The Pulse of the Pride

Lyme School Friends,

We have had another great few weeks at school! Our students and staff have been excited about these warm days. A sure sign of the end of winter. Although we haven't seen any action yet on the bird feeders outside the first grade windows, this is sure to be picking up very soon (our first graders are studying birds).

Since our break, we have settled into routines and things are back to being consistent. We are wrapping up the winter term and will be soon sharing report cards for the trimester. If you haven't heard already, teachers will be reaching out about parent/teacher conferences happening on March 28th. Just a reminder that on March 28th school is closed for parent/teacher conferences.

Both the superintendent search committee and strategic planning team continue their work. The superintendent search committee hosted a superintendent candidate this past week on Thursday who met students, staff and community members. More details will be forthcoming on the search to find a new superintendent in the near future. The strategic planning team continues to solicit feedback from different stakeholder groups and are narrowing the identified priorities for the district. Thank you for your participation in these processes as they move forward.

We have much to look forward to ahead. Our middle schoolers are already hard at work putting together their production of Newsies, Jr. We are making plans to celebrate Earth Week. And, of course, preparations for the May Pole will be beginning soon.

Have a fabulous weekend! The next newsletter will hit your inbox on March 28th!

As always, thank you for your partnership and please reach out if I can be of assistance.

Regards,

John P. D'Entremont, Principal

Dates:

Second Trimester Ends - Friday, March 14, 2025

Parent/Teacher Conferences - Friday, March 28, 2025

April Vacation - April 14th - 18th, 2025

Newsies, Jr. Drama Production - May 2, 2025 @ 6PM, May 3, 2025 @ 1PM & 5PM

8th Grade DC Trip - Mary 19th - 23rd, 2025

K-5 Lyme School Bands Spring Concert - May 14, 2025 @ 6PM.

Memorial Day School Closed - May 26, 2025

Maypole Celebration - May 29, 2025 @ 1PM (rain date May 30, 2025 @ 2PM)

Field Day - June 11, 2025

8th Grade Recognition/Graduation - June 11, 2025

Third Trimester Ends - June 11, 2025

Homework club is offered Monday through Wednesday. Homework club is now offered Thursday and Friday. Thursday 2:15-3:15, except the 1st Thursday of the month, and Friday 3:15-4:15.

The Passport to Winter Fun program concludes at the end of this month on March 31st!

This is your reminder to cash in incentive prizes earned on days 10, 20 & 30 before the end of the month! Businesses will no longer be accepting Passports after March 31st so go enjoy the prizes before time runs out!

Once your child has completed all 30 days in the Passport, they have officially earned the title of Polar Bear Achiever and qualify for a prize! To receive the prize, please complete the Back Flap and turn it in to the school, mail it to UVTA’s Passport to Winter Fun (P.O. Box 1215, Norwich, VT 05055) or Scan QR code to complete the Back Flap online. If you submit the Back Flap before Friday, April 4th, your kiddo will also be entered into the Grand Prize Raffle and could win an AMAZING prize!

Visit uvtrails.org to view complete list of Grand Prizes.

Lyme School Community and Sustainability Committee is preparing for our third year of food waste awareness in school during Earth Week (April 21st-25th). We are hoping to elevate this experience for students by being able to have our food waste donated during this week. If you are/know a farm or residence who would accept our food waste donations for that week please send an email to Community and Sustainability members Mo Chandler (mchandler@lymeschool.org) or Shannon O'Leary (soleary@lymeschool.org) by April 5th.

Thank you!

-Lyme School Community and Sustainability Committee

Did you know? Each day students have a choice between two different lunches. Students can also purchase milk every day without buying a lunch. Thank you for participating in the food service program. Feel free to reach out to Chef Dindo if you every have questions or concerns at ddindo@lymeschool.org.

March Menu:

Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness spread from person to person. Most children can recover from the virus with at home treatment. Children younger than 5 years old (especially those younger than 2 years old) and those with certain health conditions (asthma/diabetes) are at risk for complications.

Influenza A virus (most common cause of flu infections) causes mild to severe illness with symptoms including:

• Fever/chills

• Dry cough

• Sore throat

• Runny nose

• Muscle/body aches

• Headache

• Fatigue

How does Influenza A spread?

When a person infected with the flu coughs, sneezes or talks, their droplets can spread and infect another person.

How can I prevent becoming sick with Influenza A?

• Avoid being around sick people and wash hands before eating or touching face/mouth

• Getting the yearly Influenza vaccine helps your body develop antibodies to fight against the virus.

My child had the Influenza vaccine and still got sick with the flu, why?

It is possible to become infected with Influenza after being exposed to a viral strain that the vaccine doesn’t protect against. Each year the Influenza vaccine is designed to target the most likely viral strains. However, there may be some circulating strains during Flu season that differ from the ones targeted by the current year’s vaccine.

How do I treat symptoms at home?

• Rest as much as possible

• Drink plenty of fluids including water, juice, broth, popsicles

• Treat fever and muscle aches with Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen

• If advised by medical provider, antiviral drugs are a treatment option for children with confirmed Influenza illness and most effective when taken within two days of symptom onset

On our March 11 inservice day, middle school teachers explored a variety of AI educational tools to enhance differentiation in lesson planning and prepared for report cards and parent conferences. Meanwhile, our specialists focused on planning the spring musical, which will showcase all of our middle school students, and began organizing our all-school field day in June.

K-5 teachers revisited our math and reading instructional philosophies and began discussions on strengthening science instruction in the lower grades. As part of this effort, they will be piloting a new physical science unit next year, bringing more hands-on investigations into the classroom.

Our educational assistants collaborated with teachers throughout the day, contributing to meaningful discussions and thoughtful lesson planning.

A special thank you to the PTO for generously providing lunch treats—your support is always appreciated!

Please see the attached letter notification from the NH Department of Education about statewide assessments. We will be participating in these assessments later in the spring.

Please contact Elise Foxall at efoxall@lymeschool.org if you have any questions.

March is Women’s History Month. We have highlighted books from our collection, as well as books related to basketball/March Madness.

We are also celebrating Read Across America Month! Two more weeks to complete Read Across America BINGO activity. This is optional fun! This week and next week, we are reading a book on SORA in grades K-3.

CFL Events for Families:

March 18: 3-5pm - After School Movie - Newsies

April 8: 3-5pm - After School Movie

TBD Friends of Lyme Library Used Book Sale

Hello Lyme Families!

Hope everyone is enjoying these warmer temps and sunshine! Speaking of sunshine…

I wanted to put in another plug for summer camp financial support. Please reach out if you have any questions or would like assistance. Pearl Dimick is a community fund that provides $200 camp grants per student with a $600 cap for families. If you are interested in accessing these, email me to get the process started. There are also scholarships available through specific camps that typically require a brief application. Here is a list of Upper Valley Camps that might be of interest and here is a list of camps based on category.

Also, conferences are coming up this month!

Please email me if you would like me to attend any of your students’ conferences along with the day and time that you are scheduled. I would be happy to attend if you feel that would be helpful. When things come up during conferences and I am not present, teachers are in touch to keep me in the loop and if I can be helpful. We are a great team here at Lyme School and grateful for family and staff collaboration!

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Stanton

Newsies, Jr: Set Design & Stage Crew

Each year, our middle school play involves the enthusiastic participation of all students. This year, we have two essential teams: Set Design and Stage Crew.

• Set Design: This team is responsible for creating and painting the set and props for the production. Their creativity and artistic skills are crucial to bringing our vision to life.

• Stage Crew: Members of this team start as set designers and then transition into backstage and technical roles during performances. Their adaptability and teamwork are vital to the success of the show.

We are proud to report that this year's crew has demonstrated hard work, flexibility, and a strong commitment to their tasks. Mr. Betournay and I have been truly impressed by their positive attitudes and dedication. Thank you for your continued support as we prepare for an exciting performance!

The fifth graders have been invested in learning about the dangers of tobacco use and vaping. Ms. Emily, my student intern, has been leading this important unit, teaching the students about the short and long term physical damages to the body that using these products can cause.

As a culminating assessment, students have been creating an infographic to demonstrate their knowledge. Some students have chosen a comic strip while others have been working on posters. Students have been very involved in this unit and their attention has been admirable.

Feel free to take a look at the poster hangings on the walls in the next few weeks!

Students in second and third grades have been talking about breakfasts around the world. During this unit we learned the song Jugo de naranja, which students have enjoyed singing.

As the art featured at the beginning and end of this video is by the Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Bortero, we used this song as a jumping off point to explore more of Bortero's work. Students have made interesting observations about Bortero's art both in Spanish and English. As we looked through more of his art, students became more comfortable speaking in Spanish using words that came up again and again. These words and phrases included ways to describe size (pequeño or grande, etc), a review of body parts (cabeza, piernas, ojos, etc), a review of food (uvas, pan, salchichas, etc) and well as some new comparative structures such as (mas grande que or en comparison con...). We love hearing mucho español en la clase!

Here are some pieces from Fernando Bortero that you might enjoy:

photo sources: hombre con perro painting and mano statue

Students in grades three and four have been working on both their rhythmic skills and cardiovascular endurance skills through the use of jump bands.

Jump bands are essentially elastic bands that fit around the ankles. Students must learn to work collaboratively to step and then jump together to keep a beat and a tempo in synchronicity. Through a combination cross overs, turns, and different jump patterns, each partnership will then merge into a small group and work on combining their skills to build a culmination of their learning through a creative routine.

We have been having a blast and Ms. Emily and I cannot wait to see their final routine combinations!

Staffing:

The Nurse's office is staffed Monday-Friday by a Registered Nurse. Please email

nurse@lymeschool.org and/or call the Main Office 795-2125 if your child is absent from

school due to illness or injury.

Duties include Nursing care, Health Screening, Medication administration, First

Aid, Emergency care, Individualized Health Planning, Health Education, and

collaborative work with families, teachers, special education services, our

guidance counselor and behavioral coach.

Kati Miller RN BSN: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri

Matthew Greenway RN BSN: Wednesday/as needed coverage

Celeste McCool RN BSN: Wednesday/as needed coverage

Medication Administration:

If your child requires emergency medications (epipen, inhaler, etc.) to be kept securely

in the Nurse's office, please contact nurse@lymeschool.org to set up a time to deliver

the medication along with an updated allergy or asthma action plan from your child's

Healthcare Provider.

Returning students need an updated allergy or asthma action plan at the start of each

school year.

For daily medication administration, please complete and return the forms below with

your child's Healthcare provider.

All medications need to be dropped off before the first day of school.

Authorization for RX Medication Administration

Medication or Procedure Order Form

COVID-19 Information:

Please review the provided link regarding COVID-19 recommendations from the Center

for Disease Control (CDC) if your child is experiencing respiratory illness symptoms or

has tested positive for COVID-19.

CDC Guidelines

The Lyme School Nurse's office is here to support you and your child and to promote

healthy outcomes for students and staff.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns you or your student may have

regarding the upcoming school year.

We look forward to a new school year and appreciate your cooperation.

Kati Miller RN BSN

Lyme School

As of March, 1 2024 The Center for Disease Control and Prevention updated guidance to provide "practical recommendations and information to help people lower risk from a range of common respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, flu and RSV."

We follow these guidelines. Please review the following links from the CDC for more information and reach out to me with any questions/concerns.

Thank you for your efforts in keeping our Lyme School students, staff, and families healthy.

Preventing Spread of Respiratory Viruses When You’re Sick

Testing and Respiratory Viruses

Masks and Respiratory Viruses Prevention

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

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