Bates Family Newsletter

As we welcome November, we bid farewell to lots of extra traffic and say "goodbye" to Halloween until next year! We hope that all who celebrated had a fun night and that there aren't too many Beacons out there waking up with belly aches this morning😆

This week brings a no school day on Tuesday, November 4th, due to voting taking place in schools. We're excited to kick off a food drive (more information below) that will, hopefully, help many members in our community have a more stable month in terms of food security. We're looking forward to seeing lots of donations made!

Wishing you a great weekend!

Our best,

Ms. Smith

Mr. Mac

Mr. Lister

We work off of three basic priorities here are Bates: Center Belonging, Empower Educators, Elevate Student Learning. You'll notice that our weekly newsletters are divided into these three sections for a reason - We always work toward our goals, and we want to keep you informed as to how we're doing it!

Each week at Bates, we shine a light on our Beacons of the Week, our rockstars who have truly embodied the social-emotional skill we’re focusing on. Their teachers share the many beautiful ways these students have shown up for themselves and for others, and how they personify what it means to live out our values.

Beacons this week showed amazing inclusivity skills!

Aiden Yzeiraj

Delia LeFleur

Rhythm Bernabel

Eleanor Boatwright

Luna Pichardo-Lavandier

Wesley Sanchez Castillo

Paz Vanessa Hillaire Jean Louis

Zach Fernandez Solino

Simon Curcuru

Gabe Gomez-Celestino

Hunter McDonald

Violet McKinney

Hora Qari Zada

Lorel Zorrilla

Liam Woodfin

Amyah Herrera

Carlos Duran

Desmond Mckinney

Nolan Heffner

Rosaura Paulino

We’re inviting students and staff to join in on a Comfy, Cozy Spirit Day on November 26th! Wear your comfiest clothes including pajamas😃 It's going to get really cozy here at Bates.

October was National Principal's Month. I'd like to extend a heartfelt "thank you" to all of the students who wrote me cards and drew me adorable pictures. On Monday morning, I found my office decorated with hundreds of those cards and pictures. It was a beautiful surprise!

With gratitude,

Mrs. Smith

This week we're sharing a restorative practices conflict resolution graphic with you that explains our approach to managing conflict at school. We hope you find this helpful!

To support our community, Bates School will be holding a Food Drive from Monday, November 3, through Wednesday, November 20. We’re asking families to help by donating the following items by grade, or feel free to contribute any nonperishable item of your choice:

• Pre-K: Ramen Noodle Soup
• Kindergarten: Mac & Cheese
• 1st Grade: Stuffing
• 2nd Grade: Instant Potatoes
• 3rd Grade: Tuna
• 4th Grade: Cranberry Sauce
• 5th Grade: Gravy

📦 Collection bins labeled by grade and item will be placed in the front lobby of the school to make drop-off easy and organized.

Every contribution makes a difference — thank you for helping us support families in need throughout our community!

As you may know, the ongoing government shutdown is affecting SNAP benefits, leaving many families uncertain about how they will afford food in the coming weeks. Several families have reached out asking how they can help support our students, families, and community during this time.
We are fortunate to have The Salem Food Pantry right here in our community — and there are several ways to get involved and make a difference:

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Volunteer: The Pantry is always in need of volunteers. Individuals and families (children ages 5–14 with adult supervision) are welcome to help.
• 💵 Donate: Because the Pantry can purchase food in bulk at discounted rates, monetary donations go a long way. You can donate here
• 🥫 Food Donations: If you prefer to donate food items, the Pantry especially needs flour, cooking oil, and spices — items that go quickly but are not typically purchased by the Pantry.

If your family, or a family you know, needs food support, please see the attached flyer for The Salem Food Pantry’s hours and information. The Market is completely free and open to all — there are no income or residency requirements. It’s open five days a week and provides locally grown produce, dairy, eggs, milk, bread, and a variety of proteins.

🦃 Turkey Distribution: The Salem Pantry will hold its annual Turkey Distribution from November 18–21 during regular market hours.

We have no school for students on November 4th, but staff will still be here hard at work on developing their teaching practices!

Students in Ms. Bissell's PreK class are learning some really interesting words and are able to use them in sentences, can tell you the beginning sound of the word, and how the first letter is spelled. Ms. Bissell also does a fantastic job making connections between the vocabulary words and social/emotional learning. Great job little learners!

We wrapped up Bullying Prevention Month yesterday, but that doesn't mean educating our children about this topic ends. Students actively work on pro-social skills everyday including being kind and inclusive. We asked students to create posters in their morning circles yesterday to hang up around Bates reminding everyone that bullying is not ok!

Our Food Services team sets out a fruit and vegetable bar a few times a week! Not only are they doing a great job of providing students with healthy food choices, they are teaching students to try new foods, too!

It's always a good idea to be familiar with our general operating rules and procedures. Please take some time to read through our Bates School Handbook. Thank you!

If your child’s dismissal plans change, please notify Ms. Julie in the Main Office at (978) 740-1250 as early in the day as possible.

Please do not inform your child’s teacher directly, as this interrupts classroom instruction. Ms. Julie will make sure the teacher is notified.

Planning Vacations During the School Year
As you plan, please keep the school calendar in mind when scheduling family vacations. Below are the vacation dates for the 2025–26 school year:

• December 22 – January 2 (please note: this break is a full two weeks)
• February 16 – 20
  
• April 20 – 24

Thank you for making school attendance a priority. We look forward to partnering with you to support your child in the year ahead!

November 4 - No school due to election day

November 11 - No school, Veteran's Day

November 13 - School Site Council, 7:45 am

November 18 - PTO meeting, 6:30 pm, library

November 26 - Early release day due to Thanksgiving break + Comfy, Cozy, Spirt Day

November 27-28 - No school - Thanksgiving Break

December 9 - PTO meeting, 6:30 pm, library (CANCELLED) SEE YOU IN JANUARY!

December 10 - Early release due to Caregiver/Teacher Conferences

December 11 - School Site Council, 7:45 am

December 22nd - January 2nd - Winter break (Full day on December 19th, back to school on January 5th)

Look no further! Sign up to rent the rock here.

Reserve the spirit rock from the PTO for the following: Birthday, ½ Birthday (summer birthday), school spirit, congratulating someone, etc. Spirit Rock is a PTO fundraiser for the school year of 2025-2026. Funds raised will help pay for school programs and/or initiatives.

Two things came up this week:

1. Some of our Bates School neighbors have complained that people are blocking their driveways during pick up. Please be mindful of where you're parking.

2. No dogs. We love our dogs, too, but they aren't allowed on school property unless they are service dogs or companion animals.

The Salem YMCA has shared three events with us that are open to all students:

• Friday Night Family Bingo at the Community Life Center, Friday, Nov. 21
• Thanksgiving Cheer effort for Salem homebound senior citizens, Oct. 1-Nov. 22

Jarell Howard Rochelle is a stellar performer and friend to Bates School. He'll be performing at the Cabot in Beverly on November 8th. This is going to be a fun, interactive event for kids with lots of hip hop moves and groves. Click here for more information!

A School Site Council (SSC) is a representative group of stakeholders - parents, teachers, and the principal, who work together to improve the school. Our main role is shared decision-making around our school’s goals, programs, and budget.

Here’s what our SSC typically does:

• Develops and reviews the school improvement plan
  

• Advises on the use of certain funds
  

• Monitors progress toward goalsBrings stakeholder voices together
  

• Builds transparency and trust

• Meetings are public and minutes are posted (see below).

We meet monthly, and our agenda is here. Please let Mrs. Smith know if you'd like to join in for a meeting.

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:

Monday through Friday

PreK - 7:45 - 2:10 pm

Kindergarten - 7:45 - 2:15 pm

Grades 1-5 - 7:45 - 2:20 pm

Early Release:

PK at 10:55 am

Kindergarten at 11:00 am

Grades 1-5 at 11:05 am