Thank You From the PES Staff. Wednesday’s Staff Appreciation Luncheon was superb! Warm thanks to all the recess and cafeteria volunteers, and to those who set up tables, arranged the decorations, and cooked the delicious meal. It was a festive event, with a parent-cooked gourmet meal, lovely table settings, and stimulating conversation. Everyone loved it!

Curriculum Spotlight: Math. Students have been immersed in a wide variety of June projects. Third graders enjoy sharing their amazing three-dimensional ‘towns’ created as part of the Investigations geometry unit. Fourth grade students are creating tie dyed t-shirts of their own design.

Focus On: Student Exibitions. Please do visit the special exhibits at the SAU (behind SMS) of Title 1 sponsored Picture Making illustrations and poetic writing by elementary students, and the exhibits of powerful student writing and artwork that currently fill the hallways of PES. There are also splendid photos in the PES foyer of Children in the Arts Day activities taken by Reading Recovery teacher Jo Thomas.

PTO News. The last PTO meetings of this year will be at 6:30 PM on Monday, June 13th, and 9 AM on Tuesday, June 14th. This is a time to celebrate the leadership, exceptional parental involvement, and the diverse accomplishments of 2004-2005. It’s been a great year!

Focus On: Flag day. Tuesday, June 14th, is the nation’s Flag Day. At 9 AM here at school, boys scouts and girl scouts will help lead a short school ceremony where we’ll raise the flags in front of the school, say the Pledge of Allegiance, and sing a few appropriate songs (led by Lynn Compton). Families are welcome to join us.

End of School Year News. The last day of school is Friday, June 24th; dismissal for all students is at 12:30. Lunch will not be served, so children may appreciate a sandwich sent in with their snack. Students go home with their end-of-year Progress Reports, and their 1st through 5th grade teacher assignments. The class lists for next year will be available here at school on Monday, June 27th for grades K - 4(or you can leave a self-addressed, stamped envelope and we can mail your child’s class list the week of June 27th). We anticipate that this procedure will make for a smoother and less hectic last day of school for everyone concerned.

Incoming Kindergarten Schedule:
June 24 - Teacher Assignment letters will be mailed.
June 27 - Class Lists will be available at PES.
September 1, 2, and 6 - All incoming Kindergarten students will be assessed here at PES in the Kindergarten classes. Letters will be sent to you by the SAU with your appointment date and time, which will be on only one of these dates. More details about the assessment will be in your letter.
September 7 - Kindergarten Open House. Details will be sent to you by the teachers.
September 8 - First Day of School for Kindergarteners.

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Focus On: Field Trips. Hurrah for the warmth and sunshine of early June! As the weather invites us to “get outside,” our outstanding staff has organized a multitude of field trips to extend students’ learning through connections to the world beyond our classroom walls. Thanks to all the parent volunteers who accompany classes to sites such as the Mariposa Museum, the Peterborough Historical Society and Town Library, the Monadnock Community Hospital, the NH State House, Stonewall Farm, RiverMead, the Harris Center for Conservation Education, UNH (Special Olympics), and local parks, bogs, and forests. The list goes on and on!

Focus On: Student Performances. Many classes are also involved in preparing special end-of-year performances, including plays, poetry nights, cowboy night, and authors’ teas. These celebrations of learning are highly motivating and great fun! They also provide the opportunity to work cooperatively on a significant project, learn how to memorize lines and “speak loudly and clearly,” and perform with poise and presence in front of a live audience. We expect to see these talented children acting and performing for years to come!

Curriculum Spotlight: Science. Second graders are studying plants – their parts, what helps make them grow, and how they spread their seeds. For instance, children carefully study and sketch dandelions, and even use a microscope to get a close-up view of the “hooks” on each tiny seed.

PTO Staff Appreciation Luncheon. Next week includes the annual PTO Staff Appreciation Luncheon on Wednesday, June 8th. Warm thanks to all the volunteer cooks, organizers, and parent volunteers who help make this event such a special gift to the school community!

Spirit Week. The week of June 20th will be “Spirit Week” at PES, so while reading, writing, and ‘doing math,’ students and staff members may look just a little bit different! Thanks to Christine Hodgdon and the school’s Spirit Committee for adding some levity and fun to our last week of the school year.
Here’s the schedule:

Monday, June 20th: Clash Day (What about stripes and plaids?)
Tuesday, June 21st: Wacky Hair Day (Think of the possibilities!)
Wednesday, June 22nd with Field Day in the AM: Class Color Day (More infor. to follow)
Thursday, June 23rd with Grad. at 1:30: Tie Day (The more outrageous, the better!)
Friday, June 24th with 12:30 Dismissal: Hat Day (Incredibly amazing possibilities!)
Visiting parents are welcome to join in the fun!

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Children in the Arts Day. Thank you for your enthusiastic support of last Saturday’s Children in the Arts Day. It was such an exhilarating festival, organized by Terry Reeves and her amazing committee, with a plethora of exciting performances, exhibits, and creative activities. PES students were involved in singing, dancing, contributing to numerous exhibits of pop-up books and collages, marching in the Giant Puppet Parade, and just enjoying time with their friends as they watched others perform. I loved it all! The delightfully decorated door created by PES students under the guidance of Gloria Schultz; is part of the current exhibit at the Sharon Arts Center that illustrates the Children and the Arts Day theme of “Helping Hands.”

Curriculum Spotlight: Math. Kindergarten students are learning math games of Compare/ Double Compare. This is one of the many Math Investigations activities that reinforce an understanding of “math sense” (what do numbers mean?) along with practicing basic math facts. We hope you have enjoyed the many math games that children in every grade have brought home to share with siblings and parents. Figuring out problems with larger numbers is much easier when children have learned concepts such as “Friends of Ten” and “Doubles [Plus One].” And thank you for spending time at home reinforcing math facts, asking elapsed time questions, and helping children learn how to make change with various coins. Your support makes a big difference!

Curriculum Spotlight: Science. Fourth grade students are completing their Land and Water unit, conducting intriguing experiments right in the classroom. Students work in cooperative groups to make predictions, and then carefully observe and record the results of various water treatments on different combinations of sand and different types of soil. Second graders are studying plants, conducting their own scientific experiments and keeping science journals to record the plants’ reactions to differing combinations of sun, water, and sand/ soil. And Third graders are wrapping up their Bird Studies, very appreciative of all they have learned from our visiting Harris Center naturalist. It’s so heartening to see the curiosity and excitement of all these young scientists!

Enjoy your three-day week-end; we’re hopeful it includes some sunshine!!

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Earth Day Celebration. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped with Tuesday’s Garden Clean-Up Day! Enthusiastic students hoed, weeded, and mulched the sign garden, the butterfly garden, and the iris & sunflower garden. It was another powerful way of celebrating Earth Day and taking pride in our own little piece of this beautiful town.

Focus On: Australian Visitor. This week also marked our hosting of the Australian educator Bruce Cameron who is on a study tour of the United States. He visited numerous classes, answering questions about schools and “life in Tasmania.” Students were fascinated to learn more about marsupials (and more about an authentic Australian accent!). Mr. Cameron also asked teachers and students about literacy and numeracy instruction and assessment at PES. At his school they also use the Rigby PM books for guided reading in the early grades!

Focus On: Student Assessments. Next week second through fourth grade students will be taking the NWEA “MAPS” tests in Reading, Language Usage, and Math. The tests are taken on laptop computers set up in the Deb Geer Library. The questions “adapt” in difficulty depending on the accuracy of each student’s responses. Starting next year these tests will be given to 2nd – 4th graders in both the fall and spring. Results of the testing are helpful as one snapshot of how students are progressing academically, and how we can best meet their needs while they are at PES.

Children and the Arts Day. Children and the Arts Day is coming soon! Students are already preparing for the Parade, learning new dances, and finishing pop-up books and other projects that will be on display on Saturday, May 21st. This “traditional” celebration started at PES twelve years ago, and now includes children of all ages from the region’s schools. If you are available to volunteer at one of the events, please call Lynn Phillips at 924-0167.

Curriculum Spotlight: Science. Next Friday, May 13th, the PTO is funding a “Cool Science” program. Parents and families are welcome to join us in the gym for these assemblies that are designed to nurture children’s interest in the sciences. Kind-2nd grade: 9:15 – 10:00; 3rd – 4th: 10:15 – 11:15. It sounds like fun!

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Curriculum Spotlight: Poetry.I’m writing this newsletter late Thursday evening, having just attended a magnificent Poetry Night performed by Mrs. Magher’s Fourth grade class. The performances were powerful, poignant, and often very funny. I was in awe of the children’s poise, timing, and excellent acting. It truly does “seem like just yesterday” when these same children were learning their letters and numbers in Kindergarten. What fun it is to see these boys and girls now so very ready to go on to the new demands and opportunities of middle school this coming fall!

Focus On: Earth Day. To help celebrate Earth Day, students throughout the school are decorating brown paper grocery bags with creative drawings and original messages about caring for our precious land and water. Look for these at Roy’s! Some classes are also participating in local clean up efforts, and writing stories about picking up trash, saving whales, and planting trees. Our children are full of courage and optimism for how they can “make this world a better place” in practical and important ways.

Focus On: Staff. Next fall we will see some new faces among the PES staff. Two of our most talented and experienced teachers, Carol Magher and Joanne Frigulietti, are retiring – and we wish them well in their new adventures. We are deeply grateful for all the hundreds of children they have taught, and the wisdom, imagination, and expertise they have brought to this school. Our senior custodian, Peter O’Connor, is also retiring. His night-time work over these many years has helped keep our building clean and fresh for daytime teaching and learning. Also, Mrs. Fox, our skilled and exuberant Art Teacher is moving on to a full-time position at SMS. We will very much miss them all! The good news is that next year Lynn Compton will be full-time at PES, teaching both Art and Music as she has been doing for a number of years at Temple Elementary School. We are fortunate that the exceptionally high quality of our integrated arts programming will continue with Mrs. Compton.

Thanks. Thank you all for volunteering for so many spring field trips and special events. Your concrete support helps make PES a lively and exciting school where every child can thrive!

Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, May 3rd – Garden Clean Up Day at PES; parent volunteers welcome!

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Focus on: Spring Cleaning. The signs of spring are everywhere and it’s time to tidy up! Please do join us for PES “Clean Up the Gardens Day” on Tuesday, May 3rd from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, or 1 to 3 PM. Bring your gloves, rakes, buckets, and wheelbarrows, and join the fun! Questions? Contact Lynn Compton.

Focus On: Footwear Safety. With the warmer weather, we are also happily shedding our heavy coats and putting away our polartecs and woolens. However, please do remind children that it’s important to wear footwear that is acceptable for school and recess -- no flip-flops or thong sandals. Other clothing expectations are spelled out in the PES Student-Parent Handbook. Thank you for helping students to be safe and accident free.

Curriculum Spotlight: Writing. When you are in school, please do take a few minutes to enjoy the numerous hallway exhibits of students’ special projects, artwork, and creative writing. In the cafeteria corridor there is a new display of second graders’ powerful descriptions of nature photographs. Upstairs there are poems by Fourth graders that will bring tears to your eyes. Elsewhere there are beautiful collages and even students’ stories about family heirlooms. Enjoy!

Curriculum Spotlight: Grade Level Expectations. Parents often ask questions such as “What can I do at home to reinforce skills taught at school?” and “What should my child be able to know and be able to do by the end of this school year?” In this regard, many parents find it very helpful to look at the district’s end of grade level expectations. Go to www.conval.edu and click on Curriculum. If you then go to Language Arts, and then Appendices, you can review the grade level expectations for High Frequency Words and Commonly Misspelled Words. The HFW’s (often called “sight words”), and key reading comprehension strategies can easily be reinforced at home when you are reading with your children. Even in Kindergarten, students are working hard to become active, thoughtful readers, writers, and illustrators. The overall Language Arts curriculum includes helpful information on the essential outcomes in reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, understanding literature, and gathering and organizing information. I hope you will enjoy becoming more familiar with the Language Arts and Math curriculum descriptions so that you will have a better understanding of “what’s expected” by the end of each grade level. Thank you for your interest!

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Curriculum Spotlight: Science. As we deal with the mud and gradually melting ice on the playground, second graders are learning about soil! Just as important, they are learning more about how a scientist thinks, including making predictions, testing hypotheses through careful observations, and drawing conclusions based on their experiments. They are curious and thoughtful!

Focus On: Healthy Kids. Recently I have read a number of articles about the growing national problem of childhood obesity and the dramatic increase of early onset diabetes. It saddened me to read that many elementary schools have eliminated recess and P.E. We are pleased that our students are generally quite fit and active – and thus healthier and more “ready to learn” at school. Thank you for helping them to get outside and enjoy the early spring weather!

Curriculum Spotlight: Science. Hancock’s Harris Center for Conservation Education’s naturalist Janet Altobello will be working with older students throughout the spring. Fourth graders study NH mammals, and Third graders learn about NH birds and their habitat. We hope parents will enjoy joining in local field trips to places like the Fremont property, as well as supervised outings exploring the woods around PES !

Do your kids enjoy magic? On Sunday, April 3rd at 2 PM there will be a free show at the Peterborough Town Library with professional magician David Garrity. Children are encouraged to read more books throughout the performance that combines illusion, music, pantomime and comedy. It sounds like fun for all ages!

Upcoming Events:
Thurs. April 7th, 6:30 PM : Kindergarten Registration for 05-06, in the PES Library. Thanks for sharing this information with friends and neighbors!

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A Favored Tradition. The PES PTO Pancake Breakfast.Thank you all for your enthusiastic support of last Saturday’s PTO breakfast, book fair, raffle, and tag sale. I know I thoroughly enjoyed helping to serve pancakes and sausages, and purchasing many special treasures and children’s books. As always, probably the best part is just talking with so many delightful PES children and their parents! Special thanks to the coordinators, Mrs. Kolk, Mrs. Stewart, and Mrs. Schultz, and the dozens of volunteers of all ages who helped make this such a successful fund-raiser and PES community event.

Focus On: Healthy Teeth. Our own “tooth fairy,” Pam Delahanty, RDH, visited classes this week to teach younger students about oral health. We are grateful to the Monadnock Healthy Teeth program and the support of Monadnock Community Hospital for making these visits possible. Healthy Teeth also sponsors dental screenings and dental cleanings (where warranted, and with parental permission). Thank you for helping your children brush their teeth and cut back on any sugary foods and drinks!

Faculty Highlights. Congratulations to former PES teacher, Linda Potter, who has been named the district’s full-time, permanent Special Education Director (since September she has been serving as the Interim Director). Also congratulations to Dr. Gretna Niemi, who has been honored as the runner-up finalist in the competition for New Hampshire School Psychologist of the Year. Both of these talented, child-centered professionals provide important support to our students and staff at PES, and we are proud of their achievements!

Curriculum Spotlight: Math and Reading. Third graders had great fun applying many math and reading skills as they followed the Iditarod race in Alaska. I was impressed with how students comfortably used the internet to keep track of “my own musher” and dog team, and could explain the extensive data and statistics on the relevant web sites!

Focus On: Kindergarten. Congratulations to all the Kindergarten students, teachers, and parents involved in such a terrific Mitten Night last Thursday evening – the performances were excellent! With the melting snow, we are already thinking about next year: Registration for this fall’s incoming Kindergarten class will be at 6:30 PM on Thursday, April 7th. Children in Sharon and Peterborough who turn five on or before September 30th, 2005, are eligible for the half-day Kindergarten program at PES. If you have questions, please call our office at 924-3828.

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Snow Days. Another “weather impacted” week! Thank you for checking on wmur tv (ch. 9), calling 924-3336, or going to www.conval.edu for information on school closings or delayed openings for the ConVal School District (this includes PES). Some students have used some of the recent snow days to spend more time reading. Our deeply caring and very knowledgeable teacher-librarian, Mrs. Richard, always seems to have “the perfect book” – or author – to recommend to our young readers!

Focus On: Children and the Arts Day Festival. Children and the Arts Day Festival on May 21st is one of the rites of spring in Our Town. Perhaps this year you and your family would like to make your own puppet to take in the famous “Giant Puppet Parade.” There will be puppet-making workshops downtown on April 9th and 23rd, and May 8th. For more information about these activities, please call Terry Reeves at 924-9361.

Cafeteria. We have a hard-working lunch serving staff that enjoys being part of the PES community. This year we have all been working to improve the quality of the lunchtime experience. Our Cafeteria Improvement Committee is studying alternative lunch schedules, ways to speed up the lunch lines, and how to enhance the overall lunchroom environment. The district’s Food Service Director, Tony Geraci, helps by designing more nutritious and varied meals. If you have ideas you’d like to share, please talk with the principal. Snack time and lunch are important both socially and nutritionally!

Curriculum Spotlight: Science and Art. Third grade students are making beautiful bird journals that they will be using throughout the coming months. The journals incorporate paper students made with visiting artist Richard Lee. The study of birds will involve field work with Janet Altobello from the Harris Center. If you have binoculars you would like to donate to this important project, please see a 3rd grade teacher or leave them at the office. Thanks so much!
Upcoming Events:

Sat. March 19th - PTO Pancake Breakfast and Book Fair

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Winter Weather. Our wintry weather has helped us all be more flexible in planning class work, thematic units, special projects, and field trips. Both teachers and students have been very positive and creative in responding to the various changes in the predicted schedules. Thank you for your understanding.

March 8th – Please VOTE!

Focus On: Voting. On Tuesday, March 8th, residents of ConVal’s nine towns will vote by ballot in their local town halls on the school district warrant articles as well as voting to select various town officials and school board members. Please see the recent School Board newsletter (mailed to all residents in the district) or contact your local Board representatives to learn more about these important issues. As always, thank you for your support of PES and the ConVal School District.

Curriculum Spotlight: Music. Lend An Ear musicians from Monadnock Music visited with Third Grade students just before vacation. This year we had a clarinet player and an incredible drummer who generated tangible excitement about playing the drums and other percussion instruments.

Teacher Award. PES Music Teacher Lynn Compton has just been selected as the state’s “New Hampshire Elementary Environmental Teacher of the Year.” She has demonstrated enthusiastic and energetic leadership for our outdoor campus improvement initiative with teachers, students, parents and community members (she’s also an outstanding musician and teacher of music!). Mrs. Compton will be recognized at both the NH Environmental Educators annual conference next week, and at the NH Excellence in Education celebration in Manchester on June 4th. Congratulations!

Curriculum Spotlight: Math and Science. Science and Math hands-on activities are on-going in every grade. Parents are enjoying the chance to help out in the classroom and to see first hand students’ high energy, thoughtful responses in their math and science investigations. In every national survey, employers continue to identify the ability to work well in teams as the most important attribute in a potential employee. Our teachers continue to do an outstanding job in helping students develop these all important cooperative, collaborative problem-solving skills!

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As I write this Thursday morning, the rain has just changed to heavy snow, and tonight everything is supposed to freeze solid. Whew! The last two days we were concerned about the wet slush at recess, and now winter is back again. In spite of these short weeks, children are making huge strides in their learning. Do stop by and read second graders’ “Snowy Day” stories posted on the wall around the corner from the Library. Other news: We warmly welcome back our enthusiastic, medal-winning Life Skills/Intensive Learning Center Special Olympics team members, coaches, and volunteer support personnel. Congratulations!

Special Education On-Site Review. This week our district hosted state-appointed teams of educators who are reviewing the quality and appropriateness of special education programs and services in all the ConVal schools. The team members for PES are from Bedford and Amherst; they are very positive about our school, and will continue their on-site review on March 15th. I very much appreciate the tremendous amount of time, collaboration, and thoughtful preparation for this on-site by our EST’s (special education teachers), Life Skills and classroom teachers, related service providers, office staff, parents, and our technology volunteer, Dr. Helfried Zrzavy. Thank you all!

Focus On: Emergency Management Drills. Along with fire drills, our school also practices other emergency management drills throughout the year. On Thursday, Feb. 17th, for instance, we will have a “Shelter in Place” drill. When the drill is announced, teachers take their emergency backpacks and attendance lists and quietly escort their students to the gym. We stay there until everyone in the building is accounted for and the principal announces “All Clear.” Students and staff then resume their regular school day activities. All schools in our district have a Shelter in Place plan that can be used in the event of extreme weather or some other event when sheltering students together might be appropriate. We believe that practicing emergency drills helps everyone feel more prepared and more able to stay calm if and when such a response is required. PES families are encouraged to have their own emergency drills at home so that everyone knows “what to do and where to go” in case of an unexpected emergency.

Focus On: School Spirit. The PTO and School Spirit Committee have been working to encourage more school-wide pride and “esprit de corps” (perhaps particularly important during these late winter/early “mud season” months!). Students have voted and selected a new school mascot, the Bobcat, and new school colors: Blue and Gold. Staff members have enjoyed the special “February Friends” event, and everyone is preparing to celebrate the Feb. 18th Cool Day by contributing food and personal items to the Monadnock Food Pantry. Come and help plan more celebrations and special events by attending a Feb. 15th PTO meeting at either 9 AM or 6:30 PM.

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Focus On: "Half Day" and Valentine's Day.Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Thank you for remembering that if a student wishes to bring cards to school, there needs to be a card for each and every classmate. It will be a fun day!

Also the school-wide Half Day was a great success last week. Now children are learning about events such as Ground Hog Day and Chinese New Year.

Curriculum Spotlight: Arts Education. “As a nation, we must develop children who are productive, happy, well-adjusted citizens, rather than kids who can just pass a test…” writes former US Secretary of Education, Ron Paige, in the Jan. 26th Education Week. Paige and co-author Mike Huckabee (Gov. of Arkansas and chair of the Education Commission of the States) eloquently defend the importance of the arts in schools today. The arts “are a sign of a thoughtful, inventive, and creative citizenry…” and help students to express their ideas and feelings, and better understand the world and its cultures.
At PES, students are involved with numerous experiences in the arts on a daily basis. This makes learning far more engaging and fun, but also nurtures students’ perseverance, critical thinking skills, and their abilities to solve problems creatively. Did you know that in 2004, students who studied music scored 40 points higher on the math portion of the SAT than those who did not? Also, research from the U.S. Dept. of Educ. [cited in the same article] concludes that students involved with the arts also earn better grades, score better on exams, perform more community service, and watch fewer hours of TV. Please share with us your own thoughts about how the arts may benefit your child’s growth and learning.

District Meetings.
Wednesday, Feb. 9th, at 7 PM, Part I of the School District meeting will take place at ConVal High School. Please come to discuss and vote on the 2005-2006 budget (and other warrant articles) that will be presented to voters on Tuesday, March 8th. See you there!

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Focus On: Martin Luther King Day. Martin Luther King Day was a catalyst for many discussions throughout the school about the meaning of “liberty and justice for all” and honoring diversity. A Peterborough resident (and father of a former PES student), Mr. Bill Perry, Jr., spoke to some Third graders about the events of the 1960’s. Mr. Perry knew Rev. King, and was an active leader during the Civil Rights era. He participated in many historic events, and was present for Dr. King’s famous “I Had a Dream…” speech. The students were fascinated by his lively, first-hand stories, and asked many excellent questions!

Focus On: School Improvements. The brand new front hall display cases are now finished! Students have watched with interest as our district’s accomplished carpenters have designed and installed the handsome shelving with glass doors. They will be used to display children’s three- dimensional artwork, and will certainly brighten the entrance hallway to the school. Please stop by to admire the various exhibits that will soon be on display.

KSC and PES. Next week we welcome our “spring semester” Keene State College Methods students who will be working and helping three mornings each week in eight different classrooms. In addition we have three full-time KSC student teachers who are already at PES. It is a tribute to our outstanding teachers that area colleges seek them out to mentor ‘pre-service teachers.’ Faculty members devote many extra hours in planning and coaching these college students, who in turn provide extra support in classrooms and an infectious enthusiasm for learning throughout our school community!

School History. The history of Peterborough’s schools is a fascinating subject. As noted in Dr. Albert Smith’s History of the Town of Peterborough (1876), all of our town’s early schools were defined by the boundaries of nearby farms. Schools were frequently moved or consolidated, based on local need. They were heated by large, open fireplaces, so students were either too hot or too cold, depending where they were in the classroom. Students used long planks for benches and desks, with no backs to the seats. As the original wooden structures became dilapidated, they were gradually replaced with sturdier brick buildings. However, conditions remained crowded with blackboards instead of books. G.A. Morison, in his 1954 town history, generously describes Peterborough’s schoolhouses of the mid-1800’s as “simple and unpretentious.” How fortunate we are to now have a safer, better ventilated, and far more useful and welcoming school facility!

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Winter Weather. What a week of varied weather! Thank you for your patience with all the rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow along with fast changing temperatures. Our students have been incredibly resilient and flexible, making the best of our New England outdoor challenges and opportunities.

Focus On: Budget. The ConVal Superintendent and School Board have been working diligently to develop a workable, responsible budget for next year. What programs, services and staffing are being considered for deletion, reductions, expansion, or funding as is? The Board welcomes public input and suggestions. You are encouraged to attend the following open meetings:

· 7 PM, Tuesday, January 18th, at ConVal High School, Hearing on the proposed 2005- 2006 School District Budget.

· 7 PM, Tuesday, January 25th, at the SAU (behind South Meadow School) Budget and Property Committee meeting to finalize the budget that will be presented to district voters at District meeting, part 1.

· 7 PM, Wednesday, February 9th, at ConVal High School, District meeting, part 1. At this mtg., voters finalize the warrant articles (including the budget for all schools) that will be voted on at the District mtg., part 2.

· All day, Tuesday, March 8th – District meeting, part 2. Voters decide on the entire school district's warrant articles, including the 05-06 budget items; local voting takes place at Peterborough's Town House and Sharon's Old School House.

PTO Events. Next Friday evening , January 21st, there will be an exciting "Family Fun Night" in the PES gym and cafeteria. There will be a plethora of board games (or bring your own favorite to share!), after-supper snacks, and active games to enjoy! Please note that all children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. This promises to be a terrific evening for family members of all ages!

Other upcoming PTO activities include:

Feb. 18th - Valentine Food Drive/Collection for the local food pantry.

March 19th -AM Pancake Breakfast, Book Fair, and tag sale (rent a table space and sell your toys and stuff!)

April 15th - Movie Night (another memorable evening promised!)

May 13th - Social Evening (details yet to be decided)

June 8th - Teacher Appreciation Luncheon

Winter Clothing Needed. If you have any outgrown children’s snow pants or heavy winter jackets, please consider donating them to those in need; contact school nurse Pam Murphy. Also warm thanks to Mrs. Murphy for coordinating Rotary’s Operation Santa for our school and serving as the liaison for Salvation Army, church, and Lion’s Club support. So many children and families benefited from our community’s generosity!

NO SCHOOL on Mon., Jan. 17th and Friday, Jan. 28th.

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Focus On: Diversity and Holidays. Students at each grade level are learning holiday songs and games from various countries and cultures. We want children to enjoy and appreciate what makes this time of year “extra special,” while also working to keep children calm and focused. Thank you for helping them come to school with a twinkle in their eyes, yet still well rested!

Arts Enrichment. This week we are delighted to welcome back a well-known film maker who is in residency at the MacDowell Colony. He is working with a Fourth grade class that is writing, directing, acting, filming and editing its own movie. Students have been working collaboratively on this project, and have learned impressive new computer skills and film-making/editing techniques. Our PES students are so fortunate to have this kind of unique opportunity to learn from successful artists who are working or studying in Peterborough!

Curriculum Spotlight: Math. In math, Second grade students are learning about how to display attributes of a given set of items using a Venn diagram. Students investigate similarities and differences in sets of related objects, people, and data. They collect, organize and represent data to communicate information clearly, accurately, and in ways that make sense to them. Hard work!

Winter Vacation. The ConVal schools’ Winter vacation will be from December 23rd through January 2nd. My personal best wishes to all our PES families for a very special and fun-filled holiday. It is indeed a very magical time of the year!

Happy Holidays!!

The Principal’s Newsletter will not be published next week.

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Cold Weather Recess. Wintry weather is here! Thank you for being sure your children come to school with appropriate boots, snowpants, winter jacket, gloves/mittens, and a warm hat. It helps immensely if clothing is labeled with your child’s name. If you are missing outdoor clothing items, we have a Lost and Found area in the hallway between the gym and the cafeteria.

School Closings and Delays. If the weather indicates poor road conditions, please check to see if there is No School or a Delayed Opening (when school starts two hours later and there is no Kindergarten that day). Some local radio stations provide this information, but I find the best options are: (1) WMUR TV’s channel 9; (2) the www.conval.edu/Schools/pes/ web site [click on “School Closed or Delayed Opening” and then scroll down to see if there is a listing for the ConVal School District], or (3) calling the school district office at 924-3336 where you can hear the latest information if there is a change in the day’s schedule.

Curriculum Spotlight: Reading. Many of our teachers are currently reading Fluency in Focus: Comprehension Strategies for All Young Readers (Heinemann, 2004), and it is a book I would also recommend to parents. There is a close connection between fluency and reading comprehension. Fluent readers are more likely to truly understand what they’re reading. They adjust their pacing, intonation, phrasing, emphasis, and expression to convey meaning. We want students to be capable, accurate readers who are also thinking and comprehending what they are reading. Fluency in Focus provides engaging, easy-to-implement ideas for helping children become better readers, and each chapter ends with an excellent list of recommended children’s literature. Enjoy!

Upcoming Events:
Fri. Dec. 17, 9:30 AM : Holiday Cool Day Assembly in the Gym, all are welcome.
School will be closed for vacation December 23rd through January 2nd.

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Curriculum Spotlight: Math. This fall students throughout the school have made tremendous strides in their math computation and strategic “math thinking” skills. Thank you for reinforcing math facts and time and money skills at home!

Harvest Luncheon. It was great fun to have so many parents eating with their children at yesterday’s Thanksgiving Harvest luncheon. Thank you for your patience with the long lines (and the challenge of cutting slices of turkey without a knife!).

Fosus On: Arts Enrichment. Thanks to the PTO funding of Arts Enrichment programming, musician Jeff Warner recently visited PES. This talented singer, songwriter and storyteller entertained students and shared many stories and folktales from the Monadnock region.

PTO Family Night. The PTO is also sponsoring an evening of fun, film and family fellowship this evening at 7 PM in the school gym. Bring your pillows and stuffed animals to enjoy the classic for all ages, Mary Poppins. Come early and also enjoy hearty “cinema snacks”!

Teacher Award. Congratulations to PES teacher Lynn Compton for her statewide award as New Hampshire’s Conservation Teacher of the Year! Last June Mrs. Compton was the winner for Hillsborough County, and this past Tuesday evening Temple Elementary School’s principal, Nikki McGettigan, and I traveled to Laconia to cheer on Mrs. Compton as she was further honored as the statewide winner. Lynn Compton has contributed enthusiastic and visionary leadership in the school’s efforts to create a beautiful and educationally interesting outdoor campus. She has worked closely with students, staff and community members to plant trees and create our incredible gardens, gazebo, and courtyard areas. Ask your child about planting tulip and daffodil bulbs with Mrs. Compton last week! This coming spring we hope parents will help us install a bird blind for students to use when they are studying NH animals, and create a landscaped outdoor classroom just outside the Library’s windows.

Upcoming Events:
There is no school November 24th, 25th, and 26th. My warmest best wishes to all PES students and their extended families for a joyous and blessed Thanksgiving holiday!

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Parent-Teacher Conferences. Thank you for taking the time to come in to school for your fall Parent-Teacher conference. This is an excellent time to share insights and perspectives about your child’s social and academic progress – and to help set goals for the rest of the year. For me it is so exciting to see how children in every grade have made such impressive growth since the beginning of the school year!

Focus On: Help for Families in Need of Assistance. With the weather channel talking about snow in the White Mountains, we are beginning to think about Thanksgiving and the winter holidays. If any PES family has unmet needs for the Christmas season, please contact our Nurse/Health Educator, Pam Murphy, who is our school liaison with a number of local organizations that can offer various kinds of assistance. We are indeed fortunate to live in such a generous and civic-minded community.

Focus On: Arts Enrichment. Congratulations to our Art Teacher Katharine Fox who has been awarded a $2,000. grant from Target stores to underwrite the cost of a week-long residency with paper maker Richard Lee! Mr. Lee is an engaging world traveler and nationally known paper maker whom our students truly enjoy. For more information about Mr. Lee and his artwork, go to www.leepapers.com
Also congratulations to our teacher Lynn Compton who was selected by the National Gardening Association to receive over 100 free Dutch bulbs. And thanks to the many PES students who have helped plant these tulips and daffodils that should definitely brighten our campus come spring!

Curriculum Spotlight: Social Studies and Science. Thanks to Mrs. Magher, the upstairs classes have been recently involved in their own election process. Fourth graders study NH trees, and applied this knowledge by pretending that trees were candidates in a general election. There was a primary election for the two ‘parties,’ deciduous and conifer. Children wrote speeches, created slogans, and designed a variety of lively campaign posters. The winners of the primary, Hemlock and Sugar Maple, then campaigned for the general election on November 2nd. The campaigns were incredibly creative, engaging, and great fun. (Ask a 4th grader which candidate became the President of the Forest!). In the spring, students will be planting “the winning tree” in a special place outside the school.

Upcoming Events:
No School: Nov. 11th and 12th
PTO Family Movie Night: Nov. 19th (details to follow!)
Thanksgiving vacation: Nov. 24th - Nov. 28th

Note: There will be no Principal’s Letter published next week.

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Fall Recess. We are all enjoying the fun and excitement of New England fall, including the simple pleasure of piling up freshly collected leaves and then jumping in during recess!

Focus On: Famous Artists Come To School. It’s also a perfect time of the year to have Beatrix Potter as our November F.A.C.T.S. (Famous Artists Come to School) artist of the month. We hope you enjoy sharing some of your own favorite childhood Beatrix Potter illustrated stories, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit. A few summers ago I visited Mrs. Potter’s farm in England’s Lakes District, where you can wander around her house and even see a re-creation of that enticing garden, complete with spade fork! Thanks to Lauren Martin, Coordinator of the FACTS program, and all the parent volunteers who share the life and varied styles of so many fascinating artists with our PES students. Also, please visit the numerous examples of students’ quite beautiful drawings in the style of our October artist, Franz Marc, presently on display in school.

Focus On: Harris Center. Beatrix Potter would have been so pleased with Hancock’s Harris Center and its efforts (similar to her own) to preserve open, undeveloped land for future generations. In November, the Harris Center will be sponsoring two programs that I’m sure elementary-aged children and their families would enjoy. At 7 PM on Friday, November 5th, at the Hancock Library on Main Street, there will be a free showing of the awe-inspiring movie, Winged Migration that will be introduced by local (& famous!) bird guide authors Don and Lillian Stokes. At the Harris Center on Saturday, Nov. 20th, there will be an all day family workshop on the Abenakis and their Native American traditions. There will be singing, storytelling, slides and dancing, all led by renown author Michael Caduto. For more information, call the Harris Center at 525-3394.

Upcoming Events:
PTO meetings: Mon., Nov. 1st and 6:30 PM and Tues., Nov. 2nd, at 9 AM. All welcome!
No School: Nov. 11th and 12th
PTO Family Movie Night: Nov. 19th (details to follow!)
Thanksgiving vacation: Nov. 24th – Nov. 28th

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Curriculum Spotlight: Math. Our math program, Investigations, includes many game-like activities where students work in pairs or small groups to learn a variety of strategies that they can rely on for solving math problems. Students also use math tools as they model, draw, write, and talk about how they would solve a given problem. We want our students to truly enjoy math and to feel confident in “thinking mathematically” when faced with everyday, real-world problems.

Focus On: Computer Technology to Enhance Learning. On Monday I attended a conference in Concord on “Beyond Hardware: Using Existing Technology to Promote Higher-Level Thinking.” The presenter, Christopher Moersch, is the director of the National Business Education Alliance in Corvallis, Oregon. He eloquently advocates for the use of technology as an investment to enhance student learning experiences. I agree with Mr. Moersch’s belief that our priority needs to be teaching students to use “higher order thinking skills” rather than just specific computer skills. He showed a variety of video clips from various classrooms across the country, each one depicting a different level of technology integration. At the higher levels of effective integration, students and teachers were using computers to analyze information, solve engaging and authentic problems, and create meaningful products aligned with district/ state subject area standards. Technology was a tool to complement instructional programs rather than ends in themselves. This year we are pleased that we will be getting some new computers at PES, and we will continue to work on how we can use these new tools to strengthen students’ learning. Without a computer room/lab, and without a paid tech. specialist, we are particularly grateful for parental help in this arena!

Focus On: Annual Halloween Parade. Friday, Oct. 29th, 1:15 PM – Halloween Parade. Students will be walking downtown and back with their classmates. If your child wishes to wear a costume for the parade, please be sure this comes to school in a bag; students change into these costumes after lunch/ recess. If you do not wish to have your child participate, please send a note to his/her teacher – and these children will have an activity in the gym with Mr. Szep. If you are contributing items to class parties after the parade, it would be great if you could use low/non sugar recipes. Thanks so much!

Thanks to Chaperones. Thank you for all your help chaperoning recent field trips. Our students love hands-on outdoor experiences observing, identifying, sketching and exploring!

Photo Retakes. Tuesday, Nov. 2nd is the day for Photo Re-takes. Call the office for further information.

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PTO Support Appreciated. Thank you for your support of the PTO Wrapping Paper fund-raiser and Fall Fun Festival. The PTO is already planning more family events, including the “second annual” movie night in the gym!

Curriculum Spotlight: Science. Our science curriculum emphasizes the importance of carefully observing and recording what students see, hear, feel and taste. Even five year olds are involved in learning the joys and challenges of “working like a scientist”!

Focus On: Kindergarten. Some Kindergarten students are learning sign language, a helpful way of communicating with others that uses fine motor skills and kinesthetic learning. It is impressive to see how quickly young children pick up other languages (someday I hope we can also introduce students to “foreign languages” at the elementary level!).

Focus On: State Testing: Just a reminder that Third and Fourth grade students will be piloting the “NECAP” (New England Common Assessment Program) tests on October 26th, 27th, and 28th. Vermont, NH, and Rhode Island students will be “testing the test” to provide information to the test developers about the validity and reliability of various test items. The results of this round of test taking is for Measured Progress and the state departments of education. There are no results sent to schools or parents.

This past week-end I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with my daughter, son-in-law, and beautiful and incredibly delightful two month old grand-daughter, Sophia. In Huntsville, Alabama, they do have lovely parks, historic sites, museums and botanical gardens… but I still wish my “kids” all lived in New England!

Upcoming events :
Fri. Oct. 22, 9:30 AM : Cool Day Assembly in the Gym, all are welcome.

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PTO Fall Fun Festival. What a fabulous PTO Fall Fun Fair we had on Saturday! Thanks to all the creative, hard working families who organized, hosted, and supported this very enjoyable and successful event.

Fire Safety. Back in school this week, students have been enjoying their regular academic program along with special events such as educational visits from members of the Peterborough Fire Department. Children learned about fire prevention and how to “Stop, Drop, and Roll”.

Curriculum Spotlight: Social Studies. Fourth graders continued to work on their Hall of Presidents social studies project that I’m sure you enjoyed seeing at Open House.

Curriculum Spotlight: Math. In Math, they are working on a rigorous unit on multiplication, and some students are also creating their own world globes as part of their study of oceans and continents. Book projects are also underway.

Curriculum Spotlight: Science: Third graders culminated their Science unit on Rocks and Minerals with a field trip to Ruggles Mine. Parents were impressed that these young children could accurately identify so many different kinds of minerals and rocks. Students returned with very impressive personal collections! This week students have also been visiting web sites to follow in real time the seismic activity and eruptions of Mount St. Helens.

Arts Enrichment: Students throughout the school enjoy a variety of games and activities that involve both music and movement. Later this year the school will be hosting week-long residencies in music and dance for Kindergarten and Second grade students with teacher Jess Lawler from the NH Dance Institute. Dance is great fun and gives students the chance to work on listening skills, coordination, cooperation, posture, and fitness. Arts enrichment is alive and well at PES!

Focus On: State Testing: On October 26th, 27th, and 28th, third and fourth grade students will participate in piloting the New England Common Assessment (NECAP), a new testing program that will be required for students in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island. This will eventually replace the state’s testing in Math and Reading that our Third graders take each May.

Enjoy your four-day family week-end!

P.S. Thanks to the entire staff and the PTO for helping to host another extraordinary Open House!

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Fall Fun Festival. We’re looking forward to an excellent day for the annual PTO Fall Fun Festival which will be held from 1-5 PM tomorrow, Saturday, October 2nd (rain date is the next day).

Focus On: School Libraries. What is the future of school libraries? I remember the time when futurists claimed that we were moving to a society when books on paper would no longer be available… and that libraries would function solely as a place to do internet research. Fortunately, this is not the case. School libraries do have computers connected to the internet, but books and magazines in print still seem to be the key.

In fact numerous research studies (see the February/ March, 2004 issues of Reading Today) indicate that well-stocked, well-staffed school libraries contribute significantly to improved student achievement. A study carried out in 32 countries cited important factors in schools with higher achieving students included large school libraries, large classroom libraries, and a higher frequency of book borrowing. Thank you for encouraging your children to borrow and enjoy books from the school’s Deb Geer Library. We are certainly fortunate to have parents, staff, and a school board that support our excellent library facility, collection, and librarian!

Curriculum Spotlight: Students all over the school are already enjoying special activities that extend their literacy and math/science skills. This week Kindergarten students enjoyed a special Teddy Bear’s picnic, and third grade students are heading out to Ruggles Mine as part of their unit on Rocks and Minerals. Fourth graders utilize reading, writing and social studies skills as they study American presidents. Their research projects involve both written reports and life size illustrations. As always, we are grateful to our outstanding teaching staff for providing so many stimulating and meaningful learning experiences!

Upcoming events :
Sat., Oct. 2nd, 1-5 PM: PTO Fall Fun Festival
Wed., Oct. 6th, 6-7 PM: Fall Open House and PTO Book Fair, with pizza and baked goods for sale.

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PTO Newsletter. Today we welcome the first issue of the new PES PTO newsletter. The format and articles are highly readable and full of interesting news. Warm thanks to the parent editors, publishers and contributors!

Curriculum Spotlight: Physical Education. Recently I heard a talk on childhood obesity by PES resident Beth Corwin, and was troubled to hear that as a state, New Hampshire has far more overweight and obese children than the rest of the nation. She reviewed the various factors that contribute to this problem, from environmental and cultural influences to the role of nutrition and exercise. Mrs. Corwin shared research on the link between fitness and higher academic achievement (fit children do better in school!), and how overweight children are at much higher risk for serious health problems as adults. At PES we are lucky to have an excellent Physical Education program and a spacious, inviting playground – along with a town Recreation program that offers many opportunities for ‘fun and fitness.’ This week’s “perfect weather” has certainly helped students have fun at recess while vigorously exercising as well!

PTO Fund-raising. The PTO Fall gift wrapping fund-raiser contributes significantly to the student enrichment programming at PES. I know I continue to enjoy buying and using these different wrapping papers! However, please do note that as in all of our past fund-raisers, CHILDREN ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GO DOOR TO DOOR to solicit sales. This is an important school and district policy. As always, “safety first.” Thank you for your help with this important caveat.

Congratulations. Congratulations to the PES Nurse/ Health Educator, Pam Murphy, R.N., who was a key organizer of this year’s statewide conference for school nurses. It is good to know that Mrs. Murphy is both a skilled and compassionate nurse for our school community and also a leader in mentoring those new to school nursing.

Student Teachers. We love our college students! Thanks to the following teachers who are mentoring methods students and student teachers this fall: Special Education: Mrs. Brault; Kindergarten: Mrs. Christensen; First grade: Mrs. Cook, Mrs. Hughes, & Mrs. Izbicki; Second grade: Ms. Dunning; Third grade: Mrs. Dark, Mrs. Gordon, Mrs. Groleau & Ms. Judkins; and Fourth grade: Mrs. Kretchman.

Focus On: Writing. This week I want to mention the importance of written expression. Students love to draw and write about topics that they know well or when they are sharing what they’ve learned. Even our Kindergarten students can help out at home with the grocery list, thank you cards, and sending pictures they’ve drawn to relatives.

The ‘six traits’ of process writing can be helpful for us all. When adults or children are about to write anything from a letter to a report, these suggestions I find useful:

1. Experience: What's worth writing about? What interests me? What makes me curious?

2. Prewriting: What do I want to say? What is my message/ my main point? Do I have enough information?

3. Drafting (Ideas, Organization): What form should this take (report, brochure, story, letter, poem, etc.)? What details can I include? Where do I begin? Where do I go next? How do I know when to stop?

4. Sharing (Voice and Word Choice): Am I speaking to the readers? Which parts are strongest? Do these words say what I mean? Could I make myself more clear?

5. Revision (Ideas, Organization, Voice, Words, and Sentences): Is my MAIN message clear?Are there missing pieces? Is my opening an attention grabber? Did I waste time telling readers things they already know? Is this the right tone/voice for my audience and topic? Do my words (vocabulary) communicate? Do the sentences show enough variety to keep the reader engaged? Did I end in a good spot? Did I end with a thought, surprise, or question that will make my readers think?

6. Editing (Conventions and Presentation): Is this as error-free as I can make it? Is it readable? Can I breeze right through? Did I read it both silently and aloud? Did I seek help in editing? Is my layout eye-catching and appealing? Do MAIN points stand out?

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Curriculum Spotlight: Language Arts. First graders are already deeply immersed in developing their reading and writing skills. If you are interested in learning more about what reading skills and strategies will be emphasized at each grade level, go to www.conval.edu and click on Curriculum (in the “Super.’s Corner”) and then click on Language Arts.

Curriculum Spotlight: Math. Throughout the school, teachers are introducing students to activities and concepts in their first Math Investigations unit. At the beginning of each math unit, teachers send home an overview so that parents will understand what children will be studying and why. The district’s math curriculum is also available on the ConVal web site. This year the district will be holding grade level workshops for teachers in math assessment (and in teaching reading comprehension strategies). We are proud that our outstanding teachers are “life long learners” who are constantly sharing ideas to improve student learning!

Focus On: Enrichment Projects. Recently PES has been selected by various foundations for the support of some new school enrichment projects. Congratulations to the Third grade teaching team for an award from the Walker Foundation of NHCF to augment their environmental science program about birds; this will be a cooperative venture with the Harris Center. Also congratulations to Katharine Fox who is coordinating an art and literacy residency with the paper-maker Richard Lee with support from the Target Stores Foundation.

Congratulations. Thanks to Lynn Compton who has received an award of 200 spring bulbs from the National Gardening Association’s Dutch Bulb program. Please contact Mrs. Compton if you’re available to help students plant bulbs this fall! In another area, a “well done” to Mrs. Fox and Mrs. Henley, our teacher of ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages). Their students’ artwork has been selected for a special exhibit at the Currier Art Gallery in Manchester. Congratulations to all!

Upcoming events :
Saturday, Oct. 2nd, 1-5 PM: PTO Fall Festival on the PES playground. This is definitely a super and inexpensive and FUN way for families to spend an afternoon! You can make stuffed scarecrows, win cakes, jump around in the bouncy castle, play all sorts of creative games, and generally enjoy yourselves. To volunteer, please call Gloria Schultz at 924-9489.
Wed., Oct. 6th, 6-7 PM: PES Fall Open House and Book Fair, with pizza and snacks for sale from 5:30 to 6.
Friday, Oct. 8th and Monday, Oct 11th: No School.

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Welcome back to the new school year. Students are enjoying the new courtyard this first week of school. This lovely area provides children with a new place for reading, playing games, and enjoying one another’s friendship! Photos are in the newsletter that was sent home.

Getting Aquainted: As Kindergarten students spend their first few days at PES, First through Fourth graders are already settled into their classes. Students are getting to know their new teachers and classmates, demonstrating what they know and want to know, and sharing their hopes and dreams for the coming year. These first few weeks establish a crucial foundation of trust and clear expectations that support children’s social and academic learning for the entire year. It’s quite exciting!

School Beautification Continues: Thanks to grants from the Goyette Foundation, the Antioch Go Green Project, various private and district funds, and the hard work of Lynn Compton and many students and staff members, our PES gardens are flourishing! Our grounds are now far more welcoming and attractive for everyone. This coming year we hope to plant additional trees to replace two mature shade trees on the playground (one elm died and the other tree was uprooted in a summer storm). We are so fortunate to have our excellent school surrounded by an increasingly beautiful campus!

Upcoming events:
PTO meetings: 6:30 PM, Mon., Sept 13th and 9 AM, Tuesday, Sept. 14th [same agenda]
Cool Day Assembly (parents/families are always welcome!): 9:30 AM, Fri., Sept. 24th