Bresnahan Weekly Wednesday
October 21, 2026
Upcoming Events
October:
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 belowNovember:
11/03 - EARLY RELEASE
- Preschool/PreK Dismissed at 11:15am
- Grade K-3 Dismissed at 11:40
11/04 - Picture Make-Ups (please notify your childs teacher)
11/04 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (3:15-6:15 PM)
11/10 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (3:15-8:00 PM)
11/11 - NO SCHOOL
11/16 -11/20 - Book Fair (Refer to the classroom teacher for details)
11/18 - Caregiver Conversations - Playful Learning (8:30-9:15 - Cafeteria)
11/25 - EARLY RELEASE
11/26 - NO SCHOOL
- Preschool/PreK Dismissed at 11:15am
- Grade K-3 Dismissed at 11:40
11/27 - NO SCHOOL
IMPORTATNT: Bus Rider Information
ALL STUDENTS MUST HAVE A BUS PASS TO RIDE THE BUS.
Bus passes are issued only after a student has been registered for bus transportation. Bus passes must be visible.
STUDENTS MUST RIDE ONLY THEIR ASSIGNED BUS. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Students are NOT permitted to ride home on a friend’s bus or switch to another bus for any reason.
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For transportation Inquiries:
You're Invited - Caregiver Conversations Coffee Hour on Routines at Home
Wednesday, October 28th, 8:30-9:15 AM
Open discussion about what’s working/ what’s not for developing routines at home. BCBAs will provide strategies, tools, and tricks to empower and support families in streamlining parts of their child’s day for increased independence and positive behavior!
Annual Mandatory Verification Form
Please if you have not completed this step, please do this at this time:
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
Newburyport Youth Services News/Updates
Volunteering/Chaperoning at the Bresnahan
Process for CORI/SORI & Fingerprinting
CORI/SORI
- 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:
Nov. 3: PTO Election Day Bake Sale at Senior Center
Nov. 7-14th: Newburyport Education Foundation Lighthouse Auction
PTO Election Day Bake Sale Fundraiser
Join the PTO at the Newburyport Senior Center on Tuesday Nov 3rd 8am- 6pm.
You can enter straight through the front doors and find us!
Help our 8th Graders Get to Philadelphia! All proceeds of the Election Day Bake Sale will be dedicated as scholarship funds for the 8th grade Philadelphia trip.
Please save the date- we’ll send the sign-up for volunteering & baked/bought goods soon.
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.