Fruits and Vegetable Program

Beginning this month, we are reaping the benefits of a grant that our Food Service Director, Judy DiNatale, applied for and received for the Lamprey River Elementary School and the Iber Holmes Gove Middle School. The "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program"grant comes from the US Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service.  This program is "an effort to help children learn more healthful eating habits and to introduce a variety of produce" that children might not have had an opportunity to taste.

The goals of this program are simple:  to create healthier school environments; increase children's consumption of fruits and vegetables; and expand the variety of fruits and vegetables that our children eat. Of course, the over arching goal is to encourage students to have healthy diets for overall good health.

This is a government program so there are as many "don'ts" as "do's"  Some of the things that cannot be offered are:  processed fruits and vegetables; dips; juices; fruit snacks, such as 'leathers'; or smoothies.  The things that must happen include: providing these during the school day (but not during breakfast or lunch); providing these to as many students and as equally as possible; and, of course, the offerings must be fresh.

So, if your child comes home over the next few months and announces that he/she has had a dragon fruit or a kiwi or strawberries, you will know where these came from.  Mrs. DiNatale is ready to begin this around November 18 when supplies come in and our students will soon be trying some unusual and fun fruits and vegetables three days a week.  I'm excited we are able to offer our students some new things and get them interested, not just in different foods, but different cultures and countries where these come from!

Please contact your child's school if there are any allergies to fruits or vegetables of which we might not be aware.

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!

Opening Day Remarks

Opening Day Welcome Remarks

August 21, 2014

            I thought it would be appropriate to share (with anyone who would like to read it) my remarks to the entire staff of the Raymond School District on their Opening Day.  These remarks are directed to everyone who works in our schools and includes secretaries, teachers, food service personnel, custodians, administrators, special education personnel, specialists, and more!  We have a fabulous group of people who take care of and educate the students of Raymond in so many ways.  This is how I welcomed the staff on their Opening Day:

            Hello Everyone and welcome to the 2014-2015 school year!  I hope you all had a restful, wonderful summer and had a chance to make great memories with your families and friends.  I want to welcome our new staff members and I look forward to meeting you and visiting your classrooms.

            Every year I start with a little story and I wanted to do that again today.  I want to explain to you how a baseball, a bicycle and a kitten all have something in common.  Many years ago when my oldest son was 11 or so, he had two loves:  baseball and the New England Patriots.  We would go to baseball games in the area and even took in a few games on vacations to other states.  One night, we went up to watch a game at the Old Orchard Beach stadium.  Chris brought his glove along so that he could catch any balls that came his way.  He’d never caught a ball at all the games we attended- but he had a feeling that this would be the night.  This particular game, my Dad came with us.  We enjoyed a fun game with the usual hot dogs, sodas and popcorn, but no baseballs came anywhere near us and Chris was a little disappointed.  Since we had a long trip home and it was getting late, we left during the last inning.  As we walked through the dusty parking lot, out of nowhere, over the bleachers, came a baseball and it landed right in front of Chris!  He was so excited and happy- it just made his whole night.  And of course, as a parent, it made my night too, to see him so excited and happy.

            More recently, this summer, my husband and I have been taking six of our grandchildren on a bicycle rides.  The kids range in age from 3 years old to 13.  The youngest one has her own seat on her big sister’s bike and has her own helmet.  Laura loves riding along with us and we are quite the sight as we travel down a road- you know us, we’re that group of bike riders that you hate to see when you are driving in your car behind us!  Anyway, the last time she had been on a bike at home, Laura had fallen off.  Now, here we are, away from home and she is refusing to get on the bike.  If she doesn’t get on the bike, none of us will go- it all hinges on Laura, who an hour before, was all excited about riding with us.

            A couple of weeks ago, my little kitty disappeared.  She is full grown but is very tiny and anyone would mistake her for a kitten.  She had disappeared before and we found out that it wasn’t just her growth that was stunted:  she couldn’t find her way home!  When it was time to for her to eat, I would click the top of the cat food can and she would come running- from her favorite chair or the windowsill or under the back porch.  The first time, she went missing, I called her and searched all around the yard- this is a cat that the expression “scaredy cat” comes from! Everyday she would travel between the house, the porch and the barn and never anywhere else.  I walked around the yard as she had been missing for 6 days and out she came from under our old camper!  She apparently was afraid to walk back across the yard- or was lost- we don’t know which.  This last time she had been missing for several days and none of my clicking or calling was working.  Then I realized, we always found her at night, as she was afraid to come out in the day time.  So one night, I decided I would look after dark. I was already all set for the night when I decided this.  Down the street I went, calling and clicking (did I mention I was in my pajamas?)  When I got to my son’s house, a couple of doors doors down from ours, he came out and asked, “What are you doing?”  I explained I was looking for kitty.  He said, “Go back home before someone calls the police.”  I ignored him and continued calling and clicking while I searched the bushes.  Nick came out again a little while later and said, “Mom, go home before I call the police”. 

            I'm sure you are wondering how all these little family stories are related and what they could possibly have to do with you?  Remember Chris and the baseball? Remember that I also told you my dad came with us to that game?  Years later we figured out that Dad had thrown the ball that had mysteriously appeared out of nowhere.  It hadn’t come over the bleachers- only over our heads. He never admitted it, but the physics just didn’t make sense to me.  Think about that, he had to plan ahead to bring that ball with him, just in case, Chris never got a ball on his own.  Chris treasures that ball to this day especially now that he now knows where that game ball really came from.

           And Laura, my little granddaughter who was so afraid to get on the bike?  Her big sister Annie, was so kind and gentle with her saying things like, "just let me just roll you a few feet," then, "let’s just try going to the end of the driveway", and "how about if you tell me which direction to go," and so on and so on.  Until soon, Laura was having the time of her life on her little seat and forgot her fears.  Everyone could have been upset with Laura, (after all, Annie is 13), but that never happened. 

           And how about my little Kitty?  What you don’t know, is that my husband Jim got up from sleeping and he came with me around the neighborhood while I looked for kitty- knowing how much my little cat means to me. (And he didn’t even care how I looked.) She was under a neighbor’s bushes.

            By now you’ve probably figured out what a baseball, a bicycle and a kitten all have in common. It’s not the things, it’s the people.  It’s the relationships and the little ways in which we show our families, our friends, our colleagues and our students that we care.  We all remember the great teachers we’ve have had over the years and they are not necessarily the ones who taught your favorite subject or who had a reputation for handing out the easiest grades. They are the ones who cared about you as a student and who encouraged and believed in you.  What matters are people and relationships, and in Raymond, we really truly believe we are here for the kids and show it every day in so many ways. I have seen dozens, no make that hundreds, of so many instances of kindness, caring and compassion in our schools- people who care about each other and their students.  One of the most important things you all do is to make it “cool to care”.  So, today, I wanted to start the year and end my storytelling by thanking all of you for all the kindnesses you show each other and our students- every day in so many little ways. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for making Raymond a place where it is “cool to care”.