Pentucket Lake April Newsletter
Pentucket Lake School April 2026 Newsletter
No Foolin’! April is Finally Here!
April Showers bring… Spring Break!
Hello families of Pentucket Lake!
April is the only month where you might need sunglasses, a raincoat, and a snow shovel—all before lunch! Just a friendly reminder that we ask you to send your children to school dressed appropriately for the day’s weather - maybe a sweatshirt, maybe a coat, maybe long pants, maybe shorts! Each day we do our best to get the children outside to enjoy the fresh air so please help your child be prepared to spend time outside for small chunks of time.
Next to December, April is one of the busiest months of the school year around Pentucket Lake School. Please see below for important information regarding things happening this month.
THIS MONTH’S
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
MCAS Testing Begins this Week
Pentucket Lake’s 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will begin the MCAS Assessments this week. (See schedule below).
Please help your child be prepared for Test Day by:
Getting a good night’s sleep ahead of test day. Who doesn’t function better on a good night’s sleep?!
Have a good, healthy breakfast on test day. Pentucket Lake will of course supply breakfasts to all the students at school free of charge. But isn’t it nice to start your day with a delicious homemade breakfast?!
Please be sure to get to school on time. School starts at 9:00 each day. You don’t want to add to your child’s anxiety level by getting them to school late.
Click on the schedule above to view the Pentucket Lake MCAS Schedule
Why do we MCAS?
Even though the MCAS is no longer a graduation requirement for High School, it is still important for students to work hard and do their best on the MCAS.
For elementary schools, the MCAS is crucial for identifying student proficiency in core subjects, guiding instruction to address learning gaps early, and measuring school accountability. These tests ensure students are mastering essential 21st-century skills and provide us with data that we use to provide necessary supports in order to ensure our students’ long-term academic success.
The MCAS acts as a diagnostic tool, allowing teachers and parents to see where students are succeeding and where they need extra help in reading, writing, science, and mathematics.
Guides Instruction: Results help schools understand if their curriculum is effective, allowing them to adjust instruction and provide targeted interventions for students.
Measures Essential Skills: The "next-generation" MCAS measures critical thinking, knowledge application, and writing, which are vital for future academic performance.
Ensures Academic Standards: It ensures that all students across the Commonwealth are being taught to the same high standards, ensuring proficiency in essential areas.
School Accountability: The data helps the state identify schools that need additional support and resources.
While not the only measure of a child's ability, early success on the MCAS helps set a solid foundation for future academic progress.
We will celebrate and promote high-level effort with the students at school leading up to their assessments. We ask that you do the same at home when talking about the MCAS.
No 5th grade next year at Pentucket Lake
For the last 4 years, Pentucket Lake School has had two 5th grade classrooms. Prior to that, all the children who completed 4th grade at PenLake moved to JG Whittier Middle School for 5th grade and beyond. We returning to that model next year.
Beginning next school year, PenLake’s 4th graders will be moving on to Whittier Middle School for 5th grade. As we get closer to the end of the school year, our 4th grade families will begin receiving information on the exciting transition to middle school.
April Vacation Academy
This April vacation, Haverhill Public Schools is offering Vacation Academy! This is an opportunity for students to participate in academics and recreational activities with their friends! Please see the fliers below for more information.
English - April Vacation Academy
Spanish - April Vacation Academy
Haitian Creole - April Vacation Academy
Portuguese - April Vacation Academy
Upcoming Events at Pentucket Lake
We have two exciting events planned for early April.
First, on Tuesday, April 7th, we will have Clean Up PenLake & Nature Walk. Participants will help do a little spring cleaning around the grounds of our school - picking up litter and trash from around our school. And immediately following, we will hold our 3rd Annual Spring Nature Walk. It is always a great time to enjoy the fresh air - and to beautify our great school!
English - Spring Clean Up & Nature Walk Flier
Spanish - Spring Clean Up & Nature Walk Flier
Portuguese - Spring Clean Up & Nature Walk Flier
And then on Friday, April 10, Pentucket Lake’s PTO will hold Dance Party 2026! There are two group times, so please see the flier for the specifics. And please remember that this is NOT a drop off event - a responsible adult is expected to accompany the child at the dance party. I hope you’ll join us!
Pentucket Lake’s Lion Cart
You have probably seen the little Lion Cash bills in your child’s pockets or backpack. Those are a part of the Pentucket Lake’s Positive Behavior Incentive program! As children do positive things around the school or in their classroom, they might be awarded with Lion Cash. Students are encouraged to save their Lion Cash so they can ‘buy’ a ticket to participate in events like Arts & Crafts, soccer games, or crochet. Or they can save their Lion Cash to purchase items from the Lion Cart, which is full of wonderful toys and other items!
Lost & Found at Pentucket Lake
Please encourage your child to look for lost items in the Lost and Found. There are so many nice coats, sweatshirts, hats, gloves, and lunch boxes sitting in the school’s lost and found - all items that families have paid good money for. Please encourage your child to explore the lost and found for items they may have left behind at some point this winter.
How to know what is Going on at Pentucket Lake - Parent Square and Remind apps
Frequently throughout the school year, the Main Office and your child’s teacher will send important information about things going on at Pentucket Lake or in the classroom. Haverhill Public Schools uses apps called Parent Square and Remind as their primary communication tools. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to sign up. Your child has a lot of great things going on around the classroom, and there are great things going on around PenLake! Being signed up for Parent Square and Remind is a great way to make sure you don’t miss out on anything.
Click here to go to the Parent Square sign up webpage.
Click here to go to the Remind app sign up webpage
Pentucket Lake School’s Site Council
Pentucket Lake’s School Site Council is a school-based committee made up of the principal, parents, teachers, and other community members, that collaboratively influences school policies to enhance student learning. The site council reviews the school budget, identifies student needs, and approves plans for parent involvement, aiming to create a collaborative vision for the school community.
If you are interested in joining us for Pentucket Lake’s Site Council, our next meeting is in the library at Pentucket Lake School on April 27 from 5:30 - 6:00. Please email Mr. Brennan with any questions - james.brennan@haverhill-ps.org
Chromebook Damage Waiver
HPS offers the opportunity to protect school-issued devices for the school year by paying a Device Waiver Fee. As outlined in the HPS Student Technology Device Policy, this $20 fee will help to cover the costs of potential damage, repair, or loss for the school year for the assigned device. Please note: issues of theft should still be reported to the police. The $20 covers 1 student for 1 school year. So families with more than one student will have to sign each student up separately. Some of the replacement costs are as follows:
Charger - $39 LCD Screen - $80
Top/Bottom Cover - $30-$35 Keyboard $70
Device Replacement Costs (when Chromebook is unrepairable) $199
Please take a look at the flyers for more information:
Seat Belts for Students at Parent Pick Up
Student safety is always our top priority, and we appreciate your help in keeping everyone safe during dismissal. We’ve noticed that when some families pull away from Parent Pick Up, the children are not properly secured.
Massachusetts law requires that children under age 8 or under 57 inches tall ride in an approved car seat or booster, and all children must be properly buckled with a seat belt.
We kindly ask families to take a quick moment to check that every child is safely buckled before driving away. Thank you for your partnership in keeping our students safe!
Green Flag means Indoor Recess in the Morning
I wanted to remind families that we post a green flag to the pillar in front of the school to show everyone that we have indoor recess that morning. When the flag is on the pillar, students should enter the building directly through the front doors. They should not go out back like they do during good weather.
Please remind your child to look for the green flag each morning.
It is also worth mentioning that we try and get the students outside as often as possible. Please dress your children appropriately for the weather. Unless it is raining or the air temperature is in the single digits, or if the piles of snow are too much of an attractive nuisance, we get the students outside for fresh air and exercise. And please, put your child’s name on their belongings so misplaced items can be easily returned. Our lost and found is already full of so many items that families have spent good money on…
Good School Attendance
Coming to school each day is one of the easiest indicators to look at to know whether a child will succeed in school or struggle. As a parent and a teacher, I have seen the look on children’s faces when they are lost, when they don’t understand a classroom lesson. The confusion and disappointment is disheartening. No parent likes to see that face. And no child likes that feeling.
It is especially sad when the lack of understanding is because a child has missed a lot of school. Yes, sometimes it is difficult to get a child to cooperate enough to go to school, but no one ever said parenting was easy! Pentucket Lake School is going to work diligently this school year to help families get their children to school regularly.
“Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. This relationship between attendance and achievement may appear early in a child's school career.” National Center for Education Statistics
Important Dates to Remember
Please make sure to add these important dates to your calendar.
Tuesday, March 31 - MCAS 5th ELA Grade Session 1
Wednesday, April 1 - MCAS ELA 4th Grade Session 1
Thursday, April 2 - MCAS ELA 3rd Grade Session 1
Friday, April 3 - No School for the holiday
Tuesday, April 7 - MCAS 5th Grade ELA Session 2
Tuesday, April 7 - Spring Clean Up & Nature Walk, Pentucket Lake at 5:00 pm
Wednesday, April 8 - Early Release, begins around 11:35 am
Thursday, April 9 - MCAS 4th Grade ELA Session 2
Friday, April 10 - MCAS 3rd Grade ELA Session 2
April 20 - April 24 - Schools are closed for Spring Break
Tuesday, April 28 - Report Cards Issued Electronically
Wednesday, April 29 - MCAS 5th Grade Math Session 1
Thursday, April 30 - MCAS 4th Grade Math Session 1
Friday, May 1 - MCAS 3rd Grade Math Session 1
Tuesday, May 5 - MCAS 5th Grade Math Session 2
Wednesday, May 6 - MCAS 4th Grade Math Session 2
Thursday, May 7 - MCAS 3rd Grade Math Session 2
Tuesday, May 12 - MCAS 5th Grade Science & Technology Session 1
Thursday, May 14 - MCAS 5th Grade Science & Technology Session 2
Click here to view the calendar for the entire school year
Haverhill Public Schools Handbook 2025 - 2026
Please click here to access the Prek-8th grade Handbook for the school year. It is available in five different languages.
Pentucket Lake School Information Sheet
Please click here to read up on some key information regarding our school, including morning arrival and dismissal and policies.
Pentucket Lake School
250 Concord Street
Haverhill, Massachusetts 01830
(978) 374-2421
James Brennan, Principal