What's Bruin at Pierce School?
May 8, 2026
All Are Welcome
Here's the latest news from the Pierce School PTO! We're busy making plans for our kids to have the best end of the school year ever, and we'd love your help with several activities!
First up is Teacher Appreciation Week, which is May 4-8. We have lots up our sleeves to celebrate our incredible staff, and we're keeping our plans top secret. However, if you'd like to help in any way, please reach out to Tanisha Lowell, our president, at ptopierceelem@gmail.com
On Saturday, May 16, the PTO will once again be selling pizza at the food court at the Children and the Arts festival in downtown Peterborough. Any help would be greatly appreciated, and you can sign up for various shifts here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0A4BAEAE29A5F49-63444436-pierce
This is a fantastic local tradition, and Pierce School always has a great showing. Even if you can't help us with the pizza sales, we hope to see you and your kids in the parade and enjoying the festival!
We will also be selling freshly squeezed lemonade at this year's Rhubarb Festival on Saturday, June 6, at Sawyer Park here in Bennington. Sign up to help us out here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0A4BAEAE29A5F49-63444664-ptolemonade
The Pierce PTO meets on the second Wednesday of each month from 6-7 p.m. at the school library. Join us! All are welcome.
Music
Next week Mrs. Neilssen will be back!
The Magic of E
Busy kindergarteners have been hard at work this week! We painted our beautiful masterpieces for Children of the Arts, and we can’t wait for everyone to see them! In literacy groups, we learned all about the Magic E and how it changes words. In science, we explored how flowers bloom in the spring and discovered what helps them grow and move toward the sunlight. What a fun and busy week in kindergarten!
Writing to Inform
This week we started off working on a special art project for the Children And The Arts Festival. We got to have our second Cornucopia lesson where we talked about the life cycle of a seed and what it needs to grow into a healthy plant. We also planted some new seeds and young plants to start the veggie garden for the year! In first grade math we worked with partners and measured an animal using blocks, then created posters and presented how we measured to the class. We started learning about informative writing and being able to look at a passage of information and use it to write about. It can be tricky to switch from having opinions to only stating the facts!
Release the Turtles!
Hello families! We had a great week in Ms. Sutton’s class. Susie Spikol came to visit for her last turtle lesson. The turtles are growing each day as our data shows. In class, we wrote our farewell letters and included our hope for the turtles at the release in June 1st.
Second graders have enjoyed working with money and played a money exchange game called the Magic Dollar. Third graders finished up the unit on Fractions. There will be many questions on the NH state assessment on this topic. Phew!
Lastly, don’t forget the Children and the Arts Festival is next weekend, the 16th in Peterborough. Our school’s artwork will be hanging in the Steele’s window by this afternoon! Please join the festival including the school parade. A menu and map will be coming home with your child. All events are free! The PTO will be selling pizza in the food court area. It is a truly magical day to celebrate the arts and spend time with family and friends. Thank you also to everyone who helped support teacher appreciation week! It was wonderful!
We Say Goodbye to Finned Friends!
We came back from vacation, a bit tired, but ready to learn Students reviewed Native Americans from early New Hampshire history and had fun acting out their lives and challenges in class. We learned about some early explorers of New Hampshire, land grants, and John Mason - the man who received a land grant and named the region New Hampshire.
Prior to Vacation...
Brook Trout Release
Prior to vacation, the fourth grade class scooped our finned friends, the baby brook trout, from the fish tank and brought them to the Contoocook River in the Bruce Edes Forest for release. Students shared their final thoughts before releasing them into the wide world. Bye brook trout!
Friday before break, Mrs. Sysyn came in to help students finish their NH mammal pillow. Mrs. Sysyn has given her gift of time, materials, and the love of sewing to fourth graders.
Field Day is on the Way!
This week in PE, Pierce started prepping for field day events! We are getting used to some of the activities that will be played at field day so students are ready to go. As always, we stayed working hard on our fitness with different locomotor activities and exercises. Our health lesson this week was on bullying and students got to make and perform their own skit in front of the class. Everyone did great and it was awesome to see all the creativity!
