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REEDS FERRY March, 2016
TIGGER TIMES A Message from the Principals
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We hope that everyone had a restful February vacation week. As we return, we can sense the little hints of spring approaching. Maybe Punxsutawney Phil not seeing his shadow truly will prove to bring us an early spring.
With spring comes the beginning of a flurry of activities from now to the end of the year. We are so fortunate to have a very active parent body, both at school and ‘behind the scenes’. Volunteers give countless hours to the classrooms, and support many of these events and special activities. Parental involvement sends a positive message to your children. Much research has been done in the area of best schools, student success and its connection to parental involvement.
A recent article from the parent institute (parent institute.com) shares several ways parents can support their children’s success at school. Some of what follows reflects research, as well as what we believe to be important practices of parents’ support of education at Reeds Ferry School.
Homework and Study Skills Support: Children in our school have homework Monday-Thursday with occasional long term projects. As parents, you can help your child by helping them to establish a time and place to complete their assignments, and by checking their work regularly. Also, hold high expectations for your child even when tasks are challenging. Your support is critical to your child as he/she learns that knowledge is gained through perseverance and the application of their learning across different environments and subjects. Most importantly, celebrate their accomplishments, large and small.
Avoid Absences: Missing or being late to school (even a little) can negatively impact a child’s performance and learning at school.
Positive Student Behavior: The Responsive Classroom edicts of caring, responsibility and respect are emphasized at RFS. Parents can carry these themes into their homes by giving your child responsibilities such as doing dishes, caring for pets, cleaning their rooms, etc. Young children are astutely aware of adult behavior, and tend to model their own behavior after what they observe.
Parent - School Communication: We encourage you to keep in contact with your child’s teacher in order to share both concerns and successes. We care about preserving positive experiences and working together with parents to improve school climate and your child’s progress.
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Mrs. Yarlott and Mr. Coler
One key component of strong parent-school communication is attending the biannual parent teacher conferences.
Parent teacher conferences will be held on Thursday, March 24th and Tuesday, March 29th. As you begin to think about the upcoming conference with your child’s teacher, we encourage you to jot down any questions you may have. Think not so much about how your child compares to the other children in the classroom, or to your other children, rather ask questions that will help gauge how they are performing now, as compared to the beginning of the school year.
The teachers at Reeds Ferry School are looking forward to learning more about your son or daughter from your perspective, as well as sharing your child’s growth.
One final note: We are so proud of our fourth grade students and the beautiful ocean mosaic that they created working with our visiting artist Lizz Van Saun. We invite you to view this beautiful work of art, now permanently installed on the main entrance wall.
A Message from the Principals Continued
Registration is currently open for Merrimack residents who have children entering kindergarten and 1st grade for the 2016-2017 school year. Parents can stop by the office of their home school (Reeds Ferry, Thorntons Ferry or Mastricola) for more information, or go online at www.merrimack.k12.nh.us and click on the registration link.
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News from the Nurse
Welcome to March!! I hope you all enjoyed your February vacation and are well rested. I have noticed that it is getting light earlier in the mornings and staying light longer in the evenings!!
March is National Nutrition Month, a great time to start a conversation about healthy choices. Please check out the http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ website for great information along with games and activities. If you scan the bar code below it will take you to a fun activity.
Just a reminder that cough drops are considered a medication and you must fill out a Parent Permission to Administer (available to download on the RFS website). All cough drops must be brought into the Health Office to be kept with me. When your child needs them, they can come down and see me.
We are also looking for extra clothes to have on hand when students have accidents, or slip and fall in puddles and need clean or dry clothes. If you have any that your child has outgrown, and would like to donate to the school, you can send them in with your child. Please have them bring them into the Health Office. It would be greatly appreciated!!
As usual, if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 424-6215.
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Congratulations to our fourth grade artists for their hard work creating the Seascape Mosaic with this year’s Artist in Residence, Lizz Van Saun. Thanks to our generous PFA, our fourth graders had a tremendous week learning about the history and technique of the mosaic art form. “Miss Lizz”, a professional mosaic artist, worked with every class of fourth graders each day, for five days. She taught them how to arrange pieces of recycled glass to create an underwater seascape. Once the glass pieces were glued into place, she even had the students grout the mosaic. The vibrant results will forever greet our visitors as they enter the RFS building.
A big thank you to all of the volunteers who came in to assist students with the mosaic process during the week. Without their help, this project would not have been possible….
Lindsay Murray
Donna Shorette
Janet Krupp
Aimee Piccolo
Andrea Andris
Jessica Repp
Megan Harvey
Mike Piccolo
Sarah Allen
Jennifer Szela
Kim Rodriguez
Jennifer Cargile
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February marked the 100th day of school and the half-way mark of the school year. March is a great time to reflect on the first half of the year and the statistics of the library. Since July 2015, the Reeds library has added 355 new books (an assortment of fiction and nonfiction) to the collection. Students have checked out 14,787 books and magazines which is an approximate average of 30 books per child since September. WOW! Our students are certainly motivated to read! Some favorites that are circulated the most at Reeds are, The Guinness Book of World Records, The Lunch Lady, Elephant and Piggie, How to Draw, and anything Star Wars or Lego! In addition to browsing and exchanging books, classes continue to use the library for research and classroom extensions.
Another thought that comes to mind when thinking about March: Dr. Seuss and Read Across America. Read Across America Day is March 2. It began in 1998 as a way to celebrate Dr. Seuss and encourage reading. According to the National Education Association (NEA) the purpose of Read Across America is to motivate children to read and, “research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.” (http://www.nea.org/grants/886.htm).
March is a great time to reflect, stay warm and continue to encourage the love of reading with a good book from the library!
“You're off to Great Places! Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting, So... get on your way!”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!
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MERRIMACK PUBLIC LIBRARY
Junior Book Club (kids)
This month Junior and Family Book Groups are meeting together and will be reading Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath. Monday, March 21st @ 6:30; Registration required
Book Voyages
Book Voyages is a monthly program that introduces your elementary-aged child to new books that they’ll be thrilled to read. Each month, we present books of a particular theme with many levels and formats to suit your child’s reading needs. Participants will enjoy some read-alouds at the meeting followed by a speedy "book talk" of additional titles they can check out on the way home to read on their own time.
Book Voyages is for children in 1st and 2nd grades. We meet on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 4 PM, and run October through April. Registration is required with an adult’s Merrimack library card.
Family Fun Night- I'll See You In the Dark
Monday, March 28th @ 6:30-7:30
Check out the Library Website for more information
Gluten Free Living with Oonagh Williams
Award winning chef, Oohagh Williams will demonstrate gluten free cooking; March 3rd 6:30-8:45
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February has proved to be a very quick month! Kindergarten has jumped right into our third quarter standards of synonyms, stories and poems. Our math unit has been filled with measuring, learning to count by 5’s, measuring with non-standard items, and working on those tricky teens. We delighted in many fun celebrations as we landed on day 100!! Our kindergarteners were excited about their 100 day projects and dividing all their items into 10 piles of 10. We highlighted what happens when we have 10 tens, and incorporated many activities focused around the number 100. Of course, February is the month of love, and we have found ourselves focused on caring and kindness. We really enjoyed our kindness week of school. It’s so important to teach problem solving skills early!! We started our narrative writing unit, and the students loved sharing stories about themselves and their families. This is the time of year we find out everything!!!! We hope that you and your family have a very safe and wonderful vacation. Everyone is looking forward to starting off March with Reading Across America, and a highlight on Dr. Seuss!
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Our 2nd grade team is happy to welcome back our team members Mrs. Claire and Mrs. Herr. We are excited that we will still visit with Miss Norton when she returns for another substitute position in 4th grade.
2nd Grade Field Trip to the Parker Maple Sugar Barn: March 21st, 22nd and 23rd
Our first graders were so excited to celebrate the 100th day of school. We had many unique projects this year. Thank you to all of the families who took the time to make something special for our 100th day parade. Some of the students’ projects included: a snowman made out of marshmallows, a gumball machine made with pom poms, a tree made with buttons, melted crayon artwork, and so many more wonderful creations. This year, we could tell that the students really put a lot of thought into their projects. There were so many nice compliments and encouraging words shared with one another. It is nice to observe all of our first graders displaying such kindness to others.
Thank you for all of your support!
The First Grade Team
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Extreme Weather Research
Third grade classrooms have been working with Mrs. Puzzo in the library to research “Extreme Weather”. Students used a combination of books and technology to answer their inquiry questions. The next step is to take the research into the computer lab and work with Mrs. Lewis. They are excited to see their weather broadcast as their final project. We are all very proud of the students working on their inquiry questions and collaborating in small groups!
Please mark your calendar for our third grade musical. Our performance “JAZZ” will be on April 19th at 6:30 p.m. We look forward to seeing you!
Mr. Bartlett Mrs. Bowie Mrs. Caban Miss. Rockwell
Please mark your calendar for our third grade musical. Our performance “JAZZ” will be on April 19th at 6:30 p.m. We look forward to seeing you!
Mr. Bartlett Mrs. Bowie Mrs. Caban Miss. Rockwell
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The first week in March, when we return from the February vacation, the fourth grade students will attend a field trip to the Science Discovery Museum in Action, MA. The museum’s mission is to inspire enduring curiosity and a love of learning. On the field trip, children discover open-ended, interactive exhibits that encourage exploration and imagination. At the Science Discovery Museum, children and adults of all ages can explore scientific concepts and hands-on creativity.
An up-coming event in fourth grade is our annual science fair. This long-range project is meant to reinforce the use of the Scientific Method. Students will present their experiments and their results on Tuesday, April 12th to their classmates. On Thursday, April 14th all family members and friends are invited to come to school from 6:00-6:45pm to tour each fourth grade classroom, view the amazing creativity and observe the results of the various experiments.
As we begin our last unit of study in the area of science, students will be learning about the human body. Particular emphasis will be put on the muscular system and the skeletal system. Mrs. Shelley Brennan, a local nurse, has been visiting Reeds Ferry School for years to conduct a program called Fit Kids. She will offer fun science activities, as well as valuable information on how to eat right, exercise and lead a healthy lifestyle. Her visits will last eight weeks and she will visit each fourth grade class individually.
In music, Ms. Isaac is instructing the fourth graders on how to read music and begin to play songs on their recorders! This skill is a marvelous opportunity for children to branch out and learn how to play other musical instruments that will be available in fifth grade at JMUES.
Phenomenal Fourth Grade!
REEDS FERRY March, 2016
PFA NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
President: Rebecca Mimms [email protected] Vice-President: Michelle Desmarais [email protected] Secretaries: Andrea Andris [email protected]
Hillary Maye [email protected] Treasurer: Shannon Rand
Board Member at Large: Natasha Bairamova [email protected] Volunteer Coordinators: Aimee Piccolo Lindsay Murray
Tigger Times Editor: Karen Bruce [email protected]
The PFA (Parent Faculty Association) is a volunteer organization dedicated to the support and enrichment of education at Reeds Ferry Elementary School. Our goal is to provide enrichment to both the faculty and students by establishing the means to offer additional programs, field trips and materials to the school. All faculty, staff and parents of students at RFS are members of the PFA and are always welcome at the general meetings. It is with the continuing support of our members that we are able to offer all of the enrichment programs. It is the unselfish giving of time and effort by our many volunteers that have allowed our children the benefit of these extra resources. Please help us continue our goal by actively supporting the PFA in any way you can.
PFA General Meeting is Wednesday, March 16th @ 3:15pm in the Library. Babysitting will be provided for your convenience in room 7. Any questions, please contact Rebecca Mimms at 661-8599 or [email protected] The PFA weekly emails will let you know about upcoming events and remind you of deadlines. You can always opt out at a later date if you change your mind. If interested, just enter your email address at https://www.groupvine.com/reeds-ferry-school/@@apply.
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PFA NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Ongoing Fundraisers
All of the following can be deposited in the white bins near the PFA bulletin board. Thank you!
Ink Cartridge Recycling
Box Tops http://www.boxtops4education.com
Labels for Education http://www.labelsforeducation.com/ Your Place of Employment Does your work give donations for volunteer time? We can find some fun things for you to do and you can earn money for Reeds Ferry! In the past few years we have been lucky to have some great volunteers earn the school $200-$300 per year. Check it out!
Magazine Drive Please remember that RFS receives 40% from magazine subscriptions (new orders and renewals) all throughout the year. Just go to www.gaschoolstore.com and use our school ID number 2499747.
Thank you for all of your support!
Apparel Impact RFS PFA has teamed up with Apparel Impact. There is now a donation box on school grounds! Come donate your old unwanted clothes in our drop box in the parking lot closest to the soccer fields. It not only helps our school but also reduces waste and gives back!
Box Tops for Education Don't forget to clip Box tops! For submission sheets, you can go to www.btfe.com! Thank you for your continued participation in this simple fundraiser!
Volunteers Needed Fruit Bars and Popcorn Frozen Fruit bar shadow coordinator to take over next year. This is one of the kid’s favorite days throughout the year. It's a great feeling to see that many smiles when you walk in a room. We need help in distributing the bars, a twice a month commitment. This is also Janet's last year with us at Reeds as her youngest is moving up. She is in need of a shadow to learn how this fundraiser is run and take it over next year. If you are interested in helping out with this much-loved position please contact Janet Krupp at [email protected]. We are also in need of someone to take over as Popcorn Coordinator for next year. Gardening The garden and landscaping are always growing and always benefits from extra hands. This is an ever-changing way to help. There are ways to help during and after school and even on weekends. Set up a time to work with others or on your own. There's so much to do! To learn more, contact Lindsay Murray [email protected] Spirit Wear Fridays Don't forget to show your Reeds Ferry Pride on Fridays!! Wear your favorite spirit wear or Reeds Ferry colors! PFA Meetings PFA Meetings are held at 3:15 in the library. Babysitting is provided in room 7 beside the library. For meeting dates or more information, click here. The next general meeting is Wednesday February 17th. Volunteers Please tally your volunteer hours!!! To all the volunteers who either work at home, at a school function, or in the school but were not "signed" in, email your hours to our volunteer coordinators at [email protected]. Our school gets credit for the number of volunteer hours we accumulate!
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Reeds Ferry School 15 Lyons Road
Merrimack, NH 03054 Phone: (603) 424-6215
Fax:(603) 424-6238 On the Web:
http://www.merrimack.k12.nh.us/Reedsferry.cfm
Don’t forget to record your at-home volunteer hours on the calendar and send it in with your child.
If you have forgotten to send in your previous months volunteer work, jot down your hours by month and send those in too. Our School gets credit for the number of volunteer hours we accumulate!! THANK YOU for all your help!
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 4th Grade Chorus All month
2 4th Grade field trip
3 4th Gr field Trip
4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 PFA meeting
17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 Parent Teacher Conf
25 26
27 28 29 Parent Teacher conferences
30 1st Grade field Trip
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Name: _________________________