The LMS Express

Hello all,

We are in a good groove these days at LMS! This is the time of year when routines have been very well established, students and teachers know each other, and the learning can really take off. It's exciting for me as I walk the halls, sit in on classes, and talk with teachers during our meetings. One of the things I hear most is "hey, come check out my class during this period, we're doing something cool". The passion that LMS teachers bring to their profession is a joy to see, and I am proud each day to be a part of this group. And of course our students are why we all do it!

There is also quite a buzz growing around our concert next Friday - we're excited to host Recycled Percussion to LMS for a performance! Some students have seen them in concert a number of times, for others (like myself) it'll be the first time. Regardless, we're all looking forward to it!

Be well,

Tom

Friday, February 7th - Recycled Percussion/Chaos & Kindness Performance at LMS

Wednesday, February 12th - School Board Meeting, 6:30 pm at LMS

Thursday, February 13th - 8th Grade Science Placement Testing

Friday, February 14th - LMS Winter Carnival (Information below)

February 17th-21st - No School, February Break

Tuesday, February 25th - Student Council Spirit Day, Hawaiian Theme

Thursday, February 27th - Student Council Spirit Day, Twin Day

Some people weren't notified of the delayed start this past week. Please make sure your phone numbers are up-to-date in ALMA, and please continue to let us know if you aren't notified in these scenarios.

Additionally, please make sure we have an emergency contact listed who does not reside in your household, including accurate phone numbers, listed for your child(ren).

We're excited to host Recycled Percussion at LMS next Friday, February 7th! Here's some information from their website for those that aren't familiar with their act:

After gaining national fame with their ground breaking performances on America’s Got Talent, Recycled Percussion became one of the most successful acts on the Las Vegas Strip for ten straight years. They have performed more than 7,000 shows worldwide and have appeared on 40 popular TV shows, including The Grammy Awards, the Super Bowl, America’s Got Talent, China’s Got Talent, Kris Jenner, MTV Reality Awards, Comedy Central’s “The Gong Show,” broken six world records, and have performed more corporate shows than any band in North America. In 2017 they developed a television show on ABC called “Chaos and Kindness” which has won 15 Emmy Awards. Chaos and Kindness has since developed a successful retail and lifestyle brand which promotes kindness, positivity, and mental health awareness.

For those folks that will be experiencing their first LMS Winter Carnival on February 14th, here's a bit of information...

Winter Carnival is a day of fun activities planned and supervised by LMS teachers. Students will have the opportunity to indicate their preferences of which activities they participate in, and we work hard to include them in the their "top-choice" activities.

Some students stay on campus, participating in outdoor activities like snowshoeing and snow art, and indoor activities like floor hockey, escape rooms, and bracelet making. Students that stay on campus are split into mixed 5th & 6th grade groups, and mixed 7th & 8th grade groups.

Some students go off campus in mixed groups of 5th through 8th graders. Our off-campus activities for this year are: Skiing/Snowboarding at Storr's Hill, Ice Skating at Pat Walsh Park (or possibly Campion Rink), and art activities at AVA art gallery. We are always "on the hunt" for more off-campus opportunities, so please pass along any ideas if you have them, and we'll consider them for future Winter Carnival activities.

To end they day, students will have the opportunity to participate in 3v3 students vs staff basketball games (with varying levels of intensity), or they can choose quiet activities with other members of their teams.

Teachers and staff put in a lot of time to make this a fun and enjoyable day for everyone. It's always a big hit with the students, and we're looking forward to making memories and strengthening our LMS community!

We're trying something a little different for our Student Council-sponsored spirit days. To give us all something extra to look forward to after February Break, we'll be having two spirit days during our first week back. Tuesday, February 25th will be Hawaiian Day, and Thursday, February 27th will be Twin Day. All are invited and encouraged to participate in these fun days! Many thanks to the Student Council for sponsoring!

Math: Students have been using picture clue cards to practice setting up systems of equations and working in groups to simplify radicals.

Science: As a culminating activity for the plate tectonics unit, students built towers out of marshmallows and toothpicks and simulated earthquakes using trays of jello. To kick off their astronomy unit, students have been experimenting with the motion of different objects to simulate the effects of gravity and inertia.

8th grade Spanish students, turned real estate agents, have been busy this week working on their "Casa de los Sueños a Venta" (Dream House for Sale) presentations for our "Open House" on Monday February 3rd.

Updated physicals~ I am still in need of updated physicals for many of the 7th grade students, as well as some 8th grade students who did not get them to me last year. The state of NH requires physicals for all students in grades 7, 9 and 11. Please know that I do not have access to Arbiter sports, so if you have uploaded a physical to that, I can not see it. If you are unsure if your student is in compliance with their physical, please email me and I will let you know.

24 HOURS~ Reminder that the policy for all Lebanon schools is that your student needs to be fever free, vomit free and diarrhea free for 24 hours, without medication, to return to school after an illness. This applies to any illness. Please help your student follow this.

Medication Reminder~ PLEASE DO NOT send your student to school with medication. I continue to be made aware that students are carrying and administering their own medication, both prescription and over the counter. Per our student handbook, students are not allowed to self medicate.

After visit summaries~ Please send any after visit summaries from appointments that your students have had related to injuries or illness. There is usually information on them that will help me support them best when they return to school.

Students in music class have been working on the bass and guitar this week. They play songs from different eras of rock music, and are up to four chord patterns!

As part of their Science Fiction unit, 5th graders are trying to solve a crime committed in the class novel, Space Case. Each class is keeping track of their suspects by collecting book evidence and displaying it in the classroom. Every advisory has a slightly different "line-up".

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Sophia reads to Ms. Lenning's class fish, Bob and Marley.

In an amusing twist of fate, four of our esteemed teachers - Juliana Seale, Theresa Westgate, Ellen Gonyew, and Kim Saunders - arrived at school this week wearing remarkably similar outfits. They independently chose to wear a black and tan ensemble, creating an unintentional but delightful visual harmony in our hallways.

This coincidence sparked joy and laughter among staff and students alike, reminding us of the unpredictable nature of life and the small moments that can brighten our day. It's a wonderful example of how even unplanned events can foster a sense of unity and camaraderie in our school community.

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As a supporting activity for the rational number unit in MSM I, Flex students planned, constructed, and measured the longest 6th-grade paper chain in LMS history! Students were challenged to be accurate with their calculations and measurements, all in metric. Here, students learn to work together to measure a portion of the chain with a length of over 1200 centimeters. All told, the five Flex classes constructed a chain that was 6512 centimeters long!

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The Spruce Team 6th graders have been working hard learning about many topics that relate to Ancient China. On Friday, January 31st. Our special guest, Dr. Chin, came to share his story and expertise in the practice of Tai Chi. All 6th graders gathered in the gymnasium and learned about 'gathering energy', 'meditative movement', and the practice of Tai Chi.

Dr. Chin shared the story of the snake and crane, a legend connected to Zhang Sanfeng, the creator of Tai Chi. Students worked through various movements as they were demonstrated and connected to each other. A few students were randomly chosen from each social studies class to partake in a focus group, as well. Dr. Chin took the time to answer questions and work with the small group to practice even more Tai Chi movements. We are grateful that he is so willing to share his knowledge and expertise.

Both the LMS Boys and Girls team won their meet on Saturday, January 18th at Jackson XC!

Our top finishers in the boy's race were Anderson Norris in 1st place, Warren Ramsey took 2nd with Luke Finley and Peter Kourbatski taking 4th and 5th respectively!

For our girls, Charlotte Smith took 2nd place with Jillian Campbell and Carolynn Campbell taking 4th and 8th respectively to round out the top 10. The girls team has depth with Mia Sweeny, Molly Swanson, Rei Huston, Imi Waraschinski, Lilah Nochumson, Lauren Follensbee and Rorie McDowell finishing 14th, 15th, 18th, 21st, 23rd, 24th and 29th.

Congratulations to both teams on their wins!

All activities can be found at lebanonraiders.org/, and below are the schedules for individual teams for the winter.

Basketball

Girls A Team

Girls B Team

Boys A Team

Boys B Team

Boys C Team

Nordic Ski

Wrestling

New episodes of the LMS Podcast are released every Friday morning. Check out all of our episodes via this link!

Last week, students from the LMS Jazz Band participated at the NHBDA (New Hampshire Band Directors Association) jazz band clinic hosted by Hollis Brookline. Students heard professional jazz musicians, received instrument-specific group lessons, heard other schools perform, and had a master clinician work with our jazz band. Congratulations to all!

Join us for our next meeting on February 13 at 6:30 in the cafeteria or on Google Meet.
Looking for LMS spirit wear? Check out the LMS gear store!

Many thanks to the Chris Herring and the Upper Valley Lions Club for their generous donation of hygiene products for our LMS community. This donation is much appreciated and will be put to good use!

For more information about the Lions Club and all the great work they do for our community, you can click here. (If you'd like to make a donation to the Lions Club, you can scroll down almost to the bottom of the home page.)

Register online for our February Break Trips for 5th-8th Grade at LebanonNH.gov/Register.

• Tuesday, February 18th – Mount Sunapee

Ski and ride at Sunapee for the day! Purchase your lift ticket separately.

Transportation Fee: Residents - $10, Non-Residents - $15

• Wednesday, February 19th – Escape Room and Altitude Trampoline Park, Concord, NH

Try to solve the escape room, have lunch and then bounce away.

Fee: Residents - $80, Non-Residents - $110

• Thursday, February 20th – Burke Mountain, VT

Ski & ride at Burke for the day! Purchase your lift ticket separately.

Transportation Fee: Residents - $10, Non-Residents - $15

• Friday, February 21st – Cowabunga’s and Tubing at Pats Peak, Henniker, NH

Let’s jump, eat, slide at Cowabunga’s, and then tube at Pats Peak!

Fee: Residents - $80, Non-Residents - $110

All trips depart at 9 am and return by 4 pm from Lebanon City Hall. Please email Meagan.Henry@lebanonnh.gov if you have any questions.

In celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, Dartmouth Athletics will host a FREE sports clinic on Saturday, February 1st from 11 am to 12:45 pm in Leverone Field House.

This event is FREE and open to all youth.

To register, please complete the form online at National Girls & Women in Sports Day Clinic with Dartmouth Athletics and Recreation.

For questions, please email athletics.sales@dartmouth.edu or call 603-646-2466.

This year’s Prouty Snow Day will take place from 12-3 pm at the Dartmouth Outing Club in Hanover, NH, on Saturday, February 1. Join us in kicking off the 44th Prouty season – enjoy a complimentary hearty lunch and warm drinks in the lodge, make s’mores by the fire, take a few runs on the sledding hills at the old golf course or try your hand at our “Snow Golf” course. You’ll have the chance to learn more about The Prouty and hear how your support makes a direct impact at our Cancer Center. We hope to see you there. RSVP today [docs.google.com]!

Year of the Snake Celebration at the Hood Museum of Art

HopStop Family Film: Over the Moon at the Hopkins Center for the Arts

New England School of the Arts will be offering February and April camps focused around LEGOs and Robotics. Camp will run 8am-4pm and programming will vary depending on elementary or middle school cohort (elementary will be more LEGO focused and middle school Robotics focused). NESA's summer camp registration is also open and each summer camp has a different theme. We can't wait to meet your camper in 2025! https://www.nesarts.org/about-springcamp https://www.nesarts.org/about-summercamp

Applications for Camp Kesem at Dartmouth’s 2025 session are now OPEN!

What: Kesem is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit that supports children affected by a parent’s cancer. Camp Kesem, a program of Kesem, is a week-long sleepaway summer camp for children ages 6-18, and is free of cost to families.

Why: Kesem believes that children experiencing the effects of a parent’s cancer should never be alone. Camp Kesem is primarily a place for kids to be kids, and to connect with peers within the context of shared experience. Camp is centered around traditional summer camp activities (i.e. archery, lake time, arts and crafts, etc.) with intentional moments of reflection and group sharing sprinkled throughout.

Eligibility: Camp Kesem is open to children ages 6-18 whose parent or primary guardian has, or has had, cancer. This encompasses parents in remission, recently diagnosed, undergoing treatment, or deceased.

When: Dartmouth’s session of Camp Kesem will run from June 22-27 this coming summer.

Where: Camp will be held in Center Tuftonboro, NH. If transportation is an issue, we can work with individual families to make camp accessible to all.

How: The application to attend camp can be found here: https://kesem.campmanagement.com/p/request_for_info_m.php?action=enroll

Did you know that the LISTEN Food Pantry distributed 338,272 pounds of food to 4,470 people in our area last year? For more stats on how the LISTEN Center impacts our community, you can click here. If you'd like to help or donate, please click here (and thank you!).

The "D" in LMS PRIDE is for Dependability

"We trust each other and count on each other."

You can see the full LMS Mission Statement by clicking here.

You can click here for past issues of the LMS Express.