April 17, 2025
Dear North Hampton Families,
Canine Visits
As you know, students had a special ballot for the March 11 town election. Overwhelmingly, they voted in support of asking us to look into the possibility of a comfort dog for NHS. This is not a quick thing to arrange, but we have been able to work with a local agency, “Canine Companions,” to schedule some visits with Goliath. Goliath is a service dog in training who is currently being fostered and trained by Mary Mace. Mary works in the SAU 21 office. Mary has graciously offered to bring Goliath to NHS two times per month for the rest of the school year. Goliath is a one year old yellow lab/golden retriever mix. He visited classrooms earlier this month and will be back on Monday, April 21st. It is interesting to note that service dogs in training could end up assisting a wide range of people with disabilities. Some go on to train as hearing or seeing eye dogs. Others work in hospital or court settings. We are grateful for this arrangement and so far, Goliath has been VERY popular.
Parenting Resources
SAU 21 has a partnership with the Cook Center to provide free and confidential parent coaching to those who sign up. The Cook Center also has other resources. I have attached a newsletter at the bottom of this note. It is different than the coaching flyer in that it contains information on a variety of topics that could be of interest to parents. This particular newsletter has short articles on “Supporting Emotional Growth,” “Encouraging Healthy Communication,” “Building Confidence Through Life’s Challenges,” and “Guiding Your Child: Fostering Independence and Growth.” There is a link at the end of the newsletter for free online courses for parents with a focus on coping skills for anxiety and typical daily stressors.
Parent Input Forms for Class Placement for 25-26 School Year
The forms are optional and have been sent out to parents in grades K-4. As a reminder, they are due by April 21, 2025. We do not accept requests for teachers by name and encourage you to describe how your child learns best. Students entering grades 6-8 next year will have the same teachers. If you have any concerns about homeroom placement, please email your child’s teachers.
The Jaggy Awards–April 18, 2025
It’s getting close. Dig out your camera. Dig out the fancy clothes. Students are invited to wear their finery to this Awards Show themed celebration of reading! Parents are invited to the Red Carpet walk–as paparazzi and ‘mom’-arazzi. Unfortunately, there is only room in the cafeteria for students and staff for this event. We typically walk out the gym lobby door and around the driveway to re-enter the building through the front door.
Annual Book Fair, Plant Sale, and Art Show
Mark your calendar for May 14th for this annual event. We host the Scholastic Book Fair with after school hours. The Plant Sale is always a big hit and you can view beautiful student art displayed as well.
Re-Seeding our Fields
We will be re-seeding our playing fields over the April school vacation week. We do this twice a year. If you see a sign saying they have been re-seeded, please stay off the fields if they are very wet or if anyone is wearing cleats. This will give the seeds the best chance of producing a nice playing field. Thank you.
Dates to remember
April 18: The Jaggy Awards at 8:45 AM
April 28-May 2: Spring School Vacation Week
May 5-9: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 12-14: Grade 6 Trip to Camp Merrowvista
May 14: Early dismissal day–12:00 dismissal
May 14: Book Fair, Plant Sale, and Art Show
May 26: No school–Memorial Day
May 29: Jaggy’s Birthday Lunch
June 2-4: Grade 8 Trip to AMC Lodge
June 12: 8th Grade Graduation at 6 PM
June 13: Tentative last day of school–12:00 dismissal (pending any snow days)
Follow us on social media at https://www.facebook.com/nhamptonschool?ref=embed_page
Follow NHS PAL on Instagram and Facebook!
North Hampton School PAL Organization (@nhs_pal_organization) • Instagram photos and videos
https://www.facebook.com/northhamptonPAL
Re-runs:
Teacher Appreciation Week: May 5-9, 2025
We love our teachers at NHS and know that you do too. It is a bit early, but it will come up right after the April vacation. PAL is planning some appreciation events for them. Teachers also love a handwritten note from a parent or student letting them know how they have made a difference. Please consider taking a few moments to write your children’s teachers a note. Thank you.
2025-2026 School Year–Middle School Grades
Since middle school students all have the same teachers, we do not send Parent Input Forms to parents of rising 6-8th grade students. If you have special concerns or requests, please email your child’s homeroom teacher directly. While we cannot make guarantees, the team will take your input into consideration in making the initial homeroom lists. Please remember that middle school travel groups change each trimester.