The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad has never been under the ground.  It has also never been a railroad. Why then has it been called The Underground Railroad?

Underground in this case refers to a secret or illegal activity. The activity was to help slaves escape from their owners.  The word Railroad was also a part of the secret. At the time of the Underground Railroad, the first railroads were being used and built. Everyone was talking about them. Terms such as station, conductor, and parcel were secret code words used by the abolitionists, the people helping the slaves to escape.

Imagine being a slave. If you did anything wrong, you could be whipped, or worse. You worked long days for no money.  By age ten you had already been working on the plantation, planting and harvesting crops for your master.  Your master, the person who owned you, started to realize that you had value. If the master needed some money, he could sell something he owned; something of value; something like you. Families were often split up and sold, away from each other, never to see each other again.

The only way to avoid this life was to run away. Many slaves tried. Few succeeded. The ones that did succeed had help. The people helping joined up with others that had the same ideas. They gave the slaves safe places to hide, and safe places to go. Traveling from place to place was the dangerous part.  Slaves had to be on the lookout at all times. They would be hunted by slave catchers, and they would not know who they could trust. They could only hope and pray that the routes they were sent on would lead them to freedom. These routes collectively became known as The Underground Railroad.                                                                                        

Outdoor Recess:

Parents, please be aware that our students will be going outdoors for recess whenever the air temperature is 20 degrees or above.  Children should be bringing their snow pants boots, mittens and hats daily to be dressed warmly for winter exercise.  As the temperatures moderate, melting snow and ice will mean more slush and puddles on our playground area.  You are asked to send in a change of clothing for your child to keep in the cubby here at school in the event that they "find' a puddle and become soaked.  Clean dry slacks, shirt, underwear and socks should be in a bag labeled with your child's name and grade.  Thank you for preparing your child for weather changes and outdoor play at school.

February is American Heart Month

Focus on your cardiovascular health with "Life's Simple 7" from the American Heart Association.  For adults, the seven goals for achieving ideal cardiovascular health and modeling this for your children are these:

1)     Never smoke, or quit smoking for your heart and lung health

2)   Body Mass Index (BMI) a measure based on your weight and height, less than 25

3)   Physical exercise - at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity each week

4)   At least 4 key components of a healthy diet for you and your family includes fewer calories, more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and oily fish, such as salmon, 2 times per week.

5)   Total cholesterol below 200.  Ask your child's physician about cholesterol testing and when to begin testing if you have a family history of heart disease.

6)   Blood pressure below 120/80

7)   Fasting blood sugar below 100

For more information, go to My Life Check at www.americanheart.org

The American Heart Association recommends children get 60 minutes of vigorous exercise every day. They recommend including activity in the home, walking a pet, or decreasing screen time to encourage increased activity levels.  Studies have shown that children who develop healthy habits at a young age are more likely to keep these habits as adults and will place a greater importance on their own health when they are older. 

Immunization Requirements for Fifth grade students:

Please be advised that when your child is age 11 years or older, and it has been 5 years or longer since their last Tetanus toxoid-containing immunization, they must receive a booster dose of tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine.  If your child has a documented medical contraindication to pertussis vaccine, a Td booster is acceptable.  In addition, every child entering grade 6 must have had (2) doses of Varicella vaccine (chicken pox).  If your child had the disease of chicken pox, this must be listed with the date of the disease on a recent physical history and exam form completed by your child's health care provider.  If your child is 11 years old, and has already received these immunizations, please provide a copy of the latest physical exam and updated immunization record to the health office as soon as possible.  This may be faxed to the school nurse at 603-382-1466. If your child has a well-child visit scheduled within this school year, please discuss these requirements with the doctor at the time of the visit, and provide a copy of this physical and updated immunization record to the school nurse. 

Thank you,

Sheila O'Sullivan, RN

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED

FOR SANBORN REGIONAL INTEGRATED PRESCHOOL PROGRAM

The Sanborn Regional Integrated Preschool Program is currently accepting applications for the 2015- 2016 school year.  Applications are available on our website: http://www.sau17.org/index.php/schools-188/memorial-elementary
  

Currently, the three year old program is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM in Kingston.   Eligible children must be three years old by September 30, 2015 and be residents of Kingston or Newton, New Hampshire.

The four year old program is held Monday through Thursday at the D.J. Bakie Elementary School from 12:00-3:00 PM for residents of Kingston and may have openings.  Memorial School in Newton offers a four year old program Monday-Thursday from 8:45-11:45 AM for residents of Newton.

Eligible children must be four years old by September 20, 2015.

Tuition for the three year old program is $130 per month and the four year old program is $200 per month.  A tuition agreement form must be completed and returned in order to participate in the program.  Enrollment is limited, and the deadline for submitting an application is Friday, February 20, 2015.

All applicants must participate in a developmental screening process.  Please note that this is not a Child Find. You may call to schedule a Child Check Appointment if you are questioning a possible educational issue.  For more information, or to register your child for the lottery, please call Robin Baker at 642-5272 or email at: [email protected].  

How you can help End 68 Hours of Hunger

Depending on the extent to which you want to become involved with the program, your participation can vary from a one- time contribution to monthly or even weekly participation.

Here is a list of the kinds of support that you can provide depending on your desired level of participation.

One event contributions:

You can send a single donation to P.O Box 240, Newton, NH 03858.

You can go shopping and purchase non-perishable food products (with expiration dates as far as possible into the future) and deliver them to us (requires prior arrangement so call us at (603)560-0151 or (978)210-1335 for a list of products and delivery arrangements).

You can host a fund raiser to earn money for the program.  We can help provide you with letter head, forms and if possible have someone there.  We are gearing up for food drives this spring and summer and we need tons of volunteers for that to run smoothly!

Multiple event contributions

You can send us a check every month or as often as you wish to support our efforts.

You can set up a team to be responsible for one week each month. Packers go to the high school to our storage room, pack bags, and sometimes deliver them back to the schools filled. 

You can help unload, sort, and store groceries after each delivery/purchase.

We currently need, canned pasta with meat, tuna, mayo, cereal bars/granola bars, crackers, cereal, canned fruit, jelly, and snacks or fun single serve items.

Perhaps you have your own ideas!  We are open to suggestions!  Call or write now!

The KEY to springtime fun - The Harlem Wizards on Thursday, March 12! We're nearing the end of our "name the Memorial team" contest. The student with the winning name will receive 2 free tickets for great seats at the game, and will have their team name worn on the back of our Memorial jerseys and also displayed on the PTO bulletin board.

Also coming in March - the annual Spaghetti Dinner and Theme Basket Raffle which will take place on Thursday, 26th.

Don't forget to check the PTO website for a full calendar and details of each event. And if you're wondering what to do with the kids between now and March - come to the Plaistow Y night on Friday, February 6!

Student-Faculty Basketball Game Friday March 6th at 6:30 PM @ SWASEY GYM

Save the Date for some great family fun! The 6th Annual Sanborn Middle School Student-Faculty basketball game is scheduled for Friday March 7th at 6:30 pm at the Swasey gymnasium. Once again the Sanborn girl's & boy's basketball teams will combine forces to take on the Middle School faculty. Admission is $2.00 for students & $3.00 for adults. Children under age 5 are free. In addition to the game there will be a 3 point shooting contest for all to participate in.  Parents should be aware that any student leaving the gym will be charged for readmission. Students should not leave the gym unattended during the game. All proceeds will support the Sanborn Regional Middle School Boosters Club and directly benefit our Middle School Students in Grades 6,7 &8. 

Sanborn Youth Soccer Association announces the twelfth annual soccer clinic. The clinic stresses footskills and ball control techniques. The five-week session takes place on Saturday mornings, starting March 7th at the Sanborn Swasey school gym.

Player's age 6-8 will start at 8:30 AM and ages 9-14 at 10:15 AM. The total cost is $10 per player. For additional information or to register, contact Michael Gannon at 642-3365 or [email protected]. Registrations are limited.