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Marguerite E. Small Elementary School

Empowering Students to Achieve Excellence

ME-"Small Talk," 9/29/26

Posted Date: 09/29/26 (04:06 PM)
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ME - "Small Talk"

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

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We are incredibly proud of our students for their excellent participation in last week’s fire drill. Students demonstrated that they understand and can follow our safety procedures, helping us ensure a safe and orderly response. Student and staff safety will continue to be a top priority throughout the school year. We anticipate conducting several additional fire drills to reinforce these procedures and ensure that all students and staff are prepared in the event of an emergency.

It is critical that every student has a clear and consistent dismissal plan each day. For students who ride the bus, please ensure that a trusted adult is available at the bus stop to meet your child each afternoon. If an adult is not present, your child will be returned to school on the bus, which causes significant disruption. We expect families to establish a reliable end-of-day plan and to become familiar with your child’s afternoon bus schedule, including the approximate time the bus arrives at your child’s stop so that you can arrive 5-10 minutes early. 

Regular daily attendance is essential to our students’ academic growth and social-emotional development. We are off to a tremendous start with attendance at MES, and we appreciate your continued partnership in making regular school attendance a priority. If your child is absent due to illness, please call the MES Absence Line at 508-778-7975 and select Option 1.

 
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General Updates/Reminders

  • Wednesday, September 30, is an early release day. Students will be dismissed at 1:55 PM. There will be no PM preschool classes. 
  • We are switching our Spirit Day theme for Friday! With temperatures expected to reach 80 degrees, we don’t want students arriving in fall sweaters and flannel! Friday’s theme will be Sports Day! We encourage all students and staff to wear their favorite sports team gear, jerseys, hats, or athletic wear. You don’t have to play a sport to participate!
  • Mandatory student health screenings, including height, weight, vision, and hearing screenings, will begin this week and continue over the next several weeks.
  • During dismissal, please remain in or next to your vehicle while staff assist students.
  • Bus schedules may vary during the first few weeks as students and drivers adjust to new routines. Please review bus expectations with your child and arrive at your stop 5–10 minutes early.
  • Free breakfast and lunch will be available to all students every school day. 
  • Resources are available to families who may need support with food, clothing, or other basic necessities. We handle these supports with the utmost discretion. Please contact the main office or the School Social Worker, Emily Bassett (bassette@dy-regional.k12.ma.us). 
  • ParentSquare will be used by the district and MES main office to share important updates and information throughout the school year.
  • Tennis for Life is returning to MES for another year! The program will be starting on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, and will be offered only to third-grade students, with a capacity of 18 students. The program will continue on Tuesdays, and the dates are as follows: 10/20, 10/27, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 12/1, 12/8, 12/15. There will be additional information shared at a later date regarding registration. 

Important Links



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Shoutouts

Friday is National Custodian’s Day across the country. Please join me in thanking Brian Hayes, Ruth Almeida, and Eleni Silva, who work so hard to make sure that our building is clean and safe for all of us each day. 
 

SPOTLIGHT on Music!

We are having a very busy September in music class! We have been studying steady beat and rhythm, practicing keeping the beat with our hands and bodies as well as with percussion instruments. We have started practicing simple 4-beat rhythm patterns and recognizing these patterns in familiar songs and chants. During the month of October, students will be composing and performing their own rhythm patterns. 
We also learned about traditional music and samba dancing from Brazil in honor of Brazilian Independence Day, celebrated each year on September 7. We are currently learning about Latin and Hispanic music. We are reading books about Hispanic musicians Tito Puente and Celia Cruz, and learning some Latin dances like La Raspa and Los Machetes in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, which occurs annually from September 15 - October 15.  If you have any questions about music class or events, please feel free to reach out to me by email at healyk@dy-regional.k12.ma.us or by phone at 508-778-7975 x 6323. 
Sincerely, 
Ms. Healy (MES Music Teacher)

 
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PTO News!

The September PTO meeting will be held this Wednesday at 5:00. The meeting will be held at MES, but please know that there is an option to join the meeting virtually. We are looking forward to a great turnout for our first meeting of the year!  Click Here

The PTO is excited to announce the First Annual Fall Festival at MES on October 22, 2026! This family-friendly event is open to all students in PK–Grade 3 and their families, including siblings. The festival will feature face painting, a bake sale, a raffle, and an opportunity for students to decorate a pumpkin. The event will be held from 5:00–6:30 PM at MES and is not a drop-off event; students must attend with a parent/guardian. Additional information will be shared with families as the event approaches.

The PTO is seeking support with their board this school year. The following positions are available: Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. If you are interested in serving in one of these positions, please send your interest to the following email: mesmallpto@gmail.com

The Fall Book Fair will be held during the week of October 19, 2026. The book fair will remain open on Tuesday and Thursday of that week during teacher conferences to ensure that families have the opportunity to visit the Book Fair outside of school hours. The event will require volunteers, so please reach out to mesmallpto@gmail.com to let them know that you are interested in helping!

Important Upcoming Dates

September 30, 2026 - Early Release Day for Students (Dismissal begins at 1:55 AM)
September 30, 2026 - September PTO Meeting, 5:00 PM @ MES 
October 2, 2026 - MES Spirit Day! (Sports Theme Day!) We encourage all students and staff to wear their favorite sports team gear, jerseys, hats, or athletic wear. You don’t have to play a sport to participate!
October 6, 2026 - School Photo Day! (more information will be sent home in student backpacks this week)
October 7, 2026 - Polished Dental Visits MES!
October 9, 2026 - No School For Students 
October 12, 2026 - No School For Students and Staff
October 19 - 23, 2026 - MES Fall Book Fair Week (more information to follow)
October 20, 2026 - Half-Day for Students (Dismissal begins at 11:55 AM)
October 20, 2026 - Teacher Conferences at MES; more information to follow!
October 22, 2026 - Half-Day for Students (Dismissal begins at 11:55 AM)
October 22, 2026 - Teacher Conferences at MES; more information to follow!
October 22, 2026 - Fall Festival PTO Event, 5:00 - 6:30 PM (mark your calendar, more information to follow)
October 28, 2026 - October PTO Meeting, 9:30 AM @ MES
November 4, 2026 -  Early Release Day for Students (Dismissal begins at 1:55 PM)
November 10, 2026 - School Photo Retakes!
November 11, 2026 - No School for Students and Staff


We are looking forward to seeing the sun return later this week after all of the recent rain! Have a great remainder of the week!

Best, 
Jesse Craddock
Principal

Kelly Bohl
Assistant Principal