Peterborough Elementary School is a caring, motivated learning community that fosters academic excellence, curiosity, responsibility, and mutual respect. Our instructional program stresses high standards, developmentally appropriate hands-on activities and problem solving, as well as critical and creative thinking. We strive to model and teach the habits of effective learners; our goal is for all students to love going to school while demonstrating appropriate academic and social skills.

Our outstanding staff continues to be honored at the state and national levels for contributions in leadership, environmental education, technology, and the arts. In the past few years this school has been honored as a Blue Ribbon Award Winner (for 13 years in a row) for School Volunteer Program Excellence from the NH Partners in Education. Staff members have been finalists for NH School Psychologist of the Year and NH School Nurse of the Year; and the winners of NH School Technology Volunteer of the Year and Peterborough Citizen of the Year; Hillsborough County Conservation Educator of the Year; NH Elementary Environmental Educator of the Year; Hancock NH's Harris Center for Conservation Education Teachers and Administrator of the Year; NH ASCD Excellence in Education Award for Administrative Leadership in Supervision and Curriculum Development; Monadnock Garden Club's Audubon Camp Scholarship; and the district's nominee for NH's Christa McAuliffe Sabbatical Award.

The school has been awarded grants for innovative projects from the Goyette Foundation, the NH Charitable Foundation, Target Stores, the Monadnock Community Foundation, the Daniels Foundation, and Public Service of New Hampshire. Our staff members have been selected to speak at classes in Keene State College's Department of Education, at the NH Council on the Arts Annual Conference, and at the Peterborough and Monadnock Rotary Clubs. Staff members also serve with local community boards and service organizations such as the Monadnock Area Transitional Shelter, Rotary and Lions clubs, Windy Row Learning Center, the Children and the Arts Festival, and Brantwood Camp.

Our school stresses the importance of literacy assessment and differentiated instruction in reading and writing. Along with teacher observations and the analysis of student work samples, teachers use the Phonological Awareness Profile (Kind. and Grade One) and the Developmental Reading Assessment (First - Fourth Grades) to target areas where students would benefit from more intensive reading support. In 2nd -4th grades, teachers also plan for more individualized learning by analyzing the results of the Morrison McCall Spelling assessments and the NWEA Measurements of Academic Progress and (in 3rd and 4th grades) the New England Common Assessment Program tests in Reading and Math.

Students access Math Investigations, STC Science, Scholastic Spelling, Handwriting Without Tears printing and Loops and Other Groups cursive programs. We strive to offer a balanced literacy program that includes direct instruction in key skills along with helping students become increasingly independent readers and writers. Students enjoy publishing stories and sharing their writing at Author's Teas, Kindergarten "Mitten Night," Third Grade Civil Rights presentations, and Fourth grade Poetry Evenings.

Since students have "multiple intelligences" and diverse learning styles, our school integrates art, music, outdoor explorations, dance/movement and other art forms into our teaching and learning. We've enjoyed residencies with artists and paper-makers, contra-dancers and drummers, a Scottish composer and a landscape architect. We benefit tremendously from our collaborative work with the Peterborough Historical Society, the Mariposa Museum, MacDowell [Artists'] Colony, the Harris Center, the Sharon Arts Center, the NH Dance Institute, the Peterborough Garden Club and trips to the Fremont Conservation Land, North Pack Monadnock, Rivermead, Summerhill, Stonewall Farm, the Capitol and Colonial Theaters, and the Kearsarge Indian Museum.

Peterborough Elementary cherishes the active support of our PTO and the on-going involvement of hundreds of parent and community volunteers. In addition, we deeply appreciate our interns from ConVal High School, Keene State College, Plymouth State University, and Antioch New England. Our outstanding teachers continue to be requested as mentors and cooperating teacher-supervisors for dozens of interns and student teachers who "learn by doing" while providing additional support in most of our classrooms and specials such as Physical Education.

The universities, in turn, give back to PES. For instance, Keene State professors Dr. Pru Cuper and Dr. Shirley McLoughlin provide PES staff with literacy coaching, book study groups, and after-school professional development workshops. Plymouth State University's Dr. Meg Petersen teaches an in-district graduate course in Writing Instruction, with three PES staff members participating; Dr. Petersen is also the Director of the PSU summer institute sponsored by the National Writing Project.

Our school participates in PBIS, the state and national program for strengthening positive, caring behavior to create a more effective teaching/ learning environment. At PES, "Positive Behavior in Schools" provides clear expectations and specific instruction on how to address the school's PBIS motto: "Keep it on your mind: Be Respectful, Safe, & Kind." Our Universal PBIS leadership team includes coaches and a facilitator, teachers, aides, guidance, the school psychologist and social worker, a parent representative, and the principal. Based on collected data, this year we have targeted specific areas for improvement, such as changing dismissal procedures and teaching/modeling what behavior is expected in the cafeteria and hallways. It is rewarding to see the improvements in the school as a whole and the high level of teacher, student, and parent involvement.

Our completely renovated school facility includes twenty classrooms, the Deborah Geer Library, a well-equipped Art/Music room, a high school size gymnasium, and a cafeteria/multi-purpose room with its own serving kitchen. The school also includes appropriate teaching areas for Reading Recovery and Title 1 Literacy groups, Nurse/ Health Education, Guidance and Psychological support services, Special Education support programs, the Life Skills/Intensive Learning Center, O.T., P.T., and Speech and Language services. We have a mobile iMac computer lab and at least two computers in each classroom.

Outside, the school has a beautiful and heavily used fenced recess area, surrounded by forests. We have four soccer fields and four basketball mini-courts; multi-season playground equipment; large grassy play areas; a gazebo; a courtyard with picnic tables; swings, slides and sand play areas; and a student-designed butterfly garden. The school grounds also include numerous plantings and extensive flower gardens, bird gardens, and newly planted shade trees. With active support from parents and the community, the staff and students have developed a welcoming, attractive campus that children enjoy using while learning more about protecting and enhancing our local environment.

We feel blessed with active, involved support from the School Board and Superintendent, the Peterborough/ Sharon communities, the PES PTO, parent and community volunteers, and local businesses and service organizations.

We hope you enjoy using this web site to learn more about PES, and we invite you to contact us with any questions you may have.

Susan Copley, Ph.D.
Principal, Peterborough Elementary School

Student-Parent Handbook

PES PBIS Informational Brochure

PBIS FAQ

PBIS Home

PTO

© 2001-08

This site was last updated 4/3/2008