RAY SCHOOL NEWS FOR PARENTS
www.RaySchool.org

April 11, 2008           
A. Bruce Williams, Principal
Sarah Curtis, Assistant Principal

Ray School Staff email
As of April 1, the Ray School is no longer using Valleynet as their service provider.  You can email Ray School staff by using the following format:  firstname.lastname@rayschool.org

Sing-along
Due to early release on Wednesday, May 14th, there will be NO sing-along that day.

Math Night
MATH NIGHT is coming!! Come test your math skills with fun games, puzzles, and problems. There will be food and prizes! This is a PTO-sponsored family event for all K-5 children, parents, and other family members----Thursday, May 1, 6-7:00 PM at the Ray School. For more information, contact Lori Siegel or Tia James.

Health News
TV TURN OFF WEEK - The week of April 21 to 27, 2008 is TV Turn Off Week.  Why encourage turning off the TV?  Here are a few facts and thoughts about why it would be an important exercise.
    •Number of 30-second commercials seen in a year by an average child: 20,000
    •Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children: 38.5
    •Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680
    •Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours
    •Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500
            *Pediatricians recommend that kids spend no more than one hour a day watching television, using         computers and playing video games.
    *Watching TV limits the amount of time we can be active.
    *The less time you spend moving around, the more excess body weight you can accumulate.

School-Wide Earth Week Celebration---April 21-25
The week after vacation we will have an Earth Week celebration and awareness time.  Children and teachers will discuss the many ways we can conserve energy. Last year, in celebration of Earth Day the Ray School focused on the theme of reducing waste.  We all did a great job of really making a difference by generating less waste at the Ray School!  This year, in celebration of Earth Day, the Ray School will focus on reducing our energy waste.  Each day of the week, we'll take a minute to think about the different kinds of energy our school community uses, and how we can work together to use less. One way is to walk, ride a bike, or take a bus to work or to do errands.

Walk to School Day
On Tuesday, April 22, Earth Day, we will have a walk-to-school day.  (For safety, police request NO bikes, please.)  Children who would like to participate need to assemble on the Dartmouth green by 7:30 a.m.  Children can be dropped off at the northeast corner of the green between 7:15 and 7:30. This is the corner across the street from Rauner Library and kitty-corner to Rollins Chapel.  Volunteer parents and staff members will accompany the children on the 1.7 mile walk. Officer Patrick O’Neil will lead the parade.  Parents are welcome to join their children. Police are permitting parents to park on the right-hand side of College street (white Dartmouth buildings) for the event.  A school bus will be returning to the green from the Ray School at 8:20, or parents can ride the Advance Transit bus back to the north end of the green.  Bus stops are at the fire station or RMS and they run at 8:28, 9:03 and 9:33. If you and your child would like to, you can join the walk on Reservoir Road.  There is parking at the lot on the corner. The group from the green should be arriving there about 7:50.
    
The Walk to School event is part of the school-wide Earth Week celebration, April 21-25.  In the classroom, teachers will be taking a moment each day to talk about ways to conserve energy. During the week ask your children what they talked about.  Think about the energy we use every day.
 
Green Up Day
 In Hanover, Etna, and Hanover Center Green Up Day will be Saturday, May 3 this year. Green Up Day is a day when individuals, family neighborhoods and scouts get together to clean up the road sides of town. Be looking for a Green Up Day information sheet and sign up coming home with your child the day after vacation,  Monday, April 21. Green Up Day is a great way for children to help make a difference. The Ray School supports Green Up Day as a community activity directly connected to our Earth Week schoolwide  "Make a Difference" theme.            Thank you, Ray School 3R's Committee

Transportation Survey
Our Hope for Earth Day is to find a safe and environmentally responsible way to get our children to and from school.  Can you help??  The PTO is sponsoring an online transportation survey attached to your weekly email newsletter. You may also access this survey at http://www.rayschool.org/pto/   We need to hear from as many parents as possible.  It would be very helpful to find out why children are not taking the bus, or walking, biking, or carpooling to school. We plan to present our finding to the school board and the SAU in hopes of creating workable solutions.  Thank you for spending a few minutes of your time taking this important survey!  If you would like a paper copy of the survey, please contact Karen Wahrenberger at 643-3145.

Host Families Needed  
A wonderful opportunity has arisen for Ray School families to host members of the Loboc Children's Choir from the Philippines. They will be here from April 29 through May 3 to perform and to participate in a conference at Dartmouth. Host families will be asked to provide housing and meals and to transport the children at the beginning and end of each day. The children will perform at the Ray School on the morning of May 1 and at the Rollins Chapel on the evening of May 2.  On May 1, the host families are invited to join the children for a Philippine dinner feast presented by the local Philippine community.  If you would like to view the choir online, visit lobocchildrenschoir.net or google loboc children's choir to find several YouTube sites. If you would like to share your home with these wonderful singers, please contact Becky Luce or Edith Summers at the Ray School, 643-6655, or contact Edith at edith.summers@gmail.com or at 643-1548.

Ray School Walking Club
The Ray School Walking Club will start up again on Thursday, April 24th before school at 8:45 and will continue each Tuesday and Thursday morning until the end of school. The Ray School Walking Club is open to all students, staff, and parents. We walk the 1/3 mile loop around the sidewalks in front of the school and finish when the bell sounds at 8:00. Please feel free to join in whenever you arrive at school. This is just one more opportunity for all to add a few more minutes of activity to the day. Remember every minute counts!

Ray School Visitor
Author / Illustrator, Jim Arnosky will be visiting the Ray School on Monday, April 21st. He will provide three presentations for Ray School students during the school day. Between each of those sessions there may be time for brief book signings. If your child owns one of Jim's books and would like to have it signed please make sure they bring it to school that day (4/21). Books will not be on sale at school. Questions? Please call Hatsy McGraw in the Ray School library.


Ray Writers
4th grade Ray Writers will meet on  4/21, 5/5, and 5/19, from 2:45 to 4:15, in the Library. If you have questions, please feel free to call either Hatsy McGraw or Sherrie Greeley.

PTO News
Make A Plate - registration forms are due April 11th for the April 24th and May 2nd Make A Plate activity.  VOLUNTEERS are desperately needed. The average participation is 125 students on each date - we have two volunteers for the 24th and three for the 2nd.  Unfortunately, if we do not have at least five volunteers to assist with this, it will have to be cancelled.  Please consider volunteering for this wonderful keepsake project.  If interested in helping out, please contact Pattie Fried at [ mailto:pattiefried1@yahoo.com ]pattiefried1@yahoo.com.  Volunteers typically work 2:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. 

Local Activities
Tip Top Pottery and Beads will hold April Vacation Kids’ Beading Classes for children ages 8 and up.  Phone (802) 280-1700 or Email: tiptopbeads@gmail.com for more information.

Flavors of the Valley will be held on Tuesday, April 15, from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Hartford High School in White River Junction, VT  This event is the greater Upper Valley region's premier tasting, informational, and buying event for locally grown foods.  Costs will be: $7 single admission, free for children 6 and under and family max of $25.  (All children must be accompanied by an adult)  Savor samples, buy local food products that your kids will like, and attend interesting workshops. Visit www.vitalcommunities.org <http://www.vitalcommunities.org/> for a list of vendors, schedule of workshops, and directions, or call (802) 291-9100 x104. Brought to you by Valley Food & Farm, a program of Vital Communities.

Hampshire Cooperative Nursery School's Spring Soccer for children 3-5 years old begins April 23rd. Sign-up for either of two five week sessions. The first starts Wednesday, April 23rd (12:30 - 1:15). The second begins Saturday, April 26th (9:30 -10:15).  Contact Gayle at 643-1551 or Linda at HCNS 643-4640 to register.

Tridelta Sorority is offering babysitting, as a fundraiser for The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, for children ages 3 and up on Saturday, April 12th.  Babysitting will take place at 1 Occom Ridge  (Tridelta Sorority) from 4:00 to 11:00 p.m.  Events will include games, kid-friendly dinner, stories, and a movie for all ages! There is a suggested donation from the family of $10/hr.  Children are not required to attend the entire time period.  Please contact Hillary Wolcott at hillary.wolcott@dartmouth.edu with questions or to register your child(ren) with child's name, hours of attendance and any allergies.

Howe Library will present Martha Dana, puppeteer, on Friday, April 18 at 10:30 a.m.  This is a family program for ages 3 and up.

Football night on June 1 at the Richmond School Gym, 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. come meet the coaches of 4,5,6 grade football as well as the Varsity Coaching Staff. If you are interested in playing football please come and learn about the Hanover Football Program and become part of the Hanover Football family.
Thanks Mike Campbell

Spring and summer Camps, after-school classes. Craft studies at the Hanover League of NH Craftsmen offers classes in pottery, jewelry making, sculpture and mixed media. www.craftstudies.org/children.html or call 603 643 5384, email craftstudies@valley.net

TIME FOR THE GREAT PAJAMA PARTY!! (AKA Family Literacy Night), Wednesday April 30,  6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  The PTO invites all Ray School children and their families to come in their PJ's for storytelling, milk and cookies!  Teddy bears, blankets and fuzzy slippers welcome! Storytelling for grades K-2 will be in the Multi and grades 3-5, will meet for storytelling in the Library. Milk and cookies will be served following both sessions.
For questions or if you'd like to volunteer to help, contact Nancy Menton or Sam Westelman.

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