Family Resource Center October Newsletter
Monthly Newsletter
October 2026
Director’s ThoughtsWelcome back, families and students! The Bristol FRCs, located at Greene-Hills, South Side and West Bristol Schools, are looking forward to another great year of building strong family-school-community partnerships, with a vision of empowering all Bristol families to grow and thrive.
This year, we are welcoming one BSW intern and two MSW interns: Drew Bermudez at Greene-Hills, Jillian Cretella at South Side, and Taylor Barnett at West Bristol. Please see the Meet the Team page on our website for each of their personal introductions, and if you’re passing by one of our sites, stop in to say hello!
In FRC news- Our Program Director, Laura Callachan, welcomed a beautiful new baby boy in September. Please join us in congratulating her when she returns in December! We also will be welcoming a new Child & Family Advocate very soon at Greene-Hills FRC, and we are expecting our West Bristol Parent Educator, Hilary Kalahan, back from her leave in mid-November. As you can see, we’re a bit short-handed at the moment, so please be patient with us, we’re returning all calls and emails just as fast as we can!
All four of our weekly Play and Learn groups started during the last two weeks of September, and we couldn’t be happier to see families coming in again to play - both those that are returning from last year, and those who have joined us for the first time.
Shout Outs!
We’re excited about several returning community partners that we will be working with this year! Due to a generous mini-grant from the Bristol Rotary Club, our Weekly Play & Learn groups- both our 3 family groups and our Licensed Home Daycare provider group- will be participating in several community field trips. Over the course of this year, we are planning to visit Indian Rock Nature Preserve in October, ImagineNation Children’s Museum in January, and Barnes Nature Center in April. Please contact your closest FRC for more information, or check the flyers on our website, here.
Thank you to each of these amazing community partners!
Donation Request
The Family Resource Centers provide a change of clothing to students when they have accidents, spills, or other mishaps. Please consider donating some of these much-needed items. Gently used and laundered clothing are fine! Thank you!
Boys and girls elastic/drawstring waist pants, sizes 5-12
Boys and girls underwear, sizes 5-16 (new only please)
Parenting Support
Did you know that the FRCs offer “Play & Learn at Home” personal visits for parents? Children can choose to start participating in visits prenatally, or enroll any time up through age 5. Visits follow the nationally acclaimed Parents as Teachers model. We have several openings at this time, but space is limited, so please reach out to us quickly if you would like to participate!
If you have a child under age 6, there are many more exciting (and free!) early childhood resources available to you. First, the Sparker App is a great way to connect with your child at their current stage of development, get new ideas for easy play activities, and access personalized coaching if desired. Download it on the Apple App Store or Google Play store, and use your school’s code when you register (GHFRC, WBFRC, or SSS). For more information, check our website here or CT’s Sparkler website, here. You can also stay current with community happenings for families with young children by following one of our community partner organizations, the Bristol Early Childhood Collaborative, on Facebook!
All Around the Town
Toddler Storytime (Every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday)
October 1st - October 29th 2026
10:00am-10:30am, Bristol Public Library
Register on Bristol Public Library website or click here
Free admission
Storytime for toddlers featuring rhythm, rhymes and picture books. For ages 18 months to 3 years old.
Spanglish Storytime (Every Wednesday)
September 30th - October 28th 2026
11:30am-12:00pm, Bristol Public Library
Register on Bristol Public Library Website or click here
Free admission
A storytime for multilingual readers or those who wish to be!
Fall Family Festival
Sunday, October 18th, 2026
11:00am-4:00pm Indian Rock Nature Preserve
No registration required
Admission: $10/child, $5/adult, under 2 years old/free.
Celebrate the season with a day packed full of autumn excitement for the whole family! Hay rides, pumpkin picking, farm animals, games, face painting, crafts, apple cider demo, colonial & wigwam demo and more.
Asbury Halloween Trunk and Treat
October 24th, 2026
6:00pm-8:00pm, Asbury United Methodist Church
No registration required
Free admission
Come join us for a fun family event with Halloween music. Wear your costume and lights. Explore with other Halloween fans to find the car trunks offering treats
Trick-Or-Treat
Saturday, October 31st, 2026
8:30am-4:30pm, F.N Manross Memorial Library
No registration required
Free admission
Stop by during regular hours for a safe, festive trick or treating experience. Costumes welcomed (and encouraged)!
Crafts and Fun!
Spiderweb Craft 
Supplies:
Popsicle sticks
Yarn
Glue
Optional: toy spider
Instructions:
Glue three popsicle sticks together in the center
Cut a long piece of yarn (6-8 feet recommended) and tie it around the center of the glued popsicle sticks
Wrap the yarn around each popsicle sticks creating a web like pattern
Cut off extra yarn or use extra yarn to hang craft up
Add toy spider to spiderweb and enjoy
