Audra Bucklin

Good Afternoon,

What a whirlwind we’ve had these past several days. The storms, snow days, and the unsettling reports of violence across our nation seemed to just keep on coming. I was thankful for some downtime this weekend to process it all. The latter reinforces the need for our continued focus on kindness here at PES. If you haven’t had the opportunity, please come into the lobby sometime this week and check out our latest “Connected through Kindness” tree. It’s full of beautifully decorated red and pink hearts of all sizes. Students throughout the building have been writing (or drawing 🙂) their intentions for spreading hope and positivity in our community and the world. I am so proud of the many ways our staff and parents work together to help our students resolve conflicts peacefully and work on using kind words. And it can be a challenge given the prevalence of violence in our media - from news to movies to games - but it’s so incredibly important that we keep on working on it together. Not only does a safe, supportive and welcoming environment help students remain emotionally available for learning, but it also helps instill the skills and mindsets that will support safe and welcoming communities of tomorrow. Even here in Plainfield, students can struggle with these skills at times. You can review the many ways we work on these skills in our Student Handbook. I can only imagine how overwhelming it is for parents these days so pulled together some resources you might find interesting:

We will touch briefly on the last topic at next week’s Cybersecurity Parent Forum. I am quite certain this one could use its own night…if not a full year’s worth! If you ever want to talk more about any of this, please don’t hesitate to reach out. 

O.k., coming down off my soapbox…

We are keeping our fingers crossed for an uninterrupted five days of school this week. While it does not appear that we have any major storms on the horizon, it does look like it will be a bit of a rollercoaster in terms of temperatures. And Friday in particular looks like it could be VERY COLD. Please plan ahead to make sure students participating in outdoor programming have the proper gear - hats, mittens/gloves, boots, thermal socks and underwear, and maybe even some hand warmers! It is not only important in terms of safety, but it can also make all the difference in how much fun a student will have during their outdoor activity.

Speaking of clothing, Ms. Heinz asked me to remind students about the following Physical Education class expectations:

Please bring clean, dry, closed-toed shoes (no crocs) for PE class - students may not wear outside shoes to class. For safety reasons, we need to keep the floors dry and dirt-free. Here are the class PE/Health schedules:

  • Kindergarten: Mondays/Fridays
  • 1st Grade: Tuesdays/Wednesdays
  • 2 Doody: Wednesdays/Thursdays
  • 2 Ellis: Tuesdays/Thursdays
  • 3/4 Culligan: Tuesdays/Thursdays
  • 3/4 Evans: Mondays/Wednesdays
  • 3/4 Taber: Mondays/Fridays
  • ⅚ A: Monday-Friday 2nd Trimester
  • 7 Mellow: Monday-Friday 2nd Trimester

WINTER CARNIVAL

Next weekend (Sunday, February 5) the PTA will be raising funds for our school. I hope you will consider volunteering a baked good, a box of packaged snacks, a chili, or a few hours of your time to help this event! The planning committee has been working hard to make this a great event and fun for all. The Signup Genius link to help out can be found here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0F45A4AA29A3F58-winter. See you Sunday on the back fields from 12-3 pm!!

CYBER SECURITY PANEL DISCUSSION

The following Tuesday (February 7) will be our next parent forum on Cyber Security. There will be a great panel lineup in school to talk with parents about ways to keep kids safe as they learn to navigate the internet. This event will be a great learning opportunity for those with kids of all ages. We hope you can join us from 6-7 pm. More information is coming soon.

For more on what is coming up, please see our minutes from 1/10. (Attached)

Questions? Email to: plainfieldnh.pta@gmail.com 

Dartmouth Athletics is excited to host its seventh annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day clinic on Saturday, February 4, 2023, from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. (Registration/check-in beginning at 1 p.m.) in Leverone Field House. The clinic is open to girls in grades K-8 and provides participants with the opportunity to spend time learning skills in a variety of sports, with instruction from Dartmouth student-athletes.

Admission is FREE and includes:

  • One (1) complimentary ticket to the Dartmouth vs. Princeton women's hockey game at 3 p.m. following the clinic plus a post-game autograph session with the Dartmouth women's hockey team
  • One (1) complimentary ticket to the Dartmouth women's basketball game on Saturday, February 18 at 4 p.m.
  • One (1) limited edition Big Green water bottle

Drills/Stations to be led by the following Dartmouth Big Green Teams:

  • Football
  • Women's & Men's Soccer
  • Women's Rugby
  • Volleyball
  • Field Hockey
  • Women's Golf
  • Sailing

To register your child(ren) for the clinic, CLICK HERE!

I think that’s it for now. Enjoy the remaining hours of your weekend!

Oh, and don’t forget to please take a moment to look at our Lost and Found closet. The lost and found website is updated weekly. 

 Best,

Audra

JANUARY

31      K to 4 School Sing – 8 am Lobby – Parents/Guardians Welcome

FEBRUARY

1 PES XC Skiing 2:50 pm

1 PES School Board Meeting Budget Public Hearing , 5:30 pm – Music Room

1 Art Club & Set Design Grades 5-8 3:00 pm

2 Math Meet @ Bellows Falls 

2 Drama Club Meeting 11:25 am

3      FAST – Friday Afternoon Special Time

3      Middle School Progress Reports Sent Home

5 PTA Sponsored Winter Carnival – 12 to 3 - PES Back Fields

6 Drama Rehearsal 3:00 pm

7      K to 4 School Sing – 8 am Lobby – Parents/Guardians Welcome

7 Drama Rehearsal 4:30 pm Music Focus

8 5H Hood Museum 9:00 am

8 Art Club Grades 2, 3:00 pm

8 PES XC Skiing 2:50 pm

8 PES School Board Meeting 5:30 pm

9 5C Hood Museum 9:00 am

9 Drama Club Meeting 11:25 am

10    FAST – Friday Afternoon Special Time

10    Winter Dance (8th gr. sponsor) – 7 to 9 pm

13-17 Youth Beatz

13 Drama Rehearsal 3:00 pm

14      K to 4 School Sing – 8 am Lobby – Parents/Guardians Welcome

14 PTA Parent Forum 6:00 PM – Music Room – Babysitting Available

14 Drama Rehearsal 4:30 pm Music Focus

15 Art Club & Set Design Grades 5-8 3:00 pm

16 Drama Club Meeting 11:25 am

16 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee Meeting – 6 pm - Library

17    All School Assembly – Passport to Winter Fun Recognitions & Honoring Diversity 

17 FAST Make up Day

20-24   Winter Break

20-24 Drama Club - Choreography Rehearsals

27 Drama Rehearsal 3:00 pm

28      K to 4 School Sing – 8 am Lobby – Parents/Guardians Welcome

28 Drama Rehearsal 4:30 pm Music Focus