Center Stage

WCS Mission Statement:

The Windham Center School is a supportive community dedicated to student achievement, personal growth and empowering students to take ownership of their learning while showcasing their qualities that make them unique.

WCS Vision Statement:

The vision of the Windham Center School is to strive to foster confidence, curiosity, and resilience in our students' educational journey while inspiring lifelong learners guided by our core values of Responsibility, Opportunity, Achievement, and Respect.

Dear Parents & Guardians,

What a wonderful day for our Annual Pumpkin Bash! A huge shoutout to our amazing PTA and all of the volunteers who helped make today such a special event for our students. The kids had the best time celebrating with their friends, and the smell of pumpkins throughout the building made it feel like fall was truly in the air! We are so grateful to everyone who helped create such a fun and memorable experience for our students.

We have our early release day coming up on October 21st. It is important that your child knows what their early release plan is for that day. We will begin releasing students at 11:15 a.m., so please make any necessary adjustments to your child's information in Pick Up Patrol. Having a clear plan in place will help ensure that dismissal runs as smoothly and safely as possible.

Progress report grades and comments will be available one week from today. Please take some time to log into PowerSchool and review your child's progress. Parent-teacher conferences are also a wonderful opportunity to connect with teachers, celebrate your child's successes, and ask any questions you may have. While we do not have enough conference slots at this level for parents to meet individually with every teacher, our teachers communicate with one another and will be able to share information about your child's progress and experiences across other content areas. Please remember that communication and collaboration go far beyond parent-teacher conference nights. We encourage you to reach out to your child's teacher at any point throughout the school year if you have questions, concerns, or simply want to check in about how your child is doing. We value your partnership and appreciate your continued support.

Finally, a quick reminder that picture retakes will be held next Friday. Please reach out to the school if you have any questions about picture retakes.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our students and school community. We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Mrs. B.J. Martin

Principal-B.J. Martin bmartin@windhamsd.org

Assistant Principal/504 Coordinator-Nadine Herard nherard@windhamsd.org

Director of Special Education-Kaite Carmody kcarmody@windhamsd.org

A big thank you to our amazing PTA for coordinating this annual event. Thank you to all of our parents, staff and students for your help to make this annual tradition a fun day for all.

Prior to the budget workshop on Tuesday (10/20), the Windham School Board will hold a public hearing at 6:00 pm. The hearing will address House Bill 1300, Chapter 324, which was adopted by the New Hampshire State Legislature and signed by Governor Kelly Ayotte in 2026, and adds a new subsection to RSA 32 titled “School District Local Tax Cap and School Administrative Fixed Cap on Central Office Administrative Budgets”. In November 2026 and November 2028, voters will be asked about the following two items during the State’s general election:

• Adoption of a school district-only tax cap

• 6% cap on SAU central office spending

We encourage all Windham residents to attend. This is your opportunity to learn about House Bill 1300, ask questions, and understand the potential impacts this funding cap could have on the Windham School District. The Windham School Board can be reached at wsb@windhamsd.org. For more information, the School Board has provided this informational flyer.

We've heard the frustrations with making fee payments and wanted to let you know we're listening. We've added a new button/link that makes paying outstanding fees easier from both the web version and mobile app version of MyPowerHub! This new link bypasses the Fee Balance page and takes you directly to your RevTrak login.

Directions differ depending on whether you are using the mobile app or the browser version so PLEASE review the updated instructions for IMPORTANT details that will make this process easier for you.

Those students who are in this year’s Robotics Group, please remember that our first meeting takes place this Monday afternoon after school, October 19th at 2:30 to 3:30. Parents are expected to pick up their students at the front of Windham Center School promptly at 3:30.

Mr. Dichard's PE Classes will be outside during PE until 10/23. Please have your child(ren) dress appropriately for the weather and wear sneakers to school.

5th Grade STEAM classes will be heading outside for nature walks from October 19-November 24. Please have your child dress appropriately: jackets as needed, and wear closed-toe shoes (sneakers, crocs, or hiking boots are fine, but no sandals or slippers) .

WMS is looking to fill the following coaching positions:

Girls' Basketball, Boys' Basketball, Wrestling, Softball, and Track and Field.

If you are interested, please apply on the district website. If you are interested and would like to discuss before applying, please email Kevin Moyer kmoyer@windhamsd.org

To help our parents and guardians feel more comfortable navigating the various PowerSchool products the district uses, the tech department will regularly share support and learning tools in the newsletters. We hope these tech tips, which will include a variety of videos, PDF instructions, deep dives, and quick tips, will help our community become more comfortable using our primary resources: MyPowerHub (The Hub), the PowerSchool Parent Portal, and the PowerSchool Mobile App. Additionally, these resources will be added to our website's Parent Technology Resource Center so you can revisit them at any time.

We are starting with a video overview of MyPowerHub. Click here to launch the video.

This overview highlights the version you access via a web browser. Just as a reminder, our Hub login URL is: https://windhamsd.guardian.powerschool.com/

Regards,

Victoria A. Provost

District Data Coordinator/PowerSchool System Admin

Please use the Teacher Breakfast Donations Signup Genius if you’d like to donate a gift card or item for the Book Fair Teacher Preview Breakfast.

Please use the Book Fair Volunteer Signup Genius to help staff the Scholastic Book Fair. We need volunteers to sign up for 1 or more shifts from October 26-30 to run a register, help students shop, and help with setup/breakdown. Volunteers get a 10% discount and help make our Scholastic Book Fair library fundraiser happen. Contact Joel Burdette with questions, or if you’d like to help on the Book Fair committee.

The PTA is a Parent/Teacher Association, which has been formed for the purpose of increasing and improving communication between home and school. The PTA meets once per month, runs book fairs during parent/teacher conferences, and runs many other important school events. Each fall, the PTA has its annual membership drive for new members and the election of officers. It is hoped that the parents of all of our students will become members and support our school projects.

Visit our PTA website at: http://www.windhampta.org/ for the most current PTA officers and Information.

Book Club Meeting this Tuesday Oct. 20–Join Today!

The Jr. Book Beat Club will meet next on October 20 to discuss Tuck Everlasting and The Thief of Always. Meetings are one or two selected Tuesdays each month from 2:30 to 3:30 pm in the WCS Library. This book discussion group is open to interested 5th and 6th grade students. Members select a book together, read it outside of school, and meet to discuss. Please fill out the Book Club registration form for your child to participate and to read more details.

Destination Imagination (DI) is an open-ended STEAM after-school activity that inspires students to imagine and innovate today, so they can become the creative leaders of tomorrow. Students take on the entire creative process from imagination to innovation. They learn vital life and career skills—creative thinking, critical thinking, public speaking, and collaborative problem-solving—that help them to feel empowered and set them up for future success. Fifth graders are considered to be at the elementary level for DI, while 6th graders compete at the middle school level. DI requires participation from a few parents (as team coach, competition appraiser, and competition volunteers). Center School teams will be competing in the NH Regionals in March 2027 (based on performances, teams may continue to compete through May 2027).

Please have your child watch the challenge videos found at this link to express which challenges he/she would be most interested in. Link: https://www.destinationimagination.org/challenge-experience/challenge-previews/

If you are interested in joining a team this year, please fill out the Google Form here. The form will close on October 9, 2026.

Please note that completing this form does not guarantee a spot on a DI team. We have limited parent volunteers who have agreed to be a team coach so far. We will also try to align students who are interested in the same challenge. The availability of your child on a day when a coach and the advisor are available will also be a factor.

Questions: Please email Katy Parsons at kparsons@windhamsd.org

Hello WCS Families,

We are happy to announce that Ski Club will occur again this year! We will be going to Pat’s Peak on Thursday nights in January for five fun-filled nights of skiing and snowboarding (January 7, 14, 21, 28 & Feb. 4). Students of all levels are welcome to sign up, as there are lessons at the mountain.

This year, sign-ups will be emailed out on October 25th at 9:00 AM (Sunday) to allow for early bird pricing and for all families to have an option to sign up. (To receive early pricing, registration must be paid in FULL on or before 11/15/26!) Sign-ups will be first-come, first-served and can be very competitive. When you go to sign up, you will need the names and numbers of TWO emergency contacts ready to be entered. If your child does not make the cut-off for the club, there will be a Google Form in the notes asking you to sign up for the waitlist. The waitlist will be timestamped from when the form is submitted to ensure a fair process for all 5th- and 6th-grade students.

If you are new to Ski Club, here is some overview information:

- Please be advised that participation in this club entails additional expenses, including bus transportation fees and a Pats Peak ski pass. Families may select from a variety of pass types, depending on their preferences and budget.

- All students must pay for their spot on the bus and get their pass from Pat’s Peak.

- Videos of how to purchase tickets and detailed information can be found on the Ski Club Page for students who join the Ski Club. You will not be entered early; only students who make it into the club will be on the page, so no one gets confused.

- This year, you can pay for the Ski Club bus digitally (PowerSchool) or by check payable to Windham Center School.

- Pat’s Peak passes must be purchased directly through Pat’s Peak. Please see the video and/or PDF directions for 2026/2027 ski club members on the Ski Club page (only available for those who get into the club).

- Students leave WCS at 1:45 pm and will be responsible for gathering information and work from their missed classes.

- Students will have lessons (if purchased) from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM and free skiing from 4:00 PM to 6:45 PM.

- Students who miss their check-in time (5:00 PM - 5:30 PM) cannot come the following week.

- Rental gear is available for anyone who needs it and can be purchased with their pass.

- Mrs. Schuurman and Mrs. Cronin will email chaperones to alert them if they can be chaperones for their chosen night. You will then get a pass from Mrs. Schuurman to ski/snowboard for the night.

-Mandatory Parent Meeting: If your child is in Ski Club for the first time and is accepted into the club, at least one parent/guardian must attend a required meeting on December 2nd at 5:30 PM. This meeting will cover all expectations, procedures, and important information for the club.

As always, if you have any questions, please email us at jschuurman@windhamsd.org and scronin@windhamsd.org.

Tutor.com: We are thrilled to continue offering Tutor.com services to grades 4-12! This partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Education and Tutor.com provides unlimited access to the tutoring service – anytime, anywhere, from any internet-connected device. This means your child can get the academic support they need, even from the comfort of home. Our students can access Tutor.com through their Schoology course pages. Please click here for more information.

The following events are not sponsored by the Windham School District.