MEMORIAL SCHOOL
ANNOUNCEMENT
October 4, 2020
Greetings Memorial School Community,

Thank you for taking the time to read these important updates for Memorial School.  

Professional Development Day

Please remember that this Friday, October 9th, teachers have a scheduled Professional Development Day. Students will not have any classes or additional assignments on this day.

Front Office Relocation

The Memorial School front office relocation project is in its final stages. The project, designed to improve school safety, has relocated the front office to the West Main Street entrance. (This entrance is known as “the horseshoe” and is typically where parent drop-off occurs when school is in session.) Additionally, we will be updating the parking lot in the next week or so to designate handicap and visitor parking for the new front entrance area. Our main parking lot can still be accessed by using the school entrance off of Crane Crossing. Thank you and I apologize in advance for any confusion as we all make this adjustment together.
NHSAS Interims
 
The NHSAS Interim Assessments that were planned for early October will be moved to the end of the month. This week, the state shared revised expectations for administering the test, which will require additional time and preparation from staff. For more information on the NHSAS Interim Assessment, please see below:

This fall, the New Hampshire Department of Education (NHDOE) has asked all districts to administer the New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System (NH SAS) Interim Assessment. The interim assessments can be conducted remotely or in person. The majority of our students will experience this assessment in a remote format and your child’s teacher will take time to prepare all students.  

Students will be assessed in Math as well as English Language Arts (Reading and Writing). Students will take the previous year’s interim assessment. In other words, a student in grade 4 will take the NH SAS Interim Assessments from grade 3. This will provide information on what our students know that takes into account the pandemic’s impact on last spring. The interim assessments should take most students about 30 minutes to complete.

You are also welcome to review the information that has been provided by the NHDOE.

Parental Dos for Remote Learning

Please DO:

  • Support your child(ren) by helping them get up, eat breakfast and be prepared for their Morning Meeting at 9:00AM. Please ensure that your child’s at home “learning space” is appropriate for remote learning (avoid laying in bed, etc.)
  • Encourage your child to be a problem solver by asking questions in class, show up to extra help opportunities, and email his / her teacher or support staff with questions.
  • Parent assistance on the content of the assignment should be similar to the support your child(ren) gets with homework. It is okay if your child(ren) doesn't always know the correct answer. In fact, this is how teachers can best determine how to provide the right type of support.
  • Help to provide screen and movement breaks for your child(ren). We have specifically designated the 11:45PM - 12:45PM time block to be completely free from school responsibilities for all students. Please encourage your child(ren) to take full advantage of this time.

Please DON’T:

  • Please do not interrupt a live session with a teacher that has other students (and families) watching and listening. We are happy to answer any and all questions, but please be respectful of the teacher’s class and limited time for instruction.
  • An email to the teacher is greatly appreciated and will be returned as soon as possible.
  • Please do not give your child the perception that school (or live sessions) are optional. We understand that the level of expectation has risen from the spring, but please work with the school if your child is having difficulty.
  • Please do not worry if and when a problem arises. Students will not be in trouble as we all figure out this new way of teaching and learning. Our students respond to the emotions of the adults around them. A calm, positive, and reassuring tone goes a long way for all.

Teachers and parents need to work closely and collaboratively to support students now more than ever. Please let us know how we can best support your child(ren)’s needs, which we will continue to do to the best of our ability in these difficult times.
 
Technology Help Desk

Parents can email helpdesk@sau17.net to put in a ticket, or call the main SAU number at 642-3688, then press # and leave a message. A member of the district’s IT department will respond to all requests as quickly as possible. Additional information can be found on the Memorial School Online Learning Site.

Grade Level Sites

I want to make sure that everyone is aware of the digital hubs that can provide you with information during this time of remote learning:





Social Emotional Learning Update

This week some staff members watched Lynn Lyons: Can Mr. Rogers Save Us All? Creating More Family Connection and Joy. She shared some of Mr. Rogers wisdom about expressing feelings as well as insights in helping our children navigate through tough times. She recommends eliminating words such as “safe” and “best”. The group took a quote from Lynn Lyons and created mini posters for the classrooms that say, “If I’m uncomfortable or unsure or nervous as I’m learning something new, I’m on the right track…” It will be a great talking point with kids and something to refer to each time we teach something new. Add it to your child’s learning space as a good reminder for them as well as a good reminder for you when you watch them struggle on occasion. Some struggles are expected and okay. 
 
Thank you :-)
 
Mrs. Collins
 
PTO

Our next meeting is Thursday October 8th at 7:30 on zoom:

Meeting ID: 341 393 4780
Passcode: Sanborn
 
PTO is in full swing! Please take a moment to join PTO. Your membership gets you voting rights and supports all of the programs that we do throughout the year, as well as supporting the classrooms. The class with the highest membership wins an ice cream party (likely drive through this year). Currently, Mrs. Tozier’s class is in the lead, followed close behind by Mrs. Daigle’s class. Follow this link to join:

PTO Scavenger hunt has begun!

Students will form teams of up to 4 kids. The team that finishes first and the team whose album gets the most votes win prizes! All photos are due by 5pm on 10/31 and voting runs until 11/6. As long as the pictures are submitted by 10/31, it is not too late to join. Students need to join the PTO classroom to participate. Teachers will be sharing information to join the PTO Google Classroom next week.

Meet the staff!

PTO has invited students to interview staff members at Memorial, please have your student email memorialpto@sau17.net to sign up to interview a staff member.

Meet Mrs. Allessio interviewed by Micah Prahl!

Do you have any pets? No.
How long have you been teaching? I have been teaching since 1999. (21 years!)
What is your favorite book? Les Miserables. I also like the Mockingjay and the whole Hunger Games series.
What is your favorite movie? Titanic. I just watched that the other night with my kids. I’ve also started watching the Marvel movies.
What do you do for hobbies? Tennis 

Meet Ms. Lohnes interviewed by Abby Dougherty

1. Why did you choose to become a Fifth grade teacher?
answer: I became a Third grade teacher at another school and they asked me if I wanted to teach 5th grade. I could also do more things with them.
2. What are some of your favorite hobbies?
answer: Hiking, Camping, and spending time with my family and friends.
3. What is your favorite holiday and what do you like to do on that day?
answer: Christmas because I like having family over.
4. What is one funny thing that happened to your cat?
answer: I put clothes on my cat.
5. What is one vacation that you've gone on?
answer: London.
6. If you were to do one sport what would it be?
answer: Dance

Final Thoughts
 
Thank you all for your continued patience and support. We are truly grateful for the wonderful communities that we serve.
 
Appreciatively,
 
Ryan McCluskey