The Pulse of the Pride
August 19th, 2022
Lyme School Friends,
We have had a great few weeks at school. The ski program has finally got some snow and it looks like some more snow is in our future. I guess that means it will start to feel like winter for us!
Our students continue to be hard at work. We have begun Track My Progress, which is our monitoring assessment that drives and informs instruction. We will review the results in February and expect that our students have shown academic growth between fall and winter. Aside from testing, several of our classes have been active outdoors in their forest classrooms as well. We have also had visitors from the Roth Center in Hanover speaking with our middle school students and displaying a Czech Torah Scroll in humanities class. The classrooms are busy and active with engaged students.
Our staff have been hard at work too. There is much work happening in the lower school around reading and examining a variety of programs for the future. Staff have been meeting to discuss these reading programs and some teachers will be visiting other schools soon to see these various programs in action. The middle school staff has begun a grant-funded book study. Together, we are reading and discussing The Successful Middle School: This We Believe by the Association of Middle Level Education. Our goal is to articulate and define a middle school program at the Lyme School that we believe can be even more successful. We also have many standing committees that meet regularly and focus on various parts of our school. This past Thursday, we had committee meetings in the afternoon where a number of committees such as technology, advisory, professional development, and evaluation got together to continue their work. This is ongoing and there is always a lot to do and move forward.
The next Pulse newsletter will hit your inbox on February 3rd! Have a fantastic weekend!
John P. D'Entremont, Principal
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Hello Lyme Families,
We all worry! And of course we do because worry has been around for as long as our brains have been around. It has kept our species alive. Sometimes worry can be helpful (keeps us from touching a hot stove and looking both ways before crossing the street). Sometimes it can be harmful (not sleeping because we are up all night thinking about our math test). Research shows that when we learn about worry/anxiety - what it is, how it affects our body and thinking, we can understand its purpose and challenge some of the thoughts that are causing us to worry. This can be most helpful when identifying that there is no present danger when our worry alarm goes off. We can use the logic and reasoning part of our brain when we calm down our worry center that is trying to protect us from a threat. In an effort to equip 5th graders with this valuable info, we are doing a deep dive into this topic via the GoZen! Program.
What is it?
GoZen! is a fun, educational stress management program for kids. Students watch online animations that teach about worrisome thoughts. They
follow the story of a young boy and girl who worry... a lot! With the help of a cool
science teacher and a friendly alien, these kids learn where worry comes from, why,
and how to manage it. It is learning that is scientifically based, engaging, and fun.
How does it work?
The main teaching tool is 36 cartoony animations organized into 6 modules. These
animations (1 - 4 min. in length) feature relatable characters in real-life situations. The
animations cover the following topics:
Module 1: What is Worry? - Here we meet Til the Thinker and Widdle the Worrier
Module 2: Worry Affects Your Body - what is biologically going on in your body during a STRESS response
Module 3: Worry Affects Your Thinking difference between FEAR vs. ANXIETY - our THOUGHTS can become THREATS!
Module 4: Watch Out for ThoughtHoles! (recognizing thinking distortions - mental shortcuts)
Module 5: The 5Cs Technique (5 easy steps for recognizing and changing inaccurate thinking)
Module 6: The FARR Method (a mnemonic for remembering what technique to use)
Before, during, and after watching the animations, we will engage in classroom discussion and activities to reinforce what we’re all learning. Already it has been so great for students to be open about when worry shows up for them. Normalizing that we all worry can be therapeutic in itself!
How can I support my child / learn more?
As a caregiver, we simply want you to be aware of this important educational program that we’re exploring. Even if your child does not currently suffer from anxiety, they will still benefit from GoZen!, as they will become more aware of how their thoughts influence their feelings and behavior, and let’s face it: stress, pressure and challenges are part of everyday life, so these skills that your child is learning will be useful in many situations for years to come.
To learn more about the GoZen! for Anxiety Relief program, check out their website: https://gozen.com/anxiety/
As always, if you are concerned about your child’s levels of worry or anxiety please reach out!
With Gusto,
Mrs. Stanton
Technology is constantly evolving, as we have seen most recently with the development and widespread use of ChatGPT, a conversational AI bot which can produce anything from essays to dissertations. Our technology committee, which includes classroom teachers, specialists, and administrators, and technology support staff, met this week to discuss our approach to the use of third party systems (applications, websites, programs) at the Lyme School. Our technology plan currently guides our selection of digital resources and our school follows the state of New Hampshire guidance on which third party systems we can and cannot use, in order to protect student data and privacy. We work with teachers to implement approved technology and integrate it into the content and curriculum with our students.
As Ms. Stanton and I have shared in the past few months, we have been having important conversations with students about the steps they can take both at school and at home to protect their identity and privacy. We base our conversations on the Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship Curriculum, which “was designed and developed in partnership with Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education -- and guided by research with thousands of educators.” There are amazing resources for parents on this site, including How to Boost Kids’ Safety, Privacy, and Security for grades K-5 and How to Boost Kids’ Safety, Privacy, and Security for grades 6-12. Supporting students both in school and at home as they navigate their digital world is dynamic and complex. Please reach out if you have any questions.
Professional Development in Reading Instruction
We have 9 faculty members currently participating in a discussion group focused on a recently produced podcast about reading instruction. This group is meeting for three sessions after school to discuss Sold a Story, a provocative six-episode podcast series produced by American Public Media (APM).
The series reviews what we know now about the brain and how children learn to read and how teaching reading has changed over the years. The podcast series can be of interest to parents as well! The host interviews parents of children who struggled with reading as well as teachers who teach reading.
Last year, our K-5 teachers participated in a year-long professional development initiative to extend their knowledge in the area of reading in preparation for reviewing new reading materials for our school. We feel well equipped to make these important decisions this year for our school and our students’ learning!
Art by Mrs. Girdwood
Grades 2 & 3
In 2nd Grade, the students have been mixing analogous colors to create a heart painting. 2s discovered new colors by making intentional decisions about color mixing. They were thoughtful about creating contrast in their negative space so that they did not “lose” their heart. Next week, we will look at a series of hearts created by the artist Jim Dine.
In 3rd grade, we heard a very catchy song about value in Art (“This is what we mean when we say value. It's the lightness or darkness of a color or hue!”). 3s painted, creating a gradient of tints and shades and then used ink to create the effect of a moonlit forest. This week, we looked at ancient Chinese landscape scrolls and discovered that we are super curious about Asian Art.
Kindergarten/First Grade
(Ask your kindergarten student about papier mache and Ms.G’s imaginary dog. If you have a first grade student, you might want to prepare the home for the dragon.)
Grades 4 & 5
Grade 5 is working on a mixed media dragon eye using gradients, form, and texture. 4s are practicing mixing gradients, secondaries, and tints. We are looking at Art from the Arctic regions.
Middle School Electives
Ceramics and Painting wrapped up this week. I am excited to share some anthropomorphic clay sculptures when they are out of the kiln. In the meantime, here are a few of the finished landscapes…these painters grew leaps and bounds in their abilities to trust their own critical eye and make thoughtful choices.
5th Grade PE by Mrs. Damren
Fifth graders enjoying some team play during our floor hockey unit.
Each year, the fifth graders make a significant move in terms of skill, teamwork, and sport team play. Even their use of equipment changes.
Developmentally, they become more ready to strategize, take on different roles, and explore the many responsibilities of various positions \, all while enhancing their own manipulative skills.
Watching them play, communicate, make plays, and utilize their skills and their teammates has been very rewarding as a teacher.
Save the Date from Ms. O'Leary
SAVE THE DATE!! This year, the middle school will be presenting Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach JR. More information about the show will be presented to students later this month. For now, please put March 17th and 18th (Friday and Saturday) into your calendars for show dates!
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