Bacon Weekly - 9/14/26 - 9/18/26

Bacon Students admiring our garden

Bacon Bears, 

We are officially settling into the rhythm of a new school year, and there has already been a lot happening at RM Bacon!

Back to School Night – Wednesday at 6:00 PM

We are looking forward to welcoming our families to Back to School Night this Wednesday, September 16, beginning at 6:00 PM.

This is an important opportunity for families to meet their child’s teacher, learn more about classroom expectations and routines, and hear about some of the exciting things planned for the 2026–2027 school year.

We hope to see you Wednesday night!

Biggie is Back!

We had a familiar face return to Bacon this week! Biggie the Bunny is back at Bacon and has made his home in Room 3 with Mrs. Gandy’s class.

Biggie has always been a crowd favorite at Bacon, and it didn't take him long to make some new friends. He especially enjoyed getting his picture taken with his new classmates in Room 3! We are happy to have Biggie back as part of the Bacon family.

Ms. Spencer's Students Honor Fireman and Police for Patriot Day (9/11) 

In recognition of Patriot Day on September 11, Ms. Spencer’s students took time to honor and thank our local firefighters and police officers for their service to our community.

This was a meaningful opportunity for our students to recognize the dedication of our first responders and show their appreciation for the people who work each day to keep our community safe.

Great job, Ms. Spencer and students, for demonstrating gratitude, respect, and Bacon pride!

Ms. Spencer's class 

Ms. Spencer's class 

Starting the Year with Positive Connections

One of our continued areas of focus is building strong relationships with our students and families. This past week, positive calls were made home to select families to start the year by focusing on the good things we are seeing and to introduce our CARES supports.

Our CARES team members have also been assigned and will provide another positive connection and resource for students throughout the school year. Sometimes a simple positive interaction can make a tremendous difference in how a student starts his or her day.

We will be continuing the Positive Parent Phone Calls each week as the teachers will nominate someone for Dr. Cook to call. 

Fall Assessments Underway

Our fall assessment window is underway. Students across Bacon are participating in i-Ready, DIBELS, MAZE, and other beginning-of-year screenings.

These assessments give our teachers important information about where students are starting the year and help us make instructional decisions about the support and enrichment individual students may need.

We appreciate everyone's flexibility as our interventionists and teachers work together to complete the assessments while minimizing disruptions to classroom instruction.

The GOOSE is Loose!

Teachers will want to see Gabby this year! 

We are adding a little fun to staff recognition this year with a new Bacon tradition.

Meet Gabby the Goose!

G.O.O.S.E. stands for Get Out Of School Early, and each week Gabby will recognize a Bacon staff member who has gone above and beyond for our students, colleagues, or school community.

Our first GOOSE will be awarded this Tuesday during our staff Motivation Monday…on a Tuesday!

It's another small way to recognize the people who make Bacon such a special place.

Remembering Mrs. Swaim

Mrs. Swaim's Celebration of Life 

Thank you to everyone who attended Lori Swaim's Celebration of Life on Sunday. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Lori's life and the impact she had on so many people.

A special thank you to Beth Pansa for organizing such a meaningful event.

Throughout this school year, we will continue to find ways to honor Lori and the contributions she made to the Bacon family.

Support Our Safety Patrol!

Our Bacon Safety Patrol is selling Boscov’s “Friends Helping Friends” shopping passes for October 21!

Passes are just $5 and provide 25% off your purchases at Boscov’s that day. Best of all, 100% of the money raised goes directly to our Safety Patrol to help fund their end-of-year trip.

If you would like to purchase a pass, please see one of our Safety Patrol members or Mrs. Gant in Room 19.

Thank you for supporting our Safety Patrol and helping make their end-of-year trip possible!

This Week at Bacon

Monday – A Day
Dr. Cook – Out of the Office
Julie Donahue – Teacher in Charge

Tuesday – B Day
8:40 AM – Motivation Monday (on a Tuesday!)
First G.O.O.S.E. Award

Wednesday – C Day
Workout Wednesday
Back to School Night – 6:00 PM

Thursday – D Day
Another Out of This World Day!

Friday – E Day
Fun Friday
Wear your Bacon Gear!

Pictures from around the school

Birthday Selfie 

Red, White and Blue Day! 

It's time to learn in Ms. McLaughlin's Class! 

It's time to learn in Ms. McLaughlin's Class! 

It's time to learn in Ms. McLaughlin's Class! 

It's time to learn in Ms. McLaughlin's Class! 

Character Strong in Ms. Ruberton's room 

It's time to learn in Ms. McLaughlin's Class! 

It's time to learn in Ms. McLaughlin's Class! 

Birthday Selfie 

Biggie is back! 

Biggie is back! 

Flashlight Friday in Mrs. Catlett's class

Biggie is back! 

Biggie is back! 

Biggie is back! 

Biggie is back! 

Birthday Selfie 

Birthday Selfie 

Great minds Dress Alike 

Great Minds Dress Alike 

Biggie is back! 

Biggie is back! 

Mrs. Gandy's students are ready to read! 

Biggie is back! 

Biggie is back! 

Biggie is back! 

Biggie is back! 

Stay Connected with R.M. Bacon Elementary

Facebook: RM Bacon Elementary
Weekly Blog: RM Bacon Weekly
School Website: R.M. Bacon Elementary School

2026–27 Theme: Bacon School is Out of This World!
One School. One Mission. Infinite Possibilities.

Our Mission: Then. Now. Always. Family.

Dr. Spike Cook, Principal
R.M. Bacon Elementary School | Millville Public Schools

Bacon Weekly - 9/7 - 9/11, 2026

Bacon is about Teamwork 

 Bacon Bears, 

Bacon School is Out of this World: One School, One Mission, Infinite Possibilities 

What Makes a Good Bacon Bear?

This week, we officially kicked off the 2026–2027 school year with our student assemblies! 

We met separately with our K–2 and 3–5 students to talk about what it means to be a Bacon Bear and the role each of us plays in making Bacon a great place to learn.

We talked about our PBIS expectations, Character Education, school rules and routines, and what being respectful, responsible, safe, and kind looks like throughout the entire school day

Being a Bacon Bear Happens Everywhere!

We reviewed expectations for:

• Coming to School & Arrival – Arrive safely, follow directions, and be ready for a great day.
• Classrooms – Listen, participate, work hard, ask for help, and allow others to learn.
• Hallways – Walk safely, use appropriate voice levels, and respect the learning happening around you.
• Special Areas – Our Bacon expectations apply with every adult and in every area of our school.
• Cafeteria – Use appropriate voices, follow directions, clean up your area, and respect classmates and staff.
• Playground – Play safely, include others, make good choices, and ask an adult for help when needed.
• Dismissal – Listen carefully, go to the correct location, and finish the day as safely as we started it.
• Safety Drills – Students were reminded of the importance of taking fire drills, evacuation drills, lockdowns, and all safety procedures seriously. During any safety procedure, students should listen immediately, remain quiet, stay with their class, and follow the directions of the adults.

Our message to students was simple:

There is not a place in our school where being a Bacon Bear turns off.

September Character Theme: RESPECT

Our Character Education theme for September is Respect. During our assemblies, we talked about what respect looks like and sounds like. Respect isn't only how we treat our teachers. It is how we treat our classmates, other adults, ourselves, our school, and people who may be different from us.

We also connected our Character Education program to PBIS:

• PBIS helps us practice what we DO.
• Character Education helps us think about who we ARE.

Practicing Our Schoolwide Routines

We also practiced some of the attention signals students will see throughout the year:

• Hand Up – Voices off and attention on the speaker.
• Clap Signal – Stop, listen, and respond.
• “BACON!” – “BEARS!”

These routines help us quickly get everyone's attention and maintain a safe, focused environment in classrooms, assemblies, common areas, and other schoolwide activities.

Ask Your Bacon Bear

We encourage families to continue the conversation at home. Ask your child:

• What makes someone a good Bacon Bear?

• What does respect look like at school?

• What should you do when an adult raises their hand?

• How should Bacon Bears behave during a safety drill?

• What is one thing you can do to make Bacon better this year?

Our challenge to every student this year is simple:

Make Bacon better because YOU were here.

Weekly Overview 

Monday - 9/7/26 - Labor Day - No School 

Tuesday - 9/8/26 - C Day - Building relationships and practicing routines 

Wednesday - 9/9/26 - D Day - Building relationships and practicing routines 

Thursday - 9/10/26 - E Day - Building relationships and practicing routines 

Friday - 9/11/26 - F Day - Patriot Day (Wear Red, White and Blue)

On the Horizon at Bacon

September Character Theme – Respect

September 16 – Back to School Night, 6:00–7:00 PM

September 25 – PBIS Assembly – PM

September 29 – Picture Day – Fall Individual Portraits

September 29 – Literacy Night, 6:00–7:30 PM

Pictures from around the school

Cafe Options 

Safety Patrol getting ready 

Yummy Bacon Lunch 

Bacon Ribbon Cutting for Ms. Martinez 

Great minds dress alike 

Bacon Ribbon Cutting for Mr. Keenan

5ht Grade Team 

Bacon Ribbon Cutting for Mrs. Somers 

Birthday Selfie 

Birthday Selfie 

Bacon gets a thumbs up! 

New Bacon Bears 

New Bacon Bears 

BOE visits Bacon 

Bacon Teachers Rock! 

New Bacon Bears 

Birthday Selfie 

Bacon Ribbon Cutting for Ms. Spencer 

New Bacon Bears 

New Bacon Bears 

New Bacon Bears 

New Bacon Bears 

New Bacon Bears 

New Bacon Bears 

Kick off Assembly 

Kick off Assembly 

Kick off Assembly 

Stay Connected with R.M. Bacon Elementary

Facebook: RM Bacon Elementary

Weekly Blog: RM Bacon Weekly
School Website: R.M. Bacon Elementary School
One School. One Mission. Infinite Possibilities.
R.M. Bacon Elementary School | Millville Public Schools

2026–27 Theme: Bacon School is Out of This World! One School, One Mission, Infinite Possibilities

Our Mission: Then. Now. Always. Family.

Dr. Spike Cook, Principal

Bacon Weekly - August 31 - September 4, 2026

We are getting our Jeans Ready! 

Welcome to the first week of the 2026–2027 school year!

After a busy summer of planning and preparation, we are excited to welcome our Bacon Bears back to school on Thursday, September 3. Our theme this year is Bacon School is Out of This World! and throughout the year we will celebrate the infinite possibilities that exist when our students, staff, and families work together.

As we begin the year, we also want families to know what they can expect from us. We have spent a great deal of time this summer looking at our programs, practices, and data and asking an important question: How can we be more proactive in supporting every Bacon Bear? During the first month of school, you will see that work begin.

Teaching What It Means to Be a Bacon Bear

At Bacon, our three schoolwide expectations are simple:

Be Safe. Be Responsible. Be Respectful.

During the first several weeks of school, our staff will intentionally teach, model, practice, and reinforce these expectations throughout our school.

Students will learn what the expectations look and sound like in the classroom, hallways, cafeteria, recess, bathrooms, arrival and dismissal, and other areas of the building.

We believe behavioral expectations should be taught just like academic skills. We do not simply tell students what we expect, we show them, practice with them, and reinforce them when they get it right.

Noticing the Positive

Ms. Martinez and Mrs. B 

Teaching expectations is only the beginning.

Throughout the year, our staff will intentionally recognize students who demonstrate what it means to Be Safe, Be Responsible, and Be Respectful.

One way we do this is through our Bear Bucks program. Students can earn Bear Bucks when staff members notice them demonstrating our schoolwide expectations. So don't be surprised if your child comes home talking about earning a Bear Buck!

In fact, ask them:

“What did you do today to Be Safe, Be Responsible, or Be Respectful?” We want our students to know that the positive choices they make every day matter.

When Expectations Are Not Met

Kids are kids. Mistakes will happen, and those moments are also opportunities to learn.

This year, we are continuing to strengthen our Behavioral Response Process so that students experience greater consistency throughout the school.

When expectations are not met, staff may redirect, reteach, provide an appropriate classroom response, and document patterns of behavior when necessary. More significant behaviors will receive an appropriate administrative response.

Our goal is not to respond to behavior after it happens. We want to understand why it is happening, identify patterns, teach better choices, and provide support when a student needs more help.

Consistency matters. Students should understand that our three expectations remain the same no matter where they are or which adult they are with.

CARES: Supporting the Whole Child

Mrs. Somers painting her jeans 

Sometimes a student needs more than a reminder or redirection.

Our CARES process helps our team identify students who may need additional support and connect them with the appropriate people and resources.

A child may be struggling academically. Another may be having difficulty making friends. A family may be experiencing a challenge at home. A student may be struggling with attendance, behavior, anxiety, or adjusting to school.

Whatever the concern, we want families to know:

You do not have to wait until a small problem becomes a big problem to ask for help.

Our teachers, counselor, intervention teams, support staff, and administration work collaboratively to determine how we can best support our students and families.

Communication Is a Two-Way Street

One of our biggest priorities this year is early communication. You should not only hear from school when something is wrong. We want our teachers and staff building relationships with families from the beginning of the year. Likewise, if you have a question or concern, we encourage you to reach out early.

Sometimes a five-minute conversation can prevent days or weeks of misunderstanding. Our commitment is simple: Notice early. Communicate early. Support early.

And we ask our families to partner with us in doing the same.

One School. One Mission.

Bacon Bears getting ready for the year 

PBIS, CARES, Character Education, our behavioral response process, and family communication are not separate initiatives.

They are all pieces of the same mission: Creating a school where every Bacon Bear feels safe, supported, connected, and ready to learn.

There will certainly be challenges along the way. That is part of working with children and part of being a school family. What matters is how we work through those challenges together.

Arrival & Dismissal Reminder

As we begin the school year, please remember that school doors open at 8:50 AM and students should not enter the building before that time. Homeroom begins at 9:10 AM, so please help your child arrive on time and ready for a great day of learning! Dismissal begins at 3:35 PM. 

Weekly Overview 

Monday, August 31
Final Preparations

Tuesday, September 1
Staff Professional Development

Wednesday, September 2
Staff Professional Development

Thursday, September 3 – A Day
First Day of School!

Friday, September 4 – B Day
First PBIS Assembly

Upcoming Events – September

September 11 – Patriot Day 
Wear Red, White & Blue

September 16 – Back to School Night
6:00–7:00 PM

September 23 – I&RS Team Meeting

September 25 – PBIS Assembly
PM

September 29 – Picture Day 
Fall Individual Portraits

September 29 – Literacy Night 
6:00–7:30 PM

Stay Connected with R.M. Bacon Elementary

Facebook: RM Bacon Elementary
Weekly Blog: RM Bacon Weekly
School Website: R.M. Bacon Elementary School

2026–27 Theme: Bacon School is Out of This World!
One School. One Mission. Infinite Possibilities.

Our Mission: Then. Now. Always. Family.

Dr. Spike Cook, Principal
R.M. Bacon Elementary School | Millville Public Schools

Bacon School is Out of This World - Welcome to 2026-27!

BACON SCHOOL IS OUT OF THIS WORLD! 

One School. One Mission. Infinite Possibilities.

Every new school year begins with possibilities.

The possibility of discovering a favorite book. Making a new friend. Mastering something that once seemed difficult. Finding a talent you didn’t know you had. Becoming a leader. Showing kindness to someone who needs it. Taking a chance, making a mistake, learning from it, and trying again.

At Bacon School, we believe those possibilities are endless.

Our theme this year is about much more than rockets, planets, and space. It represents what can happen when students, staff, and families work together toward one mission: helping every Bacon Bear learn, grow, belong, and succeed.

Throughout the year, you’ll see our Out of This World theme woven into celebrations, reading, PBIS, Character Education, assemblies, Bear Bucks, B.E.A.R. Buddies, family activities, and plenty of surprises along the way.

And while our theme may take us into outer space this year, one thing remains firmly grounded:

Then. Now. Always. Family. 

Preparing for Launch: Important Dates

We have several important dates coming up as we prepare for the start of school:

Kindergarten Orientation — Wednesday, September 2 at 2:00 PM
We are excited to welcome our newest Bacon Bears! Kindergarten students and families will have an opportunity to meet their teachers, see their classrooms, and begin getting comfortable with their new school.

First Day of School — Thursday, September 3
The moment we’ve been waiting for! We cannot wait to welcome all of our Bacon Bears back for the first day of the 2026–2027 school year.

Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
Student safety is our highest priority. We have updated our arrival and dismissal procedures and created a new visual guide to make the process as clear and easy as possible for families.

 ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL LINK

Please take a few minutes to review the procedures before the first day of school so everyone knows where to go and what to expect.

Back to School Night — Wednesday, September 16 at 6:00 PM
Save the date! Back to School Night is an opportunity to visit Bacon, meet your child’s teacher, learn about the year ahead, and strengthen the partnership between home and school.

What Will Be Possible This Year?

That's the exciting part, we don't know yet.

Some of the best moments of the school year haven't happened. The books haven't been read. The friendships haven't been made. The goals haven't been reached. The celebrations haven't occurred. There are students who haven't discovered yet just how much they are capable of accomplishing.

That's what makes a new school year so exciting.

Our classrooms are getting ready. Our teachers and staff are preparing. And very soon, our hallways will once again be filled with the people who make Bacon School what it is, our students.

So get ready, Bacon Bears.

The countdown has begun. 

One School. One Mission. Infinite Possibilities.

Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year.

Bacon School is OUT OF THIS WORLD!