News
Congratulations to the new NFS PTO 2018-2019 Board Members!
Kelly Cioe, president
Joshua Cyr, vice president
Lindsay Beardsley, treasurer
Judith Clark, assistant treasurer
Breegan Johnson, volunteer coordinator
Jennifer Yager, secretary
A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR BOARD MEMBERS LEAVING US THIS YEAR!
David Loehwing, president
Maggie Flaherty, vice president
Dave Cosgrove, treasurer
Gloria Manchego, assistant treasurer
May 10, 2018, Outdoor Classrom on WMUR TV9
Check us out on Channel 9. And if you haven't yet, come check out the new Outdoor Classroom and Nature Trail.
OUTDOOR CLASSROOM UPDATE, May 2, 2018
The NFS Outdoor Classroom Workday Update. Wow! It is this Saturday, May 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30, with a BBQ at the Chapnicks to follow. We know Saturday is a busy day for sports and kids, so come help whenever you can. There are plenty of small projects for kids to help with as well. The playground out back is great as well, so kids are welcome to join. The purpose of the day is to really help stage everything for the 52+ Timberland employees showing up on Thursday, May 10. We initially thought this would be a phased project, but with the dedication of the OC Committee the plans will all be executed, with funds raised by wonderful community business and some last minute donations from parents at tonight's PTO meeting. It's a reality and it's going to be amazing. If you are planning on helping Saturday, please be sure to wear appropriate clothing for working and hauling lots of materials, work gloves, long pants, etc. Also, there are some painting project that kids can help out with, so clothing that can get mucked up is recommended for all, parents and kids alike. Also, any tools you may have to help out would be great.
We hope to see you Saturday, the weather looks great! Folks will be there all day, so come for an hour or spend the day. And come enjoy time with NFS families at the Chapnick's after for a BBQ at 97 Meredith Way (by Pine Street Park). Please bring something to grill for your family and a side or dessert to share. Redhook has generously donated adult beverages.
To view the landscape architecture plans prepared and donated by McDermott Landscaping, click here. The McDermott are an incoming NFS family in 2018-19 and have committed a tremendous amount of time and connections to help make this happen. Thank you.
(April 19, 2018) A big thank you to ClearChoiceMD. A generous donation of $1,000 is funding our Healthy Try-it program and bringing back Fresh Fruit & Veggies Fridays through the end of the year. Each Friday, every student will get a piece of fresh fruit or vegetables for morning snack. We are so excited and so are the kids! To help prepare and distribute the fresh snacks to classrooms sign up here.
OUTDOOR CLASSROOM: A dream come true.
(April 19, 2018) We need your help. A few things are happening. First Timberland has chosen NFS as one of their Community-based Volunteer Projects. On Thursday, May 10, 50+ Timberland Volunteers will help make our outdoor classroom become reality. The company has also generously donated $2,500 toward supplies. There is work to be done before they show up. NFS needs to stage supplies, materials, and tools in order for Timberland to do all they can do. So, on Saturday, May 5, starting at 8:30-4:30, grab your work gloves and come join us to help get everything ready. The Chapnick's will host a BBQ (BYOB grill items and a side to share). We also are looking for the donation of the following items:
- logs, 12-18 inches in diameter, and at least 6 inches long
- outdoor, high-quality paint, in all colors, the more colors the better
- donation of fruit trees
ICE CREAM SOCIAL FUN
(April 19, 2018) Thank you to all who helped out with the Ice Cream Social, a special thank you to Lili Wierbonics for heading the effort. Fun was definitely had by all, with music from DJ Will Gatchell and the 5th grade crafts and slime students raising money for their eSchool adventure.
YOUR NFS PTO DONATIONS AT WORK
Michelle Nelson-Schmidt Author Visit
(April 9, 2018)--This past Wednesday, students in grades K-2 were visited by children's author and illustrator Michelle Nelson-Schmidt. Not only did Michelle share with students her process, but she also talked about the importance of following your dreams and never giving up. She shared that it took her three years to get her first story published and if she had let herself fall into a negative mindset based on her rejection letters she would never be a published author. Her journey was a perfect example of the positive growth mindset we are working to instill in our students.
GROWTH MINDSET
(April 5, 2018)--A big thank you to our Growth Mindset teachers (Donna Turco, Erin Lane, Jaclyn Nutter, Karen Marceau, Linda Beal, Tracie Gebhart) for sharing the Growth Mindset with us. A great presentation, tips, and we are so thankful for your energy and enthusiasm to spread the growth mindset throughout the school and at home. For a list of Growth Mindset books purchased through the PTO Grant click here. Thank you!
NFS PTO GRANT SUCCESS
(March 28, 2018)--New Franklin School hosted the School Board who had an opportunity to hear speech pathologist, Jaclyn Nutter, and guidance counselor, Alyssa Brown, present on their "Excursion Club", another unique project to New Franklin. Mrs. Nutter and Ms. Brown created a professional goal this year focused on providing enriching opportunities beyond the school day for students who may not have the opportunity to so on their own. Students visited such places as The Zen Den for a yoga class, Margarita's to make guacamole, Home Depot to use power tools, Firefly Pottery and Atlantic Gymnastics to take a gymnastics class. This was a true passion project for the ladies, who received great feedback from both students and parents alike. A big thank you to the PTO who provided grant funding to the ladies to support the Excursions Club. The presentation was so well received that one of our Board members asked to make a donation to continue the work into next year!
OUTDOOR CLASSROOM
(March 14, 2018)--The creation of an outdoor classroom and playscape will be starting in the spring. A group of dedicated and passionate parents, teachers and community members have been meeting and planning a wonderfully engaging space for our students and teachers to engage in an outdoor experience to benefit all. In addition, we have just found out that New Franklin will be the recipient of a Timberland Community Outreach Grant. We will have close to 50 Timberland employees helping with projects around our building on Friday, May 11. Timberland has also graciously donated $2,500 towards supplies for our Outdoor Classroom. Stay tuned for more.
eSchool
(March 14, 2018)--Fifth grade students at all Portsmouth elementary schools attend eSchool (Environmental School). This year our students will be spending two nights and three days at the Ecology School in Saco. It will be the first time for NFS students spending the night. With that said, the cost for our students to attend is a bit more than we have budgeted for. A committee has been formed to solicit corporate donations and students themselves will help raise money with some fundraisers. We would like to thank Boyton, Waldron, Doleac, Woodman, & Scott for their generous $1,500 donation, Piscataqua Savings Bank for donating $1,500, Newburyport Five Cent Savings for a donation of $1,000, and Ambit Engineering for their $250 donation towards eSchool. The committee is working on securing another $2,500 and has collected more than $4,000 in parent donations. So mark your calendar for the student-run fundraisers below:
- Saturday, April 14th - Babysitting morning, 9-11:30
- Wednesday, April 11th - Margaritas Benefit Night
Portsmouth Elementary School Council
If you are interested in learning more about the Portsmouth Elementary School Council, a group representing all three Portsmouth elementary schools, please contact the NFS PTO. Each school has two members and NFS only has one right now, Tara Kennedy. Check them out and like them on Facebook! The time commitment is around 1-2 hours per month (October-May) and a bit more in the Spring to help organize a combined event to benefit all three elementary schools. The past two years the Council brought us The Wizards Basketball Game.