From the Principals

Happy October!

The first few weeks of school have flown by, and it has been a joy to see students settling so smoothly into their classroom routines and school-wide expectations. We’re off to a fantastic start at YES, and we hope your children are coming home excited to share what they’re learning and looking forward to the months ahead.

By now, your child’s daily schedule and learning experiences should feel much more familiar and comfortable. If your child is still feeling anxious or facing challenges, please don’t hesitate to reach out to their teacher or our school counselors. We also welcome you to include us in those conversations—we are always here to help support your child.

October is always a special month at YES! With the arrival of fall, we look forward to traditions such as National Bullying Prevention Month activities, lessons focused on kindness and respect, and, of course, the fun and energy that come with the changing season. It’s a busy time at YES, and we are excited to share both important updates and some highlights from the school year so far.

Best,

Ryan Gleason, YES Principal & Molly Kilpatrick, YES Assistant Principal

October News

Meet the UA Team!

Our Unified Arts Team was excited to introduce themselves virtually during the second-grade Open House in September. In this video, families got a glimpse inside each classroom and an overview of the engaging experiences students will enjoy throughout the year.

Starting with our November newsletter, we’re launching a new feature called the “Unified Arts Spotlight.” Each month, this section will highlight what’s happening in different Unified Arts classes, giving families a closer look at the different learning opportunities our students are experiencing.

YES September Community Meeting

On Friday, September 12th, our YES School Community gathered in the gym for our first all-school community meeting of the year. These monthly gatherings are a special time for us to come together, celebrate school spirit, and highlight our core values of respect, caring, fairness, and citizenship.

This year, we are launching a new “Theme of the Month” focus, with lessons led by our school counselors and teachers in classrooms. We kicked off in September with the themes of kindness and respect, which will continue into October as part of National Bullying Prevention Month.

Our September meeting was filled with energy and fun—especially when we welcomed a surprise celebrity guest: Steamer the Clam! Steamer joined us to help review and celebrate our core values, adding excitement and a lot of smiles to our kickoff gathering. The morning was a wonderful mix of movement, fun, and community building.

Looking ahead, we’re excited for our October Community Meeting, when our third-grade teachers will carry on the beloved tradition of Pumpkin Book Characters, bringing stories to life in creative and festive ways.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Classroom teachers will be reaching out to you in the next few weeks to schedule parent-teacher conferences for later this fall. We plan for all conferences to be in-person, but you can communicate with your child’s teacher if you prefer to meet virtually.

This is an opportunity for you to get an update as to how your child is progressing academically and as a member of the classroom and school community. It is also a time to learn how your child can specifically grow as a learner and understand ways that you can help support that process.

Please note that Wednesday, October 29th, is a half day of school with a 12:10 pm dismissal. Some parent-teacher conferences will be held that afternoon through the sign-up schedule that will be shared by your child's teacher.

Upcoming YES October Dates

October 8th ~ Walking School Bus for Rowe & YES

Hello Rowe and YES Families,

October 8th is International Walk and Roll to School Day, and to celebrate in Yarmouth, we will be having a Walking School Bus. We will assemble at the Royal River Park parking lot (across the street from the Historical Society) at 8:00 to depart at 8:10. We will then walk along the sidewalks up Elm Street to the intersection with Main Street. At Main Street, our Rowe walkers will turn left to continue down Main Street to the walking path across from Hancock Lumber. Our YES walkers will follow the crossing guard's instructions across Main Street to continue up West Elm Street to the walkers' path.

Please feel free to join up with us anywhere along these routes!

Parents and siblings are encouraged to attend. Please ensure that your child has plans to get home independently since there will be no Walking School Bus in the afternoon; however, regular bus lines will be running in the morning and afternoon. This is a walking school bus, please no wheels.

We look forward to seeing you!

Rowe and YES Walking School Bus, Wednesday, October 8th, beginning at Royal River Park at 8:00 AM.

October 8th- Yarmouth Fire Station Open House

In celebration of Fire Prevention Week, Yarmouth Fire Rescue is excited to invite you to our Fire Station Open House!

Date: Wednesday, October 8
Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: 178 North Road, Yarmouth, ME

Join us for an afternoon of fun and learning! Activities include:

Fire Truck & Ambulance Tours
Free Hot Dogs & Snacks
Spray a Fire Hose
Extrication Demonstration (Jaws of Life)

This event is open to students, families, and any community members of all ages — especially children from Pre-K through 5th grade, but anyone who’s a kid at heart is welcome!

Plenty of onsite parking is available.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. We look forward to seeing you there!

Warm regards,
Mark Reinsborough
Firefighter, Yarmouth Fire Rescue

Yarmouth PTO News

Hello from the PTO! We hope everyone is enjoying being back in the swing of a new school year. September flew by, but we're ready to fall into some October fun! Join us at one of our upcoming events.

Volunteer Information- Two forms!

If you'd like to volunteer with the PTO this year, please make sure to fill out the Yarmouth School District's 2025-2026 volunteer form. This must be completed every year. If you've already filled it out following Rebecca Spear's email earlier this month, you're all set!

If you haven't already filled out the PTO-specific volunteer interest form, we'd love to hear from you! This form is for our reference in coordinating volunteers, but you will not be able to volunteer with the PTO until you've submitted the mandatory YSD form linked above.

Committee Openings

Are you interested in serving on a committee this year? We're looking for members for the following initiatives:

-Staff Appreciation

-Glow Run

If you'd like to sign up, please fill out the PTO volunteer interest form above or send us a note at yarmouthpto04096@gmail.com.

PTO Gather & Greet

Join us on Tuesday, October 7th, for our first meet-up at a local coffee shop. Representatives from the PTO will be at Fox & the Fiddle (inside 317 Main) at 8:45 am. If you're hoping to learn more about the organization or would just like to chat with some other parents and community members, we hope you'll join us. Drop in, grab a coffee from the cafe, and pull up a chair!

October PTO Meeting

Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, October 16th, at 4 PM in the YES library. Our meetings are open to everyone, and we encourage you to attend. We look forward to seeing you!

Trunk or Treat

Keep an eye out for information about some PTO happenings at YCS's annual Trunk or Treat! More details to come.

Welcome Packet

Is your family new to the area? Or would you just like to learn more about local offerings? Check out our digital Welcome Packet, a live, comprehensive document that has information about local and state events, attractions, resources, and much more.

YES Newsletter