The Pulse of the Pride

Lyme School Friends,

We have had an excellent end to September so far and we actually finally got some rain! Ready or not, here comes October...

Please remember that Open House is Thursday, October 2nd at 4 PM - 5:30 PM. This is an opportunity for your student to bring you around school and show you their learning spaces. We hope you can make it.

This week, our students have been hard at work with our Circus Smirkus artist, Rob Crites. Rob has been working with our students in preparation for the artist in residence performance to show off their work on Friday, October 3rd at 1 PM. Families are welcome!

Please remember that school is closed on October 13th.

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

Regards,

John P. D'Entremont, Principal

Dates:

• School Picture Day - September 30, 2025 (rain date October 1st)

• Open House - October 2, 2025 4 - 5:30 PM

• Track My Progress Testing Week of October 6, 2025

• Blisters for Books - October 10, 2025

• School Closed - October 13, 2025

• Band Field Trip - October 16, 2025

• Lion's Cup - October 17, 2025

Starting next Monday (9/29), we are starting Homework Club again on Monday-Wednesday until 4pm. This will be staffed by Kristen Pizarro on Mondays, Becci Chase on Tuesdays and Jennifer Fox & Kim Nickles on Wednesdays. We may add Thursdays in the afternoon if we can provide coverage. Stephanie Kocurek will also be there each day to help get kids started.

This is a great opportunity for students to complete missing work and get help from teachers before leaving the building. The Middle School staff will be encouraging students to attend, but if you are interested, please feel free to reach out to me so we can ensure your child is reminded to stay.

- Mr. Tomlinson

Picture Day Details

• Date: Tuesday, September 30th (Rain Date October 1st)

• Location: Planned for outdoors.

You can order photos online:

Order Photos Here

BLISTERS FOR BOOKS, the annual fundraiser for children's library materials at CFL, is all set for Friday, October 10. Students will complete laps around the green for about twenty minutes and the final ten minutes of each time slot will be reserved for snacks. More info: https://lymenhlibrary.org/kids/blisters-2025/ Thank you for your support of this long standing tradition in fundraising for books for the town collection.

Here is the Blisters for Books schedule:

Grades 6-8 9:15-9:45

Grades 4/5 9:45-10:15

Grades K/1 10:15-10:45

Grades 2/3 10:45-11:15

As the temperature begins to drop we once again turn on heaters and light wood stoves in our homes. This is a good time of the year to create or review your family’s Home Fire Escape Plan.

Home Fire Escape Plan

• Together as a family, draw a map of your home and identify two ways to get out of every room.

• Choose a safe meeting place outside of your home.

• Practice your fire escape plan twice a year with your family.

• Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home and inside bedrooms.

• Test alarms monthly and replace batteries at least once a year.

For more information Home Fire Prevention American Red Cross

Hello Lyme Families!

We hope you are enjoying the beautiful colors as we step into this new autumn season! Another thing bursting with energy and vibrance at Lyme is STUDENT LEADERSHIP.

This is the second year of our SALT (Student Advisory Leadership Team) program, and it’s already off to a strong start. Last year, 10 students participated - this year, we’ve nearly doubled that number! Students submitted applications describing how they would help carry out the mission of SALT: We strive to create an inclusive school environment where all students feel valued.

The SALT program is advised by me, Dr. D, and Mrs. Thayer (Community and Sustainability Chair and 2nd Grade Teacher). SALT meets every other week during recess and lunch (or as needed throughout the year). Our first meetings have focused on team building, creating our social contract, understanding our role, and, of course, having FUN!

Throughout the year, SALT members will explore their leadership styles and strengthen their skills. Soon, they’ll be hard at work supporting and facilitating our multi-age events such as our PRIDE mornings, Winter Solstice Celebration, and more. They’ve already hit the ground running—leading our all-school Friday morning meetings with confidence and doing a fantastic job.

We are excited to continue finding new ways for these students to grow as leaders while serving Lyme School and our wonderful community. We are so grateful for their service, dedication, and enthusiasm. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you know of community needs that our SALT members might be able to support!

Also, I sent an email to our 8th graders and families about High School Choice information. Please see my High School Choice Website for information about events, timeline, school details, etc. Please reach out if you have any questions about High School Choice!

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Stanton

Here are some HS Choice events on our calendar for you and your family to attend:

Important Dates 2025-2026:

• September 30th - Tuesday - 8:45-10am - Crossroads Academy Secondary School Fair - The fair will give families a chance to explore up to 35 different secondary independent school options! This is a wonderful opportunity for students and families to become better informed about which schools your child might like to apply to in the future. In order for us to plan appropriately, we ask that you RSVP by emailing Suzanne Manory - suzanne.manory@crossroadsacademy.org
  
  

• October 19th - Sunday - time - 2pm-3pm - Thetford Academy Open House - join us at one of our Admissions Open House events and explore the academic, athletic, arts, and outdoor offerings at Thetford Academy. Hear from TA’s award-winning faculty about our programs and curriculum and learn from current students about the TA community and experience. We can’t wait to meet you! Questions? Contact Enrollment Coordinator, Contact Enrollment Coordinator, Sayer Wickham - sayer.wickham@thet.net | Registration link
  
  

• November 6th - Thursday - 5:30pm - St. Johnsbury Academy Open House - Meet our Faculty, Staff, and the Administrative Team -Learn about Academic Programs, talk to coaches and club advisors, and enjoy refreshments made by culinary students. Please reach out to Melissa Murphy at melissa.murphy@stjacademy.org for further information or to schedule a tour at another time
  
  

• November 10 - Monday - 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 closer to the date.
  
  

• December 17 - Wednesday - Hanover High School Visit Day -
  FOR STUDENTS ONLY. This is an opportunity for 8th graders to tour the building and get more information about HHS schedule, classes, clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities. A bus will be provided by Lyme School to and from. Students will need to BRING A BAGGED LUNCH for the day. Permission forms will be distributed closer to the date.

Hi Families,

Now that we’re getting into the swing of the new school year, I wanted to share a few quick reminders about bus safety. We want every student to have a safe and smooth ride to and from school.

Our drivers are trained to keep kids safe, but they need students to follow the rules so they can focus on the road. Unexpected behavior can be distracting and dangerous.

Bus Safety Reminders
We’d love your help reinforcing these at home:

• Be on time. Arrive at the stop 5 minutes early. Never run after a missed bus.
  
  

• Cross safely. Make eye contact with the bus driver and wait for the driver’s signal before crossing the road.
  
  

• Stay seated. Sit quickly, face forward, and keep hands, feet and belongings to yourself.
  
  

• Use quiet voices. Loud noises distract the driver.
  
  

• Keep the aisle clear. Backpacks and legs out of the aisle..
  
  

• Listen to the driver. They’re in charge!
  
  

• Be safe at the stop. Wait for the bus to stop fully before approaching. Always cross in front where the driver can see you.
  
  

How You Can Help

• Go over the rules together.
  
  

• Talk through “what if” situations (missed bus, left items, etc.).
  
  

• Pack bags the night before to avoid rushing.
  
  

• Encourage your child to speak up if something doesn't feel good.
  
  

Please feel free to reach out to me or your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns. We’re here to help!

-Ms. Connie Balch

We have had a wonderful few weeks of getting to know library routines, reading books, and the processes for checking books in and out. All students can return books any time and have access to the commons daily.

A reminder that books are checked out for two weeks at a time. Whenever you are finished with a book, please return it to either school or CFL, even if it is not a library class day. I find it helpful to set a weekly reminder to search for books to load up into backpacks on the night before my kids have library classes!

Here is the library class schedule:

Monday: Kindergarten

Tuesday: 1st and 5th grade

Wednesday: Stadheim

Thursday: 2nd grade

Friday: 3rd grade and Melton

In library classes this week, grades K-3 have started reading the picture books nominated for the Ladybug Picture Book Award, which they will vote on in December. We started with The Yellow Bus by Loren Long. Students answered the prompt: “My bus is filled with joy when…” Responses included family members, friends, pets, and hobbies.

BLISTERS FOR BOOKS, the annual fundraiser for children's library materials at CFL, is all set for Friday, October 10. Students will complete laps around the green for about twenty minutes and the final ten minutes of each time slot will be reserved for snacks. More info: https://lymenhlibrary.org/kids/blisters-2025/ Thank you for your support of this long standing tradition in fundraising for books for the town collection.

Here is the Blisters for Books schedule:

Grades 6-8 9:15-9:45

Grades 4/5 9:45-10:15

Grades K/1 10:15-10:45

Grades 2/3 10:45-11:15

Upcoming CFL Events:

Friday, October 10 9:15-11:15 Blisters for Books

Tuesday, October 21 3-5pm After School Movie: Elio

The past few weeks have proven to be a very busy, active, and fun place to be! Between crowning a trophy to our yellow team for their ultimate ball victory in team tournament play in the middle school, to indoor soccer in the intermediate grades, we have been fortunate to welcome Rob Crites to our school as our artist in residence this year. Known as “ Mr. Mohawk Man”, Rob has extensive experience in the performing arts, having been a part of Cirque De Soleil in Los Angeles for many years and Circus Smirkus, he has been lending his skills and his incredibly positive attitude to teach our students juggling and balance skills thus far. We have been having a blast spending time with him and look forward to another full week ahead.

As a reminder, there will be a final school performance on October 3 from 1:00-2:30 in our school community room. All are welcome! A big thank you to the Horrell family for their generous hospitality hosting Rob during his stay.

Kindergarten: We are off to a great start! This group is settling into the rhythm of the art classroom: sitting on the cozy shape carpet for lessons and stories, making art at their tables, and helping take care of the art room. This week, we read Beautiful Oops and they have learned about my "oops box".

First Grade: We learned about the artist Vincent Van Gogh and thought about how we talk to each other about our artwork. What kinds of things do we say to help each other feel good about our artwork? Students drew big sunflowers and we are waiting for our blues to dry so that we can mix some yellows, oranges and greens.

Second Grade: We are with the Artist in Residence during Art this week!

Third Grade: We finished our messy mats just in time for a most-messy project: making painted papers. Painted papers are just what they sound like… we paint and discover colors and textures. These papers will be used for a collage project.

Fourth Grade: We are looking at circles in Art, from the Aztec Sun Stone to Buddhist sand mandalas, as we work on radial drawings.

Fifth Grade: This week, we are thinking about tools, specifically some Art tools: paintbrushes and pencils. We are drawing them and experimenting with how the different brushes work. We also had a “Pop Art” discussion as we looked at the art of Jim Dine, thinking about how some very common objects get the attention of artists.

Seventh Grade: Grade 7s learned about Still Life painting and how artists have used this genre to tell stories about place, culture, and history. In small groups, they created a still life to observe and draw. They are doing really wonderful work!

Middle School Sketchbook Elective: This week we looked at collage and mixed media artists for inspiration: Henri Matisse, Hannah Hoch, Robert Rauschenberg, and David Hockney. I am proud of how the students, every one of them, are developing their own style.

As part of our school’s health curriculum, our fifth graders have been welcomed into health education for the first time. Our first unit of study has been centered around the concept of wellness and how to keep our bodies and minds in a balanced state.

We have been spending class time discussing the physical, emotional, and social components of the wellness wheel, with class lessons focused on activities involving students identifying what they do in each one of these wellness realms to keep themselves in a homeostatic state to stay strong and healthy.

We started with a simple story about an elephant going to school and learned vocabulary for different modes of transportation. We added phrases like “va a la escuela” while reviewing counting, and K–2 students shared how they usually get to Lyme School. Finally, we explored how students around the world get to school—sometimes in dangerous or unusual ways! It was so fun to watch elementary students react with surprise at the journeys other children in Spanish-speaking countries (and beyond) take to reach school. Boats, rickety bridges, even a camel bus—¡Ay, ay, ay!

This theme of investigating schools around the world also connects to upcoming studies in second- and third-grade ELA units. My favorite lessons are those that bring together interdisciplinary learning and cultural studies while students are acquiring and practicing the Spanish language. Hopefully, your students can share with you some of the interesting things they’ve learned!

Fourth and fifth-grade students in the design lab have been hard at work creating cardboard carnival games as part of a design thinking challenge. The goal isn't just to build something fun—it is to practice empathy by designing games that younger kids (K-3rd) will find both fun and challenging. Through brainstorming, incorporating ideas from the K-3 students, prototyping, testing, and refining, students are learning how to balance creativity with the needs of their players. This project highlights important skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, and perseverance, while also demonstrating to students how thoughtful design can make play more inclusive and engaging.

We had a beautiful middle school hike last Thursday! The entire middle school made it to the top of Cardigan Mountain from Orange, NH. Students then spent some time at the top of the mountain doing some silent reflection before making their descent. Due to the drought, students were able to go into the fire tower and talk to the ranger. It was a fantastic day!

The middle school celebrated their first advisory breakfast on September 17th. Sharing food, conversation, and time together is one of our most treasured parts of our advisory program.

Thank you to all families who generously brought in food and drink items to share with our advisory groups.

Happy Friday, Lyme School!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first PTO meeting of the year on September 15.

We’re excited for the year ahead and have lots of events planned, including a Fall Bike/Walk to School Day, a Student Art Show, and an upcoming Bingo Night!

If you’d like to learn more about how the PTO supports our school community- or if you’re interested in getting more involved- please email us at pto@lymeschool.org or join us at one of our upcoming meetings (November 17, February 16, and May 18 at 7:30 PM).

We are also still looking for class parents for 2nd and 8th grade. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please let us know!

Have a great weekend!

Warmly,
The Lyme School PTO

--

Fauve Dela Cruz (she, her, hers)

Chair

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:

Reaching and Raising Generation Alpha in Middle School.

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.

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

Screen Time & Growing Minds: What the Science Tells Us

Series Kickoff Event with Dr. Bill Hudenko

Sunday, October 19 | 4 PM – 5 PM

Free | Registration Required

Join us at VINS Nature Center for an essential conversation about one of today’s most challenging parenting topics: social media, phone use, and creating healthy digital boundaries for our children.

Dr. Bill Hudenko will share the science behind how young brains respond to technology and provide evidence-based insights for creating healthy family boundaries.

This event is for all parents—whether your kids haven't entered the digital world yet or are already deep into smartphones and social media. No perfect parents required, just caring ones doing their best in our digital age.

Details and registration here: https://vinsweb.org/event/screen-time-growing-minds-what-the-science-tells-us-3/

What's Next? This launches an ongoing series of judgment-free discussions at VINS, where Upper Valley families can connect and learn together. After the event, you can sign up for future conversations organized by life stage (parents of teens, younger kids, etc.) running through fall and winter.

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