The Pulse of the Pride
August 19th, 2022
Lyme School Friends,
It is October! We have had another fantastic week here at school. We are into the routine of school now and it is clear we all know our way around our schedule. Blisters for Books was a success and it was great to see staff decked out in their Lyme/running gear for the day in celebration of this event.
We are gearing up for Open House and I know teachers have been working hard hosting virtual events to give you a sense of their classroom and curriculum. I appreciate their willingness to host these events for you and be here for Open House on the 13th for you to visit the School.
This week was a short week at school with a teacher in-service day today. Our teachers have been hard at work and Mrs. Foxall explains what we did today if you are interested a bit further down in the newsletter.
It was suggested we highlight the important stuff in the newsletter, as it is a comprehensive newsletter. We just wanted to mention that the first section is the essential information and announcements. We have now included an important dates section to call out special events. As always, we appreciate feedback to improve our newsletter and communication home.
Please remember, we do not have school on Monday. The next Pulse will hit your inbox on October 21st. Have a fantastic long weekend and we will see you back at school on Tuesday, October 11th!
Best,
John P. D'Entremont, Principal
Open House
We hope you enjoyed your virtual sessions with the teachers that have been happening!
Families are invited to Open House at the school on Thursday, October 13th from 2PM - 5PM. This will be an opportunity for families to visit the school and visit the spaces where your children are learning. We look forward to welcoming you into the building on the 13th!
Please Check-In at the Office
If you are coming to school during school hours to drop off something your student forgot or to meet with a teacher, it is imperative that all visitors check-in at the main office. This allows us to have accurate numbers in case of an emergency and avoid disruptions.
Thank you for checking in with Ms. Perry and saying hello!
Pumpkin Book Character Show
Design a pumpkin or gourd to look like your favorite book character. You may use paint, glue, markers, fabric, etc. but you may not carve! Be creative!
Fill out the attached form and send it and your creation into school between October 17 - 21. Your character will be on display for everyone to enjoy. Pick up your character on October 28 (or it will be disposed of).
Let’s celebrate reading, fall, and the pumpkin season!
A big THANK YOU to everyone who supported our students and the children’s book fund for the town/school library collection through the Blisters for Books fundraiser.
Reminder to all families to help students remember to return library books in a timely manner for others to enjoy. Overdue notices are sent periodically. Thank you for your help with this.
There are several resources available and easily accessible to students at school AND at home, including SORA, Typing Club, Newsela, and others. If your student would like to access these resources at home, we have put links to everything in one page on the Lyme School Library, Media, and Tech website. If you have any questions or trouble accessing anything, feel free to contact me. bneuroth@lymeschool.org
Enjoy the long weekend!
What do we do on in-service days?
Our teachers and assistants have a busy schedule for the October 7th in-service!
Ten staff members are participating in a Crisis Response/Prevention Intervention training with Geoff Tomlinson, our Director of Student Services. This training focuses on verbal de-escalation strategies that help children who become dysregulated to make safe choices, maintain their dignity, and get back on track in the classroom.
Lower School teachers (Grades K-4) are taking part in a training to learn to administer the Universal Screener for Number Sense. Number sense is the ability to be flexible with numbers. It helps children understand both how our number system works, and how numbers relate to each other. Children who develop number sense have a range of mathematical strategies at their disposal. The Universal Screener for Number Sense screener is a quick interview-based assessment that will help to identify skills and concepts that indicate readiness for grade level content, as well as identify students who would benefit from additional supports.
Middle school teachers and our specialists are revisiting our K-8 technology competencies and taking a close look at our students’ strengths and areas for growth in technology. Teachers are discussing where they see some of our tech skills best integrated into our curriculum. Teachers are also updating their subject curriculum maps to reflect where inquiry and research are taking place in their classrooms. They will have the opportunity to plan cross curricular activities and projects that involve tech skills and/or inquiry with the specialists. This is a precious time when our specialists and academic teachers can plan together!
Our all staff afternoon meeting is an informative session about Alma, a new student information system.
Art News by Mrs. Girdwood
Session 1 of Middle School Electives wrapped up this week. In Drawing Elective, students worked to build their drawing skills through value exercises and understanding how to look closely at the relationships between all the parts of an image. They hatched and they cross-hatched. They stippled and scumbled. They discussed core shadows and reflected highlights and got smudges of drawing charcoal on their faces. This last drawing, though…they struggled ….and then hung in there. It felt like I blinked, and suddenly they all had it. They worked with purpose and pride and they understood what it felt like to get to the other side of a good drawing.
Grade 6 gives tips on managing stress
As the sixth graders recently learned in health, stress affects both one’s mental and physical well-being . Learning ways to cope and manage stress are important and having tools that we can use when we are feeling stressed can certainly help!
From exercising to reading books,
listening to music, and talking to someone you trust, such as a caregiver, teacher, friend, or counselor are healthy ways to not let stress get in your way.
Life can get hectic but thanks to the sixth graders, there are tips to follow to help us feel better when we are feeling overwhelmed or anxious . Thanks, sixth grade!
The Lyme School
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