Family Communicator

Monday, September 28, 2026

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

• PTO Meeting - 8:15 am

Thursday, October 1, 2026

• PIcture Day - Information Below

Friday, October 2, 2026

Please consider joining our PTO and help plan events for school. We will meet at 8:15 am on Wednesday, September 30th. We will talk about the events for the school year and start planning!

Picture Day is October 1, 2026. Dress your best. Here is the online form for individual fall pictures. We also have class pictures in the spring. November 19th will be retake day in case they don't come out the way you want. All students get their pictures taken for school records, whether you order pictures or not.

https://vando.imagequix.com/294339Z

Class Code - 15326F

Our biggest and most fun fundraiser will take place on Friday, October 9, 2026. The move-a-thon is simple. Children get to skip, jog, run, or walk around the baseball field to music for 30-45 minutes. Families get pledges for each lap or just get donations. Last year we raised over $4000.00. Donation sheets are being sent home. Ideally we hope each family can raise $10.00. We use this money for events and bus costs for field trips. The raindate will be October 16th.

If you would like to purchase Shark Wear for your child or family, here is our WebStore. It takes 4-6 weeks. The merchandise is delivered directly to the school. The store will be open through October 4th. We added several different items this year and also brought back the original mascot from five years ago. If you pick Logo #1 it is the Shark Fin. If you pick Logo #2 it is the Running Shark. Please see the images here. Also, make sure you are ordering youth vs. adult sizes.

All students are receiving a sky blue t-shirt for free with logo #1 (fin) next week in school.

https://shaughnessyfamilies.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Happy Friday Everyone!

We are excited to introduce a new school-wide attendance celebration this year called Surprise Attendance Day...

Every month, we will choose a random surprise day to celebrate our students who come into school. Students who arrive at school that day can look forward to a fun activity, special surprise, or exciting celebration!

The catch? You won’t know which day it will be or what time! 🤫🎉

That’s why it’s so important for students to come to school every day and arrive on time. You never know when a Surprise Attendance Day might happen!

Regular attendance helps students stay connected to their teachers, keep up with learning, build friendships, and feel part of our school community. Every day at school matters!

So, make sure your child is here ALL DAY, EVERY DAY and ready to learn—because any day could be Surprise Attendance Day! 🎉

Do you need questions to ask your children about school? Here are some questions to ask them this week.

1. How many puzzles have you solved in ST Math? What's the penguin's name in ST Math? What island are you on?
2. How did iReady ELA go? (This is our initial assessment for the school year)
3. What did you sing in music class?
4. What is one thing new you learned in school this week?

Hopefully these questions will help spur conversation about school.

Students in grades K-4 can enter school from 8:40-9:00 am at the main entrance to eat breakfast in the cafeteria. After 9:00 am, the students will wait until we open regular breakfast at 9:10 am. The children will be monitored by school staff. This program is a privilege and not a right. If students are struggling with the rules, they will not be able to participate in the program.

Recently, we have had many students dropped off before the 9:10 am start time for the school. All students coming early will be required to go into the cafeteria for breakfast, with no exceptions. We do not want to have unsupervised children outside. Please do not drop the children at the playground. The students will enter the building by the main entrance and school staff and cafeteria personnel will be there for supervision starting at 8:40 am.

Dear Families,

Our Morning and After-School Programs for students in Grades 1–4 will begin October 5, 2026. Please review the information below carefully and use the registration link to sign your child up.

📌 Important: If you would like your child to participate in both the morning and after-school programs, you must complete the registration form twice—once for each program.

🌅 Morning Program

8:10–9:10 AM
• Grades 1–4: Monday–Thursday
• No morning program on Fridays

🌟 After-School Program

3:30–5:00 PM
• Grades 3 & 4: Monday & Wednesday
• Grades 1 & 2: Tuesday & Thursday
• No after-school program on Fridays or half days

📅 Sessions

We will have 2 sessions during the school year:

Session 1: October 5th – February 11th
Session 2: February 22nd – June 4th

🎯 What Will Students Do?

Our program will include:
• 🏀 Gym time
• 🔬 Weekly STEM activities
• 💙 SEL activities and games
• 🌱 Gardening and cooking activities with Mill City Grows

ℹ️ Important Program Information

• 🍎 A snack will be provided during the after-school program.
• Regular attendance is required. More than 3 absences without a doctor's note will result in removal from the program.
• 🚌 There is no bus transportation. Students must be picked up. Dismissal begins at 5:00 PM. Pick ups after 5:15 PM will be considered late.
• Three late pickups will result in removal from the program until the next session.
• 📅 There will be some days when the program does not run due to staff meetings, holidays, or other school events. Families will receive reminders before these dates. Please check ClassDojo regularly for updates.
• Inappropriate behavior that interferes with the safety or learning of others may result in removal from the program for the remainder of the session.

Please make sure you understand these expectations before registering your child.

👉 Please use the link below to register:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSckWuhNAxj51INWctIUPtSOk7LWnzI1iqJWfQBUMIkD9yDOWw/viewform?usp=sf_link

We are looking forward to another great year of learning, fun, and enrichment! 💙

Here are the school's October Happenings!

• September 30 - PTO Meeting - 8:15 am
• October 1 - Picture Day
• October 7 - Early Release Day - 1:30 pm
• October 7 - Banking Day
• October 8 - Family ELPAC Meeting #1
• October 9 - Moveathon Fundraiser
• October 12 - No School - Indigenous Peoples Day
• October 19th - School Site Council Meeting #1
• October 21 - Banking Day
• October 28 - Trunk-or-Treat - 5:00-5:45 pm

The district asks for all families to review the student handbooks at the following address.

https://www.lowell.k12.ma.us/departments/office-of-student-support-services/handbooks

The handbooks are available in many languages.

Teaching children about banking is a great way to learn about financial Literacy. We are proud to start a partnership with Jeanne d'Arc Bank for our children. Every other week, on Wednesdays, the bank will come to Shaughnessy School, and students can deposit money into a Savings Account. The account requires a $10.00 start-up fee, but after that, kids can deposit any amount. The children get a prize every time they add money to their accounts. Please be on the lookout for a Savings Account application that will be sent home early next week. This is how children start the account. We hope this partnership will help students learn the importance of saving money. You can also register for the program at our Open House this week. The dates for deposits this year will be:

If you were enrolled in the program last year, you do not have to fill out the form again!

We primarily use Class Dojo as a communication application from school. The teachers will be inviting you to join the messaging, so you can be aware of all of the happenings. Please reach out to the teachers with questions.

https://www.smore.com/n21w8

Hi Shaughnessy Families!

As promised, here is the reminder for your school supply lists for the upcoming school year. You can either click on the PDF attachment to view the lists or you can visit our newly designed website for a translatable list!
Please visit our website - https://shaughnessy.lowell.k12.ma.us/

Then go to Classroom Teams > Grade > School Supplies

How can I update my contact information (phone number/email/address)?

Go online to the Family Resource Webpage (https://www.lowell.k12.ma.us/UpdateContactInfo) and fill out the “contact us” form. Families who don’t have access to the internet can fill out the form in person at the Family Resource Center. If an address change is related to economic factors or housing instability (family moves in with relatives, eviction, hotel/motel, fire or unsheltered, please contact the McKinney Vento Office located at the Family Resource Center in person (151 Merrimack Street), by phone (978-674-4321) or go to the webpage at https://www.lowell.k12.ma.us/HomelessAssistance.

How do I take a bus?

Buses are arranged through the Family Resource Center. Bus passes were mailed out this week.

How do I update my emergency contacts? You can also use the bus lookup tool directions and the bus lookup tool to confirm.

If you were in the school last year we will send a verification sheet out. if you are new we will send home an emergency form to fill out on the first day of school.

How do I register my child for the new school year?

All school registrations are completed online using a computer or laptop. You can access the online application by going to https://www.lowell.k12.ma.us/SchoolRegistration. If you only have a mobile device and don’t have access to a computer or laptop, you can register in person at the Family Resource Center (151 Merrimack Street). Please call the Family Resource Center if you have any questions (978-674-4321).

What should I do if I need to register my child(ren) and I don’t speak English?

The Lowell Public Schools is committed to providing translation and interpretation services for families who require assistance in a language other than English. The online registration application and website is translated in Spanish and Portuguese and can be accessed by going to https://www.lowell.k12.ma.us/SchoolRegistration. For all other languages, please call Bahara Hussaini at (978) 674-2149 to arrange services. In-person language interpretation support for registration can be accessed by visiting the Lowell Public Schools at 151 Merrimack Street. Families can also call the Family Resource Center at (978) 674-4321 to make an appointment with a Bilingual Family Liaison.

How old does my child need to be to enroll in preschool or kindergarten?

A child must turn 4 years old on or before September 1, 2026, in order to apply for preschool and 5 by September 1 to apply for kindergarten. A family can apply for preschool by going to https://www.lowell.k12.ma.us/PreschoolRegistration to fill out an online application or https://www.lowell.k12.ma.us/KindergartenRegistration for kindergarten. For registration questions, please call (978) 674-4321.