It is hard to believe that we are in the final days of the school year. It has been such a successful year for both students and staff! Our students have grown academically, socially, and emotionally throughout this school year. It has been an amazing journey. We are truly appreciative of the effort you have put forth. We firmly believe that through our collaborative efforts and following our mission statement - "It Takes a Team to Educate a Child" - our students will continue to thrive and accomplish great things. It can sometimes be difficult to keep your child motivated and eager to learn this time of year. However, we will be continuing instruction so helping your child understand the importance of continuing to work hard throughout this last month will only increase his/her success at school and at home.

We hope that you and your child have had just as great an experience as all of us at NMES have had this year. We will miss our Fourth Grade students who are moving onto the next chapter of their lives at OGMS and wish them much success. There is no doubt that we will see wonderful accomplishments from them in their future endeavors.

Have a wonderful, safe summer! See you in August!

Grab & Go and Lunch menus can also be found on our school website page under the tab "food service".

May 3 - No Pre-K ONLY

May 3 - WVU Extension Office "Mindfulness Program" with 2nd Grade

May 6 - 10 - Staff Appreciation Week

May 6 - 3rd Grade Field Trip to Carnegie Science Center

May 6 - PTA Meeting at 6:00 p.m. with 2nd Grade Habitat Presentation

May 8 - School Nurse Day

May 8 - OGMS Band Director will meet with the 4th Grade Students

May 9 - 18 - National Police Week with National Police Day on May 15th

May 10 - No Pre-K ONLY

May 10 - 20 - 3rd & 4th Grade General Summative Assessment (State Testing)

May 12 - Mother's Day

May 14 - No School for Election Day

May 15 - WVU Extension Office "Grow Your Own Pizza" program with 4th Grade

May 21 - 3rd & 4th Grade Field Trip to the Wild Things Baseball Game

May 21 - Pre-K Family Engagement - 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. - "The Future Is So Bright"

May 22 - LSIC Meeting at 3:15 p.m.

May 22 - 24 - WVU Extension Office "Publishing" program with 3rd Grade

May 24 - Last Day of Pre-K

May 24 - School Carnival

May 27 - No School - Memorial Day

May 28 - Kindergarten Field Trip to Meadowcroft

May 28 - OGHS Senior Walk at NMES

May 29 - Water Palooza

May 30 - PBIS Reward - Baseball Palooza

May 31 - 4th Grade Field Trip to the Pittsburgh Aviary

May 31 - Farmer's Market for all students

June 3 - 4th Grade Picnic at Tomlinson Run

June 4 - Last Day for Students

June 5 - Last Day for Staff

The WV General Summative Assessment for students in 3rd and 4th grades will begin in May. All 3rd and 4th grade students will be tested in Reading/Language Arts and Math. The students and teachers have been preparing, and we feel confident that our students will do well. It is important that EVERY student is in school EVERY day and arrives to school on time - once the classrooms begin testing, they cannot be interrupted. It is important that all students get plenty of rest and eat a healthy breakfast. Snacks will be provided for the students during testing compliments of the PTA. Please contact your child's teacher or the school office if you have specific questions regarding the WV General Summative Assessment.

Congratulations to the following students for being selected for May's Student Starting Line Up!

Preschool: Fay & Lilliana

Kindergarten: Emmarie & Virginia & Mya

1st Grade: Parker & Alia & Ella

2nd Grade: Alaina & Rowan & Jessa

3rd Grade: Destiny & Raegan & Maddax

4th Grade: Coralynn & Olivia

One student per classroom will be chosen each month by the teacher to be recognized for our "Starting Line Up". The student will have their picture posted to our front lobby bulletin board, will be recognized in our monthly newsletter, and will receive a token of appreciation for their efforts at our PTA meetings

Criteria for selecting the Students of the Month will include (but is not limited to) the following

• Effort
• Character through compassion, honesty, trustworthiness, optimism, and responsibility
• Behavior and self-control
• Attitude toward others/learning
• Good citizenship
• Leadership and integrity
• Demonstrates responsibility.
• Respectful to peers and teachers
• Significant progress in the classroom and/or marked improvement in grades

In May and June, we will be reviewing all of the character traits that we have learned all year to represent the word BEARCATS - Behavior, Effort, Acceptance, Respect, Commitment, Attitude, Trustworthy, Support.

Be The Best Bearcat You Can Be!

Congratulations to Mrs. Campbell, NMES representative for the Teacher of the Year 2024.Mrs. Campbell was recognized by the Hancock County Board of Education Meeting on Monday, April 22, 2024. Below is a "getting to know you better" paragraph from Mrs. Campbell.

Hello Bearcat family! I am a first grade teacher here at New Manchester Elementary. I received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education (K-6) from Slippery Rock University.

I am married to my wonderful husband Craig and we have two amazing boys, Ethan (24) and Kellen (11). We live in Hookstown, PA; which is a short 10 minute ride from NMES. I have been teaching in Hancock County for eight years. I taught Kindergarten for two years and then transferred to first grade. I grew up in New Manchester and still consider this small-town home.

I love this school and the community around it; we are one big Bearcat family. It has been an honor to be named New Manchester Elementary Teacher of the Year.

When I am not at school, I enjoy being outside with my family and friends. You can usually find me at the baseball field most summer nights. I also enjoy traveling and taking my kids to new places.

Congratulations to Linda Nicoles, NMES Autism Mentor, for being recognized as 2024 NMES Service Personnel of the Year. Mrs. Nicoles was recognized at the Hancock County Board of Education meeting on Monday, April 22, 2024.

New Manchester is very lucky to have Mrs. Nicoles as part of our Bearcat family. She works very hard to ensure our students achieve to the best of their ability in a loving, safe environment.

Mrs. Nicoles has worked for Hancock County Schools since 2014. She is certified as an Autism Mentor. Mrs. Nicoles is married and has child who is a senior in high school. He will be attending Duquesne University in the fall. Mrs. Nicoles and her husband live on a small farm. She loves living in the country and working outside. When asked a few questions, these are the responses from Mrs. Nicoles:

• What I like most about this job are the kids. I love working with the kids.
• Some of my favorite hobbies include biking and working outside.
• My favorite food is lasagna and ham loaf.
• I liked Biology and Chemistry the most when I was in school.
• I would love to visit Hawaii or Switzerland some day.

There are many activities that you can do with your child outdoors with sidewalk chalk to help them with Math. Try some of these at home.

• Have your child create a large number line (large enough for them to be able to jump from number to number). Allow your child to act out addition and subtraction problems on the number line.
• Create a giant hundreds board. Have your child count by ones, twos, fives, and tens. Have your child work out multiplication and division problems.
• Allow your child to create a maze for them to work their way through with cars or objects, or even with themselves.
• Do a color scavenger hunt in the outdoors. Give your child the challenge to find as many things that they can that match the colors of your chalk pieces. Color a square with each piece of chalk and have your child place the things that they find on each of the correct squares.
• Draw a giant clock face on the cement with numbers but no hands. The children are the hands. Call out a time and have them lie on the clock face to show the time that was called out.
• Explore lines and angles by coloring squares and adding different angled lines within the squares.
• Have some hopscotch fun in the traditional way. Put a spin on it by having the child work out math equations that match the number they hopped on.

• May is the third and last month of the season of Spring
• The Indianapolis 500 car race is held each year during May
• May is named after the Greek goddess Maia, who is associated with spring and growth
• The Kentucky Derby, the world's most famous horse race, is held in May
• The last week of May is Library and Information Week
• May was once considered a bad luck month to get married. There is a poem that says "Marry in May and you'll rue the day."
• May is the seasonal equivalent to November in the Southern Hemisphere
• No US president has ever died in the month of May, making it unique compared to other months
• Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on the 5th of May, commemorating the Mexican army's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla

As we prepare for the end of the school year and summer break, many parents and caregivers will consider leaving their child or youth to stay at home. This can be a terrific opportunity for them to develop their confidence, independence, and sense of responsibility. Yet, it comes with risks. The following are some considerations for families when making that decision.

Most states have child protection laws that classify “failing to provide adequate supervision of a child” as child neglect; however, most states do not define what is considered “adequate supervision.” Considering factors could include the child’s age, mental ability, and physical condition; the length of the absence; and the home environment and neighborhood conditions.

It is recommended that caregivers consider maturity as much as age. The following questions may help: Is the child capable of taking care of themselves? Does the child obey rules and make good decisions? Does the child feel comfortable or fearful about being home alone?

Regarding circumstances, factors to consider include how long the absence will be, how many children will be left, is the home free of hazards, is there a high incidence of crime in the neighborhood, does the child know how to secure entry doors, does the child know what to do if someone comes to the door, and is there a trusted adult nearby (neighbor) that can be contacted in case of an emergency?

Some specific safety skills should be considered too. Does the family have a safety plan for emergencies, and can the child follow that plan? Does the child know their full contact information including how to contact their caregivers?

For youth babysitting younger children, considerations include whether they are comfortable being in charge, are they able to calmly handle emergencies, and are they willing to be responsible for the care and safety of others?

Finally, it is advisable to have a trial period where the child can be safely monitored. Children should be given an opportunity to share any thoughts or concerns they might have about being alone. An understanding of safety rules and a safety action plan are necessary. Set clear guidelines on what your child can and cannot do in your absence. Trial periods should be processed to see what went well and what might need to be adjusted.

(Information liberally borrowed from the Children’s Bureau/ACF/HHS)

Summer is quickly approaching! My hope is that all students have a safe, healthy, and fun time away from school. Warmer weather means more time in the sun. It is especially important to protect your child’s skin.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children wear sunscreen with at least 15 to 50 SPF. Remember to reapply sunscreen every two hours or after swimming, sweating, toweling off, and consider wearing sun protective clothing as an added barrier. Harmful ultraviolet rays are at their strongest from between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hydration is key, and the best source is water! Try to avoid soda, energy drinks, and fruit juices because they can worsen dehydration. Be aware of hot cars! There is no safe temperature, situation, or length of time for a child to be left alone in a car! Children should always wear a properly fitted helmet when riding on anything. The following are signs to be aware of if your child has a head injury that would warrant medical attention: constant headache that gets worse, slurred speech or confusion, dizziness that does not go away or happens repeatedly, extreme irritability or other abnormal behavior, vomiting, stumbling or difficulty walking, oozing blood or watery fluid from the nose or ears, difficulty waking up or excessive sleepiness, unequal size of the pupils (the dark center part of the eyes), double vision or blurry vision, unusual paleness that lasts for more than an hour, seizures, difficulty recognizing familiar people, and weakness of arms or legs. Practice water safety! Never leave your child around water without supervision. Children who cannot swim should always have a properly fitted life jacket on as well. Ward off bugs by using insect repellent and avoiding stagnant water. Check for ticks. Take breaks from the heat! Children need time to relax, cool off and hydrate before returning to play. Be safe this summer and enjoy!

Although summer is a time to relax, regroup, and enjoy the outdoors, don't forget to spend some time reviewing skills with your child. Here are some practical tips you can easily put into any summer schedule:

• Continue reading this summer. Plan a weekly visit to the library. Complete the AR Summer Reading Challenge.
• Practice math skills during the summer. That will prevent a "backslide" in skills.
• If your child is participating in summer sports, be sure he or she takes frequent breaks to avoid getting overwhelmed.
• Make sure your child stays well hydrated when playing outside in the heat.
• Don't forget the sunscreen!

"It Takes a Team to Educate a Child"

Email: cyeater@k12.wv.us
Website: boe.hancock.k12.wv.us/NMES
Location: 128 Frankfort Road, New Cumberland, WV, USA
Phone: 304-564-3242
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Elementary-School/New-Manchester-Elementary-School