The Pulse of the Pride
August 19th, 2022
Lyme School Friends,
It is hard to believe that we are already at February Break. The year is going fast and we still have so much to accomplish.
After some snow and then frigid temperatures, the weather folks have decided to bring some early spring weather. This just reminds us of the importance of being prepared for the weather at school no matter the day especially with mud season approaching. This morning's rain storm during our morning meeting was unusual!
Our classrooms continue to be busy and alive. There is a lot of engagement. From poetry recitation in 3rd grade, menu creation in 7th grade, and oral presentations of persuasive essays in 4th grade, our classrooms have all kinds of things happening.
We had a great Lower School February Fun Fest yesterday and Middle School Winter Carnival today.
Where the next week takes you for February Break, we wish you a wonderful one. We will see you back at school on February 27th. Please remember that it helps students get ready for school by reengaging in routines like bed times and wake ups several days ahead of the 27th.
The next newsletter will hit your inbox on March 10th. Have a great weekend and great February Break!
John P. D'Entremont, Principal
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Happy February Break, everyone!
I hope you all get some good recharging and reconnection this coming week.
Yesterday our K-5 folks had some fun participating in another multiage event called February FunFest! Our specialists, interventionists, and even our school counseling intern Ms. Richter led some fun activities for students in mixed age groups. A lot of fun was had - thank you to our station runners!
Students enjoyed soccer, wall climbing, twister, jump roping, and corn hole in the gym. They played some charades and JUST DANCE, a fun collaborative math game, worked on a community values art project, relaxed with some reading and bookmark-making, and soaked up the sunshine during some recess free play with their multiage group.
Big kudos to our classroom teachers and ed assistants for leading our groups and especially to our 5th graders for helping our little folks get to and from classrooms and being supportive role models throughout the day.
One thing about Lyme students I truly adore is how kind and conscientious of others they are - they always rise to the challenge!
Have a great break and we’ll see ya back at school!
Mrs. Stanton
As we head into mid-winter break, we have two celebrations of learning to share!
Ms. Stadheim and the sixth grade students just wrapped up their Columbian Exchange project. Students created menus, which you can see and vote on via this link. The menu with the most votes will have their menu as closely replicated as possible by Chef Gus for a school lunch in March.
Last week, seventh graders wrapped up their unit on “Expanding Frontiers” - a collaboration between Ms. Collins and myself. Ms. Collins shared this information with 7th grade families and we are happy to share with a wider audience in this newsletter:
Did you know that the Civil War in Nigeria stopped for a brief time so that Nigerians could watch Pele play in a soccer game? Or that Elon Musk is working on new technology that will drastically cut travel time, potentially allowing people to travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 45 minutes by 2030? Or that the Father of Genetics, Victor McKusick, originally wanted to be a minister until he was hospitalized as a young man, altering the trajectory of his life and genetics as a field? I learned these things and so much more by listening to the new 7th grade podcast show called "Expanding Frontiers".
I invite you to kick back this weekend after a day of winter adventures and listen to a few of these episodes. I guarantee you will learn something new. I certainly did.
Click here to access these original episodes.
Parent/Teacher Conferences in March
We will be hosting our 2nd trimester parent conferences during the week of March 20-24. You will receive an email with the conference sign up links during the week of March 6.
March conferences are a good opportunity to discuss progress your child has made since our last conferences in early December. Teachers have fall and winter Track My Progress scores for both math and language arts. Parents and teachers may discuss what individual student scores show in terms of expected growth and the progress being made in the different skill areas within math or language arts.
In the spring many teachers are doing special research projects in their classes. Students are often expected to apply multiple skills they have learned into a multifaceted project. Conferences are a great opportunity to talk with the teacher about how your child manages large projects and how you can support their work at home.
March 20 is an inservice day for teachers, so there will be no school that day for students. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday of that conference week, we will dismiss at 1:30 pm to allow teachers to have more time for parent conferences. On Thursday, we will stay to our 2:00 dismissal schedule.
Middle School Health Education News by Mrs. Damren
This trimester, students in grade 7 have been immersed in our adolescent health curriculum. We began our course of study learning about the brain and how it works, particularly, the adolescent brain and the many fascinating portions and developmental phases that take place, shaping the judgment, decision making, and many emotions that teens face everyday. With this base of knowledge, WISE (Women’s Information Service of the Upper Valley) returned to discuss and reinforce our message about the importance of making informed decisions about what is best for our own selves, what consent is, and what types of relationships are healthy, as well as what aspects may make relationships harmful.
Through small group work, led by Eesha, an education program facilitator from WISE, we are hopeful that our students begin to build their personal “ tool box” of healthy strategies of being strong, assertive, and informed young people as they navigate the nuances of adolescence, relationships, and the many decisions their brains have to decipher in their intellectual and social worlds.
“Look, Ms. G, I made a heart!” by Mrs. Girdwood
Art gives us permission to see the world in new ways. These past few weeks, we celebrated Valentine's Day and Black History Month with the artists Alma Woodsy Thomas, the quilters of Gee’s Bend, Robert Indiana, and Jim Dine. In grade 2, we are wrapping up a study of Ancient Egyptian myths and art. Our favorite was the story of Isis and the Seven Scorpions. 4th grade has been sculpting clay polar bears using multiple reference photos and 5th Grade is finishing up mixed media dragon eyes (working to create texture with value).
PE News by Mrs. Damren
Physical education has been a busy, busy place!! Students in the primary (K-1) grades have been continually building their eye-hand coordination skills, combining them with manipulative skills and partner work. Students have been immersed in tossing and catching at various levels and using a variety of equipment to practice those skills.
Second graders have been taking part in the celebration of healthy heart month by working with partner and small groups on healthy heart activities. Jump bands have been the equipment of choice to engage students in working together to jump to a nest while being in sync with one another. This heart pumping activity had been a healthy challenge for this group, giving them a chance to “jump” into some great cardiovascular exercise.
Meanwhile, in grade 5, net sports have been introduced and students have been spending time playing a good old fashioned backyard game of badminton. A competitive and recreational model has been offered to meet the interest level of students as they continue to learn the art of being a teammate no matter what level they choose to play.
Save the Date from Ms. O'Leary
SAVE THE DATE!! Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach JR. will be presented March 17th and 18th! Keep a look out after break for information on reserving tickets for the show! Students have been working incredibly hard and are thrilled to be preparing this musical for the community! Our cast performing for the Kindergartners during lunch.
OUR VALUES
● Fairness ● Acceptance of Others ● Integrity ● Responsibility
● Perseverance ● Individuality ● Compassion ● Courage
John P. D'Entremont, Principal
Elise Foxall, Academic Director
Geoff Tomlinson, Student Services Director