Principal's
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A
number of years ago, I put out a neon colored notice with a picture of PTO’s
tombstone with the inscription RIP. Our
great parent-teacher organization was about to die from lack of interest and
membership. Whether it was the visual of
the tombstone or just the fact that it brought our deep concern to people’s
attention, a number of talented parents stepped up to the plate and our PTO
grew and enjoyed a full membership.
Unfortunately, we have reached that point once again. We have four excellent leaders for our
PTO. However, when they look back over their
shoulders, there’s no one following.
They have great ideas, great energy and enthusiasm, and great dedication,
but they can’t do it
alone. If our PTO had folded the year of
the neon tombstone, we wouldn’t have new equipment on our playground; annual
field trips would have cost parents an average of $5.00 more per field trip;
our sixth graders would not have had the opportunity to go to the Boston
Symphony; our artist in residence programs would have just been assemblies; and
our Family Fun nights and Spring Carnival never would have become a tradition
of our school. Our PTO has done so much
to extend learning beyond the classroom for our students.
Our
next scheduled PTO meeting is
Many
of you have already been in for your parent-teacher conference. We’re looking forward to having the remainder
done on Monday and Tuesday. I hope you
have remembered to fill out your parent survey.
We are having a raffle for a $100 gift certificate to Hannaford’s for
any of you who fill out the survey. In
fact, both parents can fill out the survey and you’ll have two chances of
winning. If for some reason you did not
fill out the survey when you were here for your conference, you can come in
anytime on Monday or Tuesday to fill it out.
The tickets are there, the computers are set, and it only takes about
five minutes. Five minutes work to earn
$100 worth of groceries - sounds like a good deal to me!
Ski
forms were due today. If for some reason
you missed the deadline, get them in by Monday after vacation. After the deadline, Gunstock will no longer
honor a reservation with the exception of students new to the school. There will be no exceptions. Please remember we want every child to
ski. Please contact the school if
scholarship would make it possible for your child to ski.
This is our last Newsletter before Thanksgiving. Be sure to take a moment to count your blessings and enjoy your family. I am very thankful for the many years of enjoyment I have had being the principal of your elementary school. I wake up every morning glad to be coming to school and working with the children of New Durham. Have a lovely holiday.
Unfortunately
we haven’t had much interest in Kingswood Kids this year. Since both the high school students and I have
been here on the past two Saturday mornings with no students, we’ve decided to
put the program on hold until January.
Maybe when the snow is flying and it’s cold outside our youngsters will
be looking for something to do. It’s
really a lovely program for our younger students. The high schoolers that come to help out are
some of New Durham’s finest! Please
consider having your child participate in January.
Another
KRHS Program which supports our youngsters is Peer Outreach. Today the Peer Outreach group did a skit for
our sixth graders in recognition of Red Ribbon Week. The topic was making good choices regarding
drugs and alcohol. Our students had good
questions and the Peer Outreach group was very appropriate with their
answers. This is an annual event and one
of those opportunities for our 6th graders to think about the next
steps in their education. Before you
know it the seventh graders will be down talking about the transition to Middle
School. It all goes so quickly!
Speaking
of time going quickly – it’s time for ski forms to go out. Actually, we’re sending them a little early
to help people budget. We just need the
forms returned right now, but if you’d like to do a payment plan or ask for
scholarship help, we thought you might want to think about it early. Our children will be skiing on Thursday
afternoons, starting after the Holiday break.
Please be sure to send in the form stating whether your child will or
will not be skiing this year. It helps
us to know whether a form has been lost or whether you’re actually not having
your child ski.
Don’t
forget the PTO Family Fun Bingo Night tonight 6:30-7:30PM. We don’t have school on Wednesday this week
in honor of Veterans’ Day. Friday is
Pajama Day – second graders will have the opportunity to wear PJ’s on Monday
the 16th since they’ll be on a field trip to the Rochester Opera
House on Friday. Have a great weekend!
What a great day of goblins and ghosties! Although I haven’t yet seen the parade at the time I’m writing this, I am full of anticipation to see what creative New Durham students and parents have come up with this year. I’m always impressed as I watch the children parade around the gym. I’ll have another chance to check out costumes tonight as the children “Trick or Treat” at the school. If you come with your child, be sure to check out the doors. Some of our students and staff have done an incredible job! Thanks to the Rec Commission for sponsoring the door decoration contest.
Speaking of contests…Please remember to fill out the parent survey when you come in for parent conferences this month. As an added incentive, we’re running a raffle for anyone who participates in the survey. The winner will receive a $100. gift certificate to Hannafords. With the holidays coming up, who couldn’t use a little extra grocery money? We missed some Kindergarten parents this week. I hope you will come back at some point this month and fill it out for us. It’s so important for us to get your feedback.
Attached to the Newsletter you’ll find a letter from our Superintendent about the H1N1 flu. Although we have had a number of children out with flu-like symptoms, most have returned to school within a short time. The State Department of Public Health Services has not confirmed an H1N1 case in our school or town. However, to keep everyone as healthy as possible, please be conservative, keep your children home if they appear sick and take the precautions outlined in Supt. Robertson’s letter. We can all help keep the flu from spreading by limiting the spread of the virus.
Barbara Hunter, our Volunteer Coordinator, and I went down to Manchester on Monday to receive our 22nd Blue Ribbon Award for an outstanding volunteer program. Every time I turn around I see a volunteer in this school. Last year we had 7 volunteer hours per child. I can’t tell you how helpful our volunteers are. Struggling readers need more opportunity to practice their emerging reading skills and reading to volunteers is the perfect way to get that practice. They aren’t yet ready to be independent readers, but do need to put in those hours of reading. Reading is a self-extending activity. The more you do it, the more words you learn, the more fluently you read and the more you enjoy it so you want to do more of it! I want every volunteer who has ever worked in New Durham School to take their right hand and pat themselves on the back. Well done volunteers!!
The November calendar accompanies the Newsletter. Please notice we are off on November 11th for Veteran’s Day and there is no school on November 23rd and 24th due to parent conferences and teacher in-service time.
Have a great weekend. Don’t forget Kingswood Kids tomorrow morning 9:00-10:30AM!
What a lovely day our Kindergarteners have had for their field trip to Charmingdale Farm! The children always have such a lovely time on this trip. Weather wise it’s been an interesting fall – I wonder what winter will bring…
A few weeks ago I wrote about our new volleyball team. Playing against teams who have 7th
and 8th grade players has proved a trial for our girls, but they have
maintained their energy and enthusiasm throughout the season. This weekend they are playing a tournament in
Dover against just 5th and 6th grade girls. I certainly wish them luck and will get down
to see a game if I’m able. On November
14th they have been invited to play a scrimmage during the
intermission of a
Attached to the Newsletter this week is a request from Huggins Hospital for you to provide information regarding community needs. Even if your health care is through other providers, your responses will help them in planning for the needs of the wider community. New Durham is in the unenviable position of being on the outskirts of many social service providers. It would be important to let Huggins know of our community’s needs since it is so close.
This is the weekend! Kingswood Kids starts this Saturday at 9:00 through 10:30AM. If your child would enjoy a Saturday morning craft and activity time with some wonderful High School Students, please have them come tomorrow morning. It’s a great program and I’ll be here to supervise and make sure things go smoothly.
I’ve included a flyer from the Parent Information Center which describes questions parents may consider asking during parent/teacher conferences. Our Kindergarten Conferences start next week and other teachers are also scheduling conferences earlier than November 23-24. Please remember to do your parent survey and get a chance to win $100 worth of groceries at Hannafords. We really need the feedback from parents in order to improve in areas that are important to you. Please take just a few minutes, check in with Pat Jones in the media center, and fill out the computer generated survey. It doesn’t matter when your conference is scheduled, there will be a computer set up in the computer lab for your use. I can’t stress enough how important your comments are to the improvement of our school community. We do staff, student and parent surveys once a year to see how we’re doing. When we notice patterns in the results, we certainly take the issue seriously.
Next week is our costume parade and classroom parties. If your child needs help getting into his/her costume or getting make-up done, you may come 15 minutes early to help. Please pick up a pumpkin pass in the office before going down to classrooms. Parents will be allowed into classroom halls at 1:45PM. It’s such an exciting day, I can’t wait. Don’t forget to stop by the school from 6:00-8:00 for door to door trick or treating sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department of the Town.
Have a great weekend and good luck to our volleyball team during their tournament.
What a great
spaghetti supper we had on Wednesday night.
Thank you to all school and community members who came and supported our
fifth graders. They made over $600 from
the dinner. Attending Ferry Beach Ecology School is a highlight for our fifth graders. They are doing a great job of earning money
to help support the trip. Currently they
are selling calendars with 30 opportunities to win a prize. Even if you win once, your name goes back in
so you have another chance. See a
willing fifth grader if you’re interested in taking a chance!
PTO is also offering
some interesting opportunities. On
Sunday from 9:00AM to 5:00PM they are hosting a “Family Photo Day”. You can
come to the school, have a 15-minute seating with a professional photographer
and receive two 5X7’s and one 8X10 all for the low cost of $25.00. Additional pictures will be available online
if you are interested. It’s great way to get some Christmas
presents out of the way and support your PTO.
On the 21st of October from 6:30-7:30PM, they are hosting a
craft night to create pillowcases for trick
or treating. There’s nothing like a
good sturdy pillowcase in which to bring home the Halloween Loot! This craft activity costs $2.50 and
everything you need will be provided. I
hope you will consider both of these opportunities as you plan out your
week. Also, the PTO website, which is
linked to the school website, has been updated and is looking good! You might want to take a look next time
you’re surfing.
Most parents hope
their child will attend college and further their education after high
school. However, when the reality of
funding a college education hits – it can sometimes be overwhelming and plans
can be scuttled. As part of their
celebrating “October is NH Goes to College Month”, the NHHEAF Network
Organizations’ Center for College Planning is pleased to present an “Early
College Planning” webinar on Monday, October 19 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. During
this interactive session, expert college counselors will help families
understand it is never too early to start to plan - academically or financially
- for a college education. They’ll also cover the basics about college
savings options and details about the impact of saving on student eligibility
for financial aid. If you’re interested you can register at www.nhheaf.org/events.asp !
The quarter is
coming to an end and you can anticipate report cards coming home on November 2,
2009. This year parent conferences are
scheduled for the end of November. You
will receive your child’s report card before conferences this year. Many teachers are scheduling their
conferences a bit early for your convenience and to be able to speak to the
first quarter report card. While you are
here for conferences, please stop in the computer lab and fill out a parent
survey. The results of the surveys have
helped us make changes in how we do things.
We certainly listen to your comments.
To sweeten the pot, any parent who fills out the survey will be entered
in a raffle drawing for $100 worth of groceries at Hannafords. In this economy that should be an incentive
for anyone!
Next Friday is
“Crazy Hair Day”. Students and staff may
go wild with their hairdos and support the PTO at the same time. Pay $1.00 and get funky!
Have a great weekend. Enjoy that beautiful foliage – it’s one of the things that makes this part of the country so special!
I’m
sure you’ll be reading about NECAP testing in all the classroom news for the
next few weeks. The beginning of October
does seem to be consumed by State Assessment.
Although the tests are time consuming, they do provide some important
information about school improvement. We
have many years of data showing that these assessments have driven school
improvement throughout the State of New Hampshire. Unfortunately, as we get better, the target
of No Child Left Behind gets higher. In
order to make Annual Yearly Progress this year, 91% of our students will need
to be proficient in reading and 88% proficient in math. Each subgroup (e.g. special education
students) must also meet those same percentages. Hopefully our students are doing their best
work and we will meet those targets.
We’ll know in January. I’ll keep
you posted.
The
Week of October 19-23 has been declared by Governor Lynch as New Hampshire
School Bus Safety Week. I thought I’d
take this opportunity to thank our bus drivers for the wonderful job they do
getting our children to and from school safely.
I can’t think of a more difficult job.
Being able to keep your eyes on the road and see that the children are
being safe in the bus is very difficult.
You really need two sets of eyes!
Given the miles of roads in this district, our transportation department
has done an excellent and safe job. Here
are some facts provided by the New Hampshire State Transportation Association
for parents:
·
School
buses are the safest form of highway transportation.
·
The
most dangerous part of the school bus ride is getting on and off the bus.
·
Pedestrian
fatalities (while loading and unloading school buses) account for approximately
three times as many school bus related fatalities, when compared to school bus
occupant fatalities.
·
The
loading and unloading area is called the “Danger Zone”.
·
The
“Danger Zone” is the area on all sides of the bus where children are in the
most danger of not being seen by the driver (ten feet in front of the bus where
the driver may be too high to see a child, ten feet on either side of the bus
where a child may be in the driver’s blind spot, and the area behind the bus.)
·
Children
are most prone to accidents when they hurry to get on and off the bus, act
before they think, trust that traffic will stop, and don’t stay in the driver’s
sight.
Please
help make riding the bus a pleasurable experience for everyone by reminding
your child that bus rules are there for their safety and need to be followed in
order to be safe! Let’s support our
drivers – they carry very precious cargo.
Next
Wednesday is the Ferry Beach Spaghetti Supper.
Please join us for a delicious dinner and support our fifth graders in
their efforts to raise funds for their Ferry Beach Ecology School
experience. PTO is also that night. If you haven’t been to PTO because you can’t
do dinner and get back to school by 7:00PM, this Wednesday would be the day to
try; dinner for everyone, childcare during the PTO meeting and lots of
fellowship. All for no more than $20.00
per family! Sounds like a great deal to
me.
Hope
everyone has a great long weekend. See
you Tuesday!
When I was a Brownie, I remember our motto was “Do a Good Turn Daily”. It turns out that the Cub Scouts still think that way. I’d like to thank our Webelos Scouts for the good turn they did for the school. They combed the entire schoolyard and did a fall clean up. When they were done picking up the trash, they had two huge bags of garbage. What good citizens our scouts are learning to be. Thanks guys!
A couple of years ago, our school participated in the Sparks
Study through
Our school picture day was a great success. Thank you to Scott and Debby Jillson for helping make sure hair was combed and collars down. It’s so nice to have pictures of our children growing up. Sometimes, it’s nice to have formal family pictures, too. The New Durham PTO is doing something to help! On October 18, 2009 they are hosting a Family Photo Fundraiser. The flyer is attached to the Newsletter this week. You can come to the school, have a fifteen-minute sitting with a photographer and have the pictures back in time for Holiday gifts. The fee is just $25.00 and additional pictures can be ordered on-line. It’s a really great opportunity to round up the family at the same time and get a family picture done.
Once again this year high school honor society students will be offering “Kingswood Kids” on Saturday mornings. The program starts tomorrow. Attached to the Newsletter is a permission form. If you would like your child to participate, bring them tomorrow at 9:00AM with the signed permission slip. Children can join at any time during the year as long as we have a signed permission slip. The program runs from 9-10:30 every Saturday morning except Saturdays before vacations. It’s a great way for kids to get exercise and spend time with a group of older students. There is usually a craft, a snack time and lots of physical activity. I’ll be here in the morning to supervise and get the program started.
State NECAP testing starts next week. Please make sure your children are well fed and well rested so they can do their very best work on their tests. The results will be available and shared with parents in January.
Well, we are officially into Fall. I love watching the leaves change and the crisp feel to the air. Hope you have a wonderful Fall weekend with your family and friends.
I’d like to congratulate our new volleyball team on their first game, which was played on Tuesday. Although they lost the match by only two points, they won two out of the four games. Nice record for their first ever volleyball game! The girls looked great decked out in their new uniforms and looked even better as they played the game. I was extremely impressed with their ball handling skills and serving. They have certainly learned a lot from their coaches Al Koehler and Matt Rabideau. It’s always satisfying to watch something new being tried and being so successful. My sports hat is off to the girls and their coaches. Way to go!
Each year the results of the NECAPS are used to determine whether schools are meeting the state expectations for academic achievement. The State looks at scores and determines whether each school has made appropriate annual yearly progress. When that is not the case, a school is determined to be a “school in need of improvement”. I am pleased to report that New Durham Elementary School met the criteria for annual yearly progress last year. However, when any school within a district does not make annual yearly progress for two years in a row, that school and the district are considered a school and a district in need of improvement. Governor Wentworth Regional School District is currently a district in need of improvement in the area of math. I’ve attached a letter to the Newsletter which provides information about being a “district in need of improvement” and what the district is planning to do to resolve that condition. All schools within the district are working very seriously to improve achievement in math for all students.
We’ve all been hearing information about the H1N1 flu which is expected to affect us in the Northeast in the coming weeks and months. In order to keep track of the disease, the New Hampshire Commissioner of Health is asking for all schools to report the number of students and staff that have been affected by the virus. We so appreciate that our parents call in when their child is sick and won’t be in to school. During the flu season we would further ask that you include whether your child is having flu like symptoms (cough, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, chills etc.) and his/her temperature. We would like to help the Commission track the spread of the disease and monitor the health of our student population. Your help is greatly appreciated.
I just received our emergency closing information from the SAU. Although it seems early to be considering school closings, we do want to be prepared. Parents who have opted to be enrolled in Alert Now will be notified by phone about closings. Others may turn to the broadcast media listed in the Student and Parent Policy Manual. Be advised that decisions about whether to close or delay are often made at the SAU level without direct input from the New Durham Road Agent, as he only communicates when he feels he cannot adequately prepare the roads for buses.
At a recent Selectman’s meeting, it was decided to change the position of Recreation Director to part-time. This action directly affects the school’s physical education program. As you might know, the New Durham Recreation Director has been providing a second class of physical activity to the students of New Durham for the past 23 years or more. With this change, our students will receive only one period of physical education weekly. This brings us into alignment with all the other elementary schools within our district. I have always been impressed with the fact that New Durham residents felt students should receive more physical activity and were willing to use town resources to provide it. However, nothing stays the same forever and I certainly can understand the economic conditions which influenced this decision. We will be working as a staff to create other ways of providing opportunities for physical activity. This change goes into effect on October 26, 2009.
Have a great weekend!
Whew! We made it through a full week and there are still smiles at the end of the day. We are now fully into our school year and having a great time. I’ve been around to classrooms and have seen a lot of very serious learners, working hard. I especially enjoy talking to the children about what they are reading. The majority of our students, as long as they can make their own selections, love to read! Classrooms are quiet and conducive to reflective reading. I wish I could just sit down and join them in their reading.
I’ve attached a couple of flyers for your information. One is about an informational night about H1N1 flu sponsored by Huggins Hospital. I am overwhelmed with the information I receive about the H1N1, but thought the “Report to Parents” was a succinct and reasonable summary of the issues. As I’ve already assured you, we are taking precautions and will continue to cooperate with the State Department of Health to monitor the flu outbreak in New Hampshire. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Sue Wood to get answers.
This year our Professional Learning Committees are concentrating on developing a tiered approach to academic interventions. We’ve looked at our end of the year assessments, done some new benchmarking and testing, and are creating schedules and interventions to provide additional instruction for those children struggling in reading. Our forward looking goal is to develop a similar system for children who struggle in math. We will be anxious to talk with you at conference time and let you know what kind of additional help your child may be receiving. Remember, struggling readers need to be practicing their reading at a 99% success rate in order to grow. Research shows that struggling readers end up reading less than the average students in their class. Parents can help close that gap by making sure their children are reading “just right books” at home on a nightly basis. Your child’s classroom teacher would be pleased to talk to you about the concept of “just right books.”
After seventeen years at New Durham School, I want you to know I still love this community and my work with the students of this town. Thank you for the privilege of working with your children. They are a great group of children! Have a great weekend.
I’m sad… We’re at the end of those lovely four day weeks! It’s been a relaxing way to get back into the swing of school and I’ve really gotten used to that extra time at home. Oh, well. Next week we may all be dragging a bit by week’s end. I imagine even the children will feel the energy drain of an additional day. Good thing is they’re young and can handle almost anything. Problem is - I’m not!
We had our first PTO meeting Wednesday night. I apologize for the mistake in day I made in last week’s Newsletter. Meetings will be on Wednesday this year. We spent a good amount of time talking about fundraisers and how to support the school. We came up with some really different ideas. You’ll hear more about them in the Monthly PTO Newsletter. Be on the lookout for the Newsletter on Friday, the week after each meeting. Our Boxtop Contest comes to an end on Monday. If you are vying for that Gift Certificate to Foxtale Books, get all your boxtops in to your child’s teacher by Monday. May the best family win! Luau Day was a great success! PTO made $105 to help support activities outside the classroom. It was a fun day!
Next week we have Open House on Wednesday from 6:30-7:30. Kindergarten Open House will start a little earlier (6:15) so Mrs. Haseltine can be in both Kindergarten and First Grade Classrooms. Ice Cream will be served from 6:45 to 7:30 to accommodate both the early Kindergarteners and the rest of the crowd. I love it when 7th and 8th graders come back for a visit at Open House. Actually I was at the Middle School this morning with Ms. Duffield and Mr. Kiely and all New Durham students who heard we were there came by to say hello. I can comfortably report that last year’s sixth graders are alive and well and learning at the Middle School.
Many thanks to those of you who have all your paper work in from the first day of school. We’re still missing some student’s emergency cards and permissions. Please make sure all forms and information are to us by Monday, September 14th. We really to get that organized and understand who has permission for what.
Have a great weekend!
Another week has whizzed by! We’re all getting into the routine and
enjoying being back to school. One more
four-day week and we’ll be at it full time.
It’s been a nice transition with four-day weeks to begin with! Our Open House this year will be on September
16, 2009 at 6:30PM. I hope you can join us to see what your child has been up
to the first month of school. There will
be an ice cream social, sponsored by the PTO, starting at 7:00PM for those of
you who haven’t had a chance yet to connect with friends you didn’t see during
the summer months.
As you were told at our First Day Assembly, our PTO has a new
leadership this year. I want to call
your attention to the PTO flyers that will be sent home on Tuesday. We have a bunch of things coming up and would
really like to have full participation from our parents and staff. Don’t forget the PTO is sponsoring Spirit Days once a month, when the children get to
dress differently. This month (Friday,
September 11, 2009) is Luau Day.
Students can pay $1.00 and wear summer/beach clothes to school. Flip-flops, for this one-day, would be
appropriate. I’m thinking big, colorful
flowers and neon colors! I just might
have to wear my sunglasses all day – and pay my $1.00 for the privilege. These kind of school-wide events really do
help us build community and show that learning can be fun. Please help support our PTO by encouraging
your children to participate. Our first
PTO meeting is next Tuesday at 6:30PM. Hope
to see you there.
I’ve had a number of parents call in the last few days about whether
our students will be listening to President Obama’s speech on Tuesday,
September 8, 2009. Since there are mixed
reactions on the part of parents and since we don’t have school for the next
four days before the speech, we will not be sharing the speech here at
school. I am sure that a copy of the
speech will be available on Utube or video streaming and I encourage parents to
make the decision themselves about whether they would like their children to
see the President’s message. Being
encouraged to work hard and get a good education should be a very positive
message. I think parents are in the best
position to make the decision for their child about whether to watch the speech
or not.
When it comes to children's success in school, no school can do it
alone. Research shows that the most accurate predictor of student achievement
in school is the extent to which families are able to create a home environment
that encourages learning and become involved in their children's education.
Have a great long weekend. It
may be the last taste of summer vacation until next year.
What a whirlwind this week has been! The process of getting reacquainted produces so much energy. It’s a really fun time in school. We’re reviewing procedures and expectations, remembering names and quickly assessing where students are academically and what they need in the way of instruction. I hope you were able to attend the First Day Celebration. It’s such a good way to help with that transition from home back to school. Just a reminder – only students and staff members will be allowed in the hallways starting on Monday. Not letting visitors in the hallways during our school day is a decision made by our Emergency Management Team last year. Please remember it was made to keep your children as safe as possible.
If you’ve listened to the radio or TV in the last five days, you know the country is gearing up for a N1H1 flu pandemic. I must receive at least one email a day telling me how to manage this major crisis that we’re going to experience. Although I feel better maintaining a wait and see attitude, I do want you to know that we have plans and procedures in place should we experience a high number of flu cases throughout the school. In all the literature I’ve read, there are consistent things we can do to reduce the effects of spreading the flu. Teachers will be very mindful of having children wash hands often and our custodial staff will be responsible for wiping tables, doorknobs and other shared objects with bleach. Parents can help by:
·
Reinforcing
with their children the need for covering their nose and mouth when sneezing or
coughing.
·
Helping
children learn the ethic of frequent hand washing or use of sanitizer.
·
Keeping
children home for at least 24 hours after a fever is normal with no fever
reducing medication
·
Keeping sick household
members in a separate room (a sick room) in the house as much as possible to limit contact
with household members who are not sick. Consider designating a single person
as the main caregiver for the sick person.
We will be
sending more information home as the need arises. If you have any questions regarding our
preparedness or what you can do to help keep your child healthy, please feel
free to call Sue Wood, school nurse at 859-2061.
Attached
to the Newsletter you’ll find a Notification of Services for The School Smiles
Program. It notifies you that your child
could be eligible for dental care through the School Smiles Program. If you do not want your child to have access
to dental screening and/or services, please fill out this form and return it to
your child’s teacher. If you do not sign
the form, your child will be eligible for these services.
Children
and staff have done a great job on the homework I gave them the first day. We have many flowers already returned reflecting
the identity of each individual within our school community. I am having a great time reading about each
child. I love the different and creative
ways some students (and staff) have done their flowers. I hope to have one for each child lining the
walls of our school.
We’ve had
a great week. It’s nice to look forward
to the long weekend for rest and relaxation.
See you next week, ready for another great week!
I can’t believe how dedicated our students are. They are working right up to the end of the school year. I see projects coming in and I am watching students work hard on their end of the year testing. I think the weather has made it easier to keep to a schedule right up until the end of the year – but we do have some great students. I have been very impressed with scores on Benchmarks and end of the year MAPs. Please look for the end of the year scores as progress reports come home. It’s nice to be able to share this growth with you.
Teachers have recommended students for summer school. If you have been contacted, please make sure teachers know definitely whether to expect your child to come or not. We need to make sure we have enough staff members to cover those students who have been recommended. If children do not attend summer school, I hope parents will use the summer reading list and make sure their children are reading this summer. Summer provides a break from school, but it should never be a break from reading. Our Town Library has a great program once a week to help keep children’s interest on reading, and there are many appropriate books from which to choose. Please see the attached flyer for more information. If your child struggles as a reader, they probably have had less time in school to just read for enjoyment. Please provide them that opportunity this summer.
There will be one more lock down practice this year. When your child talks about it, please reassure them that being prepared is the best medicine to avoid having to ever use the procedures. Our police chief and his officer who is in charge of emergency procedures will be on hand to assess our success and make any recommendations that might be necessary. We have a complete handbook, which talks about every possible emergency. They have been passed on to the police and fire department.
This is our last Newsletter for the year. I want to thank all parents for the support they provide this school. I truly feel we work as a team to surround our students with good messages about themselves and their schoolwork. New Durham is definitely a community that takes seriously their job to raise up the town’s children. I put them in your care for the summer. We’ll be back in August to help you! Do remember school starts August 24th this year. If you think it’s early for you, think about teachers who will be coming back on the 18th!
Have a wonderful summer. The office will be open Tuesday-Thursday 8:00-12:00 in the morning. If you have questions or concerns, please call or visit during those hours.
What a great turn out for Spring Carnival. It was a
blast! The food was great; dessert even better; and the community spirit
was outstanding. I’d really like to thank Chief Bernier for being such a
good sport! I wish I had counted the number of times he was dunked,
emptied his hat and climbed back on the seat of the dunking booth. The
PTO did a great job of planning the event and making sure everything was set
for a good time. One of my favorite parts is that we so often get our
graduates back for a visit on Carnival Night.
I look forward to many more years of Spring Carnivals. . Yes,
there was a winner for the grill. The raffle earned the PTO over $1,000 –
thank you Eastern Propane!
I started exit interviews with our sixth grade students this
morning. What a delight to sit down with each one and her/his invited
guests to talk about their reflections on elementary school and their wishes
and dreams about the middle school. Each sixth grader has written
an essay reflecting on her/his strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes about
New Durham School and their hopes for the future. This activity is taking
the place of our normal portfolio presentation this year. I think it might be a
better way of having children reflect on themselves as learners. Anyway,
I’m certainly enjoying the opportunity of talking with each student
individually.
We had our first lock down drill of the year
Wednesday. We have all the procedures in place and I am happy to announce
that within 90 seconds of the announcement, every adult and child in this
building virtually disappeared. Although we hope we will never need to
use this procedure for real, I do want us to be ready for anything that comes
our way. Before the end of the school year we will have an unannounced
drill. Our children did have some questions which I believe teachers were
able to answer satisfactorily. As I mentioned before, if your child seems
to be anxious about the drills or is asking a lot of questions, please make
sure we know about it so we can also address it here. I want to thank the
teachers and staff members who make up our Emergency Management Team for all
the hard work they have put into reassessing our emergency procedures. I
will be giving the Police Department and Fire Department a copy of our
Emergency Management Plan so as they respond to emergencies in the school, they
will have the appropriate information.
I find it hard to believe that there are only two weeks and
two days left of this school year. Where did the time go?
If April showers bring May flowers, what do May rains
bring? June pains? Enough with rain! I’m ready for some nice
sunny days. How about you? It’s my hope that next Thursday will be
lovely for the PTO Spring Carnival. There will be so many things to do
and enjoy. Please make every effort to be here. There will be food
and ice cream, games for all ages, a book fair to stock up on summer reading,
silent auction items, a cake walk and a dunking booth just to name a few.
The winner of our monster meat eater grill will be selected the night of the
Carnival. You don’t have to be here to win, but if you want to be the
envy of all around, you might want to be here as your name is read.
Raffle tickets will continue to be sold up until the Carnival. There will
be a booth at the field this Saturday between the hours of 9-11 and 3-4.
If you haven’t bought your ticket, you might want to stop by during one of the
games!
As many of you have heard, Joan Chase’s husband is currently
being treated for Leukemia. Although he has received chemo, they are
really hoping for a stem cell transfusion, which is his best chance for
recovery. There will be a booth at Spring Carnival for anyone who might
be interested in seeing if they would be a bone marrow match for Terry.
The test is a simple swab in the mouth. If you turn out to be a match,
the procedure is simple donation of stem cells through giving blood. If you
are interested in becoming a bone marrow donor, stop by the table for all the
details and to have your questions answered.
Once again this year Maranatha Ministries is offering New
Durham youngsters a camping opportunity. Attached to the Newsletter is
their pamphlet. Many of our students have taken advantage of this free
opportunity to attend camp.
I was impressed with our second grade students who lead our
Memorial Day Observance this afternoon. They did a great job! Our
new Kindergarten students will be visiting with us next Friday afternoon.
I’d like to remind parents that there will be no afternoon Kindergarten that
day. Have a great weekend
OOPs! I was so excited about our Parent/Student Dance,
that last week in the Jottings I tried to make it a week earlier. The
dance is not this evening, as indicated in the Newsletter. It is next
Friday night. I hope the mix-up hasn’t caused anyone a hardship. It
really is a fun evening and a good way to help our youngsters learn how to
behave at a dance.
Many parents have heard that our school calendars for the
next two years are a bit different than normal. I’ve attached the
calendars for the next two years to the Newsletter. Please note the early
start and early release for 2009-10. This change has been approved by our
Commissioner of Education and was requested to allow as much construction time
at the high school site as possible without needing to move or work around
students. Although it might feel like a short summer and cause some inconvenience,
when our renovation project is complete, all that will fade. It’s a very
exciting project and our high school is going to be a learning facility fit for
our children. If you have individual concerns or personal schedule
issues, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
The White House Commission on the National Moment of
Remembrance was established by Congress to put the “memorial” back in Memorial
Day. On Memorial Day, May 25, Americans are asked to observe a National
Moment of Remembrance wherever they are at 3:00 p.m. local time to think about
those who died and commit to Live Honoring America’s Fallen. I
encourage you to participate in a new American tradition simply by pausing
wherever you may be at 3:00 p.m. for a moment to reflect on our fallen
heroes. For more information on the National Moment of Remembrance,
kindly visit the White House Commission on Remembrance official web site, www.remember.gov http://www.remember.gov/.
Have a great long weekend and please join me on Monday at
3:00 in a moment of remembrance for those who have fought for our country and
lost their lives. The school Memorial Day Observance will take place next
Friday at 2:00PM. All community members are invited to join us
As the weather warms, and the black flies finish their life
cycle, it’s a great time to think about being outdoors. Eastern Oil and
Propane, Inc. is going to make one family’s outdoor experience better than
imaginable! They have donated a monster outdoor grill for us to
raffle as part of our PTO Spring Carnival. I mean this is the Cadillac of
grills! Children will be coming home with raffle tickets to sell. I
imagine the grill would make a great Father’s Day present. Please
encourage your child to sell the tickets before the Carnival on June 4th.
Ticket stubs and money must be in the school office by that morning. Good
luck on being the winning family. I’ll be over for a picnic on July 4th!
The return of warm weather always necessitates
a reminder to parents that cars in the front of the building at arrival
and dismissal times should never be without a driver. I know the fine
weather calls you out of your car, but if you want to wait outside for dismissal,
you need to park elsewhere. Cars waiting along the curb are expected to
be ready for their child and to move out of the way as soon as he/she is safely
situated in the car. Please don’t hold up other parents who want to drive
in/out quickly by parking your car in the line-up.
During the next few weeks we will be reviewing our Emergency
Procedures with staff and students. At some point there will be a lock
down drill and a shelter in place drill. Teachers will be going over
these procedures with our students before these drills take place. It’s
important for us to practice these procedures for obvious reasons. We
want children and staff to know what to do in case of an emergency.
However, some children are very sensitive and just the practice of a drill can
cause some anxiety. If your child has questions or shows concern over the
drill, please let us know so we can help ease their fears and anticipate their
reactions should we have a real need to use a lock down or shelter in place procedure.
Our parent/child dance is coming up the Friday before
Memorial Day weekend! Pat Luckern is doing a great job with the
organizing and planning, but she’s going to need help. Please contact her
(859-1425) if you are able to lend a hand getting the whole evening to be just
right for our youngsters. This event is a parent conceived and parent run
event. It’s a great time and I hope you all will consider coming with
your child and spending the evening making them feel special! It’s a joyful
night for me to watch.
Attached to the Newsletter is an updated June
calendar. There are some additions since the last one went out.
Please take note. Have a great weekend.
May 8, 2009
Some of your children will have had the opportunity to work with
our Artist is Residence this week. Beth Olshansky is here this week and
next week working with all our students in grades 1-6 to improve their writing
through painting. The children who have had a chance to get started are
doing an amazing job. We’ll invite you in when the projects are completed
to have a look. Maybe we can have a display during Spring Carnival.
Judging from the number of emails which are whizzing around
between our PTO leadership, the Spring Carnival is going to be awesome!
Make sure you save the date of June 4th. There will be games,
a dunking booth, free food, a silent auction and lots of fun! You may
remember that we didn’t have a Spring Carnival last year. I think people
missed having it – It is a great way to get the community together before the
end of the school year.
Summer school brochures are now available and those of you
who have children being recommended for summer school will probably have
received a phone call by now. Please help us with our planning by letting
us know as soon as possible whether you intend to send your child. Due to
the shortened summer break, we will be running summer school for only four
weeks. That will still help children maintain the gains they’ve made this
year and also have some quality summer time. Please do not hesitate to
call the school with any questions you may have about the program or your
child’s participation in it.
Parent input forms have been attached to this
Newsletter. Please have them back to the school by May 22, 2009 so your
concerns and input can be taken into consideration when students are
placed. Next year will be the first year in all the years I have been
principal in New Durham that we will have two classes at each grade level and
no combination classes!
Enjoy your weekend.
Ahhhh spring! Actually I understand it’s going to be
more like summer this weekend! What wonderful weather is predicted for our
break next week. I hope you all are able to take advantage of the warmth
and sunshine and spend some time outdoors. I’m looking forward to getting
some planters around my yard in anticipation of flowers. I love looking
at all the changes, which occur in nature during this time of year.
We are beginning to plan for summer and next year.
Summer school brochures will be going out after vacation. Teachers are
asked to send them to students they feel would benefit from the additional
instruction during the summer months. Normally we only have room for
those children who really need the boost. However, we have put brochures
on the door by the office for parents who would like to refer their own
children. Just remember, the slots will be filled based on need
first. With the first Newsletter in May you will receive a form to
provide input on placement of your student for next year. Meetings will
take place mid-May, so I suggest you fill them out and return them
promptly. We do consider parent input when placing students in classes
for the following year.
If you don’t want to lose that winter jacket or pair of
mittens, I suggest you check the lost and found in the near future.
Forgotten articles of clothing are piling up and we usually donate what isn’t
claimed to Good Will or Salvation Army by the end of the school year. It’s
amazing what can be left unclaimed!
Attached to the Newsletter is May’s calendar and a partial
June calendar. I thought you might want some advance notice of some of
the important events already planned for June. We will publish a final
June calendar at the end of May. Our last day of school is June 23, 2009
and it will be a full day of school for both students and staff.
Have a great weekend and a wonderful spring break!
As I sit to write these Jottings, I’m thinking of our
fifth grade students who will be returning from Ferry Beach this
afternoon. They usually look like a bedraggled group, but always there is
that spark of excitement for all the learning that went on while they were
gone. It’s more than just learning about biomes and ecology.
Children also learn to be self-sufficient and to serve others. They learn
they can be away from home and survive (it’s harder for some than
others!). They learn about getting along together in a community
situation. It is a wonderful learning opportunity for so many reasons and
I am glad that we continue to be able to provide this option to our fifth grade
students. I am thankful to our teaching staff for being willing to extend
their teaching time and leave their families for the week. I wish I could
be a fly on the wall in fifth grade homes this weekend. I imagine the
story telling will be superb!
Kindergarten Registration is this coming Tuesday at
7:00PM. It appears that we will register only enough children for one
session of Kindergarten next year. It is important that we know about all
5 year olds in town, in case that should change. If you know anyone
living in town with a four or five year old, please remind them to call the
school or just come to registration on Tuesday night if their child will be
five by September 30th. As always, childcare will be provided so parents
can take care of paper work and tour the facility.
PTO was rescheduled to next Thursday, after the benefit
dinner for the Lytle family. We are still accepting donations of paper
goods, sauce, spaghetti, cheese, bread and salad makings. The community
contact is Bob Barbarisi. Please call him at 859-4799 if you have any
questions. Hope to see many of you there. It will make getting to
PTO easier if you join us for dinner at school!
On behalf of the students and staff of New Durham School,
I’d like to extend my condolences to the Booth family for the loss of a
wonderful woman. Betsy Booth has been the force behind our town food pantry
and the “Wish Upon A Star” program for as many years as I’ve been in New
Durham. She will be missed by many. May the memories of her
kindness and service to the people of New Durham help us all through this sad
time.
Today is the day of theatrics! This afternoon the school was treated to the efforts of our Drama Club as they performed the Elves and the Shoemaker for our school community. I’ve only seen the dress rehearsal as of my writing the Jottings, but I’m sure it’s going to be a great show! Students who have worked hard to perfect their production are: Mikaela Corbezzolo, Ben Craycraft, Christy Belliveau, Tim Bohmiller, Desiree Lemke, Sam Allard, Brooke Lemke, Kirsten Gehl, Amber Arsuaga, Nick McMullen, Kearstin Day, Bradley Barbarisi, Chris Craycraft, Olivia Bellemore, Savannah Adjutant, Jake Merrill, and George Tremblay.
If you like poetry and want to have some fun this evening, the library is hosting a coffee house featuring poetry of the ‘60’s. As a member of the cast, the thoughts and events reflected in the poetry have brought back some good times and some not so good times during that era. It’s been interesting to reflect on that period of my life through this production. If you have some favorites from this era, the mic with be open and you’re encouraged to read your own or someone else’s poetry. Please join us!
Our fifth graders will be at Ferry Beach next week starting Tuesday. If the buses look less full and there’s more parking at the end of the day, that’s probably the reason why. Last Monday a group of fifth graders presented to the School Board their power point on composting – something they may learn more about at Ferry Beach as they study the forest biome. I’d like to congratulate the following students on a job well done: Morgan McCann, Madison Tetreault, Casey Rhoades, Jake Woodard, Seth Mitchell and Shelby Lindsay. Thanks to Mrs. Harris for working so hard with these youngsters on their presentation. I was extremely proud of these youngsters on Monday night.
Please remember that Wednesday is a delayed opening. The staff will be working on our school profile and on developing a “response to intervention” model (more about that at a later date!). Students should report to school by 11:35AM. Buses will run 2.5 hours later than normal. You’ll receive an Alert Now message on Tuesday as a reminder.
I wish you all a wonderful weekend and a joyous Easter! Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail…
Starting Thursday of next week, our 6th grade literacy teachers, Michelle Craycraft and Jill Duffield, will be co-teaching a reading unit with a staff member from Appalachian Mountain Teen Project. Collaboratively they will be teaching three books from the Voices of Love and Freedom Curriculum. The books are Heart of a Chief, Felita, and Number the Stars. Sixth grade students throughout the district will be reading the same three books and focusing the discussion on the themes of identity and understanding differences. The unit was designed by AMTP to help the transition process when students from five different elementary schools meet at the Middle School. They come with some common experiences, but more evident are their differences. This unit is meant to help them consider their new experience through the eyes of characters in the books. Next year, this same group of students will share a similar reading experience as seventh graders. We are excited about this collaborative work and appreciate the part that AMTP played in designing and initiating this program. I am sure your students will be excited and will bring some of that excitement home to the dinner table!
The Recreation Department, with help from school staff, will be hosting a spaghetti dinner on April 23, 2009 to provide support to the Lytle family. We are in need of donations for the supper. We are looking for jars of sauce, spaghetti, cheese, bread, salad dressing, salad ingredients and paper goods. If you would like to support our efforts, donations may be brought to the school anytime. It would be nice to know what we will be donated by Monday the 20th so additional supplies can be purchased. The dinner itself will run from 5:00-7:00 on the 23rd. If you can’t donate, perhaps you’d like to join us for dinner!
The April calendar indicated that report cards would go out on Friday, April 10, 2009. We actually will be sending them home on Monday the 13th. Please look for them because they will not be coming home with a Newsletter.
As spring evolves and more and more parents delight in the warm weather while waiting for the end of the school day, Id like to respectfully remind folks that dogs, even when on a leash, just add to the bustle and confusion of dismissal. If you bring your dog to wait with you, please leave it in the car if you get out to chat with other parents.
I’m off to the Boston Symphony and Museum of Fine Arts with the sixth grade today. It is always so much fun to share a new experience with students. Let’s hope we don’t get rain! Have a great weekend!
Although it was over a week ago, I did want to comment on how much fun the PTO Family Fun Bingo Night was. There were great prizes, lots of talk and laughter and great family bonding. As principal I was proud to note that the first prizes picked were the gift certificates to Fox Tale bookstore! It does a teacher proud to see children who love to read. The competition was pretty stiff, too: Dunkin Donuts, MacDonald’s and Smith’s Candies. I hope we do this activity again sometime and I really hope more people show up. What a great way to spend a Friday night.
Not much news this week. Information regarding whether our school made AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) on the NECAP will be out the end of next week. Although it is just one measure of progress, we do want to show improvement from year to year. I’ll be sure to keep you in the loop as we learn our results.
The old calendar indicated that Monday was an in-service day. You’ll remember that the calendar changed at the beginning of the year and this day was removed. Please go by the Magnetic Calendar given to you in January. We’ll be here on Monday! The snow is indeed receding and although it’s still brown, it’s good to see the grass. Here’s wishing you a weekend full of the wondrous signs of spring!
I want to thank Kristyn Bernier for her outstanding presentations on Cyber Safety. I can’t say I wasn’t a little disappointed when only two parents attended the parent session, but was delighted to see five staff members there including me. It is an important topic. Our fifth and sixth grade students have been talking about some of the things they learned and seem to have taken it very seriously. I believe it was just what the students needed to hear. During her presentation, Kristyn did a survey with our students. We will be working together to aggregate the results of the survey and get them and some other information about cyber safety home to parents. Talking to a number of people after Monday, I learned that more parents had intended to come to the presentation and just forgot between Friday and Monday. In the future, I will use Alert Now to do a general reminder for all events that pertain to parents. If you begin to feel it’s too many messages, please let me know and I’ll rethink the use of Alert Now.
There are a number of brochures attached to this week’s newsletter. Irene Garvey is presenting a five-week program on Resolving Family Conflict which looks good. Granite State Reading Council has a flyer about New Hampshire’s second annual Literacy Day to be held at Merrimack Valley High School. Remick Museum will be offering a Children’s April Vacation Week Camp. Remick Museum is located in Tamworth. The programs look very interesting. Kingswood Regional High School also sent a flyer about their upcoming College Fair. Rather than limiting the fair to high school students who are looking to attend college after high school graduation, the community is being invited to this year’s College Fair. With the economic changes which are happening around the country, going back to school might be a good option for people who have lost jobs or who are looking to change professions. The College Fair will be held on April 23, 2009, 3:00PM-5:00PM. If you’d like more information you can contact Sheila Foley at KRHS 569-2055.
Although Interims went home last week, Instrumental Music Progress Reports are going home today. Ms. Johnson has done a good job of capturing what each child has mastered and is doing well and describing what they need to be working on. It’s nice to see the progress our students are making. It is a delight to me that this Spring 46 New Durham students will be studying an instrument. Our band is growing in such a nice way. We need a trombone player – anyone interested?
Hope to see all of you tonight at the PTO Family Fun Night. Come early and see the “Hidden Wings” of some of our students and staff! There are prizes for Bingo winners – and I plan “to win me one”! Have a great weekend!
On behalf of the students who will benefit from the high school renovation project, I’d like to thank the voters of Governor Wentworth Regional School District. It is so exciting to think about how changes in that facility will affect the quality of education in this district. Just having the right infrastructure for technology will be a huge asset! It’s been a long road to passing this bond, but I am so grateful that with perseverance and hard work, we were able to come to a solution, which works for everyone. That was an incredibly positive vote, especially during these uncertain economic times. Again, thanks to all who came out to vote and support our children’s education.
I mentioned in a previous Newsletter that Kristyn Bernier will be here on Monday night to do a parent presentation on Cyber Safety. She and I have had a couple of conversations about what she’s planning and I really do hope you will consider attending this presentation. She’s very knowledgeable about the kinds of trouble kids can get in using the Internet and has a lot to tell us. This is a real issue. It often goes undetected at home and even school. And it does put our children at risk. Please join us for a great discussion. We will be meeting in the library from 6:30-8:00PM.
Due to circumstances beyond our control, this year’s fourth grade will not be having a music demo before deciding on whether to pursue learning a musical instrument and choosing an appropriate instrument for them. They have had the opportunity to play a variety of instruments in class, and should have a good idea of what instrument has the most appeal to them. There will be a parent’s music night on March 18, 2009 at which time parents can sign contracts to rent instruments and learn more about the program. Please feel free to call Kristin Johnson if you need more information about the instrumental music program here at New Durham.
Our current PTO is losing a number of members at the end of this year, some of them officers. Our next PTO meeting is March 19, 2009. Please attend, especially if you have interest in joining the executive board. We are looking to fill a number of really important positions for next year. PTO is sponsoring a Family Fun Bingo Night on Friday, March 20, 2009. Come join the fun! Come early and visit our Hidden Wings Expo. Students and Staff will be sharing interests and collections, which hold our attention outside of school.
Don’t forget we have Kingswood Kids from 9-10:30 this Saturday morning. Have a great weekend and think Spring!!!!
This Tuesday, we will be voting on our building renovation project. Superintendent Robertson and two school board members did a great presentation down here a number of weeks ago about the plans. Since there weren’t many in attendance, I thought I’d attach frequently asked questions about the renovation to the Newsletter. If you have any questions or need more information to make a determination about your vote, please feel free to stop off at the school and have a chat.
Yesterday, Mrs. Doherty and I started the planning process for registering the class of 2022. Can you believe it! The class looks small right now. If you know anyone who has moved into town recently and has a four or five year old, please encourage them to call the school to get on our list. Registration is scheduled for April 21, 2009 at 7:00PM. Information and forms will be sent out shortly.
Next week we will have our instrument demo for children in grades 4 and 5. If your child is interested in learning to play an instrument, the parent night will be March 18th. The data shows that children who play instruments do better in school and I know how much learning a skill like that adds to self-esteem. Our band program continues to grow and I encourage you to consider having your child learn to play an instrument. We have been contacted by a group who would be willing to help with rental costs, so don’t let financial burdens be the decision maker. Talk with Mrs. Johnson if you’d like your child to play, but might need some help to make it happen.
There’s an interesting parent workshop being offered by Appalachian Mountain Teen Project on “Resolving Family Conflict”. I’ve attached the flyer with pertinent details. AMTP does a wonderful job with providing parents and professionals with important information regarding raising children and adolescents. I’m sure it will be a worthwhile opportunity.
As most of you know, this has been a difficult week for our school family. We mourn the loss of Tyler Lytle and his father. We did offer all the children the opportunity to talk about their feelings and over the next few weeks we will be memorializing both Tyler and his dad on a bulletin board in the hall by the library. Feel free to add anything you might like to in memory of these two people. A loss like this takes a while to get over, but we are certainly working hard to keep our routines and do the business of education as usual.
Have a safe and wonderful weekend. Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead with weekend. It feels a little early, but we don’t want anyone late for school on Monday and good luck to Chris Littlefield as he heads to the Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday.
We had a great end to our day! To get into the vacation mood, all school families went outside and built snow sculptures and then came inside to drink hot chocolate and just warm up. As I’ve gotten older and don’t spend as much time in the snow as I used to, I’ve forgotten just how tiring playing in the snow can be. But what fun! It was nice that Mother Nature was so agreeable and dumped some snow for us to play with!
You’ll find the March calendar with the Newsletter. I’d like to point out a few dates of interest to parents. On March 4, 2009 at 5:00 we’ll have a Ferry Beach Parent Meeting. This is the one where we’ll go over all the paraphernalia needed and our expectations of behavior at Ferry Beach. On March 16, 2009 6:30-8:00, Kristyn Bernier will talk to parents about Cyber Safety. If you have a child, this is a very important workshop to attend. So often our children’s skills far exceed our own when it comes to technology. Youngsters aren’t above getting themselves into hot water because of some poor decision-making. Our fifth and sixth graders will have a similar workshop during the week. It is such an important topic. On the 20th the Student Council will be hosting a “Hidden Wing Expo”, giving students the chance to show off their outside of school talents and activities. Parents are invited to view the displays at 5:00 before Bingo starts at 6:00PM. The Family Fun Bingo night is being sponsored by out PTO. Come and enjoy the experience! Our play “Elves and the Shoemaker” will be performed on Friday, March 27, 2009 at 2:00 PM. There will be no evening performance this year.
I’m hoping everyone has a happy and healthy vacation break. We have experienced some illnesses the past few weeks and hopefully the germs will wear out by the time we get back. I know our custodians will wash down desks and common areas with bleach to get rid of any lingering germs. Enjoy the extra time with your children and stay warm and well.
Feb. 13, 2009
Just one more week and then we all get a well deserved break to enjoy the warmer weather (I hope!) and focus on all the things we haven’t had time or energy to do since Christmas. Cabin fever usually sets in about this time every year, but I haven’t really noticed this phenomenon this year. My compliments go to your children for keeping their heads focused on their work and their behavior positive.
I sent a memo out the beginning of the week letting you know that our school board representatives will be here Monday, February 16, 2009 at 6:00PM to present the warrant articles you will be voting on in March, and to answer any questions you may have about the renovation plans for the high school and middle school campus. I hope many of you will choose to attend and hear the specifics of the plans. If you are unable to attend, but have some questions, I have some brochures that might be helpful and I would be glad to talk to you about the construction project. Call or drop by the school and I will make sure you get the information you need to fully understand the articles.
Results for the NECAPs have been sent home by mail. All parents of children in grades 3-6 should receive a parent report showing their child’s scores. There are four categories of performance on the NECAP. We always aim for 100% of our children to score proficient or proficient with distinction on these tests. We analyze the results carefully and look closely at the academic program of children who have not scored in that range. We will not know if we have made annual yearly progress until sometime in March. We did see some nice growth in specific children, but it’s hard to judge whether the school as a whole has shown enough progress to make AYP. I’ll keep you posted on the results and the implications of those results.
Have a great weekend! We are in session on Monday so we’ll see everyone then!
On Wednesday our fifth and sixth grade students worked with thee representatives of Sexual Assault Support Services. They were here to talk with students about the differences between playing, flirting, bullying and sexual harassment. Our children were incredibly receptive to their message and appeared to fully understand the subtle differences between these behaviors. They presented a number of different scenarios and asked the children to identify which behavior was being played out. Because children must be in school and because most people need to work, feeling safe in both the work place and in school is guaranteed by law. We will invite SASS back again next year to help us once again deliver this important message to our students. They did a presentation that was very appropriate for elementary students and the staff was pleased with their sensitivity and ability to keep things positive. They are a good resource for us when making sure our students have all the information and skills they need to be successful.
A few weeks ago I mentioned that our delayed opening on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 would allow us to hear Dr. William Pollack talk about the socialization of boys in our culture. I am looking forward to reading his book, Real Boys, and hearing him speak about his research. Remember there is a presentation at the Brewster Boat House at 6:30PM, which is appropriate for parents to attend. I highly recommend that you go and hear what Dr. Pollack has to say, especially if you are the parent of young boys. On delayed openings, school starts at 11:35AM. Call the office if you have any questions. Daycare is available through the Creative Kids Club if necessary.
Kingswood Kids is in session this Saturday and next, but will not meet on 2/21 during vacation. The first drama rehearsal is Thursday, 2/12 at 3:45. We’re still looking for a few good thespians to fill out the cast. If you think your child (third grade or above) is interested, please fill out a permission form and submit it by next week. Because we canceled ski yesterday, our last ski day will be 2/12. Skiers who want to be in the play just need to let Mrs. Lindeman or myself know they won’t be at rehearsal on 2/12. They will still be considered for parts.
Have a great weekend. Hope it warms up some.
January 30, 2009
Tomorrow’s the big day! The GWRSD Deliberative Session starts at 10:00AM at Kingswood High School in Wolfeboro. I know the SAU has prepared a special presentation about the building plans, so I hope the turnout is good. Our high school is badly in need of renovation and I know you will be impressed with the plans. If you can’t be to the meeting, you can always watch it on channel 25. Of course if you’re not in attendance, you will be unable to vote for any amendments which may come up. I’ve attached a copy of my Annual Report to this Newsletter. Through a printing error, some of my report was not included in the booklet – what I’ve attached is the complete report.
I mentioned in the Annual Report that community collaboration has been excellent in our district. One resource which really reaches out to parents is the Appalachian Mountain Teen Project. You’ll find a flyer attached to the Newsletter about a presentation on Bullying. This workshop is for students (ages 10-13) and their parents. What an excellent opportunity for children and parents to explore the issues involved in bullying and to find solutions to help when a child is confronted by a bully. The workshop will be held at the first Congregational Church on 115 Sourth Main St. in Wolfeboro on February 18, 2009, 6:30-8:00PM. Registration can be done by phoning AMTP at 569-5510.
Today at 2:00 we held our annual school spelling bee. The following children qualified to represent their classrooms in the spelling bee: Third Graders; Brian Lindsey, Bryan Delaney, Nick Chapman and Tim Thompson. Fourth Graders; Cameron Place, Marie Luckern, Brent Carter, Michelle Frady and Jake Merrill. Fifth Graders; Tori Baxter, Nick Cristaldi, Chris Littlefield, Casey Rhoades, Molly Erickson and Jake Woodard. Sixth Graders; Matt Aversa, Christopher Craycraft, Kylie Lashua, Mikaela Corbezzolo, Kody Hobbs and Nick McMullen. Look for the winner, who will go on to represent New Durham School at the next level of competition, in next week’s Newsletter.
Enjoy your weekend! I think we’ve had enough snow for a while…so here’s wishing you sunshine and warmer temperatures!
Over the years, Governor Wentworth Regional School District has developed some wonderful community partnerships. The Friends of Music have generously brought special music programs to the children of GWRSD; the Governor Wentworth Arts Council has contributed to individual school projects, which promote the arts; and The Appalachian Mountain Teen Project has provided many opportunities for students and their parents to learn and grow in their understanding of adolescence. AMTP is once again sponsoring an outstanding program for parents. Author of Real Boys, William Pollack will be speaking at the Brewster Boathouse on Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 6:30-8:00 PM. There is a brochure attached to the Newsletter with registration information. I highly recommend this presentation to parents of boys. It looks at the issues of educating boys and how best to understand and build relationships with boys. During our delayed opening, Dr. Pollack will be talking with the whole teaching staff of GWRSD about the same issues. I am excited to have this renowned author visiting our district and am hopeful that many of you will be able to make this presentation. If there is interest we could have a discussion group or book talk at a later date. Let me know if you would be interested.
Red Cross is once again offering a babysitting course for children ages 11-15 that want to learn more about emergency procedures and how to be a good babysitter. They will provide an instructor for afterschool sessions or for Saturdays. The cost per child is $45.00. If you are interested and would like me to arrange a Red Cross Babysitting course for New Durham youngsters, please call the school office by February 1, 2009. If there is enough interest, I will contact the Red Cross and arrange for them to come to New Durham.
Attached to the Newsletter is another good reminder about Internet safety and things parents can do to help their child stay safe while using all the advantages of the Internet. Many of us know less than our children about computers and negotiating the web, and you might find these tips helpful.
We have permission slips for Drama Club going out next week. If your child is interested, please talk with them about the commitment for learning lines and being at rehearsals. It has been difficult the last few years putting on a professional production when children don’t know their lines and aren’t at rehearsals. Drama is such a wonderful opportunity for children to stretch themselves and learn to get up in front of an audience. We love working with the children, but there is work involved and we will have expectations for keeping to a timeline.
Have a great weekend. No snow in sight!
Happy New Year! Although all indications point to the fact that 2009 may be a difficult year, at least financially, the new educational year is off to a very good start. The children came back from vacation ready to work and our first ski day on Thursday went off without a hitch. Let’s just hope we don’t have a winter of unplanned four-day weeks. Although necessary for the safety of our students, snow days certainly do play havoc with the learning process!
For one member of our educational community, 2009 is a year
of hope. Joan Chase has been a member of
our staff for over 25 years and has been instrumental in many of our youngsters
learning to read. Her husband, Terry,
has recently been diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and his recovery
depends on a stem cell transplant. It is
important that the donor of the stem cells match on a number of key
points. This will most likely be someone
with a Northern European background.
There have been a number of marrow drives in his name, but they have as
yet not produced a donor. If you would
like to support Joan by seeing if you are a match for Terry, there will be a
marrow drive on February 7, 2009, 9:00-1:00 at the Grace Capital Church, 542
Pembroke Street in Pembroke. The
matching process requires a simple mouth swab, which provides
The January calendar went out before vacation, but I do want to highlight some things for you to remember – it’s easy to forget things over a two-week vacation. This Saturday we will have Kingswood Kids from 9:00-10:30AM. We have January 19th off for Martin Luther King Day and that Saturday (1/17) there will be no Kingswood Kids. Although the school calendar is fairly slow right now, it is basketball season and the school is hopping until 8:00 or 9:00 each night. Basketball schedules have been published and you will be notified by coaches of any changes to those schedules.
We’re off to a great start to the New Year. Have a great weekend. Stay warm, enjoy the beautiful NH winter weather and we’ll see you next week.
Mother Nature has, once again this year, started early interfering with our Newsletter schedule! Since school was closed on Friday, we decided to compromise and publish one Newsletter for the last two weeks of the year. You’ll find January’s calendar included and many wishes for a wonderful holiday. It will be a pleasure to have a couple of weeks off to truly enjoy family and have a restful holiday celebration! I know there are still some homes without electricity in New Durham and I am praying that everyone will have warmth and light during the holiday break!
I hope you were able to join us for the K-3 Holiday Concert on Monday night. Our “littles” did such a great job! There is nothing like the voices of children, singing about Christmas to bring on the goose bumps. Mrs. Johnson has really taught her students to sing well. If you were there, I’m sure you noticed that Channel 25 was there taping. I can’t tell you exactly when it will be shown, but you should check the listings on Channel 25 to see if you can catch the concert again during vacation. I’m sure the children will enjoy seeing themselves on T.V.
Unfortunately, our Newsletter is being published before the deadline for our coin drive. On Friday, at Friday Celebration, we will be adding up how much we’ve collected for our Kids to Kids drive. What will we be able to give to a needy family in another country? Will we have collected enough to purchase a flock of ducks? Will we be able to give goats? Maybe we’ll have enough for a whole cow? Ask your child when they get home to see how those pennies added up. We’ll be singing carols and enjoying time with our school families on Friday afternoon. If you enjoy singing, come and join us. We start at 3:00 in the gym.
At our principals meeting yesterday, we saw the plans for the proposed high school renovation. It is such a great plan! It meets all our space needs and upgrades the facility to modern standards. Although the Warrant Article will be for approximately $67,000,000, taxpayers will only need to fund $26,755,239 of that amount. Financed over 30 years, it appears to be pretty doable. Given the low interest rates right now, it’s a perfect time to borrow money. Our students certainly deserve a more spacious and technologically advanced high school, not to mention correction of ventilation and other health issues. Even with the downturn in the economy, I am hoping voters will be able to support this plan. It looks to me to be a great alternative to building a new school. I only saw a small presentation. Please make sure you plan on attending the Deliberative Session on January 31, 2009 at 10:00AM. Our School Board and architect will be making a full presentation then. If you want to see the plan sooner, stop off at my office and I’ll show you what I received yesterday.
I hope to see you at the Band and Chorus Concert tomorrow. If not, I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May you be blessed by the spirit of the season!
I know many of you are aware that we had some playground issues a few weeks ago that brought us all to a new awareness of what 5th and 6th grade behavior can look like. Staff members have been thinking about and looking for the “why” of behavior that seemed a bit precocious for our small elementary school. Our Guidance Counselor, Cindy Hess, found a simple, but very informative article in Family Circle called “Fast Times”. I’ve included it with the Newsletter this week because it’s an issue we all need to face and hopefully work together to help our students. We can all do something positive to make a difference. I know this will be considered heresy, but might I suggest we begin by taking TV’s and Video Games out of bedrooms. I believe that children are bombarded with images and ideas they just aren’t ready to understand and put in proper perspective. There are other books I could recommend if anyone is interested. Just give me a call!
There are a couple of events I’d like to call your attention to:
·
Barnes
and Noble in Manchester, Portsmouth and Salem is sponsoring a Bookfair to
benefit Granite State Reading Council on Tuesday, December 9, 2008. It’s a great time for parents to find good
books for their children, as well as help an organization which sponsors
professional development for our teachers.
It’s definitely a win/win.
·
There
will be no Kingswood Kids this week.
The high schoolers realized we had a Craft Fair going on and thought it
would be best to skip this week. There
will, however, be a Kingswood Kids Program on 12/13.
·
Northern
Exposure Real Estate is once again hosting an Open House to benefit the New
Durham Food Pantry. Drop by their office
at 16 Depot Road on 12/11 or 12/12 to enjoy holiday refreshments and good
cheer. Bring food items, cash or gift
certificates to a local grocery store with you to the Open House or drop them
off up until 12/19. While there you can
pick up a Star from their Christmas tree.
·
Another
good place to get a star is the New Durham Recreation Craft Fair which is at
the school on Saturday 9:00-2:00PM.
There are all kinds of things going on – stop by, get a few presents or
stocking stuffers and pick up a star for a family who may need a little extra
help this year.
·
Afternoon Preschool will hold an Open House on
Wednesday 12/10 from 5:00-6:00 in the Preschool room. Parents of enrolled students and other
interested parents are invited to come and meet the teachers and hear about the
program. If you have a child between the ages of 3-5, who does not currently
attend Kindergarten, you might be interested in this new program run by
Creative Kids.
Can you believe there are only two weeks left until our Holiday Break! It’s a good thing I gave up Christmas presents a few years ago. Actually, I make charitable contributions in the name of people I would normally give presents to. It seems to work for my family and I get to skip the stress and really enjoy the meaning of the season. It’s a feeling we’d like to share with our students. At Friday Celebration today, I introduced the children to Heifer International Kids for Kids, a global group who help those in poverty by giving livestock to families or communities. The animals reproduce and continue to provide food or labor for a family. It’s one of those gifts that keeps on giving! We are encouraging our students to look beyond themselves this holiday season and join the efforts of this worthwhile organization. We will be having a coin drive from now until December 19, 2008. Please encourage your child to bring coins to add to our collection. It would be great if we were able to purchase a gift of a goat, pig, sheep or even a cow, for someone living in poverty in another country.
I hope our school and town activities leading up to Christmas bring you happiness and the warmth of the season. Come join us for caroling at the Meeting House at 1:30 Sunday afternoon. Any voice welcome!
November
21, 2008
Today was our annual Thanksgiving Day diner at New Durham
School. I love seeing those little
Pilgrims and Native Americans that come to our feast every year. What a wonderful way to introduce our
Kindergarteners to school lunch. Each
child did something to participate in this special meal. Some made decorations, others helped with
corn bread and stuffing, others made the traditional cranberry orange relish
and filled appetizer cups and our sixth graders helped with set up and clean
up. It’s a true reminder that our school
community functions as a family. Our
lunch ladies, Peg Stevens and Grace Gelinas, under the capable leadership of
June Corson, once again outdid themselves!
What a glorious meal and what a wonderful way to celebrate those things
we are thankful for.
The December calendar is attached to this week’s Newsletter. We’ll be starting the countdown to the holidays as soon as we come back to school so check those important dates and plan ahead. It certainly can get hectic during the month of December!
We look forward to having our conferences with parents this coming week. Please remember to fill out the parent survey. We can rely on the information so much better when we know a good percentage of our parents have taken the time to give us feedback. I want you to know that your feedback counts. We do make decisions and changes based on the responses to these surveys. We want to know what you think.
This season I am most grateful for my brand new grandson – who is yet to be named! Hopefully my daughter and son-in-law will have made a decision by the time we get to New York tomorrow to hold him for the first time. What an adventure we have in front of us this weekend.
We are entering that time of year when our calendar and the approach of holidays can create a hectic life, especially with the change in calendar which occurred earlier this year. To help you keep it all straight, I thought I’d review some of the important calendar events coming up in the next two months.
11/8 No Kingswood Kids due to long weekend
11/10-11/11 No School either day
11/22 No Kingswood Kids due to Thanksgiving Break
11/24-11/25 Parent conferences – no school for students
11/26-11/28 Thanksgiving break
11/29 No Kingswood Kids due to Thanksgiving Break
12/3 Picture Retakes
12/6 and 12/13 Kingswood Kids meets
12/10 Delayed opening – school begins at 11:35 a.m.
12/11 Band and Chorus Holiday Concert (6:30PM)
12/15 K-3
Holiday Concert
I hope this helps you keep track of where you need to be when and keep your holiday stress level to a minimum.
Yesterday a letter went out to all fifth and sixth grade parents about my concerns regarding recess behavior. If your child did not give you that letter, please call the office and we will mail it out to you. I’ve invited all parents of fifth and sixth grade boys and girls to a meeting on November 17, 2008 at 6:30PM. I hope you will take this opportunity to join forces in giving our children a strong message about what is appropriate behavior for elementary school students. If your child shares concerns with you about what happens at school, please feel comfortable to call the teacher or principal to bring it to our attention. We will always investigate and we really do appreciate the information. We can’t do anything about a problem which hasn’t been identified. Give me a call if you have any concerns or questions.
Next Friday is a PTO sponsored special day – wear your PJ’s and be warm and comfy all day long. Children who want to participate need to pay $1.00 for the privilege. This money will be returned through PTO sponsored activities.
Have a great long weekend! Don’t forget, no Kingswood Kids this weekend.
Last Friday we announced the New Durham winners of the District Energy Conservation Poster and Essay Contest. I’d like to congratulate New Durham Students Dylan McCann and Kylie Lashua for their fine essays and Chance Pacheco and Cassidy Downs for their fine art work. Each of our winners received a non-battery required flashlight for their achievement. Those entries were sent to the SAU, where School Board Members judged the winners from each school to select the district winners. I’d like to congratulate Dylan McCann for winning the district essay contest for students in grades K-3. Although we all worry about the cost of energy and are thinking of ways to save, it’s a great opportunity to give kids authentic problems to address. Some of the ideas were very creative!
Did you notice the snow Wednesday? I sincerely hope that it is not a sign of what’s to come. We need a break after the winter we had last year. I’m hoping for no “Alert Now” calls this year! Anyway, the snow reminded us of ski season. Information about our ski program went home Wednesday with students in grades 4-6. I thought we’d see an increase in prices, but costs have remained the same this year. We did add a little more to cover the cost of transportation this year. Forms are due back to school by November 14, 2008. Gunstock will not let us add kids, so please honor these deadlines. We really encourage any child who wants to ski, to sign up. If financial assistance is needed, please call me and we’ll arrange something. We can do a payment plan, extend the payment deadline, and there is scholarship assistance available. There is a ski and skate sale at the High School on November 8, 2008 if you are interested in buying skis for your child. You can usually get a good deal.
I’ve received a lot of permission forms for Kingswood Kids. Mrs. Nottage will be here this Saturday to supervise. However, there will be no Kingswood Kids on 11/8 due to the long weekend. I hope the children who signed up have a great time on Saturday. Notes of acceptance for the program went out Thursday. If your child did not receive confirmation of being part of the program, please do not send them this Saturday. Call school next week and we’ll make arrangements to add their names to our list.
There is a new warning put out by the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency. Sherwood brand
Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate coins are being recalled due to the fact that they
contain Melamine, the ingredient in milk product that has caused many infant
deaths in China . These candies are sold
at Costco, as well as many bulk and dollar stores. Please make sure to check
your children's Halloween candy and DO NOT LET THEM
The November calendar is attached! Can’t believe we’re making our way to Thanksgiving already. Please notice the two days off on 11/10 and 11/11 and parent conferences are being scheduled for 11/24 in the afternoon and all day 11/25. Report cards will be given out at conferences. Both of these are changes from the original calendar!
Have a great weekend! Don’t let the little ghosties and goblins scare you.
October 17, 2008
I am glad to report that, with the exception of make-up testing, the NECAPs are over. Can you hear that collective sigh? I am sure we will be quickly settled into a more consistent routine as we make our way to the holidays. I am very proud of the hard work that our children put into their testing this year. What a bunch of troopers!
Keeping our buses safe and orderly is an important and
sometimes difficult job. New Durham
sixth graders are helping with that this year!
They are working with Mrs. Harris to show leadership and good modeling
on the bus for their younger peers. We’d
like to thank the following students for their efforts during the months of
September and October: Craig Ingle, Bryce Kevorkian-Brown, Dylan Heath, Daniel
Eldridge, Mikaela Corbezzolo, Alex Topliffe, Justin Heiser, Luis DelValle, Jon
Cassell, and Loni Corbezzolo. Bus
leaders will change for the month of November.
Once again the Recreation Department will host Trick or Treating at the School on Friday 10/31 from 6:00-7:00PM. It was a huge success last year and the Recreation Commission is expecting over 250 children to go through the school holding out their Trick or Treat bags this year. Many individuals will be sponsoring doors, but that’s a lot of candy to provide. The PTO is asking for help with donations of candy or other appropriate Halloween goodies to provide our students with a fun and safe trick or treating opportunity. If you are able, please send donations of candy into the NDS Office and we will see that it is distributed fairly among sponsors.
The PTO also decided at last night’s meeting to sponsor FUNdraising events on the last Friday of every month. Not only will it be fun for our children to do things a little differently each month, but the PTO will be raising money to support the many things they contribute to over the year. This year grades 1-6 will have the opportunity to work with an artist in resident. These fundraisers will help support our residency. Children can pay $1.00 and participate in the following “fun days”:
11/14 PJ Day – wear your pajamas to school (please be appropriate)
12/19 Stuffed Animal Day (carry your favorite “friend” around school with you)
1/30 Favorite Team Day (dress in team attire – including hats)
2/20 Funky Day (Set your imagination free)
3/27 Backwards Day (Be ready!!!)
4/24 Hat Day (Always a favorite)
5/29 Get a homework pass to get through June
I personally am looking forward to February!
Thank you to all of you who have increased efforts to bring in Box Tops for Education. In the month of September we earned $104.90 compared to approximately $200 during the months of April-August. That’s a nice increase. Schools in our area have earned over $1,500 from collecting box tops. Maybe we’ll meet that benchmark too! Anyway, keep up the good work. The deadline for the first installment is October 31st. Please send in all box tops by October 27th so they can be cut, packaged and sent to make the 10/31 deadline.
Enjoy those pretty leaves and fine weather this weekend!
What a week! Fifth
and sixth graders have worked diligently on their NECAP Assessments. They looked a little fried by the end of
their fourth day of testing, but we have all been impressed with how seriously
our students are taking these tests.
Next week third and fourth graders will be involved in testing. Once again we ask that you make sure your
child comes to school well fed, having enough sleep and ready to do their very
best.
There are many ways to find out what students know and are able to do. Once the NECAPs have been completed, teachers will use other means to judge the effectiveness of our instruction during the course of the year. Writing prompts, teacher made tests, computer tests, unit tests, projects and other performances are all great ways to see what our children have mastered and what still needs to be taught. District teachers are concentrating their efforts this year to create common assessments at each grade level in math. Our next teacher in-service (11/24) will be devoted to work in this area. I’ve attached a brochure that outlines the National Mathematics Advisory Panel’s Foundations for Success in Mathematics Instruction. As was done in the area of literacy, the National Advisory Panel has studied the research about math instruction and has made a number of recommendations to schools throughout the country regarding math curriculum and instruction. One of the recommendations is that all students should have a course in Algebra I in their 8th grade year. The Panel has recommended some other significant changes which will be investigated by our Math Task Force and Math Summit so we can implement what will work for us. If you have any questions regarding the full results of the Panel, please do not hesitate to contact me.
It’s time to start raising funds for Ferry Beach. Our staff has decided to host a pasta dinner on October 22, 2008 from 5:00 to 6:30. Story Teller Joanne Piazzi will be at NDS on this date starting at 6:30PM. Being able to get supper for the family at school will certainly be a great way to save time and energy and still be able to listen to our storyteller. Donation lists are going out to fifth grade parents. However, if anyone else is interested in donating, please call the school for ideas.
“Pigmania” is alive and well in New Durham. I see many of the students wearing buttons about pigs and I love the display Mrs. Jones has put in the hallway of books about pigs. I hope many of you have read the memoir and will be participating in the booktalk next Thursday. Our students will be meeting the authors of both the picture book and the memoir next Friday. We’re calling it “The Day of Pigs”. (Pun intended)
Have a wonderful weekend!
I can’t seem to catch my breath! What a busy time of year this is. I’m sure you feel it too. We’ve only been in school for five weeks and already we’re getting interims ready to go out next week and starting our fall testing program.
State assessments (NECAPs) will be given to all students in grades 3-6 during the next two weeks. There are six parts of the test (eight for fifth graders) which measure a child’s skills and abilities as described in the NH State Grade Level Expectations – the same standards used to provide you information on your child’s progress report. Third graders are being measured on the skills and abilities they should have mastered as second graders; fourth graders are measured on third grade learning etc. We have made every effort to prepare your child for this assessment. Your job will be to make sure they have a good breakfast and are well rested so they can do their very best thinking. These are important benchmarks in your child’s educational journey. Please let them know you expect them to do their very best work on these assessments. Results from these tests will probably be available after the New Year. If you have any questions about the testing schedule or about the tests themselves, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or me at school.
Fortunately, life doesn’t stop just because we are testing. On Thursday of next week, Life Touch will be here to take school pictures. Every child will receive a class picture, whether you order individual pictures or not. Retakes will be offered after the pictures come out so you have another opportunity to have pictures taken or have the pictures redone if you aren’t happy with the results. On the 17th the authors of our “Community Reads” books will be visiting the school in the afternoon. We are looking forward to meeting them and talking with them about their writing craft. Don’t forget, we are in session on 10/13. The calendar has been changed so we can be off longer at our Holiday Break.
This year the PTO has placed individual boxtop containers in every classroom. If we are diligent in cutting the Boxtops for Education Logos, we could earn quite a bit of money for our school. Given the economic situation and tight budgets, we could use the extra support from this source of funding. Please help us by never throwing away a product wrapper without checking for the Boxtop label. We might just get some friendly rivalry going between classes to see who can bring in the most labels. I’ve heard of schools the size of New Durham earning thousands of dollars through Boxtops. Let’s get with the program!
Hope your weekend is wonderful. Don’t forget to make a special effort during the next two weeks to send your children to school ready to do their best work and perform to the best of their ability on the NECAPs.
Thanks to all the parents, grandparents, students and alumni who attended Open House on Tuesday night. It is such a joy to talk to last year’s sixth graders and hear how they are doing with the transition to Middle School. All that worry in the Spring and they return on the night of Open House confident, and very happy middle schoolers. It’s nice to know they like coming back and letting us know they’re OK!
Attached to this Newsletter is a notice from Kathy Kunzler, our Director of the Food Service Program. Our families are usually good about making sure students don’t charge more than four lunches. However, there are always those times when we forget to make a payment or find it hard to keep accounts up to date. Kathy’s letter explains the policy on charging lunches. Please read it, and if you have any questions do not hesitate to give her a call or check it out with me.
Last Friday night I spent about 30 minutes trying to locate a student who was supposed to take the bus home. It turns out the student did call a parent and get permission to change plans. Unfortunately, no one notified the school to confirm these changes. We keep very close watch on your children, please keep us in the loop when plans change and either write a note or make sure someone informs the school of the change. As you can imagine, it’s nerve wracking when there is a possibility that a child is missing!
You’ll find the October School Calendar attached to this week’s Newsletter. Please note that the 13th of October is a school day. The new district calendar, which went out last week, also indicates a change for November. There is no school for students on November 24 or 25. Teachers have district in-service on Monday morning and will be here Monday afternoon and Tuesday for parent conferences. First quarter report cards will be held until parent conferences and given at that time. Interim progress reports will be sent home on October 10, 2008.
Have a great weekend!
Sorry I missed the PTO meeting last night. I heard that there was a great turnout and there were many new ideas about fundraising. Our PTO has done so much to support our school. Over the years, many hands have built programs and provided supplies for our children. On behalf of all the children who have benefited from the efforts of so many committed parents, I thank you. Just one more place where the partnership between teachers and parents pays great dividends!
This past Wednesday was Constitution Day. Students in all our grades discussed our country’s guiding document. At the younger levels it was connected to discussions about classroom and school rules. At the higher levels, the organization of our government and personal rights were discussed. By law, any educational institution receiving federal funds must focus learning on the Constitution every September 17th. I personally think it’s a good idea to teach our children to honor the Constitution. I have a friend who carries a copy with him at all times, as a reminder of his freedoms and responsibilities. This weekend ask your child what they learned about the Constitution.
Our September calendar indicated that Carol Shea Porter was going to be visiting our school this week. Unfortunately, with elections coming up, her schedule became too busy. However she is planning to visit with New Durham students sometime this fall. Again, I will let you know so you can talk with your children about what they are learning about how their government works.
Attached to your Newsletter is a flyer from the New Durham Food Pantry. Our students have a history of generous giving to the food pantry around holiday times and throughout the year through Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard. As we all experience the pinch of rising gas and food prices, you can imagine what is happening in homes that struggle financially in normal times. Your contributions are much needed. Please consider making a cash donation to the Food Pantry or donating food through Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard.
This past summer every teacher and staff member in Governor Wentworth Regional School District read the book Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult. It’s a novel about a school shooting and some of the harassment and bullying which leads up to the bringing of guns to school. It is a phenomenal book. We were lucky to have Ms. Picoult as our guest speaker on opening day for staff. Her comments and the informal discussions which followed were extremely thought provoking and intense. I would like to be able to share the experience with parents. I have asked staff to be willing to share their books with any parents interested in reading the book. As a culmination, we’ll have a parent/staff book talk on November 6 in the evening. Please call or drop by the school if you are interested in reading this book. It’s really very thought provoking.
We’ve included the Third Grade Healthy Smile Parent Survey again this week. The State of New Hampshire is hoping for an 80% return of surveys. Returning the survey does not mean your child has to participate in the program.
Attached to the Newsletter is the final version of the 2008-09 District Calendar. If you have questions about the changes, please feel free to give me a call at 859-2061. Now that the calendar is finalized, I’ll be ordering those refrigerator magnets. Have a great weekend!
Another week just flew by! Our students are engaged and learning and seem to have settled in quite quickly to the routines of school. Even the weather is beginning to feel like fall! There are a few important dates coming up that I’d like to remind you of:
·
Thursday, September 18, 2008 at 6:30PM is
our first PTO meeting. This organization
has done an incredible job of supporting our school beyond the classroom. Many of our members have moved on as their
children have become middle schoolers and we really are in need of new
members. Even if you don’t want to
attend monthly meetings, it would be great to know you are available to support
the work of the PTO. Please try to
attend this organizational meeting and meet the executive board and find out
more about how important our PTO is to our student’s success.
·
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 6:00-7:30PM
is our Annual Open House and Ice Cream Sundae Social. Please join us for an informal night of
learning more about your child’s class and meeting your child’s classmates and
their parents. Ice cream will be
available in the gym starting at 7:00PM.
Attached to the Newsletter is a survey for Third Grade Parents from the Healthy Smiles program. We ask that you return this survey, with permission to allow your child to participate. The State of New Hampshire, through the Healthy Smiles program, is trying to create a data base regarding the overall health risk factors faced by New Hampshire children. At this time, we have no statistics on this information. Any information will be kept confidential and children’s names will not be connected to the data. The school board has voted to allow these surveys to be passed out in our district and I highly urge you to allow your child to participate. Please feel free to contact me or the number on the parent letter.
Hope everyone has a great weekend.
I do love this school community! I want to thank the many parents who were able to attend our First Day Celebration. It’s great to start the year with a partnership our students can see. Parents, staff and students working together is an unbeatable combination. On the first day of school I’m always reminded of just how much I miss everyone over the summer. Welcome Back!
Knowing that transitions are important for young children, for this week, parents may help transition their students back to school by walking them to their classroom. However, starting Monday, September 8, 2008, only staff and students will be able to go down classroom corridors. Preschool parents, please remember to come in and leave the school by the door near the preschool classroom. If parents have a need to talk with a teacher, and would like to go to the classroom for a moment, Mrs. Doherty will call to see if the teacher is available or set up a time for you to meet with her/him. You will then be given a pass to walk in the hallway. I want New Durham School to be a welcoming and warm place, and based on our parent surveys, you perceive it as such. However, I also want your children to be safe. Please see this procedure not as a way to keep you out, but rather as a way to keep your child safe. You’ll always find a smile in the office. Also in the name of safety, I’ve attached a brochure outlining how you can prepare your home and family for an emergency. I hope you find it helpful.
As you know, the School Board is continuing to look at the school calendar to see if some small changes can affect energy savings in our budget. The Board next meets on Monday, September 8, 2008 at 7:15PM. I will be sure to let you know in the next Jottings if anything changes from what is currently listed in the Student and Parent Handbook. Once we’ve made the changes, we’ll order our calendar magnets so you can have that information on your refrigerator.
We’ve put September’s calendar in this week’s Newsletter. Please notice that there is a Blood Drive going on at the Fire Station on Monday, September 8th. The Red Cross always has need for blood, especially after the summer months when people are away and can’t respond to blood drives. I’ll be there some time after 4:00PM. See you there! You’ll also notice both Cub Scout and Brownie registration nights on the calendar. Our Bownies from last year in grade 4 and 5 are looking for a leader for their Junior Troop. Also, the Brownies need a co-leader. If you want to dust off your scout uniform and get involved in scouting again, call Tina Edeman at 941-4614.
The Lakes Region Opera Company is looking for five young singers, grades 3-8, who would like to join the youth chorus this season. I’ve attached their brochure. Rehearsals are on Saturday mornings and the fee of $48.00 has been waived due to a grant. If your child loves to sing and would like to audition for this group, please read the brochure to find out how to make it happen.
Our Open House is scheduled for September 23, 2008, 6:00PM-7:30PM. It will be followed by an old fashioned ice cream social – so save room for dessert- and come meet your child’s teacher and learn about his/her plans for the year.
It’s been an awesome first week back. I’ve seen a lot of hard work and focus on academics already. I can tell it’s going to be a great school year!