark your calendars for a fun-filled day of costumes, treats, and community fun. More details will be coming soon!
Candy donations are needed! We will once again be collecting bags of individually wrapped candy to help make this event extra sweet for all of our students and families. More information about donation collection will be shared soon!
Dates to Remember:
August 31-September 4: Beginning of Year Benchmarking Window (STAR reading/math)
September 7: No School - Labor Day
September 9: No School - Primary Day (Professional Development for Teachers)
September 14: PTA Meeting @ 6:30 p.m.
September 16: PTA Restaurant Fundraiser Night @ Chipotle (Lincoln) 4:00-8:00 p.m.
September 21: Picture Day
September 23: Vision Screening
September 24: Back to School Bash (Open House) 5:30-7:30 p.m.
