BLACKHAWKS BULLETIN
Week of December 11, 2023
Greetings!
This is a bit later than usual. Just getting settled back in after spending some time with family down in Massachusetts and Rhode Island this weekend. My parents head to Florida every winter, usually right after Thanksgiving. This year, they stuck around a little later and we were able to split the difference for our holiday gathering. I am the youngest of four girls. We all have kids and now some of those kids are marrying and having kids. From my parents to their youngest great grandchild (there are two infants under three months old) and all the significant others, there are 31 of us. We managed to get 25 together this weekend. It was quite a feat. I did my best to get my fill of the baby snuggles as all the best and most embarrassing family stories were shared for the amusement of the newbies. We wait until they've actually tied the knot so they're less likely to go running for the hills. Check out my 80 y.o. mother playing ping pong with one of the newest grandsons-in-law. And that is my dad (84) all the way to the left staying close to the food :) My heart is full!
Speaking of full, we have a festive and full week ahead:
- Monday: Last day to sign up for the bus to Whaleback for the afterschool ski program in January and February. (You can still sign up to ski until New Year's, but we need to book the buses now.) Sign Up Form
- Tuesday: School Board Meeting - 5:30 pm - Student Data Update & the Regular Ed Budget Presentation
- Wednesday: Winter Concert - 5pm (K to 4) & 6pm (5 to 8) - IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS BELOW
- Thursday: Holiday Meal (see Abbey Group info below)
- Thursday: Upper Grades Spelling Bee at 1 pm
- Thursday: Spirit "Week" starts with Ugly Sweater Day
- Also Thursday: K to 4 attending the LHS Winter Concert (Watch for permission slips.)
- Friday: "Team Jersey Day" & report cards sent home via email.
I cannot sign off without giving a shout out to the PES Math Team who won their 2nd of two meets last week. Check out the full details in the co-curricular section below!
As usual, for the most detailed instructions/information, be sure to read the newsletter thoroughly!
Sincerely,
Audra
Audra Bucklin, Principal
603.469.3250, ext 223
WEEKLY HAPPENINGS
Upcoming Events
December 11 Whaleback transportation sign up due
December 12 K to 4 School Sing – 8 am Lobby – Parents/Guardians Welcome
December 12 PES School Board Meeting, 5:30 pm – Music Room
December 13 - WINTER CONCERT
- Dress Rehearsal Winter Band/Chorus School Concert - 1:00 pm- Parents/Guardians Welcome
- EVENING Grades K-4 5:00 pm and Grades 5-8 6:00 pm
December 14 Ugly Sweater Day
- K to 4 Field Trip - LHS - Holiday Concert
- Upper Grades Spelling Bee, 1 pm
- Math team practice, 2:50-4:00pm
December 15 - Jersey Day
- Report Cards emailed home
LOOKING AHEAD:
December 18 Crazy Hair/Hat Day
December 19 Snow Squall - Dress All in White Day
- K to 4 School Sing – 8 am Lobby – Parents/Guardians Welcome
December 21-January 1 Holiday Break- NO SCHOOL.
For the most up-to-date information, please be sure to see the Events Section of the website which includes athletic/co-curricular practices and games. If you download the website app on your phone (bottom right corner of the website for instructions), you can update the settings to it will alert you when events or news items are added.
LUNCH MENU
HOT LUNCHES (All are served with a veggie and milk)
MONDAY- Over baked chicken nuggets with BBQ sauce, homemade dinner rolls and roasted potato wedges.
TUESDAY- Taco bar with the works, with soft shell tortillas, garden salsa, rice pilaf, cabot sour cream, and seasoned black beans.
WEDNESDAY-French Toast Sticks with real maple syrup, sausage links, and sweet and white homefries.
THURSDAY- WINTER WONDERLAND HOLIDAY MEAL! Oven roast Turkey with gravy, chef’s mashed potatoes, hearty stuffing, garlic roasted butternut squash, cranberry sauce, and a Festive Dessert.
FRIDAY- Cheese, pepperoni, and veggie pizza with steamed broccoli.
"COLD" Options: (offered daily)
Assorted Pre-made Deli Sandwiches
Yogurt Parfait with Fruit and Granola
Fresh Fruit and Veggie Bar with Dinner Roll
See Abbey Group Website for full details and to upload funds.
OFFICE NOTES
Important Reminders from the Plainfield School Office
It’s that time of year when students are wearing snow gear to school. Please remember to send sneakers with your child, or have them leave a pair at school. Also, please remind all students to bring sneakers for P.E. days. Crocs and boots are not allowed in the gym.
Reminder: Students in grades K-4 are required to wear winter boots, hats, and mittens when the weather turns cold. Students in K-4 are required to wear snow pants to play in the snow.
Substitute Teachers Needed for 2023-2024 school year
The Plainfield School is seeking individuals who would be comfortable working with K-8th grade students in our building during the 2023-2024 school year. Applicants must be able to follow teacher substitute plans, be dependable, and enjoy working with children. If you are interested in applying, please contact Katie Lowery in the office at (603) 469-3250.
LOST & FOUND
IT’S GETTING FULL!
Are you missing a sweatshirt, water bottle, hat? Please check the lost and found site for any items that may belong to your student(s). We are gathering more and more items!
Amanda & Katie
603.469.3250
P.S. We appreciate our student council members who do our morning and afternoon announcements for the school!
Pictured: Audry, Tucker, and Calvin
FROM THE NURSE
Important Reminders from the Plainfield School Nurse
Please review this brief summary of the most up-to-date CDC Covid protocols. PES follows the NH DHHS guidance which is currently one and the same as the CDC guidance. There are a lot of viruses going around right now. While Covid numbers have been low here at PES so far, please be reminded you must still test when symptoms are present A positive Covid test requires 5 days quarantine and 5 days of additional masking. Let’s work together to keep our numbers low and our attendance (for both staff and students) strong by preventing the spread of Covid to the extent possible. We have covid tests available in the main office and nurse’s office. Please remember sick absences/notices need to be sent to schoolnurse@plainfieldschool.org as well as office@plainfieldschool.org. Nurse Beth will contact you if further information is needed.
Thanks,
Nurse Beth
CO-CURRICULAR UPDATES
MATH MEET WINS AGAIN!
Our middle school math team had their second meet of the year at Mascoma Valley Regional High School this week. In this meet, students solved problems in four categories: Signed Numbers; Mean, Mode, and Median; Exponents and Scientific Notation; and Prime Numbers, Greatest Common Factors, and Least Common Multiples. Our team, made up of John Rendahl, John Mathers, Ayden Billingham, Jack Klocek, Kaleigh Ferri, Sarah Mathers, and Ellis Harrington, won the meet with 88 combined points, and John Rendahl came in third place overall. Congratulations, Math-hawks!
DRAMA CLUB
We are officially gearing up for the 5th to 8th spring musical. Please fill out the PES Players Drama Club Sign-Up & Info if interested. In preparation, we are offering afternoon sessions in December for all aspiring actors as follows:
WHEN: Tuesdays 3-4pm - Nov 28, Dec. 5, Dec 12, Jan. 9, Jan. 16 (5 sessions)
WHERE: Music Room
WHO: For any students in grades 5 to 8 interested in auditioning for the spring show, they need to sign up and participate in a minimum of 2 Drama Club sessions.
Auditions: Jan. 22-23: Rehearsal/performance schedule coming
ATHLETICS
Don’t forget to check the website under Athletics for the most up-to-date practice and game schedules!
Parents -
Help Needed! We are looking for helpers at our basketball games this season to run the scoreboard! If you are willing to help out, please email Katie Lowery to get on the list. We will have a training opportunity for the scoreboard itself but volunteers should have a basic understanding of the game of basketball.
Thank you for considering helping out our teams!
pesathletics@plainfieldschool.org
XC Skiing at PES
Wednesday 3:15- 4:15. January thru March for students K-8. See flier below for details.
Here is the link for sign ups: https://forms.gle/8DhQSgkzA8bNb1Ux6
WINTER CONCERT - MUST KNOWS
From the Desk of Ms. Chien
Hello Everyone!
This email is addressed to those who have children participating in the winter concert. All of K-4 should be in the concert unless you have signed a form that excuses your child from chorus or the concert.
As the winter concert is quickly approaching, I would like to inform you of the concert logistics, especially since we are trying a new concert format this year! We will have two separate concerts for K-4 and 5-8 on the same night.
The K-4 concert will be at 5:00pm. Please have your performers arrive by 4:50pm. K-2 students will check in with their homeroom teachers. 3/4 students will head straight to the gym to get set up.
The 5-8 concert will be at 6:00pm. Please have your performers arrive by 5:45pm.
For the concert day, please have your child wear winter concert attire. Here are the guidelines:
- Nice shirt/blouse
- Nice pants (jeans are okay, but please, no holes, grass stains, etc.)
- Dresses must be at the shortest just above the knees
- Close toed shoes
For friends and families that are not able to attend the concert, I will provide a link to the recording in the near future.
Thank you and our students are looking forward to performing for you all! If you have any questions/concerns, please email Ms. Chien at bchien@plainfieldschool.org
Ms. Chien
POPCORN SALES!
Mrs. Taber's Class to Sell Popcorn at Snack Time
NOTE THE NEW DAYS!
Every year 3/4T sells bags of popcorn at snacktime to raise money for food gift cards for the Plainfield Food Pantry. This year we will be selling popcorn on Tues. 12/12 and Friday, 12/15. Each bag is $.50. Sales will be outside the library.
5TH GRADE HOOD MUSEUM
Mrs. Cook and Mrs. Hier -
At PES our fifth graders have the amazing opportunity to participate in the Hood Museum’s Images program, with field trips to the museum four times each year. During each visit, students develop their visual literacy skills as they spend time exploring original works of art from around the world with our professional museum educator, Katie Coggins. Afterward, in the studio, they create their own works of art in response to what they looked at and learned in the museum. Images provides students with an opportunity to engage with, learn from, and respond to art created in diverse cultures. This experience can help students develop fundamental life skills, such as reflection, self–expression, imagination, and creative and critical thinking.
Every year the themes change, as the Hood Museum rotates their collections. This year’s topics include: abstract art and what brushstrokes can express, woven histories and the stories that textiles can tell, water and how it connects us across time and cultures, as well as gilding and how we assign value to something. Fifth graders thoroughly enjoy each exhibit that we spend time studying and the connected artwork that they create.
FROM THE LIBRARY
COMMUNITY NEWS
4 Winds
4 Winds is a K-4th grade program; if you are interested or know of a family or community member who would like to volunteer, please contact Michelle Whitaker. mo.whitaker@yahoo.com or 585-690-3472
Attention Grades 6-8 - NOTE TIME CHANGE
The Cornish Elementary School is inviting Plainfield students who are in grades 6-8 to their school dance.
- December 1st from 7-9pm in the gym
- Cost: $7.00
- Snacks and drinks will be available for sale.
Town of Plainfield Community Services
Any Plainfield or Meriden resident requiring assistance for housing, heating fuel assistance, electricity assistance, medication assistance and or nutritional support from the Town should contact the Community Resource Director, Stephanie Schell. Contact information: 603-469-3201 or email sschell@plainfieldschool.org. All information is confidential.
Food Pantry
Residents of the Town of Plainfield can access the following local services.
Note: The food pantry and clothing swap rooms are located in the Christ Community Church on Route 12A (across from the Plainfield Fire Department). The Food Pantry is open the 1st Thursday and the 3rd Friday and Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and warmly welcomes all Town residents.
Free Clothing Rooms
The Christ Community Church has (2) very well-organized rooms that contain FREE clothing for adults and children. All clothing is donated and in great condition. In addition to clothing there are also Free household items, toys & books as well. These rooms are open to the Public each Tuesday morning from 9-11 a.m.
Free Fresh Veggies & Fruit
Free fresh produce provided by Willing Hands: please check the Town calendar for dates and times.
WHALEBACK AFTER SCHOOL SKI PROGRAM
We are thrilled to invite you back to Whaleback for an exciting winter season! Please take a moment to review the following information before registering your student, as we've made some important changes to the program this year.
Plainfield Elementary Mountain Days: 1/5, 1/12, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9
Registration Options
You can sign up your student for one or more of the following options:
Lessons
Free-Ride (no lessons)
Snack
Rental Gear
Lessons
Our lessons run for 60 minutes, starting at 4:15 PM and ending at 5:15 PM. We create lesson groups based on ability levels to ensure success on the mountain. We understand that some young snowsport enthusiasts may find it challenging to work on fundamentals on shorter trails, especially when there's a lot of mountain to explore. However, this step-by-step approach is crucial for building confident and skilled skiers or snowboarders.
The number one cause of injuries and disinterest in snowsports is when riders progress too quickly without the skills to navigate safely. So, we ask both you and your child to be patient with our program's gradual progression. Our goal is to create lifelong snowsport enthusiasts rather than overnight Olympians.
Freeride
If your student is in fifth grade or older, can confidently handle intermediate (blue) trails, stop when needed, and safely use chairlifts, they can participate in the freeride option. Please note that freeride doesn't include formal lessons, and students won't be supervised by Whaleback staff on the slopes. The freeride block begins and ends in congruence with the lesson block.
Snack
We offer a snack option for purchase. Please be aware that it's not a full meal but a mix of items that vary from week to week.
Rentals
Gear rentals are available for all students in the program, including skis/snowboard, boots, and poles (if needed). Helmets are also available at no extra charge, though we can't guarantee every student will receive one due to limited stock. While we understand snowsports can be costly, we highly recommend purchasing a mountain-sports helmet, the most important safety gear.
Rental equipment won't go home with students. They'll pick up their gear at the beginning of the mountain visit and return it by the end. This helps us maintain our rental fleet and saves you from hauling gear around.
If you want rental gear you can use on non-program days, visit our friends over at Golf and Ski who can provide a full kit for the entire winter season.
Equipment Fit Days
If you plan to rent gear from Whaleback, please attend one of our equipment fit days in December. Our rental equipment technicians will properly fit your child for skis/snowboard and boots. This ensures a smooth transition during program days and maximizes your student's time on the slopes.
Chaperones
While Whaleback Mountain supervises students during lessons, Plainfield volunteers takes over outside of lesson times. However, we believe students benefit from adult supervision. If you're a skier or snowboarder, you can volunteer your time and receive a day pass to chaperone free-ride students or provide behavioral support in our lesson groups, allowing our instructors to focus on teaching. If you don’t ski or snowboard, we would still welcome you as a chaperone to help out with transitions and lodge logistics! Please complete the Whaleback Transportation & Volunteer Form below to indicate your interest in becoming a chaperone.
Financial Aid
Our mission is to keep snowsports affordable and accessible for everyone. We understand it can be expensive, which is why we offer a financial aid program to help ease the financial burden. Please use the provided link to access our financial aid application.
Link: https://www.whaleback.com/financial-aid
Transportation to and from Whaleback Mountain
Plainfield Elementary manages transportation to Whaleback Mountain as we do not provide this service. Parents MUST sign their children out to a designated adult by 5:30 pm. Please sign up through the Whaleback Transportation & Volunteer Form below arrange transportation for your student/child. If you choose to drop off or pick up your student, please sign them in and out with the Plainfield representative. This ensures everyone's safety and accountability. Last year, we had an incident where a student was picked up without checking out, causing unnecessary concern. We appreciate your cooperation with our check-in/check-out procedures.
Contact info
Whaleback Mountain
Phone: (603) 448-5500
Email: learning@whaleback.com
Address: 160 Whaleback Mountain Rd., Enfield, NH 03748
Director of Learning Programs: Max Harrison
Plainfield Elementary
Phone: (603) 469-3250
Principal: Audra Bucklin
Email: abucklin@plainfieldschool.org
Disclaimers
No make-ups for missed program days due to weather or illness.
Program fees are non-refundable.
We reserve the right to revoke any pass due to reckless behavior, foul language, participating without a pass, skiing with someone else's pass, or any form of substance abuse.
