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MEMORIAL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
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31 West Main Street Newton, NH 03858
603-382-5251
Principal, Jonathan G. Vander Els
Assistant Principal, Donna B. Johnson
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Principal's Message
Jonathan G. Vander Els
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Dear Memorial Community:
We are wrapping up a short week today! We are also quickly approaching the midpoint of the school year. Our trimester 2 progress reports are scheduled to go out next week. As always, if you have any questions once you receive these, please do not hesitate to contact your child's classroom teacher.
As we are assessing each child's progress halfway through this school year, we are also assessing our own goals as a school. Our school (and our district) has been deeply engaged in developing high quality performance assessments to allow students to truly demonstrate their competency, or ability to transfer the necessary content and knowledge, in and across content areas. This requires students to not only have a deeper understanding of the material they are learning, but also to demonstrate their ability to synthesize, analyze, think critically, and solve problems through the application of their knowledge.
Our school goals were specific to the development of the types of assessments that truly allow students to demonstrate this level of understanding, and our teachers have not only been working within their grade level teams, but also sharing their work "vertically" with teachers from other grade levels to gather valuable feedback about how to refine and improve these assessments. This also allows us to better understand where students at different ages are developmentally. I'm proud to share that our Memorial staff continues to set a very high bar in their continued development of their assessment literacy, something that truly helps them help students reach high levels of learning.
I would like to thank our PTO, our district office, and the Fitzgerald family for supporting the amazing opportunity for us to see Lynn Lyons present on, and help all of us better understand, anxiety and worry and how it impacts children and families. Her session with our staff during the early release on Wednesday afternoon and her session with parents and community members on Wednesday evening were both well-received. Thank you, again.
Thank you to those parents who joined us last Wednesday evening at the annual Budget Hearing
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The next important meeting of note is the Deliberative Session, which will be held on February 3rd at SRHS. Voting Day will be on March 8th at the Newton Town Hall. Please attend these meetings so that you may become informed about these important school-related topics and cast an informed vote.
Jonathan G. Vander Els, Principal
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Preschool Program Lottery
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APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED
FOR SANBORN REGIONAL INTEGRATED PRESCHOOL PROGRAM
The Sanborn Regional Integrated Preschool Program is currently accepting applications for the 2016- 2017 school year.
There is a Preschool Program at the D.J.Bakie School in Kingston and at the Memorial School in Newton. The three year old program is held Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM. Eligible children must be three years old by September 30, 2016 and be residents of Kingston or Newton, New Hampshire.
The four year old program is held Mondays through Thursdays from 12:00-3:00 PM at each school for residents of Kingston and Newton.
Eligible children must be four years old by September 30, 2016. There are limited openings in the four year old program at both schools.
Tuition for the three year program is $165 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 19, 2016.
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].
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Sanborn Budget Committee News
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SANBORN REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
SUPERINTENDENT'S 2016-17 BUDGET PROPOSAL UNDER REVIEW
Sanborn Regional School District Superintendent Brian Blake presented his proposed budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year to the School Board and Budget Committee on November 18. You can review it here. To view the video of the Superintendent's budget recommendation just as it was presented to the School Board, the Budget Committee, and the members of the public who attended the meeting, go here.
The next step in the Budget Committee's process is an in-depth review of the proposed budget's details. To this end, we have sent questions and requests for additional information to the Administration. All of this work is in preparation for the Budget Committee to make its budget recommendation to the public, which takes place at the Public Hearing, and later, the Deliberative Session.
Mark your calendars! Be in the know! Critical upcoming dates:
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01/14/16
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Public Hearing, SRHS Auditorium, 7pm
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01/20-29/16
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Filing open with School District Clerk for School District Offices (School Board, Moderator, Budget Committee)
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02/03/16
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Deliberative Session, SRHS Auditorium, 7pm
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Help us help you! Participate in a brief online survey for residents of Kingston and Newton
here
. The Budget Committee designed the survey in an ongoing effort to better understand your preferred sources for obtaining information about the school district and the budget process so we can help you become better informed before you enter the voting booth. We review your comments regularly and look forward to receiving more. Your survey comments contributed to the content of this article.
We hope to see you at a meeting soon!
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Lunch Payment Options
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We want to remind parents that they have a couple of options when it comes to paying for their child(ren)'s school lunch.
Option 1. You may set-up an online account using www.myschoolbucks.com, by using a Credit/Debit card to make deposits into your child's account. You will need to contact Memorial School for your child's ID#. In addition to providing you with a secure online payment option, the system will allow you instant access to details on what your child is purchasing in the cafeteria, as well as other convenience features such as automatic low balance alerts. This automated system will help increase the speed of service and allow students additional time for a more relaxing dining experience. Instructions for setting up your online account are available in print from your Food Service Director and posted on the Fresh Picks Cafe website.
Option 2. You may send a
check with your child made
payable to the Sanborn School Lunch Program (checks made out to Memorial School can not be accepted and will be returned). Please make sure to include the child's name in the memo line. We encourage parents to either utilize the online payment method or to send in a check - cash can also be accepted, but is discouraged at the elementary school level. Prepaid monies deposited by either method can be used for any purchases in the cafeteria, but at any time parents may contact the school food service supervisor and request that prepaid monies be used only for full meal purchases.
When sending in cash or a check, please make sure that your payment is secured in an envelope with child's name and classroom teacher clearly noted.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact the school at 603-382-5251.
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Guidance News
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News from Guidance
January 2016
Come see Lynn Lyons speak about the worry cycle at the Sanborn Regional High School on Wednesday, January 13th from 6:30-8:30!
Click
here for complete Guidance News
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School Nurse
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BAKE SALE
In order to adhere to federal guidelines as well as our district policy pertaining to food in schools, and also to foster a healthier learning environment for our students, we are asking that the bake sales become a place for nutritious foods instead of sweets.
New guidelines that will apply to our bake sale include limiting sugar and sodium contents and incorporating more whole grains, fruits, & vegetables. Some examples of items we welcome at the bake sale are:
Pickles (a big favorite)
Popcorn
Trail Mix
Fruit cups
Pretzels
Baked goods with low sugar such as whole grain berry muffins, apple crisp, peach crisp, or oatmeal cups
Granola bars
Veggies with dips
I would like to thank you in advance for your help with this transition of the bake sales. Also, thank you for supporting us in making our school a healthier environment for our students to learn and grow. If you have any questions regarding this matter please feel free to contact the health office.
FLU SEASON IS HERE
Flu season has officially hit NH with reported widespread outbreaks of the influenza virus. The flu is a respiratory virus that often presents with a high fever, body aches, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and chills and can progress to pneumonia. Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to getting the flu. It may be hard to tell if your child has the flu or a cold- the symptoms are very similar. A doctor can do a test to tell if it is the flu and if caught early enough (within the first two days of symptoms) they can prescribe an antiviral medication that may help to shorten the life of the virus.
If you child has a fever of 99.6F or above, they need to stay home until they have been fever free without medications for 24hours. The CDC still recommends vaccinations as the #1 preventative measure and it is not too late to get vaccinated if you have not already. Good hand washing and disinfecting of commonly used items such as door knobs, phones, and counters are also the way to prevent the spread of germs and viruses. For more information on the influenza virus go to: www.cdc.gov/flu
Outdoor Recess Clothing:
The cold weather has finally arrived, and we want to remind parents to be sure that your child/children are dressed appropriately for outdoor play daily. Please remind  them to wear warm winter coats, hats, mittens and bring boots and snow pants on snowy days. We also suggest that you send an extra change of clothing (especially socks and pants) to be kept in that your child's cubby for those days when he/she may get wet from playing in the snow, or in puddles after rains showers. (Remember to send sneakers or shoes, as children cannot wear boots in class all day) Thank you for preparing your child to enjoy outdoor play this winter.
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.
Thank you,
Sheila Koutelis, RN
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| 5th Grade News |
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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.
On Thursday, February 11, 2016 we wish good luck to the fifth grade students and parents traveling through Memorial School's version of The Underground Railroad.
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| Memorial Library News |
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LIBRARY VIRTUAL LEARNING CENTER NEWS by Mrs. Mulcahy
The New Hampshire Great Stone Face 2015-16 books are on display in the Library Media Center! And ready for you to check them out!
There are 20 titles each year for reader's grades 4, 5, and 6. The books are ready  to go here at Memorial Library, so stop in and check them out - literally!
Also check them out at the Gale Library, Newton's own public library. Enjoy the best of both worlds.
Students who read 2 or more 2015-16 GSF books, get to vote in mid-April with all other grade 4, 5, 6 students across the state!
Below are the past 4 years' books the students awarded as the Great Stone Face winner, so get reading, and look forward to choosing this year's !
2013-2014 Buddy M.H. Herlong
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We also
love those new yearly bunch of New Hampshire Ladybug Picture Books that NH children's librarians pick out as especially appealing to our New Hampshire boys and girls!
Here's the list:
The 2015 nominees for the Ladybug Picture Book Award
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Let's hear it for "M, A, K, E, R, S, P, A, C, E !!" exciting STEM initiative!
There is a now a Maker Space area in the Library Media Center! Stay tuned. In the meantime, here is the littleBits base kit of 10 modules that allow kids grades 3, 4, 5 to build their own projects that move & light up. There are project cards that show the steps to create each special circuit. The number of possible circuit combinations is huge! A project is made, tried out, then taken apart, and the pieces returned to its nest in the littleBits box.
Grade 3, 4, and 5 students may sign up to come at recess with teacher's permission. We'll watch kids explore, create, invent. Ta-DA! More details to come!
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Technology News
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Dear Memorial Parents/Guardians:
We are delighted to be able to provide multiple ways for our students to access technology, no matter what learning space they are in. Whether dancing to the Wii in P.E., or using an iPad app in math, students are learning how to use a growing variety of devices safely and independently.
With so many technology options available, we ask that your child bring in their own set of headphones for use in sound-based technology activities. These headphones will travel with your child for different learning opportunities throughout the school.
We recommend child-friendly headphones (no ear buds, please), and have listed some brands and the vendors that carry them (see below). These headphones are made to fit a child's head, are more durable than adult styles, and, most importantly, offer a volume-limiting safety feature. This feature helps to keep young ears safe from dangerously high volume settings.
For those children who are not able to bring their own in to school, we will continue to provide school-owned headphones.
Please send your child's headphones in as soon as possible. For more information on child-safe headphones, here are some links to recommended articles:
Sincerely,
Jon VanderEls and Jodi Tamayoshi
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Memorial PTO
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Mark your calendars:
Join us for an evening of fun with the Manchester Monarchs, tickets are $16 a per person and the game is on Feb 6, 2016. The first 40 kids to sign up get to do the High Five tunnel and high five the players as they go on the ice. The ice will be lite up pink to support breast cancer that night. Great family fun
- info will be going home soon.
Wednesday, March 2nd is our annual spaghetti dinner and classroom basket raffle. Please see your room parent or teacher to see if you can help contribute to your class basket, this is always a big event. Click
here for a list of classroom theme baskets.
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Sanborn Regional Music News
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The Sanborn Regional Music Department will be presenting their biennial District Band Concert on February 16th at 6:30 p.m. at the Sanborn Regional High School Gymnasium. This concert will feature the talents of our Bakie and Memorial 4th and 5th grade bands, Middle School 6th and combined 7th/8th grade bands, and High School Symphonic Band. Our Music Boosters will also be raffling off a MINI-Bike, courtesy of MINI of Peabody during the concert. Tickets will be $2 each of $3 for 5 tickets!
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| Sanborn Regional Middle School Booster News |
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An Update by Kristin Kilimonis
Student-Faculty Basketball Game Friday March 4th
6:30 PM @ SWASEY GYM
Save the Date for some great family fun! The 7th Annual Sanborn Middle School Student-Faculty basketball game is scheduled for Friday March 4th 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.
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Gale Library News
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"Get Chillin' with "Minions of Books" Winter Reading Program
"Get Chillin' with "Minions of Books"!" is the winter reading program's theme at the Gale Library, Newton, . The program started Jan. 19 and continues through March 2nd. Children register at the library. When they reach their goal, they can choose prizes and new books from the treasure box. All readers are entered into the program's Weekly and Grand Finale raffle for prizes. Come to the Gale Library, choose books from our "minions" of books and get started reading and winning!!
Teens and Adults also can join a Winter Read Program - just register, read, and take a chance in our weekly and grand prize contests.
A very special
"Frozen" Theme Party will be held on Wednesday, January 27th at 6:30 p.m. to kick off our Winter Reading Programs for children of all ages.
Come join us for a night of fun with movie, a sparkly Craft, Pin the Carrot on Olaf, and Frozen themed refreshments. Children eight and under may need parental assistance with crafts. A sign-up sheet is located at the main circulation desk.
Like to do picture puzzles?
National Puzzle Day is Sat., Jan. 30th. Drop into the library and make a puzzle here or check out one to do at home. Great activity for these long cold nights at home. The Library has a Puzzle Swap Box, Bring a puzzle and swap for a new one. Puzzles for all ages.
"Take Your Child to the Library Day !" will be Saturday, February 6, from 9-12. Come visit the children's room, everyone can get a free library card or replacement card that day. Use your card and earn raffle tickets for a prize. Guess the number of valentine candies in the jar and win them all. Go on a Scavenger Hunt, Play games, and make a valentine bracelet. Join us for a fun day!
Preschool and Toddlers can join us for a
Storyhour Valentine Party on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 10 AM. There'll be stories, songs, games, valentine hunt and of course, refreshments. Regular storyhours are each Tuesday at 10 PM.
Visit the Children's Room and make your best guess of candy hearts in our
Valentine Candy Contest . You could be the next winner of them all.
For more details, call the Gale Library at 382-4691.
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News for the NH Fire Marshal's Office
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Click here for more information
Click here for more information
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Baseball & Softball Sign Ups
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Kids' Carnival
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D.A.D. sponsored Skating Party
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YMCA News
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Ski NH
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Winter/Spring 2016 Adult Education Classes
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| Click here for a complete list of classes |
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Internet Essentials
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Collecting a "Body of Evidence"
Written by: Terry Bolduc, Jill Lizier,and Jonathan Vander Els
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This is the second in a series of article specific to the developing understanding of skills and dispositions of educators working with students in a competency-based educational system. There has been increased recognition nationally of the importance of skills and dispositions and how these are entwined within the overall growth and College and Career Readiness of learners. The skills and dispositions are referred to in a number of ways (Non-cognitive skills, Habits of Learners, Work Habits, General Learning Outcomes, "soft skills," etc.) Our school has been delving into skills and dispositions for the past few years, but we have found that there are limited resources to support our work, and at times, this has caused frustration. We are very excited about the opportunity to work with the recently released Essential Skills and Dispositions Frameworks (Lench, S., Fukuda, E., & Anderson, R. (2015)) this upcoming school year to support our continued learning in this area. For the purposes of this series of articles, we will be using the term the State of New Hampshire recognizes, Work Study Practices. Locally, we have aligned the Responsive Classroom's CARES to our State of New Hampshire's Work Study Practices, which are referenced in this series of articles.
The first article in this series, Our School's Developing Understanding of Skills and Dispositions, may be found here .
During our school's transition to a competency-based educational system, our understanding of the importance of Work Study Practices has evolved significantly. One of the major shifts in our understanding has been relative to the importance of building a body of evidence specific to a child's demonstration of Work Study Practices. During the initial stages of this transition, teachers may have only put one grade per marking period related to skills and dispositions. This began to change as teachers began to question why we wouldn't be assessing work study practices on a more formative, ongoing basis as we did with our academic competencies. The resulting grade would be far less subjective than a "one-time" assessment at the end of the marking period.
Teachers also began to question how the resulting information was reported. Traditionally, it had not mattered that there was only one grade in a system because that was all that would be reported anyway. But now, with a body of evidence for each child, the information was averaging. We knew from our experience that this wasn't a fair or accurate indicator of reporting either. We had moved away from "averaging" as part of our transition to a competency-based system. We knew that the most recent, consistent data was most relevant. It gave us information on where a student was on that DAY, not a compilation of the data over the course of 6, 10, or even 12 weeks. This resulted in our district turning on the "trend-line" to report Work Study Practices, as we were doing for our academic competencies.
Building a body of evidence for our students' CARES (Work Study Practices) has allowed us to truly follow a child's growth, help them progress in specific areas, and provide the child and his/her parents with relevant and timely information related to where he/she currently is in his/her progression.
The insight of two of our teachers below describes their growth in understanding as we began the shift to a competency-based educational system. Their reflections within this particular article are specific to their developing understanding of the importance of Work Study Practices within their classrooms, and how the assessment of Work Study Practices is no longer considered just once at the end of a marking period. This change in mindset has proven to have an impact on not only how we assess WSP, but how integral it is to the learning process itself.
Jill Lizier, Grade 1 Teacher
Monitoring CARES has become a natural way for teachers to keep track of a student's work study habits. These work study habits are what allow my first graders to become successful members of a classroom community as well as self-directed and confident learners. This is a process that involves modeling, discussion, and monitoring by the teacher. As students become more familiar with CARES, they can even begin to monitor themselves!
My grade book has become a way to keep track of assessing how students are progressing in the CARES attributes. When I first started to monitor CARES, I would put one grade for each cares attribute at the end of each trimester. I used to think to myself, " Okay, where is this student right now in the area of Cooperation? Well, he did well yesterday during a game, so he must be meeting expectations!".
This way of grading CARES was no different than the check plus and check minus we used to do. It was just a one-time grade that did not account for growth. I realized if I made CARES a part of every lesson and activity then I would be able to put in multiple grades for CARES attributes, allowing me to monitor CARES growth over time.
The teacher's grade book becomes a body of evidence of the student's growth through the year in CARES. It is helpful as a teacher to have this ongoing monitoring, since some days I look back and can't remember what I did the day before! With this evidence, teachers can discuss progress with parents, but more importantly, with their students. I am able to look back into my grade book and see that the past few times I have monitored cooperation a particular student still wasn't able to cooperate without teacher assistance. I am now more aware that I need to incorporate more cooperation discussions with the class. But, I can also help an individual child understand that he or she may do really well in one area of CARES but needs to focus on another.
Monitoring student growth in the area of CARES is not only good for social growth but academic growth as well. It is my hope as a teacher for these CARES attributes to become common vocabulary within the classroom and for students to make connections by recognizing their importance outside of the classroom and in the world around them.
Terry Bolduc, Grade 5 Teacher
As a school, we were focusing on the importance of collecting a body of evidence that represents each student, with regards to academic standards and competencies. I realized that it was important to do this for Work Study Practices as well.
Initially, I began entering a weekly CARES grade for my students, rather than what was historically done which was one grade, written on the report card at the end of the trimester. As this weekly grade became routine for me, I began to look more closely at each component that made up each CARES category. I realized that these grades needed to be broken out further so I could really keep track of the areas that were deemed important to a student's success. For example, under "R" for responsibility, the following components are listed: Works to the best of their ability, completes assigned tasks, and completes assigned homework. If I entered one weekly grade for this WSP category, was I truly reflecting on how the student was performing? How would I remember if they were proficient in completing assigned tasks but maybe not so good at turning in homework? It was then that I started further separating out WSP grades even further. I believe, only then, that my grade book was reflecting a true picture of each student and their achievements both academically and socially.
The two pictures below are directly from Ms. Bolduc's grade book. The first picture represents the overall CARES in the grade book, week by week.
This second picture (below) represents the assessment data broken down within one of the weeks, by assignment.
For more information on Terry's changing practices related to WSP, please click
here.
Next: Classroom Instruction of Skills and Dispositions
Jonathan Vander Els is the principal of Memorial School in Newton, NH. Jonathan has presented at multiple local, state and national conferences on topics related to competency-based grading, enhancing teacher leaders in schools, maximizing collaboration of staff through highly functioning Professional Learning Communities, and providing tiered instruction for learners of varying abilities. Jonathan may be followed on Twitter: @jvanderels
Jill Lizier is a first grade teacher at Memorial School in Newton, NH. Jill is an active contributor to Professional Learning Communities within the Sanborn Regional School District. Jill has worked as team leader for her grade level and is currently a Quality Performance Assessment coach within Memorial School. Jill may be followed on Twitter: @jilllizier
Terry Bolduc is a fifth grade teacher at Memorial School, in Newton NH. Terry has worked as a team leader for her grade level, participates in the PACE initiative as a grade level representative for the Sanborn Regional School District, has been member of the school's Training Team and is currently a Quality Performance Assessment coach within Memorial School. Terry may be followed on Twitter: @tabolduc
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