Students in grades K - 5 at Memorial School are currently participating in Measures of Academic Progress� (MAP�) assessment through NWEA.   Each web-based assessment in the areas of language, reading and math creates a personalized experience by adapting to each student's learning level. Our youngest students in grades K and 1 use headsets to hear the questions read to them in a very interactive manner.  

Assessment data and essential information about what each student knows is available to teachers within 24 hours.   Teachers at Memorial School utilize the results of the MAP assessments along with other formative and summative classroom assessments to plan for intervention and enrichment for each child.  

Because the computerized testing format mirrors the state's Smarter Balanced Assessment, our students in grades 3 - 5 will be well prepared when the test is administered in the Spring of 2015. Questions about NWEA testing may be directed to your child's teacher or Mrs. Johnson.

Three of our Memorial staff members, along with Principal Jonathan Vander Els, were invited to present at the New Hampshire School Administrators' Association and Department of Education Conference on Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment on Thursday, September 24th in Concord, NH.

Third grade teacher Bonnie Banyas, fifth grade teacher Terry Bolduc, and kindergarten teacher Jennifer Manning (all pictured below) shared the work they have been doing building Quality Performance Assessments in their classrooms with their teams.  This presentation was representative of the work all of our teachers have been engaged in related to assessment and building our assessment literacy at Memorial School and within our district. Teachers, administrators, superintendents, and NH DOE staff from our state were all in attendance. 

 Well-done, Memorial Teachers! 

Outdoor recess clothing:                                                                                                                                        

                Our students will be playing outside every day, sometimes twice a day for recesses.  We are now approaching the colder seasons of late fall and winter, and some of our students are forgetting to bring a warm coat.  We suggest that you remind your child of the outdoor temperature to insure that they are warm at play.  Please be aware that after wet weather, we may have some puddles on the playground.  You are encouraged to send a spare set of dry clothing to school for your child to change at school should they become wet during outdoor recess.  Please label the clothes with your child's name, so they can keep the bag in their cubby here at school.  Thank you!

Cold and Flu season approaching

This is the season for an increase in the number of cases of colds, flu, intestinal, & GI viruses, conjunctivitis, and even strep throat and pneumonia.  Parents are asked to consider the following suggestions from the school nurse in order to limit the exposure of healthy children to those who are ill, and to ensure that those who are ill will have as rapid a recovery as possible:

1)      If your child has a fever (99.6* or above), please keep your child at home for an additional 24 hours of fever-free time (OFF fever-control medicines) to ensure adequate rest and the opportunity for the immune system to recover.  Your child may still be contagious if he/she has a fever at night, but is fever-free in the early morning. 

2)      If your child has vomited during the night, keep him/her home for at least another 24 hours until you know that he/she is eating regular foods without difficulty and is no longer experiencing nausea or abdominal pain.

3)      If your child has a persistent cough not controlled by over-the-counter medications, please contact your health care provider, as they may have an underlying bronchial or lung infection or pneumonia.

4)      If your child has one or both eyes with a red appearance to the sclera (white area), and/or drainage from the corners which is yellow, and/or yellow crusts on lashes and lids which are itchy and/or swollen, please keep them home and consult your health care provider.  Conjunctivitis is very contagious, and children with this infection must be on medications for a minimum of 24 hours and no longer draining from the eye to attend school.

Frequent hand washing is the number one prevention for the spread of germs and disease within your family as well as in school.  Concerns regarding your child's illness, or duration of his/her symptoms should be addressed to your family health care provider.  Thank you for your assistance to help ensure the health of all students (and staff) at our school.

Flu Immunization

All New Hampshire residents over the age of 6 months old are encouraged to receive a flu shot unless medically contraindicated. Your doctor's office has immunizations available as well as local pharmacies including Wal-Mart.  Please send a doctor's note to the school nurse with the date of your child's flu immunization, so that it may be added to their health record.

Signs of the flu include fever, chills, body aches, cough, and fatigue. If your child has a temp of over 100.0F they are not permitted to be in school and need to be fever free without the use of Tylenol or any fever reducer for 24 hours. As always, our best defense against the flu is good hand washing!

For more information about the flu virus, symptoms, and treatment visit: www.cdc.gov/flu

Thank you,

"The joy of gardening and the satisfaction of growing healthy food are gifts that kids never outgrow," says Stan Cope, President and CEO of Bonnie Plants. "We're grateful for the opportunity to share these gifts with the next generation of gardeners."

This year's Memorial School winner is Ella Bergeron, pictured above with her cabbage which weighed in at over 10 pounds! Ella's winning cabbage will be entered for the $1000 New Hampshire scholarship! Congratulations, Ella, on a job well done!  

GRADE 5 FIELD TRIPS

The hike up Mt. Kearsarge was a success with the students. Our hike up and down the Barlow Trail had beautiful views of the surrounding area and the fall foliage was at its peak.  The students were able to tell us about various geological evidence of the glaciers that had once covered the region as well as evidence of earthquake and volcanic activity. 

Our next field trip, to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, is scheduled for Tuesday November 4th.This will allow the students to see what our founding fathers may have gone through at the start of the Revolutionary War. Students will experience interactive displays, actors in period costumes, and artifacts from that time period as well as a reenactment of the Boston Tea Party. While we do not intend to limit the number of parents that may attend this trip, parents interested in attending this field trip will need to be sure to return permission slips promptly in order for the school to secure any additional reservations needed.

For more information visit their website at bostonteapartyship.com

Expect to see the permission slip this coming week. Feel free to contact your child's teacher if there are any questions.

Team 5

News from Mrs. Mulcahy

                                                                   
The new Great Stone Face books are here, to see the books, click on this link:       http://www.dover.lib.nh.us/Childrens%27Room/childrenpages/GSF.htm        

Our 4th and 5th graders voted last spring for their favorite title, and they chose Buddy, by M.H. Herlong.  All of NH voted for your choice, too!  

So, 4th & 5th graders,  let's get reading this year's Great Stone Face books, and vote!!

NH Ladybug Picture Books are here, to see the books, click on this link:

 http://www.nh.gov/nhsl/bookcenter/programs/ladybug.html 

Introducing the 2014-2015 PTO Board:

Box Tops! - Send in all your Box Tops by Weds Oct 22, 2014.  The deadline for submission is Nov 1,2014.  The money that will be earned will be sent to Newton Memorial to help with the  Student Activities  Account.  It's a great and easy way to get your children involved in Box Tops !!! Happy clipping!! 

It's double fun - order at either Kume or Orange Leaf in Epping on Tuesday,  October

 28. Kume will donate 15% of all orders from 3pm to close - you need to give them (click here). Orange Leaf will donate 20% of all purchases made between 5 pm - 10 pm; just mention Memorial School.

HEY MEMORIAL SCHOOL! Do you have spirit? Show it! Today's the last day to place your spirit wear orders (just send the form in on Monday). We are selling shirts (both long and short sleeve), sweatshirts, sweatpants and beanies. All are navy blue with white Memorial School logo imprint. We also have water bottles for sale.  Please click here for the order form.

And the yumminess continues - we hope you'll be able to join us at the on Tuesday, November 18.

Thank you to all the superheroes who supported the Innisbrook fundraiser! Pickup information will be available soon. Please check either the  PTO Facebook page or PTO website for more information.

Don't forget - the Harlem Wizards will be at Memorial School this  

spring - Thursday, March 12th.

Our next meeting will be Thursday, November 13th.