Eagle Eye Tribune

August 10, 2024

I hope this newsletter finds you all healthy and in high spirits as we embark on the 2024-2025 school year. I trust that the summer has afforded you the gift of longer daylight and precious time to spend with family and friends, enjoying the beauty of the season. Personally, I’ve had the opportunity to spend quality time with my family, relax at one of my favorite spots by the ocean, and travel both near and far. It’s been a rejuvenating summer, and I’m eager to carry that energy into the new school year.

Our dedicated staff has also made the most of the summer break, reflecting deeply on the successes and challenges of the last school year and diligently preparing for the year ahead. We are excited to welcome our students back and are committed to making the 2024-2025 school year a truly remarkable one.

Important Dates to Remember:

• Meet the Teacher for Incoming Kindergarten: Thursday, August 22th, from 4:30 - 5:30 PM

• Back to School - Meet and Greet Night for Grades PK-4: August 27th

• First Day of School for Grades K-4: Wednesday, August 28th

• First Day of Preschool, First Friends: Thursday, August 29th

Families with students registered at AES will receive email correspondence this weekend and throughout the coming weeks with important updates to prepare for the first day of school, please check those emails often. The emails will include classroom teacher assignments and other key dates for the upcoming school year.

As we prepare for the new school year, I want to take a moment to acknowledge a significant change in our school community. Our beloved school counselor, Robin Gregg, who has been an integral part of AES for many years, will be moving on to a new adventure as a school counselor within other small schools in the district. We are forever grateful for the incredible work she has done, the relationships she has built with generations of students and families, and the positive impact she has had on us all. Robin will be greatly missed!

We are, however, excited to introduce Vanessa Loftstead as our new school counselor. Vanessa brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm, and we are thrilled to welcome her to our AES family. In addition, we are pleased to welcome several new staff members who will be joining us this year:

• Emily Voorhees, our new first-grade classroom teacher

• Charlotte Brett, our new Library Media Specialist

• Maria Del Rossi, our new second-grade classroom teacher - allowing us to have an additional second grade class

We are also excited to announce that the programming we initiated this past school year with our community partners will continue and expand. We look forward to strengthening our partnerships with families and creating more support systems that bridge the school community with the larger Antrim community.

As we prepare to open our doors and welcome back students from their summer break, we are ready to greet new preschoolers and kindergarteners, returning students, those who have just moved to town, and students who are coming to AES from other schools. We eagerly await their return, with open hearts and minds, and look forward to the year ahead.

It is with great joy and enthusiasm that I invite each and every one of you to join us throughout the year at Antrim Elementary. As we come together once again, let us celebrate the possibilities that lie ahead and the sense of unity that makes our school and town community truly remarkable.

Looking forward to a wonderful year ahead!

Warm regards,

Beth Gibney - Principal

Arrival

Students can arrive at school between 8:20 AM and 8:40 AM. We ask that students do not arrive before 8:20 AM, as adult supervision is not available prior to the official arrival time. All students should walk or be dropped off at the playground, where greeters will be stationed each morning and at dismissal. If you are dropping off or picking up your child, please enter through School Street and follow the signage for drop-off and pick-up. Greeters will be on duty during both arrival and dismissal to ensure the safety of all students. Upon arrival, students will have access to breakfast if they choose and will enjoy outdoor morning recess, weather permitting, until 8:40 AM.

Dismissal

Dismissal begins at 3:20 PM. Students will remain in their classrooms until their bus number is called, or until it’s time for walkers and car pick-up. We ask that each child’s plan is entered into Pick-Up-Patrol daily, and any changes to the plan are entered before 2:45 PM. If a change is needed after 2:45 PM, please call the school at (603) 566-6371 and speak with Sarah Edwards in the main office, so we can notify your child's teacher after the reports for dismissal have been prepared.

It is crucial that we know your child's dismissal plan each day, as well as who has permission to pick up your child in addition to parents or guardians. Please ensure that you have entered emergency contact information into the online registration forms at the start of the school year. If there are specific individuals who are not allowed to pick up your child for any reason, please make sure the school has received notification of this, along with any necessary paperwork to prevent it.

Greeters will also be on duty in the afternoon, and we ask that you follow the signage if you are picking up your child.

Welcome to Kindergarten at AES! Our Kindergarten teachers, Mrs.Phaneuf and Ms. Lawler can not wait to meet all of their new students! Please join them on Thursday August 22nd from 4:30-5:30 to meet them and see your classroom.

Welcome Back AES! Come meet your teacher, see friends and visit your classroom. We can not wait to welcome you back. We have missed you!

Please join us on Tuesday, August 27th from 4:30-5:30

The AES PTO is excited to announce our Annual Mum Plant Sale! The sale kicks off on August 27th during the PK-4 Welcome Back to School Night.

Details:

• Price: $12 each for 9" pots (measuring 22" across the blooms)
• Colors Available: Red, White, Yellow, Pink, and Orange
• Sale Dates: August 27th - September 12th
• Payment Options: Purchase through Venmo (link or QR code) or by check made out to AES PTO
• Pickup Date: Plants will be available for pickup the week of September 16th

Thank you for supporting our school!!

This year, we will have 10 classrooms at AES. Your child's classroom teacher will be assigned and sent via email by Friday next week. After class assignments are sent, classroom teachers will be reaching out to each family via email or mail to introduce themselves and share important information about the upcoming school year from the perspective of their classroom.

Classroom Teachers By Grade

Preschool

Ms. Starr

Mrs. Donovan

Kindergarten

Mrs. Pheneuf

Ms. Lawler

First Grade

Mrs. Sulivan

Miss Voorhees

Second Grade

Miss Revaz

Ms. Del Rossi

Third Grade

Mr. Morris

Fourth Grade

Mrs. Beaumont

Hi AES Families!

My name is Emily Voorhees and I am so excited to be joining the First Grade Team this upcoming school year. AES holds a special place in my heart as this was the school I went to growing up! I will be teaching in the very same classroom I was once a first grader in which is such a fun full circle moment for me!

Outside of school I love spending time outside and being with friends and family. I have two golden retrievers, Milo and Mable who have my whole heart. I can not wait to make more memories here at AES with my very own set of First Grade Littles!

Best,

Emily Voorhees

Hi!

I’m Ms. Del Rossi, and I am so excited to join the AES family as a second-grade teacher! I have been an educator for the past 29 years and have taught 1st, 2nd and 4th grades. I have also worked as an academic coach for students in grades 3-6, and have my own tutoring business where I have worked with learners from PreK-high school. I love helping my students develop a lifelong love of learning and become confident learners, thinkers and problem solvers.

I can’t wait to get started, and am looking forward to meeting my new students and families. I know together we will soar to great heights!

When I’m not in the classroom, you might find me at the library checking out books, as I love to read. I also enjoy hiking, kayaking and running, and try to travel as much as I can. Other hobbies include restoring my historic 1850’s home and gardening.

LIBRARY LINK

The only thing you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.

Albert Einstein

Dear AES students, families and community,

I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Charlotte Brett and I am the new AES librarian. I moved to Antrim when I was 15 and graduated from ConVal High School in 2009. I received my undergraduate in Early Education from UVM in Burlington,VT and was a second grade teacher in a small Vermont town for seven years. During that time I discovered that my true passion within education was supporting students as they discovered the amazing world that lies inside books as well as creating student centered STEM opportunities. I got my Master’s in School Librarianship and Educational Technology Integration from Plymouth State University. Over the past four years I have been the librarian at BES, FES, HES and TES. I am so excited to join the team here at AES!

On a more personal note, here are some fun facts about me. I was born in Sydney Australia and moved to NH when I was 5. I have three siblings, all of whom are giving me nieces and nephews this year. I will go from an aunt to one to an aunt to five (my sister is having identical twins!) in the space of 3 months. I can’t wait! I am a huge fan of the outdoors and love kayaking, hiking, running and snowshoeing. In fact, I just got back from a week of kayaking in Maine. When I am not exploring the outdoors I am cooking, quilting or reading. My favorite genres to read are fantasy/sci-fi, historical fiction and historical nonfiction.

I have a strong belief in the power of student centered and project based learning. This year in the library your students can expect to explore the world of books through read-alouds, author studies, book contests and reading incentives. They will learn research skills through student-led research, get hands on with STEM projects and expand their technology knowledge. I will send out more information about the library schedule and book check out policies at the beginning of the year. Please check this section of the newsletter weekly for important library information, updates on student work, book recommendations as well as STEM and literacy ideas/tips. It won’t always be this long, I promise. Please feel free to contact me with questions, comments or concerns. I can’t wait to get to know you and your students. It’s going to be a great year of reading and learning!

Happy reading,

Charlotte Brett

cbrett@conval.edu

Email: vlofstedt@conval.edu
Website: https://sites.google.com/conval.edu/lofstedt/

Location: 10 School Street, Antrim, NH, USA
Phone: (603) 588-6371

Email: bgibney@conval.edu
Website: https://aes.conval.edu/

Location: 10 School Street, Antrim, NH, USA
Phone: (603)588-6371