Northwood School Laker April 17, 2020

Remote Learning Extended Dear Families, Yesterday, Governor Sununu ordered all schools in New Hampshire to continue remote learning for the rest of the school year. We are in the process of planning for how to finish the school year as productively as possible while also preparing for next year. We are working to develop plans for how to proceed with events such as Kindergarten registration, class placement for 20-21, graduation, and summer programs. We're also working to figure out how to return student belongings to families and have school materials returned to us. We will continue to update you as we get more information and finalize plans. The school’s faculty have also been exploring options for reporting grades in the distance learning model and we will have information about that for you next week. At the April 16 School Board meeting, the Board determined that the last day of distance learning for students will be Friday, June 5. As a reminder, April vacation has been cancelled this year. In addition, Kindergarten registration on May 20 has been cancelled; K students will be asked to participate in distance learning that day. The teacher workshop day scheduled for May 22 has also been cancelled.  Breakfast and lunch are available free of charge to all Northwood residents under the age of 18 for the remainder of the school year. Chef Chris recently announced that he will be able to offer weekend meals (to be picked up or delivered on Fridays) as well as reheatable meals. He can also provide up to three days worth of meals at one time if you are unable to pick up on a daily basis. Please contact him if you would like to sign up for meals by emailing [email protected] . You may want to check out this video he made providing information about what the new and improved menu could include!  Please let your child(ren) know how sad we are that we won’t get to finish the year with them in person and that we miss them terribly!  Take care and enjoy your weekend. Jocelyn

Harvest the Gold If you are a student who has been concerned that you are not learning all that you can or should during distance learning - harvest the gold. If you are a parent or guardian who has been concerned that your child is not learning all that he or she can or should during distance learning - harvest the gold. If you are an educator who has been concerned that a student is not learning all that he or she can or should during distance learning - harvest the gold. If you are a community member who has been concerned that the youth in Northwood are not learning all that they can or should during distance learning - harvest the gold. Harvest the gold is a metaphor for gathering together the best outcomes from a situation.  In the case of distance learning, it means that we should consider all that students are learning - academic lessons; life lessons; lessons about resilience, determination, caring, etc.  Some of these are the most unintended yet dynamic and impactful lessons that students will learn. Examples: Students learning to participate in their family (e.g., cook, care for a pet, help with house projects). Students learning to assist siblings with their learning (e.g., read a book, help understand directions for an assignment, model a strategy for solving a math problem). Students learning to use technology to communicate (e.g., use Google Classroom as an internet-based technology to chat with a teacher or video-conference through a teacher-arranged meeting). Students learning how to demonstrate their learning in unique ways (e.g., videos, pictures, recordings of music). There are also lessons learned about family and community and their importance for our well-being. Examples: Parades to celebrate birthdays. Sharing moments with family members. Outside adventures in one’s backyard. Using a video meeting to connect with relatives. Phone conversations with friends to share laughter. These are all instances of learning taking place and where learning is being applied. These are instances of students harvesting the gold even if it is not all that can or should be learned during distance learning.  Kathleen Scholand, Curriculum Director

For Parents of Students in K-2 Due to developing information regarding the ability of the virus to remain on surfaces, we will not be asking for you to return the paper-based work that your child(ren) completed during the first couple of weeks of remote learning. Your child(ren)'s completion of the work helped to prepare them for the instruction and work now being provided digitally.

From the Yearbook Committee Dear Families, We are so appreciative of the kind words and kudos that are going around the Northwood Community! During this time, we have seen so many people come together and put in so much effort towards the education of the students. Parents & Educators United! The Yearbook Committee has worked hard on the yearbook and we want to remind everyone that yearbooks are still available to purchase at the  ybpay.com  website. Thank you, Yearbook Committee

Library News We are so impressed with the creativity and inventiveness of these fourth graders! They continue to find discarded or recyclable materials to make into works of art or fun STEM projects.

Melanie decided to start her garden by using a little wooden box to grow seedlings.

Jayden made a marshmallow launcher out of a toilet paper tube and a balloon.

Ainsley made a windchime.

Connor and his mom even welded some old horseshoes and a tire rim to make a coat stand!

Fourth Grade News Student reporters in 4A are sending in their informational reporting to their program manager, via video or vocaroo, to go on the air!  Check out some segments below!

Robert Frost Interview

Robert Frost Biography

Friendly Letters from Third Grade Last week the third graders began reviewing how to write friendly letters to their third grade teachers. They practiced using a greeting, body, and closing to inform Mrs. Clairmont and Mrs. Freeman on what they’ve been doing since being out of school, what they miss about school, and then they got to ask their teachers some questions too!  They took their knowledge and expertise from last week and used it to create and write their own friendly letters to staff members in Northwood School. Students wrote about their weekends, things they miss about school, and used it as an opportunity to check in on how some of the other staff members were doing. The third grade classes hope these letters spread some cheer and allowed for a few minutes of light hearted conversation with students who truly miss them.  Have Courage and Be Kind! Third Grade

5th Grade's Positive Pete Video Check out this week's video (click picture) celebrating the hard work, good friendship, and positive attitudes of our fifth grade students and teachers!

Webinar: Remote Learning Tips for Parents/Guardians Connect with VLACS staff as we learn and share strategies for supporting your child(ren) while they continue working at home. Topics to be discussed: how to maximize the use of video conferencing software such as Zoom, reviewing the elements of consistent workflow, communicating with school officials, designing space at home, and the importance of movement breaks.

Register Here!

NHIAA Spring 2020 Update In response to the recent Executive Order by New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu to continue remote instruction in New Hampshire schools throughout the remainder of the school year, the NHIAA Council has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 spring sports season and championships. This decision was not made lightly given what athletics mean to the participants, parents, and communities across the state. While it was our hope to salvage some portion of the spring season, the fact that schools will not reopen their doors to students this year and the uncertainty surrounding when or if social distancing guidelines will be lifted has made us face the stark reality that playing school sports this spring is simply not an option. Rather, our focus in these most uncertain times must be to do everything we can to protect people from the pandemic and not contribute to the numbers who fall victim to the disease.

Important Dates May 4 - 9 - Teacher Appreciation Week May 7 - School Board meeting, 6:30 May 25 - Memorial Day, No School June 4 - School Board meeting, 6:30 June 5 - Last day of school for students

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