In April, the YES community is proud to celebrate Autism Acceptance Month. Here in the United States, more than 5.4 million adults are autistic, and 1 in every 44 children has been diagnosed with autism.

This month we celebrate the achievements of neurodiverse people everywhere and champion the equal rights and dignity of all those living on the autism spectrum.

From April 7-11, YES will celebrate our annual "Kindness Week". Our annual kindness initiative is our World of Change fundraiser. We will finish our fundraiser on April 16.

Each day of the week will also feature a "Kindness Challenge" issued at announcements each morning. They include:

• Monday: BE KIND TO YOURSELF

• Tuesday: BE KIND TO FAMILY MEMBERS

• Wednesday: BE KIND TO CLASSMATES

• Thursday: BE KIND TO FRIENDS

• Friday: BE KIND TO NEIGHBORS

On Thursday, April 17th World of Change will bring their change truck to YES, and classroom representatives will help load all of the change we have raised into the truck. When we return from April break we will learn how much money our school has raised for several local worthy causes.

We are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming YES Family STEAM Night on April 9th from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM! This is going to be an exciting evening filled with hands-on activities that inspire creativity and curiosity in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics!You can arrive at any time during the event, and we encourage you to consider parking at HMS or YHS and walking to YES, as it will be a busy night. Feel free to explore the activities in any order you choose! Based on overwhelming interest last year, this year we have added an extra Slime-Making station and an additional Sphero Battle Bots arena. For more information, please visit our website at YES STEAM Night Website.  

Also, to help make this a memorable night, Yarmouth Education Foundation, an original sponsor of STEAM Night, will have a photo booth with printable pictures in the gymnasium lobby to capture memories of the evening.

We can’t wait to see all of you there and share in the excitement of STEAM learning together. Let’s make this a memorable night for our YES community! 

As you are likely aware, YGT 2025 was held this weekend! We had several students participating and there were many more who auditioned. We are so proud of all our students for putting themselves out there to share their talent, creativity, and imagination.

The Yarmouth Colts Soccer Information Night will be held on Tuesday, April 1st in the Harrison Middle School Cafeteria at 6:30 PM. We will provide information about registration, the season schedule, uniforms, age-level specifics, and points of emphasis. We will break into age-level groups for the second part of the meeting. A Zoom link will be provided on the website if you cannot attend in person.

YARMOUTH COLTS SOCCER CLUB – FALL 2025

INFORMATION NIGHT

When: April 1, 2024 - 6:30 pm

Where: HMS Cafeteria And via Zoom*

Who: Parents of rising 3rd - 8th Graders (U9-U14)

*Zoom link will posted on yarmouthcolts.com

INTERESTED IN COACHING?

Coaching information and registration is available at yarmouthcolts.com

The May administration of the NWEA assessments will include Math, Reading (grades 2-5), and Science (grade 5 only). These will be administered during the weeks of May 5 and 12.  Please keep these upcoming testing weeks in mind to avoid any scheduling conflicts. 

NEWS FROM THE YARMOUTH PTO

2025-2026 PTO ROLES

Are you looking to get more involved with the PTO during the next school year? Our annual elections are coming up and we're actively seeking board members, committee chairs, and volunteers! Board members are elected positions, and elections will be held at the PTO meeting on May 15th at 7pm in the YES library.

We anticipate the following openings:

• Treasurer

• Parent Education Coordinator

• Volunteer Coordinator

If you're a caretaker of a student in the Yarmouth school system, you're automatically a part of the PTO and eligible to run for any seat. There is no deadline for nominations; you may decide to run at any time up until the moment of voting at our board meeting on May 15th. Any Yarmouth resident can vote, and all are welcome and encouraged to attend! 

Committee membership is another great way to be involved in the community. We're seeking chairs (or co-leadership) for the Glow Run committee and the Staff Appreciation committee, as well as committee members for any and all events and fundraisers.

If you're interested in any capacity, from leadership roles to one-time event volunteering, please fill out this form and we will be in touch. We hope you'll join us!

If you have further questions about PTO involvement, please don't hesitate to reach out directly at yarmouthpto04096@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ON APRIL 7TH 

Don't miss the community-wide discussion around the book The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better by Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop. Despite the word "teen" in the title, the topics are applicable throughout the school years, exploring how we can help our children become flexible, motivated learners that are prepared to navigate uncertainty and succeed in the 21st century.

There's no need to have read the book ahead of time, attended the first two sessions, or even RSVP! Just show up, bring your friends, and be ready for a lively conversation as we ponder these questions: How could we move forward utilizing these teaching methods? What would it mean for Yarmouth Schools and Yarmouth Parents?

The discussion will take place in the YHS cafeteria from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. We hope to see you there!

For additional resources, see these links:
The Disengaged Teen: Website
PBS interview with authors: Amanpour & Co. (18:30)
The Self-Driven Child Podcast: The Disengaged Teen, Part I (35:00), The Disengaged Teen, Part II (37:00)

Royal River Books has offered a 10% off discount for copies of the book! Yarmouth PTO also has a handful of copies. If you would like to borrow one, send us an email at yarmouthpto04096@gmail.com.

ART TO REMEMBER

We are partnering with Art to Remember to celebrate your children's art and raise funds for field trips, classroom enrichment, and special events! You may have known this fundraiser as Silver Graphics in the past, but as they have closed, we're now working with Art to Remember. 

Personalized order forms will go home in early April with ordering information and product options including journals, magnets, ceramic mugs, canvas totes, ornaments and more! The online site will be open by 3/31/25 and the ordering deadline for delivery by Mother's Day is Thursday, 4/17/25. All orders must be in by 5/8/25. Items will ship directly to your home.

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE BIKE SWAP: MAY 10TH

The PTO is gearing up for our annual used bike sale with an expanded outdoor family event focused on bike safety education from the Bicycle Coalition of Maine. If you have outgrown bikes hanging around, donate or sell them at the bike swap!

-Drop-off for used bikes and gear to sell is FRIDAY, MAY 9TH from 5:30 to 8 pm at Rowe

-Buy a bike & join the fun on SATURDAY, MAY 10TH from 9 am to 12 pm at Rowe

LAST CALL FOR PRINTED DIRECTORIES

Get ready for summer playdates and camp carpooling by picking up a copy of the PTO directory! It's the fastest way to find the contact info for your child's classmate or playground buddy. The directory is always available electronically through Membership Toolkit, but we're offering one final print run of the year if you prefer a hard copy. Click here to place an order.

JOIN US AT THE APRIL PTO MEETING

It will be held on Thursday, April 10th at 7 pm in the YES library. All are welcome & we'd love to have you join the conversation!

WANT TO KEEP IN TOUCH?

Click here, scroll down to “Join Our Email List" on the right hand side, fill out your information, and never miss a piece of PTO news!

Please remember that the last day of school before vacation is scheduled to be Thursday, April 17. Spring vacation begins on Friday, April 18 and students will return to school on Monday, April 28. Enjoy the break!