BLACKHAWKS BULLETIN

If you are planning for a year, sow rice.

If you are planning for a decade, plant trees.

If you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.

~Chinese Proverb~

Good Morning,

It's Teacher Appreciation Week! Please join us in showering our teachers with gratitude throughout the week. Speaking of gratitude, I was truly overwhelmed last Wednesday. Principal Appreciation Day was not even on my radar so you can imagine my surprise when Ms. Katie and Ms. Amanda took me from room to room where the jazz band played and I was showered with heartfelt, handwritten notes from every student and staff. This community certainly knows how to show they care!

Here's what we've got going on this week:

• TODAY - DON'T MISS OUT - Sunday, May 5 - 7th Grade Auction - 4 to 6 pm at the Plainfield Town Hall on Route 12A. Take a chance on the 50/50 raffle, bid on one of the many amazing silent auction items (Red Sox tickets, a trip to a resort on the gulf coast of Mexico, auto detailing, and so much more), or simply enjoy the Plainfield School Jazz Band and great company!
  
• Week of May 6 - Teacher Appreciation Week - See the PTA section below to learn how you can support their efforts to honor our teachers throughout the week of May 6 to 10.
• Tuesday, May 7 - Kindergarten Orientation - Parents only.
• May 8 to 10 - Mother's Day Plant sale - Students can purchase pants to thank those who have been like a mother to them. Proceeds support our student council.
• EARLY RELEASE THIS FRIDAY - May 10 - early release, talent show, and a professional jazz band performance

Hope to see you in a few hours at the Silent Auction

Audra Bucklin, Principal

603.469.3250, ext 223

abucklin@plainfieldschool.org

For over two decades, the PTA has hosted a teacher luncheon during Teacher Appreciation Week. Sign up to prepare foods or volunteer. SIGN-UP LINK HERE.

The PTA has a long and rich history of supporting quality education and a positive school culture here at PES but its future is at risk due to low participation and Board vacancies. There will be a meeting in May (Date TBD) to discuss the future of the PTA. The PTA and Principal Bucklin invite parents and teachers to discuss solutions that ensure the sustainability of this important organization. Watch this space for more information in next week's newsletter.

7 - Kindergarten Orientation (Parents Only)

7- K to 4 School Sing – 8 am Lobby – Parents/Guardians Welcome

7 -- 5th Grade Bridge Up Performance at PES

8 - 5th Grade Bridge Up Performance, 6pm at Northern Stage- Bus now departing at 3:00pm

It has been an eventful year in middle school Spanish Language and Culture. I have been impressed by how much the students’ listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills have improved. The second half of the year, in particular, has focused on oral expression so that students can gain more confidence speaking and listening to me and to one another. Thus, we have regular conversations and discussions in class to practice these skills. Shedding one’s inhibitions when it comes to speaking is one of the most challenging hurdles when learning another language and I am proud of the students’ efforts to confront and overcome their nervousness and trepidation. We have worked hard to foster a safe and supportive learning environment where a sense of belonging is promoted and mistakes and risk are embraced. Their success this year has proven to me that the students have really taken advantage of the friendly confines of this welcoming space.

In addition to being excited about learning the language itself, students have been eager to explore the cultures and histories of Spanish-speaking peoples, countries, and regions. We have had two culture and history units this year–one in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) and one in conjunction with the Day of the Dead (November 1 and 2). Students have loved these units and have learned to appreciate the peoples, cultures, and histories that we have examined.

With respect to vocabulary, we have covered a lot of topics including “saludos” and “despedidas” (greetings and farewells), the days of the week, the months of the year, numbers, time, weather, colors, adjectives to describe people, the family, and interrogative words, among others. One of the central questions I have asked of the students is, “Who am I?,” so we have studied vocabulary that allows them to respond to this question. As for grammar, we have spent time studying the present tense (the regular and irregular conjugations of -ar, -er, and -ir verbs and the verb gustar--“to be pleasing to”) and forming coherent sentences and questions.

The spring is an especially exciting time in class as it affords us an opportunity to go outside to practice our skills. Therefore, whenever possible, I bring the students outside for conversations and activities.

Finally, to end the year, students will be busy working on their last major project. These research projects will delve into the culture, history, and geography of Spain (Grade 6), Central America and the Caribbean (Grade 7), and South America (Grade 8). Working in pairs or small groups, students will prepare Google Slides presentations about an assigned country (Grade 7 and 8) or a Spanish city (Grade 6). After conducting research, they will present at the end of the month or early in June.

HOT LUNCHES (All are served with a veggie and milk)

MONDAY- Oven baked chicken nuggets, BBQ sauce, and roasted potato wedges and homemade dinner rolls.

TUESDAY- Taco bar with the works, soft shell tortilla, garden salsa, cabot sour cream with rice pilaf.

WEDNESDAY- French toast sticks with real maple syrup, sweet and white home fries and sausage links

THURSDAY- Spooky- GOUL-ash, vampire garlic breadsticks sticks, roasted fresh zucchini.

FRIDAY- Cheese, pepperoni, veggie pizza with steamed broccoli.

"COLD" Options: (offered daily)

Assorted Pre-made Deli Sandwiches

Yogurt Parfait with Fruit and Granola

Fresh Fruit and Veggie Bar with Dinner Roll

See Abbey Group Website for full details and to upload funds.

KINDER REGISTRATION
Kinder registration is open and we have an Open House for (parents only) on Tuesday, May 7th at 5:30 pm. Screenings will be held on May 28th- 8:30-12:00, and Thursday May 29th 8:30-2:30.

STUDY HALL

Unfortunately, we need to cancel study hall on Tuesday’s until we are able to staff it.

We CAN have study hall on these dates for Friday’s- 5/3, 5/10, 5/17, 5/31, and 6/14 only.

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK!!

Week of May 6th - Check with the PTA (plainfieldnh.pta@gmail.com) or Nikki Turner for ways you can get involved to show your child(ren)’s teacher some TLC!

LUNCH ACCOUNTS

Thank you to all who have paid on their lunch accounts! We still have students who have balances. Please login into your students Linq account to upload funds. The link to the website is below.

LINQ Connect

If you have NOT created an account, please email Amanda Jewell at ajewell@plainfieldschool.org for your student number to create an account.

This is the best way to manage your students lunch account and upload funds.

Substitute Teachers Needed for 2023-2024 school year

The Plainfield School is seeking individuals who would be comfortable working with K-8th grade students in our building during the 2023-2024 school year. Applicants must be able to follow teacher substitute plans, be dependable, and enjoy working with children. If you are interested in applying, please contact Katie Lowery in the office at (603) 469-3250.

LOST & FOUND

Are you missing a sweatshirt, water bottle, hat? Please check the lost and found site for any items that may belong to your student(s). We are gathering more and more items! There are many items- stop in and see if your child left anything behind.

Amanda & Katie

603.469.3250

office@plainfieldschool.org

The good weather has brought about an increase in outdoor activities! In my travels the past couple of weeks I’ve seen kids all around the Upper Valley shooting hoops, working out on the track, bicycling with family, and riding off-highway recreational vehicles (OHRV). Unfortunately, I have also seen some unsafe behavior as well.

Per NH law (NH RSA 265:144X) bike helmets are required for riders under 16 years of age. In addition, the NH Fish & Game website states that any operator or passenger on an OHRV and under the age of 18 must wear a helmet and eye protection.

A crash can happen to even the most careful person. On any ride you might catch a wheel in a crack in the road surface, skid on gravel, hit a wide pothole or drain gate or collide with a pedestrian, a dog, a deer, or another vehicle. Nobody expects to have a crash, but it is essential to have head protection in case you are involved in one. Road rash and broken bones are painful, but they do heal. Head injuries, however, can cause permanent damage.

Spring is upon us and that means seasonal allergies are on the rise. 50 million Americans suffer from allergies with symptoms that bloom as the seasons change. Symptoms can include itchy, watery eyes, a scratchy throat, and a stuffy, runny nose. Seasonal allergies can also cause fatigue and can really wipe you out. When you come into contact with a substance that you’re allergic to, your immune system treats it as an intruder and you release histamines which cause the cluster of symptoms described above. Seasonal allergies can be treated in a variety of ways, but most often with over-the-counter antihistamines which help to suppress the body’s immune response and thereby providing relief of symptoms. Sometimes, in the case of severe seasonal allergies, your physician can prescribe antihistamine or steroid nose sprays to help calm the body’s immune response to seasonal airborne allergens.

The nurse’s office at Plainfield School only stocks one antihistamine: Benadryl. This medication is stocked for cases of anaphylactic shock, a life-threatening allergic reaction. Administration of Benadryl during the school day for seasonal allergies is contraindicated. Benadryl’s most common side effect is drowsiness, which is counterproductive to school success. In fact, many antihistamines can cause drowsiness and determining which antihistamine works for you is a matter of trial and error. Remember that an antihistamine which works for you doesn’t mean it will work for your student. One day my father gave me one of his favorite over-the-counter antihistamines that works for him, but I ended up sleeping all afternoon because of it!

If your student is susceptible to seasonal allergies, please consider administering an over-the-counter antihistamine on a daily basis to help them manage the symptoms as I cannot medicate for seasonal allergies during the school day.

Conjunctivitis

We have several cases of conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, in school at this time. Conjunctivitis is a highly contagious infection that can be either bacterial or viral and needs to be evaluated by a physician to determine the proper course of treatment. It spreads through close personal contact such as touching or shaking hands, through the air from coughing or sneezing, or touching a surface with germs on it then touching your eyes before washing your hands

Symptoms of conjunctivitis can include:

• Pink or red color in the white of the eye(s)

• Swelling of the conjunctiva (the thin layer that lines the white part of the eye and the inside of the eyelid) and/or eyelids

• Increased tear production

• Feeling like a foreign body is in the eye(s) or an urge to rub the eye(s)

• Itching, irritation, and/or burning

• Discharge (pus or mucus)

• Crusting of eyelids or lashes, especially in the morning

• Contact lenses that feel uncomfortable and/or do not stay in place on the eye

You should see your physician if you have conjunctivitis along with pain in the eyes, intense redness in the eyes, and sensitivity to light or blurred vision that doesn’t improve when discharge is wiped from the eye. You should also seek physician advice if symptoms get worse or don’t improve, including pink eye thought to be caused by bacteria which is not improving after 24 hours of antibiotic use.

If you have conjunctivitis but do not have fever or other symptoms, you may return to school with your doctor’s approval. However, if you still have symptoms, and your activities at school include close contact with other people, you should not attend.

In health,

Nurse Beth

schoolnurse@plainfieldschool.org

The Sullivan County 4-H Youth Leadership Team has completed a food drive for donations of soups, stews, and mac ‘n cheese meals that kids struggling with food insecurity could take home from school in their backpacks. Their focus was on full meals in cans with flip-top lids, or “just-add-water” products that can be microwaved therefore making them as "kid friendly" as possible. The results of their food drive are in the nurse's office pantry cabinet. Students who would like to take an item or two home for their after school enjoyment are welcome to come pick out a meal.

The Plainfield Girls and Boys Track & Field teams had a fantastic showing at Riverside Middle School's May 1 meet, with both Girls and Boys teams winning the team competitions. Following is a recap of the top 8 finishers (team point earners) for each event:

Girls: 1st place team, 182 pts

100m Hurdles: Lyla Weinstein 1st, Ellis Harrington 2nd, Kaleigh Ferri 5th, Isabella Prignano 6th

100m: Audrey Underhill 1st, Lyla Weinstein 2nd, Grayson Davies 3rd, Emma Fellows 5th, Maisie Boynton 6th

200m: Jane Mans 8th

400m: Ellis Harrington 1st, Audrey Underhill 2nd, Emma Fellows 3rd, Lyla Darak 6th, Jordyn Cady 8th

Triple Jump: Audrey Underhill 1st, Lyla Darak 3rd

Long Jump: Ellis Harrington 1st, Maisie Boynton 5th

High Jump: Lyla Weinstein 1st

Discus: Kaleigh Ferri 2nd, Maisie Boynton 3rd, Jordyn Cady 5th, Alice Crouse 7th

Shot Put: Emma Fellows 2nd, Rylie Arruda 4th, Alice Crouse 5th

4x100 relay: Plainfield 1st (Audrey Underhill, Lyla Weinstein, Ellis Harrington, Grayson Davies)

4x200 relay: Plainfield 1st (Lyla Darak, Courtney Friedman, Maisie Boynton, Emma Fellows)

Boys: 1st place team, 187.5 pts

100m Hurdles: Caden Piper 1st, Gardell Wetherington 2nd

100m: Teeghan Joyner 1st, John Mathers 3rd, John Russell 5th

200m: Teeghan Joyner 1st, John Mathers 4th, Chandler Wetherington 7th, John Russell 8th

400m: Teeghan Joyner 1st, John Mathers 2nd, Caden Piper 4th, John Russell 5th, Mason Darak 7th

800m: Asher Alden 1st

1500m: Asher Alden 2nd, Warren Ramsey 3rd

Triple Jump: James Underhill 2nd, Luke Decker 4th

Long Jump: Teeghan Joyner 1st, Caden Piper 2nd

High Jump: Gardell Wetherington & Chandler Wetherington TIE for 1st, Calvin Ramos-Glew 4th

Discus: Gardell Wetherington 5th, Zain Kelly 6th

4x100m relay: Plainfield 1st (James Underhill, Mason Darak, Warren Ramsey, Caden Piper)

4x 200m relay: Plainfield 1st (John Mathers, Chandler Wetherington, Calvin Ramos-Glew, Gardell Wetherington)

Additionally, one more athlete qualified for the conference meet: Lyla Weinstein in the 100m Hurdles. Great job, team!

The Magnify Voices Expressive Arts Contest began in 2019 by the NH CBHC Communications Committee in honor of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month with the goal of highlighting the inadequacies in the system that serves youth and family in NH. As part of a broader national effort, Magnify Voices recognizes and celebrates the creativity of youth in order to demonstrate the vital importance of positive mental health for a child’s healthy development.

Any Plainfield or Meriden resident requiring assistance for housing, heating fuel assistance, electricity assistance, medication assistance and or nutritional support from the Town should contact the Community Resource Director, Stephanie Schell. Contact information: 603-469-3201 or email sschell@plainfieldschool.org. All information is confidential.

Food Pantry

Residents of the Town of Plainfield can access the following local services.
Note: The food pantry and clothing swap rooms are located in the Christ Community Church on Route 12A (across from the Plainfield Fire Department). The Food Pantry is open the 1st Thursday and the 3rd Friday and Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and warmly welcomes all Town residents.

Free Clothing Rooms

The Christ Community Church has (2) very well-organized rooms that contain FREE clothing for adults and children. All clothing is donated and in great condition. In addition to clothing there are also Free household items, toys & books as well. These rooms are open to the Public each Tuesday morning from 9-11 a.m.

Free Fresh Veggies & Fruit

Free fresh produce provided by Willing Hands: please check the Town calendar for dates and times.

Lebanon Recreation has several summer camps and activities offered. Please visit the website below for the most updated information and registration info.

Check out the latest Spring/Summer 2024 Program Guide by Leb. Rec. Please be patient as we work to get EVERYTHING featured in the program guide online and ready for registration.

The Center for Cartoon Studies offers summer workshops for kids: https://www.cartoonstudies.org/workshops/summer-cartoon-club-2/