DiPietro Elementary School Principals' Weekly Updates 10.1.26

Posted Date: 09/30/26 (05:08 PM)

Principals' Weekly Updates

DiPietro Elementary School

October 1, 2026

Hello DiPietro Families!

We hope you have had a great week! Welcome to October! Students are really working hard and we continue to wrap up on our DIBELS screening with Kindergarten students. We want to let all of our families know that classroom teachers will reach out to you regarding DIBELS only if your student scores in the "At Risk" category on DIBELS. All students will bring home score reports in sealed envelopes on Friday, October 16th.

We had two successful school picture days and we are scheduling our school picture makeup day for November 16th. Our plan on November 16th is to have each K-3 class come together for a whole class group photo in addition to any makeups that are needed. PreK student group photos will be composite photos.

We want ot share that we have a new dismissal time on early release days. Our first early release day is Friday, October 30th. DiPietro will dismiss at 11:25 unless otherwise noted. There is no preschool on the early release days.

In addition, there are two days during which students are dismissed at 11:00-the dates are 11/25 and the last day of school. Our other schools have changes to dismissal times as well:

ELEMENTARY 11:25. (11:00 on 11/25 and last day)
BMS 11:05
BHS 10:45
KMA 11:15

Don't Forget-We will have the Ice Cream Social tomorrow night- Friday, October 2nd from 5:30-7:00. Thank you to all of our families who donated ice cream toppings and supplies!!! We are looking forward to seeing everyone.

Reminder-We are sharing a link to a Google form for our families who wish to share their information in our student directory. The directory is organized by our PTO. Families have used the directory in the past to organize social opportunities suck as play dates, birthday parties etc. for their students outside of school.

DiPietro Fun Run Flyers - Fun Run is Friday, October 16th - during the school day.

Remember-the previous week's newsletters are posted to our DiPietro webpage. Please click the button way down below to go to the webpage where you can also check out our DiPietro School Calendar.

We are so excited to partner with all of you once again this year. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions of concerns. We wish all of our students and families a wonderful school year!

Kerri L. Sankey, Ph.D. Principal

Max Perkins, Assistant Principal

Telephone 508-883-8001

Email:

ksankey@bpsdk12.org

mperkins@bpsdk12.org

PAWS

Our DiPietro students are working really hard to earn PAWS. These students are hard workers, flexible thinkers and kind friends. They embody all that PAWS stands for:

P-positive attitude

A-act responsibly

W-working hard

S-staying safe

Keep up the good work my friends! You are excellent role models!

AMAZING Student Readers!

We are so proud to share that sisters Dyuthi (Gr 3 - Mrs. Rivas) and Dwaitha (K - Mrs. Carroll) successfully completed this year's Second

Lady’s Summer Reading Challenge! These girls earned certificates and a letter fron Second Lady along with America’s 250 bookmarks.

In addition, Dyuthi and Dwaitha finished Bellingham library's reading program and Dyuthi finished the Barnes and Nobel reading challenge. Dyuthi also participated in Bellingham library's Write Stuff during which she wrote a story and published a book to be included in the Bellingham Local Authors Expo this month!

We are so proud of their hard work this summer and wanted to share these accomplishments with our community. Way to go girls! Let your Minds Shine!

YMCA Open House - Thursday October 8th 4:30-5:30

Are you interested in learning more about the before and after school YMCA program at DiPietro? Please stop by the open house at DiPietro next Thursday to learn more. If you plan to visit, please go to the YMCA door located on the left side of the building at the loading dock. Please ring the doorbell when you arrive and the YMCA staff will be there to let you in.

REMINDER-Touch a Truck Event-This Saturday 10/3

Please check the flyer below for Morgan's Mission Touch a Truck Event coming up on Saturday, October 3rd!

Important Dates & Reminders

Please be sure to check out our DiPietro Webpage for our events calendar. In addition, we will post important dates here as we move through the school year.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER IMPORTANT DATES:

Friday, October 2nd from 5:30-7:00pm - DiPietro Ice Cream Social
Thursday, October 8th from 4:30-5:30 YMCA Open House-please see flyer above
Wednesday, October 14th from 8:00-9:00 PTO FALL Walk to School Event - on the SNETT Trail.
Friday, October 16th - DiPietro Fun Run following the schedule attached. Rain Date will be Friday, October 23rd.
Early Release - Friday, October 30th - Dismissal at 11:25 and no afternoon PreK.
Friday, October 30th - PTO Spooky Ball - from 6:30-8:00pm

Health Screening - To be completed by our School Nurse-Holly Barros:

K vision and hearing screenings the week of October 5th.

*Referrals will be sent home to parents if your child failed the vision or hearing screening.

Breakfast/Lunch Menu-October

Reminders for All Families

Please Review- Bus Expectations for All Students

Families, we would love your assistance with reviewing the bus expectations with your students. In addition, please do not forget that an adult must be present at the bus stop in the morning and afternoon for each student.

These expectations come directly from our 26.27 Elementary Student Handbook:

Bus Expectations:

The bus is an extension of the school and; therefore, all school rules apply. Parents should review bus safety procedures with their children. Bus riders must comply with the following rules:

Board the bus one at a time.
Choose or go to assigned seat quickly and safely.
Younger children (beginning with Preschool and Kindergarten) sit in the front seats.
Stay seated at all times, face forward, especially when the bus is in motion.
Use indoor voices during the entire bus ride. No yelling or inappropriate language on the bus.
Respect the bus driver and other peers on the bus. Follow the bus driver’s directions at all times.
Keep your body and belongings to yourself, out of the aisle, and inside the bus at all times.
Keep all personal items and materials in your backpack.
No eating or drinking on the bus. Food and drinks must be kept in backpacks.
Remember your belongings and keep them under control
Use kind words with each other and follow the school’s core values in all interactions with others.
Wait for the driver to signal that it is safe to exit the bus and cross the street. Always cross in front of the bus.
Students are NOT allowed to use electronic devices (including phones and Smartwatches) on the bus.

Each student must be supervised by an adult at the bus stop in the morning and afternoon. If no adult is there at dismissal, the bus driver will bring the child back to school and the student will need to be picked up at the school immediately upon student drop off at the school.

Bus slips will be issued to students causing a disruption and/or not following the above bus expectations. The Principal or Assistant Principal may revoke bus privileges for repeated violation of the bus rules. This typically occurs at the third infraction, but please note that an extreme violation could result in an earlier suspension. Upon suspension of this privilege, it then becomes the responsibility of the parents to transport their child to and from school.

Students are not allowed to ride on a different bus. If a child is to visit a friend, they will have to make other transportation arrangements.

Please be Aware--Fragrance Awareness Policy

Families, please be mindful of products students may be using as they get ready for school. Without knowing, many of the products we use such as hair gels and body sprays, have scents that can make others feel unwell. We appreciate your consideration of the policy below.

Don't Forget--CORI Forms - Please Fill Out

Thank you to all of you who stopped by our office to fill out CORI forms on Meet the Teacher Night.

Please remember that all DiPietro family members who wish to walk/run on the field during the Fun Run on October 16th must have a valid CORI on file. CORIs are valid for two years. In order for CORI forms to be cleared by the 10/16 Fun Run, you must complete the form no later than Monday, 9/28.

We have CORI forms in our main office and family members are welcome to stop by Monday through Friday between 9:15 - 2:30 to fill out a CORI. Thank you for getting these completed early!

DiPietro Webpage

Milford Family & Community Network CFCE

Hello Families and Community,

We are happy to announce 4 new and upcoming Fall programs for you!

Please see the flyers below and call the office to register, 508-277-4981.

Join Miss Donna for Autumn Fun on the Common at the Bellingham Town Common! We will stroll through the park, play on the playground and end with songs and storytime on October 7th from 12:30-2pm. The program is for children birth to age 5 years and their caregiver. Registration is required and space is limited.

Would you like an opportunity to spend time with your infant in the company of others sharing similar experiences? Lap Babies is fun for our tiniest of friends! Join us for this 8-week series designed for children from birth to 12 months old, and their caregiver(s). This program will take place on Mondays, from 1:00-2:30pm in the Milford Playcenter and will run from October 19th through December 7th, 2026. Registration is required and space is limited. Sibling care will not be provided.

Our monthly Desserts and Discussions program is back. Join Miss Harmony for this round table, parent-led conversation on Wednesday, October 21st from 6-7:30pm. Coffee and desserts are generously donated and served. Registration is required.

We are happy to bring back our Mini Chefs program coming up on Friday, October 23rd, from 10:00-11:30am, trying out a new location at the Hopedale Playcenter's atrium. Help Miss Lacie cook, create & explore some new foods. This program is designed for children ages 2.5 to 5 years old, and their caregiver(s).

Please see the attached flyers linked in each section for detailed information:

Questions? Call our office at 508-277-4981 or email us at familynetwork@milfordma.com.

Milford Family & Community Network CFCE

Office/Playcenter Address: 11 East Main St., Milford MA 01757

Mailing Address: 31 West Fountain St., Milford MA 01757

Phone: 508-277-4981

Email: familynetwork@milfordma.com

Website: www.milfordpublicschools.com/milfordfcn

Facebook: Click Here

Contact info

We are here to support and collaborate with all families! If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us. You can reach out via the following links:

(508) 883-8001 DiPietro Main Office
ksankey@email.com, Kerri L. Sankey, Principal
mperkins@bpsdk12.org, Max Perkins Assistant Principal
kdavis@bpsdk12.org, Karyn Davis, School Secretary
DiPietro Elementary School Website