BLACKHAWKS BULLETIN

Good Morning and Happy First Week of School!

Things are hopping as we prepare to welcome you all back in just a few days. The newsletter is packed with reminders and updates so I won't take too much time with my "ponderings." I will however take a moment to share a HUGE thanks to our PTA and especially Ella Martin and Nikki Turner for the ongoing stewardship of our school garden. If you haven't yet had a chance to check out the fruits of their labor, please be sure to do so next time you are on campus. It is absolutely stunning. I've included some before and after photos throughout. Our classes can't wait to use the shaded classroom area integrated into the space.

There are plenty of Sundays in our future for my more long-winded messages ;). If you are interested to learn more about our preparations for the year, please see my attached School Board Reports. There are several links to keep you busy over a cup of coffee or two! And speaking of reading, please be sure to read your Student/Parent Handbook. There is a lot of important information there, including the FAST dates and offerings this winter, which are always a source of interest and inquiry.

We are looking forward to seeing you in person over the coming days as follows:

TONIGHT - Please enter through the FRONT of the building for all school sponsored events below.

• 3 to 4 pm - Kindergarten Orientation
• 4 pm to 5:30 pm = LEGO League Open House - 5th through 8th graders can come check out what LEGO League is all about (In the Library)
• 4:30 pm - Co-curricular Info Session (mandatory for students intending to participate in co-curriculars)
• Plainfield Spirit Day - (weather permitting) - 5 to Dark on school grounds - Make sure to get your Cow Patty Bingo square for a chance to win up to $1000 and support the class of 2028! (See flyer below)

Wednesday, August 27 - First Day of School - Please join the PTA right after drop-off for some light refreshments and a brief parent celebration of the start of the school year (see info below in PTA updates)!

Fall Curriculum Nights - Come learn about curriculum and class routines/expectations at our fall curriculum nights. We spread them out to make it easier for families with multiple children to be present as follows:

• Thursday, September 4 - Grades 6 to 8 -
• Thursday, September 11 - Grades 3 to 5
• Thursday, September 18 - Grades K to 2 -

Thursday, September 25 - Mountain Day - We invite you to take a day off from the grind to join your child's class for a fall hike. This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the foliage, some exercise, and our wonderful community!

• K to 2 - Top of the World in Cornish, NH
• 3 to 5 - Gile Mountain in Norwich, VT
• Grade 6 - Hike at Hulbert in Fairlee, VT
• 7 & 8 - Cardigan Mountain, Canaan, NH

Audra

Audra Bucklin, Principal

603.469.3250, ext 223

abucklin@sau32.nh.gov

PS - This summer we upgraded our wifi access points and moved to a new domain (sau32.nh.gov.) All in all, it has been pretty smooth but we are still finding things here and there that need updating. If you find a broken link on our website, or have difficulty accessing a shared doc, please do not hesitate to reach out to us here in the office - office@sau32.nh.gov. Thanks for your help!

AUGUST

24 - Plainfield Spirit Day & More

• 3 to 4 pm - Kindergarten Orientation
• 4 pm to 5:30 pm = LEGO League Open House - 5th through 8th grade (In the Library)
• 4:30 pm - Co-curricular Info Session (mandatory for students intending to participate in co-curriculars) - Copy of Handbook under Co-Curricular Section below.
• Plainfield Spirit Day - (weather permitting) - 5 to Dark on school grounds - Make sure to get your Cow Patty Bingo square for a chance to win up to $1000 and support the class of 2028! (See flyer below)

27 - First Day of School

• All registration forms should be complete by this date
• Join the PTA in the garden after drop-off for light refreshments.
• See drop off instructions below in Office Updates/Reminders

SEPTEMBER

See Abbey Group Website for full details, up-to-date menus, and to upload funds.

"COLD" Options: (offered daily)

Assorted Pre-made Deli Sandwiches, ham and turkey. Sunbutter/Jelly sandwiches

Yogurt Parfait with Fruit and Granola

Fresh Fruit and Veggie Bar with Dinner Roll

Student Registration are due Tuesday at midnight

The August Family Letter and the Pick Up Patrol instructions are attached below for your reference.

Drop-off & Pick-up Instructions (from pp 10 & 11 in the handbook)

To minimize any exhaust entering our school’s ductwork, there is NO IDLING in the drop-off lanes. We appreciate your help to keep the line moving safely. Please pull up to the frontmost spot (by the corner of the music room) for unloading. Students should remain seated and buckled until it is their turn to disembark. If you need to have a conversation with a staff member or to come into the building, please park and use the designated walkways.

During drop-off and pick-up, buses are the only vehicles authorized to use the turn around directly in front of the school. All other traffic should take the first right towards the large parking area to the right of the school. Follow the traffic pattern along the edge of the fields and circle around behind the school sheds. Please pull up as directed by our staff and make every attempt to have children exit and enter your vehicle on the passenger side so we avoid pedestrian traffic between vehicles.

Students riding the bus will enter and exit the front door in front of the school and should walk directly to/from the bus. Two adults supervise the unloading and loading of the buses. All other students enter and exit near the gym.

Walking Parents: Your child(ren) will enter and exit by the gym and music room. This is where they wait with staff at the end of the day. Please be sure to follow the signage and directions from our staff member(s). Please use the crosswalk and refrain from stepping out in front of moving traffic. Help us teach your child to make eye contact with drivers in a stopped vehicle before crossing.

Driving Parents: Please become familiar with the drop-off and pick-up route and always follow directions from PES staff members assisting with arrival and dismissal procedures as well as all state laws, posted signs, and barricades. Please refrain from cell phone use while operating your vehicle. 10 Your child(ren) will be waiting outside between the gym and music room, near the small Welcome to Plainfield Elementary School sign. Please make sure you stay in your car and pull forward as space becomes available. This procedure will allow more cars into the pick-up lane and speed up the dismissal process. Your child will not be allowed to get into your vehicle until you are able to move forward.

Afterschool Program Coordinator & Counselors Needed

The Boys and Girls Club of Northern New England is still willing to run a program here at Plainfield but has been unable to identify staffing. If you know of anyone interested in a part-time site director or counselor position with the afterschool program, please have them contact office@sau32.nh.gov so we can connect them with the Boys & Girls Club.

Substitute Teachers Needed for 2025-2026 school year

The Plainfield School is seeking individuals who would be comfortable working with K-8th grade students in our building during the 2023-2024 school year. Applicants must be able to follow teacher substitute plans, be dependable, and enjoy working with children. If you are interested in applying, please contact Katie Lowery in the office at (603) 469-3250.

LOST & FOUND

2025-2026 Lost and Found…please bookmark the link below for access to our lost and found site. We amass quite the collection over the course of the year! Items are kept in a nicely organized "display" of sorts in the lobby just past the lunch area on the right.

The PTA is looking forward to the school year ahead!

1) Please fill out this survey to help us communicate with you more effectively this year:

https://forms.gle/osst86WuujNPGXds9 [forms.gle]

2) Come have coffee in the school garden after dropoff on the first day of school!

3) First PTA meeting of the year: September 10th, 7-8pm at the Meriden Library. Social hour at Poor Thom's to follow.

Want to learn more about nature? Eager to share the joy of discovery with children? Become a Four Winds volunteer and join a group of community members who share both an interest in nature and a love of children.

Four Winds Nature Institute is a community-based organization that provides natural science education for all ages. As a Four Winds Nature Program volunteer, you will bring fun and engaging natural science lessons to the children at Cornish or Plainfield Elementary School, in Kindergarten through Grade 4.

Adult volunteers from both towns meet for five two-hour workshops throughout the school year. The site of the workshops alternates between the Cornish and Plainfield Schools. At each workshop a member of the Four Winds staff walks the volunteers through a fascinating natural science topic by demonstrating activities that will be done later with the students.

After the workshops volunteers bring these lessons to the classroom. Many of the activities involve taking the children outdoors, to the nearby fields and woods, for an up-close look at things related to the topic. This is the best way to learn about the natural world.

Our teachers are always involved when the volunteers are with their students. This is a way to support them, as it is not always easy to take a whole class outside without extra hands. It is also a great way to meet other people in our community and give the important and rewarding gift of your time to the children in our school.

For more information contact the program coordinators,

Linda Fuerst- Cornish, lm@lmfuerst.com

Kathleen Maslan, Plainfield- kathleen.maslan@comcast.net

There is a mandatory co-curricular meeting at 4:30 pm on Sunday, August 24 in the PES Gym. We will review the handbook and collect signed contracts. This is also a great opportunity to meet our new athletic director, Autumn Lanseigne.

For the most up to date schedule, please visit the co-curricular calendar (Linked Below)

Please support the Class of 2028 as they kick off the fundraising for their 8th Grade Class Trip. Details below...you do NOT need to be present to win!

Fuel Assistance

Any Plainfield or Meriden resident requiring assistance for housing, heating fuel assistance, electricity assistance, medication assistance and or nutritional support from the Town should contact the Community Resource Director, Stephanie Schell. Contact information: 603-469-3201 or email sschell@plainfieldschool.org. All information is confidential.

Food Pantry

Residents of the Town of Plainfield can access the following local services.
Note: The food pantry and clothing swap rooms are located in the Christ Community Church on Route 12A (across from the Plainfield Fire Department). The Food Pantry is open the 1st Thursday and the 3rd Friday and Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and warmly welcomes all Town residents.

Free Clothing Rooms

The Christ Community Church has (2) very well organized rooms that contain FREE clothing for adults and children. All clothing is donated and in great condition. In addition to clothing there are also Free household items, toys & books as well. These rooms are open to the Public each Tuesday morning from 9-11 a.m.

Free Fresh Veggies & Fruit

Free fresh produce provided by Willing Hands: please check the Town calendar for dates and times.

Fight 68 Hours of Hunger Care Package Program:

A box of nutritious food is delivered to your home each Wednesday afternoon to help fight hunger. The box contains a variety of foods for the entire family to help stretch your grocery budget.

Willing Hands

FREE Fresh veggies, fruit, milk, eggs, bread & proteins Every Wednesday from 11:45-12:15 p.m. Cornish Town Hall is located on the fairgrounds. Everyone is welcome!

Southwestern Community Services: Claremont, NH

Providing Heating Fuel & Electrical Assistance. They also have Rental or Mortgage Assistance programs. Completed applications for eligibility are needed. These programs are open to all Sullivan County Residents please call 542-9528 for more information.

LISTEN Community Services

Providing Plainfield Residents with the following:

• Heating & Electrical Assistance
• Food Pantry resources
• Holiday Gift Baskets
• School Supplies Drive
• Community Dinners
• Housing Helper Grants
• Summer Camp Scholarships
• Thrift Store Vouchers for clothing & furniture.

Located at 60 Hanover Street, Lebanon

Call for an appointment to discuss individual needs: 1-603-448-4553

Windsor County Mentors is your local organization working to create and support mentoring relationships between caring adults and youth in order to help them thrive. We create opportunities for the youth of the Upper Valley --including Windsor County, Vermont, Sullivan County, New Hampshire and part of Merrimack County, New Hampshire – to realize their potential as healthy, responsible decision-makers.

Mentoring offers vulnerable youth opportunities to share experiences with reliable adults to widen their vision of themselves, helping them to become confident, contributing members of their community. Social science research has shown that children who have a mentor are 52% less likely than peers to skip a day of school and 46% less likely than peers to start using illegal drugs. Sign your child up for mentoring or become a mentor today and help make a child’s life better! How to

Become a Mentor. If you enjoy spending fun-filled time with a child, are willing to be a consistent friend, and wish to engage in a relationship that fosters trust, respect, and healthy communication, you must also

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Complete a written application with 3 references
• Participate in an interview and background check
• Commit to a year of once-a-week meetings with a child matched to you

For more information, please reach out to:

Matthew Garcia, Executive Director Windsor County Mentors 802-674-5101