Eagle Eye Tribune

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Dear AES Families,

At AES, we prioritize joyful learning, strong relationships, and routines that help every child thrive. This week’s newsletter highlights curiosity, kindness, community connections, and the everyday habits that fuel student success.

Below you’ll find a quick “Week at a Glance,” updates from classrooms and specialists, and a few reminders to help keep our days running smoothly. As always, thank you for partnering with us—your encouragement at home shows up in your child’s confidence at school.

As always, if you have any questions or would simply like to check in, please feel free to reach out to me at bgibney@conval.edu or 603-588-6371.

Warm wishes,
Beth Gibney
Principal, Antrim Elementary School
bgibney@conval.edu • 603-588-6371

We are excited for the annual Fall Halloween Parade. Students PK4-4th will participate in the event on Friday, October 31st, starting at 1:30. Students are welcome to bring their costumes to school and they will have the opportunity to change into and out of their costumes after lunch and recess. We welcome you all to come watch the parade. I will be sending out a map of our route later this month. Please remember we ask that masks are not worn at school for safety reasons when walking and students should be able to dress themselves in and out of

Please send a water bottle to school with your child each day.

10/13: Columbus Day (no school)

10/31: Eagle Groups (9:15-12:00) and Halloween Parade (1:30)

11/4: Picture retakes

11/10: Conference Day (no school for students)

11/11: Veteran's Day (no school)

11/26-11/28: Thanksgiving Recess (no school)

Schools that welcome therapy dogs often see remarkable improvements in student well-being — reduced stress and anxiety, stronger social and emotional skills, and a more positive, connected learning environment. These visits can also enhance academic outcomes by increasing motivation and focus, particularly for students who are shy or hesitant to read aloud, while also helping to ease feelings of loneliness or isolation.

On Thursday, dogs from Cold Springs Healing Paws visited Antrim Elementary School, and the impact was immediate and powerful. Several students who were having a difficult day visibly relaxed and were able to regulate after spending time with the dogs. Students were eager to learn about the important work therapy dogs do, and smiles could be seen throughout the building as everyone enjoyed the comfort and joy they brought.

Learning is hard work, and sometimes we all need a little extra support — the power of pet therapy reminds us how connection and compassion can make a difference. We are excited to share that AES will be working to establish a regular schedule for therapy dog visits in the future.

We were extremely fortunate to have 12 high school students come the AES on Thursday to work with our students during lunch, recess and beyond. The high school mentors played games, used the parachute, played kickball, pushed students on swings and eat lunch with students in the Secret Garden. After lunch and recess, students chose different outdoor fall activities and helped lead and support the activities with students. Students in preschool and kindergarten collected fall leaves and made leaf rubbing art, first and second grade went to the forest for a scavenger hunt of fall objects, and some students made self portraits using the objects they collected on their scavenger hunt. The art work is beautiful! Some of these piece may have come home yesterday, others were still drying or are now hanging in the school. The opportunity to have older students work with out young learners is so incredibly important for both groups of students.

Thank you to the Antrim Bennington Lions for coming to screen all students PK-4, who were granted permission, to have their eyes screened free of charge. We have had many students identified over the years as needing additional vision tests or medical tests from these screenings. It truly is an amazing community service. We will reach out with results in the coming week or two.

Mrs. Petersen’s Kindergarten class has been loving this warmer weather. We are learning about weather and seasons in science and went outside for a Fall Scavenger Hunt. We have been reviewing sight words that we learned and building them with pattern blocks and play-doh. We also searched for sight words in our classroom library books. Sight word books are coming home weekly and are a great way to get extra practice at home. Also, we are learning more, less and same amounts in math. We can’t forget that we had the Lions Club Vision Screening earlier this week and we read Carla’s Glasses to get ready for this. Students enjoyed putting on some funky glasses to celebrate healthy eyes and some fun photos. After students drew their own portraits of themselves with the glasses on which was a fun addition.

Grade one has been hard at work! We’ve been playing math games to practice math facts to 10 using addition and subtraction. We also have been studying the moon and stars. We did an experiment this week with a cup, thumbtack, and flashlights. The students made the Big Dipper by poking holes the bottom of their paper cup (using a template) with their thumbtack. Then, they used their flashlight to shine it through the cup to make the constellation on their desk. Last, the students partnered up one being the Starmaker and one being the Sunshine. We experimented with what happens to stars when the sun is shining. We had so much fun with this experiment!! We are excited about science!!

Our 4th graders had a creative and exciting week. Students designed original artwork to enter the New Hampshire State “I Voted” Sticker Contest for 4th and 5th graders. To deepen our understanding of New Hampshire geography, we completed a fun scavenger hunt using a variety of print and digital resources. We wrapped up the week with some very special guests—puppy visitors who brought lots of smiles and tail wags!

In Muzart 4th grade practiced problem solving and measurement when making infinity boxes. It was impressive to see them developing grit to perseve and complete a tough task.

This week we continued lessons about the Zones of Regulation, reviewing the definition of REGULATION and completing hands-on activities to help students better understand how they regulate their bodies.

Many children will experience the death of a parent, sibling or other close person in their life before the age of 18. Grief, the emotional pain and distress one experiences after a loved one’s death, is one of the most common disruptive experiences in childhood.

How Grief Varies Based on Age

Grief responses can look different across development. Here are some common grief reactions ranging from preschoolers to young adults:

• Infants: Increased clinginess, sleep and wake more frequently, more crying, hyper/energetic
• Preschoolers: Irritability, developmental regressions (e.g., bed-wetting, thumb-sucking, baby talk), acting out, fear of separation, increased nightmares, showing little to no concern and quickly returning to play when talking about death
• School-aged children: Anxiety, denial, guilt, withdrawal, anger, drop in grades, difficulties paying attention, fear of own death, changes in sleep, physical symptoms (e.g., stomachaches, headaches)
• Adolescents/ young adults: Many similarities to school-aged children with addition of risk-taking, increase in peer and family conflict, ongoing search for spirituality, pressure to take on more responsibilities

Supporting Grieving Children

It is important that bereaved children feel safe, loved, and supported. Below are some tips for parents/caregivers to best support children who are grieving:

• Maintain routines and continue setting limits for behaviors. Many children lose a sense of control when their loved one dies. By maintaining routines and setting limits for behavior, children are given a sense of normalcy and control in a world that may no longer make sense.
• Facilitate open and honest discussions with your child about death and grief. It is important to use simple, clear and honest language with the child. When children do not receive direct and honest language about death, they are left to their imaginations, which sometimes results in increased worry. Also, for younger children, assuring them there is nothing they did to cause the death can increase comfort. When your child asks questions, give them honest answers but know that it is OK if you do not have all the answers. If your child asks a question, you do not have the answer to, you can encourage them to think out loud about it, “That’s a good question. What do you think?"
• Normalize and validate all emotions. It is OK to feel a range of emotions when grieving including sadness, frustration, anger, relief, etc. Assure your child that we often feel more than one emotion, even when they are conflicting. For example, your child can feel angry his father died from a serious illness but relieved he is no longer in pain. Some children are afraid to feel happiness when grieving as they feel they should always be in pain. Let your child know it is okay to experience joy even while sad.
• Model healthy grieving. You should feel comfortable expressing some of your sadness, anger, and other emotions in front of your child. By modeling healthy grieving, you are giving the child permission to express his or her emotions and thoughts around you. Children benefit from role models on how to cope with grief and may appreciate opportunities to engage in coping strategies (e.g., taking a walk, drawing, listening to music) alongside their loved ones who are similarly grieving. When children do not see their parents/caregivers grieve, they may feel guilty for the emotions they are experiencing or feel as if these emotions may be a burden to those who are already hurting and thus may withhold from expressing them.
• Talk to your child about common myths of grief. Many myths about grief exist that can sometimes complicate a child’s coping with grief. Remind your child that not all deaths/losses are the same; there is no timeline to follow; everyone grieves differently; and grief is not linear and will ebb and flow over time.
• Give your child the choice on whether they would like to participate in funeral and memorial services. Help children feel empowered by offering them the choice to attend the memorial. Sometimes, caregivers/parents fear attending the memorial will be more harmful than helpful, but many children find it beneficial for closure. If the child decides to attend the memorial, help them prepare by educating them on where the service will take place, who will be there, what the casket will look like (e.g., open vs. closed), and how people may respond and interact with the child at service.
• Collaborate with teachers when the bereaved child returns to school. Going back to school after experiencing a close death can be challenging. Parents/caregivers can help promote the child’s adjustment back to school by asking the child what he or she would like shared with teachers/classmates, making a difficult day safety plan, planning drop-off and pick-up routines, and providing anticipatory guidance on how to handle potential changes in friends’/classmates’ behavior (e.g., unsure how to comfort child who is grieving).
• Share memories, create rituals, and find ways for the child to continue his or her bond with the deceased loved one. An important part of grief is continuing ties to loved ones. Even though the person is no longer physically present, continuing bonds with them allows the child to still feel connected to their loved one. This may look like sharing your favorite memories about the loved one, looking at scrapbooks, wearing their clothing item, carrying their picture, celebrating their birthday, eating their favorite meal or including them in annual holiday traditions.
• Monitor how your child’s grief is impacting their functioning. While it is normal to feel a range of emotions following a loved one’s death, some children may experience prolonged or complicated grief. If you suspect your child is experiencing prolonged grief (symptoms one year following loved one’s death), reaching out for professional support may be helpful. Symptoms of prolonged grief include:
  • avoiding reminders of the person who has died
  • loss of identity
  • troubles accepting the loss
  • feeling life is meaningless
  • Inability to return to everyday activities

Grief is a challenging and complex emotion for children. Despite the difficult emotions associated with grief, this emotional pain is a sign of how much the child loved their family member and/or friend, and this can always be a helpful reminder when the child is feeling overwhelmed by their grief.

References and Resources

https://kidsgrief.ca/

https://www.siblingsupport.co.uk/

https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/topics/grief/

https://courageousparentsnetwork.org/topics/bereavement-2/

Adapted from https://www.kidsmentalhealthfoundation.org/mental-health-resources/grief-and-trauma/helping-children-grieve-a-death

10 School Street

Antrim, NH 03440

Phone: (603) 599-6371

Email: aesoffice@conval.edu

Web Page: https://aes.conval.edu/en-US

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