Wow, another fantastic week in the books. We noticed kids working hard on establishing new friendships, following school routines, and being positive members of the Strafford community. We are excited for our first FULL week of school for the year! As we are continuing to adjust to our new, exciting year, we encourage families to establish good routines early on in the year. Eating a healthy breakfast, regular check-ins with your kids about their school day, and good sleep routines are all an important part of helping kids successfully learn and grow.

As always, we are so grateful for our family and community partners. Please never hesitate to reach out should you need support from us!

In partnership,

Mrs. Blackington and Mr. Merrill

Items are available to purchase now until Sunday September 22nd! Visit the store here.

Kindergarteners in Mrs. Jacobs' class spent some time this week finding items from nature to make patterns with! See if you can find more patterns as you start to explore our changing seasons!

Mrs. Dolan had 6th grade students outside working on team building with a beach ball challenge!

PLEASE NOTE: The 2024-25 School Calendar below has been updated!

2024-25 School Calendar

September 18, 2024

5:30 - 7 PM Open House & Scholastic Book Fair (PTO selling hot dogs, chips and drinks)

September 26, 2024

Picture Day

October 14, 2024

NO SCHOOL - Columbus Day

October 15, 2024

NO SCHOOL - Teacher Workshop Day

October 26, 2024

PTO's Halloween Hoopla - Trunk or Treat 3:30-5 PM and K-4 Family Halloween Dance 5-7 PM (See flyer in PTO section)

October 31, 2024

NO SCHOOL - Parent Teacher Conference Day

November 5, 2024

NO SCHOOL - Election Day in School Gymnasium

November 11, 2024

NO SCHOOL - Veteran's Day

November 15, 2024

Picture Retake Day

Dear Families,

Get ready—the Scholastic Book Fair is coming to our school! This is a great opportunity to connect with your child over the thrill of bringing home new books to dive into again and again. Studies show that kids read more when they choose books for themselves. And fostering a love of independent reading leads to a wide variety of benefits—including academic success and improved mental health.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Book Fair:

Dates: Tues. - Thurs., Sept 17,18,19

Location: Library

Family Event schedule and location: Open House Wed., Sept 18. 5:30pm – 7:00pm

Volunteers needed. Please email: sjwilliams@strafford.k12.nh.us

If you have not done so yet, please log into your Alma account and complete all registration forms including health forms and student authorization forms. These must be filled out every year. Thank you! If you have any questions please email April Silva april.silva@strafford.k12.nh.us

We are still in need of the following positions:

• Paraprofessionals (Full or Part Time)
• Lunch/Recess Monitor (Part Time 10:15 AM-1:15 PM M-F)
• Substitute Teachers
• Custodian (Part Time)
• Substitute RN/School Nurse

If you are interested please take a look at job descriptions and application info HERE. Please spread the word!

• Tutor.com offers 24/7 online tutoring, essay drop-off and test prep services for all New Hampshire students in grades 4-12, as well as adult education learners at no cost.

Strafford School provides many after school activities and clubs for students in grades K-8. Check back soon for info about upcoming events.

If you are interested in starting a club, activity or group please reach out to us! Office@strafford.k12.nh.us

Unfortunately, due to bus and driver shortages, there will be no bus transportation available for Fall sports this school year. For away games/meets, students will be dismissed from class at 2:45PM to change for parent pick up. If you have any questions, please email Athletic Director, Jeff Merrill at jeff.merrill@strafford.k12.nh.us

The online payment portal can be found HERE. You can also send in cash and check to the main office at any time. Please make checks payable to "Strafford School".

Please note: if you received an error message when trying to put money on your students' accounts, it is fixed! Thanks for your patience!

For information regarding free and reduced meals please visit HERE. If you are interested and need the application please let us know. jclark@strafford.k12.nh.us

Our meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM in the school library. Upcoming meeting dates: September 10th, October 8th and November 12th.

We will selling hot dogs, chips and drinks during the Open House on September 18th! If you are interested in purchasing hot dogs, please fill out this form so we can be prepared! We will have extra in case you forget!

We always need donations of candy for our Trunk or Treat event! If you would like to donate, please drop off at the main office anytime or at Open House!

🎃 Sign up forms to decorate trunks will be coming home with students in September! 🎃

Strafford Recreational Sports is a non-profit organization in Strafford, New Hampshire. Our mission is to provide recreational sports to the youth of Strafford with emphasis on fun and learning.

For more information on our offerings please take a look on the website HERE.

There are still spots available for most dates of Library Club at Hill Library! Library staff will pick students up from the school and walk them over to the library. K-1 students will meet on Mondays after school until 4:30pm, and students in grades 2+ will meet on Wednesdays after school until 4:30pm.

Due to high interest, we ask that K-1 students sign up for no more than 3 days, and grade 2+ students sign up for no more than 4 days, in order to allow more children to participate.

There will be no Library Club on Monday, October 14 as school is off for the holiday. Apologies for the error! Anyone is welcome to stop by anytime that day for some fun family board games instead.

Please complete the forms on the two links below to register your child.

Student Profile

Please complete one for each child. This form only needs to be filled out once per school year. If anything on this form changes during the year, please let me know.

Student Profile

Library Club Sign Up

Please use the link below to sign up for Library Club.

Library Club Sign-Up

We are looking forward to another year of after school fun!

Now accepting registrations for the 2024 Season of NH Thunder Cross Country. The program this year will again be held at Coe Brown Northwood Academy. Kids will participate in running games such as scavenger hunts, relay races, and obstacle courses while they learn the fun of running on the trails, being active, and making healthy choices.

Participants will also receive a t-shirt to keep.

We will be having a small xc race in conjunction with the Div. II JV State meet held at Coe Brown at the end of the season.

For more information please contact:

Karyn Fisher at 5fishers@metrocast.net.

You can register on-line at:

https://www.nhthunder.com/registration

Cost: $40.00

Grades: Age 5 yr. - 4th Grade

When: Wednesdays beginning September 11th through October 16th

Time: 5:30-6:30 pm

Location: Coe Brown Northwood Academy up near the track

NHED is partnering with the New Hampshire Reading League to host a special screening of Hopeville in recognition of Dyslexia Awareness Month and the Science of Reading. The event will be take place from 5-7 p.m. on Oct. 4 at 25 Hall St. in Concord. The screening is a unique opportunity for educators, parents, and community members to come together to raise awareness about dyslexia and explore evidence-based reading instruction practices. Register here.