Bresnahan Weekly Wednesday
October 7, 2026
UPCOMING EVENTS
October:
10/9 - EARLY RELEASE
10/12 - NO SCHOOL
- Preschool/PreK Dismissed at 11:15am
- Grade K-3 Dismissed at 11:40
10/18 - Bresnahan Fall Festival - PTO details below
10/27 - Bresnahan School Council (8:10-9:55)
10/28 - Caregiver Conversations Coffee - Routines at Home (8:30-9:15)
10/30 - Costume Parade (8:45, outdoors and open to families) *details below
Annual Mandatory Verification Form
If you have not completed this step, please do this as soon as possible.
We are collecting a majority of your student's information through a new program called Family Connection. All families need to complete the "Annual Verification Form" for their student(s). Instructions on how to access Family Connection are below:
How to Get On Your Family Connection Account
Click on your student's school below for a pdf with step-by-step instructions:
Bresnahan Family Connection Instructions
Bresnahan Instruções para o Family Connection (Portuguese)
Photo/Media Restriction Reminder
Families wishing to continue or establish a photo/media restriction for their student must update their preference annually through Family Connection in the School Portal. Restrictions do not automatically carry over from year to year. Please log in to the School Portal and complete the Family Connection form to ensure your family's preferences are up to date.
Costume Parade on Friday 10/30 at 8:45 am
There will be an outdoor Costume Parade on Friday 10/30 at 8:45 am. Parents and guardians are invited to attend! Please stand behind cones set up along the rider area, bus area, and walker areas. Students will exit door 1, parade outside along the sidewalk around the entire building and re-enter the building through Door 4.
When preparing for this exciting event, please be mindful of costume choices. Students need to be able to move/walk on their own (for example, some students struggle to walk on their own in inflatable costumes). We also ask that students refrain from wearing full face masks and costumes with weapons.
We will have a parade alternative in the library for students who do not wish to participate in the parade. Please email your classroom teacher directly if you would like to opt-out of the parade.
The Literacy Loop
Fishtank
Kindergarten and Grade 1 will be starting their next unit in Fishtank soon. (Grades 2 and 3 units are longer. Check back in a few weeks for updates.)
Fishtank is our new knowledge building literacy curriculum. Your student is diving into literacy lessons that build reading, writing, and comprehension skills using engaging texts, class discussions and rich writing opportunities.
Below, you'll find an overview of what students are learning by grade, as well as ways you can support your child's learning at home!
Kids for Kenya Field Day - October 24
The Bike Bus is Back!
The Bike Buses are back for the 2026-2027 year! We are looking forward to riding to school with K-3 students this fall and this spring!
Our bike buses - from the South End and the North End - will start on Friday 9/11, the first Friday of school, and continue each Friday through Halloween.
The South End Bike Bus to the Bresnahan leaves from Perkins Playground at 7:38. The North End Bike Bus leaves the corner of Ferry Road and Briggs Avenue at 7:55. Both arrive at school by 8:10. Check the schedules to see where the stops are and the times. Join the bus at a stop near you and ride to school with your friends! See maps attached below.
Children in second grade or younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian rider, but all adults are welcome to ride with us and enjoy the fun!
Volunteering/Chaperoning at the Bresnahan
CORI/SORI Process
- All volunteers must have an up-to-date CORI on file with the Newburyport Elementary Schools.
- Bring the completed CORI/SORI form along with your driver's license to the Administrative Assistant at our school office.
- Please note CORI's are only valid for three years; after that you must reapply.
Fingerprinting
In keeping with Newburyport's continued focus on safety, volunteers/parents are required to be fingerprinted in two instances:
- If you are going on a day or overnight field trip and will have direct and unmonitored contact with children;
- If you are a lunchroom volunteer and will be bringing children out to the playground. Parents who volunteer in the classroom DO NOT need to be fingerprinted, if there will always be another adult present.
Massachusetts has contracted with MorphoTrust for fingerprinting. To book an appointment, visit the Massachusetts IdentoGO Website.
Please be aware there is a $35 fee for fingerprinting. Fingerprinting does not expire.
Forms and Information
Important Save-the-Dates:
Sat. Oct. 10: Yard Sale Fundraiser for 8th Gr. Trip 10-2PM Nock School
Sun. Oct. 18: Bresnahan Fall Fest 10AM-Noon
Nov. 7-14th: Newburyport Education Foundation Lighthouse Auction
Bresnahan Fall Fest
Please join the Newburyport PTO in celebrating all things fall at the Bresnahan Fall Festival, taking place Sunday, October 18th from 10am-12pm at the Bresnahan Playground. This free event is open to all Bresnahan students and families and will feature fall-themed games (think sack races, pumpkin bowling, and more!), along with arts & crafts, face painting, cider donuts, sweet cider, popcorn and a free Halloween costume swap! Our beloved music teacher, Mr. R-M, will also join us for a special sing-a-long at 11:30am. Please see the attached flyers for more event details. We're also looking for parent volunteers and cider/cup donations to help make this event a success! If you can help, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADA72CA0FCCE9-66080570-2026
Newburyport Education Foundation (NEF) Annual Lighthouse Auction & Class Baskets
The 2026 Lighthouse Auction, presented by the Institution for Savings, is the Newburyport Education Foundation’s largest event of the year. Thanks to your generosity, last year’s auction was a tremendous success - raising over $100,000 for our schools.
For the past 16 years, it has been a cherished tradition for each class to contribute a unique gift to the auction. A parent volunteer works with families to collect funds or donated items and transform them into something special. These one-of-a-kind creations are showcased online in the Silent Auction from Nov. 7-14th, and several are even selected for the LIVE auction event on November 14th.
Would you consider volunteering to coordinate a gift for your child’s class—or helping the NEF recruit another parent to take the lead? A big thank-you to those who have already signed up!
Learn more and sign-up at: https://tinyurl.com/nefbasketsignup
Send questions to: NEFAuctionClassBaskets@gmail.com.
PTO Communications
We communicate in a variety of ways for your convenience:
Weekly Principal Emails: like this email!
PTO Website: Go to www.newburyportpto.com.
Social Media: Follow us on Facebook or Instagram (@NewburyportPTO).
Email us at president@newburyportpto.com.
