Bates Family Newsletter

Dear Bates Families,

We say goodbye to September this week and buckle up for October, a month that always brings plenty of excitement to Salem! From the colorful fall foliage to the famous Halloween happenings, there’s no shortage of things to see and do around the city this time of year.

Our big event at Bates this month is the Monster Mash, a spirited celebration that often draws more than 200 families to our school for trunk or treat, games, and fun activities. We’re looking forward to what this new month brings!

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!

At last week’s Town Hall, students met their buddies in their new crews for the year — Believe, Be You, and Belong. Our older Beacons teamed up with our younger Beacons to create colorful leaves now gracing our “Be-Leaf in Yourself” bulletin board in the main hallway. Each student was invited to choose a personal mantra connected to the theme “Believe” and write how they could live by that mantra this year.

Next time you're at school, be sure to stop by and check out our beautiful bulletin board and read some of the inspiring mantras our students shared, and don’t forget to ask your Beacon what their mantra was!

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.

This week, we were looking for students who consistently demonstrated what it means to be Safe, Respectful, and Responsible. These are our three core expectations every single day. We are so proud of these students for being positive role models and showing our whole school community what it looks like to be a Bates Beacon!

Students who are Beacons of the Week get a super cool bracelet and are recorded at school accepting their Beacon-y praise. The video is shared with the school community on Mondays during morning meeting. Shout out to:

Written by Ms. Gojanovic, School Adjustment Counselor

Building Belonging: Helping Kids Feel Connected

One of the most powerful gifts we can give our kids is the sense that they belong—that they are loved, accepted, and valued just as they are. Belonging means feeling part of a family, a class, a team, or a community. When kids feel like they belong, they’re more confident, more willing to try new things, and more caring toward others.

Belonging is closely connected to self-awareness. As kids learn to notice their feelings, strengths, and needs, they also see how they fit into the world around them. They begin to understand, “I am important here, and I make a difference.”

Here are some simple, fun ways families, caregivers and trusted adults can support a sense of belonging at home and in the community:

• Family Circle Time: Sit together and take turns finishing the sentence, “I feel happy when our family…” This helps kids see the special ways they matter to the family.

• Belonging Board: Create a family bulletin board with photos, drawings, or notes that show moments when each family member felt included and proud.

• Community Connection: Try a “Kindness Walk”—as a family, pick up litter, deliver thank-you notes to neighbors, or leave chalk messages of encouragement on the sidewalk. Kids see firsthand how they contribute to something bigger than themselves.

• Role-Play Game: Act out different situations, like joining a new game at recess. Practice friendly ways to invite others in (“Want to play with me?”) or to join in (“Can I try?”).

Remember, kids don’t need big gestures to feel they belong. Small daily messages—“I love having you in our family” or “Our class is better because you’re in it”—go a long way.

Together, we can help kids grow into confident, caring members of their families and communities—proud of who they are, and connected to the people around them.

Our second early release day is scheduled for Wednesday, October 22nd. PreK will be dismissed at 10:55, K at 11:00, and grades 1-5 at 11:05. Teachers and staff will remain at Bates to engage in important professional development.

After-school club notifications will be sent this week. We're going to do our best to take as many students as we possibly can!

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!

Thanks to all the families who helped create costumes for this year's parade!

Our theme is "Magic Happens at Bates" which is a play off of the overall parade theme, "Stronger Together: The Magic of Us".

Parade night details:

1. Wear magic-related costumes!

2. If you have a wand, bring it!

3. We're going to be looking for some volunteers on the night of the parade to do the following things:

- Carry our "magician" - 3 grown ups needed

- Carry our "sawed in half" illusion box - 2 humans needed

- Carry our "swords through the box" illusion - 1 human needed

- Carry our "magic tricks" book - 1 human needed

**We're also going to need a bunch of people who are willing to pull mini rabbits out of magician's hats and hand them out to the crowd. Some folks hand out candy...we're handing out rabbits😂!**

See additional logistical details below:

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.

Attendance Reminder
Consistent attendance is essential for your child’s success. Unless they are sick, students should be in school every day to stay engaged with their classmates and keep on track with their learning. If your child is sick and will be staying home, please call our absentee line at (978) 740-1172. You can leave a message with your child’s name and the reason for their absence. If your child sees a doctor, please send them back to school with a doctor’s note so the absence can be excused.

If you have any questions about the importance of attendance or need support in making sure your child gets to school every day, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Family Engagement Facilitator, Rosalyn Guevara, on ParentSquare or email: rguevara@salemk12.org. Families of students with multiple absences will receive letters and may be asked to meet with our attendance team at school so we can work together to identify any support you might need.

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!

October 2 - Halloween Grand Parade

October 13 - Indigenous Peoples' Day - No school!

October 17 - Monster Mash!

October 22 - Early release - PreK at 10:55, K at 11:00, Grades 1-5 at 11:05

October 31 - Early release due to Halloween

The big event is almost here! We’re counting down the days until our annual Monster Mash, one of our favorite traditions of the year.

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.

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