Canterbury Elementary School

• Do you have a student who will be five years old by September 30? It’s time to register for kindergarten! Online kindergarten registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now open. You can also register in person at CES from 9 AM - 2:30 PM.

  
  

  To access the online registration, please go to www.sau80.org:

  
  

  • Click on Resources

  • https://sau80.almastart.com/ (If you don't already have an Alma account)

  • Please call CES at 603-783-9944, or email our secretary at rmanita@sau80.org with any questions.

  
  

March 31-April 4: Wellness Week at CES

April 3: PTO Meeting - 6:00

April 8: School Board Meeting at CES - 6:00

April 10: CES Curriculum Night - 5:30-7:00 PM

April 16: Third Grade Wax Museum

April 18: One Room School Program Kickoff

April 24: Drama Club Presents: The Little Mermaid - 6:00 PM

April 25: CES Day of Caring/Earth Day

April 28-May 2: Spring Break - NO SCHOOL

May 7: State Testing Begins

• Grade 4 (May 7, 8, and 9)
• Grade 3 (May 13, 14, and 15)

New Dates/Events Will Be Added...

May 5-9: Teacher Appreciation Week

May 9: Spring Book Blast Launch

May 22: Running Club 5K

May 23: Annual Memorial Day Program - Town Center

May 29: 4th Grade Trip to Concord w/ BES

June 3: Spring Concert - 6:00

June 5: Field Day

June 11: PTO Cookout & Playground Party - 5:00-6:30

June 12: Field Day - Rain Date

June 16: All School Field Trip - Seacoast Science Center

June 19: Anticipated Last Day of School (Early Release)

March was a busy and exciting month for the PTO! We kicked things off with the St. Patrick’s Day Penny Wars, launched our new apparel store, and treated our amazing staff to a delicious appreciation lunch from Wrap City. We also purchased beautiful art frames to showcase CES student masterpieces in the hallways and helped fund supplies for Wellness Week.

Looking ahead to April, we’ll be providing tasty concessions during the School Play—so be sure to stop by and grab a treat! Our next PTO meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 3rd—mark your calendars! We’d love to see you there.

It's that time of year again! Yearbooks are now available for purchase. Tuesday May 6th will be the last day that you can purchase yearbooks with your own custom pages added to it. After May 6th, you will still be able to purchase your child's yearbook, but it is not guaranteed to come in before June 9th and you will not be able to add your own custom pages. If you wish to order your yearbook, please follow the instructions below. Please email Mrs. Glines with any questions regarding the CES yearbook at fglines@sau80.org.

We are thrilled to announce that our awesome students, staff, and families have helped us to achieve our goal to raise at least $2,000 for the American Heart Association! We raised nearly $3,000! Thank you all for your support. We celebrated with a dance party for our K-2 learners and a staff vs. students scooter hockey game for our 3rd-4th graders during the school day on March 13. Thank you to Mr. McWhinnie for putting the heart challenge activities together for our students!

The CES band, along with our fabulous music teacher, Mrs. Moulton, traveled to BHS last month to participate in a full morning of rehearsals, which led to that night's Monster Concert! Our students did a fantastic job collaborating with one another as well as with the 5th-12th grade band members of SRSD to put on an amazing show. Their effort, bravery, and persistence were evident and we are so proud of them! Way to go, CES band!

After the buses have departed, those in private vehicles may enter the school driveway and proceed to the playground entrance for car rider pick up. A staff member will escort each child safely to their ride. If folks arrive too early, the cars get backed up into the road. Please adhere to the 3:20 arrival time in order to mitigate this issue.

It is also essential that private vehicles do not drive around other vehicles (whether they are school buses or other private vehicles) while students are loading or unloading. Please wait until the vehicle in front of you begins to move.

Thank you for your help in ensuring that our routines are efficient and safe.

Team 6033H - HARRY BOTTER AND THE MECHANICAL STONE recently competed in the 2025 NH/VT VEX IQ Robotics States Championship at Manchester Community College in the Elementary School Division. The team is comprised of 4th grader Timothy and 3rd graders Owen and Lincoln from Canterbury Elementary School. The boys joined late in the season and worked with Mr. Friend and Coach Amira for the opportunity to compete. The team made history for Shaker Regional! They won the Amaze Award, brought home TWO trophies and a banner, and became STATE CHAMPIONS!!! The boys also received an invitation into the World Championships--another FIRST for BMS Robotics! In addition, this team worked so well together that we received compliments from coaches and volunteers on their teamwork, energy, and performance. Great job, team!

Regular attendance at school is critical for a student's success. The interactive nature of lessons at school today make it challenging to provide students with the same learning experiences when they return from an absence.

If a student reaches 10 half days (or 5 full days) of unexcused absences in a school year, the State of NH considers that student habitually truant. Our protocols require that we follow a process with families to ensure that the importance of attendance is understood and that unexcused absences are to be avoided.

The digital version of the CES Smore Newsletter includes a PDF of our attendance policy, as well as RSA 193:1 (Duty of a Parent - Compulsory Attendance) and RSA 189:35-a (Truancy Defined).

Absences are excused in the event of sickness, required quarantine, a death in the family, or medical appointments. Other absences are considered unexcused and should be avoided.

Please note: SRSD School Board Policy JH states that for absences other than illness, parents must provide a written notice to the principal 10 days prior to the absence: the reason for the absence and how long the student will be absent.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for partnering with CES to support the success of all students.

Our school has a wonderful opportunity to participate in a one-room schoolhouse program. The Canterbury Historical Society sponsors this program. It has been a tradition that we take a group of mixed aged students to the school to experience a different year in history. Our students will get to experience life as if they were going to school in 1938. Original desks, chalkboards and memorabilia have been collected to make this experience as authentic as possible. With each visit we will send approximately 15 students from first grade to the fourth grade to the school so they can experience part of one day set in this era. Mrs.Gingrich, along with an additional staff member will accompany students on their day. Kindergartners will go on a separate day in June but not in a particular time period.

In April, students will have opportunities to learn about the 1930s. Mrs. Gingrich and classroom teachers will be preparing students by sharing books, slideshows, and stories about what it was like during the time of The Great Depression.

On April 18th students will experience a “Kick-Off” Event. This event will have activities, including games and toys from the 30s, dancing, fashion, building Hoovervilles and learning the history of the railroads and hobos traveling through Canterbury. We will also use some kitchen gadgets while making bread for a bread line during lunch.

Our one-room school visits will occur toward the end of May. More information will be coming as the date gets closer. Children often like to dress like children did during the time period for their visit. Mrs. Gingrich has hats, suspenders, and a few plaid skirts. Feel free to help your child research the time period so that when your child visits the one room schoolhouse, they look like a 1930s student.

If there are any fingerprinted parents that would like to help us on our kick off day, please email Karen Gingrich at kgingrich@sau80.org.