Bison Blurb
NBES Weekly Family Newsletter for October 24, 2025
Bison Brickathon PTO Fundraiser
Congratulations to Mrs. Piotrowski's class for being our weekly class winner for the PTO fundraiser! They get to have the bison trophy in their class. Help your child's class be in the lead this week by registering them below if you haven't already done so!
Our Annual Bison Brick-a-Thon Fundraiser is Live!
Register your student today on FundHub and share with family and friends! Every donation helps support technology, enrichment programs, family events, and teacher appreciation at NBES. Your participation makes a lasting difference for our school community.Halloween Parties
The Halloween Parties will take place on Friday, October 31. The parade will begin at 2:10. As long as the weather is good, the parade will take place outside. See the map below for where parents can view the parade. If it is raining, parents will gather in the gym to watch the parade. See the attached letter for costume restrictions. Students will not wear their costumes to school that day. They will have time in the classroom to get dressed in the afternoon.
The Pre K Halloween party will be held on the morning of October 31. Parents may arrive to check in around 10:00. The party will be from 10:15-11:15. The preschoolers will not participate in the afternoon halloween parade.
The parties will follow immediately around 2:30. If you have been asked by your child's teacher to set up for the party, you may come in to the building for set up beginning at 1:45. All volunteers coming into the building for the party MUST have an updated background check! You cannot update it the day of the party. If you completed your secure volunteer background check last school year and just need to update it, you will need to email Devinnie Wysocki at dwysocki@nbas.org for renewal. If you are completing the volunteer background check for the first time, please visit here and complete this at least one week prior to the party or event you are volunteering for.
Anti Bullying Month
💙 Be a Buddy, Not a Bully! 💙
At NBES, we believe kindness is cool! This month we are focusing on bully prevention. Help us by talking to your child about being a Buddy, Not a Bully- someone who helps, includes, and stands up for others.
Here are three ways families can help spread the message at home:
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Talk about kindness: Ask your child how they showed kindness at school today.
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Practice empathy: Role-play what to do if you see someone being left out.
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Use our golden rule: If you wouldn’t like it said or done to you, don’t say or do it to someone else!
Together, we can make our school a place where everyone feels safe, respected, and valued. 💛
Red Ribbon Drug Prevention
October is a busy month! This month we are also learning about drug prevention and celebrating Red Ribbon Week during the last week of October. Red Ribbon Week is a nationwide campaign that encourages students to make safe and healthy choices while saying no to drugs. Through lessons and activities, students will learn the importance of respecting their bodies, making positive decisions, and staying true to their goals. Just as we build skills like empathy, communication, and resilience through CharacterStrong, Red Ribbon Week gives us another opportunity to help students understand how their choices today can shape their future. Together, we are working to create a culture of safety, health, and respect—where students are empowered to take care of themselves and one another.
Join us for the 1st annual Trunk or Treat at NBES!
Lory's Place Grief Group
Our school is partnering with Lory’s Place, a Grief Healing and Education Center for Children and Families in St. Joseph, to offer a school-based grief support group for students. The group will meet one class period, one day a month throughout the school year and will be facilitated by trained bereavement staff from Lory’s Place.
This group provides education and peer support for children who are grieving. It does not provide assessments, diagnosis, evaluations, private therapy, or counseling, but instead creates a safe and supportive space where students can share and connect.
If you are interested in having your child participate, please email mteed@nbas.org. Parents will be asked to provide consent before participation.
For questions, you may contact the school counselor, Melissa Teed at mteed@nbas.org or Lory’s Place directly at 269-983-2707.
Positive Behavioral Inteventions and Supports (PBIS)
Our schoolwide expectations for students are:
Be responsible. Be respectful. Be safe.
BASE Updates
1. The next Science Olympiad is Friday, November 17th.
2. 3rd Grade Envirothon team will meet for the next 2 weeks on Tuesday, here at the Elementary.
3. PBS Kids Michiana featured BASE on their Education Counts program - Learn more about BASE and what we do!
New Buffalo Township Library Information Below
Important Upcoming Dates
October 30- Red Ribbon Week Trunk or Treat 5:30
October 30- 1st Grade Field Trip to Dinges Farm 9:30
October 31- 5th Grade Mighty Acorns 10:10
October 31- Halloween Parties @ 2:30 (parade 2:15)
November 7- 4th Grade Mighty Acorns 1:00
November 14- Popcorn Day (Bring your quarter)
November 18- 3rd-5th Grade Music Concert 6:00
November 20- 1/2 Day for Students
November 21- 1/2 Day for Students
November 21- Berrien RESA Playgroup 10:00
November 26- November 28- Thanksgiving Break
December 5- Hats on Day
December 18- 3rd Grade Mighty Acorns 1:00
December 22- January 2- Winter Break
January 5- School resumes
2025-2026 District Calendar
School Contact Information
Melissa Lijewski, Elementary Principal- mlijewski@nbas.org, (269) 469-6060
Jenna Wendel, Administrative Assistant- jwendel@nbas.org, (269) 469-6060
Renee Bowen, Student Services- rbowen@nbas.org, (269) 469-6069
Madeline Selby, BASE Director- mselby@nbas.org, (269) 469- 6062
Tom Whitsel, Transportation Director- twhitsel@nbas.org, (269) 469- 6009
Jacob Stella, Technology Director- techstaff@nbas.org, (269) 469-6020
Susan Martinic, Food Service Director- smartinic@nbas.org, (269) 469-6048
Mark German, Director of Operations- mgerman@nbas.org, (269) 469- 6018
Important Links
New Buffalo Elementary Website
New Buffalo Elementary Facebook
Child Nutrition and Education Benefits Application
Cafeteria on-line payments
Food Service Menu
Annual Bullying Notice here
Contact information for all departments found here
NBES Mission and Vision Statement
Every student. Every day.