Important Notice for Kindergarten Parents

Please mark your calendars! Our current full and half day kindergarten students will need to stay at home on Friday, May 17, 2019, as we will be having our annual Kindergarten Orientation for our incoming kindergarten students.

Scholastic Book Fair

• The Scholastic Book Fair at DVS will take place April 15th -19th. Students will visit and can shop the Book Fair during their regularly scheduled Library time.
• Shopping can be done online from April 10th- April 23rd at http://www.scholastic.com/bf/derryvillageelemschool
• Cash, checks (payable to DVS PTA) and credit cards are accepted at the fair.
• eWallet, a digital payment method for students, is safe, secure, and EASY! https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bookfairs/parent-how-it-works.html
• Keep an eye out for Classroom Wish Lists on Family Night! Please consider donating a book to your child’s classroom.
• As always, this can’t happen without your help.
• We need volunteers for set up, clean up, family night, or helping the kids shop!
• https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f48a5a82fa3fa7-scholastic1

NWEA Testing

This is a reminder to all Grade 1-5 students and parents that we have begun our spring NWEA testing in mathematics and reading. As always, well rested, well-fed students perform better on these types of tests. Attendance on the days of testing is also extremely important. Please check with your child’s classroom teacher for the days your child will be tested once the schedules have been released.

After School Enrichment Program

The PTA provided a most wonderful after-school experience for all students last month. The After School Enrichment program provided students with a wide variety of interesting activities. All classes were free of charge through the PTA and were run by volunteers.

The activities this year included; Robots, Loom Knitting, Chess, Paint It Out, Hip Hop Dance, Duct Tape Art, Outdoor Crafts, Head to Head Board Games, Karate, Culinary Playground, Get Patriotic, Legos, Speaking German, Lacrosse, First Aid and CPR, Gifts From the Spa, Graphic/Comic Art, Cheerleading, Intro to Sewing, and Balloon Twisting.

Thank you to Mrs. Denu, the PTA organizers and all the volunteers for each of the activities. Without your dedication events like this cannot take place.

Middle School Open House – 5th Graders

Parents and 5th Grade Students are cordially invited to attend a “Welcome to Middle School Open House”.

You will have the opportunity to talk to parents/guardians and teachers from your new middle school, and your child will have the opportunity to talk with current students about their middle school experiences. West Running Brook Middle School will have this event on Tuesday, April 30th from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.

If You Are Planning To Move

We are making plans for next school year. It is very helpful for the office to know if your family is planning to move over the summer or anytime in the near future. Please send a quick note to the office with this information. This helps as we build classes for next year.

Nurses Corner

With the return to school after winter break and family vacations, this is a reminder that, like many childhood issues, Head lice (Pediculosis Capitis) can be a common occurrence with children. Lice cannot, fly, jump or crawl long distances, and they do not cause illness. They are transmitted from one person to another through direct head to head contact or, much less commonly, by sharing combs, brushes, hats, or bedding. Â Head lice are not associated with poor hygiene and can happen to anyone.

Parents and family members are often the first to recognize the most common symptom of head lice which is constant itching of the head, particularly behind the ears or at the nape of the neck.

This is a reminder that it is important to check your children’s hair regularly.

• Carefully examine the hair and scalp of your children and all family members for lice and/or their eggs.
  • Lice are small, the size of a sesame seed, and are tan or grey and move quickly.
  • Nits (eggs) are small, oval shaped and gray or white in color. Nits are usually firmly attached (glued) to the hair shaft, close to the scalp.
• Remind your children to avoid head to head contact with others and not to use or borrow anyone’s personal accessories like brushes, hats or combs.
• Keeping longer hair pulled up/back would be helpful in limiting hair to hair contact in children.

If you suspect your child has lice, check with your health care provider, school nurse or pharmacist for instructions on treatment.. If you have treated your child for head lice, please inform the school nurse and consider informing the parents of your children’s close playmates. The school nurse will give ongoing support as needed and ensure student confidentiality.

Resources for further information, are included below:

• https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdcs/documents/headlice.pdf
• https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/aap-updates-treatments-for-head-lice.aspx
• https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/

Kindergarten Orientation

If you have any questions or concerns, please call your school nurse.

Kindergarten Orientation will take place on Friday, May 17, 2019 from 9:30-11:00 a.m. All new incoming students will join our kindergarten teachers, while a parent presentation will be taking place. We encourage new parents and students to join us for this very informative transitional day. Parents must register their child prior to the orientation. If you have not registered your child to attend either kindergarten or first grade in August, please call the office at 432-1233 to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. (Please note: If your child attends our current kindergarten program, you do not need to register him/her for first grade.)

Kindergarten Screening

For the 2019-2020 school year, we will be screening all incoming kindergarten students. If your child will begin kindergarten in the fall of 2019, please call the school for a screening appointment. A teacher will screen your child using a developmental assessment. The screening will take approximately 10-15 minutes. Before the scheduled appointment, please let your child know that he/she will do some fun activities to help the school get to know him/her better.

DCSD Family Resources

There is a NEW Family Resources Website link on the school and District website. This new website has some great resources for parents who are looking for ways to support learning at home, particularly in the area of math and literacy. Additional subject areas and resources will be added to the website soon.

Jump Rope For Heart

Thank you to all of the students who participated in the Kids Heart Challenge during P.E. last month. We had 54 students from Derry Village School work together to raise $4,332 for the American Heart Association. The top three students who raised the most money are Mason W, Trevor W, and Gavin W, and the grade level that raised the most money was First Grade. We could not have accomplished that goal without the hard work from all of our Heart Heroes! [Ms. Studer]

Notice from the Food Service Program

The Derry School Child Nutrition Program would like to remind all students and families that student account balances should be paid in full by the end of the school year. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our kitchen at 437-4870

Destination Imagination

Mr. Ludman’s DI team won their tournament in Amherst and then competed in the state tournament on April 30th in Nashua. The Imaginators: Darcy L, Colin D, Natalie M, Allie R. were amazing, finishing 3rd.

The Pickle Crew from DVS competed on the March 16 in Manchester with a skit about a virulent strain of pickle-itis. They did a great job too!