MEMORIAL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
November 17, 2017
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, Nov. 21
CARES Assembly
Gym -  2:00 PM

Wednesday, Nov. 22 - Friday, Nov. 24

No School
Thanksgiving Break

Tuesday, Nov. 28 - Tuesday, Dec. 5
Scholastic Book Fair

Thursday, Nov. 30
Parent/Teacher Conferences
3:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Friday, Dec. 1
Gr. 2 - Field trip to 
Museum of Science

Saturday, Dec. 2
PTO Santa Breakfast
8:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Gym 

Monday, Dec. 4
Parent/Teacher Conferences
3:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Wednesday, Dec. 6
Early Release Day

Thursday, Dec. 7
PTO Meeting in the Library
7:00 PM

Tuesday, Dec. 12
Holiday Shopping for Students

Thursday, Dec. 14
Winter Concert
SRHS - 6:30 PM
(Snow Date: 12/18)

Monday, Dec. 25 - Monday, Jan. 1
No School
Holiday Break

Wednesday, Jan. 10
Early Release Day

Thursday, Jan. 11
PTO Meeting in the Library - 7:00 PM

Monday, Jan. 15
No School 
MLK, Jr. Day

Wednesday, Feb. 7
Early Release Day

Thursday, Feb. 8
PTO Meeting in the Library
7:00 PM

Thursday, Feb. 15th
5th Grade - Underground Railroad
(Snow Date - 2/22)

Monday, Feb. 26 - Friday, March 2
No School
Winter Vaction

31 West Main Street Newton, NH  03858
603-382-5251
Principal, Dr. Patricia Haynes
Assistant Principal, Donna B. Johnson
Lost & Found
Please take a moment to stop by the lost & found located at the bus port, when you are here for conferences.  There are a lot of items that we hope will make it back home!
Principal's Message
Dr. Haynes
At this time of Thanksgiving celebration we take time to acknowledge what is most important to us. I am personally extremely thankful that I work with the outstanding students, teachers, staff and families of Memorial Elementary School. We have a fantastic school community here, of which I am proud to be a part. 

Our commitment to "Learning for All" at Memorial is a part of everything we do, every day, all day long. I'm sure many of the children come home at the end of a busy day and happily share what they have been doing at school, including what they are doing during LEAP. I can assure you that LEAP is not a period of time when they're in the gymnasium hopping all around (although Mr. McKenney and Mrs. McNamara do have them active in class)!

LEAP is an acronym for Learning Experiences for All People; however, I like to think of it as Learning Experiences Are Personalized. During LEAP, students receive instruction in areas that are tailored to their needs. For instance, if a student is struggling with sight words when reading, they work in a small group with a staff member on this skill. The skills and topics the students work on during LEAP change based on what they need and how soon they become competent in that area of learning.

All of us at Memorial love LEAP because these instructional blocks allow teachers and instructional staff to spend extra time working with students on specific knowledge and skills that form the foundation our students need to be successful. These blocks are a regular part of our schedule for reading as well as math and integrate technology as part of the lessons. Once students master the skills in their LEAP group, they are moved to another group to work on different skills. Our groups are flexible and built around what each student needs in order to advance their learning. 

When you meet with your child's teacher at parent/teacher conferences on either November 30 th or December 4 th, be sure to ask about what skills your child is working on during LEAP. We know that continued student success comes from a strong partnership with families. All of us here at Memorial want the best education for our students; by working together to practice these skills, as well as encourage and support our students, we can be assured that they are making great gains in learning. We look forward to seeing everyone here during parent/teacher conferences, and invite you to connect with us any time you have questions about your child's education. 

We deeply appreciate your continued support of our work at Memorial Elementary School.  May you enjoy this upcoming Thanksgiving celebration with your family and friends, full of laughter and peace. 
Cafeteria News
November has been a busy month in the Memorial Elementary kitchen! On Nov. 7, our students had the opportunity to try "Bi Bim Bap", a Harry Potter inspired lunch, consisting of Korean Marinated beef, Kimchi, sautéed zucchini and summer squash, all on a bed of seasoned brown rice. It was a big hit!
 
We hosted the Senior Community of Newton for a Thanksgiving Feast on November 16; our fifth graders served a turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, stuffing, butternut squash, carrots, and a variety of pies for dessert. We are so excited that they came to visit!
 
On November 30, we will once again offer a Harry Potter inspired lunch as we celebrate National Novel Writing Month. We will be serving Classic English Cottage Pie, Yorkshire Pudding, Hagrid's Rock Cakes, and a medley of Root Cellar Vegetables. 
 
Did you know we offer breakfast every day? Students are offered a variety of breakfast foods including assorted cereals, whole grain donuts, fresh baked muffins, yogurt, fresh fruit, juice and milk. It's a great way to start the day!
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact JoAnne Smith at Memorial School (382-3326) or Kimberly Adkins, Food Service Director at Sanborn Regional High School (642-3341 x132).

School Nurse
 
Parents,
As we approach the holiday season, Memorial school will once again sponsor local families in need with our annual "Giving Tree".   Please consider stopping by the main lobby to select an ornament during arrival or dismissal, or during parent/teacher conferences.
Paper ornaments with the child's gender and specific gift wish will be placed on the tree (i.e, boy, age 4, winter coat size 4T, or girl, age 5, Holiday Barbie, etc.) Names of families or children are never used .
Parents who would like to help are asked to choose a paper ornament, purchase and wrap the item, and return it to the main office with the paper ornament taped to the package no later than Wednesday, December 13 th .   
We realize that you may want to involve your own children in the giving process by allowing them to shop and select gifts.  Please remember that the families we sponsor are within the Newton community.  Discretion is appreciated, especially when selecting articles of clothing, as they may be easily recognizable.   It is important to share in this season of giving, but also to preserve the privacy for those that we support.
We thank you in advance for your generosity.  The community response to "Giving Trees" of the past has been AMAZING, and we are sure Christmas mornings for the families that we sponsor are so much brighter because of it.   
(If you select an ornament and are unable to find the item or fulfill your commitment, please return the ornament so that we can be sure that everyone's wish is filled.)
Thank you,

Cindy Cole, BSN
Memorial School Nurse
603-382-5251 ext. 106
Student Council News




The Memorial School student council is off and running this school year. We are promoting and organizing the Crayola Colorcycle program at our school. Students are encouraged to bring in any used markers that have run out of ink and place them in the collection boxes around the school and they will be sent to Crayola to re-purpose them. For more information, the link is:

3rd Grade News
As the month of November quickly passes by, third grade students are wrapping up their study of The Pilgrims.  We just traveled to Plimoth Plantation to see first-hand how the Pilgrims and Native American shared the land together.  We had a great day, and the children enjoyed talking to the Wampanoag tribe members and the Pilgrim actors.  Our Pilgrim and Wampanoag Native American research has now come to life as we continue to compare the two cultures.
We also performed for the senior citizens that attended Memorial School's Thanksgiving Feast.  What a busy month!


Library News with Mrs. Tamayoshi

Music News with Ms. Cunningham
Students in fourth and fifth grade have been working on a composition project for the past two weeks. They are creating a thirty-two beat composition that is both Fall and Thanksgiving themed. Students have created their rhythms and have paired up to make their compositions in AABA form. With the rhythm and lyrics all set to go, students will soon be adding the melody to their composition by utilizing wooden soprano and alto xylophones. The project will conclude with a performance day, where all students will share their pieces of music with their class.
C:\Users\lcunningham\Downloads\IMG_2655.jpgC:\Users\lcunningham\Downloads\IMG_2656.jpg
C:\Users\lcunningham\Downloads\IMG_2653.jpg


Grade 1 and the Science of Sound
Students in first grade have been learning all about the science of sound with their classroom teachers. What better classroom to reinforce these concepts than the music room? This week, first graders put these theories to practice. Students got to peek inside a baby grand piano and see all of the strings that vibrate when a key is pressed. Students also explored why some instruments are bigger and why some are smaller-it all has to do with whether the pitch is high or low. To show this, we looked at metallophones, xylophones, boomwhackers, and guitar strings.
C:\Users\lcunningham\Downloads\IMG_2659.jpg
PE News with Mr. McKenney & Mrs. McNamara
In PE classes students are focused on fitness. We have been learning about and working to improve our levels in the different components of health-related physical fitness. In the coming weeks, students in grades 2-5 will be participating in the Fitnessgram physical fitness testing. Students have been enthusiastic about learning ways to stay healthy and strong.


STEAM News with Ms. Lebs



Reading Specialist News with Dr. Corbin
Tips for Supporting Readers
As  readers there are times when we get stumped on a word or look up after reading and say "What did I just read?" or "What does that mean?" At these times your brain is telling you that you can't keep going because the process isn't working, so you stop and usually reread, or read aloud, or ask for help.
A strategy to use with practicing readers is called Pause, Prompt, Praise. Pause refers to giving the reader time to think and try to solve the problem. Prompt refers to encouraging the reader to try different things such as look at picture, think about the meaning, look for patterns in words, etc (click here for more). Praise refers to acknowledging the readers effort.
You can follow up the reading with questions to support comprehension.
1.  Questions don't have to be saved until the very end.
  • If a reader seems a bit confused over a particular passage, stop right then and ask, "Did that makes sense to you?"  or "What was the author saying right there? Can you put it in your own words?"
  • Students who struggle with attention span many times do better if asked questions  while  reading versus saving all of them until the very end.
  • Asking questions is also an effective comprehension strategy good readers use throughout reading, not just at the end.
2. Questions that start with "how" or "why" tend to delve deeper into comprehension.
  • "Why do you think the main character did that?" or "How do you think she is going to solve this problem?"  These questions require young readers to "read between the lines".  They must take what they know (their schema) and add it to what the author is telling them to create an answer.
  • Answering the deeper questions requires your child to know the basic answers.  For example, if you ask your young reader, "Why do you think the main character did that?", listen for him to use the main character's name while answering.

 3.  Questions can lead to more questions.

  • Instead of simply being satisfied with the answer your child gives, you can follow up with another  great  question: "What makes you think that?"
  • Asking how your child got the answer requires her to think about the strategies she used to get the answer.
  • Be explicit about identifying the strategy she used to help her think about her thinking (metacognition).

4. Questions Don't Have to Have ONE Right Answer

While some questions only have one right answer, I cherish the questions that don't for two reasons.
1-They lead to great conversations and discussions between you and the child.
2-They put the child at ease.  When children struggle with comprehension, the last thing they need is the added pressure of trying to figure out the one answer you want them to give (on top of simply coming up with an answer).  Try adding, "In your opinion..." or "Why do YOU THINK..." to the beginning of questions to indicate to the child that their opinion and thinking matters more than getting the "right" answer.
School Counselor News with Mrs. Collins 

 
Memorial PTO News
IMPORTANT
PTO ANNOUNCEMENT

  • Our next PTO Meeting will be held on December 7 th at 7:00 in the library. We hope to see you there!

  • The Book Fair will be held from November 28 th to December 5 th . The Book Fair is always a great way to stock up on holiday gifts!

  • We are gearing up for the holiday season! Our Santa Breakfast will be on December 2 nd and Holiday Shopping will be December 12 th and 13 th .

  • Theme Baskets flyers went out recently, it's a great time to start getting items. Themes this year are: Family Fun Day, We All Scream for Ice Cream, S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Arts), A Night at the Movies, Willy Wonka Candy Craze, Imagination Station (Reading,Writing,Creative Fun), Gift Cards Galore, Lego-tastic, Day at the Spa , Patty Cake, Patty Cake, Let's go Bake, NERF-tastic, Coffee Lovers, Summer Vacation Survival, Pot of Gold Lottery Ticket, Date Night

  • And with the holidays approaching don't forget The PTO is registered as a nonprofit on GuideStar and is registered on AmazonSmile. Please consider using those sites for all your shopping needs!
Box Tops News
Thanksgiving is next week!  
Now is a great time to download the BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION app to your cell phone and create an account. It is quick, easy and free ( I just love those words). You "select" the products you intend to buy from their featured offers, after purchase simply scan your register receipt showing your purchase and they will credit bonus points to our school's account.  When you do this email me the total bonus points and the teacher you want credited for those points.  

And now for the news you tell me you follow.  Your leaders for November, so far; Mrs. Kaminski's class has 209, Ms. Gwynne's 186, and Mrs. Kirstie's has 121. These standings can change as more teachers turn in envelopes.  Everyone have a great Thanksgiving Holiday!  Joanne Lawler,   JLAWLER12003@yahoo.com
Gale Library News
Food For Fines at the Gale Library

Now until Nov. 29 is a good time to find those overdue books, return them with a donation of nonperishable food, paper products, or personal care items and your fines will be removed. Donations will be turned over to the Newton Food Pantry to help those in need during the holidays. 

Drop in to the library to browse through and vote for your favorite picture book for the NH Ladybug Award until Wednesday, Nov 29.

Our Math Club Crazy 8's will continue in January 2018 due to all the Holiday fun we have planned for December. Watch for more information about Cookie Swap, Cookie Decorating, Ornament and Gift Workshops, Polar Express Storyhour.

Children of all ages are invited to play Bingo for Books on Monday, Nov. 27 at 6:30 PM. Children love the excitement of waiting for that last number to call Bingo and win their own book.  Come play, bring your friends, and win your choice of books to keep.

The Friends of the Library annual Holiday Basket Raffle has begun. Drop in to the Gale Library to view some great baskets loaded with goodies for everyone on your list. Tickets for the raffle can be purchased for $1 each or 6 for $5. Winners will be drawn Friday, Dec.15th at 1 PM, just in time for Holiday giving.  

The Gale Library will be closing at 4 PM on Wednesday, Nov. 22, and close Friday, Nov. 24 for the Thanksgiving holidays. Open on Saturday from 9-1 PM.

For more information, call 382-4691.
NH State Fire Marshal's Monthly Newsletter


Click here for the complete newsletter
Dance for Grades 5 - 8

5K Turkey Trot

The Sanborn Turkey Trot is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to raise funds that directly impact the Kingston and Newton Communities.  Over the years, thanks to generous sponsors like you, the Sanborn Turkey Trot has directly helped several families in our community.  In addition, all runners donate a canned food item to help restock our local food pantries in the Kingston and Newton Communities.  
The 5K race will be:
Date :   Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Time :   1:30 PM - Race day registration & number pick-up
2:30 PM - Start of 5K race
Place : The Hen House Bar and Grill
85 South Main Street, Newton, NH 03858
ENTRY FEES :  * Entry fees are non-refundable
Registration -   
$10.00 youth (14 and under) on or before November  1, 2017
$20.00 All entrants (ages 15 & over) on or before Nov. 1 2017
Race Day Registration:
$15.00 Youth (ages 14 & under)
$25.00 All entrants (ages 15 & over)
Registration - By November 20, 2017 Online

Come join us for some turkey fun and have a chance to win awards and prizes!  An award will be given to the most "spirited trotter!"  Come dressed in your favorite turkey attire!

THIS IS NOT A SANBORN REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT SPONSORED EVENT

Sanborn Youth Lacrosse

Sanborn Youth Basketball

Girl Scouts

Snowmobile Safety Classes

Contact
Dr. Patricia Haynes, Principal
phaynes@sau17.net

Stay Connected

Follow us on Facebook at:
Newton Memorial