Chichester Central Connection

As we look ahead to the coming month, I continue to feel grateful for the strong partnership between our families, staff, and community members. Your support, involvement, and willingness to show up for our students, whether at events, through volunteering, or simply by staying connected, make all the difference. Thank you for helping us build a school where every child feels supported, challenged, and cared for. I look forward to another month of growth, learning, and community together.

Warmly,

Ms. Teeboom

We are excited to welcome Cooper Flanagan as our new Physical Education teacher at Chichester Central School! Mr. Flanagan brings great energy, a passion for health and wellness, and a strong commitment to helping students build confidence, teamwork, and lifelong fitness skills. He is looking forward to getting to know our students, introducing engaging activities, and continuing to build a positive and inclusive PE program. Please join us in welcoming Mr. Flanagan to the CCS community!

Veterans Day Ceremony

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s PTO Craft Fair such a wonderful community event! A special thank you to Ella Hemeon, our Craft Fair Director, for her incredible leadership and organization. We are grateful to all of our volunteers including Ashli Roach, Amy Rousseau, Melissa Palys, Alisa Mullen, Chelsea Busby, and Krista Doran, along with Kate Mara and the Student Council, whose help was truly invaluable. Our 8th grade girls and Rosie also stepped up in big ways, and we appreciate their efforts! Behind the scenes, PTO members, Will Compton, Sara Wright, and former CCS student Cian Guilmette worked hard to prepare. Thank you, CCS community, for coming together and making this event so special!

• Students are working on foundational reading skills using Fundations, Arts & Letters, or Wit & Wisdom, depending on grade level.

• Core5 (Lexia) is helping personalize instruction by identifying skill gaps and strengthening phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension.

• Teachers have been conducting fall benchmark assessments to guide small-group instruction.

• Across K–8, classrooms are focusing on number sense, math fluency, and making sense of problems, key building blocks for later math success.

• Students are using Eureka, Big Ideas, and hands-on practice to deepen understanding of place value, addition/subtraction strategies, and early algebraic thinking.

• Title I math support and intervention blocks are underway to help close gaps identified in fall assessments.

November was a busy month in MS SS classes:

Grade 8 completed studies and essays about the Progressive Era and changes that people or groups made to improve life in America near the turn of the 20th century. Some issues included the need for creating conservation areas in our country (National Parks), child labor laws, the Pure Food and Drug Act, immigration housing, and workplace safety with a particular emphasis on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire tragedy.

Grade 7 spent the month focused on the formation of our government and the decisions our founding fathers had to make. They delved into the Constitution learning about each article and the 27 amendments that impact us all daily.

Grade 6 continued to study Ancient Rome and did presentations about various locations or people in Roman history. Some examples of those project topics include Julius Caesar, the Vatican, the Coliseum, and the construction and use of aqueducts.

This fall, our middle school science classes have been deeply engaged in foundational scientific study. 6th and 8th grade students have focused on life science, exploring how the human body systems work together to keep an organism functioning. Through hands-on activities and inquiry-based learning, students have examined the interconnected roles of organs, tissues, and cells. 7th grade students have centered their attention on physical science, building their understanding of the periodic table of elements, states of matter, and chemical reactions. Their work emphasizes how matter behaves and transforms in the world around us. Together, these explorations provide students with a strong scientific foundation and prepare them for deeper studies in the years ahead.

• Grades engaged in hands-on science:

  • Grade 3 ocean dissection

  • Grade 2 cranberry studies

  • Grade 5 STARBASE Program: DoD STARBASE is a premier educational program sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs with an office in Pembroke NH. During STARBASE, students take part in exciting, hands-on STEM activities that build skills in science, technology, engineering, and math. The program is designed to spark curiosity, strengthen problem-solving skills, and inspire students to think like engineers and innovators. Grade 5 has had 4 full days with one more in December.

• Social studies units include community roles, early U.S. history, and geography skills.

This year, CCS is implementing The Zones of Regulation, a schoolwide social–emotional program that helps students understand their feelings and learn how to manage them in healthy, productive ways.

What are the Zones?

Students learn to describe how they feel using four color “zones”:

• Green Zone – calm, focused, ready to learn

• Yellow Zone – wiggly, excited, anxious, frustrated

• Red Zone – angry, overwhelmed, out of control

• Blue Zone – sad, tired, sick, low energy

All zones are okay, students are simply learning to recognize where they are and use tools to help themselves get back to a place where they can learn.

What CCS is doing

• Teachers have created calming areas in classrooms.

• Staff are receiving ongoing professional development in Zones.

• Our school guidance counselor, Mrs. Pecor, is introducing lessons in classrooms.

• A team will attended a full-day Zones training to support schoolwide use.

Why it matters

When students understand their emotions, they can communicate better, problem-solve, and get back to learning more quickly. We’re already seeing students use the Zones language to describe how they feel and what they need.

More information and visuals will be shared with families throughout the year!

• Fall mClass DIBLES/i-Ready assessments are complete, and teachers are using this information to form small groups and set goals for winter learning.

• Grade-level teams (PLCs, Data Meetings) are reviewing student work and adjusting instruction based on needs.

Music

At our last School Board meeting, Mrs. Raymond and a small group of our band students treated everyone to a beautifully played piece. Mrs. Raymond shared an overview of the band and chorus program, and two of our students spoke about their experiences.

One student shared that they love band and appreciate the way Mrs. Raymond teaches, explaining that she corrects them in a nice way that gives them confidence to do better. Another student noted how important it is to have band during the school day, so they don’t have to choose between band and their after-school activities.

It was a proud moment for Chichester Central School, and we are grateful to Mrs. Raymond for the energy, encouragement, and passion she brings to our music program every day.

STEAM

At Chichester Central School, we work hard to support students academically, socially, and emotionally. As we move into the winter months, we want to share a few reminders about our expectations and how we partner with families to help every child succeed.

Academic Eligibility

Beginning December 1st, academic eligibility will be reviewed every two weeks for students in grades 3–8. This helps us ensure that students participating in extracurricular activities are staying on track with their learning. When needed, teachers and administrators will work together with students and families to create plans that support success.

Behavior Support & Expectations

Our goal is always to be proactive, not reactive. Staff and administration work closely together to:

• Give reminders and model expected behaviors

• Teach problem-solving and coping strategies

• Help students reflect and make positive choices

• Provide logical, fair consequences when needed

We focus on identifying the root of the problem and helping students learn skills that will support them long term.

Communication

When a behavior concern arises:

• Teachers will communicate with families about classroom-based issues.

• Administration will reach out if we work directly with your child or support a situation.

Our goal is always collaboration, keeping families informed and working as a team to help students learn and grow.

We appreciate your partnership as we continue building a safe, supportive, and positive learning environment for all students.

Our teachers are looking to build up a collection of board games and card games to use in the classroom and for a future Family Game Night. If you have gently used games at home that you are no longer using (with all or most pieces intact), we would gladly give them a second life here at CCS!

We would love to help support Chichester families in any way we can during this holiday season. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our school counselor, Shonda Pecor, at specor@sau53.org if your family has any needs. All information will be kept confidential.

If you need support with Christmas presents this year and are interested in receiving assistance, please email Shonda at specor@sau53.org. We are working in partnership with Hope in Christ Church, which also generously supplies the school with snacks and drinks for students in need on a regular basis. We are very grateful for their ongoing support of our CCS community.

Newspaper Club

Meets on Tuesdays 2:50-4:00

Environmental Club

Meets Tuesdays 2:50-4:30

Student Council

Meets Wednesday 2:50-3:45

Basketball

Practice and Games are in full swing!

Schedules are on the School Website

Chichester Central School was excited to welcome back several alumni who returned to support our Boys Basketball program. It’s always special to see former students giving back, cheering on our athletes, and staying connected to the CCS community. Once a Ram, always a Ram!

Dec. 1 – Candy Gram Sales Continue
Dec. 4 – Granite State Candy Fundraiser Ends
Dec. 4 – Playground Committee Meeting, 6:00 PM
Dec. 6 – Santa Breakfast, 8:00–10:00 AM
Dec. 6–12 – Penguin Patch Store
Dec. 9 – PTO Meeting, 6:00 PM
Dec. 15 – Spirit Day: Ugly Sweater Day!
Dec. 17 – School Board Meeting (6:00 PM Nonpublic, 6:30 PM Public)

Dec. 18 – Winter Concert: Ring In The Holidays With CCS 6:00
Dec. 19 – Spirit Day: Pajama Day!
Dec. 19 – Early Release at 12:45 PM
Dec. 20 – Chichester Fire-Rescue Holiday Parade (Santa stop at CCS — Time TBD)
Dec. 22 – Jan. 2 – Holiday Break

Jan. 7 – Winter Lights Concert with Band & Chorus 6:00 Pembroke Academy

In the event of a snow day or delayed opening, families will be notified in several ways:

• School Messenger (text and email alert)

• CCS Website

• WMUR online and on-air announcements

• CCS Facebook Page

Please make sure your contact information is up to date so you receive all notifications. Decisions are typically made early in the morning, and messages will be sent out as soon as possible.