Community Storytelling Workshop
Date: Saturday, April 5th
Time: 9:30-11:30am, with an optional additional hour until 12:30pm to continue story developmentLocation: Meriden Library Community Room, 22 Bean Road, Meriden, NH
Community members of all ages are invited to join a storytelling workshop led by storyteller Simon Brooks. No preparation or experience required - come join the fun! Our workshop will be a participatory series of exercises in how to take a tale, and form it into a story that is unique to you, the teller. We will help you find a story to share, based on your youth and/or childhood; or, you may already have one in mind that you’d like to work with. We will edit these stories on the fly in pairs and triads, polishing them, and go over forms of presentation, discussing ‘spin,’ and audience. These fun exercises will keep you moving and thinking and will include time for Q & A. We will focus on stories of our youth with the idea of sharing them at a community gathering as part of a Multi-Generational Storytelling Celebration to be held on the evening of April 10th at the Plainfield Town Hall, although participation with this April 5th event is not mandatory!
This opportunity was made possible with a grant from the Tasker Covered Bridges Fund. Speaking of Tasker, I have included information about their latest round of grant opportunities below. They prioritize programming that brings our community together so if you are affiliated with a non-profit considering a community event, be sure to check them out!
The last few days I’ve been looking into student’s lunch boxes to see what kinds of snacks are coming into the school. I’m happy to report a lot of good healthy snacks are being brought to school in compliance with our Wellness Policy. Snacks such as fruits (oranges, applesauce, strawberries, bananas, grapes, apples, blueberries, blackberries, and melon) veggies (veggie straws, seaweed, cucumbers, and carrots) and some pre-packaged snacks (granola bars, peanut butter crackers, fruit snacks, teddy grahams, muffins, yogurt, and cheese & crackers) are being consumed. That said, a growing number of students are coming into my office looking for more. Please remember as your student grows their requirements for food also grow so add more snacks to lunchboxes to keep those bellies from growling! (And, if your student is the one packing their lunch, do a quick check from time to time to be sure they are packing enough to get through their day).
The week back from winter vacation always brings a new crop of illnesses into the school. This week there have been a few diagnosis of flu among our students, both Flu A and Flu B which I find concerning. Flu A tends to be more aggressive and cause more severe symptoms compared to flu B. Be on the lookout for fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, and fatigue. Other symptoms include: chills, headache, fatigue, dry cough, runny nose, body aches, loss of appetite, sneezing and abdominal pain possibly with vomiting. And don’t forget the 24-hour rule. Basically, the student needs to be feeling better for a solid 24 hours before returning to school. Details are in the chart below.
When NOT to Come to School
(For students and staff)
DRAMA CLUB
The cast and crew of the middle school play went on a field trip to KUA’s Flickinger Arts Center in February. We got a behind the scenes tour of set building, music production, and rehearsals for KUA’s winter musical Les Miserables. KUA staff and students were generous and welcoming, and PES students were fantastic guests!
Our cast and crew has also been working hard to prepare for our own play performances at the end of March! This year’s play is Hydrangea Albright: Comedy or Tragedy? by Jeff Fluharty. It is a hilarious comedy with a lot of heart and a positive message. Our performances will be on March 28th and 29th at the Plainfield Village Town Hall. Stay tuned for information on tickets and other ways you can support this creative work!
