Sippican Weekly Overview!

Greetings, Sippican Families,

Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year! We are thrilled to begin our third year together as your Principal and Assistant Principal, and we could not be more excited about the journey ahead.

Over the past two years, we have shared so many moments of joy, growth, and connection—from classroom celebrations and schoolwide traditions to the everyday moments when our students inspire us with their curiosity, kindness, and perseverance. We are deeply grateful for the partnership we have built with our families and for the trust you place in us each day.

As we begin this new school year, we are filled with hope and excitement. Together, we will continue to nurture a school community where every child feels known, valued, challenged, supported, and encouraged to shine. Anchored in purpose and sailing with heart, we look forward to a year filled with big dreams, hard work, joyful learning, and meaningful growth.

We cannot wait to hear laughter in the hallways, see discoveries unfold in our classrooms, and celebrate the special traditions that make Sippican such a wonderful place to learn and grow. Most of all, we look forward to working side by side with you to make the 2026–2027 school year truly memorable.

Here’s to another wonderful year of learning, laughter, and community at Sippican!

With gratitude and excitement,

Principal Dessert
Assistant Principal Thomas

Our Mission:

The Sippican School community is committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and nurturing environment where every student can learn, grow, and belong.

Our School-Wide Expectations:

Annual forms (in the General tab) are now available in PowerSchool for all families to complete for each student(s), including the nurse’s emergency information. Please update the annual forms for your student(s) by September 1st.

The information in these forms is populated from information you have previously provided, so in most cases it’s a quick review and update as needed. Please login to PowerSchool using your parent account and click on Forms in the left menu. The ‘General’ tab should open with the annual forms for you to review and update as needed.

*After reviewing and/or updating, please be sure to submit the form so we know everything is up-to-date!

*Forms are mobile friendly, but for the best experience, please utilize a web browser.

*Annual forms are required by all families, even those that may have recently registered and completed enrollment forms.

Click here to login to PowerSchool.

If you have any questions, please contact your student’s school.

Dear School Community,

This school year parents and caregivers will have the option to secure an insurance policy through School Device Coverage (SDC) to protect their student's school issued Chromebook for $25. The decision to enroll in the program is voluntary and at your discretion.

If enrolled, this insurance program can protect your student's Chromebook in the event that it is lost, stolen, or damaged accidentally. This policy allows you to file a claim against any number of incidents that may take place with no deductibles, no added fees, and no claims limits.

To obtain coverage, please apply online here or print the attached form and return it to the school.

If you have any questions or require additional information - please contact SDC at 888-978-3515.

From the Office of the Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations

Kindergarten Orientation
Time: 9:30–11:00 a.m.

Schedule:

• 9:30 a.m.: Families will meet the kindergarten teachers outside the front entrance of Sippican School. Students will then go inside with their teachers.
• 9:30–9:45 a.m.: Parents and guardians will remain outside for a brief orientation and Q&A with the principal, school counselor, and school nurse.
• During the orientation, families will be asked to check in with the school office to confirm their child’s transportation arrangements.
• 10:45 a.m.: Parents and guardians will pick up their children at the back entrance in the bus loop.
• 10:45–11:00 a.m.: Students will have the opportunity to ride the school bus with their parent or guardian.

What Students Can Expect:

Students will visit their classroom, get to know their teacher, and participate in a welcome and story-time activity.

We want to reinforce our commitment to open and effective communication with all of our families. When a concern or question arises, the best first step is always to contact your child's classroom teacher or the specialist who works with your child.

Our teachers are the most knowledgeable about what is happening in their classrooms and are best equipped to address your concerns directly.

If, after speaking with the teacher, you feel the issue is not resolved or you need further assistance, please feel free to reach out to the school administration. This approach helps us work together efficiently to support your child.

Thank you for your partnership as we all work to make this a successful year for our students!

Arrival Routine:

• Breakfast: Available from 8:30 AM to 8:40 AM in the cafeteria.
• For the safety of all students, please ensure that dropped-off students and independent walkers enter the building through the main office doors in the morning.
• Arrival Time: Please ensure your child arrives between 8:40 AM and 8:49 AM. Students should be in their class by 8:50 AM.
• Tardy: Tardy will be recorded at 8:51 AM.

Dismissal Routines:

• Kindergarten: Students are dismissed at 2:50 PM.
• Grades 1-6: Students are called and dismissed at 2:55 PM.
• For the safety of our dismissal routines, please notify us by 2:00 PM if you need to make any changes to your child's dismissal plans. This includes situations like needing to pick up your child early from the bus. Please try to make these changes as early as possible to ensure a smooth dismissal process.

Dismissal Locations:

• Independent Walkers and Parent Pick-Ups: Students will be dismissed to their grade level doors.
• Grades K & 6: First door on the left side of the building (pink sign)
• Grades 1 & 2: Last door on the right at the front of the building (nearest to the playground) (blue sign)
• Grades 3 & 4: Main entrance at the front of the building (yellow sign)
• Grade 5: Middle door at the front of the building (near the bird feeder) (orange sign)

• Buses will leave the building at 3:08 PM.

9/4 Early Release for Staff & Students

9/7 No School - Labor Day Holiday

9/17 Marion School Committee at 5:30PM (Sippican School - Community Room)

9/23 Early Dismissal - Professional Development

Sippican School Grades K-6 12:20 PM (Code X E) & 11:30 AM (Code P)

Project Grow 11:30 AM

9/4 Early Dismissal for students and teachers at 12:20 PM

9/23 Early Release for students at 12:20 PM

Calling all students in grades 4-12!

Are you ready to make a difference in our community and beyond?

Become a student leader through our Project 35 & Playbook Initiative Workshops.

Project 351 & the Boston Celtics Playbook Initiative is a unique program that empowers students to become leaders and change-makers. You"ll collaborate with other passionate young people to tackle important issues including creating a culture of respect for all and participating in community service. Don't miss out on this opportunity to grow as a leader and make a positive change. Be on the lookout for our family letter and student application this September. Sign up to be part of something bigger than yourself!

All of our schools continue to use Raptor Technology for all visitors entering our buildings.

All visitors and volunteers are required to have a valid driver’s license or Massachusetts issued identification card to be scanned-in upon entering the building for any reason. CORI checks are required for any parent/guardian volunteers and are available in the main office of your student's school.

Although one lunch each day and one breakfast each day are free this year, we still need families to complete the free and reduced lunch application forms. These forms need to be completed every year. The online forms can be found by using this link: orrschoolmeals.com

• Breakfast is served each day starting at 8:30 AM

• One breakfast and one lunch are free for all students this year.

• Additional milk, drinks or snacks can be purchased for a fee.

• Snacks range from $1.00 to a $1.50

• Milk costs .65 cents (Please note that students will need to pay for milk if they bring their own lunch.)

• Assorted Drinks range from $1.00 to a $1.75

• 2nd Breakfast: $1.75

• 2nd Lunch: $3.50

Just a reminder that students do have a snack each day. The snacks need to be packed separately from their lunch and need to be free from peanuts/tree nuts. All school lunches are peanut free and we do have an allergy table in the cafeteria. If you have any questions regarding allergies, please reach out to our school nurse, Mrs. Bertram.

Administrative Staff:

Lynn Dessert - Principal • Gregory Thomas - Assistant Principal

Principal's Secretary - Shari Pacheco

Special Education Secretary-Lisa Daniels

Karen Bertram, RN-School Nurse

Doreen Lopes – Early Childhood Coordinator

Classroom Teachers:

Project Grow: Sarah Goerges

Kindergarten: Lisa Horan, Marti Medeiros

Grade One: Molly Cruise, Jean Roseman, Ashley Sweatland

Grade Two: Julie Bangs, Emily Halkett, Melissa Rogers,

Grade Three: Tracy Feeney, Kimberly Souza

Grade Four: , Susan Swoish, Jess Farcas

Grade Five: Cathleen Furtado, Julia Bandera, Heather White

Grade Six: Nicole Boussy, Erin Furfey, Maeve Grosschedl

Specialists:

Jessica Barrett – Library Media Specialist • James Oliveira - Physical Education • Margaret Harrington - Art • Jennifer Estacio - Instrumental Music • Alli Zeoli - General Music • Chelsey Lawrence-Enrichment

Student Support Staff:

Mackenzie Emmons - Behavior Specialist •, Kyle Lamontagne - School Psychologist • Jess Gilbert -School Adjustment Counselor • Tracy Anthony - Special Education • Denise Bouvette - Special Education • Emilee Cote - Special Education • Jaryd Gioiosa - Special Education •Amanda LeMarier - Special Education • Tricia Silva - Special Education • Amy Wiggin - Special Education • , Melanie Smeaton - Special Education • Zenobia Clark - Special Education • Stacey Riquinha - Reading Specialist • Mary Jayne Couet - Reading Specialist • Leanne Dineen - Math Interventionist • Sarah Jacques - Speech & Language • Lynn Garcia - Project Grow Speech & Language • Amy Burgess - Speech & Language Assistant

School Assistants / Special Needs Assistants: • Sydney Wedge • Robbin McMorrow • Taylor Mitchell • Heidi Kilpatrick • Heather Austin Ripley • Jenna Sylvia • Pamela Tobin • Jennifer Nye-Denham • Tammy Szteliga • Donna Dunn • Meghan Allen • Makayla Bumpus • Elle Gendreau • Lynn-Ann Dixon -Title I - Math Assistant • Nadeen Mardo - Reading Assistant

Cafeteria Staff:

Paula White • Julie Best • Noreen Mackie

Custodial Crew: Rick Pelletier

Check out the Mobile App Info Sheet for details on the information within our app. If you have questions, please email weareor@oldrochester.org.

Search ORRconnect in the app store or use the links from your mobile device.

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