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The Hallway

This frequently-changing common space serves our students and families for this year. Here you'll find forms, announcements, and other things of interest throughout the year.

Nutfield Family Dinner Night!

Dine at Cafe Teresa on Tuesday, April 15th to benefit Nutfiled Cooperative School. 50% of the entire day's proceeds will be donated to Nutfield, to help our families in need. Cafe Teresa, 103 Nashua Rd., Londonderry, 432-8850.
 

News:
Nutfield Cooperative Earns NAEYC Accreditation for Pre-School and Kindergarten Programs

Among First in the Nation to Complete New, More Rigorous Accreditation Process

Derry, New Hampshire, February 15, 2008 — Nutfield Cooperative School today announced it is one of the first early childhood development programs in the country and the first in Derry to earn accreditation under the new standards of the National Association of Young Children (NAEYC), the country’s leading organization of early childhood professionals.

Nutfield has been accredited by the NAEYC since 1998. The Association revised its standards and criteria in September of 2006, introducing new levels of quality, accountability, and service based on the latest research and best practices in early childhood education and development. Achieving re-accreditation under the new standards required first an extensive self-study period and acceptance as an accreditation candidate, then several hundred hours of program documentation. This measured Nutfield’s pre-school and kindergarten programs against ten new Early Childhood Program Standards and over 400 individual Accreditation Criteria. The rigorous evaluation also included an on-site visit and thorough inspection by NAEYC assessors.

“NAEYC accreditation lets families in our community know the children in our programs are getting the best early learning experiences possible,” said Kathy Gallagher, director of Nutfield Cooperative. “The many hours working for accreditation reflect our staff’s overall dedication to providing a high-quality educational environment. For thirty-nine years we have seen this effort bear fruit in the successes achieved by our students in their future education.”

“The new NAEYC Accreditation system raises the bar for preschools, child care centers and other early childhood programs,” said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., executive director of NAEYC.  “Nutfield Cooperative’s NAEYC Accreditation is a sign that they are a leader in a national effort to invest in high-quality early childhood education, and to help give all children a better start.”

For more information on the NAEYC and its accreditation criteria and process, visit www.naeyc.org.

Download this news release (PDF file).

Stay Day Fun in the Snowy Sun

The kids in our after-school Stay Day sessions always have a great time! Here are some scenes from our outdoor exciursions in January.

Holiday Sing-Along, Dec. 13

 

 

In the Physical Hallway

Margie Ives, who is a member of the First Parish Church, donated this beautiful gingerbread house to Nutfield. We decided to raffle it off. Tickets are two 2 for $! and can be purchased from Joan Dresser, our hall monitor. The drawing will be held Thursday, December 13th.

Have you seen the Zig Zag Sculptures in the hallway outside of Mrs. Vincents class? Each sculpture is described by it's creator.

The hallway out side of Mrs. Humel's class is decorated with Number Quilts. Each quilt piece represents a number from 1-10, the children have put the corresponding number of of items on each square.

 

Derry Holiday Parade, Nov. 24

Thanks to everyone who participated in the big parade Saurday after Thanksgiving! We all had a great time.

A Note from Kathy, Nov. 16

The NAEYC Assessor has come and gone from Nutfield. She was not able to say much, but she did say she enjoyed her time at Nutfield.

I think she got a good sense of the community that exists here. She visited four classrooms; checked child files; teacher files; classroom portfolios; and the program portfolio. We will not get the results until the end of February, but the whole staff deserves a round of applause for all of the work they have put into this process.

I will have the portfolios available for viewing at the open board meeting on Tuesday, December 4th. Put the date on your calendar and come and see all the work they have done!

Thanks to everyone who sold Maple Syrup. We made over $1200 on the sale. The syrup will be ready to pick up on Monday and Wednesday. Thanks to Sue Mitchell for spearheading this wonderful fundraiser. I hope you all enjoy your syrup.

The Simon Evening of Giving was also a successful fundraiser. We raised $450. Thanks to everyone who bought tickets. I hope you have a great time shopping, eating and being entertained.

Be sure to watch for more information on the 3rd Annual Holiday Vendor Sale to be held in Currier Hall on Tuesday, November 27th from 6-8 pm.

All the money we raise on our fundraisers this year will go into our scholarship fund.

Thanks to Debby Neubauer for her tireless efforts in the recent search she undertook.

 

Nutfield Nuggets by Nancy Francis, Week of Nov. 5

Back in my youth (when dinosaurs roamed the earth), my family lived in the country on a small family farm.  We did farm things like having a large garden and raising cows, pigs and a couple goats. We did country things like heat with wood, roam the woods, and rake leaves

We also tried making maple syrup.  Once.

We had a lot of large, old maples; they certainly produced prodigious amounts of fall foliage (and raking).  They were big and stately and maple.  I was in my teens when we embarked on the maple syrup adventure and it has gone down in the annals of my family’s history as “The Spring We Tried Maple Syrup”.

We began as we did most of our country farming adventures:  with a tiny bit of knowledge and a clear goal.  First we bought some new garbage can sized containers (which were probably new garbage cans), then we tapped the trees and then we waited for the sap to run.  It was pretty straight forward and we were off to a good start.

Each day my brother Ray & I collected the sap from the buckets hanging on the trees.  Some days there would be a little sap, sometimes a lot.  Still, it was a lot more fun than hauling wood and picking vegetables and (for once) we did not complain.  My older brother, Dan, was away in his first year of college and missed this relatively easy chore.

Weeks went by and Ray and I got pretty good at our appointed task.  Winter seemed to be giving way to spring (always a happy event, but especially on a farm) and Dan was coming home on spring break.  Our sap barrels were full and it was decided that the time had come for the final step:  boiling the maple sap down to maple syrup.  This apparently, was the tricky part.

A copper kettle was cleaned and set up, Dan (the responsible oldest brother) was home from school, the fire was lit and the “sugaring” began.  Ray & I must have had a sense of what was to come because he “had other plans” and I found a good book and went into hiding.  Dan and Dad boiled syrup.  And boiled syrup and boiled syrup.  Though the days and nights of Dan’s first college spring break he helped Dad man the syrup pan and keep the fires going.  Mom was there, too, doing relief work and feeding the smoky workers.  The boiling ran continuously for days and nights, the vast majority of Dan’s spring break. 

Dan still has nightmares about it.

It takes about 10 gallons of sap to make 1 quart of syrup if you do it correctly.  If you do it incorrectly it takes a lot of labor, a lot of time and all of your vacation and even then the results are by no means guaranteed.

Nutfield is in the middle of a maple syrup fundraiser.  The price is $8.00/pint or $15.00/quart.  My family did not make this syrup, but I am giving it to them as gifts.  It is the fundraising bargain of the year!  Order forms have been sent home but see your child’s teacher (or me) for order forms (forms & payment are due back this Friday). 

It’s a great product!  It makes great gifts!  It helps the school!  It’s easier than wide scale production … trust me!

Nutfield Nuggets by Nancy Francis, Week of Oct. 22

Halloween was last week and you’ll never guess what I saw in the grocery store:  Egg Nog.  EGG NOG!  Egg nog in the stores at the same time as Candy Corn!  The two titans of holiday food (albeit two different holidays) in stores at the same time!  Shocking!  Alarming!  Thought provoking…

Really, no one wants to be thinking about “Jingle Bells” as we dress our youngsters up for the Halloween parade.  No one wants to roast chestnuts over an open fire (or any kind of fire) when we were wearing shorts just last week.  The leaves are still vibrant and still on the trees!  The rakes are still buried in the back of the barn!  My beach chair still holds its place of honor in the garage!  And what about Thanksgiving?!

Autumn is a hectic season, probably the busiest time of the year.  Sure, not everyone gets into the Halloween spirit, but if you have youngsters then Halloween fun includes creating/finding/borrowing/buying the costume that is just right. There are parties and parades here at Nutfield. 

While memories of that adorable Tiger/Princess/M&M costume are still warm in your hear (and here is still plenty of candy in the house), Thanksgiving looms.  Maybe you cook, maybe you travel … maybe you cook & travel!  Busy, busy, busy …

Let’s not even talk about Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, etc.!

As the season gets rolling, there is help on the horizon It is more known as “Stay Day”.  Twice a week Nutfield offers the opportunity for your child to bring a lunch and stay and play the day away.  This multi-age group gathering allows for lots of unstructured play and hour and hours outside (dress appropriately!).  Friends from different classes can sit next to each other at lunch.  Siblings from different age groups (and any of our many sets of twins) can share a table and a smile.

It has been my experience that the buddy system is alive and well in Stay Day. By arranging a friend (or two or more), first time Stay Day-ers can feel more at ease in a new situation.  Monday’s offer a smooth transition for the 4’s and Kindergarteners and Friday’s offer the same opportunities for the 3-year old and kindergarteners.  Of course, 4-year olds are welcome on Friday and 3-years olds are welcome on Monday!  The program runs from the dismissal of the morning classes (11:45 AM) to 4 PM.  The cost of this program is $18/per child per day.  Children in the afternoon 4/5 class can participate, too, by arriving for lunch at Extended Day, then going on to class, and then back to Extended Day. The cost of this program is $9.00 See Kathy Gallagher’s office for Extended Day forms.

Fall is a busy time and sometimes you need a little more done than will fit into our standard school day. 

One word of caution, though:  Stay Days between now and the end of 2007’s fill up very quickly.  Find that friend, make a lunch, and give Stay Day a try!

Nutfield Nuggets by Nancy Francis, Week of Oct. 22

Before you first heard your child’s voice or saw your child face you knew their name. You thought about it.  You made lists. You fielded suggestions. You agonized. How each of us settles on names is as individual as thumbprints, but the time and care practiced by parents when it comes to choosing a child’s name is impressive.

Maybe your child is named after relatives. Maybe there is a name tradition in your family that you feel compelled to follow (or avoid).  Maybe you have always favored a particular name or maybe an event inspired the perfect name for your child.

Whatever the rational or reasoning, we all have one; in most cases we have not just one but three names. They give us initials, they get shortened to nicknames, and they remain with us our whole lives.

And they are vital in the preschool setting:  they tell us which clothing belongs to which child.

Eventually (and I am taking this on faith) the weather will turn colder and colder still.  Rain will fall and, as we live in New England, snow will someday soon begin to fly. We will see a need for more seasonal clothing and that brings about certain challenges here at Nutfield. 

You see, we help the children practice the art of dressing for the elements before going outside. In my years at Nuffield, both as a parent and as the Contingency Aide, I have been impressed with how well parents have prepared their children’s wardrobes for the challenges of New England. Hats, mittens, rain coats, rain boots, snow boots, jackets, winter coats, snow pants, scarves – the variety of clothing options is impressive … and confusing.  It doesn’t have to be.

It all goes back to names. Those unique monikers have a vital role clearing away the confusion with the stroke of a pen (or maybe a Sharpie). The sight of a name inside rain boots, winter boots, snow pants, raincoats, winter coats (even hats, scarves, and mittens) can go a long way to help your young ones dress properly for the day’s weather. Names on a tag or label can quickly clear up the ownership of two similar garments. Names written on rain coats and sweatshirts are a huge help to staff & co-oping adults.  Even names written clearly on back packs and drinking cups are a wonderful thing.

So get out those permanent markers and get to work. It does not have to be out for the world to see, but definitely on the inside somewhere - anywhere! As the outerwear begins to accumulate, don’t hesitate to put that carefully chosen name (first or last or initials) on each article of clothing. When you are faced with a dozen sets of black snow pants in a classroom, you too will be grateful for each and every bit of help!  (I favor a silver marker for those hard-to-mark dark items of clothing). 

Thanks!

Fundraisers for this Fall

1. Simon Evening of Giving
Nutfield is selling tickets to the Simon Evening of Giving. These tickets admit you to any Simon Mall on Sunday, November 18th from 6:00-9:30 PM. Shopping is only for ticket holders so there will be no crowds. There will be holiday music and refreshments served. In addition many stores in the mall will be offering special discounts to the attendees. I have heard from people who have attended in previous years that this is a very pleasant way to shop. Can you imagine making a huge, stress free, dent in your holiday shopping before Thanksgiving! These tickets will be sold for $10 per person, Nutfield keeps $7 of each ticket, the rest goes to benefit the Simon Youth Foundation. Be sure to invite friends and relatives to join you on this special night out. You can buy tickets rom Joan Dresser at the Hall Monitor’s desk at the bottom of the stairs. Make checks payable to Nutfield.

2. Maple Syrup Sale
On October 22nd we will begin selling pints and quarts of Real New Hampshire Maple Syrup. Your child will bring home an order form which will be due back in two weeks with the payment included. Maple syrup makes a great holiday gift. It tastes wonderful on pancakes, waffles, French toast, ice cream, and oatmeal on a cold winter morning. The syrup will be available for pick up on November 16th and 19th. Make checks payable to Nutfield.

3. Holiday Vendor Fair
The last opportunity you will have to shop and benefit Nutfield at the same time will be at the Holiday Vendor Fair on Tuesday, November 27th from 6-8 PM in Currier Hall. This fair gives you the perfect opportunity to find unique gifts from vendors who normally only sell at home parties. Terri Conroy is in charge of this event and if you are interested in participating as a vendor please contact her. This is a lovely event with great refreshments and raffle prizes.

Nutfield Nuggets by Nancy Francis, Week of Oct. 15

Classroom space is valuable. Each square foot of space has to prove it is vital to the early childhood learning experience. Sure, some of you may have doubted some of our decision when you have picked up your child and he/she is covered in paint. Or has three wet shirts in his/her back pack from the water table. Or dreamed up a creation out of toilet paper tubes and tape. Rest assured, all of these things are developmentally appropriate and an important to a growing mind. We may not have any helpful suggestions regarding where to hand the toilet paper tube creation, but we have faith a perfect place will present it self.

When you get the opportunity to tour the various classrooms at Nutfield, you will notice several striking similarities in the usage of space. For example, each room had a dramatic play area. Each room has a block area. You will find a sand table in each room though the sand is often replaces with other sensory items (corn meal, shaving cream, corn starch, and snow, to name a few). There is a writing area and a place to enjoy play-doh/clay. Science areas expand to meet the needs of he season (Kindergarten has incubators and chick eggs each spring) and the rug area hosts circle time and large motor activities.

Interestingly enough, it is the reading area that is often time the most comfortable in the classroom. It is a place where children first encounter a connection to their homes. Choruses of “I have that book!!” are often heard at story time when a particular favorite is selected for the day. Often times, children are encouraged to help read stories they know. They are engaged in stories they may have heard once or a hundred times. They learn that stories are a good reason to sit (relatively) still and listen to the reader.

You will find children in the reading area for any number of reasons. Some just love the thrill of a good book even if the actual words are beyond them. They lead with their imagination and tell the stories their own way.

Occasionally, a child will find the reading area a quiet reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the room at large. Sometimes it is a nice place to be by yourself in a room full of activity. There are comfortable places to sit and just look at the selection!

Each teacher had her favorites and since favorites can span generations, there may be “classics” you knew as a child as well as “classics” for today. Maybe some were donated as a teacher gift (or purchased with a gift card) and many were purchased through the book orders that go home with your child each month.

Books are also rotated due to season and topic of study. The winter books are put away come spring and the books on monarch life cycle are put away after our colorful friends have headed south. In Kindergarten, the space books will be out in force during the unit on space (followed by a trip to the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium).

We hope you have your own special reading area (or two!) at home; maybe it’s a special chair maybe it your child’s bed at the end of the day. We encourage that special time you and your child spend pouring over a good book. Read to your child. Have your child read/tell the story to you. Tell a story about when you were young.  Act out the story. Make up a story. Write a story together.  Make the reading area a way of life.

Nutfield Nuggets by Nancy Francis, Week ending Oct. 5

Let’s face it:  Nutfield’s physical facility is a bit like a rabbit warren. There is the front entrance (by the church office) and the playground entrance. If you use the front entrance, you can  proceed downstairs by moving straight through the main entrance or by taking a right immediately upon moving through the doors and proceeding down the hall (past the upstairs bathrooms) to the set of stairs that leads to the Gallagher/Higgins & Higgins/Carter room. If you enter through the playground entrance, than you have a straight shot to the kindergarten rooms, but a series of left hand turns if you want to get to the bathrooms/Kathy’s office/ the Dionne/Mitchell & Mitchell/ Miller room.

To my knowledge, we have never lost a parent due to the unusual and unique layout of our building, though I have found that most Nutfield co-oping parents & guardians are quite comfortable in asking for directions.

Beyond the basic layout of the school, there are a number of other areas that we use from time to time and these areas will begin to be useful in the near future

Let’s begin our tour with the kitchen. As you enter through the front entrance, you would take a vague left and it is the second door on the left. We have been so pleased with the number of parents/guardians that have followed our handbook and the NAEYC guidelines for snack preparation and have stopped off in the kitchen to clean and prepare your fruit and/or vegetables before the school day begins. Thank you!

Next we have the gym. As you enter the school through the front entrance, you would make a vague left and proceed past the kitchen (see above) to a double set of double doors which open into Currier Hall. This is our gymnasium and if you are fortunate enough to coop on gym day, you will see this room alive with activity. Reneé Parolisi works the large muscle and the listening skills of the children with a plethora of fun activities including anything from an obstacle course, to bowling, to a parachute. In times of wet weather, this area is often used in place of the playground for relieving some youthful energy.

For those of you that took advantage of the child care services offered during parent-teacher conferences, you are familiar with the nursery. This room is located by entering through the main entrance and taking a quick right (like you are going to Kathy & Mary’s room). Continue past the bathrooms & the bulletin board and it is the next door on your left. This room is used for child care twice a year (during conferences) and we greet a VERY SPECIAL visitor here late in December.

Across the hall from the nursery is a room we use for student portraits. Our faithful photographer, Mike Lozier, sets up his gear in here and it is our hope that every child will be well on Picture Day and be able to sit for his or her photograph. Mike began his association with Nutfield when he was single and now he is married with his own children in college. That is a lot of children and a lot of smiles!

Our last stop is the church itself. In December we gather, children and families alike, for a seasonal sing-along in the church proper. You would not pass this in our ordinary Nutfield day, and I have made several wrong turns in my early career with the school. As we use this space for only this one occasion I will not offer directions, just this one piece of advice:  arrive early for the sing-along and I will make sure an escort is provided. It is an event you would not want to miss by a wrong turn into the janitor’s closet!

Nutfield Nuggets by Nancy Francis, Week ending Sept. 28

This is the beginning of my eighth year here at Nutfield Cooperative School. The first three years I stood in lines, drove on field trips, met other parents and Co-oped in the various classrooms. Sam eventually was ready for first grade and since I could not convince Kathy Gallagher to begin an elementary school program, he left the comforting, familiar halls of Nutfield and went out into the wider world. He was prepared and ready for the challenge. I stayed and have been here ever since.

A cooperative education was a new adventure for me back then. There was no cooperative educational experience in my background; there was no preschool in my back ground. I didn’t know many other parents with children Sam’s age. I was a full-time at-home mom and felt like I may have been the only one in the whole of Derry.

With Sam’s arrival at Nutfield, that all changed. I met and got to know the parents and guardians of the other children in Sam’s class. I got to know the siblings of Sam’s classmates and, best of all, I got to co-op in Sam’s classroom.

You probably entered your first co-op day with confidence and poise, but I was a nervous wreck. What if I get the kids' names wrong (which I did)?  What if I do not understand the project?  What if my very presence sets off my child and his “Special Day” turns into some dark preschool drama?  What if I bring the wrong snack? What if I am not used to a room full of children and react badly to all the activity?

All good and valid questions, I’ll grant you, but by my second or third co-op day the only question I had was “Do I have clothes old and worn enough to qualify as co-op clothes?”

The time I spent in my child’s classroom was my first window into his greater world. I got to see how he interacted with his friends, how he handled unexpected situations without my assistance, what choices he would make when choices were offered to him. I could see for myself that he avoided the art center (just like home!) and gravitated toward large manipulatives. I could talk to his teachers to confirm my observations and get fresh insight into the successes and challenges Sam encountered when it was not my co-op day.

My child was never very forthcoming with information, but I soon grew to know enough about the daily schedule that I could asked questions specific enough to generate more than one word answers.

Sam learned a lot at Nutfield, but I never expected that I would also receive an education. I enjoyed getting to know children and their grownups. I enjoyed planning snack with Sam. I enjoyed the projects and finding out the skills they taught. Fire drills, field trips, using dead fish to decorate shirts, I loved it all because I got to experience it with my child.

As I wander the halls I love seeing your children leading lines and doing calendar and telling about snack. They have big smiles on their faces and joy in their steps. In many cased I know who is coming in to co-op because they have told me days in advance. What is also nice to see is the smile on your face and the joy in your step just being and doing with your child and his or her class. You make my day!  

Sam is off to middle school next year. Maybe Kathy will consider adding a cooperative middle school program to the school…

Nutfield Nuggets, Week ending Sept. 14

Welcome Nutfielders! We are looking forward to the adventures in education that await us this 2007-2008 school year! It was so great to see so many smiling faces on my returning friends and on the friends I am just getting to know.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Mrs. (Nancy) Francis and I am the Contingency Aide here at Nutfield Cooperative School. At Nutfield, “Contingency Aid” is just a long way of saying “Help Everyone”. Experience has taught me that “Help Everyone” usually involves, paint, glue, glitter or some combination of the three. I often leave school with a smile on my face, glitter in my hair and paint of my shirt.  Good thing the glue dries to transparency…

The first week for the 3’s is always an interesting place to be. Everything is so new and exciting!  Sure, there were a few tears but they were over quickly as the children soon found many more interesting things to do! Sure, there were a few accidents, but that just gives me the opportunity to remind all parents and guardians to make sure backpacks are well stocked (including extra socks!) and to make sure names are in items like sweatshirts, coats, boots, etc.

This year the 4’s are helping our planet by implementing a “Reusable Cup/ Reusable Napkin” system. Each day the children in Mrs. Higgins/Mrs. Carter’s class and the children in Mrs. Dionne/Mrs. Mitchell’s class bring in a 4 ounce plastic cup and a cloth napkin. They use these items during snack and bring them home at the end of the day, to be cleaned and packed, ready for the next school day. This program has been an instant hit and the Earth and I couldn’t be more pleased!

Kindergarten at Nutfield is a busy place. Mrs. Vincent and Mrs. Bethel are teaching our NEW Expanded Day Kindergarten Program. This program offers children the Kindergarten experience from 9 AM to 2 PM. The children bring their lunches and enjoy the mid-day meal with Hall Monitor, Mrs. (Joan) Dresser, an occasion both children and Mrs. Dresser look forward to all morning!

All the kindergarten children will be working with the “Zoo-Phonics” system this year. Zoo-Phonics helps children learn to associate a letter’s sound with a specific movement. The movement (or kinetic) aspect really grabs children’s attention and more importantly, cements the sound with the action. They are having fun already so look forward to your own introduction to Zoo-Phonics by your children an on co-op days. Mrs. Humel & Mrs. Flint and Mrs. Dionne & Mrs. Mitchell as well as Mrs. Vincent & Mrs. Bethel will make sure we all know our sounds and receive an aerobic workout by the end of the school year (probably even by the New Year!). Wear comfortable clothes on your co-op day!

I am looking forward to Week Two and the adventure that await! See you in the halls!
— Nancy Francis