Monstricola's Message

Dear MES Families:

Our first full week of the 26-27 year is under our belts! The kids are settling into the routines and you can hear and see the excitement around the building. We are excited to shaow you a small glimpse of what we have been up to Open House!

Please park in the front or back lots of the school. We will open both the front doors and the back doors at 6:00. You are welcome to visit classrooms and other learning spots in the building. Students must remain with their families during the event. At 7:00 the classrooms will close; however, the ice cream social will reamin open in the APR until 7:30. Hope to see you soon!

Thank you for your support!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Take care,

Kathleen Ortega and Michelle Romein

On September 28th and 29th, the Merrimack Lions Club will be assisting our school nurse in conducting annual vision screenings on all students with their Welch Allyn’s Spot Vision Screener. Results will be viewed only by our school nurse and then sent home. If your child wears glasses, please make sure they have them for the screening. If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Webster, JMES School Nurse, at 424-6218 or Michelle.Webster@sau26.org

Protecting student privacy is an important responsibility of the Merrimack School District. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and New Hampshire law, school districts may disclose certain information designated as Directory Information without prior consent, unless a parent or legal guardian has exercised the right to opt out.

Directory Information may include:

• Student name and address
• Field of study
• Weight and height of student-athletes
• Most recent previous school attended
• Date and place of birth
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Dates of attendance, degrees, and awards

Directory Information is commonly used for purposes such as school yearbooks, student directories, graduation programs, honor rolls, athletic rosters, school newsletters, recognition of student accomplishments, school websites and social media, photographs, and press releases. It may also be shared with organizations or individuals for legitimate school-related purposes, unless a parent or legal guardian has exercised the right to opt out. Parents also have the right to opt out of disclosing certain pieces of directory information.

Parents and legal guardians have the right to refuse the disclosure of their student's Directory Information to third parties. If you wish to exercise this right, please email the Superintendent's Office stating that you do not want your student's Directory Information disclosed to third parties. Parents and legal guardians may also choose to opt out of specific uses or categories of Directory Information instead of opting out of all Directory Information.

Please send your request to: directoryinformation@sau26.org

If you have not updated PowerSchool yet, please do so as soon as possible. If you are having any trouble, please call or email Abby Hammond at abby.hammond@sau26.org.

We are off to a great start in the MES Library! Did you know library books can be returned at any time? If your child forgets his or her library book on their library day, they can return it the next morning. The library has open checkout time during soft from 8:15-8:35 Tuesday through Friday. This time is to accommodate students who were absent/forgot their books on library day as well as avid readers who need more access to books than their weekly library class schedule allows.

The first few weeks of library classes focus on maintaining good book care habits and reviewing library expectations and procedures. Here’s a glimpse of what that looks like at each grade level.

The first library lesson centers on taking care of books at home, how to choose a book, and how to check it out at the circulation desk. Kindergarten students receive a library bag to help them care for and keep track of their books. It also functions as their library card so please be sure to return the bag each week.

A typical kindergarten library class follows this structure: Welcome Activity, Read Aloud, Movement Break, Lesson Activity, Book Checkout, and Dismissal Poem.

First graders are excited to be able to check out 2 books a week this year. Our first week reviewed book care expectations and were given a bag bag to help them care for and keep track of their books. Our second class reviewed library expectations and procedures. We read some great books to help reinforce these skills, The Book That Jake Borrowed, and Do Not Bring your Dragon to the Library.

A typical first grade library class follows this structure, Welcome activity, Read Aloud, Movement Break, Lesson Activity, Book Checkout, and dismissal Poem.

Second graders are excited to be able to check out 3 books a week this year! They also learned that they will no longer receive bags to keep their books safe. We read This Book is Perfect, and Library Lion to help remind us how to take good care of books and follow library safety expectations. We will be introducing this year’s New Hampshire Ladybug Picture books in the coming weeks and students will vote for their favorite book in December. A new privilege for second grade students is the ability to check out our playway audio books. If your student is interested in checking out audio materials, a parent must sign a permission slip. Permission slips were offered to all students during checkout.

Third graders are able to check out up to four books week. Our first class was spent reviewing book care as well as library expectations and procedures. During our second week we completed a “library selfie scavenger hunt” students worked independently or with a partner to find important places in the library from “where do we turn in our work” to "where are the tissues located”?. This is an engaging way to help the students become familiar with the library space. Third graders were introduced to the Children Librarians of New Hampshire Purple Finch award…this is a new award geared toward third and fourth grade students. Ten recently published, high quality, kid appealing chapter book titles were nominated by New Hampshire librarians. Students will have the opportunity to check out and read these books and vote for their favorite in April either here or at the public library. This is in addition to the Ladybug Picture book award. We will be reading the Ladybug Picture books in class and voting on our favorites in December.

Fourth grade students can check out up to 5 books a week. Our first class was spent reviewing book care as well as library expectations and procedures. During our second week we completed a “library selfie scavenger hunt” students worked independently or with a partner to find important places in the library from “where do we turn in our work” to "where are the tissues located”?. This is an engaging way to help the students become familiar with the library space. Third graders were introduced to the Children Librarians of New Hampshire Purple Finch award…this is a new award geared toward third and fourth grade students. Ten recently published, high quality, kid appealing chapter book titles were nominated by New Hampshire librarians. Students will have the opportunity to check out and read these books and vote for their favorite in April either at school or at the public library. This is in addition to the Ladybug Picture book award. We will be reading the Ladybug Picture books in class and voting on our favorites in December.

FOR PARENTS: a live virtual webinar
with Lynn Lyons, LICSW and Mindy Szelap, LCSW
September 30th OR October 9th

When Your Child’s Tummy Hurts & No One Can Find Why:
Understanding Functional GI Disorders and How to Help

All the details are HERE

Here's what you'll walk away with:

• Why your child is in real pain even when tests are normal
• How anxiety and the gut are wired together — and why that’s good news
• The cycle that keeps symptoms going — and your role in breaking it
• What to say (and stop saying) during a flare
• Why accommodation backfires — and what to do instead
• Five concrete steps you can start immediately

Early Release Schedule

Dismissal for AM preschool: 10:15

Disimssal for K-4: Begins at 12:15

No PM preschool

1) To help families stay connected with the school and what your children are up to while they are here, classroom teachers will share a classroom update with you every other week through email. Keep an eye out for it and be sure to reach out to them if you have questions. You will be amazed by all that they do!

2) Monstricola's Message will be shared weekly and contains information about upcoming events. pictures. snippets from our school days and information for parents. Please let the office know if you need a paper copy. Please note Monstricola's Message can be translated into a number of language!

3) Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: It is a goal of ours to share information regularly with all of you, so you can see the amazing things happening every day at MES!

Did you know that filling out the Free and Reduced Lunch Form may help provide:

• After School Academic & Enrichment Programs?
• Free/Reduces meal 30-day rollover for the next school year?
• State and Federal funding for school budgets?
• Fund computers and technology at home and for your school?
• Fee waivers for college applications and admission tests?

Click here for information and application.

The Merrimack School District (SAU #26) has elected to use the Vector Training program to provide school-related safety trainings. Vector Training offers trainings in all facets of school safety issues, and its compliance management system tracks all the training for the district, allowing us to easily demonstrate compliance with safety mandates.

To take the required trainings, you will need to create an account with Vector.

NEW Users: Use the “quick link” registration URL: https://sau26nonemp-nh.safeschools.com/register/7efa4566. When you create your username, PLEASE use your personal email address

Existing Users,: Log in to your account here: https://sau26nonemp-nh.safeschools.com/login.

The courses you must take annually, are:

• Bullying: Recognition and Response (~50 minutes)

• Child Abuse: Mandatory Reporting (~30 minutes)

• Sexual Harassment: Student Issues and Response (~30 minutes)

• Sexual Harassment: Staff to Staff (~30 minutes)

• Suicide Prevention (2 hours)

You can find these courses by clicking on “View Library”, and search for the course in the top left search bar. Once complete, you will be issued a certificate of completion, we will also receive notification that you have completed the course. Your participation will help to make SAU #26 a safer place to work and learn!

If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Fazlic, Director of Human Resources, at Melissa.Fazlic@sau26.org or 603-424-6200, option 1.

We’d love a few helping hands at the JMES Ice Cream Social on Wednesday, September 23!

Shifts are just 30 minutes, leaving plenty of time to enjoy Open House with your family. Volunteers will help with treat sales and handing out ice cream and popsicles, and a PATT member will be there throughout the evening to help.

Grab a 30-Minute Volunteer Slot

*All volunteers must be cleared to volunteer at JMES with requirements up to date.

September 23rd: Open House (6:00-7:00 Classroom Visits, 6:00-7:30 Ice Cream Social)

September 29th: Kindergarten In-House Field Trip: Carriage Shack Farm

September 30th: School Pictures

October 1st and 2nd: Grade One Field Trip

October 9th: Early Release

October 12th: No School

October 20th: PATT Meeting

October 22nd: Fall Family Festival (More Info Coming)