Hello Families!
What a beautiful week we’ve had for the return to school! I have enjoyed listening to the kids at play during recess outside our open windows!
As we all know, springtime is filled with ceremonies, recognitions, and events. It’s hard to keep track of it all! Below this letter is a hefty list of goings-on for May and June, but before you scroll down, please join me in spirit as I recognize some of our school heroes!
Our Bus and Van Drivers: We began the spring celebrations with Driver Appreciation Day on Tuesday. As I write this letter after school has let out, I’m listening to the transportation radio chatter. One driver radios in to let us know that a student’s parents aren’t home, so he will wait until we contact the parent, or he will bring the child back to school for safe keeping. Another driver calls in to ask why a student isn’t on the bus today. The final calls of the day are the drivers, one by one, giving us the “all clear” to let us know that every student has been safely dropped off. Perhaps the unsung heroes of our transportation crew are the van drivers who provide transportation to students who need a lift to therapy during the day or a less populated ride to and from home. For the students they transport, our van drivers are critical to their daily success. All of our drivers are far more than mere excellent drivers; they are teachers and caretakers of our children. Thank you Greg, Sam, John, Frederica, Doreen, and Rich!
We also recognized our Administrative Assistants on Wednesday! Deb Bodge and Kerry Gardner are the primary reason our school has a reputation for being a welcoming, friendly, and supportive place to learn and work. Above all, Kerry and Deb make sure our students are accounted for, provided for, and cared for in more ways than I could ever say here. It’s not necessary to make a list anyway. Everyone knows how great our Secretary Bobcats are!! Thank you, Deb and Kerry, for all you do and all that you are in our school community!
As the end-of-year events and celebrations unfold, we want to make sure that our students, staff, and school are safe and secure. Please help us by following the important practices below:
Take note of the events marked For Parents/Guardians; the other events are for school students, staff, and designated volunteers only.
If you attend a parent/guardian event, please enter the school through the main doors unless you arrange with the main office to enter through a different door.
Park in the Houdlette Field parking lot or at the municipal parking lot (unless otherwise prearranged).
Follow the requested procedure for taking your child home after an event.
Remember that we are a smoke, vape, and alcohol free campus.
Keep your beloved pets at home.
If you take photos or videos, we want to advise you that some children who attend our school could be at risk if their photo were published; it’s best not to share on social media.
We hope to see you at our For Parents/Guardians events!
In partnership with you,
`Mary
May Menus
Dates and Events
May
1st & 2nd - Northern Stars Planetarium Visit (School only)
2nd - CMP visits Grade 5 and Parent Meeting at 4:00 for Boston Trip
3rd - School Lunch Hero Day
7th - Teacher Appreciation Day
8th - PTG Meeting (6:00 PM)
8th - Trout Release (Grade 4) (School only)
8th - School Nurse Day
9th - DAY OF CARING (Schoolwide) (School only)
10th - Early Release Day; No PreK
12th - Mother’s Day
15th - K-2 Concert (School only)
16th - K-2 Concert (1:00 PM) (For Parents)
17th - Field Trip to Windsor Fairgrounds, 8:15-1:45 (Various Students)
20th-24th - Merrymeeting Bay Visit (Grade 4) (School only)
21st - Grade 4 and 5 Concert (School only)
22nd - Frogtown Puppets (Everybody Loves a Pirate) (School only)
23rd - Grade 4 & 5 Parent Concert (1:00 PM) (For Parents/Guardians)
23rd & 24th - Tooth Protectors Visit
24th - Grade 5 Boston Trip
27th - Memorial Day Holiday
28th - Bike for Books Assembly (School only)
29th & 30th - Plant-A Seed Day (School only)
31st - Plant - A Seed Day (Rain date)
June
3rd - Plant A Seed Day (Rain date)
4th - Pre-K Ends
4th - Town Meeting
4th - Kindergarten Walking Trip (School only)
5th/6th/7th - Preschool Screening
7th - Kindergarten Ends
7th - Field Day (School only)
10th - Field Day (Rain date) (School only)
10th - Kindergarten Screening
12th - Grade 5 Promotion at 9:00 (For Parents/Guardians)
12th - Tentative Last Day of School (This IS NOT an early release day.)
14th - Flag Day
16th - Father’s Day
19th - Juneteenth Holiday
May Calendar
Notices
Flashing School Zone Light Not Flashing: The flashing yellow light that signals a 15 MPH school zone in the morning and afternoon was damaged in a recent storm, and it is not working. We anticipate that it will be flashing again in about a week. In the meantime, please use extreme caution and follow the 15 MPH speed limit from 7:15 AM to 7:45 AM and from 2:15 PM to 2:45 PM. Thank you!
It Takes a Village
PTG Calendar Raffle: A message from your officers:
We are closing in on the last few days before we start picking tickets for the PTG Calendar Raffle! Any tickets sold need to be turned into the school by Tuesday, April 30th. Thank you again to all the businesses that have donated! We appreciate it so much and we truly could not do this without you. Good luck everyone!!
_____________________
Super Snack! Thanks once again to our nurse and PTG Super Snack Squad, Ashley DeWever, Danielle Beck, Katelyn Lavallee, and Sharon Woodward for the delicious yogurt with maple syrup courtesy of the Becks and Nurse Ashley!
_____________________
Community Educators: In one of the many learning opportunities sponsored by the Androscoggin Valley Soil and Water Conservation District, students learn about the value of bats with Emma Lorousso, Project Director.
Why bats?
They eat insects and add to the rich biodiversity on the earth! Fun fact: Bats are mammals and come in all sizes from as tiny as a bee to as big as a human! Students used tools to build a bat house for the bats to roost in, and played a bat moth game to learn about echolocation.
We learned bats are smart! ~ Tina Wood
Recycling now a collective effort at MBES: In the last April newsletter, we told you of Analise Smith-Caron's efforts to encourage school wide paper recycling. Ms. Smith-Caron's care for our planet has now influenced our youngest generation!
PreK students and their teacher, Mrs. Dorman, bringing paper to our recycling bin.
