The Pulse of the Pride - 11.7.2025

Lyme School Friends,

Welcome November! Here we go!

This is always the time of year where we start to think about how grateful we are for the things we have. It has been great to see students and families participate in the food drive that is going on this month. We have already received tons of donations and made our first delivery.

It is also that time of year where students shift their activities from sports like soccer to sports like basketball. We have noticed basketball practices already starting up for our older students.

As always, our school is bustling with activity. We had great participation in our first spirit week. There were also many students who participated in the pumpkin book character show! I recently observed some students researching the sinking of the Lusitania from different perspectives in the middle school. I also participated in the parachute with the first graders in PE. They were having so much fun! It was also cool to see some fourth graders start their day with their routines, typing, and getting settled for the day.

We are starting to see those really cold mornings. Please ensure that students come to school prepared for whatever the weather. There is information below about our testing of the emergency closing communication system next week in preparation for the winter.

The next newsletter will hit your inbox on November 21st! Please remember that school is closed for the holiday on November 11th. Have a wonderful weekend!

Thank you for your partnership and please reach out if you have questions.

Regards,

John P. D'Entremont, Principal

Dates:

• School Closed/Veteran's Day - November 11, 2025

• Thetford Academy Open House - November 14, 2025

• Lyme Pride - November 21, 2025

• First Trimester Ends - November 21, 2025

• Carnival of the Animals (Kinder) - December 3, 2025

• 5th Grade Beginner Band & Middle School Band Concert - December 3, 2025

• First Trimester Report Cards Distributed - December 10, 2025

With the winter weather, it is also the time of year of delays and school cancellations. Before making any decision, we receive information and input from the national weather service, state emergency management, the Lyme highway department, our bus company, other districts, and other sources. We try to make this decision by 5:30 AM. Once a decision is made, we will send out a message through ALMA alerting you. We typically only do a two hour delay or a school closure due to the challenge of an early release. For two hour delays, the building will be open at 9:45 AM. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we make these decisions in the interest of student and staff safety.

This is also a perfect time to check that your contact information is correct in ALMA to ensure you receive the notifications. In preparation for the winter weather, we will be testing our emergency notification system on November 10th. Between 8 and 9AM on Monday, November 10th you will receive a test text message or phone call and email. If for some reason you do not receive this message, please contact the office to ensure we have your correct contact information.

The holidays are approaching, the Lyme School is launching Have a Heart, Fill a Cart food drive to benefit our own Lyme Food Pantry and Listen’s Food Pantry.

The food drive will run November 3rd - November 25. There will be boxes placed outside the doors by the cafeteria during school hours, 8:00 - 3:00, and a shopping cart in the lobby, as well.

Food items needed:

- canned tuna & chicken

- canned fruits & vegetables

- soups

- baked beans

- pasta products

- tomato products

- rice

- cereal

- oatmeal

- peanut butter

- jam

- crackers

- shelf stable meals

- gluten free or low salt items

Thank you to all 2025 Pumpkin Book Character participants! Every year gets more creative and fun! I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with next year!

-Mrs. Wilcox

The Chemical Cookies advisory decorated pumpkins and then surprised the second graders by delivering them to their class. Just in time for Halloween.

Advisory is not only about bonding with peers, but also about creating connections with our lower school friends.

This was pretty special!

Did you know?

During the summer of 2023 Lyme School received a grant from a collaboration of the American Heart Association (AHA) and Dartmouth Health and was provided a CPR in Schools Hands-Only training kit?

The goal of the AHA’s CPR in Schools program is to increase the number of bystanders trained in CPR within a community. The training kit includes materials to provide an interactive session for students to learn lifesaving skills of CPR, AED use and choking relief.

I am using this program to train middle school students during their health education time. Additionally, this class has been offered to the wider Lyme community with plans for another class in the new year.

The Lyme School 6th grade recently participated in CPR training during Health class. Using the interactive AHA CPR in Schools program, students learned and practiced lifesaving skills and were introduced to Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) to increase awareness and ability to respond in an emergency situation.

These Middle School students were enthusiastic learners who reported feeling more confident and likely to respond to a medical emergency after completing the course. I encourage parents/guardians of 6th graders to have a conversation with them about their experience.

CPR in Schools Learning Objectives:

• Describe the important differences between heart attack and cardiac arrest

• Describe the steps to perform Hands-Only CPR for an adult and child

• Perform Hand-Only CPR for an adult and child

• Demonstrate how to use an AED on an adult and child

• Describe the steps to perform CPR with breaths for an adult and child

• Discuss when and how to help a choking adult and child

• Describe how to help a choking adult or child who stops responding

Questions? Please email me at nurse@lymeschool.org

If you are a parent of a kindergarten through third grade student, you recently received your child’s DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) results from September. Schools are required by law to screen all K–3 students at least twice a year. The DIBELS screener helps identify students who may need extra support in reading. It is not a diagnostic tool for dyslexia but rather an early indicator that further evaluation may be needed.

What Is Phonemic Awareness?

If your child is in kindergarten or first grade, you may have seen a category on the report called phoneme segmentation fluency. This refers to the ability to hear and separate the individual sounds, or phonemes, in spoken words. For example, in the word cat, a child would say /c/–/a/–/t/.

Phonemic awareness is part of a broader set of listening skills called phonological awareness, which also includes:

• Word awareness
  
  

• Syllable awareness
  
  

• Rhyme awareness
  
  

• First sound awareness
  
  

• Phoneme awareness
  
  

Students with strong phonological awareness are well prepared to become skilled readers. In class, children practice these skills through short “word play” or “sound games” that warm up their brains for reading instruction.

How We Teach and Assess It

When assessing phoneme segmentation fluency, a teacher says a word and asks the child to break it apart into its individual sounds. These activities continue through second grade, with increasingly challenging words as children grow. This skill is a foundation for reading success.

How to Support Phonemic Awareness at Home

You can help your child strengthen these skills through fun, quick games. Try these during car rides or transitions:

• Sound deletion: Say cat. Now say cat without the /c/. (Answer: at)
  
  

• Sound substitution: Say cat. Now change /a/ to /u/. (Answer: cut)
  
  

• Blend challenge: Say spend. Now say spend without /p/. (Answer: send)
  
  

• Sound chain: Take turns naming words that start with the same sound.
  Example: cat – kite – chorus (same /c/ sound, different spellings).
  
  

• Last sound game: Say a word, and the next person says one that begins with the last sound.
  Example: cat – top – puppy – eagle – lamp.
  
  

These simple activities build your child’s ear for sounds—the first step toward fluent reading.

There have been a number of questions about homework, so we thought sharing our homework philosophy from the family and student handbook might be helpful. Please reach out if you have questions. Our goal is to provide balance for our students as much as possible especially as they get older.

Homework Philosophy

Grades K-2

There is no required homework in Grades K-2. We do encourage family literacy and numeracy activities. We can provide enrichment choices to do at home.

Grades 3-5

Homework is an opportunity to practice new skills. We understand that students may need time outside of class to pre-learn, understand certain concepts, or practice new skills.

• Family literacy and numeracy practice is encouraged. Teachers can provide resources for such practice.

• Choices for enrichment can be provided on a weekly or unit by unit basis.

• Routine practice work, ie. spelling/vocabulary/math fluency may be assigned on a weekly basis. Some teachers may provide a suggested weekly schedule for completion.

• Grade 5 students may have “finish-work” to do at home. That is work a student did not complete in class that the majority of students did finish. This type of work will have a maximum amount of time to spend on it made clear to the student.

Grades 6-8

Students in middle school should expect homework and our expectation is that students will record their assignments in their school-issued agendas. Students are ready for an increased focus on independence, time management, and accountability.

• Students will have 30-90 minutes of homework each night in addition to their independent or assigned reading.

• Students may have homework that involves review, preparation for an upcoming lesson, or exploration.

• The expectation is that students will independently complete their work with care. Homework may be used to see what the students can do on their own, please allow students to do their work independently. Parents can help by ensuring students have a space and time set aside to do their work.

Hello Lyme Families and Happy November!

Hope everyone’s week has been going ok with the time change!

Just wanted to share a reminder about the LYME PTO Virtual Giving Tree:

Last month an email was sent out to families about requesting items for the annual PTO Virtual Giving Tree. If your family would like some support this season, please email me rstanton@lymeschool.org up to 4 items for each of your students. Future and former students can also be included. As requested, please provide Amazon links or specific descriptions for the gifts you are requesting no later than Friday November 14th. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. Please know that I am the only one who will see requests. Once we have requests, we will share the sign up process for the Lyme community. Thank you for participating!

Another reminder is to our 8th grade families:

If your students are interested in attending one or both available high school visit days, please complete the permission forms and have them returned to me at school by November 10th.

Thetford Academy Visit Day - Permission Form
Hanover High School Visit Day - Permission Form - HHS also requires a form on their end to participate, please complete this as well!

HS CHOICE WEBSITE - please reach out if there are any other choice high schools you would like to visit or if you have any questions about HS Choice!

Important HS Choice Dates 2025-2026

November 14 - Friday - 8am-12pm -Taste of Thetford Academy - TA VISIT DAY - FOR STUDENTS ONLY This is an opportunity for 8th graders to tour the campus and get more information about TA schedule, classes, clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities. Students can order a complimentary lunch from the TA Cafe or bring a lunch from home. Transportation will be provided. Permission Forms will be distributed. Here is an electronic version

December 10th - Wednesday, 5:00pm-6:30pm -Hanover High School - PARENT INFORMATION SESSION
This evening session for parents and guardians of students from sending schools will be hosted by HHS ninth-grade counselors. The evening will include a tour, a student panel, and a discussion about what makes the Hanover High School experience unique.
Please use this LINK to sign up. This event is geared towards parents and guardians.

December 17th - Wednesday 8:00am-1:00pm - LYME SCHOOL VISIT @ HANOVER HIGH SCHOOL - FOR STUDENTS ONLY
Students from sending schools are invited to spend a half-day at Hanover High School to learn about the school and what it's like to be a student here. Visits include an information session, a tour, a visit to two classes and Council, and a Q&A with a student panel. Snacks will be provided. Students should bring a packed lunch. Lyme School will provide a bus to and from HHS. Students will return to Lyme School to finish their day. Please use this LINK to sign your student up for the HHS Visit Day - HHS requires this to attend. There is also a field trip permission form you need to complete and return to Mrs. Stanton by Thursday December 11th

February 3rd - Tuesday - 5:30-6:30pm -HHS CURRICULUM NIGHT
Department coordinators will present an overview of the ninth-grade curriculum to prospective families.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Stanton

In Ms. Connie's Room, students are exploring self-control — the ability to manage thoughts, feelings, and actions in positive, productive ways.

Our conversations have focused on what is in our control versus what is out of our control. Understanding this concept helps children pause, think, and respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively.

What’s in Our Control?

• Our words, tone, and body language
  
  

• Our effort and attitude toward learning
  
  

• How we respond to mistakes or frustration
  
  

What’s Out of Our Control?

• Choices made by other people
  
  

• The weather (rain, snow, hot or cold days)
  
  

• What others say, think, or do
  
  

In addition, students are learning how they can control their responses to situations in ways that make problems smaller, rather than bigger. For example:

• Taking deep breaths instead of yelling when upset
  
  

• Using calm words to solve conflicts with peers or asking for adult help
  
  

• Walking away instead of reacting angrily
  
  

Strategies at Home:

• Pause and reflect: Encourage your child to take a few seconds before responding in tricky situations.
  
  

• Name the feeling: Help your child label their emotion — “I feel frustrated” — to better understand it.
  
  

• Brainstorm solutions: To keep problems small rather than make them bigger.

• Celebrate self-control: Notice and praise moments when your child handles a situation calmly.
  
  

Through real situations, stories, role-play, and discussion, students are discovering that focusing on what they can control empowers them to make better decisions, maintain positive relationships, and feel more confident.

Ms. Connie

All K-5 students visited Converse Free Library for book checkouts last week and this week. These trips are always a great opportunity to browse the full collection in person, say hi to CFL staff, and enjoy the “den” area for reading time.

Second graders completed their first unit of study on schools in the classroom. They put together their learning in slides. Check them out here.

Fourth graders completed their first unit of study on poetry and poets. They each researched a poet and analyzed their favorite poem written by their poet. They created posters to share what they learned and you can view them here for 4M and here for 4S.

November is American Indian and Native Alaskan Heritage Month. Celebrate with a book written by Indigenous author. Check out our collection here.

CFL Reminders:

November 3 - Blisters forms/donations DUE

November 11 - Library CLOSED

November 18, 3-5pm - After School Movie

Not only did we celebrate spirit week last week, in PE, students in grades K-5 participated in our annual celebration of Halloween by playing games such as “Ghosts in the Graveyard”, “Ghostbusters”, and “Silencer”. The gym was decorated and kids had a “Spooktacular time “.

The Design Lab Cardboard Carnival was a huge success! Fourth and fifth graders showcased their creativity and engineering skills by designing and building arcade-style games entirely out of cardboard and simple materials. They used the Design thinking process to create the games, really focusing on empathy and how the younger students would interact with the games in a fun and appropriately challenging way. They proudly hosted kindergarten through third grade, who had a blast playing the games and exploring how they worked. It was an exciting celebration of imagination, problem-solving, and hands-on learning that brought multi-age groups of Lymies together!

What can ancient artworks tell us about how people lived, their thoughts, and their beliefs?

Last week, the fifth-grade students had their first of four visits to the Hood Museum of Art. We explored the exhibit Hands of the Past: Making Meaning with Stone, Sand, and Clay. This is THE gallery that displays the Assyrian Reliefs, the massive panels that bring one right into the ancient world. Katie (our museum educator) described them as puzzle pieces without the box AND missing most of the pieces. This was such an important way to engage with this work! We imagined what these ancient lives would be like and learned some of the clues to decode these wonders. Katie asked the students to observe and contextualize the objects in everyday life. Why would someone use a clay object over a glass object? After engaging with the work and wowing our museum educator with ancient facts (this group had some excellent stories to share), we went to the art studio. Students created a small low-relief metal repousse design using a malleable metal sheet.

We are looking forward to our next visit to the Hood on Friday, November 21st!

In Spanish class, students K-5 have been learning about Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a special celebration that takes place in many Spanish-speaking countries—though our focus has been on the traditions of Mexico. While this holiday occurs close to Halloween and shares some similar imagery, Día de los Muertos is not a “Mexican version” of Halloween. Instead, it is a beautiful time to remember and honor loved ones who have passed away, with colorful altars, candles, flowers, and favorite foods of the deceased.

To build background knowledge, students watched short videos that explain the meaning and traditions of the holiday, and we read a variety of children’s books about the festivities. Older students also participated in a "Movie Talk" activity based on a short animated film about Día de los Muertos, using both new and familiar Spanish vocabulary to describe and retell the story.

The highlight of our study was the altar and ofrenda displayed in the school lobby, created to honor beloved community member Earl Strout, whom we lost this past October. Classes visited the ofrenda to learn about the traditions behind it and to discover more about Earl’s life and legacy. He lived in Lyme for many years, served on numerous committees, volunteered in many capacities, ran a woodworking business (even providing wooden Easter eggs to the White House during the Reagan administration!), re-established the Lyme Town Band, and, together with his spouse, was honored as Lyme Citizens of the Year in 2014. Students enjoyed learning about Earl Strout and quickly understood why he was chosen to be honored in this special way. If you would like to learn more about Earl Strout, please read his obituary HERE.

New activities, same good crew! The fitness for life elective continues to work hard during their class time and is making nice progress on improving their strength and endurance.

Happy Friday, Lyme School!

We hope you’re all staying cozy and enjoying this perfectly crisp fall weather.

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the delicious luncheon for Teacher In-Service Day this past Tuesday. Your generosity was greatly appreciated by the staff!

Our next PTO meeting will be Monday, November 17th at 7:30 PM.

If you’d like to learn more about how the PTO supports our school community- or if you’re interested in helping with upcoming events like the Kids’ Holiday Shop at CommunityCare of Lyme’s Jingle & Mingle, Bingo Night, Trivia Nights, or the Student Art Show- we’d love to have you join us!

Questions or ideas? Please reach out at pto@lymeschool.org.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,
The Lyme School PTO
pto@lymeschool.org

THE LYME SCHOOL PTO MISSION STATEMENT:

To support the school community through engaged involvement and raise funds for programs that enrich the student experience in a way that remains fun and sustainable for all involved

lymeschool.org/page/lyme-school-pto

Check out this week's article:

Young Love? Likes, Crushes, and Other Teen Attractions

FROM AMLE - A quick disclaimer: This site explores topics involving typical behaviors of young adolescents. Remember that the ideas shared here are suggestions. Every child is unique and you know them best. If you pick up signals that your child is acting outside the typical range, seek help from your school counselor, family doctor, or other specialists.

Older Shared Articles from Previous Newsletters:

Reaching and Raising Generation Alpha in Middle School

How to Support Your Middle Schooler's Mental Health

Use One Sentence

The Lyme School Apparel Store has a variety of apparel and accessories all customizable with a variety of school logos. The Lyme School PTO earns 12% of all sales. Thank you for supporting our school and go Lions! #LYMESCHOOLROCKS

New England School of the Arts Holiday Makers Day Camps (Dec 22 & 23, 8:30am–4:00pm in Lebanon, NH) are perfect for kids ages 4–12 to explore arts, crafts, LEGO building, and more while you get a head start on holiday prep. Each day is $100, with financial aid available. Sign up for one or both days—spaces fill fast! Learn more and register at: https://www.nesarts.org/about-holidaycamp-1

OUR VALUES

● Fairness ● Acceptance of Others ● Integrity ● Responsibility

● Perseverance ● Individuality ● Compassion ● Courage

John P. D'Entremont, Principal

Elise Foxall, Academic Director

Geoff Tomlinson, Student Services Director