Dear Bates,
I hope you are enjoying the weekend so far. After Superintendent David Lussier announced this week that the last day of school will be (a half day) Tuesday, June 21, schools can now confirm our end of year dates. Ours are listed below. We are very fond of our end of year traditions and look forward to sharing these with you. Please note below a few upcoming opportunities for families to celebrate our Bates students.
Field Trips
Each grade level is taking a field trip this spring. For many, it’s their first-ever field trip and for others, it’s their first in several years. I’ve loved seeing the excitement as children board their buses and arrive back at Bates bubbling over with stories to share! Thank you to our PTO for their generous support, as the PTO funds 100% of the transportation costs of every trip so as to reduce the fees for families.
COVID Updates
The district has decided that at this time schools no longer need to send email letters to identify classes in which COVID cases occur. Families and staff are still able to monitor case counts on the district dashboard. Please reach out to me if you have any questions.
Bates Students Perform Canta Conmingo
In place of our annual February all-school concert, Beth Perry and Sara Toppleberg collaborated and produced a movie in which every class performed a song in Spanish. I hope you enjoy it! Here is the link for the video. Thank you to Mrs. Perry and Señora Toppelberg for this wonderful performance! We request that you please not share this video outside the Bates community. Thank you.
Grade Level Drop-Ins
In place of the all school Bates in Bloom, a past tradition in which all parents K-5 were invited to school one morning to admire students’ work, this year we are offering grade level Drop-In mornings. Drop-ins offer the same opportunity for parents to visit the classroom and admire student work, scheduled on a date that aligns with each grade’s curriculum. This format is also more aligned with COVID health and safety practices. We hope you can join us. Here are the dates:
Kindergarten – May 19, 8:30 – 9:00
Grade 1 – June 1, 8:30 – 9:00
Grade 2: June 3, 8:30 – 9:00
Grade 3: June 1, 8:30 – 9:00
Grade 4: June 3, 8:30 – 9:00
Grade 5: May 31, 8:20 – 9:00
Math MCAS
Our third, fourth and fifth graders will take the Math MCAS test in the next two weeks. Grade 5 will also take the Science MCAS. Please note the dates below:
Grade 3 Math MCAS: May 19 & 20
Grade 4 Math MCAS: May 16 & 17
Grade 5 Math MCAS: May 9 & 10
Grade 5 Science MCAS: May 23 & 24
End of Year Bates Traditions
The Bates Spring Concert will be held on Wednesday, May 25 at 8:45 am in the Bates gym. Our grade 5 chorus and Bates band and orchestra will perform. In addition, Field Day will be held the afternoon of Thursday, June 9. Look for information from the PTO on how to support the fun on Field Day.
We will celebrate our fifth graders and their families with the Fond Farewell ceremony, scheduled for 9:00 am on Friday, June 17 on Kelly Field. In addition, we will mark the very end of the school year with a special “Clap Out” for our fifth graders beginning just before noon on Tuesday, June 21. All families are invited to line the front sidewalk to enthusiastically clap and cheer as our fifth graders leave Bates. The PTO has kindly planned some other exciting end of year activities for our fifth graders, so look for more information from the PTO.
As you can see, the final weeks of school are busy and exciting. I hope you have a great weekend, and I wish all of our mothers a very Happy Mother’s Day!
Warmly,
Toni
Upcoming Dates:
May 9 & 10: Grade 5 Math MCAS
May 16 & 17: Grade 4 Math MCAS
May 19 & 20: Grade 3 Math MCAS
May 19: Kindergarten Drop-In 8:30 – 9:00
May 23 & 24: Grade 5 Science MCAS
May 25: Spring Concert, 8:45 am in the gym
May 30: NO SCHOOL – Memorial Day
May 31: Grade 5 Drop-In 8:20 – 9:00
June 1-3: Grade 5 Trip to Hale Reservation
June 1: Grade 1 & Grade 3 Drop-In 8:30 – 9:00
June 3: Grade 2 & Grade 4 Drop-In 8:30 – 9:00
June 9: Field Day
June 17: Fond Farewell for Grade 5, 9:00 on Kelly field
June 20: NO SCHOOL – Juneteenth
June 21: Last Day of School (12:00 dismissal)
Clap Out begins 11:59 am