September 3, 2010

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year at HDES.  We are excited to see your children again. The building is a shell until staff and students return; now it resumes being a school. I will continue to send you information each Friday.  If there are particular topics you would like addressed, please let me know.  Thank you for the feedback on last year’s letters.

Facility:  The big change this summer has been the installation of energy efficient lighting. It will take a bit of getting used to since it utilizes motion sensitive sensors.

Staffing:  We are happy to say that most of our veteran staff has returned.  Mr. Doughty has officially joined the staff as a fifth grade teacher, rather than filling a one year leave position.  Mrs. Minard will be teaching a third grade class freeing Mrs. Savoy to be our Math coach.  Jessica Rowe will be a long term substitute as we continue our search for a computer teacher.  Ann Bowman is our new school nurse. Kara Nikulas is the new para educator for SSC, in place of Mrs. Persechino.  We will be adding four part time paraprofessionals to keep your children safe and happy during lunch and recess times. 

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program:  We are the recipients of funding allowing us to serve fresh fruits and/or vegetables for snack four days a week. Every child will have the opportunity to choose from the selection.  There is no charge for this program.  Healthy bodies and healthy habits go hand in hand with healthy brains and learning.  This program is offered four days a week, with the norm being Monday – Thursday.  However, when there is a four day school week, due to a holiday, the fruit and/or vegetable will be offered every day.  Here is the menu for September:

SEPTEMBER MENU FOR FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

8/30 NECTARINES   8/31 CARROT STICKS   9/1 PEACHES  

9/2 ORANGES   9/7 CELERY STICKS   9/8 CANTALOUPE  

9/9 KIWIFRUIT   9/10 MACINTOSH APPLES     9/13 BLUEBERRIES

9/14 HONEYDEW MELON   9/15 GREEN GRAPES   9/16 STRAWBERRIES

9/20 PINEAPPLE CHUNKS 9/21 CARROT STICKS   9/22 GRANNY APPLES  

9/23 RASPBERRIES 9/27 RED GRAPES   9/28 PEARS

9/29 BANANAS 9/30 WATERMELON

Restructuring:  I have provided the state with a progress report from last year.  Preliminary results are that they are impressed by the hard work of the staff and students and the progress that has been made. As I explained in the letter of last June, or the letter that new students received when registering, we are frozen at step 5 in Reading.  This means that last year our scores showed that many of your children reached proficient level in reading on the NECAP.  We believe that trend will continue on the NECAP this October which would remove us from the restructuring list in Reading.  We have moved to year two in Restructuring in Math.  Each year we examine what we do to determine what is best for children.  With the efforts of teachers based upon data from last year’s new benchmark exams, and a focus on consistency of topics taught, we anticipate much growth in Math.  Mrs. Savoy will work with students and staff as math coach to provide resources to continue this positive trend.

After School Instrument Lessons: Guitar and strings (violin, viola, cello, etc) will again be available this year!  Students should be in at least second grade to take advantage of this program. Please contact Laura Corriveau (lcorriveau@hdsd.k12.nh.us) for information. Lessons on band instruments will be available for grade five students as well.  They will be bringing information home on September 9^th

From the Art Room: I hope everyone had a great summer. It’s great to be back and entering into some exciting art adventures planned for this year. Something I want to bring to the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th grades is ‘Paper Stations’ where we’ll be exploring different ways to decorate paper for use in future collage projects. I would really appreciate some extra adult hands on deck for this project which I have planned to begin Tues. Sept 14^th through Mon. 20^th (incl). I would need help from 8.30 – 11.15’ish each of those mornings. If you think you would like to join us in the art room for all or any of those times please drop me an email at lbrett@hdsd.k12.nh.us or give me a call on ext. 1417. Thanking you, Mrs. Brett

PTO: We are very lucky to have an active parent teacher organization.  We can use assistance for things ranging from one time playground cleanup through steady assistance to classroom teachers, work done at home or work done at school.  Please contact Stephanie Murray, President, at hdespto@yahoo.com  to see how your talents could assist us. The PTO would also like to emphasize their ability to answer your questions about school and school activity.  They are a marvelous, patient, and vast source of information.

School Community Council- will be meeting once a month during the day. One task will be the identification of the manpower we have available to us to volunteer for work to be done in school or at home, and for presentations on Career Day or other topics in which you have expertise.

Hannaford:  Hannaford Supermarkets is providing an incentive to earn money for your school.  For every 4 participating products purchased you get 3 school dollars.  Enclosed is a brochure or you can visit Hannaford.com/hhs to learn more. 

Dates to remember:

· NOTE: The Academic Excellence Awards date listed above has been changed due to a conflict in school schedules.  Please excuse any inconveniences.

Lunch menu:  Monday –No School, Tuesday – Cheese or Pepperoni Pizza or Bologna & Cheese Sandwich, Wednesday – Chicken Fries or Egg Salad Sandwich, Thursday – Tacos or Tuna Fish Sandwich, Friday – Macaroni and Cheese or Peanut Butter (sunflower butter) and Jelly Sandwich.

Specials:  Monday – No School, Tuesday, Day 1, Wednesday, Day 2, Thursday, Day 3, Friday, Day 4

I am delighted to be of service to you.  Feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments.

Each child is an adventure into a better life-an opportunity to change the old pattern and make a new one.

Hubert H. Humphrey

Sincerely,

Noreen M. McAloon, Ed.D., “Dr. Mac”