The Newton News
October 18, 2019
Upcoming Events

October 24
Fall Sports Banquet

October 30
Picture Retake Day

October 31
PTA Halloween Festivities

November 11
No School (Veteran's Day)

November 13
Veteran's Day Ceremony
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HALLOWEEN SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
THURSDAY, October 31st

4:30 - TRICK-OR-TREATING BEGINS in both upper and lower villages

5:00 - JACK-O-LANTERN CONTEST ON THE STEPS AT BARRETT HALL
Please have your pumpkins there by 5 pm. Winners announced after dinner at 6:45

6:00-7:00 - ANNUAL SPAGHETTI DINNER FUNDRAISER & HAUNTED HOUSE AT BARRETT HALL (Haunted House is FREE & generously created by Newton 8th graders & Parent Volunteers)  Spaghetti Dinner Costs: $5/person
K-2 News
Anmari Kicza, Alyssa Marzot & Marie Robinson
The K-2 enjoyed the performance of Bubblemania at the Lebanon Opera House Tuesday morning. Casey-Carle wowed the audience with bubble tricks, bubble sculptures, bubble science, and fun music. Our students were a good, fun, appreciative audience. Thank you to the PTA for funding our performance field trips!
3/4 News
Denise Cot é & Lauren Lacasse
Students did an amazing job preparing for and leading conferences this week! They were incredibly reflective and thoughtful in their thinking about themselves as students, and identifying their strengths and goals. Well done, 3rd and 4th graders! 

3rd graders enjoyed their first trip to the Hood Museum on Friday! They continued to demonstrate good listening, active questioning, appreciating with wonder and awe and collaborating to build a shared piece of art. 

4th grade mathematicians spent time looking over their test from last week and identifying what they understand really well, and what areas of reading they are still working on. We practiced some tricky math concepts by creating multiple monsters and factor ninjas to display in our classroom as tools for reminders about what multiples and factors are! 
5/6 News
Jasmine Tremblay & Eric Walker
Thank you parents for an awesome conference week! It was great seeing the kids present their work, and we are proud of them for the work they put into it, and how they presented themselves.

As you now know, part of the information they shared with you was their PLP (Personalized Learning Plan). After taking quizzes on personalities, the students thought about a long term goal that they would like to have for after high school. They then thought about and wrote down a short term goal that would help them meet their longer one.

Along with being a good collaborators, our hope is that each of our students will be self-directed learners (can they learn on their own if need be, can they figure out how to solve a problem if an adult is not around to help them?). These individualized PLPs are a great way to practice being self-directed. Over the next weeks and months, the kids will need to figure out if they are meeting their goals, and how they know if they are accomplishing them.  Of course we will be there to help them, but we would like them to really reflect on their own about their goal and come up with a plan if things aren't working out. 
7/8 News
Colin Breen & Erik Reimanis
Student led conferences were held this week and it was great to hear and watch the different attitudes and perspectives. Thanks to the PTA for setting up food for the teachers so we can focus on the students. We greatly appreciate it! 

Science class is gearing up for a test on the topics of motion we have been exploring. A test is a great way for me to see if I am doing my job well. Wish me luck!

8th grade math has been working with more complex algebra expressions and trying out the algebra tiles on the Smartboard. 7th grade math recently finished chapter one and took the test (can correct it for half credit!) on probabilities and proportions. We will start fresh on chapter two on Monday.

In Social Studies, we're studying the problems of the Articles of Confederation. The students are designing their own Constitutions, based on what they would want to do to fix these problems. 

In Literature, we're continuing our study of traditions by reading Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." The kids will be writing a piece on how the tradition of The Lottery is simultaneously binding and destructive for the town it is set in.
Library & Technology News
Simone Pyle
Kindergarten enjoyed a new book today, I Want to Be in a Scary Story, by Sean Taylor. They loved it! We talked about how choosing a just-right book doesn't just mean one that you can read on your own, or that you'd enjoy someone reading to you...it also means choosing a book that isn't too scary, too sad, too silly, or whatever your mood calls for. I also reminded them that it's okay to put a book away without finishing it if it's not just right!
Lunch Room News
Gret Hewes
Our next Farm to School (FTS) taste test will be on Tuesday, October 29th. We will be having the students try Hubbard squash that was harvested from our school gardens.

Next week is Halloween…we can’t wait! Be sure to ask your kids about our Newton Halloween tradition during lunch on Halloween. It’s one of our favorite days at Newton and is so much fun.
Athletic News
Laura DeCapua
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Soccer News

K-2 had an excellent start to its season against SoRo last weekend! Fielding two teams the K-2's showed excellent skills and enthusiasm at their first game of the season! Tomorrow, they take on teams from all over the Upper Valley at the Thetford Jamboree. Games begin at 8 a.m. at the Thetford Elementary School for 1st grade players, and at 12:00 p.m. for 2nd grade players. Practices continue for K-2 on Wednesdays at the Field of Dreams from 3:15-4:30 through next week. K-2 hosts Bethel in their only home game of the season on Saturday, October 26 at 11 a.m.

The 3/4's completed its season with a tie against Bethel last Tuesday. What an excellent season of teamwork and skill-building they have had! Some players are even extending their season by “playing up” by joining and supporting the 5/6 team.

The 5/6 team takes on Thetford tonight at Murray Field at 5 p.m. and finishes its season next week with two home games at Murray Field at 5 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday the 21st and 23rd.

Go Roadrunners! As always coaches request players arrive 20-30 minutes before game time.

The Fall Sports Banquet to celebrate our Newton Athletes is scheduled for Thursday, October 24 at Barrett Hall from 5:30-7 p.m. Please bring a dish to share and your own plates and silverware to help make this a zero-waste event. More details to follow from your coaches.
PTA News
Christine Bailey-Kellogg
Strafford Halloween Celebration

CANDY COLLECTION IN PROGRESS--PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING THIS WEEK!
Halloween in Strafford is a tradition of creativity, openness and candy! One of the wonderful ways those of us who live on the outskirts of the villages can support our neighbors on the main streets is by donating candy for them to give out (often to our own kiddos!). 

If you would like to contribute, please put some candy into the PTA donation box at Coburn's before October 26. 

PTA volunteers will redistribute the goods to centrally-located homes before the 27th.

We will have some houses in each village with designated containers with candies low or free of common allergens. These include skittles, starburst, dots, smarties, almond joy, butterfinger and more. Thank you for thinking about how to make it easier for ALL kids to join in the fun! 

Watch for announcements about other PTA-sponsored events that night!

Questions about candy collection/distribution can be directed to Christa Wurm at 765-4111. 

HALLOWEEN SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
THURSDAY, October 31st

4:30 - TRICK-OR-TREATING BEGINS in both upper and lower villages

5:00 - JACK-O-LANTERN CONTEST ON THE STEPS AT BARRETT HALL
Please have your pumpkins there by 5 pm. Winners announced after dinner at 6:45

6:00-7:00 - ANNUAL SPAGHETTI DINNER FUNDRAISER & HAUNTED HOUSE AT BARRETT HALL (Haunted House is FREE & generously created by Newton 8th graders & Parent Volunteers)  Spaghetti Dinner Costs: $5/person

Questions? Concerns? Please email Shannon Varley, our PTA Halloween Coordinator.

Newton School Directory
The PTA is putting together a school directory again this year. If you would like your information to be included, you may fill out and return the paper form (that went home last week), or email Christine Bailey-Kellogg with your information. Inclusion in the directory is completely optional.

Parent Teacher Conferences - Thank you!
Thanks to everyone who helped provide yummy sandwiches, snacks, desserts and beverages for our teachers during the conferences this week. It was very much appreciated, so thanks for your generosity!
"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new"
—Albert Einstein