August 20, 2022
Dear YES Families,
On behalf of our entire staff, we would like to welcome all of our new and returning students to Yarmouth Elementary School. It is with great honor and enthusiasm that we send out this opening of school letter for the 2022-23 school year.
WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL
We look forward to meeting new faces, revisiting familiar ones, as well as hearing all about everyone’s summer adventures! For those of you who do not know us yet:
Ryan Gleason, YES Principal: I have been a teacher and school administrator in Maine for the past thirty years. This will be my sixth year as the principal of YES. It has been and continues to be, an honor to lead such a wonderful school. I am excited about our work together as we make this another fabulous school year.
Molly Kilpatrick, YES Assistant Principal: I have been an educator in Maine for the last sixteen years, and this will be my tenth year in Yarmouth and second as YES assistant principal. I am thrilled to help lead the students, staff, and school community at YES. We are going to have a great year together!
The start of every school year is a time of anticipation and we look forward to having our school community together in September. This particular school year is even more special for us at YES as it marks our first year as a grade 2-5 school in a brand new school facility. As of today, our anticipated enrollment is at 478 students. This includes 92 students in Gr. 2, 126 in Gr. 3, 127 in Gr. 4, and 133 in Gr. 5. There are six classrooms/teachers in each of our four grade levels. We are looking forward to a new school year and working together to see that your child’s learning experience at YES is a successful one.
We apologize in advance for such a lengthy newsletter, but there is a great deal of important information to share!
NEW YES STAFF
In addition to our new families and students, we welcome several new staff members to the YES team.
We begin with some familiar Yarmouth teachers and staff who are now at YES:
- Our Fifth Grade Team: Gina Rollins, Rich Smith, Marti Jo Shaw, Liz Greely, Kelly Conley, and Zac Wheeler
- Mikaela Gillis, Special Education Teacher
- Chelsea Beckett, School Counselor
- Jennifer Desjardins, Educational Technician
- Matt Spang, Educational Technician
- Katyi Anthony, Kitchen Manager
- Nancy Jones, Speech and Language
We have some YES familiar faces in new roles this year:
- Nicole Colfer, STEAM Teacher
- Danielle Sanokklis, MTSS Educational Technician
- MaryKate Elward- Grade 3 Teacher
And we welcome the following new staff members to Yarmouth:
- Kathy Pizzo, Instructional Strategist
- Adam Potvin, Talents Teacher- ELA
- Ashley Shoukimas, Art Teacher
- John Profenno, Spanish Teacher
- Jennifer Witherell- Stebbins, Gr. 4 & 5 Band
- Katie Pride- Grade 4 Teacher
- Merita Mustafa, Educational Technician
- Matt Smith, Educational Technician
- Anie Marie Langmaid, Educational Technician
- Camilla Walker, School Psychologist
- Brittany Cabana, Speech and Language
- Laurie Asher, Custodian
- Susan Odell, Custodian
We also have two guest teachers who will be filling in for teachers this school year.
- Julie McDonald will be leading Taylor Callahan’s third grade classroom from September to early December.
- Allie Travers will be filling in for Sarah Perle as our MTSS Literacy Lead Teacher from September through January.
WELCOME SIGN
Speaking of “welcome” we are proud to share that our entry vestibule now has a sign that welcomes YES students and families in several different languages. This project was taken on as a spring art project by our students and a lot of thought and care went into this process. This sign supports our ongoing goal to make our school as inviting and inclusive as possible.
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
After many months of construction and renovation, we are almost at the finish line! The entire interior will be completely finished by the start of school. The exterior is close to finished. The final paving of the playground hard surfaces and parking lot areas will not be completed until the week of August 29. After the paving is complete we will take delivery of two storage sheds (courtesy of our amazing PTO!) that will house all of our recess equipment. There will be one in each of the new playground areas.
The new playground structures for both the new and existing playground will not be delivered until at least October but we have plenty of space and existing equipment until those spaces are complete. This could be one of our last construction updates!
COMMUNICATION & OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Communication between home and school is an important priority at YES. Please review the YES 2022-23 Handbook that is posted on our website. This will provide you with detailed information on our policies and procedures.
After that, most of our correspondence will be through email. Throughout the year, Dani Carter and Lisa Bianchini, our administrative assistants, will send informational emails from the office. We will also send out a monthly newsletter and encourage you to follow us on our school website news feed to keep up on all the learning, information, and fun that occurs throughout the school year. Please make sure that you check your child’s teacher page, website or blog as this is the best way to stay informed.
CLASSROOM SUPPLY LISTS
The classroom supply lists for each grade level are posted on the school website under the “News” section:https://yes.yarmouthschools.or... You may bring supplies in for “drop-in day” on September 1 or when school begins. For families who need assistance with these items please reach out to our school counselor, Laura Murray at laura_murray@yarmouthschools.org.
DAILY SCHEDULE/ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL
Our official school hours are from 8:50 AM to 3:30 PM. For those students who are taking the bus, information on your bus line arrival to pick up and drop off is posted on the Yarmouth district website. With such an increase in our student population this year there will be 10 buses in the elementary run this year. There is a change for this year in how we identify each bus. Instead of identifying each bus by color, we will now identify each bus by a number (1 through 10). The number of the bus line will be featured prominently on each school bus to make identification easier.
Children should not arrive before 8:30 AM as there is no supervision before then. School begins promptly at 8:50 AM. Please remind your bike riders/walkers of this! Students being dropped off by parents should be dropped off in the new drop-off/pick-up loop in front of the new main entrance. Prior to 8:50 AM students will transition into their classrooms or eat breakfast in the cafeteria.
In the afternoon, please try and plan your pick-up time for your child’s dismissal, use PikMyKid procedures (outlined below), and stay in your vehicle as your child will be directed to your car. Please have car tags displayed prominently.
We will begin a staggered dismissal process just after 3:25 PM. All students will be dismissed by 3:30 PM. Any parents picking up should be at school and waiting in the pick up line by 3:30 PM and no later than 3:45 PM. As noted, we have a large increase in our student body enrollment this year so we greatly appreciate your patience, help, and cooperation as we work out any kinks in the system the first few days.
Please make every effort to confirm plans for after school before your children leave in the morning. If plans should change during the day, please call us and we will notify your child of new plans at the end of the day. Teachers do not always have time to check email during the day; therefore, calling the office is the safest way to notify us of a change.
PARENT DROP OFF/PICK UP & “PIK MY KID”
If you are dropping off your child at school, you will use the parent drop-off loop by the main office. Please stay in the car and the staff on duty will assist your child in exiting out the curbside of the vehicle. This helps us to keep things running as efficiently as possible. At the end of the day, please wait in your vehicle in the traffic circle line and we will direct vehicles to the loading area by the main entryway.
We will continue to use the PikMyKid Dismissal Application for car pickups after school. For families who were at Rowe or YES last year, you will recall that this app allows you to be in full control of your child’s dismissal and it gives us, the school, complete information regarding dismissal and the ability to acknowledge changes.
If you are a returning Rowe or YES family and you downloaded this app last year you are all set. If you are a new family to YES you will need to download the app.
Whether you have an Android phone or an iPhone, at your convenience, visit the appropriate app store and download the PikMyKid app for free. Once downloaded, the registration process is very simple. On the September 1 “drop-in day” you will be bringing home three PikMyKid Car Tags. If you are unable to make this event we will send the tags home with your child on the first day of school. As you register in the App, please use this number on the tag.
You will be the Primary Parent for your child and in control of their dismissal. You can delegate alternate individuals, but they should have the App also as it will send a matching number to the phone for us to validate the correct person is picking up the proper child. If you are part of a carpool, each child’s number will be sent to the phone for validation. You will be asked for the necessary information (Child Name, Grade, Teacher, Dismissal Mode, & Car Tag Number) upon registration. Please make sure that you have downloaded the app for the start of school.
WHOEVER IS PICKING UP YOUR CHILD MUST HAVE THE CAR TAG OR A PHONE THAT DISPLAYS THE CAR TAG. That means if your child is a pickup you should:
- Pull up to the pickup loop and make sure that your Car Tag is prominently displayed on the right-hand side of your car. An adult on duty will need to see it in order to verify who you are picking up.
- Pull up to an open space on the bus loop next to the sidewalk.
- The supervising adults will call your child from the line, and they will load up on the right-hand side. Please stay in your car. After students load- and staff will help if needed- off you go!
To Learn a little more on your own you can view this link PikMyKid Parent FAQ and/or video: Parent Video. A note for you-this is a comprehensive video of all the possible features that PikMyKid has. Please don’t be overwhelmed by all the information and keep in mind we will be using it for car pick-up dismissals only.
BIKING/WALKING TO SCHOOL
If your child plans to ride a bike to school, please remind them that the bike racks are located in two different places. One bike rack area is directly in front of the main entrance to the school. The other bike rack area is just off McCartney St. in front of the playground area.
A student is permitted to ride a bicycle or walk to school with written permission from his/her parent or guardian. Please send a note with your child to give to their teacher. Students are responsible for securing their bicycle to the bicycle rack and open spaces in that area. Please remember that helmets are required in Maine for all children under age 15.
ATTENDANCE PLANNING
Please remember to call us when your child will be absent or late. For your child’s protection, if you do not telephone the office by 9:15 AM, we will call you first at home and by cell phone, and, if not successful, at work. If you have a change of address and/or telephone, it is extremely important that you inform the school office so that this information can be recorded. Should an emergency arise, it is necessary for us to know where to contact you.
When your child is tardy, he/she must sign in with the office secretary before going to the classroom. It is very important to be on time. Students arriving late miss part of the routine and academics of their morning and require special attention, which takes extra time that could be used otherwise. They may also feel social pressure from peers.
If a child will be dismissed during the day, please send a note/email to the classroom teacher with the specific information.
When arriving late, parents need to press the call box at the main entrance to speak with office staff who will let students into the building. For safety concerns, students must wait inside the school building to be signed out.
We know that the school year has not yet begun but we are going to ask for your help. The state of Maine defines “chronically absent” as a student that misses 10% or more of the school year, excused or unexcused.
We recognize that there are days when students cannot be in school due to sickness, medical appointments, etc. However, if possible, we urge you to schedule extended family trips during school vacations. Please keep in mind that when a student misses school, they miss instruction and that learning experience cannot be replicated through make up work.
Additionally, it is not a reasonable expectation for teachers to provide all missed work before a student leaves on a family vacation. It is also important that parents and students understand that it is the student’s responsibility to make up for missed work.
We appreciate your support in helping your child maintain strong attendance this school year.
POWERSCHOOL LOG IN TO UPDATE INFORMATION
We ask parents to update information each year through Powerschool. You will be contacted soon with a separate communication that will include directions on how to complete this process. Please make sure to complete this as soon as possible so we have accurate contact information for your child.
STUDENT DRESS EXPECTATIONS
Please note the following student dress expectations for the fall that can also be found in our student handbook:
Dress expectations within the Yarmouth School Department are in place to create the most conducive learning environment possible. We recognize that student clothing choices often represent the many facets of their identity, including their ethnicity, culture, religious beliefs, gender identity and more. All students shall come to school in a comfortable manner that allows them to be authentically who they are, while also adhering to equitable dress expectations.
The following dress expectations are intended to provide guidance for students, staff, parents, and guardians.
- It is expected all of our students will wear clothing that covers their chest and bottom.
- Students may be required to remove hats or hoods at certain times during the school day if it interferes with an educational communication or safety protocol.
- Clothing with logos, slogans, words, or pictures promoting or depicting alcohol, tobacco, drugs, vandalism, bigotry, hate speech, violence, sexual connotations, or profanity are not permitted. This includes clothing with phrases or pictures that have double meanings.
- During the warm weather months, students should have sneakers or similar footwear for outside play as flip-flops are dangerous for running and climbing.
- Students should dress appropriately for all weather conditions as they play outside with weather permitting.
Administration reserves the right to determine what constitutes the dress expectation. If school staff see that a student is not meeting the requirements of the dress expectation, they will inform a school administrator. The student will be approached with sensitivity and in a private area to discuss the dress expectation concern. Respecting the personal dignity of the student is a priority as the administrator and student solve the issue together. The student’s parent or guardian will be contacted so that they are aware of the conversation.
We appreciate the help and support of all members of our school community as we strive to create the most conducive learning environment possible.
SCHOOL NUTRITION UPDATE
Welcome!
The Yarmouth School Nutrition Program is committed to providing the students and staff of Yarmouth Elementary School with fun, great tasting, and healthy breakfasts and lunches every day. YSNP participates in a national program and our menus follow the latest scientific research in nutrition published every five years as the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” We strive to go above and beyond by connecting the cafeteria to the classroom and community. We also source as much as we can from nearby Maine farms. Details can be found on our menus posted each month in the News section of the school web page.
School meals will be available to all enrolled students at no charge for the 2022-2023 school year, regardless of household income. This is fantastic news for our families for many reasons, but to make the most of this program and others providing academic resources for our students, we ask that families qualifying for meal benefits fill out our benefit application online. For more information about whether you qualify please check the income guidelines located on the application cover letter or at www.yarmouthschools.org/o/ysd/page/free-reduced-meals.
At the start of every day we offer a delicious breakfast featuring whole grain muffins, breakfast breads, cereal, and bagels. A student's breakfast choice must also include a fruit item such as bananas, orange wedges, apples, craisins, raisins, and orange juice. Low fat or skim milk is optional. Students pick up their meal in the cafeteria at the start of the day and bring it to their classroom to eat. Breakfast meals are complimentary, free of charge for all students.
Our lunch menu offers three meal choices for students to choose from every day and we always have at least one vegetarian option. We have a rotation of bento-type meals with turkey, hummus, cheddar cheese, tuna, yogurt, and even guacamole, all served with a whole grain item. And every day we have our popular sunbutter & jelly sandwich with string cheese. Sunbutter is a peanut-free spread, very similar to peanut butter and made from sunflower seeds.
A school lunch is considered a “Meal Deal” in that five components are offered every day; either meat or vegetarian protein, whole grain item, fruit, vegetables and milk. However, students may prefer not to select all of them. A ½ cup of fruit or vegetable or combination of the two is required along with at least two other options. Students are not required to take the milk option. Like breakfast, all lunch meals are complimentary, free of charge for all students. If your child is bringing lunch from home and would like a milk from school the cost is 50 cents.
We accept multiple forms of payment for 50 cent milks. We prefer the use of credit cards online at PayPams.com. There is a fee of $1.95 per online payment and a $10 minimum, but to reduce these charges you can put as much money as you would like on your student’s meal account. We still accept checks made out to “Yarmouth School Nutrition Program” and these can be dropped off at the school office or mailed to Yarmouth Elementary School, Attn: Yarmouth School Nutrition Program, 121 McCartney Street, Yarmouth, ME 04096.
We are not responsible for money sent into school with your child. We strongly suggest that all parents activate their PayPams.com account even if you do not plan to make credit card payments. This will allow you to monitor all deposits, charges, and get low balance email reminders. There is no fee for use of this service.
If your family qualifies for federal assistance, such as SNAP or TANF benefits, your household will receive a letter from us letting you know that your students qualify for meal benefits. This letter can be used for verification with other important family service discounts. If you do not receive SNAP or TANF benefits, but your household income qualifies you based on the income guidelines then we encourage you to fill out an application. While this will provide you with a letter that can be used for family service discounts, federal reimbursements from school meals also fund academic resources. By completing the meal benefit application you are directly investing in your child’s education and the children and families in your community. Applications can be filled out online at http://yarmouth.schoollunchapp.com/ or picked up at the school office.
Over the course of the school year, it is extremely important that your child’s meal account balance does not go below zero. While meals are complimentary, milk alone still costs 50 cents. If your child will be purchasing milk at school please make sure their account has funds. The school department is not staffed to send out payment reminders to parents.
We continually strive to improve our service by providing fun, healthy and affordable meals. Please contact us with any questions and/or feedback that you may have about our program. Research continues to support that students who eat nutritious meals perform better academically. We take our job very seriously so that students are prepared for the high level of learning that happens in the classroom. Thank you for trusting us with your child’s nutrition!
Kaytlin Anthony Blair Currier, SNS
Manager, YES Cafeteria Director of School Nutrition
846-0579 846-2323
We are currently hiring for part-time positions. No experience is necessary. We are looking for friendly and positive individuals with a willingness to learn. Work entails a variety of kitchen related jobs in a fast paced environment on school calendar days. That means weekends, school vacation, holidays and snow days off. Convenient lunch-time hours, 3.25 and 3.5 hours/day.$17.95 per hour, $18.39 after 6 months Contact us for more information.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
SCHOOL NURSE NOTES
Welcome back for another exciting year at school! I am hoping for a healthy, balanced and fun school year. I have an open door policy, feel free to drop an email or give me a call to discuss anything at any time.
Here are a few housekeeping items I would like all families to be aware of:
- Please feel free to contact me at any time at 207-846-3391 or alison_thomson@yarmouthschools.org,
- The district based school nurse webpage can be found HERE, and includes information for all four Yarmouth schools.
- Please continue to health screen your children prior to sending them to school and let the school know if they are not feeling well. Some examples include vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours, fever of 100.4 or higher in the last 24 hours, uncontrolled stuffy nose or cough, unexplained rash, or unable to tolerate their school day.
- There will be an in school based flu clinic on Friday September 30th. Be on the lookout for an electronic sign up. IF you need a PAPER form, please let me or your child's teacher know and we will send one home.
- If your student needs to take medication at school, all medicines are administered in accordance with the Yarmouth School Department’s Medication Policy, and it can be read: HERE
- Any prescription medication given on school grounds must have a permission form signed by parents and the physician, and that form can be accessed: HERE
- For specific medical plans, please reach out to me at any time.
- For any other questions send me an email or give me a call. I am happy to discuss any concerns you may have.
Again, welcome back to school!
Nurse Thomson
alison_thomson@yarmouthschools.org
SCHOOL COUNSELOR'S CORNER
The start of school can bring about a wide array of emotions from excitement to worry. We have linked two articles below that may be helpful in getting ready for the new school year. If you have any questions or would like to discuss any other concerns you can contact Laura Murray via email at laura_murray@yarmouthschools.org or Chelsea Beckett at chelsea_beckett@yarmouthschools.org
We hope you have a restful end of the summer and we look forward to a wonderful school year!
Back to school routines Back to school anxiety
Laura Murray & Chelsea Beckett, YES School Counselors
PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION (PTO) NEWS
The Yarmouth Pre K-8 PTO warmly welcomes you to the start of an exciting school year. The PTO is a group of parent volunteers who work together with teachers and administrators to support the Rowe, Yarmouth Elementary & Harrison Middle Schools. We do not charge dues but consider all school families to be members.
In a typical year, we organize many events for our students and find ways to show our appreciation for our wonderful teachers. Examples include: cultural arts programs with visiting artists, marine science programs, nature programs and field trips. We also attempt to build community through parent coffees, ice cream socials and other community events.
Fundraisers help us do all these great things, we will send home additional information on our fundraisers in September.
We welcome all volunteers, if you are interested in joining us please fill out a 2-minute survey about your interests.
All are invited to attend our PTO meetings, which are held on the third Thursday of every month. We alternate meetings between 7 pm and 4 pm to allow for those on different schedules to attend. Our first meeting is on September 15 at 7 PM at the Yarmouth Elementary School library.
Check out our ONLINE WELCOME PACKET: This amazing, comprehensive, live document compiled by our Welcome Committee has info about local and state events, attractions, resources, and much more: bit.ly/PTOWelcomePacket.
We look forward to working with you this school year! If you have questions or comments, please contact us at yarmouthpto04096@gmail.com. We love hearing from our parents!
OUR FRIENDS: YARMOUTH POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT NEWS
We are fortunate to have such supportive and caring police and fire departments in our community. Before the pandemic, we hosted officers and firefighters here at school to visit during lunchtime and present special programs. This has always served to build positive relationships between our students and the people in our community who help to keep them safe.
This year we look forward to re-engaging in these practices with these dedicated and important members of our community. You will learn about their support with education efforts like bike safety, fire prevention, and other important learning experiences throughout the school year.
MEET & GREET DROP-IN
Our opening day is just around the corner. We look forward to seeing you at our informal drop-in “Meet and Greet” on Thursday, September 1. Times are staggered to help with parking. If you have children in more than one grade level, times are staggered so that you can plan your visit accordingly.
Grade 2: 9:45- 10:30 AM
Grade 3: 10:00- 10:45 AM
Grade 4: 10:15- 11:00 AM
Grade 5: 10:30- 11:15 AM
Please note that the classroom visit is designed to be brief. This is an opportunity for you and your children to meet their teacher, visit their classroom and then visit/explore other new spaces in the building.
IMPORTANT DATES IN SEPTEMBER
Please keep the following early fall dates and events in mind as you plan:
September 6, Tuesday First Day of School!
September 14, Wednesday Grade 2 Open House 6:00 PM
September 19, Monday Grade 3 & 4 Open House 6:00 PM
September 22, Thursday Grade 5 Open House 6:00 PM
At the second grade Open House we will begin in the cafeteria at 6:00 PM for a brief meeting. We will provide an introduction and you will also have an opportunity to meet with our unified arts team before spending the rest of the evening with your child’s classroom teacher.
At the grade three, four, and five Open House events please proceed directly to your child’s classroom/homeroom where presentations will begin promptly at 6:00 PM. At these events, you will have the opportunity to visit your child’s classroom, begin to form a relationship with the classroom teachers, as well as learn about that grade level experience and how you can support your children and the school.
Also on Monday, September 19 there will be a “Band Information Session” for parents beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. We offer grade four and five band instruction for our students. Mrs. Witherall-Stebbins will be available to share information about the band this year as well as answer any questions that people may have. Interested grade four families can transition from their child’s classroom to the cafeteria that evening and grade five parents are also welcome to attend this evening.
September 15, Thursday K-4 PTO Meeting (YES Library) 7:00 PM
September 28, Wednesday School Picture Day
In closing, as pleased as we are to offer a monthly newsletter it is the personal interaction that we value most. Please feel free to contact us and discuss any questions or concerns you might have throughout the school year. We look forward to our continued collaboration in providing a safe and nurturing environment as well as a challenging and diverse curriculum for all our learners.
We are very much looking forward to watching the students stream off of the buses, cars, and bicycles to fill the hallways. It will be another FANTASTIC year of learning, growth, and fun!
Warm Regards,
Ryan Gleason, Principal & Molly Kilpatrick, Assistant Principal