Walpole School Newsletter

Another month has quickly come and gone, and there have been so many wonderful things happening across all three of our school buildings. Before highlighting some of those events, I would like to take a moment to thank the Walpole community for supporting the school budget and the teachers’ contract. Although neither measure ultimately passed for the district, it means a great deal to our staff to know that our community supports them and appreciates the work they do every day for our students. We are very fortunate to be part of such a caring and supportive Walpole community.

I would also like to extend a huge congratulations to our girls’ basketball team for finishing their season undefeated and winning the championship. Both our boys’ and girls’ basketball teams also competed in the Charlestown Tournament at the end of the season, and both teams brought home the championship. We are extremely proud of all of our student-athletes and the effort, teamwork, and sportsmanship they demonstrated throughout the season.

Students across all three buildings have been participating in the Pages for Pizza Reading Challenge, and it looks like we will be handing out many pizza certificates this year. Every time I walk past a classroom, I see students engaged in books they are reading independently or listening to a story being read aloud. A huge thank you to Diamond Pizza and the Walpole PTG for sponsoring this fun and motivating event.

Academically, our students continue to make great progress. Our teachers have been able to dive deeper into the Wit & Wisdom program now that they have a full year of experience with the curriculum. Students and staff are also becoming more comfortable with our new math program, Illustrative Math. Students are working through problems in a more collaborative way—engaging in pair shares and table discussions where they explain their thinking and reasoning to their peers. There are also more hands-on experiences that allow students to visually understand concepts and represent their thinking. As a result, students are developing a stronger understanding of why we solve problems the way we do, rather than simply focusing on the final answer.

Our Thunder Chickens Running Club has also started, and many North Walpole School students can be seen running around the Common as they work to earn their feet. This is something both students and staff look forward to every year, and we are excited to see them participate in the Rockingham 5K.

Rehearsals have also begun for our spring production of Hot Lunch, and our students are extremely excited to get started. The program has grown from nine participants last year to eighteen this year, which is wonderful to see. We cannot wait to see the final performance and all of the hard work our students put into the production.

The weeks seem to be flying by, and things will only continue to get busier as we move closer to the end of the school year. Please keep an eye out for upcoming events and activities, as there are many exciting opportunities ahead for our students and families.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support of our schools.

February was a great month in Pre-K! We learned about one of our favorite topics—dinosaurs. Everyone loved playing with and learning all about these fascinating creatures. We especially enjoyed the StoryBots dinosaur videos.

We had fun learning how to play Dinosaur Escape, working together to get the dinosaurs to safety before the volcano erupts!

We also celebrated the 100th day of school. The class loved the Jack Hartmann 100-Day video, especially the part with the “old people.”

Pre-K students also spent time learning how to be Super Friends, and we ended the unit with a wonderful Super Friends celebration. We loved catching each other being super friends and taking turns wearing the Super Friend cape!

This February, kindergarteners packed many activities into our short month! We celebrated our 100th day of school with lots of fun activities, including a Hershey Kiss scavenger hunt focused on numbers 0–100.

In Reading, we have been reviewing all of our letters and sounds. We are about to begin learning our Kindergarten digraphs with Echo.

In Math, we have been working with teen numbers and practicing addition and subtraction. Soon, we will begin composing and decomposing numbers to 10.

Mrs. Helfer’s class celebrated Valentine’s Day with a special pancake brunch and Valentine exchange. Mrs. Bisson’s class learned all about the Chinese New Year and celebrated with a special classroom party and Valentine exchange.

First graders continue to be busy! In math, we are working with numbers within 120 and practicing adding and subtracting 10 from a number. Writing numbers to 120 has also been part of our monthly “Jam” activities.

In reading, we continue to build our fluency and comprehension skills. In Fundations, we are learning about closed syllables, and vowel teams have recently made an appearance as well.

We also had a blast celebrating our 100th day of school with a 100 Hershey Kiss scavenger hunt with partners, writing about what we would do with $100, and building towers out of 100 cups!

Exchanging Valentines was another highlight of our month. On some afternoons, we even get to go sledding, weather permitting. What a blast we are having!

We hope everyone had a restful vacation! Can you believe we are already in March?

In reading, second graders are continuing to learn about the people, places, and animals of the Early American West. Students are reading a variety of texts and writing informative paragraphs. This includes collecting evidence from their reading and responding to prompts using a topic sentence, supporting evidence from the text, and a concluding sentence. They are also incorporating topic-specific vocabulary to help clearly demonstrate their thinking.

Ask your second grader about the Pony Express or the many challenges pioneers faced on their journey to the Oregon Territory!

In math, students recently completed a unit on adding and subtracting using a number line. Next, they will begin learning about numbers up to 1,000.

With spring just around the corner, please have your child pack an extra pair of socks, as the field tends to get a bit muddy this time of year.

Third grade has been buzzing with excitement and learning! Students celebrated a special Book Giveaway, selecting books to add to their home libraries and strengthen their love of reading. Valentine’s Day brought extra smiles as classmates exchanged kind notes and enjoyed festive activities together.

In Fundations, students are building strong decoding skills by learning new syllable types and practicing trick words to boost reading fluency and confidence. In math, we are exploring the important connection between multiplication and division, discovering how fact families help us see that division is the inverse operation of multiplication.

It’s been a joyful and productive season in third grade, and we are so proud of the growth our students are showing each day!

February was a month of big thinking, careful reasoning, and growing confidence across all subjects in fourth grade. Students stretched their skills in math, literacy, science, and word study while building the background knowledge that will carry them into the spring months.

In math, students took an in-depth dive into place value up to 100,000, strengthening their ability to order and compare large numbers, add and subtract within this range, and explain their reasoning using place-value language. This work helped them see how numbers are built and how each digit’s value changes depending on its place.

In Wit & Wisdom, students began exploring the American Revolution. Their focus was not just on the events themselves, but on perspective—examining how people’s experiences, roles, and exposure to propaganda shaped their beliefs and biases. Students practiced identifying points of view and discussing how different groups might interpret the same moment in history in very different ways.

In science, the class studied animal and plant adaptations, learning how living things survive and thrive in their environments. Students wrapped up the unit with a mini research project on an animal of their choice, gathering information about its traits, behaviors, and survival strategies and organizing their findings clearly.

In spelling and word study, students continued strengthening their understanding of phoneme–grapheme relationships, connecting sounds to the many ways they can be represented in writing. This work supports more confident decoding and spelling across all subjects.

As we look ahead, there is a growing sense of spring excitement in the classroom. Students are eager for new learning, fresh projects, and the energy that comes with the season’s change!

I hope everyone is doing well and staying warm during this cold, snowy winter! Hopefully spring will be here soon. Students are still expected to dress appropriately when going outside for recess, including boots and a long-sleeve coat or hoodie.

I also wanted to let you know that the dates for the upcoming NSAS Math and Science tests have been scheduled for May 12 and May 13, 2026. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

5th Grade Science

We are finishing up our unit on ecosystems and will soon begin a new unit called “The Spheres.” In this unit, students will explore how the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact with one another. We will also discuss the percentage of freshwater available on Earth and ways we can help conserve water. As the unit continues, we will examine how human activities—such as agriculture, industry, and everyday life—impact the land, vegetation, streams, oceans, air, and even outer space. Students will also learn about what individuals and communities are doing to help protect Earth’s resources and environments.

5th Grade Math

Students are currently working on Chapter 1: Finding Volume. They have been building rectangular prisms, analyzing their structures, and calculating their volumes. Through these explorations, students are learning to find the volume of rectangular prisms using formulas. By the end of the unit, students will apply their understanding to find the volume of composite solid figures made from two rectangular prisms. Our next chapter will be Unit 5: Place Value Patterns and Decimal Operations.

6th Grade Math

Students are nearly finished with Unit 7: Rational Numbers and the Coordinate Plane. In this unit, students worked in all four quadrants of the coordinate plane and learned how the signs of numbers in ordered pairs indicate their locations within the quadrants. They also practiced reflecting points across the x- and y-axes. We are wrapping up the unit by reviewing greatest common factor (GCF) and least common multiple (LCM). Our next unit will be Unit 2: Ratios, where students will be introduced to ratios, equivalent ratios, and unit rates.

Writing – Grade 6

Sixth grade students have been working on an argument writing unit. They recently completed essays for a contest hosted by the Bellows Falls Women’s Club based on the prompt “A Woman I Admire.” Students then crafted short arguments using readings and textual evidence on topics such as space exploration, self-driving cars, and animal intelligence. They are currently wrapping up the unit by writing a larger argument essay exploring the usefulness of entomophagy.

Writing – Grade 7

Seventh grade students recently completed a project in which they planned, developed, and pitched ideas for their own original Netflix shows. Students worked individually or in pairs to create their concepts. They are now working on a creative writing unit focused on tabloid fiction, drawing inspiration from literary surrealism and The Weekly World News to craft their own fictional newspaper stories. After this mini-unit, students will practice their argument writing skills while learning more about Greek mythology and its creatures.

Writing – Grade 8

Eighth grade students recently completed a project in which they created their own Super Bowl advertisements. Students analyzed commercials and persuasive techniques to better understand the strategies used in advertising. They then completed a mini argument unit focused on the Eliza Effect and the potential benefits and risks of artificial intelligence, creating public service announcements either supporting or opposing its use. Next, students will develop a research-based essay that examines cause and effect related to a chosen historical event involving civil unrest.

In 5th and 6th grade literacy, students have been working with vowel patterns and syllabication to improve their fluency and spelling. Over the past few weeks, students have also focused on the function of sentence structure, using thoughtful phrasing to strengthen their reading fluency and comprehension. Sixth graders have additionally been practicing note-taking skills, learning how to identify important ideas and supporting details in informational texts and record them in a precise and concise way.

In 7th grade reading, students are exploring the power of language while studying dystopian societies. Students are reading from a range of novels, including The Giver by Lois Lowry, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and The Nest by Kenneth Oppel. In their reading groups, students will analyze these texts and discuss the themes, messages, and societal structures presented in each story.

In 8th grade reading, students are exploring the theme of love through William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Using a Reader’s Theater format, students are reading the play aloud together. As a class, we are working through the rich dialogue and examining the timeless themes presented in the text, particularly those surrounding young love.

Heart Health Month

Heart Health Month is an important reminder to prioritize our heart health, take care of our bodies, and understand what to do in the event of a cardiac emergency. A huge thank you to the Walpole Fire Department for visiting the school and teaching our 7th and 8th graders how to respond during a heart emergency. Here are some photos from the event, where students learned hands-only CPR!

Kindergarten & 1st Grade

In Physical Education, students are learning about volleying. To volley means to keep an object in the air without letting it hit the ground. We’ve been practicing our skills by volleying balloons and beach balls. Students are working on hand-eye coordination, control, and teamwork while having lots of fun!

North Walpole (Grades 2–4)

We recently wrapped up our jump rope unit with Ms. Katie. Students practiced working together with long ropes, developed individual timing skills, and enjoyed plenty of cardiovascular exercise to keep their hearts healthy.

Next, we will begin our Winter Olympics unit in the gym. Students will participate in fun, active events inspired by the Winter Games while continuing to build teamwork and fitness skills.

Grades 5–8

We recently finished our volleyball unit, and all grade levels had some great games and impressive volleys during our culminating activities. After break, we will begin a pickleball unit.

We are also hoping to get outside this month for cross-country skiing. I will communicate with students ahead of time so they know when to bring appropriate outdoor clothing—they will always have at least one day’s notice. Please help remind students on their PE days and assist them in bringing proper winter gear so they can comfortably and safely participate.

Pre-K- Mr. G

Our lessons revolved around local wildlife, particularly how they move. Students learned about walkers, waddlers, hoppers, and bounders. Growling and waddling like a black bear was a huge

hit for both groups. We played tracking bingo, which involved matching footprints of different animals from the area.

K- Ms. Greta

While the weather has kept us from exploring tracks outside, we have had a blast exploring animal tracks in other unique ways! Kindergarten students played tracking bingo and worked to match up tracks to animals that we might see around NH. We will be moving on in March to talk about our spring birds as they start to become more active.

1- Mr. G

We had one lesson together due to vacation, but fit so much into our time together. Students continued with lessons about raising sheep. Shepherds have selectively bred their stock for

characteristics such as wool, meat, and dual purpose. This was driven home by comparing the breeds of our dogs at home. Finally, we watched a border collie sheepdog in action. These dogs can learn ~1,000 words! Through years of training and a shepherd’s precision, border collies can move and sort flocks of several hundred sheep.

2- Mr. G

We spent our morning going over avian anatomy, specifically raptors. Students discussed how birds of prey use their sharp eyes to hunt prey. Raptors have large talons for grasping rodents, rabbits, or fish. Along our Connecticut River Valley we can often observe hawks, bald eagles, and turkey vultures. Students started a video about our barred owl neighbors, they can often be heard in dense mixed forests, such as Fall Mountain.

3- Mr. G and Ms. Greta

Mr. G constructed a board game for students to play. It involved local animals that are dormant, active, or migratory. As the game progressed and corresponding cards were drawn these different adaptations would interact with unique conditions. A migrating American Woodcock may be blown off course due to weather. Or a dormant black bear may be awoken by a passing snowmobile. The game certainly brought the reality of surviving winter for local wildlife.

4- Mr. G

Ever spun a good yarn? We worked more with drop spindles and some grade wool. For generations all across the world, folk have spun wool in the cold, dark winter months. In fact, during the American Revolution wearing home spun garments came into fashion out of necessity, as imported clothes stopped abruptly. Students and I discussed how wool has shaped the New England landscape for centuries. We wrapped up by watching a video about shepherds in the Yorkshire Dales. Walpole once looked very similar with few forests, miles of stonewalls, and thousands of sheep grazing green pastures.

5- Ms. Greta

Active winter mammals have been our focus for the month of February. We have currently studied porcupines, fishers, otters, and other members of the weasel family and will be moving on to our last focus on squirrels and chipmunks. We have talked about how we can see them in winter, from identifying their tracks to signs that they are around including food scraps, chew marks, scat and more. In March, our focus will shift to garden season once more as we look at seed starting and spring garden prep.

6- Ms. Greta

Students explored the history of Walpole and the rocks that we see in the area to finish up our rock unit. We are moving on to talk about water, first mentioning glaciers and their connection to both water and rocks before diving into the water cycle, watersheds, wetlands, and rivers!

7- Mr. G

Whether we liked it or not, our February lessons were indoors due to cold temperatures. We learned about global climate patterns that can impact our local weather systems. Students were particularly engaged in reading about major storms in New England history. I found the students were very curious with dynamic geographic data that tracked wind, temperature, and oceanic currents. In our final lesson we related how weather systems can impact wildlife during winter. Various species have developed handy adaptations to survive until Spring.

Springtime is upon us! One of my favorite things about March is welcoming our Pages for Pizza reading challenge. I hope you and your families are able to enjoy the longer daylight hours and take some time to slow down and read together. Any and all reading activities count toward completing the challenge—reading books, listening to audiobooks, and reading graphic novels are all great ways to participate.

Our Outdoor Education Committee is also ready to accept applications for summer camp tuition assistance, and I encourage all families to apply. To qualify for assistance, the camp must be an outdoor camp, preferably with a focus on nature, the environment, or outdoor exploration. There are no income requirements to qualify.

To apply, please send me a copy of the camp registration that includes the camp name, camp information, dates of enrollment, and the total cost of the camp. Applications are due by April 1st.