Bates Family Newsletter

It was a busy week at Bates, and now we're moving into October which is National Bullying Prevention Month. The PTO will sponsor a special anti-bullying presentation on Wednesday, October 18, during Town Hall. We'll also be highlighting ways to know what's bullying and what's not during our morning announcements.

As you may have read, Bates was named as one of two schools in Salem that met or exceeded improvement targets during the 22/23 school year. This is a HUGE accomplishment! We thank everyone in our school community from parents and caregivers, to students, to teachers/staff for playing a part in this improvement. We are so proud.

Reminder: Have your students wear their best smiles this Monday, October 2nd. It's picture day!

Enjoy your weekend, Bates families!

At some points during the school year, we need to make calls for students to hold in place, shelter in place, lockdown, and to evacuate. We want to define the differences for you, so you’ll know what to expect in each of these scenarios.

Hold - Typically used for medical emergencies and to provide privacy for the person experiencing the difficulty. Students and staff are able to move about their classrooms, doors are not locked. Community members will not receive a call/Parent Square message when a hold is used.

Shelter in Place - Most frequently used when there is a threat in or around the school community. Teachers will lock doors to classrooms, and no one is allowed in or out of the building. Students and teachers maintain a "business as usual" environment within the classroom. Community members will receive a call/Parent Square message when a shelter in place is used.

Lockdown - Used when we believe the threat could be imminent. "Locks, Lights, Out of Sight" is the protocol used to secure individual rooms and keep occupants quiet and in place. Community members will receive a call/Parent Square message when a lockdown is issued.

Evacuate - "Evacuate" may be followed by a location, and is used to move people from one location to a different location in or out of the building. Community members will receive a call/Parent Square message when students are evacuated as you did this past Monday due to the rooftop unit malfunction.

Please reach to Mrs. Smith with any questions or concerns.

Please reference page 11 of our Bates School handbook for the following information:

REPORTING STUDENT ABSENCE:

Parents and guardians must call the school by 8:00 a.m. to report absences. The absence call-in number is 978-740-1172. Per School Committee policy, a written note explaining the absence is required within 5 days when the child returns to school following an absence. A doctor's note is required upon return if a student is out of school for more than 3 days in a row. If the child returns to school without a doctor's note after 3 or more days absent in a row, parents/guardians will be expected to meet with the Family Engagement Coordinator, Assistant Principal, and/or Principal.

DISMISSALS:

Parents or guardians who wish to have their child dismissed from school before the end

of the school day must send a note and/or Parent Square message to the school prior to dismissal. It is always a good idea to let the main office know that you are going to dismiss your child by calling 978.740.1250. The note should state the date and time of the dismissal and the name of the person who will pick up the child at school. Phone calls to dismiss students should only be placed in case of an emergency. The office must dismiss all children and the person picking up the child must sign in at the main office. NO CHILD WILL BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE BUILDING ALONE. Also, please be aware that the person picking up your child must be on the emergency form and be prepared to show identification.

THE GRAND PARADE IS THIS WEEK!

This is an out-of-school event that is completely optional.

New Information! - We're meeting at Shetland park by 5:30pm. Look for division 2, #5 (see diagram above). If you're joining us, please read the guidelines here.

NOTE: No parking will be allowed in the lineup areas for the parade. Only vehicles actually participating in the parade will be allowed into the lineup areas. Parking is permitted only in the lots closest to the entrances of Shetland Park. As parking will be more limited than previous years, we encourage all participants to walk to Shetland Park, park downtown and walk or carpool if you must drive.

It would be very cool if...students marching dressed in blues and greens or as mermaids or other sea creatures to complement the sea serpent theme. Let's see some jellyfish, octopi, fish, even your own made-up mythical sea dwellers!

HUGE SHOUT OUT to Mr. Bleckley for creating our sea serpent!

Our Instagram is pretty lonely with only 86 followers. Join us at bates_elementary, please! Do you think we can get to 100 followers by the end of this weekend? Let's give it a try!

We know that many of you are very generous and want to show your appreciation for teachers and staff by giving them gifts. We appreciate your kindness, and would like to send a friendly reminder on the policy around doing so:

• In general, a public employee may not accept any gift worth $50 or more that is given because of the position he or she holds.

• A teacher may accept a gift, or several gifts during the school year, from public school students and/or their parents and guardians, with an aggregated value of up to $150, if the gift is identified only as being from the class, and the identity of the givers and the individual amounts given are not identified to the recipient.

• Here is the official policy from the State if you’d like more information.

Dear 5th Grade Caregivers,

We are in full fundraising mode now to supply our 5th graders with an amazing final year at Bates. Our first and biggest fundraiser is going to be our Water and Snacks booth on the commons for Haunted Happenings we were lucky enough to get 4 dates/opportunities to raise money for our kids! To make this a successful fundraiser we need help from all of you either by donations of water and snack or by donating your time to help sell these items at the Commons. Sign Up Sheet is attached here. We highly suggest you should do tables in pairs and bring your 5th graders to help as well.

If you would like to donate a financial contribution so we can buy items to sell instead or if you have any other questions please reach out to these parents: Sarah Dulong , Judith Forman, Danielle Welsh-Bernal, Jenn Campagna and Amanda Torosian. Thank You. LINK FOR SIGN-UP: https://grow.withlome.com/a/58270d16-7073-48c1-b2b7-64ca0fb9fa1d

Please visit the Salem Public Schools webpage here for guidance on the district's homework policy.

The Name the Lane Winner will be announced Oct 3rd!

Thank you for your support and good luck everyone! All the money raised will pay for field trips and our upcoming cultural assemblies!

It's beginning to look a lot like fall. And with the arrival of turning leaves, and pumpkin spice, it's almost time for our annual Bates School Monster Mash. Save the date for Friday, October 20th, 5-8pm. More details will follow soon.

Our Bates spirit rock is available for weekly rentals. Celebrate your student's birthday or other accomplishments by painting a message on our rock. Please click here to rent the rock!

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.