The Pulse of the Pride - 1.16.2026

Lyme School Friends,

It has been a great restart after our winter holiday break. Students came back healthy, rested, and ready to reengage. Classrooms have been active and we are back into our routines.

Student learning continues to be our focus. We recently began our progress monitoring testing called Track My Progress. Coming up in a few weeks, we will also have our students complete the Universal Number Sense Screener. Both of these are internal assessments used to track growth in ELA and math to ensure our students are continuing to make progress and grow.

In the middle school, our advisories have just began a fun trivial pursuit challenge. After snack once a week over the next few weeks, advisories will compete against each other in trivia. Our first meeting was fun and engaging! Students really like this one and it is the right time of year for us to do this. The middle school is also looking forward to winter carnival the day before February break.

Our school is a special place and this morning demonstrated that well. With the Martin Luther King Jr./Civil Rights Day holiday on Monday, our student leaders took some time during morning meeting to recognize this day and educate the community about it. The students did a wonderful job with their presentation!

Please remember that Monday school is closed. We will see students back on campus on Tuesday, January 20th.

The next newsletter will hit your inbox on January 30th. Thank you for your partnership and please reach out if you have questions.

Regards,

John P. D'Entremont, Principal

Dates:

• School Closed - MLK, Jr. Day - January 19th

• Community Conversation on AI - January 21st, 7:00 pm

• HHS Curriculum Night - February 3rd

• Peter and the Wolf (2nd) - February 6th

• MS Activity Night - February 6

• 4th - 8th Grade Talent Show - February 16

• February Fun Fest/Winter Carnival - February 20

• School Closed - Winter Break - February 23 - February 27th

You will find the following in the latest Superintendent Newsletter:

• a video thanking the community for supporting the abatement/renovation project of the K-3 wing
• information on the budget process
• information on open enrollment
• an invitation to a conversation on AI.

Continuing Professional Development

At the Lyme School, we believe that being a community of learners applies to everyone—not just our students. Next Thursday, we are excited to welcome back educational consultant Tom Driscoll to continue our work in enhancing the student experience. This professional development opportunity is a direct investment in our Strategic Plan.

Following a successful introductory session in November with Tom Driscoll, next Thursday our teachers are taking the next step in mastering Project-Based Learning. PBL is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world problems and personally meaningful projects.

PBL focuses on developing student agency—giving children more voice and choice in how they solve complex problems. Next week, Tom will guide our faculty in crafting "Driving Questions." These are the central challenges that spark curiosity, and teachers will work to align these projects with our core curriculum.

While our teachers continue their work on their PBL units, our administrative team will continue their deep dive into Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is rapidly changing the global landscape, and we are committed to understanding its implications for the classroom. Our focus for next week is to determine how to best support and prepare our teachers for this shift.

Save the Date: Parent Talk with Tom Driscoll

Wednesday, January 21 | 7:00 – 8:00 PM

We want you to be part of this conversation! Please join us for a special evening session where Tom Driscoll will address how AI is shaping our world and what it means for your child’s education and future. This is a fantastic opportunity to ask questions and see how the Lyme School is preparing students for the road ahead.

In Ms. Connie’s classroom, we’ve been working together on setting goals that make a difference. Some of the goals focus on being a better friend, making a new friend, using good table manners, learning new skills like tying shoes, or turning in homework on time. When kids learn how to make a plan, keep trying, and think about how things are going, they gain confidence and become more independent. We’re learning that goals are all about trying our best and not giving up, even when things feel challenging.

Goal setting helps children:

• Develop responsibility and ownership of their learning

• Helps children stay focused and motivated

• Practice problem-solving and decision-making

• Learn to keep going when things are hard

• Feel good about the effort they put in

Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and with a set Time frame (SMART).

When goals are clear and doable, kids feel excited to try and can handle it better if they don’t succeed right away.

Students are encouraged to:

• Break goals into small, doable steps

• Check how they are doing as they practice

• Think about what is working and what needs to be changed

• Be proud of trying and making progress

As students make and work toward their goals, they are learning that progress takes time, effort, and practice. We recognize their progress and encourage them to keep trying, even when learning feels challenging, as they build confidence and skills they will use both in and out of the classroom.

Warmly,

Ms. Connie

Happy New Year! There are many exciting lessons and projects happening across grade levels this month. All students have been able to check out books from both the commons and CFL. While CFL is closed for the boiler repairs, we are able to access the collection by placing online holds.

Grades K-3 are practicing using a new creation tool called Book Creator. The fourth graders will also use Book Creator to narrate their animal narrative picture books once they finish creating them using Canva for Education,

Middle school students are in various stages of research projects in Social Studies and/or ELA. Digital literacy lessons in academic classes have included how to access quality sources using databases and how to evaluate sources outside of databases. Students are strongly encouraged to take full advantage of vetted sources on databases prior to other research.

During library classes over the past two weeks, students in grades K-5 have participated in digital citizenship lessons on the following topics:

K: What is media? and Online Safety

1: Safety and Privacy Online

2: Media Literacy: Using Tech to Learn New Things

3: Media Balance

4: Media Literacy: Trusting Online Sources

5: Privacy & Safety

Help us Celebrate Youth Art Month!

March is Youth Art Month, and this year’s national theme is “The World Needs Art.” To celebrate, Lyme School students are invited to participate in our Student Art Show, which will be on display for the entire month of March at the Converse Free Library in the children’s section. It is a wonderful new venue for our young artists to be featured and celebrated by the wider community.

Each student may submit up to two pieces inspired by the theme. In art class, we will explore what “The World Needs Art” can mean, from art that tells stories and celebrates nature to art that sparks joy, expresses feelings, or helps us see the world in a new way. I will also be available to help students choose pieces they feel proud to share.

Students may submit finished work in the art show collection boxes located in the art room and the school lobby. Please remember to complete an art label for each piece and attach it before submitting.

The deadline is Friday, February 20, before February break. We cannot wait to see what our students create because truly, the world needs Art!

A huge thank you to the PTO for providing the resources and volunteer energy that make these special art events possible.

From raw materials to melodies, the fire and ice elective has transformed the design lab into a musical instrument workshop. This session, students in the Fire and Ice elective are taking on the role of luthiers (instrument makers) as they design and build their very own kalimbas, (thumb pianos).

The Challenge: More Than Just a Box

While building the instrument is a feat of engineering, the real challenge lies in the acoustics. Students aren't just putting pieces together; they are investigating the essential elements that make a musical instrument sound great:

• Resonance: Understanding how the body of the kalimba amplifies sound.

• Precision Tuning: Learning how the length and tension of the metal tines affect pitch.

• Material Science: Exploring how different woods and metals change the "color" or timbre of the music.

This project is an exploration of the "Music Maker" mindset—combining artistic design with precision craftsmanship. By the end of this unit, every student will walk away with a functional, handcrafted instrument and a deeper appreciation for the physics of sound. Many have also used the laser cutter to cut components of their kalimba, or personalize their instrument with a laser engraving. (This is the "fire" part of the elective).

If the cold weather returns 🤞, this group will swiftly pivot to working outside to design and build the annual ice slide on the playground. Bring on the cold and snow!

Families are welcome to come and see our 4th-8th grade Talent Show on Monday, February 16th at ~1:30PM in the gym! We still have a few open slots. Fill out this form with your student(s) if they are looking to participate!

5th Grade Band began last week! After working in small groups the first half of the year our 5th grade class now comes together twice a week to work on their ensemble skills.

3rd graders have successfully begun their solfege unit. This past week students practiced sorting and identifying our solfege syllables and hand symbols.

Happy new year!! As we made our reentry back to school after the break, the primary grades got right back to work. Our focus has been on combining the manipulative skill of striking at a low level with an implement with eye hand coordination. Using Mrs. Stanton's coined phrase "smartner", students were paired with a smartner, someone they will follow expectation with, make smart decisions, with and work together to try to help each other be successful. In these pairs, students were tasked with being a striker and being a returner and taking turns sharing both responsibilities, as the striker attempted to carefully strike a foam ball and knock down a pin while the returner rolled the ball back to the striker for more practice until it was time to change roles.

Students demonstrated good skill combinations and were focused on the task(s) at hand.

Kindergarten Spanish is learning about chocolate - hot chocolate, specifically! They have learned a new authentic song, which they would love to share with you. You can play this and ask them to sing along: CHOCOLATE by José- Luis Orozco.

1st grade Spanish has been talking about winter activities. Pictured are their drawings of some sentences we read in Spanish using our current vocabulary. We got some fun ideas for our sentences and drawings from Calvin & Hobbes.

2nd & 3rd grade Spanish has been learning vocabulary such as ¡Tengo miedo!, Es valiente, and Qué lindo. Are you afraid of spiders?? Well, after learning about Lucas the jumping spider - like we did in Spanish - you might not be so afraid anymore. Enjoy this video explaining the creation of this very cute spider.

4th graders have been applying their ELA skills in Spanish class. They examined the story of Justino in several ways in Spanish (speaking, listening, reading). Now, they have been identifying the 5 elements of a story in "Justino." Spanish class is a great opportunity to reinforce learning from other subjects and support critical thinking.

Spanish students in 5th grade learned about the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve. They even practiced with mini marshmallows! Then, they came up with 12 wishes or resolutions in Spanish for 2026. These wishes were then shared in a grape-themed glyph.

Happy Friday and Happy 2026, Lyme school families!

We hope everyone is settling into the new year nicely. The PTO wants to share a few big thank-yous and a few important reminders.

First, thank you to everyone who contributed food and helped make our last Teacher and Staff Luncheon such a warm mid-winter lift. A special thank you to Amy Ricker for heading it up again. We’re so grateful for the care and generosity that went into it and all the delicious contributions.

We also want to send a huge thank you to everyone who donated items, volunteered time, and shopped to support the Kids’ Holiday Shop during Jingle & Mingle last month (see picture below!). It was a joyful event and a meaningful fundraiser for the PTO to support PTO programs and events for the Lyme school community. Special thanks to Lindsay Mendyka for her marvelous job coordinating the Holiday Shop.

Another big thank you to Susan Wasp for leading the Giving Tree during the holiday season, and to all who have already participated. We still have a few teacher gifts that need to be fulfilled, and we’d love to wrap this up as soon as possible. If you are able, please visit our GiftList registry and consider selecting an item to help complete a remaining wish. When choosing items, please check the quantity listed in the description. Clicking an item will take you to a third-party site, so be sure to return to the registry afterward and mark your item as purchased. Gifts can be shipped directly to the school or dropped off at the front office.

Shipping address:
Lyme School Giving Tree
35 Union Street
Lyme, NH 03768

Finally, we’re excited to share that we'll be bringing back a popular PTO event! In honor of Youth Art Month, our Student Art Show + Silent Auction will be held in March in partnership with Mrs. Girdwood and the Converse Free Library, featuring the theme “The World Needs Art.” Students may submit up to two pieces to be displayed in the library’s children’s section for the full month of March. Students may submit finished work in the art show collection boxes located in the art room and the school lobby. Please remember to complete an art label for each piece and attach it before submitting (labels available by the boxes). The deadline is Friday, February 20, before February break. We cannot wait to see what our students submit as the world, now more than ever, needs art!

Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy start to 2026!

Warmly,

The Lyme School PTO

pto@lymeschool.org

Check out this week's article:

Puberty Strikes? Awkward Growth and Development Discussions

FROM AMLE - A quick disclaimer: This site explores topics involving typical behaviors of young adolescents. Remember that the ideas shared here are suggestions. Every child is unique and you know them best. If you pick up signals that your child is acting outside the typical range, seek help from your school counselor, family doctor, or other specialists.

Older Shared Articles from Previous Newsletters:

Ready for Routine? Teens' Need for Consistency and Balance

Digital Drama? Supporting Healthy Smartphone Habits

Young Love? Likes, Crushes, and Other Teen Attractions

Reaching and Raising Generation Alpha in Middle School

How to Support Your Middle Schooler's Mental Health

Use One Sentence

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

Great news! Your school has chosen to participate in the Upper Valley Trails Alliance's Passport to Winter Fun program this winter.

Here's how it works: Each student has received a passport booklet and fills in one box for each day they're active for at least one hour (recess outside counts!) This can be anything—sledding, hiking, skiing, skating, snowshoeing, you name it. At 10, 20, and 30 days, they can claim prizes from local partner businesses like ski areas, ice rinks, pools, etc.

Bonus: Every Front Flap submitted is entered into a raffle to win two Killington lift vouchers (valid this winter)!

How to Register

Passports are coming home soon. Before you start, and to register your child, complete the Front Flap and:

• Turn it in to school, OR
• Mail it to: Upper Valley Trails Alliance, P.O. Box 1215, Norwich, VT 05055, OR
• Scan the QR code in the booklet to complete it online

Deadline to start the program: Friday, February 13th, 2026

Want weekly updates and deadline reminders? Subscribe to the Winter Fun Weekly by emailing passport@uvtrails.org.

Let's get outside and stay active this winter!

—Upper Valley Trails Alliance

Sign-ups for IMS Summer Camp have officially launched!

Families interested in enrolling their child in Summer Camp can complete the registration form using the link below:
https://www.uvims.com/enrichment-camps

We are excited for another fun-filled summer and look forward to creating lasting memories with our campers. Families are welcome to reach out directly with any questions about the program or registration process.

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