RAY SCHOOL NEWS FOR PARENTS
www.RaySchool.org
November 2, 2007
A. Bruce Williams, Principal
Sarah Curtis, Assistant Principal
Art News
The A.R.T. gallery featuring the paintings of Freida Kahlo
& Diego Rivera is in full swing! Almost 30 fifth graders
volunteered to be trained as docents for our K through 5 tours.
Thanks to our A.R.T. parent volunteer, Neely McNulty, all art classes
will learn about these famous Mexican artists and follow up with
Freida and/or Diego inspired projects in the next few weeks!
There will be an El Trato performance, presented for
students in grades three to five, on Friday, November 2. El Trato is
a multicultural performance of a Mexican folk tale using hand carved
puppets and masks made by Mexican and American folk artists. This
program provides the audience with the opportunity to experience a
variety of artistic disciplines, cultural influences, social
differences and thought provoking themes.
Meet the El Trato performers, Pat Picciano and Michael Zurphy,
on Friday evening, November 2, from 4 :00 to 9:00 p.m., at Margaritas
Restaurant in Lebanon. There will be an art exhibit & sale,
puppet demonstration, DVD presentation, kids coloring activities, and
Mexican art raffle!
Ray School Writers' Club
The next meeting for the Ray School Writers' Club is on Tuesday,
November 6th. Please make note of this date as it is a change from
the usual Monday Ray Writers' Club meetings. This will be the only
change in our schedule this year. The rest of our meetings will be on
Mondays.
Lost and Found
Found items are on display in the hall outside the Ray Cafe. When
you are in the building, please check for items you may be missing.
Over Thanksgiving break, items left unclaimed will be donated to a
local charity.
Health Notes
Time to dig out those jackets, hats, and mittens and send your child
to school prepared for the change of temperature. Children go
out for recess every day and should be appropriately dressed for the
weather conditions of the day.
Are “Crocs” An Escalator Hazard for Young Children?
“Reprinted from CHILD HEALTH ALERT, October
2007
“Crocs” are one brand of soft, flexible clogs that have
become extremely popular among adults and children. Nos, a news
report has raised concern that “Crocs” are putting children
at risk for their toes becoming caught in escalators. As the
popularity of these clogs has increased so have reports from the US
and abroad about these kinds of entrapments, which ironically are
being blamed on two of the popular features of this footwear-their
flexibility and grip. Some have reported that the shoes get caught in
the escalator ”teeth” at the bottom or top of these moving
stairways, or in the crack between the steps and the side of the
escalator. These incidents have lead a number of stores and other
public facilities to post warning signs-the Washington DC subway
system, for example, has posted ads warning riders about wearing such
shoes on its moving stairways. (Associated Press, September 18, 2007)
COMMENT: Last month we reported on the hazards linked to
“Heelys” and “Street Gliders” (see CHILD HEALTH
ALERT, September, 2007, p.3), and now we are learning about risks to
children from a very different kind of footwear. As the report notes,
the qualities of these clogs that allows them to get caught is their
soft and flexible nature, and the same kind of problem can occur with
soft and flexible sneakers. It’s worth pointing out that this
problem isn’t unique to young children, as the same potential
exists for older children and adults who wear soft and flexible
footwear. The difference of course, is that young children may not be
able to pull their foot free at the first sign of entrapment, so
it’s a good idea to be particularly careful when it comes to
young children wearing soft footwear on escalators.
Picture Absentee and Retake Day
Picture Absentee and Retake Day is scheduled for Wednesday,
November 7. Children who were absent on picture day and wish their
pictures taken must bring a picture form with complete payment to the
camera. (Extra packets are available in the office.) Children wishing
retakes must bring their complete package to the camera on that day.
Refund requests must be mailed by parents directly to the studio.
Local Activities
On, Sunday November 4th, beginning at 10:00 a.m., there will be a
suicide awareness walk sponsored by Dartmouth College. The
walk begins and ends at the Dartmouth College Green and is about 2
miles. There will be a team from Hanover High School. If you would
like to join the team as a walker and collect donations please
contact Chris Seibel at 643-3431 ext. 2112. If you wish to make a
donation to the HHS team, you can visit the following website,
http://www.outofthedarkness.org/ and follow the directions to make a
donation (the donation button is at the top right of the home page).
At the next page you want to hit the support a participant button and
enter Chris Seibel in the participant space.
Team SPECTRA is a developmental alpine skiing and snowboarding
program that provides local area kids with low-key instruction
with ample opportunities to free ski and snowboard and to have fun.
Might you be interested in volunteering to be an instructor or
a substitute in the program this winter? Team SPECTRA will meet
Sunday afternoons (1:00 to 3:00 p.m.), between January 13 and March 9
(excluding February 17), at the Dartmouth Skiway. Volunteers provide
instruction to children generally between the ages of 5 and 14.
Volunteers receive free passes to the Skiway as well as discounts at
the Golf & Ski Warehouse on a variety of skiing and snowboarding
equipment, apparel, and services. If you are interested in helping,
please contact Bill Proom at 643-5343 or by email at
bill.proom@gfplp.com.
The 15th Annual Hanover 10K Turkey Trot will be held on
Sunday, November 18th, at 1:00 p.m. Beautiful measured course
throughout Hanover, with prizes for top finishers, medals for
division winners, and all runners eligible for cool raffle prizes.
Two new age divisions for kids, ages 10-14, and 15-19! For more
information, contact Hanover Parks and Recreation at 643-5315, or
download a registration form at
www.hanovernh.org/stories/storyReader$143.
Halloween is over, are you Thinking Snow? Then put the Ford Sayre
ski sale on your calendar for Sunday, November 4, noon to 2:30
p.m., at the Richmond School! Consignment is Friday, November 2, from
6:00 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, November 3, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
No straight skis please!
There is still room in some of the after-school classes for
children at the Hanover League of NH Craftsmen, as well as the
adult classes in the evenings. Call 603 643-5384 to register.
Wednesday Kids Klay is designed for youngsters who want to create
whatever inspires them using clay as the medium. Children will learn
hand-building and sculpting techniques, various methods of surface
decorating and glazing.
The Hanover Hockey Association is offering girls, ages 6-12,
one last chance to sign up for the new Girls Development
Hockey program. The group will meet on Saturday and Sunday mornings
and is a learn to play development hockey program. The first skate is
Saturday, November 3rd. For more information, or to register, go to
www.hanoverhockey.org or Call Betsy Knights @ (603) 643-0041 or
e-mail: hellobck@aol.com.
The Trumbull Hall Troupe, a group of mostly Hanover/Norwich
kids presents "Underland," a funny, original children's musical
written by novelist Jodi Picoult with songs by Ellen Wilber about
Alex's adventures in a microscopic world. Performances are Friday,
November 2, at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 3, at 2:00 and 7:00
p.m., at the Richmond Middle School. Tickets are free, but donations
will be accepted for Zienzele, Children Helping Children and Richmond
Middle School Auditorium. Ticket reservations are highly recommended
(call 643-7702).