RAY SCHOOL NEWS FOR PARENTS
www.RaySchool.org

October 12, 2007

A. Bruce Williams, Principal
Sarah Curtis, Assistant Principal

Safety Reminder to Parents
As Mr. Williams indicated in his Message From the Principal with regard to Traffic Control & Safety Concerns, we have trained a small group of 5th graders to serve as "Parking Monitors." They have begun their duties in order to help promote safety during daily morning drop-offs on Tuesday, October 9th. When you see them, please be sure to say "Hello!" or give a friendly wave to thank them for their work.

Also, to assist with bus line safety at afternoon dismissal, we have trained another group of 5th graders who are serving as "Bus Monitors." Their duties include helping to maintain order and safety as students wait in bus lines, serving as line leaders and enders, and making sure that students board their buses safely. They are not "on duty" once on the buses.

We are grateful to all of our 5th grade volunteers for the roles they play in making the Ray School safe!

Parent Volunteers Needed
During the week of October 22-26, 2007, all fourth and fifth grade students will participate in the Fitnessgram health-related fitness test during their regular physical education classes. This assessment, developed by the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research, will consist of the PACER, a test of aerobic endurance, 90 degree push ups and curl ups, tests of muscular strength and endurance, the sit and reach, a flexibility test, and the trunk lift, a test of muscular strength and flexibility.
Parent volunteers are needed during fourth and fifth grade fitness assessments. Parents interested in helping can sign up for specific times and classes on the Volunteer Sheet that we’ll post near the PTO Board inside the front door. Those who would like to help but won’t be in the school next week to sign up may call or email Janice O’Donnell at school at janice.o.donnell@valley.net. or 643-6655. This will be the 20th year that parents have helped make fitness testing a positive experience for our students by providing individual attention and encouragement. We appreciate your help with this effort. Janice O’Donnell and Debby Franzoni

School Nurse
FOOD ALLERGY NETWORK-Parent Support Meeting: The first food allergy meeting for this year is on Thursday Oct 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the conference room at DMS 1 East. All are welcome! The guest speaker at this meeting will be Dr. David Goodman, pediatric allergist at the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth, who will discuss pediatric food allergies. As always, there will be lots of time for discussion and questions!

SCREENING:
The initial screenings are finished thanks to the many volunteers who helped with this program. 21volunteers helped complete this huge project, screening all grade 1 through 5 students for height, weight, hearing, vision and blood pressure over the course of two weeks. The efficiency of many hands made it a huge success that caused little disruption to individual classes. Many thanks to all who volunteered.
I will be conducting follow up evaluations for students who did not meet the minimum requirements for passing the screening exams in the next couple weeks. Referrals will follow for students who are identified as needing further evaluation. If you haven't heard from me, no concerns were identified for your child. You are always welcome to call if you have any questions or concerns.
Local Activities
Ford Sayre will hold a ski sale of new and used ski equipment, on Sunday, November 4, from 12:00 noon to 2:30 p.m., at Richmond Middle School. The sale is to benefit youth skiers. Consignment of equipment will take place on Friday, November 2, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m, and Saturday, November 3, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. If you can volunteer to work at the sale (shop pre-sale) please contact Mary Liscinsky at (802) 296-7247 or mary.liscinsky@dartmouth.edu. For more about the Ford Sayre Program contact http://www.fordsayre.org.

Good Beginnings of the Upper Valley introduces the Dorothy Campion Corcoran Series: A panel discussion with area experts on current parenting practices: co-sleeping, feeding, gadgets and gizmos, family rhythms, immunizations, adoptive parenting and much more. Wednesday, October 17, 7:00 p.m. Filene Auditorium, Dartmouth college. Free and open to the public.

Sibshop of the Upper Valley: The sibshop program provides brothers and sisters of children with special needs an opportunity to...meet other brothers and sisters of children with special needs; have fun; talk to others who know what it's like to have a sibling with a special need; make new friends; learn more about special needs and the services people receive and, have some more fun! It is for 7-12 year old brothers and sisters. Cost is $5 per sibshop (scholarships available). They meet the first Saturday of the month form Oct. through June at the CCBA from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with occasional field trips. To register or find out more contact Pam@SpecialNeedsSupportCenter, 603-448-1268 or respitecare@valley.net

Parent to Parent: Parent to Parent is a statewide network of families willing to share experiences and assist other parents of children with special needs. Call us if your child has special medical, emotional, developmental or learning challenges and you are looking for resources and services in NH. 1-800-698-LINK.

LISTEN Holiday Basket Program: Holiday Baskets provide warm clothing, gift items and a food certificate for children and senior citizens. Recipient families fill out a wish list of items and warm clothing requests for their children. Sponsoring families, businesses and religious organizations add these lists to their holiday shopping and fulfill the requests. Donated items are dropped off at Listen and volunteers check and wrap each donation and add items as needed. The completed gift baskets are distributed in mid-December. This program is a personal way for sponsors, donors, and volunteers to help members of their community while protecting the privacy of the recipient and the donor. You can make a difference in the life of an Upper Valley family by participating in the annual Holiday Basket Helper Program. Brochures are available detailing the program from Pam Graham, School Counselor at the Ray School or for more information or questions please contact Kristin Farquharson at Listen 448-4553 or email her at kristin@listencs.org
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PIG and WOLF "Help Others" 2008 Calendars
The annual Youth In Action calendars featuring Hanover's own Pig and Wolf are now available to purchase. Youth in Action is based at Hanover High School. The students help out in many areas of the community. The calendar is just $12.00 and is available at The Black Recreation Center, Dan and Whits, Dartmouth Co-op, Hair Affair, Howe Library, Main Street Kitchens, Norwich Bookstore, Rare Essentials, Shear Styling, The Haven and the Town Hall of
Hanover. They make a great gift! Questions? email: yia@dresden.us. Thank you for your support!

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