Newbury Elementary Newsletter
Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower -Camu
We <3 NES
Meet Maple!
Maple is a seven year old poodle who works in the Sea Turtles fifth and sixth grade classroom. She is a certified reading therapy dog. She also excels at greeting guests, tasting treats, playing fetch, and reading students' moods. Every morning Mrs. Ross notices who Maple spends time with in the morning. Maple can usually sense who is having a tricky morning and she stays close to them for a few minutes. It helps Mrs. Ross know who might need a check-in during the school day. There are even times when students need a break during the day and seek out Maple to help them regulate. One student in particular will lie down next to Maple in her bed, pet her, and fully participate in the lesson or read aloud as it's happening from Maple's bed! Another way Maple helps is that the Sea Turtles have a class veterinarian. That student is responsible for giving Maple (and our pet gecko Cheeto) food and water each day. The students take this job very seriously and are great at reminding one another when it needs to be done. We are so lucky to have her!
October 25th Trunk or Treat/Halloween Howl
October 26th Wear Flannel Day
October 27th Favorite Sports/Team Day
October 28th Crazy Hat or Hair Day
October 29th Wear Orange and or Black Day
October 30th Halloween Costume to match your classes book
November 2-5 Parent Teacher Conferences
Farm and Field Day #1
Farm and Field Day #2
Farm and Field Day #3
This fall has been a joyful, action-packed time across all grade levels! Our students have embraced seasonal outdoor adventures, tackled rich academic goals, and demonstrated incredible kindness and teamwork. Here is a celebration of what our students have been up to!
💬 Strengthening Our Community Partnership & Family Communication
Open and collaborative communication between home and school is vital to our students' success, growth, and sense of belonging. As we continue striving to create the best possible learning environment, your perspective and feedback are essential in guiding our path forward. We want to ensure that our updates, newsletters, and family connections meet your needs and keep you fully informed. Please take 5 to 10 minutes to share your thoughts through our NES Family Communication Survey. Your input helps us continually improve how we connect, partner, and support our wonderful school community!
🌟 Whole-School & Community Highlights
Farm & Field Day Fun: Students across all grades had an absolute blast attending our annual Farm & Field Day! From getting up close with farm animals and watching sheep-herding border collies to pressing fresh cider with Art Morris, our learners gained a wonderful appreciation for local agriculture. A big thank you to all our community presenters and volunteers who made this hands-on experience possible!
Tucker Mountain Hike Success: Our whole-school hike up Tucker Mountain was an inspiring day of perseverance and friendship. We were so proud of our older students for showing outstanding leadership and kindness as they supported their younger buddies up and down the mountain!
Open House & Farm Raiser: It was fantastic connecting with so many families during Open House and our Farm Raiser event. Students loved showing off their writing drafts, earth science projects, and favorite books!
📚 Grade-Level Spotlights
🧸 Preschool & Kindergarten
Literacy & Phonics: Young readers have been diving into wonderful stories, practicing active listening, and starting their alphabet journey with letters B, T, I, C, P, and D! They are also developing proper pencil grips and practicing name writing.
Math Discovery: Learners are exploring numbers 1–10 by connecting written numerals to physical quantities, identifying equal sets, and comparing values.
Science & Visits: Our young "weather scientists" are observing seasonal changes daily. They also enjoyed a special trip to the Tenney Library for seasonal storytelling!
🌲 3rd & 4th Grade
Creative Writing & Research: 3rd graders have been mastering punchy topic sentences using questions, fun facts, and onomatopoeia, while 4th graders conducted research on extreme weather—exploring volcanoes, hurricanes, and avalanches to create detailed outlines.
Hands-on Science & Mindfulness: Students created 3D playdough models to study the Earth's layers! To keep focused and centered, students are practicing daily mindfulness techniques like "Box Breathing" and "Weather the Storm."
Costume Excitement: Celebrating "The Year of the Book," 3rd and 4th graders voted to dress up as characters from Pirates Go to School!
🚣 5th & 6th Grade
Outdoor Expeditions: 6th graders set out on an exciting canoeing field trip, while 5th graders engaged in Forest School activities and built survival shelters in science class.
Literacy & Social Studies: Students launched book clubs—taking on active reading roles and participating in group discussions—while practicing key writing skills like paragraph structure. In social studies, they are trekking through the eight U.S. geographic regions through the lens of Westward Expansion.
Math Milestones: 6th graders kicked off their unit on ratios, while 5th graders wrapped up their study of rectangular prism volume!
📅 Looking Ahead
Parent-Teacher Conferences: November 2nd – November 5th (Keep an eye out for scheduling emails!)
Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in making our school community such a vibrant place to learn and grow!