Pelham School Press

There are several groups and committees who work many hours to help make Pelham School an enriched educational environment for your child. The minutes of the meetings of the school groups are sent home in the Pelham Press. It is easy to get all these committees and groups confused, but I will try to clarify them for you.

The Pelham School Committee members are elected by the Town of Pelham to set policy for Pelham School. They approve the school budget, approve the school curriculum, and establish general policies for the school. School Committee meetings are usually the first Thursday of each month during the school year. There is time on each month’s agenda for open discussion. The School Committee members are Michael Hussin —Chair, Maureen Ecclestone, and Tracy Farnham. The Committee’s next meeting is tonight, September. 6, at 7:00 PM at the Pelham Library.

The Pelham School Parent Council/PTO usually meets on the first Monday of the month in the Community Room at the Pelham Library, from 7:00 – 8:30 PM. All parents are members of this organization. The PTO plans community events for Pelham School and raises funds for Pelham School activities. Some Parent Council members serve as “room representatives” for the classrooms; while others organize the Halloween Party, Pelham School Fair, gift wrap sale, playground maintenance days, and other events for the school. The direction for the group is set at the monthly meetings. Come and share your energy! The next meeting will be Monday, Sept. 10, at 7:00 PM at the Pelham Library.

The Pelham School Council was established by the Educational Reform Act of 1993 to serve as a support for the school principal. This elected group advises the principal, develops the School Improvement Plan, creates and collates the Parent Survey, and reviews the school budget and school handbook. The School Council consists of a teacher representative—Paul Lipman; Deb McLean, parent representative; and Pat Cahill, community representative. We will review the School Improvement Plan and the MCAS data for Pelham School at our next meeting in October.

Other committee meetings you may want to attend are the Pelham Finance Committee and the Pelham Select Board. All of these meetings are open to the general public, and parents are encouraged to attend. I usually attend Pelham School Committee, PTO, and the School Council. I also attend Pelham Select Board and Finance Committee Meetings if there are items on the agenda that pertain to the school. If you have any questions about these meetings, please do not hesitate to call me. Rena Moore

Reminder: Some members of our staff suffer from chemical sensitivities that can cause serious health issues. When they are exposed to chemical fragrances in shampoos, detergents, soaps, lotions and perfumes, they can become physically ill (asthma attacks, migraine headaches, etc.) and are debilitated for hours and even days. We all can be aware of this issue and try to make Pelham School as “fragrance-free” as possible. Please help us create an environment where each staff and student can participate fully in all of the activities at school. Thank you for your consideration.

AGENDA FOR THE PELHAM SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING, Sept. 6, 2007, 7:00 PM, Pelham Community Room

3. Unfinished/Continuing Business—FY07 and 08 Budget; School Choice, Spanish Program

Pelham School Phone Book

Each year the Pelham Parent Council distributes a phone book for Pelham students. Please call the school office (253-3595) by September 17 if you do not want your name or number included in this phone book. If your name, address, or phone number was incorrect in last year’s phone book, please let us know. Also, let us know if you would like a second copy of the phone book. We are also thinking of adding email addresses to the phone book. Please let us know your

I am looking forward to working with the students in the Pelham computer lab. This year first and second graders (and soon Kindergartens) will join the rest of the school for computer classes on Tuesdays. In addition to working on our keyboarding skills, I hope to work on graphing, spread sheets, word processing, and much more. Previously, I worked at the Fort River School, and this year I will be working at both Pelham School and the Sunderland Elementary School. Please feel free to stop by on Tuesdays before or after school if you have any questions for me. --Sarah Adolph

Parents, please observe the speed limit on South Valley Road. There are many students who walk on this street, and there are no sidewalks. Please drive carefully and watch for children

Kindergarten: Wow! It is time to start again. I hope that you all had some time to enjoy your family this summer. Our room is all ready to go, and a new year of learning is about to begin. Even though I have been teaching for a very long time, I still get butterflies in my stomach the first day of school. I am so excited about helping your children learn and grow. I look forward to a year of partnership with you and your children. See you soon, Debbie Jacque

Grade 1: I’d like to extend a warm welcome to my new (and returning) first grade parents! Our year is off to an exciting start with several surprises in our Monarch caterpillar bughouses. We had a missing caterpillar, which had attempted a daring escape to the outside world. Thanks to Grace’s brother, Jack, the critter was apprehended on a table before it disappeared completely. Bryce discovered that a caterpillar in his bughouse had split its skin and had become a chrysalis on Friday. Others watched while a smaller caterpillar molted and an egg was found on a new milkweed leaf that had been placed in another bughouse. Stop by sometime to witness nature at its best and I look forward to visiting with you all at our upcoming Open House. Paul Lipman

Grade 2: The second grade class is awesome. We have had a busy beginning. The children are very excited about school and ready to learn. We are beginning this year with our bubble unit. During this unit the children will design an experiment and test for results. We will end the unit with a Bubble Extravaganza Day in a few weeks. Parents are welcome to come and enjoy the fun. Some of our other units are Down By the Stream, Pebbles, Sand and Silt, Communities, Around the World, Bones, Heart and Brain, and Nutrition with Big D. We have several adults in the classroom this year which will be very helpful. I also have an intern from UMASS this semester, Mr. D’Amore, who will be here Monday through Wednesdays. Finally, I would like to welcome our two new students, Eliza and Caroline, who have fit in beautifully with this class. I know we are gong to have a great year, and I look forward to meeting all of you at Curriculum Night. Cindy Corey

Grade 3: Third grade is bustling with activity. Ms. Robson, Ms. Hersey, Ms. Russell, Ms. Daneri, and I are thrilled to be working with our class. Everyone has spent some time sharing things about themselves in order to appreciate the various sides of each of us. Part of our technique to ensure focus and adequate energy to work involves learning some simple yoga, Qi Gong, brain gym, and meditative moves. The students are truly embracing these short work breaks and many seem to be noticing some positive effects. This week and next we will be completing some assessments to help us plan our lessons and units. I am expecting a wonderful year full of new challenges and many successes for all. Meg Gallagher

Grade 4: School is off to a great start in the fourth grade! I am very happy with the enthusiasm of this new group. We have already begun our explorations in math and science. Children have built interesting cube objects and practiced their estimating skills. Additionally, students have made simple circuits and are learning about light bulbs. We are also getting used to our new routine which includes daily practice in cursive, proofreading skills, and staying organized. As the weeks continue I will add a little more homework to their schedule. If you have questions or concerns you can contact me at the school or email me at: ShawA@ARPS.org. Tony Shaw

Grade 5: The new school year is upon us and fifth grade is off to a great start. We have an exciting year planned and a great team working together. The units of study this year will include body systems, Revolutionary War, Constitution, Ecosystems, Astronomy, Explorers, and Geography. We will integrate our reading and writing curriculum with these units. Math this year will begin with review and move to fractions, decimals, and percents by the spring. As you can see, we have a lot to cover, and I know the students will rise to the occasion. If you have any questions or just want to come in and meet, I arrive at school between 7:15-7:30 and am always available for parents. I look forward to a great year and getting to help your child grow both intellectually and socially. Suzanne Quinlan

Grade 6: Students have started the year with an interdisciplinary unit titled Art, Energy and Motion. This unit combines language arts, art, and science. Reading biographies of artists, writing and performing dramatic monologues, learning scientific method and the basic principles of physics, as well as working with artist Kevin Reese, designing, building and installing a permanent outdoor sculpture for the Pelham community, are a few of the activities included in this unit. Other units for this year include map, globe, and geography skills, a study of both modern world cultures and the ancient cultures of Egypt, Greece, and Rome, a historical and scientific examination of how humans have measured time throughout the ages, and student-designed plant experiments using Wisconsin Fast Plants. Reading, writing, speaking, and math are integrated as much as possible into the science/social studies concepts that are taught in grade six. Cathy Neale

Reminder: You may send in a “standing note” to let us know your child’s after school plans, particularly if they change on a daily basis. This will help us develop our dismissal lists.

Redeemable cans and plastic bottles (no more glass), along with recyclables, are collected at Pelham School on the first Saturday of every month and each year this project raises over $1.500 which has been used for field trips, assemblies, special supplies, the playground fund and many other things to enhance your child’s experience at Pelham School. I would like to thank all of the families and community members who contributed their cans and bottles, and I would like to give a special thanks to the people who fearlessly transported the monthly loads through snow and sleet, and maybe even dark of night, to the redemption center at The Spirit Haus in Amherst. They are:

I would also like to give another special thanks to the sorters who stood tirelessly in all weather conditions to sort and count the cans and bottles. They are:

This past year we enjoyed a large number of volunteers who enjoyed each other’s company and got to see most of their neighbors drive up to the curb with full loads of recyclables. With such a large number of helpers, I may have forgotten to thank someone, so let me know right away so I can personally thank you and ask you to help again this year! Speaking of this year, please consider joining our list of volunteers. It is actually fun, raises a lot of money and the donors are glad to make their contributions. How many fund raisers can say all that?

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On Tuesday afternoon the Pelham community held a farewell party for Rebecca Frank, who has led Pelham through the realization of a shared school and town library. With her calm and warm style Rebecca was able to work effectively and with a smile with all constituent groups. The entire community has been enriched because of her efforts and dedication to our library and owes her a debt of gratitude. She has developed a model of cooperation and sharing for other small town and school library. We will all miss her.

String and Band Programs: Over the next week, Laurie Rabut, String and Orchestra Teacher, and Juli Holmes Sansoucy, our Band Instrument Teacher, will meet with new students in the upper grades to tell them about these music programs at Pelham. They will also have additional forms for any other students who may want to sign up for orchestra or band. If you would like more information, please contact the school office (253-3595). If you are unable to buy or rent an instrument, the school has some available to loan.

Present: Michael Hussin, Chair Tracy Farnham Maureen Ecclestone Supt. Jere Hochman Rena Moore

Call to Order/ Welcome	Michael Hussin called the meeting to order at 7:02 PM.
New Business	Opening of School Update: Rena Moore reported that all the open staffing positions have been filled. Sarah Adolph is replacing Liz Breen as the technology teacher; Diane Travis is replacing Caroline Martin as the art teacher; and Joan Robson is replacing Joan Levy as the special education teacher. Enrollment Update: The Committee had questions about the school choice process and the number of filled and open school choice slots in each grade. The Pelham School Committee spends many hours weighing the school choice decision and wants to make sure that the process is equitable and meets the guidelines that they have established. To make the school choice procedure more transparent, Maureen Ecclestone suggested that the School Committee get a monthly update on the number of school choice slots filled or empty in each grade level. Supt. Hochman asked what the committee wanted to do about any school choice slots that may open up at the beginning of the school year. The Committee decided that empty slots could be filled between now and September 6, when an update will be provided. School Lunch: Supt. Hochman recommended that the price of school lunch increase from $2.00 to $2.25 for students and from $2.50 to $3.00 for adults. This is consistent with the Amherst and Regional schools. The Committee voted 3-0 to increase the price of lunch at Pelham School as of October 1, which will give parents time to adjust to the change.
Reports	None
School Committee Planning	A. Calendar Review—Meetings for FY08: Sept. 6, Oct. 4, Nov. 1, and Dec. 13, 2007, Jan. 1, Feb. 7, Mar. 6, Apr. 3, May 1, and June 5, 2008 B. Items for Upcoming Meetings: School Choice, FY07 reconciliation, Teaching & Learning C. Sub Committee Reports
Adjournment	Michael Hussin adjourned the meeting at 8:15 PM.
Next Meeting	Thursday, September 6 at 7:00 PM in the Pelham Community Room.

Pelham Website: The Pelham School website is up and running. You will be able to find the yearly calendar and the Pelham Press on line. Please check it out: http://www.arps.org./pe/

Once again, we are trying to create a list of parents who would like the Pelham Press emailed to them. Please let me know if you would like to be on the list by returning the sign up below to the school office. We will include all the “school” portions of the Pelham Press in the email, but we may not be able to send the various items from other local groups.

I would like to receive the Pelham Press by email. My email address is ______________________________.