Bates Family Newsletter

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you. To our students, your curiosity, kindness, and commitment to learning inspire us every day. To our families, thank you for your partnership and support in creating a nurturing environment where our children can thrive. And to our incredible staff, your dedication, creativity, and care make our school a place of growth and possibility.

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the many blessings in our lives, and I am truly thankful to be part of this vibrant school community. Together, we are shaping a brighter future for our students and building a culture of respect, inclusion, and love for learning.

Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful, restful, and safe holiday. May it be filled with warmth, gratitude, and cherished moments.

My best,

Ms. Smith

*Please note that there will not be a newsletter next week due to the holiday.*

Please remember that in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, we will have an early release on Wednesday.

PK at 11am

Kindergarten at 11:10am

Early Release (Grades 1-5) at 11:15am

The next time you come to Bates, take a peek into the gym and check out this new banner. This banner was made possible by Bates parent, Derek Coss. Mr. Coss, you rock! Thanks a million. And shout out PTO who helped finance the new signage you see around the building and grounds.

Our Beacons of the Week were thoughtful, expressed gratitude and thanks, and were safe, responsible and respectful. We are always so proud of our Beacons. Special shout out to:

On Tuesday, our Site Council along with representatives from our PreK and Kindergarten teams approved the architect's proposal for our new PreK/K playground that will be completed before the start of the 25/26 school year. Here are some additional images of what we can expect the playground to look like. So cool!

Twice a month, two of our wonderful families will be featured on our morning announcements that are shared each day to build community in our school as well as in our family newsletter. Our hope is that this will create new friendships, bring us closer as a community, and help us celebrate the beautiful diversity that we have here at Bates. It ties in with our motto: "Believe, be you, belong, at Bates!".

Your family can record a Zoom with Ms. Roz, create a poster to share a little about your family, or come into school for a fun interview. Want to learn more? Contact Ms. Roz at rguevera@salemk12.org. Want to sign up? Fill out this form, and Ms. Roz will contact you.

As temperatures drop, we want to ensure everyone stays warm this winter. If you or someone you know is in need of a winter coat, please reach out to our Family Engagement Facilitator, Rosalyn Guevara.

You can contact her at rguevara@salemk12.org or 781-771-8309. We want all our kids to stay warm!

Have any other clothing needs? Please reach out to Ms. Roz.

Submitted by Ms. Amanda, Adjustment Counselor

This week, we focused on the theme of "gratitude," going beyond the typical "I'm thankful for my family and friends" and "I'm grateful for food." While these are important, we took time to explore more specific aspects of gratitude in our daily lives.

Through the morning announcements and circle discussions in class, students shared meaningful examples of what they’re grateful for, helping to cultivate a deeper sense of appreciation. By doing so, we’re actively working to counterbalance the brain's natural “negativity bias” and strengthening our ability to see the positive in our day-to-day experiences.

One particularly fun prompt was: "What specific smell or scent are you grateful for, and why?" This led to some touching conversations, as students shared how certain aromas bring back fond memories of loved ones and special moments.

You might want to try something similar at home with your child—explore each of the five senses (sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch) and find examples of things that bring you joy or appreciation.

The school menus are posted on the SPS website. Find them here.

Shout out to all the students who contributed a "gratitude" leaf! Special thanks to Ms. Diogo, our school secretary, for putting together this beautiful bulletin board.

We're eternally grateful to Bates alumni, Gabriel Bennett, who built us this awesome gaga pit! Gabe needed a community service project to meet his Eagle Scout requirements and chose us as the lucky recipients of this amazing structure. Thanks, Gabe. The students LOVE playing in the gaga pit.

The girls and their families ran their first 5K last week. Great job! Shout out to Ms. Mielcarz and Ms. Brennan for being their coaches. We're so proud of all of you.

Students in many classrooms are trying out some new math strategies that promote collaboration and student ownership. Check out these photos of our students grappling with challenging problems together and showing their collective work. Shout out to Ms. Agocs, our math coach, for assisting teachers and students with getting these learning opportunities up and running.

Our goal is to keep our chronic absence rate under 19.5% this year. This week, our chronic attendance rate is at 14.5%. This is the lowest rate we've seen in a long time!

If you need any assistance with getting your student to school, please reach out to Rosalyn Guevara, Family Engagement Facilitator at rguevara@salemk12.org.

November

• November 27th - Report Cards Published + Crazy Sock Spirit Day! + 1/2 Day!
• November 28th - No School, Happy Thanksgiving!
• November 29th - No School

December

• December 4th - Teacher/Caregiver conferences, 1/2 day
• December 16th-20th - Holiday store week! More information to come.
• December 17th - Grades 2/3 winter concert! Time coming soon.
• December 20th - Cozy/Comfy/Pajama spirit day!
• December 23rd - Winter break starts - See you on Thursday, January 2, 2025!

January

• January 2 - Back to school. Happy New Year!
• January 6 - February 14 - Access testing for ML students
• January 10 - Family BINGO night, 6-7 pm
• January 20 - No school, MLK Day
• January 23 - Grades 4/5 chorus concert for families, 8:15 am
• January 23 - All City Grade 5 Concert (an evening event for families - information sent out through the instrumental music department)
• January 24 - Fandom spirit day! Wear your favorite sports gear, support your favorite singer, show off your best loved movie/TV characters, etc. Let's flood our school with what you all think is awesome!
• January 29 - Town Hall + 1/2 day

Did you know you can earn money for our school just by scanning your grocery receipts? All you need to do is download the Boxtops app, and scan those receipts! Don't want to scan? No worries, you can always send receipts into school with your student in an envelope marked, "PTO Boxtops".

Our Bates spirit rock is available for weekly rentals. Celebrate your student's birthday or other accomplishments by painting a message on our rock. Please click here to rent the rock!

Bates Elementary School, in partnership with our families and community, will provide all students with a culturally responsive, student – centered, and equitable learning experience that celebrates our students’ diverse backgrounds, creative pursuits, and their academic, social, emotional success.

School Hours:

Regular school hours:

Monday through Friday: 7:45am to 1:50pm

Early Release (Grades 1-5) at 11:15am

PK at 11am

Kindergarten at 11:10am