Stand Up to Bullying Month

This past week we sent students from our middle school to the University of New Hampshire's "Stand Up to Bullying Training and Action Summit".  This is the second year we have sent students from our schools and is part of October's "Stand-Up to Bullying Month".  According to UNH's website on this conference, students will be "trained as peer leaders in bullying prevention".  The students this year came back full of wonderful ideas to try at the middle school to stop bullying.

In the Raymond schools we have implemented the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.  This organization has just released a report on bullying in American schools that has some surprising information. (read more here).  According to this report, bullying is most prevalent in 3rd grade- something we all need to be aware of and acknowledge as a place to start our prevention.  It tapers off as students go through high school and, yet, over this last year we have heard reports of bullying on high school football teams and even in the NFL!

We also have to be careful that everything kids do isn't labeled "bullying".  According to Rosalind Wiseman, author of books on bullying, "Every conflict is not bullying and if we call it that, then it loses the power of the word.  Not all conflict amounts to bullying and by overusing the word, we risk reducing the power of the word to describe real bullying".

Wiseman "believes that, to a certain extent, allowing boys and girls to work out their own problems is useful training for resolving conflicts at every stage of life. The challenge is to stay on top of what's really happening in your child's life, particularly when kids routinely answer with an "I'm fine" -- even if they're not."

Incidents of bullying do happen and, all of us, teachers, administrators, parents, need to be vigilant about our children and be aware of changes in behavior that may signify a problem.  At all our schools, it is imperative that we monitor student behavior and report any cases of bullying.  With incidents on the rise due to social media, all of us need to take a part in reporting suspected instances of bullying. We also need to allow our children the opportunity to solve problems and work out conflicts on their own.  This is a fine line we all walk together to help our children navigate their way safely and responsibly to adulthood. 

PowerSchool Sign-Up

We are rapidly coming to the end of the 1st quarter.  I am always amazed at how quickly the time passes from one season to the next.  This year, with our paperless initiative, we are doing our best to make sure everyone has access to see their child's progress through school.  We use PowerSchool for our data system where everything is stored from parent contact information to student grades.  We sent out two letters to families: one this summer and another as school got under way about how to sign up to our on-line system. Once you have signed up, you are able to update registration information, contact teachers, and see your student's assignments and grades.

If you had a sign-in name and password for the last school year, it will no longer work.  If you are unsure about signing up or have had any difficulties with this, please contact the school your child attends.  We want all of our families to be able to monitor their child's progress. This is what we all can do to celebrate our students' successes, as well as, get them back on track when needed. Working together, we can assure that all of our students have meaningful learning experiences. 

Please do not hesitate to call if you need help.  The phone numbers for each of the schools are:  Lamprey River Elementary School- 895-3117; Iber Holmes Gove Middle School- 895-3394; Raymond High School-895-6616.  You can also follow the link on our web site to sign up for PowerSchool at www.sau33.com.  As always, thank you for all you do to help us.

Little Steps

Today I saw a wonderful Physics class.  Students had been assigned to make mousetrap cars (ouch!) that would travel 4 meters down a racetrack (the hallway).  It was so much fun!  The students were so creative and every car looked different and worked in a slightly different way.  The best thing about being there (other than wishing I had my own car) was the enjoyment I received from watching students cooperate and collaborate with each other.

Even though every student had to make their own car and even though there were varying levels of success, in my book they were all winners.  It's what I enjoy most about teaching:  that time when you see your students take their learning into their own hands to discover how to do things differently or (in this case) apply the rules of science to achieve success.  The students cheered each other on, helped with ideas, groaned when a car failed and generally worked together.  There was a little friendly competition, but all the students wanted all of their classmates to do well.

Parents get to see this:  a toddler takes their first independent steps; their child learns to ride a bike; one of their children does well in science; or is a great soccer player.  For all their successes, there are times when our children went through some failures.  These failures teach our children resilience, determination and courage.  Seeing all these little steps towards great accomplishments is the best thing about teaching.

What's Happening in School This Week

It is October and school is no longer referred to as the "new" year.  This week, as I try to do every week, I visited all three schools.  Here is some of what I saw and experienced:

• A high school biology class that included a skunk, a prairie dog and a duck
• 3rd graders learning how to do sit-ups
• 8th graders interacting with a new math concept on the smartboard
• High school students learning and playing volleyball
• 1st graders learning to identify words that began with the letter "u"
• Painting
• Second graders reading books on their own ( and 2 students read their books to me!)
• Speaking Spanish
• Letter writing
• 4th grade students learning about fire safety from the Raymond Fire Department
• Writing persuasive essays
• French vocabulary
• 6th graders learning math through math games
• 5th grade students collaborating on a literature story
• Hot lunch
• Breakfast
• A health class making posters
• Anti-bullying activities (it was superhero day at the middle school!)

I am amazed every week by what we offer in our schools and am proud of the education we provide each and every student.  Jamie Vollmer spoke to our staff at the beginning of the school year and pointed out all the requirements that are now a school district's responsibility.  The list is long, can be overwhelming and needs to be accomplished in partnership with a community.  Last week, the FEAT Committee earned an award from the Parent Involvement Center for our work with the community- an example of how we all can and do work together to educate the students of Raymond.  My list is short compared to all the things I didn't have a chance to see but is also indicative of the variety of experiences we offer our students. I look forward every week to visiting classrooms and being amazed!

Raymond Pride

Over the week of September 14, the town of Raymond came together for a fabulous celebration of 250 years of Raymond history.  If you took part in even one of the events of that week, it was very easy for you to see and experience Raymond Pride!  I was present at the parade and met so many people who had returned to their hometown for this wonderful event.  The drizzle and chill did not discourage anyone.  The parade was fabulous with marchers from every group in town and many bands and participants from around the state.  I met people from both New Hampshire and out of state (Massachusetts and Florida seemed to have the most) who had wonderful memories of growing up in Raymond. I also attended the Book Bash put on by the District FEAT (Family Engagement Action Team) at the elementary school.  What an outstanding event- there were over 200 elementary students with their parents, a number of middle school students, and people from the community who all enjoyed some amazing literacy activities.

What I really noticed throughout the week was the pride that comes from being a "Raymondite".  There are many towns throughout the state who have bragging rights for being in existence for 250 years.  I have seen signs attesting to this in many communities, but no where have I seen a town that came together to celebrate together in such a wonderful round of events.  I was truly amazed by the collaboration and planning that it took to pull off a week's worth of events and family fun.  Well done, Raymond!