January 9th, 2026

Dear Little School Families,

It’s hard to believe we are already well into January! What a joy it has been to welcome our students back into the building, this week has truly been the best. Smiles, laughter, and routines are back in full swing as teachers spent time reviewing expectations to set everyone up for a successful rest of the year.

There is a lot of new and repeat information below, so please be sure to read carefully and all the way to the bottom!

Warmly,
Julie

As the cold weather settles in, please help ensure students come to school dressed warmly so we can enjoy as much outdoor time as possible. Coats, hats, and gloves are strongly recommended for recess and arrival/dismissal. I know getting children bundled up can sometimes feel like a battle, and I truly appreciate your support in helping them stay comfortable and ready for the day.

Please see the sick day guidelines and steps for thorough hand washing below. Let's all work together to keep our school community healthy!

For more information about our policies and protocols please visit our schools health services page on the website.

The pillars are alive and well at The Little School! A special thank you to Mrs. Downing and Ms. Cosa for bringing the pillars to life in our showcase. This trimester, we will be focusing on the pillars of fairness and respect. Our Top Dog Awards in January, February, and March will highlight students who exemplify these important values.

More information will be coming soon, but I wanted to be sure you had a heads-up about our dress-up days for the week. We’re looking forward to a fun and meaningful celebration of kindness and will be wrapping up the week with a whole school meeting on Friday the 23rd! 💛

This fall, the staff at The Little School came together through a series of collaborative meetings to develop a shared school motto. After thoughtful discussion and reflection, we are excited to unveil our new motto: We are LABS—Learning, Achieving, Believing, Succeeding. This motto reflects our collective commitment to our students and our school community. Below, you will see our new logo proudly featuring this motto.

The holidays often bring new electronic gifts. Please take a moment to review the statement below from our Elementary Handbook regarding the use of wireless communication devices at school.

"Personal wireless communication devices (cell phones, watches, hand held gaming devices, etc.) must be turned off and kept out of sight during school hours. Students and parents/guardians should not utilize electronic communication devices to communicate during school hours. Personal devices with video, audio, or other imaging capabilities are prohibited. This includes while riding the bus (please refer to the Bus Safety section)."

Super Bowl Squares to support the Little School grade 5!

How to Play:

1. Choose your square here: https://www.superbowlsquares.org/Littlelabs2026

2. Username: LITTLE Password: LABS

3. Venmo: @jillian-Twohig (comment "SB Squares" in with your payment)

The Special Education Parents Advisory Council has two upcoming events...

• On Tuesday, January 20th, from 5-8pm we will hold another Meet and Greet at Hopothecary Ales. This was a great event in October and allowed caregivers of special education students and SEPAC supporters to casually meet and mingle, and enjoy some good food and drink.

• On Saturday, February 7th, from 10am-noon at the Flint Memorial Library Activity Room, we will hold a discussion group for caregivers of special education students to share experiences working with the District and identify common themes. Some discussion prompts will be offered, and coffee and snacks will be available

January 12th- Grade 4 Enrichment (TechSploration)

January 14th- PTO Meeting 7:00-8:00

January 19th- No School (MLK Day)

January 21st- Grade 3 Field Trip (Lexington Symphony Orchestra)

Julie Fahey, Principal

Email: jfahey@nrpsk12.org

Website: https://www.north-reading.k12.ma.us/little-elementary

Address: 7 Barberry Rd. North Reading, MA 01864

Instagram: @principalfahey