Simonds Newsletter

Fall is definitely in the air! The mornings have been cooler and we are preparing for all the fun that comes with Warner's Fall Foliage Festival. I write this every year, but I think it bears repeating. The festival and its committee have been very kind to Simonds School over the years, especially in the area of grant funding. In the past, the festival supported grants for a new stackable washer/dryer for the health office, projector screen in our gym/MPR, a kiln in the art room and an audiometer for our hearing screenings. Many of these things would have been very difficult for us to purchase through the regular budget process. The school will also once again be participating in the Grand Parade on Sunday. Several teachers here at Simonds have put a lot of work into this year's Candy Land themed float.

We are also getting close to our annual Halloween parade. I have definitely heard students talking about their costumes the last few days and staff are starting to think about our theme. For those who are new to Simonds, we always 'parade' down Main Street as a school. You can come and view the parade from anywhere along the route. In terms of costumes, we have a few simple rules. Most importantly, please remember that we have a wide range of ages here. Smaller children can be scared easily. We do not allow blood, weapons or masks at our parade. This helps to make all our students happy on this day.

Last week, Simonds students attended an assembly with author and illustrator Jason Chin. He shared his experience writing and illustrating his own books, as well as illustrating books for other authors. This event is a great example of the partnership between the school, our PTO and MainStreet Warner, Inc. After his presentation, all students received a copy of one of his books. It was a great opportunity for students and staff to learn about the writing process. You can learn more about Jason Chin at his website.

We are wrapping up i-Ready testing this week and will be at a training on Friday to learn more about reading student reports. All student reports will be sent home to families on Friday, October 16th along with an introductory letter from our Curriculum Coordinator, Andrea Castaldo. These reports will help us form What I Need (WIN) groups that will be starting a week from Monday. These groups are designed to target student needs in both math and reading. I'm sure there will be more to come from teachers regarding groups in the next week or so.

Thank you to all who attended our PTO meeting this week. This was a great chance to meet a few new people and to talk about all that our PTO does for the school. I shared at that meeting that there are a few key dates coming up regarding discussion of Simonds closure and consolidation. Most importantly, there is a board meeting this Thursday. At that meeting, I believe that the members of the Facilities A committee will share recommendations regarding the building addition. My sense is that this will be a very important meeting for Simonds. October 8th is also the first day that a petition can be filed from anywhere within the district to propose closure. We should definitely have more information by the end of this week. Again this month, I've attached some links to the district's information about facilities and consolidation. I would strongly suggest looking at the district's facilities website.

Friday, October 9, No School - Professional Development Day for Staff

Friday (6pm), Saturday & Sunday, October 9, 10, 11 - Warner Fall Foliage Festival

Saturday, October 10, Warner Fall Foliage Festival Children's Parade - 12:00 pm

Sunday, October 11 - Warner Fall Foliage Festival Grand Parade - 1:00 pm

Monday, October 12 - No School - Columbus/Indigenous Peoples Day

Tuesday, October 13 - Poke`Mon Club - Pillsbury Free Library

Wednesday, October 14 - 1st Grade Walking Field Trip to the Telephone Museum

Thursday, October 15 - 5th Grade Field Trip to Lake Sunapee Protective Association

Friday, October 16 - PTO Movie Night - 6:30 pm (Free - children must have an adult present)

Tuesday, October 20 - Pillsbury Free Library Craft Time

Friday, October 30 - Simonds Halloween Parade - 2pm

Sunday, November 1 - Change Your Clocks Back An Hour

Monday, November 2 - PTO Meeting - Simonds Library - 6:30 pm

Tuesday, November 10 - Poke`Mon Club - Pillsbury Free Library

Wednesday, November 11 - No School Veterans Day

Tuesday, November 17 - Pillsbury Free Library Craft Time

Tuesdays, October 19 - December 14 - Simonds 4th & 5th Grade Chess Club - 3pm - 4pm

• Children's Costume Parade at the Warner Fall Foliage Festival
• Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 1:00 PM (Assembly at 12:45 PM)
• Assemble at the Warner Post Office on Main Street

● Winter clothing needs- coats, snow pants, boots, etc. Simonds Weekend Food Backpack Program
● United Church of Warner - Thanksgiving Food Vouchers
● Sugar River Savings Bank - Christmas Program for children (up to age 18) residing in Warner or attending Simonds School.
The priority is for the children to receive gifts of clothing/other necessities and 1-2 “wish-list” items.

Janet Meade -School Nurse jmeade@kearsarge.org or 603-456-2241.

PTO News and Happenings

Thank you to all who came to our first in person meeting this past Monday. It was great to reconnect and see new faces. We will be hosting our first movie night of Minions and Monsters on Friday October 16th. This is a free event but we will be selling refreshments and baked goods to help support the Simonds PTO. We appreciate donations of individually packaged items to be sold that night. Please feel free to drop them off at school during the day on Friday. (Think cookies, brownies, etc.) Students need to be accompanied by an adult.

Our first fundraiser of the year is the annual Square One Art! This is a fantastic way to celebrate your child's creativity and purchase unique holiday gifts featuring their very own artwork.

Important Dates

Friday, October 16th-Movie Night in the MPR- doors open at 6:20pm.

MINIONS & MONSTERS

Monday, November 2nd- PTO meeting in the Simonds School library 6:30pm

Be sure to stop by the Pillsbury Free Library during the Warner Fall Foliage Festival and check out the book sale.

Tuesday, October 13 - Poke`Mon Club - Miss Sue will be at Simonds at 3:05 to walk students back to the library. Pick-up at the Library at 5pm. Students may bring their cards in their backpack to school but are not allowed out during the school day. There is some trading that happens and possibly a game. A snack is provided. Registration is required with Miss Sue and Mrs. Grimes. All ages are welcome! Next Poke`Mon Club will be Tuesday, November 10th. (This is a FREE activity)

Tuesday, October 20 - Craft Time - Miss Sue will be at Simonds at 3:05 to walk students back to the library. Pick up at the Library at 4:15 pm. There is a short story, craft, and a snack to take home. Registration for this FREE activity is required with Miss Sue and Mrs. Grimes. All ages are welcome!

Friday, October 30th - Annual Halloween party for 4th graders and up. 5:30 pm - 8pm. Costumes are required. Pot-luck meal, games and an announcement of the next play. Scrips will be handed out to all who are interested. Registration with Miss Sue is required.

3rd & 4th graders - don't forget to read the Purple Finch books. Enter the raffle at the library every time you read one! Drawings are at the end of every month.

5th & 6th graders - don't forget the Great Stone Face books. Voting is in April so you have plenty of time to read as many as you can. Miss Sue has a voting party in April.

Simonds School is lucky to partner with the Boys & Girls Club of New Hampshire to provide before and after school care. To learn more about registering your child, you can click on this link or stop by/call the main office.

Friday, October 9 - B&G Club will be at the First Baptist Church in New London

Monday, October 12 - ALL CLUBS ARE CLOSED