Byam Newsletter

September 10- First BSA Meeting
September 16- Open House Curriculum Night
September 17- Early Release Day
September 22- Back to School Social/Book Fair
September 22-24- Scholastic Book Fair

The finishing touches are being put on our security vestibule checkpoint but it is now operational. All visitors will enter through this checkpoint when accessing the building. Please make sure that you have your identification with you as our check-in process requires you to scan it to create a visitor badge. In the vestibule, we have a bin and a log sheet if you need to drop on item off at school as well as an envelope for paperwork. When students are tardy or are being dismissed, families will buzz into the vestibule and students head through the second door or will be sent in the second door to meet you in the vestibule. Thank you for your patience as we get this important security enhancement up and running.

We encourage you to mark your calendars for curriculum night scheduled for Tuesday, September 16th. Individual teachers will review their forms of communication and information pertaining to the grade-level curriculum. The schedule for that evening is as follows:

5 – 5:25 pm: Principal/Assistant Principal Presentation for kindergarten 1st and 2nd grade families in Byam Dining Room
5:30 – 6:15pm: kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade teacher Presentations
6:15 – 7:00 pm: Specialists/ Reading/ support providers available in classrooms/offices
7 – 7:25pm: Principal/ Assistant Principal Presentation for 3rd and 4th grade Families in Dining Room (same as the principal/ap first presentation )
7:30 – 8:15pm: Grades 3 and 4 Teacher Presentations

Byam is very fortunate to have an active Parent Teacher Organization, the Byam School Association (BSA). The BSA provides a great deal of support for our students and teachers through enrichment activities, supplies and materials for the school, community-building events, and volunteer support throughout the school year. The first BSA meeting for Byam School will be held on the evening of Wednesday, September 10th at 7 pm in the Byam library. If you are not currently active in our BSA, please consider becoming a part of this amazing team. More information about how to get involved is below.

On Wednesday we conducted our first fire drill with the Chelmsford Fire Department. Our students and staff did a fantastic job following our expectations and exiting the building quickly and safely. We run various safety drills throughout the school year and will update you as we do.

Over the next several weeks we will be conducting our baseline assessments. These include iReady (reading and math), DIBELS (K-3), Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System and district writing prompts. These assessments give us important starting point data to understand where are students are at and set goals for the year. These assessments are given throughout the year so that we can monitor progress and adjust plans to foster continued growth.

Byam Kindergarten engaging in social emotional learning and Kelso's Choice.

Medications and Medical Forms:

If you have not sent in your child's inhaler or epi-pen with updated medical forms please deliver them to the nurse's office next week. Both the parent and MD portions of the forms need to be filled out. Prescriptions need to be in original containers with pharmacy labels present. Health forms can be found at : https://chelmsfordschools.org/departments/health-services/health-forms/
Thank you to everyone who has returned their student's emergency contact and health forms. If you have not- please send them in on Monday with your child.

Reminder for Third Grade Students:

Massachusetts state law and Chelmsford Public School District policy requires all 3rd grade students have a current physical on file. A current physical is one dated 8/26/24 or later. If you currently have a third grade student, please send a copy to me either by e-mail, fax or hard copy dropped off/mailed/sent to school with your student.

Emma Pappo

Byam School Nurse

All students who ride the bus, must register every year. Information pertaining to school bus transportation may be found on the Chelmsford Public Schools website at the following link: https://www.chelmsford.k12.ma.us/domain/90.

Free school lunches are provided on half days! You must sign your student up a week in advance to order the meal. Please visit the link below to set up your students account and order half day lunches. The next elementary early release day is September 17th.

family.onlineordering.linq.com

September Lunch Menu

https://docs.google.com/document/d/144UzSeQEDtQwpWfj7Hp22aoIx_R11OUvUQPWNwKFbp8/edit?tab=t.0

Would you like to volunteer in the Byam School Library?

I enthusiastically welcome volunteers in the Library to help check books in and out, assist with shelving, and other easy-to-learn tasks. You may come during your child’s library class or during a different class - whichever works best for your schedule. Some volunteers come weekly, some monthly, and some come once or twice a year. Please email me at driscollb@chelmsford.k12.ma.us and I will share our volunteer calendar with you, so you can select dates. Please note that some classes will have more opportunities to come in than others, depending on how many volunteers sign up. I look forward to hearing from you!

Betsey Driscoll, Byam School Librarian

Each week students and staff view our "Weekly Announcements" recording for birthdays, roars, Byam statement and other important events for the upcoming weeks. Below is our first video.

Volunteering

If you are interested in volunteering in our school (should an opportunity present itself) please be sure to contact Mrs. Murphy in our school office to make an appointment to fill out a CORI form. All volunteers must have a CORI on file to volunteer.

SAVE THE DATES:

9/10 BSA Meeting @ 7pm

09/22 Back to School Social 5:30-7pm

10/07 School Picture Day

10/19 Boo Bash 1-4pm

10/23 Farmhouse Photography Fundraiser

BSA MEETINGS THIS SCHOOL YEAR

Mark your Calendars for this school year’s BSA meetings! The first meeting of the year will be a hybrid meeting next Wednesday September 10th @ 7pm. Join us in the Byam Library or stream online!

Join us on September 22nd from 5:30-7pm for Byam’s Back To School Social!

This is a FREE event, to bring our Byam families together as we celebrate finishing up the first month of school! However, we will have pizza and water for sale. Families are more than welcome to bring their own blanket and picnic dinner as well!

There will also be an ice cream truck to purchase delicious treats from, spirit wear for purchase and the Scholastic Book Fair will be open.

📆 Monday September 22nd, 2025

⏰5:30-7:30pm

📍Byam Playground

JOIN THE BSA "VIP" LIST

The BSA struggles with trying to keep you informed without flooding your inbox. We understand some don't have the bandwidth to know more, while others are looking to get more involved...but don't know where to start. If you are one of those people looking to know more please take a moment to fill out this form. This does not lock you into anything but helps us filter our "extra" communication more directly to people looking to be more involved with the BSA!

Follow the BSA on Instagram

No-cost Registration for Byam Events:

*Financial concerns should never stand in the way of families participating in school events. If you are interested in any Byam activities please contact Lyndsey O’Neil, our school counselor, to register at no cost: oneill@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Want to get involved?

Here are some openings the BSA is currently seeking help on, reach out the bsa.chelmsford@gmail.com if you are interested in any of these positions!

We welcome more building substitutes!

We have a number of Byam School community members we are an integral part of our Byam School workday community as Byam substitutes. We are always looking for more substitutes to add to this great group! If you would like to learn more information about the flexibility of substituting at Byam School, email or call Carolyn Quinn at quinncm@chelmsford.k12.ma.us or phone 978-251-5144.

Stay Connected to the Byam School Association, Click on the Live links below for more...

Zoom • Email • Website • Facebook • Minutes • Donate • Volunteering