Frequently Asked Questions

  • JMES Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)


    What are school starting and dismissal times?

    K-4 School day schedule:

    • 8:15-8:35 - Student Drop Off
    • 8:40-2:45 – School Day for Grades K-4
      • **Please note dismissal starts at 2:45

    Preschool:

    • 8:45-11:15 – AM Preschool
    • 12:00-2:30 – PM Preschool

    Who should I contact when I have a question?

    Parents should first contact the classroom teacher to clarify questions. If they still have questions, they should contact the assistant principal and finally the principal.

     

    When can parents meet teachers?

    We believe that a strong parent-teacher relationship helps create the best learning environment possible. Teachers and parents will meet during the Welcome Visit on the Friday before school officially begins and the Open House in fall. We also offer parent-teacher conferences in November and April. Teachers will also continue ongoing communication with parents via e-mail and by phone.

     

    How much does lunch cost?

    Lunch at MES is $3.00 and milk is $0.50. Students may pay for their lunch by:

    1) Writing a check made out to the Merrimack School District.

    2) Putting money on myschoolbucks.com.

    3) Paying for it at the time of purchase.

    No student will ever be denied a lunch due to insufficient funds. Your child will be given a lunch and a charge will be applied. You will receive notification when your child's account accumulates over $5.00 in charges. Please note, students may not charge milk. There is a bubbler in the cafeteria or they bring a water bottle to the lunchroom.

     

    Free and Reduced Lunch

    You are highly encouraged to fill out the free and reduced meal application for your

    family. Applications are now available along with pricing and payment options on our

    website. The USDA will continue to update us throughout the school year, and we will

    notify you of new policies as they become available. Families who fill out these forms

    and qualify for the free or reduced meal prices, are eligible for additional benefits

    including reduced college testing and application fees as well as helping to provide

    essential funding for our school.

    https://www.sau26.org/Page/5047

     

    If my child is going to be absent, what should I do?

    Option 1: Report the absence using School Dismissal Manager!

    Option 2: Call the front office at 424-6218 and follow the prompts for the attendance mailbox. 

    When my child returns to school after being absent, what should I do?

    Please send in a note with the student's name, date(s) of absence and reason for absence. This needs to be handed in to the classroom teacher.

     

    What should I do if my child is going to be late?

    If you arrive in the back parking lot and all students and adults have entered the building, please drive around to the front of the building and park in the School street parking lot and accompany your child into MES.

    You can also report tardy arrivals using School Dismissal Manager.

     

    If I want my child to be dismissed early what should I do?

    Option 1: Report it in School Dismissal Manager.

    Option 2: Write a note to your child’s teacher including the student’s name, reason for dismissal and time of dismissal with the signature of parent. If someone other than a parent is going to pick up your child, please include it in your note. A parent/guardian must report to the office to pick up the child bringing in the proper ID to sign out your child.

     

    What should I do when I want to pick up my child at afternoon dismissal?

    Once you either reported it via School Dismissal Manager or have notified the main office that you’ll be picking up your child preferably by note or by telephone as a last minute decision, you may wait in your car for your child to get out of school. Riders are dismissed from the O’Gara Drive entrance behind the school beginning at 2:45 pm.

    Who do I speak with if I have a problem with assigned transportation?

    You can call Richard Desmond at 424-6210 or 440-2282 (direct line).

     

    What if my child forgets something such as lunch or a jacket?

    Bring the forgotten item to the office. The office will contact the teacher to reunite the student with the forgotten item.

     

    If my child wants to walk or ride a bicycle to and from school or if a different adult is picking him/her up, what must I do?

    Please include student’s full name, room number and parent’s full name on the note. If someone other than a parent is going to pick up your child, please include it in your note. A parent/guardian must report to the office to pick up the child bringing in the proper ID to sign out your child. (There is a convenient form made specifically for this purpose posted on the JMES webpage.)

     

    How do I know if my child is too sick to come to school?

    Please do not send your child to school if they have any of the following:

    • Fever of 100 degrees or higher. A child with a fever should not return until they have been fever free without a fever reducer such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen for 24 hours.
    • Vomiting
    • Diarrhea
    • They have been treated with antibiotics for an infectious illness for fewer than 24 hours.

    If you are unsure, please reach out to the school nurse at 424-6218.

     

    If my child is sick and needs to be picked up, what should I do?

    You must first go to the school office and they will then direct you to the nurse's office. At the nurse's office you will need to show proper ID to sign out your child.

     

    My student has medication needs during the day. What do I need to do?

    The School Nurse is responsible for storing and giving medications, including over the counter medications, to students as needed during the day or at any school sponsored activity. Prescription medication should be in the most recent, updated bottle. Written parental release is also required for over-the-counter medication to be administered to a student, including the dosage, time schedule and method of taking the medication. You can get any questions answered regarding medications by calling the school nurse (424-6218). She works with parents and students, calling if a child is injured or ill. She also advises on preventive health care.

    Here are the forms you need if your child requires any type of medication at school:

     

    Can I pick up my child after school by waiting in my car?

    Once you have notified the main office that you’ll be picking up your child by note or telephone you may wait in your car for your child to get out of school. Riders are dismissed from the O’Gara Drive entrance behind the school beginning at 2:45 pm.

     

    How do I get my child's homework when he/she has been absent?

    You may request homework assignments after every two consecutive days of absence from school. You may request additional assignments following the completion of previously assigned work. Please call 424-6218 prior to 9:00 am to make the request. Parents may pick up the student’s assignments between 3:00 and 3:30 pm.

     

    If my child does not take the bus, where should I drop off my child?

    You may drop off your child at the O’Gara Drive entrance behind the school anytime between 8:15-8:25 am. If you arrive after 8:25 am, please drop your child off at the main office on School Street.

     

    Is before and/or after school care available for my child?

    The Nashua Adult Learning Center independently operates the before and after school care programs in our building. You can find out the details by visiting their website at www.nashuaalc.org/for-children/school-age-adventure-club.

    Other Area Childcare Centers offering before or after school options are:

     

    Are all doors locked at the Mastricola Elementary School?

    All doors will be locked during the school day. Our Administrative Assistants will monitor the front door on School Street throughout the day during business hours. To gain entry to the building a visitor must sign in at the window and be “buzzed in”. Please also sign out when you leave the building. All visitors are required to sign in and out at JMES.

     

    Can I have lunch on Fridays during the school day with my child?

    Families are welcome to eat lunch with your child’s class on Fridays. Family members will be asked to show a photo ID.

    We ask that you enjoy this time with your child in the cafeteria. However, when the class dismisses back to the classroom, we ask that parents do not walk back to the room with them. Parents visiting the classroom during these times can cause distractions for all students.

     

    My child wants to bring his/her favorite toy to school. Is this allowed?

    Some teachers may offer a “show and tell” time in the weekly schedule as an opportunity to share a favorite possession. Items brought from home should NEVER be breakable or valuable. If your child is not participating in a class activity, please make sure personal things stay home. Some objects that have caused disruption in the past include: electronic games, trading cards, wireless devices, stuffed animals/dolls and cell phones. These and similar items are not permitted in school.

    Details on this policy can be found on page 6 in the MES Parent Handbook: https://www.sau26.org/domain/437

     

    How often are report cards and progress reports sent home?

    Report cards are issued quarterly throughout the year. Typically the report cards are issued two weeks after the close of the quarter. Please sign and return the envelope. If you would like to monitor your child’s progress more often, please contact your child’s teacher.

     

    How do I go about scheduling a Parent-Teacher Conference?

    Fall and Spring Conferences are scheduled using the website Sign Up Genius. You will receive an email from your child's classroom teacher inviting you to sign up for a conference. Conferences are held once in the fall/winter and once in the spring. You may also schedule a conference at any time throughout the school year. Please call the school or send a note to your child’s classroom teacher.

     

    Where can I find out about what is happening in school?

    In an effort to consolidate papers coming home, all PATT & school communication is sent home on Thursdays to oldest/only child. PATT papers are color-coded in pink to make it easier to examine the content of the folder. You can also sign up for the weekly PATT email. To subscribe to the weekly email, contact the PATT secretary at jmespattsecretary@gmail.com.

     

    How can I become a volunteer in school?

    We encourage family and community involvement in our school. Our Volunteer Program offers numerous opportunities for volunteers to assist from home and at school. All volunteers, including chaperones, must complete two online courses required by the district. The courses are free to you. Here are the steps to register for the required courses:

    1. www.nhprimex.org
    2. Click on the “Register” tab at the top of the page.
    3. Once registered, click on the button that says “proceed to training.”
    4. Enroll in the following two courses: “Anti-Bullying for Schools K-12” and “Understanding Sexual Harassment.” Each course will take approximately 30 minutes to complete online.  (If you are unable to complete the entire course, the course will remain in the “Training Management” section of your dashboard.) 
    5. Once the courses are complete, you can print the completion certificates for each course in the “My Account” section of the website on the left-hand side of the screen under “Training Management.”
    6. Send in the course completion certificates to the office. You can also forward the course complete email to Mrs. Romein at Michelle.Romein@sau26.org.

     

    Why should I be a participating member of the PATT?

    Families are the keystones that hold the educational framework together. In a research report, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) concluded: “When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.” The synergy of these forces is infinitely more beneficial to students when parents do their part. Consider the following benefits to students who have involved parents, according to SEDL:

    • Higher grades and test scores, enrollment in more advanced programs
    • Grade promotions, earn more credits
    • Better school attendance and homework completion rates
    • Improved social skills and behavior allows students to acclimate better to school environments
    • Higher self-esteem
    • High school graduation and advancement to post-secondary education
    • Benefits to Parents Even parents themselves benefit when they are involved in their children’s education. By involving themselves at the school and community levels, parents:
      • Interact with their children more and are thus more sensitive to their emotional and intellectual needs 

     

    How do I know when school has been canceled?

    The decision to cancel school will be made and announced no later than 6:30 am. Notification will be made via the School Messenger system to your home telephone and/or cell phone numbers. Announcements will also be made on the television station WMUR, Channel 9 and on the following radio stations: FM 95.7-WZID, FM 101-WGIR; AM 610-WGIR, AM 1370-WFEA, and AM 1030-WBZ.

     

    If school is going to be delayed, how will I know?

    Merrimack schools observe a two-hour delay. A delayed opening will mean that all bus transportation will be delayed two hours and that the opening of school on that day will also be delayed by two hours. There will be no morning preschool when there is a delayed opening. Delays will be announced through School Messenger, television station WMUR, Channel 9 and on the following radio stations: FM 95.7WZID, FM 101-WGIR; AM 610-WGIR, AM 1370-WFEA, and AM 1030-WBZ.
    If you have any other questions or would like clarification, please do not hesitate to call the school at 424-6218.