Northwood School Laker

January 10, 2025

Reminder:

Delayed Opening on Tuesday, January 14!

The school will open at 10:05.

Spelling Bee

Congratulations to our 2025 Spelling Bee winner Mabel (grade 7)and runner-up Maddie (grade 5)! All of our spelling bee participants did a wonderful job and impressed the judges with their preparedness and spelling prowess. Mabel will go on to compete for a spot in the state competition.

Late Nights, Sleep, and the Student Brain!


For elementary students, staying up late with friends is an exhilarating experience, amplified by the allure of technology, cell phones, the excitement of sharing videos, playing games, and connecting online.  However, during the winter months, the importance of adequate sleep for young elementary students becomes even more critical as shorter daylight hours can disrupt natural sleep patterns, as mentioned in this article. Proper sleep is essential for brain development and function, directly influencing a child’s ability to complete homework and engage in learning activities. Sleep affects cognitive functions such as memory retention, focus, and emotional regulation, which are vital for young students to grasp new concepts and solve problems. Research indicates that students who maintain consistent sleep schedules during the winter are better equipped to handle academic challenges and demonstrate improved homework performance (Hirshkowitz et al., 2015). Thus, ensuring that children get sufficient sleep during these months supports their overall brain function and academic success. 


~ Mike Ling, Currriculum Director



Citation:

Hirshkowitz, M., Whiton, K., Albert, S. M., Alessi, C., Bruni, O., DonCarlos, L., ... & Croft, J. B. (2015). National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health, 1(1), 40-43.

News from Kindergarten


It’s Nursery Rhyme time in Mrs. Magnusson’s kindergarten class! We have begun learning rhymes for our annual nursery rhyme show in February. This week our rhymes were “Jack and Jill” and the “Three Little Kittens.” 

News from the Library


Students in Ms. Flinders's class are using a website to digitally cut paper snowflakes! In the month of January, students in grades K-2 look at books that have received the Caldecott Medal. This week, we read Snowflake Bentley and learned about the farmer-scientist Wilson Bentley. We also looked at some of his famous photographs online before having fun with our tech activity.

Nutrition News from the Wellness Committee

Imagine a rocket ready to blast into space. What would happen if you poured cheap, dirty fuel into its tank? The rocket would probably sputter and cough, and the cheap fuel might clog the motor inside. Just like that rocket, you need premium fuel to run smoothly and to live longer.

 

The USDA food groups, as illustrated in the ChooseMyPlate.gov picture, are a good place to find nutrient dense foods. These are foods packed with vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and fatty acids. Nutrient dense foods have the essential ingredients that your body needs for energy and health. Even with healthy foods, it is easy to eat too much, so know your recommended number of servings, as well as portion size. The size of one serving may surprise you. You don’t need as much as you think. The number of servings your body needs depends upon a number of factors, including your age, gender, and activity level.

 

Fruits and veggies are your friends, so be sure to vary your choices–you get more vitamins and nutrients that way. A general rule is to make half of your plate fruits and vegetables. Kids who get less than 30 minutes of daily physical activity should have about 1.5 cups of fruit and 2-2.5 cups of vegetables daily.

 

Whole grains are great too! Whole grain wheat bread is better for your body than white bread (where the healthiest parts of the grain have been removed). At least half of all of your servings of grain should come from whole grain foods.

 

Remember to get your calcium every day! From the dairy group, you should have 3 cups per day of non or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, soy, or other calcium-rich products. If you do not eat dairy products, you can get your calcium from other sources, such as dark leafy veggies, nuts, or calcium-fortified foods.

 

Vary your sources of protein. Eat lean meat and poultry. Try more seafood, beans, nuts, and seeds. Use oils instead of solid fats. Olive oil makes uncooked foods taste delicious and avocado oil is great to cook with as it has a higher smoke point.


Happy healthy eating!


~ NWS Wellness Committee

Hats, Scarves, & Mittens

Our school received a generous donation of knitted hats, scarves and mittens.  If your family could use some of these items, please email me and I will send some home with your child. 

Thank you, 

Lynda MacDonald

K-4 Counselor

lmacdonald@northwoodschoolnh.org

Exciting news! The 8th grade class is selling our exclusive Laker Monster Pride Croc Jibbitz to help support our upcoming class trip. Order forms were sent home and are also available in the office. Thank you for your support!


~ Northwood School Class of 2025

School & Community Information

Northwood School District                   

Public Notice

                    

School District Election

 

The following positions are open for the March 11, 2025 school district elections:

 

School Board Member:

3 year- 2 positions 

      School Board Member:

1 year- position                


The filing dates for the above vacancies are January 22, 2025 to January 31, 2025, 5 PM.

       

Please contact the School District Clerk,

 Penny Hampl, to file for any of the above openings.

Telephone: 603-234-8609

or on January 31st at the Town Clerk’s Office from 3-5 P.M.

E-mail: northwoodschooldistrictclerk@gmail.com

Guest Teachers Needed

If you are interested in being a guest teacher (also known as a substitute teacher), please apply at this link. The pay is $100 a day and you get to work with wonderful kids and great staff! Please contact Ms. Cannella or Ms. Young with questions.

Important Dates

January 14 - Delayed Opening, school starts at 10:05

January 14 - PTO meeting, 6:00

January 15 - School Board meeting, 6:30

January 20 - MLK/Civil Rights Day, no school

January 24 - 6-8 Dance, 6:30 - 8:30


Please check the Athletics Calendar for information on games and meets.  

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