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February 2013

CPS Newsletter
Charlestown Primary School (603) 826-3694

A Note From Principal Carey


HAPPY%NEW%YEAR%CPS%Families!!!%% % I%hope%everyone%had%a%safe%and%restful%break%and%that%you%all%had%an%enjoyable%holiday%season.%%Weve% settled%nicely%back%into%our%school%routine.%We%have%completed%our%AimsWeb%benchmarks%and%our% MAPs%testing.%Our%goal%with%this%testing%is%to%ensure%that%our%students%are%making%progress%in%their% learning.%We%are%officially%halfway%through%the%school%year!%The%100th%day%of%school%will%be%on% February%6th.% % In%December,%we%were%honored%to%accept%the%Commissioners%Circle%of%Excellence%Award%for%making% great%growth%in%improving%our%scores%on%standardized%tests.%The%commissioner,%Dr.%Virginia%Barry,% delivered%the%award%to%us%during%our%monthly%Recognition%Assembly.%It%was%a%true%honor%for%all%of%us% at%CPS.% % This%Friday%we%are%asking%staff%to%wear%red%in%honor%of%the%American%Heart%Association's%Go%Red%For% Women%movement.%The%purpose%of%this%day%is%to%raise%awareness%around%heart%health%in%women.% February%is%American%Heart%Month.%Our%school%nurse%will%be%collecting%donations%for%the%American% Heart%Association%from%the%staff.% % We%will%be%holding%our%February%PTA%meeting%on%Thursday,%February%7th%at%3:30pm%in%the%CPS% library.%Please%consider%attending%as%we%will%focus%on%upcoming%activities.%At%our%last%meeting%the% PTA%decided%that%there%will%be%no%Vegas%Night%this%year.%Instead,%we%will%be%planning%other%activities% where%CPS,%NCCS,%and%CMS%will%combine%forces%and%invite%parents%and%families%to%fun%activities%and% perhaps%a%dinner%to%raise%money%for%our%respective%playgrounds%(we%will%split%the%money).%%% % As%a%district,%we%are%having%a%Common%Core%Math%Information%Meeting%for%all%parents%at%Fall% Mountain%Regional%High%School%on%March%20%at%6pm.%%This%meeting%will%be%an%informational%meeting% for%parents%telling%them%about%the%shifts%in%learning%from%the%NH%Grade%Level%Expectations%to%the% Common%Core%State%Standards%in%math.%Please%come%and%learn%about%the%new%standards%that%we%will% be%using%next%year!% %% In%closing,%with%two%weeks%until%winter%vacation,%I%want%to%remind%everyone%that%it%is%always%helpful% to%maintain%some%daily%habits%even%while%on%vacation.%Providing%time%each%day%for%your%child%to% read%for%at%least%20%minutes%will%help%them%develop%stronger%vocabulary%skills,%help%them%do%better%in% school,%and%enrich%their%lives.%Developing%a%positive%attitude%toward%reading%is%essential%to%becoming% a%life_long%learner.%I%strongly%encourage%you%to%maintain%this%habit%throughout%the%entire%winter% break.%Thank%you%for%your%continued%support%of%the%students%and%staff%of%CPS.%

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CPS Newsletter

Pre-K News! Miss Coleman


During the cold winter months, the Pre-K students have been working extra hard at learning how to write the letters of the alphabet. We are using a program called Handwriting Without Tears. Our main focus is correct pencil grip, staying within the lines, and most importantly starting capital letters at the top. The students are really proud of their accomplishments. Every couple of weeks we study a new childrens book author. So far we have read the works of Eric Carle, Denise Fleming, and Jan Brett. Currently we are reading books by my favorite author Mo Willems. His books are hysterical, and the children really enjoy them. Reading with your child every day is a very important part of their education. Ask them lots of questions about the authors, illustrators, characters, and pictures. We cant wait for the weather to warm up so we can walk to the library for story time.

Kindergarten News! Mrs. Hesch, Mrs. Alford, and Mrs. Ouellette


The kindergarten children continue to enjoy show and tell each week. Taking a few minutes at home to discuss with your child what he or she will say during show and tell is very helpful. We encourage children to tell the story behind their selected item and to use adjectives to describe the item. We also encourage inquiry-based questions from the audience. One of the goals is for the children to make personal and community based connections during show and tell. Our kindergarten children are becoming great readers! When reading at home with your child, engage him or her by using the following techniques: predicting outcomes, discussing characters and setting, recalling details, sequencing events, decoding words, and recognizing high frequency words.

1st Grade News: Mrs. Campbell & Ms. Ramalho


Thank you for being so wonderful about remembering to send in the proper winter gear for your children. The first graders are some of the most prepared students when it comes to being ready to go out to play! Weve been learning about the food pyramid in class and are chatting about healthy snack options and the importance of eating from all of the different food groups. In math weve been concentrating on subtracting, using mental math to instantly know our addition facts, and seeing the connection between addition and subtraction. Weve also been working on problem solving skills using word problems, and the students are doing quite well with this. The hardest part is determining whether to add or subtract in order to get the right answer. The first graders know that the most important thing that they can do before they even attempt to solve the problem is to make a movie in their heads about what is happening in the story. Please continue reading daily with your first graders! Practicing the skills theyre learning in class at home helps them to become more fluent and much better readers. Were quite pleased with the growth weve seen in all of our readers!

2nd Grade News: Mrs. Lynde & Mrs. Parsons


Second graders have been working very hard collecting and analyzing data. Theyre becoming great mathematicians! Spending time counting coins and telling time at home is always helpful to your childs math skills. Dont forget each student at CPS has a login for the online math program IXL. If you need their login information, please ask. In addition to their nightly math homework, we ask that your child read for 10 minutes. Spending time listening to your child read and also reading to them is so beneficial. It strengthens both their vocabulary and fluency skills. Ask them open-ended questions while .reading like, What do you think about this character? What do you predict will happen next? How do you feel about the ending of this book? We appreciate you help and as always if you have any questions, dont hesitate to contact us!

CPS Newsletter

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3rd Grade News: Mrs. Edson & Mrs. Tewksbury


The 3rd grade will perform a Readers Theater at the assembly on Friday, Feb. 1. It is the story of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dream. The students were chosen for the parts and everyone will participate in the play. They will practice their part, but not be expected to memorize it. We are looking for good reading fluency and loud, clear speaking voices. The children are excited to be able to show off their reading and speaking skills. We have also been attending to our writing skills. 3E has written narrative sssays designed to retell an event. They have provided details and information that make us feel like we are participating in the story. Many students were able to include the skill of writing dialogue. My, they can tell fabulous tales!,said Mrs. Edson. 3T has composed persuasive essays making sure to convince an audience of an opinion. They included three arguments/statements supporting their point of view. We look forward to the short month of February jam-packed with learning.

4th Grade News: Mrs. Bashaw-Benvie & Mrs. Desilets


A group of students in our class have been reading a collection of traditional stories from Latin America. The book, Salsa Stories, sparked an interest in the cultures of Mexico, Guatemala and South America. Children in the Salsa Group began to research the countries from which the stories originated. They recorded an interview with Ms. Green as she once lived in Mexico and invited two college students visiting the area from Argentina to our classroom. Argentina is a very large country in South America with a long vertical shape. The northern part of the county is tropical and has a jungle. Southern Argentina is very close to Antarctica. It is summer in Argentina now. Natalia and Florencia shared pictures of their country and told us about their countries traditional music and dance. The national anthem of Argentina is called the Himno Nacional Argentino. Students learn to dance the Tango and the Charame in grade school. Most schools begin at 9:00 in the morning and end around 5:30 in the evening. Families typically do not have dinner until 9 or 10 at night. State colleges are free in Argentina and children are expected to attend a college after high school. Private colleges are not as expensive as they are in the U.S. Students who attend university do not live in dorms; they live at home. One student asked if they ate ribs in Argentina; we learned that asado (beef) is very popular. Argentina is known for raising cattle and growing soybeans. We learned that most of their fruit is imported from Brazil. After asking several questions, students realized that there are many things about Buenos Aires and New Hampshire that are the same and many interesting differences. (Submitted by: Mrs. Bashaw-Benvie)

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We have just wrapped up a math unit on division and multiplication and are moving on to a measurement unit! We start off with linear measurements and will learn to find perimeter and area. We will be using Logo Paths, computer software that requires students to program the computer to make two dimensional shapes. We will also be creating 100 foot paths through our classroom. Some homework assignments will require us to measure using both the English standard and metric system. Many students think the metric system is easier because it uses base ten. We are learning that it is really important to practice measuring accurately. Many science experiments require that we measure and document the results. Doctors and nurses use measurements. Hardware stores measure many things. Do you use linear measurements to do your job? (Submitted by Mrs. Desilets)

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CPS Newsletter

Grade 5 News: Ms. Olsen & Mrs. Vickers-Sivret


Oh the weather outside is frightful .but the 5th grade is so delightful! We have just returned from our amazing trip to the Montshire Museum. Our trip reinforced our learning about plants in science. It was our first field trip this year, but not our last. We are hoping to take a trip to Boston this spring. Be on the look out for some fund raising events because this will be a big trip! Social studies has sailed into the study of the early explorers, including the likes of John Cabot, Henry Hudson, and Ponce de Leon just to name a few. Students will be demonstrating their knowledge of an explorer by creating a power point presentation. This project is aligned with both our social studies standards as well as our technology requirements. In science, we have begun learning all about plants; the plant cycle, plant adaptations, and plant cells. Our trip to the Montshire gave us a hands-on opportunity to use microscopes to compare plant and animal cells. In math we are just beginning to move into unit 4 Whats That Portion. In this unit we will be working on the everyday use of fractions, decimals, and percents. This is a great time to pull out your favorite healthy cookie recipe and try doubling, or even tripling it and sharing it with your favorite 5th grade teachers! Please contact us if you have any questions. Happy Winter! Ms. Olsen bolsen@sau60.org Mrs. Vickers-Sivret avsivret@sau60.org

News from the Nurse: Mrs. Kane


Top 10 Steps to a Healthy Smile Your kids only have one smile, so make sure to follow these tips to keep it bright and healthy! 1. Make regular check-ups for your child every six months. Even babies need to go to the dentist. 2. Brush every day to keep cavities away. 3. Brush teeth after each snack and mealtime, and brush and floss before bedtime. 4. Start brushing as soon as your babys first tooth comes in! Dont ever put your baby to bed with a bottle. 5. Be a good role model-if your kids see you brushing, theyll want to brush too! 6. Choose fruit-apples and bananas instead of sugary snacks to prevent cavities. Give up sippy cups by 15 months. 7. Drink water instead of soda and juice to help keep tooth decay away. 8. Dont share toothbrushes, spoons, cups or food to avoid spreading germs that cause cavities. 9. Make the dentist visit fun for your child-this visit is for a clean, bright smile. 10. Remember, your child only has one smile, so its important you keep your appointments when you make them! What to do about Flu? The 2012/2013 influenza season started early and activity remains high in the United States. This may continue for some time. With that in mind, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from the flu. The CDC recommends a three-step approach to fighting influenza: 1. Get a flu vaccine. 2. Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs. 3. Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them. For more information on the flu, please visit The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu

CPS Newsletter

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Special Recognition Awards!


Mallory Davis for hearing and recognizing letter sounds; Austin Guerriere for always being interested in learning new skills; JJ Farr for knowing all his sight words; Kassidy Brewer for always searching for word wall words in every book she sees; Patience Tuttle for adding beautiful details in her journal; Cole Garrow for always having a smile on his face and being polite to his friends; Kendra Lufkin for always being excited to learn something new; Sienna Regan for her improvement in handwriting & for knowing that good handwriting makes everything easy to read; Joseph Fischer for all of the effort he has been showing to being neat & careful at all times; Keira Simonds for making great gains in reading; Jerakiah Emerson for making great gains in reading; Geoffrey Morrie for working to stay positive when a math concept is tricky and requires a few attempts; Faith Roberts for all her hard work on IXL both at home and at school; Kassidy Ransom for adding details to her holiday writing; Amelia Clement for adding 2-digit numbers; Andrea Willey for her Compass Rose map skills; Michael Eno for working hard on being positive and his self-control; Natalie Anderson for always working hard and being a great friend to everyone; Stella Boucher for her sincere kindness and support of classmates who ask for help; Hayden Smith for completing 17 independent reading books toward his goal of 40 books for the year; Rebecca Neily for her excitement about school and learning; Kelly Ross for being a great role model, classmate, and friend; Emily Oja for reading like a storyteller; Zachary Nutting for always having such a positive influence on our class and for being a great listener in math and always doing his best; Cannon Poland for his prompt and always completed homework as well as a positive attitude; Luke Allard for his positive attitude, inclusion of others, as well as his prompt and complete homework; Morghan Saladyga for knowing all the letters and letter sounds; Erin Weeden for recognizing numbers 0 through 20; Shaunahh Aldridge for her positive attitude and always having a smile on her face; Gavin Giordano for learning all of the word wall words; Kamdin Ovitt-Farr for always being ready to learn with a huge smile on his face; Layne Burroughs for learning how to tie his shoes; Marina Macenfish for being kind, cooperative, and hard working; Christopher Gagnon for his newfound interest in schoolwork and improvement in his behavior; Evan West for his outstanding effort during literacy centers by using his time wisely and working independently; Oliver Patten for his love of a good read aloud and appreciation and understanding of important story elements during our study of Dickens A Christmas Carol; Jager Klema for reading with expression and making the stories come to life; Marissa Nutting for her willingness to take chances and try new things; Brooklyn Merrill for adding details to her writing; Kamryn Garfield for saying kind words to his peers; Gawain Smith for mastering the use of quotation marks to create dialogue; Makenna Grillone for mastering the use of quotation marks to create dialogue; Tamara Williams for her hard work in math and putting forth her best effort; Emma Oliver for being an outstanding writer and using creativity and descriptive words; Ashyln Stevens for taking her responsibility as a student seriously and being consistently prepared; Nate Town for notable enthusiasm and making an effort to work cooperatively with others; Isabel Bushway for her splendid spelling performance in preparation for the Spelling Bee; Rebecca Neily for her splendid performance in preparation for the Spelling Bee; Kayla Pingree for her splendid performance in preparation for the Spelling Bee; Griffin Hunkler-Wing for his effort and improvement on his MAPs reading scores, Cheyenne Matthies for continuing to put forth her best effort in math; Wyatt Lord for demonstrating the importance of citizenship and responsibility; Emma Desilets for her great improvement in effort and achievement on her homework; Rowan Prentiss for his great improvement in attitude and putting forth his best effort.

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CPS Newsletter

News from the Charlestown Area PTA


Our mission is to promote the well-being of all children in the Charlestown Area Schools. Our goal is to bridge the classroom and home, strengthening the bonds between the two. ! Happy New Year from the PTA family! We hope youve started your year off healthy and happy. We look forward to seeing you at our many scheduled events for 2013! We would like to invite you to our 2nd Movie Night of the school year. Families from all three schools are welcome to join us at the Primary School on Friday, February 15th at 6:30pm. We will be watching a family friendly movie on the big screen! Popcorn and water will be provided. Bring a blanket and arrive in cozy clothing to fully enjoy this wonderful family experience. This is a FREE event sponsored by the PTA and we hope to see ALL of you there! During Parent Teacher Conferences, members handed out a gift from the PTA for every family. Any parent who did not receive a yellow notepad of Notes to School may kindly stop by the office of your childs school to pick one up. We hope you enjoy this little gift and that it makes writing a note to the school a little easier! Our monthly meetings are held the first Thursday of every month from 3:30pm 4:30pm in the Charlestown Primary School library and childcare is provided. Here are the scheduled monthly meetings for the upcoming months: February 7th, March 7th, and April 4th. We would love to welcome some new faces to the meetings and look forward to seeing you there!

A Note from Food Services: The USDA Relaxes Portion Standards


The USDA introduced Policy Memo SP11-2013rs, which appears to be in response to complaints from parents, students and administrators in schools throughout the nation. The new policy memo states that the USDA is relaxing the new, healthier portion standards for school food. The daily and weekly maximum on grains and proteins for this school year have been suspended. Fall Mountain Regional School District will reevaluate their menus and portion sizes and adjust them accordingly. The New York Times published an article reporting that for the first time in decades, the childhood obesity rate has fallen in several cities. Researchers note, however, "declines occurred in cities that have had obesity reduction policies in place for a number of years." The new USDA standards aimed at reducing obesity are a good thing. However, more time is needed for training, education and support to make USDA compatible meals that are delicious and satisfying. Our voices have been heard. Thank you for your continued support. Please feel free to contact Kim Burton, Food Services Director at kburton@sau60.org or 835-2447 with questions, comments or suggestions.

CPS Newsletter From the District Media Specialist: Carla Boyington


How to Search for Books in the District Libraries

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The software used to search for books in the district libraries has been updated. You can now search all the libraries in the district from home! You can also search professionally reviewed and grade leveled websites all on one search. Website: library.sau60.org Once at the district page, choose the school you want to search. On this page, you can view the top 10 books being borrowed, new arrivals, and also search for titles. Searching by keywords will show you the library titles on the subject. Click on the Web Sites tab to see web sites on your subject.

To search all the libraries in the district at once, click the Exit Destiny Quest tab at the top right corner of the blue screen. On the green and white screen, click library search to the left. You can then change the location to Fall Mountain Regional School District to search all the schools or choose a grade level, then type in your search term and click on the availability information to the right of the title to see which building has your topic or title.

CPS Newsletter

Charlestown Primary Registration


Pre-Kindergarten Registration If your child will be four years old by September 30, 2013, please fill out the form below and drop it off at the school, email, mail, or call the CPS office with the information. Childs Name: _____________________________ Date of Birth: ____________________________ Name of Parent/Guardian: ___________________ Mailing Address: ___________________________ Physical Address: __________________________ Phone Number: ____________________________
Charlestown Primary School Amy Wyman (awyman@sau60.org) PO Box 325 Charlestown NH 03603 (603) 826-3694

Charlestown Primary School Phone: (603)826-3694 Fax: (603)826-3905 E-Mail: awyman@sau60.org kpilvelait@sau60.org

Improving Lives

Kindergarten Registration If your child will be five years old by September 30, 2013, please fill out the form below and drop it off at the school, email, mail, or call the CPS office with the information. Childs Name: _____________________________ Date of Birth: ____________________________ Name of Parent/Guardian: ___________________ Mailing Address: ___________________________ Physical Address: __________________________ Phone Number: ____________________________
Kindergarten is a full day of school. Charlestown Primary School Amy Wyman (awyman@sau60.org) PO Box 325 Charlestown NH 03603 826-3694

Visit us on the Web www.sau60.org

Fall Mountain Regional School District does not and will not discriminate in any of its educational programs, activities or employment practices on the basis of age, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sex orientation, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability. Title IX Coordinator, 504 Coordinator, and English Language Learners Coordinator: Lorraine Landry, Assistant Superintendent SAU60, PO Box 600, 159 East St, Charlestown NH 03603

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