PES Alums visit one last time before their Lebanon High School graduation!

The rescheduled Bike Rode takes place today from 2 to 4 pm. It should be a beautiful afternoon and lots of fun activities hosted by the Wellness Committee and PTA.

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald

This captures exactly how I feel about this time of year. But there's also this weird stretch of time when everything around us is busy growing and beginning, and schools are bustling with endings. So while we are already excitedly looking ahead to summer and preparing for a new school year, I look forward to ending this one well with a week full of events and festivities including our student council sponsored "Spirit Week." Let's make it the best one yet!

• Monday, June 9 - PJ Day
• Tuesday, June 10 - Character Day
• Wednesday, June 11 - Crazy Hair Day
• Thursday, June 12 - Jersey Day
• Friday, June 13 - Anything But a Backpack Day

Please see "Weekly Happenings" below for a list of all events this week. Here are a few details you might be interested to know.

Tuesday, June 10 - School Board Meeting - 5:30 pm.

• Christine Downing and I will be presenting annual assessment data and
• The Board is discussing the Grant Assurances (See Dr. Leggett's memo attached below.)
• My Board report is attached below.

Friday, June 13

• Graduation begins at 6 pm at Flickinger Auditorium (Graduates and Class of 2026 volunteers who are setting up refreshments may arrive at KUA at 5:30 pm)

Finally, one last time before you head out for the summer...

• If you owe any money on your lunch account, please settle it up ASAP. We understand that sometimes things get tight. If you are interested in learning more about assistance options, please reach out to Mrs. Foley at ffoley@plainfieldschool.org. We appreciate your prompt attention to this.
• There is still time to sign up for our FREE summer skills camp which features half-days (Mondays through Thursdays) of theme-based, hands-on learning opportunities. Students enjoy spending time learning with friends and spend a lot of time outdoors. It's a great and AFFORDABLE way to prevent the summer slide.
• Three significant hiring committees are nearing final nominations to the Board - School Counselor, CIA Director, and Superintendent. We also have a new opening for middle school social studies. Annemarie Stout has tendered her resignation, and we wish her well as she returns to the Lebanon School District. Interviews for the vacancy begin this week.
• If you have not already done so, please consider signing up to help with our garden this summer - Summer Garden Help. Any amount of time spent weeding, watering, and - later in the summer - picking is much appreciated. Instructions will be posted in the garden area and as things start growing, we encourage volunteers to share in the garden's bounty!

Have a great week,

Audra

P.S. Enjoy the photos throughout. There were many to choose from with so much going on. Most are from the 8th grade trip but you'll find a couple of other gems such as the one below from the Kindergarten play :).

Audra Bucklin, Principal

603.469.3250, ext 223

abucklin@plainfieldschool.org

See full letter below for contact information for the Planning Board.

After 7 rounds with 45 starting spellers and 147 words, 2nd grader Maximus Porter came away our 2025 Spelling Bee Champion. CONGRATULATIONS MAX!

We are so proud of all the students who participated! (Our winner seated next to six "runners up" below.

THIS WEEK

JUNE

8 - TODAY - Rescheduled Bike Rodeo - 2 to 4 pm

10 -School Sing, K-4 parents/guardians welcome, 8:05a

10 - School Board Meeting - 5:30 pm

11 - 8th Grade Field Trip - LHS Tour

11 - Co-Curricular Awards, 6:00pm to 7:30 pm

12 - Kindergarten Graduation, 8:15am

12 - 8th grade- Celebration of Learning Luncheon, 11:30-1:00pm;

12 - Step Up Day (various times)

12 - Spring Fling Dance, 7:30-9:30pm (grades 6-8), Grade 8 arrives at 7 for photos.

13- Field Day and Last Day of School, Early Release 12:50

13 - Class of 2025 Graduation - Flickinger Auditorium at KUA - 6 pm to 7:30 pm

We are looking for volunteers to run stations/events. We would greatly appreciate your help in volunteering for this fun day!

Please fill out the google form if you are interested in helping out.

Many thanks,

Mindy Taber & Jenny Smith

PLEASE NOTE:

"COLD" Options: (offered daily)

Assorted Pre-made Deli Sandwiches, ham and turkey. Sunbutter/Jelly sandwiches

Yogurt Parfait with Fruit and Granola

Fresh Fruit and Veggie Bar with Dinner Roll

See Abbey Group Website for full details and to upload funds.

On the last day of school, all students will receive a hard copy of their report cards along with either a letter with instructions and access code for SAS results (grades 3 to 8) or their most recent NWEA results (grades K to 2)

2024-2025 Lost and Found…please take a look at our lost and found site and see if your children are missing anything. We already have some clothing hanging up. Please take a look and if anything looks familiar to your family, have your child stop and take it home. Items left at the end of the school year will be donated to LISTEN.

Lost and Found Link

FINAL CALL FOR PLAINFIELD TEAM JERSEYS

Please have your child(ren) look for any extra athletic jerseys at home and please return them to the office. We would like to organize and get ready for next year’s sporting events!

PES last day of School is Friday, June 13. This is an early dismissal at 12:50 pm.

The last week of school is full of celebrations and culminating events:

• Wednesday, June 11 is Co-Curricular Awards Night (6 to 7:30 pm)
• Thursday, June 12 is the Celebration of Learning Luncheon (11 am to 1 pm) and Spring Fling Dance (7pm to 9:30 pm)
• 8th grade graduation is set for Friday June 13th at 6:00pm at KUA.

The Plainfield School is seeking individuals who would be comfortable working with K-8th grade students in our building during the 2025 - 2026 school year. Applicants must be able to follow teacher substitute plans, be dependable, and enjoy working with children. If you are interested in applying, please contact Katie Lowery in the office at (603) 469-3250.

For clickable links to the read along stories, please open the Google Slides below.

Dear PES Families,

It is that time of year that we start thinking about summer garden help! Below I have posted the weeks needed for families to volunteer to water and weed the school garden. If you choose to sign up you get to harvest all and any produce that the garden has to offer that week! If you don't, things will rot and the gardens will stop producing (don't feel guilty about taking anything!) It is all for our community. In the garden shed this year will be a laminated list of jobs to be done in the garden, a map of the garden and a log to log any activity that has been done in the garden to better help volunteers know what needs to be done upon arrival.

Thank you so much for helping with the PES garden.

Best,

April Ellis

Summer Garden Help

Hosted by the Class of 2027

The Bike Rodeo has been rescheduled to TODAY, June 8th from 2-4pm. All ages welcome! There will be a limited supply of FREE HELMETS for kids!

Sending a huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who attended meetings, volunteered and otherwise supported the efforts of the PTA to enhance our school community and support our teachers, staff and students!

Here is a quick recap of the year:

Events that we either hosted or supported included the Community Yard Sale, Back-to-School Welcome Breakfast, Trunk or Treat, Stone Soup, Blackhawks Blaze, movie nights, Book Fair, Winter Carnival, teacher appreciation activities (one luncheon and snacks during two P-T conference days), the Essential Arts Showcase and Bike Rodeo/Ice Cream Social.

We supported 11 teacher-initiated funding requests for special projects or classroom needs totalling $1,245. We also contributed $1,500 toward materials for the new garden fence and all of the labor of installation.

We supported our annual PTA scholarship to a graduating high school senior who attended PES... this year's winner was Nina Ellingson! We also supported the PTA Citizenship Award which is given annually to a civic-minded graduating PES 8th grader.

We wish everyone a wonderful summer break and are looking forward to the new school year ahead!

Our PTA meetings this coming year are tentatively scheduled for the following Wednesdays at 7pm: 9/10/25, 11/12/25, 1/14/26, 3/11/26, 5/3/26.

And don't forget to save the date - the next Blackhawks Blaze 5K Footrace will be on October 5, 2025! We are forming a planning committee now. Please consider getting involved in this fun school community event that raises funds both for the PTA and for the 7th grade towards their class trip. It is a great way to get to know parents across all grades of the school. Email plainfieldnh.pta@gmail.com if interested.

PLEASE RETURN ALL TEAM UNIFORMS ASAP

For the most up to date schedule, please visit the co-curricular calendar. ATHLETICS. Don’t forget to check the website under Athletics for the most up-to-date practice and game schedules!

Our 5th and 6th grade athletes had a great meet (with beautiful weather... finally!) last night at the 5th/6th grade track meet. This meet is a great opportunity for our younger teammates to compete against their age group... and we had some amazing performances! Below is a recap of our athletes who placed (top 6) in their events. Full results are attached.

Girls: 5th place team

• 100m Hurdles: Lyla Darak 4th place
• 100m: Lyla Darak 6th place
• 200m: Lyla Darak 4th place, Ellis Underhill 5th place
• 400m: Khloe Sarantopoulos 4th place
• Triple Jump: Ellis Underhill 3rd place
• Long Jump: Ellis Underhill 5th place
• 4x100m relay: 6th place (Mallory Whitaker, Riley Piper, Kari Alden, Bella Altman)

Boys: 4th place team

• 200m: Ben Matalonis 6th place
• 400m: Bode Bucholtz 4th place, Luke Decker 6th place
• High Jump: Daniel Ramsey 1st place
• Triple Jump: Luke Decker 2nd place
• Discus: Daniel Ramsey 1st place, Ben Matalonis 2nd place
• 4x100m relay: 5th place (Matalonis, Ramsey, Lang, Decker)

Do you know a grandparent or other family member who wants to spend more time with your child?

Would you like to help out in your kids' classroom and learn who their classmates are?

We are looking for volunteers for grades K-4 next year. The Four Winds program at PES teaches about science through observing and playing in nature.

Volunteers attend five training workshops and then go into the classroom to teach the kids what they learned. Examples of subjects we have learned include clouds, water, flowers, wind, insects, birds, and much more. Kids love seeing their family members in the classroom and always look forward to the fun lessons the Four Winds Institute plans.

If you are interested or know of a family member interested, please call, text, or email Michelle Whitaker at 585-690-3472, mo.whitaker@yahoo.com

Interested in having your student attend Summer Skills Camp 2025? We’re in the final weeks of sign ups. The deadline for registration is May 30th. Use this link to REGISTER [forms.gle].

This year's camp will run for four weeks starting July 7th to the 31st (Monday-Thursday for 4 weeks), but you can sign your child up for the weeks that meet your availability this summer. From 8:30-11:30 students will be working on math and ELA skills to start the 2025-2026 year off strong.

Questions? Please contact Phoebe Buckman at pbuckman@plainfieldschool.org.

Has your child ever wanted to attend an overnight summer camp? Copper Cannon Camp is a tuition-free, traditional summer camp for NH students ages 9-12 years old! Campers between the ages of 9-12 have the opportunity to experience a week of traditional summer camp! Activities include everything from Archery and Swimming to team building exercises and Campfires. There are even some surprises we guarantee you haven’t seen at any other camp. You’ll share a cabin with 5-6 other campers for the week and awesome caring counselors. The food is great, the activities are fun and the friendships you make last a lifetime! If you would like to sign your child up for summer camp but are unsure how you are going to get them there, Claremont is transporting students during Session 5, July 20th to July 26th and Lebanon is transporting students during Session 3, July 6th to the 12th. Please see the attached flyers regarding Summer Camp - or click this link to access the fillable application online!

Attention PES and CES Families

Registration for MCC Camp's 2025 Season is open and off to a roaring start! Come join us for crafts, games, hiking, and old-fashioned fun! Camp runs June 30th-August 15, 2025 from 8am-4pm, early drop off and late pick up is available. Weekly rate: $275, early drop off/late pick up fees extra. Visit our website at https://www.meridenucc.org/summer-camp or contact Rosa Sousa at camp@meridenucc.org with any questions.

MCC Camp Registration Link [docs.google.com]

• Campers in PK-rising 7th graders welcome!
• Butterflies (PK-K): maximum 10 campers per week
• Bumblebees (1-2gr): maximum 10 campers per week - Week 4 CLOSED! All other weeks Limited
• Pandas (3-4gr): maximum 15 campers per week - Week 2 CLOSED! & Weeks 1, 3, 4 Limited
• Tigers (5-7th gr): maximum 15 campers per week - Weeks 2, 3, 4, & 6 CLOSED! All other weeks Limited

The HACTC is excited to offer our one-week Summer Tech Camp to middle school students again! We hope to see some Plainfield Elementary School students here at the HACTC for camp this June. We will offer 10 different hands-on activities throughout the week.

Also, new this year: we will also offer a Computer Camp for Girls and Gender Expansive Youth. This camp is limited to the first 12 applicants.

Both camps will be held the same week - June 23-27, 2025 - tech camp in the morning, and computer camp for girls and gender expansive youth in the afternoon.

Some examples of past tech camp activities include: basic welding, changing a car tire, making homemade pasta and sauce, videography, photography, spa sciences, basic first aid/constructing a first aid kit, Cricut creations, Entrepreneur for a Day, Building a Toolbox, Community Service, and more. We will share this year's complete list of camp activities when we get closer to June.

We will offer bussing for the AM tech camp again for schools/towns that send 10 or more students. We will keep you posted about that option as soon as we start to receive numbers of camp applications near that range. No transportation will be provided for the PM computer camp.

To register for Summer Tech Camp in the mornings, please complete and submit THIS online camp application.

To register for Computer Camp for girls and gender expansive youth in the afternoons, please complete and submit THIS online camp application.

Campers who attended tech camp last year may attend again this year if they are entering 8th or 9th grades in the fall - we offer new activities to participate in each year. Also, girls and gender expansive youth may sign up for both AM and PM camp programs (please be sure to complete both applications!).

Windsor County Mentors is your local organization working to create and support mentoring relationships between caring adults and youth in order to help them thrive. We create opportunities for the youth of the Upper Valley --including Windsor County, Vermont, Sullivan County, New Hampshire and part of Merrimack County, New Hampshire – to realize their potential as healthy, responsible decision-makers.

Mentoring offers vulnerable youth opportunities to share experiences with reliable adults to widen their vision of themselves, helping them to become confident, contributing members of their community. Social science research has shown that children who have a mentor are 52% less likely than peers to skip a day of school and 46% less likely than peers to start using illegal drugs. Sign your child up for mentoring or become a mentor today and help make a child’s life better! How to

Become a Mentor. If you enjoy spending fun-filled time with a child, are willing to be a consistent friend, and wish to engage in a relationship that fosters trust, respect, and healthy communication, you must also

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Complete a written application with 3 references
• Participate in an interview and background check
• Commit to a year of once-a-week meetings with a child matched to you

For more information, please reach out to:

Matthew Garcia, Executive Director Windsor County Mentors 802-674-5101

Spring Is Just Around The Corner!

Now is the time that families start to think about summer camps and what fun adventures they can create for their children while they continue to go to work to provide for their family. Some families in our community would love to send their children to day camp but just can’t come up with the weekly tuition. Day camp weekly tuitions are starting at $250 per child this summer. This can be a hardship for families. That is why our Summer Camp Scholarship program was established.

When a local child receives a camp scholarship, he or she also receives an enriching social & educational experience. In addition, scholarship monies can help provide transportation support and meals for children attending area day camps.

This summer with your help I would love to be able to offer children in our hometown an enriching childhood summer camp experience. Now through June 1st the Community Resource Room will be collecting donations to help provide some of our local children with lifelong summer memories!

If you are interested in donating, please send your gift to:

The Town of Plainfield Summer Camp Scholarships

c/o Stephanie Schell, Community Resource Director

P.O. Box 380

Meriden, NH 03770

THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING A DONATION!

1st Thursday & 3rd Friday & Saturday of each month at the Christ Community Church; Route 12A Plainfield. Nutritious pre-packaged bags of nonperishable food items, frozen meat, bread, eggs, milk and fresh veggies & fruit. This is a drive thru pantry for Plainfield & Cornish residents. Free Cat & Dog food on the 3rd Friday & Saturday provided by the Upper Valley Humane Society. Please stop by between 9-10:30 a.m. to help stretch your grocery budget.

WHAT: FREE Clothing for all ages, Home goods, Toys etc.

WHERE: Christ Community Church; 1259 Route 12A Plainfield - 1-603-675-5673

WHEN: Tuesdays 9-11 a.m. Everyone is Welcome!

A box of nutritious food is delivered to your home each Wednesday afternoon to help fight hunger. The box contains a variety of foods for the entire family to help stretch your grocery budget.

FREE Fresh veggies, fruit, milk, eggs, bread & proteins Every Wednesday from 11:45-12:15 p.m. Cornish Town Hall is located on the fairgrounds. Everyone is welcome!

Providing Heating Fuel & Electrical Assistance. They also have Rental or Mortgage Assistance programs. Completed applications for eligibility are needed. These programs are open to all Sullivan County Residents please call 542-9528 for more information.

Providing Plainfield Residents with the following:

• Heating & Electrical Assistance
• Food Pantry resources
• Holiday Gift Baskets
• School Supplies Drive
• Community Dinners
• Housing Helper Grants
• Summer Camp Scholarships
• Thrift Store Vouchers for clothing & furniture.

Located at 60 Hanover Street, Lebanon

Call for an appointment to discuss individual needs: 1-603-448-4553

Any Plainfield or Meriden resident requiring assistance for housing, heating fuel assistance, electricity assistance, medication assistance and or nutritional support from the Town should contact the Community Resource Director, Stephanie Schell. Contact information: 603-469-3201 or email sschell@plainfieldschool.org. All information is confidential.

Food Pantry

Residents of the Town of Plainfield can access the following local services.
Note: The food pantry and clothing swap rooms are located in the Christ Community Church on Route 12A (across from the Plainfield Fire Department). The Food Pantry is open the 1st Thursday and the 3rd Friday and Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and warmly welcomes all Town residents.

Free Clothing Rooms

The Christ Community Church has (2) very well organized rooms that contain FREE clothing for adults and children. All clothing is donated and in great condition. In addition to clothing there are also Free household items, toys & books as well. These rooms are open to the Public each Tuesday morning from 9-11 a.m.

Free Fresh Veggies & Fruit

Free fresh produce provided by Willing Hands: please check the Town calendar for dates and times.