"Spring’s greatest joy beyond a doubt is when it brings the children out.” – Edgar Guest
Dear YES Families,
Renowned poet Edgar Guest says it well as he describes the activity of children in the spring. As we return from April vacation it has been a joy to see this energy in action with more students riding their bicycles to school and beginning to engage in several after-school activities outside.
It is hard to believe that we only have about six more weeks of school left this year, but there are so many exciting and important learning experiences still to come for your children as we transition to spring.
MAY DATES & EVENTS
Bike to School Day- May 3
May is National Bike Month! National Bike to Work Week is May 15-21, and before that happens, Wednesday, May 3 is the YES Walk and Bike to School Day. This day is a great opportunity for those who might be thinking about walking or biking to school to try it out with support, while also celebrating the environmental and health benefits of walking and biking.
Yarmouth's extensive network of sidewalks and paths provides safe routes for people of all ages to walk or bike. On that day, we will be having our Seventh Annual Bike Train to YES.
What is a Bike Train? A Bike Train is a group of students and adults all riding to YES together from a few meeting spots around Yarmouth. We aren't able to meet everywhere in Yarmouth, so if your child would like to join us please find the most convenient meeting spot, then click on your spot to see what time we will be there. We would love to have you join us as an adult volunteer.
Please make sure all riders come wearing helmets for safety! (This includes adults.)
We will not be riding home together, please make your own plans for after school. Hope to see you there!
List of Meeting Spots and Departure Times: 7:45 AM - Parking Lot of baseline ES (Route 88 & Bayview) 8:00 AM - Amvets Parking Lot 8:15 AM - Royal River Park Parking Lot 8:30 AM - Arrive at YES
The Yarmouth Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee has provided the following tips and resources for biking and walking to school:
- Go in groups. It's easier, safer, and more fun to ride or walk to school in a group. As noted, you may consider organizing a regular Bike Train with other families in your neighborhood.
- Plan your routes. Stick to sidewalks, quiet streets, and pathways whenever possible even if it adds a couple of extra minutes.
- Be safe! If you are driving, always yield to children in the crosswalk, slow down, and give people on bikes plenty of space. The Bicycle Coalition of Maine has some great educational materials on bike safety basics. There are additional safety tips on the town's website here.
Friday, May 5: School Cafeteria Workers Superhero Day
Thank you to our kitchen staff for the amazing job that they do each and every day. Our YES "Lunch Ladies" play a very important role in the lives of our children. Ms. Anthony, Ms. Davies, Mrs. Riddle, and Mrs. Black do a wonderful job making sure our students have nourishing meals that prepare them to learn. A smile and words of encouragement go a long way when kids go through the lunch line and we appreciate all that they do. We will be celebrating them on May 5!
May 8-12: Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week
We hope that you will also take a moment to celebrate "Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week" with us! Our teachers and staff at YES provide so much for our students—inspiration, motivation, and, ultimately, their futures. Our educator's work impacts and extend far beyond the boundaries of the classroom.
From May 8-12 we would like to show our thanks and gratitude to our fantastic staff. We hope that you will take the time to show your appreciation this week to the educators who work with your child. Often a simple note of thanks means the world to them.
Beginning May 9: State Assessments for Grades 3, 4, & 5
The spring administration of the Maine Through Year Assessment and Gr. 5 MEA Science will be held in the morning on the following days:
- Tuesday, May 9- Reading Gr. 3 & 4
- Wednesday, May 10- Reading Gr. 5
- Tuesday, May 16 - Math Gr. 3 & 4
- Wednesday, May 17- Math Gr. 5
- Thursday, May 18- Science Gr. 5
- Monday, May 22- Science Gr. 5
- Tuesday, May 23- Science Gr. 5
Each assessment lasts about an hour and all students have extra time to complete if needed. As this is the first year of the new state assessment, results will not be ready until the beginning of next school year. We will make sure those results are shared with you at that time. A more detailed letter about the assessments will be sent home to third, fourth, and fifth-grade families this week.
We appreciate your efforts to make sure that students are well-rested and at school on time each day to sit for these important end-of-the-year assessments
Monday, May 22: Grade 4 Chorus, Band, and Orff Ensemble Spring Performances 6:00 PM
Tuesday, May 23: Grade 5 Chorus, Band, and Orff Ensemble Spring Performances 6:00 PM
We look forward to you joining us for this celebration of learning, growth, and fun. Thank you to Mrs. Troy and Mrs. Witherall-Stebbins for all their hard work in supporting our young singers and musicians on this year-long journey.
Tuesday, May 23: Community Meeting Performance 9:10 AM
Our Grade 4 & 5 singers and musicians will hold a short performance for the entire student body at our May community meeting in the gymnasium.
May 24-June 1: YES Kids Heart Challenge!
Ms. Pachuta, Mrs. Murray, and Mrs. Beckett will be facilitating our annual Yarmouth Healthy Heart Challenge, sponsored by the American Heart Association. This will take place during students' PE and SEL classes.
Through the challenge, kids learn jump rope skills, how their heart works, and raise money (optional) to help kids with special hearts. It is an opportunity to have fun, learn how to stay healthy, and make a difference in the lives of others! Thank you to these teachers for leading our students in this fun, educational, and healthy challenge.
Monday, May 29: Memorial Day NO SCHOOL
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Retirement and Hiring News
We have some news to share with you regarding staff who will be retiring and the new educators who will be replacing them.
After many distinguished years at YES, Mrs. Elke Tate, second-grade teacher, and Mrs. Karen Rusinek, special education teacher, will be retiring at the end of this school year. It is always bittersweet to see skilled, dedicated, and caring teachers like Elke and Karen retire. We are happy for them but they will be greatly missed at YES. We are pleased to announce that we have hired two new teachers who will be stepping into their teaching positions next year.
Ms. Torrie Nightingale will be our new second-grade teacher. Ms. Nightingale is a graduate of the University of Maine-Farmington with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Special Education. She has been a third-grade teacher at the Weatherbee School in Hampden, Maine for the past three years.. Torrie has also earned a graduate certificate in Response to Intervention for Behavior and will receive her Master in Education degree from the University of Maine in Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction this May.
Mrs. Kristina Pelletier will be our new special educator. Mrs. Pelletier is a familiar person to many of you as she has been a special education teacher at Harrison Middle School for the past fifteen years. Another graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington with a degree in Special Education, Mrs. Pelletier has also earned her master's degree from Fitchburg State as a Reading Specialist for students with disabilities.
We are excited to welcome Ms. Nightingale and Mrs. Pelletier to YES!
In other bittersweet hiring news, Mr. Zachary Wheeler, current YES grade five teacher, has accepted a position as a sixth-grade teacher at HMS. We are sorry to see Mr. Wheeler go but happy for him as he makes his desired transition to teaching at the middle school level. In his one year at YES, we appreciate all his work with our students in the classroom and in extra-curricular activities. We have begun the process of finding Mr. Wheeler’s replacement and hope to have that individual in place by the end of the month.
School Nurse Notes
May is Lyme disease awareness month. When going out and about remember to be “Tick Wise”:
- Know tick habitats and use caution in areas where ticks may live.
- Wear light-colored clothing that covers arms and legs.
- Use an EPA-approved repellent such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
- Perform tick checks on yourself, family members, and pets daily and after any outdoor activity.
- Take a shower after exposure to a tick habitat to wash off any crawling ticks.
- Visit the Maine.gov website for more information about Lyme Disease
When warmer weather arrives students often want to wear sandals to school. Flip flops and other open-toed shoes result in injuries to toes and feet while playing in wood chips and on the tar. Sneakers are always the best choice of footwear for school.
Please remember to send a water bottle to school with your child
Please remember to complete a health check before sending your child to school each day.
Happy Spring,
Nurse Thomson
PTO News
YES Roller Skating-new PTO event! Friday, May 5, 5-7 pm at Happy Wheels Roller Rink
3 Chabot Street, Westbrook Happy Wheels Website
Parents & siblings can skate too, or parents can relax and catch up in the snack bar area while the kids speed by.
$8.00 per person, a portion of the entry funds go to the PTO. (we need at least 75 skaters for the PTO to receive some funds) Let's pack the house!
You can bring your own skates if you have them, or use the rink’s skates, they have both “old school” roller skates and inline skates.
Happy Wheels is a new facility with a great setup: DownEast Article on Happy Wheels
Yarmouth Youth Football Registration
Flag Football (PreK-5) & Youth Tackle (5-6) Registration Info
Sign up by May 8th and your player will receive a free T-Shirt! And don’t forget to register your incoming Grade 2-6 player for Football Camp June 19-22!
How to Register:
STEP 1: Register online with Yarmouth Football Association YFA 2023 registration
This will ask for your contact information and T-Shirt Size and allow us to keep you posted on upcoming events.
STEP 2: Register online with Yarmouth Community Services https://www.yarmouthcommunitys... for "NFL Flag Football" or "Youth Tackle Football" by May 8th for a FREE T-Shirt (final registration deadline is July 31st).
STEP 3: Print and complete these forms by August 21st, 2023 Youth Football Forms 2023 Youth Football Forms and mail them to Yarmouth Football Association PO Box 387 Yarmouth ME 04096.
STEP 4: Sign up for the upcoming Youth Football Camp (grade 2-6) https://www.yarmouthcommunityservices.org/youth
Have some fun June 19-22 with Head Coach Jim Hartman and his 2022 State Champions!
Additional information about our upcoming Pre-K - High School programs is here:https://www.yarmouthcommunitys...
SPRING TRANSITION ACTIVITIES IN JUNE
During the month of June, we will be wrapping up this year but also begin to transition our students for the 2023-24 school year.
On Tuesday, June 13 we will hold our annual “Step Up Day” for all grades. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to meet their teacher, learn who will be in their class next year, and hopefully help with any anxiety that students may have about moving onward and upward. More details will follow in our June end-of-year newsletter.
If you are moving or anticipate that your child will not be attending YES next year, please reach out to us in the main office to help with our planning for student placement.
Of course, we have not listed all the other wonderful classroom-based events occurring this spring! Your child's teachers will be communicating all of those with you. Also, please note that our annual YES Field Day will be held on Friday, June 9 (rain date: Monday, June 12) and the last day of school is a half day on Thursday, June 15.
As always, please reach out to us with any questions, or if we can do anything to support your child’s end-of-year learning experience at YES.
Best,
Ryan Gleason, YES Principal & Molly Kilpatrick, YES Assistant Principal