BLACKHAWKS BULLETIN

Good Afternoon!

Winter isn't waiting around! With an iffy forecast for tonight into tomorrow, I thought it would be good to run through our "Delayed Opening" procedures as follows:

• Dr. Leggett will watch the forecast throughout the evening and will be in communication with the Plainfield Road Agent. If, at any time, it becomes clear that the roads will not be safe in time for a regular start time, she will contact me and ask me to call a 2-hour delay (of course, she could also call a snow day depending on the prediction for snowfall and road conditions.)
• Once the decision is made, Dr. Leggett calls me and I put the notification out through Alma.
• In addition, a notification is posted via WMUR.
• For a 2-hour delay, school will start at 10:05 am, exactly 2 hours later than normal. The busses run 2 hours later than normal as well. Be advised that sometimes the bus routes may be a little off (either slower due to road conditions OR faster when fewer students ride.)

Please be advised that time is running out to sign up for Whaleback. If you will need/want your child to ride the bus from PES to Whaleback for the Friday Afterschool Ski Time (still FAST!), you must complete the survey by Monday, December 11th. We are still looking for chaperones. Chaperones ski free and are responsible for supervision at the mountain from about 3:45 pm to 5:15 pm.

There is a lot going on in the next 2.5 weeks until Winter Break - the 5th to 8th Spelling Bee, 6th to 8th Musical prep, the winter concert, and much more - so be sure to read the newsletter thoroughly!

Sincerely,

Audra

P.S. If you have not already done so, be sure to complete Dr. Leggett's Survey (linked below)

Audra Bucklin, Principal

603.469.3250, ext 223

abucklin@plainfieldschool.org

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.

December 5 K to 4 School Sing – 8 am Lobby – Parents/Guardians Welcome

December 6 Hood Museum Trip - 9am Mrs. Cook 5th grade class

December 7 Math Meet - 3:45pm, Location: Mascoma Valley Regional High School (bus leaving PES at 1:45)

Looking Ahead:

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 Upper Grades Spelling Bee, 1 pm

December 14 Math team practice, 2:50-4:00pm

December 15 Report Cards sent home

December 19 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.

HOT LUNCHES (All are served with a veggie and milk - PLEASE NOTE: There is currently a chocolate milk shortage. Most students do not expect chocolate milk everyday but we wanted you to be aware.)

HOT LUNCHES (All are served with a veggie and milk)

MONDAY- Meatball subs with maple baked beans with hand cut french fries.

TUESDAY- Cheese Quesadilla with garden salsa, cabot sour cream, and confetti corn salsa.

WEDNESDAY- Fluffy pancakes with real maple syrup, sausage links with roasted sweet potato wedges.

THURSDAY- Spaghetti with meat sauce with garlic breadsticks and caesar salad and butternut squash with apples

FRIDAY- Cheesy breadsticks with marinara sauce with hearty country soup.

"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.

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

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

office@plainfieldschool.org

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

schoolnurse@plainfieldschool.org

Remember the joy of falling into a good novel? How about the pleasure of listening as a strong narrator weaves a tale through an audio text? For our middle school, those moments are more reality than memory most Fridays. Each Friday during Language Arts class, students enter the world of story. They spread out in comfort around the room and read.

Some weeks they complete summaries of what they've been reading, others they are introduced to a new author by hearing a first chapter before they are gifted the time, and other weeks they are invited to engage in independent writing if they prefer to flex their author muscles.

Many students choose to listen to audio text on Sora, or audio-accompanied printed text on Learning Ally. A few choose digital print text. Many read traditional novels and still others opt for graphic novels from our vibrant Library Learning Commons. Below are a few pictures from one of the sixth-grade classes wrapping up an action-packed week with the power of story.

In case, you wonder why encouraging engagement with independent text is so important, check out this article [blog.heinemann.com] from Heinemann Publishing.

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.