The Pulse of the Pride
Lyme School Friends,
Finally, winter has arrived. Our students have been thrilled to be able to play outside in the snow. The Thursday ski program has also kicked into gear. Please remember with all these winter activities there comes more and more 'stuff' including hats, mittens, snowpants, ski boots, helmets, etc. Please remind your child to pack these and mark items with your child's name. This helps us get things back to students instead of to the Lost & Found. Packing an extra set of clothes also helps if your child gets wet at recess.
Speaking of Lost & Found, ours is overflowing with all kinds of items. If something is missing like that loved sweatshirt or coat, odds are that the item is right here at school in our lost & found. Feel free to stop by and check. The best times to check are at the beginning or end of our school day.
Next week is the NH Primary on January 23rd. This means, we have a lot of public visitors coming to vote during our school day. We know this makes some teachers and some parents uneasy as the school doors are open. Although we try to close school on days with public voting, it is not something we are always able to do. Our protocol is to have a staff member physically stationed in our lobby watching the door during the school day and ensuring the public is going to and from the gymnasium only.
The School Board recently held a public bond hearing in regard to an abatement project it is putting forward. More information can be found in the School Board section below or information is attached online here.
The next newsletter will hit your inbox on February 2nd!
Have a wonderful weekend! As always, please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.
Regards,
John P. D'Entremont, Principal
ALMA - Latest Updates
If you are having trouble, please reach out to Amanda Perry or John D'Entremont.
So far, you should have:
- Gotten yourself logged in.
- Received an emergency alert.
- Double checked your contact information.
- Completed ALMA Start Registration for this year.
- Been given instructions to opt in to the Directory. [To opt in to the directory, you can click on the link for “my info” or get there through your profile icon in the top-right corner. You can toggle your visibility in the directory.]
- Received preliminary information about the standards based report cards.
- Received a first trimester report card via email on December 4th.
Lyme School Apparel Store
The Lyme School Apparel Store has a variety of apparel and accessories all customizable with a variety of school logos. The Lyme School PTO earns 12% of all sales. Thank you for supporting our school and go Lions! #LYMESCHOOLROCKS
The temperature has finally dropped to typical January levels. Please remember to send your students to school with layers and dressed appropriately for the weather. We do go outside for recess even in cold temperatures.
Don't forget...when your student is ill:
1. Please notify the Main Office and/or Nurse at nurse@lymeschool.org
2. Students should stay home from school if they have a temperature of 100.4 F or higher and can only return when they have been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
3. Students should stay home from school when experiencing nausea/vomiting or diarrhea.
4. It is recommended to test for COVID-19 if your student has a fever, sore throat, significant coughing and congestion or runny nose.
Please review the provided links regarding COVID-19 recommendations from the Center for Disease Control (CDC):
- Individuals who are experiencing symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19 should isolate at home and follow CDC's recommendations
- Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19
The Health Office has a supply of rapid antigen COVID-19 tests if needed.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping to keep our Lyme School community healthy during this winter season.
Hello Lyme Families!
Even though it is FINALLY starting to feel like winter… we'll pause to think about SUMMER, specifically, CAMPS!
Here are some UV Camps to check out for your students - broken down by activity. If there are any that you would refer to families that are not on this list, please let me know so I can include them.
Listen also offers a wonderful opportunity for kids ages 6-14 whose families might not be able to afford the cost of camp tuition. Check out Listen's Summer Camp Scholarship Website.
To qualify for scholarships:
Your household income must be at or below the current guidelines for USDA program eligibility which are attached to this email "Referral Flyer".
If you believe that your family qualifies for camp scholarships and would like to apply, please reach out to me via email or phone to get on the referral list.
let me know if your student(s) have any special needs, concerns, or interest in day camp or overnight camp, or specific camps in mind to note on the referral list - this will help them get priority
Please make all requests no later than Monday, Feb 5th.
HERE is a list of camps around the Upper Valley that Listen provides scholarships for - also a great resource for anyone looking for camps this summer.
After you connect with me, you will contact Bise Wood at Listen and make an appointment to finalize the process (this will be over the phone).
Appointments can be scheduled starting Feb 12 - March 31st.
The number to call to schedule an appointment with Bise Wood:
603-448-4553
But what if my family doesn't qualify and we need funds for camps?
April 1st - the program is open to anyone - regardless of income
ALSO!
Pearl Dimick Foundation camp grants are available to families. Please be in touch with me if you would like to apply for these grants as well - $200 per student with a cap of $600 per family.
Please let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything I can help with.
As a former camp counselor and camper, I feel these are some of the best experiences we can offer to kids in addition to their traditional educational experiences!
We can think SUMMER, but let's enjoy some more SNOW 🙂
Mrs. Stanton
Navigating Friendship by Ms. Connie
Some children have an easier time making and maintaining friendships than other children. Some children prefer to have one best friend, while other children prefer to have many friends. Some children can identify why relationships fizzle out and others need help understanding how their behaviors and choices impact relationships. Parents often feel the hurt when their child struggles with peer relationships. Navigating these can often feel like you and your child are on a rollercoaster - sometimes the relationships appear to be going well and then it changes abruptly. Mrs. Stanton and I have been meeting with groups of students to talk about the qualities of a good friend and how to be a good friend. Sometimes students need some targeted work to help with perspective-taking. These are opportunities for students to build skills and practice during our group time.
We teach students how to be a good friend and what it looks like by playing games, answering questions, discussing social scenarios, and working on group projects or activities.
Friends Are
Friends are kind to each other
Friends are flexible and take turns playing each other's games
Friends share ideas
Friends solve problems
Friends listen to each other
Friends help each other
Friends say sorry when they have hurt feeling
Friends are thinking about others
Friends include others
Friends compliment each other
Winter is finally here! Please send your child with a hat, mittens, coat, snow pants, and boots. We go outside daily. An extra set of clothes in your child’s backpack is helpful if they get wet.
Snack - The lower school and the middle school schedules have a built in time for snack. Healthy snacks help manage hunger, boost nutrition, and get children through their morning academics. I have snacks pre-packaged snacks available in my room for those students who forget to pack a snack. These snacks are often crackers, granola bars, or applesauce. Snacks packed at home will provide students with healthier choices.
Throughout our school, many students and classes across grade levels and subject areas are delving into research and inquiry. Inquiry-based learning increases student engagement by nurturing curiosity and excitement about topics, often topics chosen by students. When we use an inquiry-based approach, students get to be in charge of their learning more than traditional teaching models. Teachers guide students through research as they both pose and answer their own questions. We provide curated resources and materials matched to their grade level and targeted lessons on technology tools to share their learning with peers, teachers, families, and potentially their community and beyond.
A few of the topics for inquiry in the lower school, as part of the EL Reading program, are weather in Kindergarten, the sun, moon, and stars in first grade, fossils in second grade, frogs in third grade, animal defenses in fourth grade, and rainforests in fifth grade. Resources are curated and often presented in a pathfinder. During classroom time and library time, we have reviewed how to access the pathfinders and how to navigate the various resources.
There is a lot going on around our school right now curricularly!
The reading program rollout this year continues to go well in the lower school. Teachers continue to work on pacing and discuss together the various parts of their day collaboratively. Doing something new can be hard, yet the teachers are persevering together. In the middle school, teachers have been working hard building curriculum due to the reorganization of the middle school this year to be grades 6-8 as well as separating humanities into an ELA and social studies class. It is impressive the thought and care our staff is putting into their work to ensure our students have a rich and fulfilling experience at school.
During the week of January 22nd, all students will be engaging in Track My Progress. Track My Progress is a progress monitoring tool that we use in order to follow the growth of students. When students are not making adequate progress, we want to intervene as soon as possible. Track My Progress is one way we do that.
Our teachers are working on their recertification for NHSAS which is the NH statewide testing system. In March, students in grades 3-8 will be participating in the writing portion of state testing. This is new as we usually do this testing in May. Since the writing portion will be human scored this year, the state is requiring schools to complete the writing portion earlier. Notification and information about NHSAS assessments are attached.
Recently Dr. D. presented to the School Board on the curriculum articulation cycle for our school. Basically, we have a plan in place to review curriculum periodically in different subject areas in order to ensure we are meeting the needs of our students. This was well received by the Board.
Art News
Session 3 electives wrapped up this week. For the last 6 weeks, a group of middle school students have been working to understand the limits and possibilities of CLAY. We began with “speed sculpting” games and building awareness of studio best practices. We then worked to push the material into different stages and constructed the cube. Students used additive and subtractive methods to change the surface and interpret the form. Each cube transformed and became uniquely theirs. Art electives are structured to have opportunities to build new skills, use those new skills in personally meaningful ways, and learn how other artists have grappled similarly.
(pictured: the wooden box, the fantastical maps box, the spilled water, the portrait of a brother, wall-e, the mixed media collage box, the minecraft cubes, the ice cream box, the zombie box, and the monster box)
ALSO:
Check out the offerings for Ava Art Gallery! They have afterschool classes and February break art camps. https://avagallery.org/
Primary Grades PE News
Students in the primary grades have been working in the manipulative skill of tossing and catching a ball. This is a developmental skill set that allows for students to use motor planning skills to look at a ball, reach their hands, and catch it with two hands. This is the brain and body in action working together!
Working at low (sitting) levels helps students to focus on tossing and catching while being still. This encourages students to not have to chase a ball to try and catch it, but rather focus on keeping their eyes up, using two hands to toss, and two hands to make a catch that is straight.
Manipulative skills are important at this stage of development because it allows for a lot of motor planning, eye- hand coordination, and using the hands to move things and be able to catch them for good muscle development and reaction time.
Grades 3 - 5 PE News
The intermediate grades have been involved in a floor hockey unit since our arrival back to school in the new year. The unit involves the skills of striking at a low level, eye-hand coordination with a piece of equipment, and most importantly, working as a team.
Students have been learning about the different responsibilities of playing offense and defense and each team member is required to make and receive a pass before a goal can be scored. This ensures that each player has an opportunity to make a contribution and utilize their skills.
Grade 5 Health News
The 5th graders have been exploring stress during their health classes. We have been talking about stressors, positive stress (eustress) and negative stress (distress). Discussions have centered around the types of responses that occur when experiencing stress including, physical, emotional, and behavioral.
Stress management is key in helping us navigate our distress. Recently, the kids worked on a “ Take 5” activity, where they identified things they can do or do to help them move through stressful situations. These can serve as nice reminders to “ take 5” and take care of ourselves.
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