Doyon News
Friday, March 27, 2026
Dear Doyon Families,
Happy Friday!
On Wednesday, our talented 4th and 5th grade orchestra students took the stage at the Dolan Performing Arts Center for the 30th annual Stringfest. Dedicated performers, from grades 4 to 12, filled the PAC with beautiful music, proudly showcasing their hard work and growing passion for strings. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who helped make this milestone performance so special!
On Tuesday, our fifth grade students participated in a walking field trip to Willowdale State Forest, guided by a naturalist from the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. During their first visit to the vernal pools, students explored the area as young scientists, making careful observations of the natural world and searching for early signs of life. They also explored the life cycle of frogs and salamanders through games and activities. While it was still a bit cold and activity was just beginning, students used buckets and observation tools to collect and examine water samples, identifying life in the pool. They were excited to discover caddisfly larvae, small worms, and a few insects as they investigated using ID cards.
Students will return in April to revisit the site and observe how the environment has changed over time. They are hopeful that their next visit will bring sightings of tadpoles and other signs of spring life, deepening their understanding of seasonal changes and ecosystems.
5th graders kick off their MCAS Testing on Monday, March 30th.
To help everyone perform at their best:
- Please make sure your child gets plenty of sleep and eats a healthy breakfast in the morning.
- Please be sure that your child arrives to school on time on testing days.
In preparation for the Week of the Young Child, the group Play is the Way invited Ipswich students to join them in decorating coffee sleeves with positive messages and drawings to be distributed at Zumi's in April (see picture below). The Doyon Early Act Team decorated some too. These were very popular with Zumi's customers last year and we look forward to our students' artwork and messages putting a smile on the faces of patrons again next month!
Warmly,
Mrs. Benincasa
Members of our amazing Student Leadership Team (SLT) are continuing to do a wonderful job starting each day with C.A.R.E.S. reminders! Way to lead by example, SLT!
Need larger cleats? Have gently used cleats you no longer need? Lets swap!
ITS Spring Registration
🎉EXTENDED 🎉
Frozen
Updated practice times
✨ Next Meeting
Wednesday, April 15th - Doyon Library
✨ FRIES Website: https://doyon-fries.membershiptoolkit.com/home
The FRIES Treasurer position will be opening at the end of this school year (2-year term). If you’re interested or would like more information, please reach out to Dougherty.family91@gmail.com.
F.R.I.E.S Summary
Q1 2026
Doyon FRIES Balance
July 2025 - March 2026
Small Business Fair
Does your student have a creative side? Sign up for a booth at the Small FRIES Business Fair!
This weeks lost and found! Do you recognize any of these items?
Thank you to everyone who has added labels (last name) to your child's belongings!! We were able to return items to their owners 💕
Hello Doyon Families,
The symptom of the week was: Sore throat! There were many culprits including post-nasal drip as we are seeing the start of those croupy/change of season coughs....as well as some scattered cases of strep across all grades.
Strep throat is an infection in the throat/tonsils caused by group A streptococcus. It is most common in children 5-15 and rare in children under 3 (but possible) . The signs and symptoms include: fever, pain when swallowing, red/swollen tonsils, white patches or streaks in throat, tiny red spots on roof of mouth (petechiae), swollen lymph nodes, headache, stomach pain, nausea/vomiting, and also can present as a fine sand-papery rash.
The treatment is antibiotics as well as supportive care including tylenol/motrin, encouraging fluids, soothing foods such as popsicles, and avoiding acidic foods/beverages which can be irritating. In addition, you should discard your child's toothbrush after 48 hours of antibiotic treatment.
If you suspect your child may have strep throat, please visit your pediatrician or urgent care facility for a rapid/throat culture.
I hope you all have a great weekend as we head into April and hopefully more open windows and fresh air!
Curious about school safety procedures? Take a peek at the documents displayed below. These documents are shared with students at the start of the school year by Detective Joe Perna, our School Resource Officer. The documents may serve as a guide to support families in discussing school safety. As always, please be in touch with questions around school safety at the Paul F. Doyon Memorial School.