LER NEWSLETTERS

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2007-08 Newsletters

If you are interested in reading newsletters from the 2007-08 school year, click here!

September 6, 2007

From the Principal...

Dear Families,
Welcome to our 2007-08 school year! We have had a great opening to school this year. The hallways, outside window trim, and Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy room in our building were all painted over the summer. The custodial staff did a great job cleaning and waxing the floors. Laura Richards School is certainly a bright and cheerful place for your children to learn.
We welcomed 278 students last week on the first day of school. The children have adjusted well to the beginning of school. I see happy, polite, respectful boys and girls in the classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, and playground. In addition, we have six new staff members in our building. Christine Hutchinson is our new baker. Gary Levine, Pat Struble, and Marla Morgan are our new special education education technicians. Transferring from T.C. Hamlin School, Andrea Gruber has joined our Title 1 staff and Tiffany Cockrell is our new first grade teacher. We welcome them and look forward to an awesome year!
Last week our school handbook was sent home. Please be sure to read it and discuss it with your children where appropriate. Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions.
Again, I am very excited to be here this year as principal of Laura Richards School. I believe that a positive school culture fosters creativity, risk taking, and life-long learning. Our goal is for your child to have a happy, successful learning experience. I look forward to meeting each of you. Please stop in and say hi!

Yours in the service of children,
Mrs. Moody, Principal

Upcoming Events

September
11th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
15th: Reading Rumpus, Downtown Gardiner
17th: Planning meeting for Octoberfest,6:00 - 8:00
18th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
19th: Grade 2 to Bug Maine-ia at Maine State Museum
19th: Early Release Day, students dismissed @ 12:30
24th: Fall Fundraiser kick-off assembly @ 1:30
25th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
27th: School Assembly @ 8:45 - 9:15
28th: School pictures for K-2

October
2nd: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
5th: Teacher Workshop Day - no school for students
8th: Columbus Day- no school
9th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
9th: PTA meeting, 6:00 @ River View
13th: Octoberfest @ 11:00 - 3:00
14th: Rain date for Octoberfest
16th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
17th: Early Release Day, students dismissed @ 12:30
23rd: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
30th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55

Early Release Days

The first Early Release day of the school year will be Wednesday, September 19th. Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30.

For safety reasons, please do not drop your child off at school before 8:10. There is no supervision inside or on the playground until then.

GEPTA Meeting

The next GEPTA meeting is October 9th at 6:00 at River View School.
Child care is available.

Notes from the Office

If you know you will be picking up your child from school, please send in a note or call the office. This way we can have your child ready for pick up at 2:55. Please note that we can only release students to the people you have listed on the blue emergency contact form.
Thank you for respecting our learning time by not dismissing your child early unless it is an emergency.
Also, if your child is sick and won’t be in school, please call the office to let us know or e-mail the secretary at shoudlette@msad11.org. If your child arrives to school late, be sure to sign them in in at the office so that they are not marked absent for the day. Thank you!

Walking School Bus

Our first walking school bus day will be September 11th at 7:55. Every Tuesday, students may be dropped off at the Common by parents to walk to school with Mrs. Moody, Anthony Anderson (District Health Coordinator), and staff members. Parents are welcome to join us! Please return the permission slip which was sent home with your child earlier this week. Thank you!

GEPTA Fall Fundraiser

Be watching for the Fall Fundraiser which will kick off on Monday, September 24th!

Readers in Bloom

A young child is like a flower.
Some grow quickly, full to bloom.
Others need a helping hand
Gentle pruning, but not too soon.

They need time, guidance, a push – reading work, patience, and smiles.
They need a teacher to teach, across struggling reading miles.

Like sun, water, soil, and air
Reading teachers give life to joyous reading!
Letting children bloom fully, without strife.

A young child is like a flower.
For their learning, give them room to learn HOW to learn.
Then, watch their learning ever bloom!

Cecelia Timberlake

THANK YOU for taking the time this school year to help your child bloom by reading with and to them EACH day!!

Spare Clothing

It would be helpful for each student to have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. It is sometimes not convenient for parents to bring clothing in if a child spills a snack, falls in a puddle, or needs extra clothing during the school day for any reason.

Forms for the New School Year

Please be sure to complete all of the forms that were sent home with your student and return them to school if you have not already done so. This information will help us to provide a safe and positive school year for your child.
Families should also review the school calendar and make a note of important dates such as Early Release Days, workshops days, holidays and school vacations.

Ongoing Fundraisers-

LER will continue to participate in these
ongoing programs which will help us to raise funds for our school

Hannaford Helps Schools - From now through December 1st, shoppers will receive school dollar certificates at the register with the purchase of participating products, which Hannaford will redeem for cash for our school. Hannaford will also grant an additional $1,000 to the school that raises the most funds! Please be sure to send these valuable certificates to school.

Box Tops for Education - “BoxTop” labels are a great fundraiser for our school. Each label is worth 10 cents. The money goes to purchasing items for our school. At Mrs. Moody’s past school they bought a sound system, 3 DVD players and 3 televisions, a new refrigerator for the staff room, 3 digital cameras, and new Ellison machine die cuts. Please take a look at opposite page to find out what products have “BoxTops for Education.”

Printer cartridges - We participate in two different programs to collect printer cartridges of all types and sizes, which are redeemed for cash. Please send your empty cartridges to school. We can also provide collection boxes for your office.

Campbell’s Labels for Education -Collect UPC codes and logos (instead of front labels) from Campbell’s products as well as many other products with the “Labels for Education” logo.

Toys and Balls at School

Toys should not be brought to school unless they are “Show and Tell” items. Otherwise, they can be quite a distraction for children and, at times, cause a crisis if they get broken or lost.
We are working on increasing the kinds and quantities of playground balls at school. Balls should also be kept at home as they too can become an issue of conflict at recess.

School Picture Day

Lifetouch will be here to take school pictures on Friday, September 28th for our k-2 students. Pre-K will be photographed at a later date. More information will be coming home with your student soon!

September 21, 2007

From the Principal…

Dear Families,
Well the first month of school is quickly coming to an end! September has really been focused on getting back into routines and making new friendships with classmates and teachers. I see smiling faces in classrooms, in the hallways, and on the playground. It is a joy to spend the day with your children! I am proud to say that I have learned a lot of names already!
Academically, teachers have been completing literacy assessments on all students to find out what skills they have and what students’ reading levels are so teachers can begin focused guided reading groups. We have high expectations for student achievement at LER and will work very hard to meet the needs of every student.
If you ever have a concern about your child, please contact your child’s teacher. We believe that the partnership between school and home is invaluable in promoting, encouraging, and supporting your child’s learning. I especially want to thank the parents who have called or come in to speak with me about concerns, suggestions, and ideas they want to share.
A communication tool that I have been working on recently is our school website. Please be sure to take a peek at it. There is some really good information linked to the district site and some great pictures of staff and students. The LER website is still being worked on…so stay tuned!!

Yours in the service of children,
Mrs. Moody, Principal

Upcoming Events
September
24th: Fall Fundraiser kick-off assembly @ 1:30
25th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
26th: Maine Harvest Day Lunch
27th: School Assembly @ 8:45 - 9:15
27th: Planning meeting for Octoberfest,6:00 @ LER
28th: School pictures for K-2

October
2nd: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
2nd: PTA meeting, 6:00 @ River View (Please note the new date)
5th: Teacher Workshop Day - no school for students
8th: Columbus Day- no school
9th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
13th: Octoberfest @ 11:00 - 3:00
14th: Rain date for Octoberfest
16th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
17th: Early Release Day, students dismissed @ 12:30
23rd: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
30th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55

Early Release Days
Our next Early Release day will be Wednesday, October 17th. Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30.

Walking School Bus
Our walking school bus takes place every Tuesday at 7:55, weather permitting. Join us at the Common and walk to school together! Parents are always welcome to join us.

GEPTA News
Thanks to all who attended the September meeting of the Gardiner Elementary Parent Teacher Association (GEPTA). We were happy to see the strong turnout of parents and teachers and have started some great planning to support the River View and LER communities this year.
Our first major undertaking is Octoberfest. There will be an Octoberfest planning meeting for anyone interested in helping out on Thursday, September 27 at 6 p.m. in the LER library. All are welcome! Octoberfest will be on Saturday, October 13 from 11-3 at the Gardiner Common. Volunteers are still needed, as well as baked goods and other donations.
Please note a change in the date of our next meeting -- GEPTA will meet next Tuesday, October 2 at 6 p.m. at River View Community school. Meetings will normally be held on the first Tuesday of the month.

Box Tops for Education
LER will be holding monthly Box Top collection contests. Be watching for the scarecrow and pumpkin sheet that will be coming home with your student next week, and be ready to fill each pumpkin with a Box Top for Education symbol worth 10 cents to our school. Students can return their sheets to the collection box in each classroom, and the classroom collecting the most Box Tops each month will win a prize!

Maine Dental Health Out-Reach
Maine Dental Health Out-Reach will be visiting the schools in our district again this year to provide services to eligible students. Please look for the information coming home with your student today and review it carefully.

Maine Schools Celebrate Harvest Day Lunch
On Wednesday, September 26th, LER will join all Maine schools in a Harvest Day Lunch. All of the food served to our students will come from local sources such as West Gardiner Beef, Bailey’s Orchards in Whitefield, and Seaman’s Farm in Litchfield.

Volunteer/Community Service Opportunity
Sue Williamson, our District Math Coordinator, is looking for volunteers to help with photocopying, cutting, laminating, sorting, and other tasks needed to assemble math games for our students. Some of the
work could be done at home. Please call LER at 582-3612 or e-mail swilliamson@msad11.org for more information.

Note from the Office
If you know you will be picking up your child from school, please send in a note or call the office. This way we can have your child ready for pick up at 2:55.
Also, if your child is sick and won’t be in school, please call the office to let us know.
Thank you!

Walking School Bus
Our next walking school bus day will be September 25th at 7:55. Every Tuesday, students may be dropped off at the Common by parents to walk to school with Mrs. Moody, Anthony Anderson (District Health Coordinator), and staff members. Parents are also welcome to join us! It is a great way to start the day!!

Toys and Balls at School
Toys should not be brought to school unless they are “Show and Tell” items. Otherwise, they can be quite a distraction for children and, at times, cause a crisis if they get broken or lost. Students should not bring electronic games and cell phones to school.

Assembly Day
Our first school assembly will be on Thursday, September 27th at 8:45-9:15. Assemblies are a wonderful way of celebrating and enjoying our school community. We welcome classes, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, recognize Star Students of the month, have classroom presentations, and do a movement activity as a whole school. Parents are welcome to join us! Mrs. Smith’s and Mrs. Canning’s classes will be performing at our first assembly.

Thank you, Ginger Shaw!
Ginger has lined our playground and donated soccer nets, soccer balls, and basketballs. The kids are truly enjoying the variety of ball games at recess! Take a look on our website! Ginger, you are great!

Star Students
Each week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Each teacher chooses a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Star students receive a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken for our Star Student bulletin board in the lobby. Stop by and check it out!

School Picture Day
Lifetouch will be here to take school pictures on Friday, September 28th for our k-2 students. Pre-K will be photographed at a later date. More information will be coming home with your student soon!

Spare Clothing
It would be helpful for each student to have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. It is sometimes not convenient for parents to bring clothing in if a child spills a snack, falls in a puddle, or needs extra clothing during the school day for any reason.

Helping Reluctant Readers
From the Health and Parenting Experts at KidsHealth.org

Growing with Words
For many kids, reading just doesn’t come easily. Some kids have difficulty connecting letters and their corresponding sounds. Others have yet to discover that special enchanting story that grabs the imagination and shows just how fun reading can be. For all kids, though, being at ease with letters, their sounds, and words is an important foundation for learning throughout life.
Here are a few simple ways to help kids become eager readers:

START WITH YOUR CHILD'S PICKS
Comics or joke books may not be your first choice to cultivate literacy, but they can motivate kids to read.
Don’t worry that these texts may not be substantial enough. They can play important roles in helping kids understand some fundamentals, like how events take place in a sequence and stories are laid out. They also help build vocabulary and show that books can be visually appealing. Once your child becomes comfortable with the experience of reading, you can encourage other literature selections with a variety of challenging content.

READ AND REREAD AND REREAD
Many kids reach for the same books over and over again. That’s OK. Through repetition kids can master the text and eventually sail through it with ease and confidence. Each new reading of the book may also help them understand it just a little better. And that positive experience may inspire them to give new books a try.

READ ALOUD
By reading aloud, you can help build your child’s vocabulary, show that you enjoy reading for fun, and help your child connect sounds with letters on the page. Above all, reading aloud provides together time that you’ll both treasure. And it doesn’t have to end once kids get older. The comfort of a parent’s voice and undivided attention is something kids never outgrow.

CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO READ AND WRITE BEYOND THE PAGES
Provide your child with many rewarding chances to read every day. Write notes to your child and leave them on a pillow, in a lunchbox, or in a pocket. Ask friends and relatives to send postcards and letters. Leave magnetic letters and words on the refrigerator, and you may find your child spontaneously creating words, sentences, and stories. On road trips or errands, play word games that strengthen language skills. You might try “I Spy” (“I spy something that starts with an a…”) or games where you pick a category like “food” and then everyone has to name foods that begin with a certain letter. Your child might like reading signs you see while you’re on the road, like those on well-known restaurants.

GET HELP IF YOU'RE WORRIED
If you’re concerned about your child’s ability and willingness to read, don’t wait to get help. Consult with your child’s doctor or teacher. If they share your concern, they may be able to suggest resources to help your child become an eager reader.

*************

October 5, 2007

From the Principal…

Dear Families,
We are certainly enjoying a beautiful beginning to the fall season! Cool mornings and nights…warm, sunny days…and gorgeous foliage! I hope you are able to get outside with your family to go apple picking, take hikes or walks, rake leaves, or to attend some of the fall sporting events! Remember that we also have the “Walking School Bus” that meets every Tuesday at the Common to walk to school. We’d love to have more families join us, especially while the weather cooperates!
Next week is Fire Prevention Week. The Gardiner Fire Department will visit our school to talk with the students about fire safety. Make sure you talk with your family about your safety plan at home. It is never too early to talk about and plan for emergencies.
Our first school assembly was so much fun! I was very pleased to see many families join us! We will have our next assembly on October 25th. More information about which classes will be presenting will come home in our next newsletter. Assemblies are a wonderful way to celebrate and be together as a school community. We hope you will be able to join us throughout the year.
Again, I hope you are able to enjoy this beautiful season with your family and friends!

Yours in the service of children,
Mrs. Moody, Principal

Upcoming Events
October
5th: Teacher Workshop Day - no school for students
8th: Columbus Day- no school
9th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
9th: Meadowbrook fundraiser orders due
9th: Octoberfest planning meeting, 6:00 @ LER
11th: Gardiner Fire Department visits Pre-K
12th: Gardiner Fire Department visits Grades K, 1, & 2
13th: Octoberfest @ 11:00 - 3:00
14th: Rain date for Octoberfest
15th - 19th: School Lunch Week
16th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
17th: Early Release Day, students dismissed @ 12:30
22nd - 26th: Bus Driver Appreciation Week
22nd: Picture day for Pre-K
23rd: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
25th: School Assembly in the LER gym
26th: Pre-K Family Fun Day, 9:00 - 11:00 in the LER gym
30th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55

November
6th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
6th: GEPTA meeting, 6:00 @ LER
12th: No school - Veterans Day observed
13th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
13th: LER Parent-Teacher conferences
15th: Scholastic Book Fair begins
20th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
21st - 23rd: No school for students
27th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
28th: Picture re-take day

Our next Early Release Day will be Wednesday, October 17th. Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30.

Walking School Bus
Our walking school bus takes place every Tuesday at 7:55, weather permitting. Join us at the Common and walk to school together! Parents are always welcome to join us.

GEPTA Meetings
Octoberfest planning meeting -
October 9th, 6:00 at LER

GEPTA monthly meeting
November 6th, 6:00 at LER. Child care is available.

GEPTA News
We had another great turnout for our October meeting! Thank you. Our meeting minutes are posted on the MSAD11.org website. Our next meeting will be November 6th at 6:00 pm at LER. GEPTA's 4th annual Octoberfest will be held on October 13th from 11:00 to 3:00 at the Gardiner Common. We hope to see all our families enjoying a fun-filled day! The last planning meeting will be Tuesday, October 9th at 6:00 at LER. We still need cakes for the cake walk (pans available in the office), bake sale items, and candy for the hay hunt. For more information email geptanews@gmail.com.
We are forming a playground committee - if interested please email geptanews@gmail.com or call Helen at 582-6492. River View’s plaground is in need of updating.
Meadowbrook Fundraiser orders are due October 9th. Thank you for supporting this fundraiser.
The Scholastic Book-Fair is coming! The dates are: River View - November 8th - 13th, LER - November 15th - December 6th. If you would like to help out, please email geptanews@gmail.com

Parent - Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher conferences will take place from 4:00 - 7:00 on November 13th . Your child’s teacher will be contacting you soon to set up an appointment. This is a great time to meet with your child’s teacher, to hear about how your child is progressing at school, and to build a strong home-school connection.

Box Tops for Education
LER will be holding monthly Box Top collection contests. Be watching for the scarecrow and pumpkin sheet that came home with your student this week, and be ready to fill each pumpkin with a Box Top for Education symbol worth 10 cents to our school. Students can return their sheets to the collection box in each classroom, and the classroom collecting the most Box Tops each month will win a prize!

Reminder to Parents(s)/Guardian(s) of Pre-K and Kindergarten Students
THE STATE OF MAINE REQUIRES THE SCHOOL TO HAVE AN UP-DATED IMMUNIZATION RECORD OR LETTER OF EXEMPTION ON ALL STUDENTS FOR THE CHILD TO STAY IN SCHOOL. IF YOU ARE A PARENT/GUARDIAN OF A STUDENT IN OUR 4- YEAR OLD PROGRAM OR KINDERGARTEN WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOU GETTING THE SCHOOL THE UP-DATED COPY BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. PLEASE CALL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION(S). THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP WITH THIS STATE OF MAINE LAW.
PAT FISHER, R.N.
SCHOOL NURSE

For safety reasons, please do not drop your child off at school before 8:10. There is no supervision inside or on the playground until then.

Octoberfest is Coming
There will be an Octoberfest planning meeting on Tuesday, October 9th at 6:00 at Laura E. Richards School. If you are able to help, please email geptanews@gmail.com.
Octoberfest will take place at the Gardiner Common on October 13th (raindate: October 14th) from 11:00-3:00. There will be games, food, pumpkin painting, a cake walk, and more. This is a great community event that is enjoyed by all. Come join us for a fun-filled day!

Our character skill for the month of October is respect. Please take a look at the following article for tips on teaching children about respect.

Maine Science Teachers Association
Family Science Night
Friday, October 5th, 6:00 to 8:00 pm
at Gardiner Area High School
(This is not an MSAD 11 sponsored event)
Please join us for this FREE evening of family science fun! There will be door prizes and science goodies for all! Pre-registration is necessary. Please e-mail ldarling@fairpoint.net.

Picture Re-Take Day will be November 28th. LifeTouch has assured us that all pictures will arrive before the holiday season.

Maine Dental Health Out-Reach
Maine Dental Health Out-Reach will be visiting the schools in our district again this year to provide services to eligible students. Please look for the information that came home with your student and review it carefully.

T.C. Hamlin School Craft Fair
Saturday, October 13,2007 from 9:00 to 4:00.
Sponsored by the Hamlin School PTC

Pittston PTG Crop Fest
Join the Pittston PTG at their Second Annual CropFest on Saturday, October 20th, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Gardiner Area High School Cafeteria. Go to www.msad11.org/pit for more information.

Ongoing Fundraisers-
LER participates in these ongoing programs which will help us to raise funds for our school:

Box Tops for Education - “BoxTop” labels are a great fundraiser for our school. Each label is worth 10 cents. The money goes to purchasing items for our school. We hold monthly BoxTop contests with prizes for the classroom that collects the most!

Campbell’s Labels for Education -Collect UPC codes and logos (instead of front labels) from Campbell’s products as well as many other products with the “Labels for Education” logo.

Our character skill for October is RESPECT. The following tips were taken from Steve McChesney’s article, Respect - How to Teach It and How to Show It.

One of the most important things you can teach your child is respect.
Keep in mind that respect is not the same as obedience. Children might obey because they are afraid. If they respect you, they will obey because they know you want what’s best for them.
The best way to teach respect is to show respect. When a child experiences respect, they know what it feels like and begin to understand how important it is. Keep in mind the saying “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Respect is an attitude. Being respectful helps a child succeed in life. If children don’t have respect for peers, authority, or themselves, it’s almost impossible for them to succeed.
A respectful child takes care of belongings and responsibilities, and a respectful child gets along with peers.
Schools teach children about respect, but parents have the most influence on how respectful children become. Until children show respect at home, it’s unlikely they will show it anywhere else. How can you show respect to your child?

Be honest – If you do something wrong, admit it and apologize.

Be positive – Don’t embarrass, insult or make fun of your child. Compliment them.

Be Trusting – Let your child make choices and take responsibility.

Be fair – Listen to your child’s side of the story before reaching a conclusion.

Be polite – Use “please” and “thank you”. Knock before entering your child’s room.

Be reliable – Keep promises. Show your child that you mean what you say.

Be a good listener – Give your child your full attention.
Children learn from everything we say and do. Make sure that you are modeling respectful behavior.

Be caring – Show concern for people, animals and the environment.

Avoid poor role models – When you see examples of disrespect, discuss them.

When you set rules at home, explain to your child why the rule is important. For instance, if the rule is “No TV between 4:00 and 6:00” it is because this is homework time and homework is important to keep grades up in school.

Teach your child to respect themselves. Self-respect is one of the most important forms of respect. Once we respect ourselves, it is easier to respect others.

Your opinion means a lot to your child. If you believe your child can succeed, they will believe they can as well.

Build their independence. Give them responsibilities as soon as they can handle them.

Help them set and achieve goals. Their self-respect will skyrocket when they see themselves achieving those goals.

Encourage honesty. Let your child know that they may be able to fool some people, but they can’t fool themselves. There is no pride in stealing, cheating, or lying.

Most importantly, show love! Say ‘I love you” often and give plenty of hugs and kisses.

If your child makes a mistake, remind them that they are still loved.

Children show the most respect for adults who make fair rules. It helps to let them have a say in the rules that they are expected to follow.

We respect you and the incredible job that you have, being a parent!
--Steve McChesney

October 18, 2007

Notes from the Principal

Dear Families,

Octoberfest last Saturday was a wonderful celebration of our school community! The weather was PERFECT! It was a bright, sunny, crisp fall day! The park was filled all day with families, teachers, school board members, community friends, and… lots and lots of very happy children! I will be working to put these pictures on our school website. Be sure to visit it soon!

The LER website is a work in progress!! If you ever have any suggestions on how to make it better please let me know.

We have another assembly coming up soon. It will take place on October 25th at 2:15-2:45. We are trying to alternate morning and afternoon assemblies so that the afternoon four year olds get a chance to participate too! Mrs. Malcolm and Miss Whitman’s classes will present to us on that day! We welcome parents to join us!

Next week is also bus driver appreciation week. We will recognize our drivers for all they do to bring our children to school and home again safely. Please encourage your children to thank their drivers next week!

As always if you ever have a question, concern, or suggestion, please stop by and chat or call me at 582-3612.

Yours in the service of children,
Mrs. Moody, Principal

Upcoming Events

October

22nd - 26th: Bus Driver Appreciation Week
22nd: Picture day for Pre-K
23rd: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
25th: School Assembly in the LER gym,2:15 - 2:45
26th: Pre-K Family Fun Day, 9:00 - 11:00 in the LER gym
30th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55

November

6th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
6th: GEPTA meeting, 6:00 @ LER
12th: No school - Veterans Day observed
13th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
13th: LER Parent-Teacher conferences,4:00 - 7:00
15th: Scholastic Book Fair begins
20th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
21st - 23rd: No school for students
27th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
28th: Picture re-take day

For safety reasons,please do not drop your child off at school before 8:10. There is no supervision inside or on the playground until then.

We have a few “Lost & Found” items from Octoberfest, as well as bake sale dishes that were left behind. Please stop by our office if you are missing anything!

Early Release Days
Our next Early Release Day will be Wednesday,December 19th.
Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30.

Walking School Bus
Our walking school bus takes place every Tuesday at 7:55, weather permitting. Join us at the Common and walk to school together! Parents are always welcome to join us.
GEPTA Meeting

GEPTA monthly meeting
November 6th, 6:00 at LER.Child care is available.

GEPTA News
Our next meeting will be November 6th at 6:00 pm at LER.

We are forming a playground committee - if interested please email geptanews@gmail.com or call Helen at 582-6492. River View’s plaground is in need of updating.

The Scholastic Book-Fair is coming! The dates are: River View - November 8th - 13th, LER - November 15th - December 6th. If you would like to help out, please email geptanews@gmail.com

Parent - Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher conferences will take place from 4:00 - 7:00 on November 13th. Your child’s teacher will be contacting you soon to set up an appointment. This is a great time to meet with your child’s teacher, to hear about how your child is progressing at school, and to build a strong home-school connection.

Box Tops for Education
LER will be holding monthly Box Top collection contests. Have you filled the scarecrow and pumpkin sheet that came home with your student for this month’s contest? Each Box Top for Education symbol is worth 10 cents to our school. Students are encouraged to fill as many sheets as they can, and return completed sheets to the collection box in each classroom. Each grade level classroom collecting the most Box Tops each month will win a prize!

Campbell’s Labels for Education
Please remember to collect UPC codes and logos instead of front labels from Campbell’s products as well as many other products with the “Labels for Education” logo. Campbell’s no longer accepts the front labels for redemption. Please send us only the new UPC code and logo, as shown.

Class of 2008 4th Annual Holiday Craft Fair
Saturday, November 3rd
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Gardiner Area High School Cafeteria
Crafts, Bake Sale, Concession
Admission Donation $1.00
Proceeds will benefit Project Graduation
To rent a table, or for more information, please contact Valerie Hanscom at 582-8182

Health News
We have cases of Strep Throat in our school. Please talk with your child about washing hands frequently, not putting things in his or her mouth, and covering his or her mouth when sneezing or coughing.

Symptoms of Strep Throat may include sore throat, skin infections, fever, and ear infections. We recommend that children complaining of any of these symptoms by examined by their health care provider. Please notify the school if your child is diagnosed with a Strep infection.

A Reminder to Families of Pre-K & Kindergarten Students
The State of Maine requires that schools have an up-dated pre-school physical and immunization record or letter of exemption on all students for the child to stay in school. If you have a student in our kindergarten or Pre-K we would appreciate you getting the up-dated copies to the school as soon as possible if you have not already done so.

Halloween Downtown
Wednesday, October 31st
3:00-5:00 PM
Trick or treat downtown! Luminaries will identify participating businesses. Check out the storefront decorating, FREE photos of kids at State Farm, pumpkin decorating contest, and PRIZES for most original, scariest and cutest costumes! Bring the kids and/or your decorated pumpkins to the McKay Park between Henny Penny's and Corniche by 3:45 to be elibible for judging. Parade line-up starts at 3:55 and the sidewalk parade to McKay Park begins at 4:00 outside A1 To Go. For more information, call Gardiner Main Street at 582-3100.
(This is not an MSAD 11 sponsored event)

Notes from the Office
If your child will be absent from school, please call the office to let us know or e-mail the secretary at shoudlette@msad11.org. If your child arrives to school late, be sure to sign them in in at the office so that they are not marked absent for the day.

If your child will be leaving school at the end of the day other than in their usual manner, please send in a note or call the office. Please note that we can only release students to the people you have listed on the blue emergency contact form.

Thank you for respecting our learning time by not dismissing your child early unless it is an emergency!

Pittston PTG Crop Fest
Join the Pittston PTG at their Second Annual CropFest on Saturday, October 20th, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Gardiner Area High School Cafeteria. Go to www.msad11.org/pit for more information.

The following ideas were taken from
Teaching Children Respect
by Pam Leo

"Children have never been very good at listening to
their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them."
- James Baldwin

Children are mirrors; they reflect back to us everything we say and do. We now know that 95% of everything children learn, they learn from what is modeled for them. Only 5% of all they learn is from direct instruction. Human beings are like tape recorders. Every word we hear, everything we experience, is permanently recorded in our subconscious. Whenever adults speak, we are being role models for the children in our presence. What we speak is what we teach. Children record every word we ever say to them or in front of them. The language children grow up hearing is the language they will speak.

We often make the mistake of thinking that since children are smaller than we are and have less information and experience than we do, that they don't have all the same feelings we do. But they do. The same kind of treatment that would embarrass, humiliate or hurt us, embarrasses, humiliates and hurts children. When human beings are being hurt emotionally, our thinking shuts down. When our thinking is shut down we cannot learn, we can only record. When adults try to "teach" children by criticizing, lecturing, shaming, ridiculing, giving orders, screaming, threatening and hitting, it shuts down their thinking so they can't learn what the adult intended to teach them to do or not to do; they can only record what is being modeled.

The most common criticism I hear of young people these days is, "they don't treat anyone or anything with respect." Ironically, adults often try to teach children to be respectful by treating them disrespectfully. Children learn respect or disrespect from how we treat them and how we treat each other. When children live with disrespect, they learn disrespect. We can teach respect only by modeling treating each other with respect and by giving children the same respect we expect.

Learning to treat children with respect will require a change of heart, that can come only from a major shift in consciousness of how we view children and how we define respect. Children are born with human dignity. To treat a person with respect is to acknowledge and preserve their human dignity. To treat a person with disrespect is to attack their human dignity.

How can we expect children to understand and practice the Golden Rule if we treat them with less respect than we give our peers? In saying that children deserve the same respect we would give our friends, I am not saying we should treat children like adults or that we should never get angry. I'm saying that there is nothing we ever have to say to a child that we need to say in a disrespectful way.

In my parenting class on treating children with respect, we read a brilliant piece by Erma Bombeck, titled ,"Treat Friends, Kids The Same." She imagines having friends over for dinner and saying to them all those things that most of us heard growing up and therefore, say to children. "Shut the door. Were you born in a barn?" "I didn't work over a hot stove all day to have you nibble like some bird." "Sit up straight or your spine will grow that way." Most parents roar with laughter at the thought of speaking to their friends that way, then realize it is just as disrespectful to say those things to children.

We don't say, "What do you say?" or "What's the magic word?" to our friends but children hear it all the time. If we expect children to always say please and thank- you, we must always say please and thank you to them and to each other, otherwise we are modeling that sometimes you say it and sometimes you don't. Children imitate what we do. If we expect children to have manners, to share, to apologize, to be honest, kind, respectful, and loving, we must do and be those things so they will have that model to imitate.

Children imitate parents, family members, friends, caregivers, teachers, and television. The more children are out in the world, the more models they will be exposed to. While we can't keep children from ever seeing models of the kind of behavior we don't want them to imitate, we can be more selective of what models we expose them to, especially television. Since parents are the primary models in the early years, we must work on modeling the behavior we expect and not modeling behavior we don't want to see in them.

We can train ourselves to stop and think before we speak, by remembering that everything we say will be recorded and imitated. We can stop or at least interrupt those old recordings and intentionally model the kind of behavior we expect and will accept from our children. When we give children the same respect we expect, we teach children respect. How we treat them is what we teach them.

Taken from
“Teaching Children Respect”
by Pam Leo, PLP & Company
www.connectionparenting.com

November 1, 2007

From the Principal…

Dear Families,

Can you believe it?! We are ending the first quarter of the school year! Wow! The first two months of school flew by! At this time, Parent-Teacher conferences are being scheduled with your child’s classroom teacher. This is a great time to hear about your child’s progress and to build a strong teacher-parent partnership. Working together, you and the teacher can help your child have a successful school year.

The LER website is at a point that I would LOVE for you to visit it! There are lots of pictures on it …and lots of information too! Please go to www.msad11.org click on Laura Richards School and take a look. You need to use the LER Navigation menu on the left to make it easier for you to “get around” on the site. Drop down menu items will appear when you click on the items. Please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions for how to make it better. I really hope you enjoy it!

As always if you ever have a question, concern, or suggestion, please stop by and chat or call me at 582-3612.

Yours in the service of children,
Mrs. Moody, Principal

Upcoming Events

November
6th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
6th: GEPTA meeting, 6:00 @ LER
12th: No school - Veterans Day observed
13th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
13th: LER Parent-Teacher conferences,4:00 - 7:00
15th: Scholastic Book Fair begins
20th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
21st - 23rd: No school for students
27th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
28th: Picture re-take day

December
1st: LER Holiday Craft Fair, 9:00 - 2:00
4th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
11th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55
19th: Early Release Day, students dismissed at 12:30
18th: Walking School Bus @ 7:55

Be sure to check out the exciting changes and new features on the LER website!

No School
Please note there is no school on Monday, November 12th in observance of Veteran’s Day

Have you scheduled your parent-teacher conference yet?
Parent-Teacher conferences will take place from 4:00 - 7:00 on November 13th . Your child’s teacher will be contacting you soon to set up an appointment. This is a great time to meet with your child’s teacher, to hear about how your child is progressing at school, and to build a strong home-school connection.

Please contact your child’s teacher by calling the school at 582-3612.

Time to “Fall Back”
Remember to set your clocks back and change the batteries in your smoke alarms this weekend!

The School Store is Back!
The school store will be open in the office on Monday and Wednesday mornings before school. Small items such as pencils, grippers, erasers, pencil sharpeners, and pencil cases are available.

We also have LER Lion T-shirts in children’s sizes available for sale.

GEPTA News
Our next meeting will be November 6th at 6:00 pm at LER.

The Scholastic Book-Fair is coming to LER and River View School. If you would are able to help during various day or evening hours, please email geptanews@gmail.com

Lost & Found
We have a large blue and white cooler in the LER office that was left behind at Octoberfest.

Also, please check our Lost & Found table in the lobby during conferences in case your child has misplaced anything!

Visit these Craft Fairs...
Class of 2008
4th Annual Holiday Craft Fair
Saturday, November 3rd
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Gardiner Area High School Cafeteria
Crafts, Bake Sale, Concession
Admission Donation $1.00
Proceeds will benefit
Project Graduation

LER Holiday Craft Fair
Saturday, December 1st
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
at Laura Richards School
Proceeds benefit LER students

To rent a table, or for more information on either of these events please contact Valerie Hanscom at 582-8182 or evakghanscom@msn.com

Tardiness and Dismissals
If your arrives after 8:25 he or she is considered tardy. If your child is signed out before 2:55 it is considered a dismissal. All tardiness and dismissals are part of your child’s permanent attendance records. It is important for children to be present for the entire school day as it does impact their learning.

SmileSafe Kids Cards
The SmileSafe Kids Program, one of the nation’s largest child safety initiatives, is a partnership between LifeTouch, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and thousands of schools nationwide. All students who were photographed on picture day are receiving a complimentary pair of SmileSafe Kids Safety ID cards which came home this week with your student. For more information, please visit www.smilesafekids.com.

Box Tops for Education
The results are in, and our LER family raised $237.50 during the BoxTop fundraiser for October. Soon we will have enough money raised to invite a special person to visit our school. Keep up the good work!

Have you filled the turkey sheet that came home with your student for this month’s contest? Each Box Top for Education symbol is worth 10 cents to our school. Students are encouraged to fill as many sheets as they can, and return completed sheets to the collection box in each classroom. Each grade level classroom collecting the most Box Tops each month will win a prize!

Star Students
Each week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Each teacher chooses a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Students receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken for our Star Student bulletin board in the lobby. Stop by and check it out! October’s skill was respect. November’s skill is positive attitude. Congratulations to all of our Star Students!

Head Lice
There have been a few cases of head lice found at LER.

Whenever a child is found to have live lice or viable nits (nits less than 1/2 inch away from the scalp) the child will need to go home for treatment. The child may return to school after being treated. Once you have treated your child you are encouraged to check his/her head every day for the next few weeks. It is helpful for all parents to check their children’s heads for lice off and on through out the year.

The treated child can be reinfested by lice, which were hiding in the seams of clothing, blankets or from brushes and combs. A thorough cleaning of these objects is necessary at the same time the child is treated. The backs of upholstered furniture, car seats, etc., should be thoroughly vacuumed

Remember, the best way to control this problem is for parents to examine their child’s head frequently for lice or nits (eggs), and if they find that their child has become infested, please call the school immediately so we are aware of the problem.

For more information on the prevention and/or treatment of head lice, please call your health care professional, our school nurse, or visit our website. There is a link under “School Nurse.” Thank you!

Early Release Days
Our next Early Release Day will be Wednesday, December 19th. Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30. There is no Early Release Day during November.

It’s time for Parent-Teacher Conferences
Here are some great tips on:
How To Make Parent-Teacher Conferences Work for Your Child

You've been asked to attend a regularly scheduled "report card" conference with your child's teacher. Or you've gotten a special note from your child's teacher asking to see you. In either case, you might be a little nervous.

Well, relax. Teachers don't want to put parents on the spot. They just like to meet with parents from time to time to discuss how to help students do their best in school.

All children learn in different ways. They have their own individual personalities, and their own listening and work habits. To help their students learn new knowledge and skills, teachers must know as much as they can about each child's likes and dislikes. No one knows more about these things than you, the parents. And no one has more influence over your children than you.

That's why teachers need your help to do a first-class job. Working together, you and the teacher can help your child have a successful school year.

Here Are Some Things To Keep in Mind
* Start the conference right: be there on time, and plan not to run over the amount of time that has been set aside, usually about 15-20 minutes.
* If you are a working parent who can't arrange to meet during regular hours, make this clear to the teacher and try to set up a time to meet that is good for both of you.
* The best conferences are those in which both teachers and parents stay calm and try hard to work together for one purpose and one purpose only: to help your child do well. Arguing, or blaming each other for problems your child is having, helps no one.

Getting Ready
Each teacher will probably come prepared with samples of your children's work and with ideas to help them do even better in school. You should get ready for each conference, too.

Talk to your children before the conference. Find out what they think are their best subjects, and what subjects they like the least. Find out why. Also, ask your children if there is anything they would like you to talk about with their teachers. Make sure your children don't worry about the meeting. Help them understand that you and their teacher(s) are meeting together in order to help them.

Before you go to the school, write notes to yourself about:
* things about your child's life at home, personality, problems, habits, and hobbies you feel it's important for the teacher to know
* your concerns about the school's programs or policies
* questions about your child's progress
* how you and the school can work together to help your child
If your spouse can't attend the conference with you, ask for his or her concerns and questions.

The Conference
Some good questions to ask are these:
* Is my child in different groups for different subjects? Why?
* How well does my child get along with others?
* What are my child's best and worst subjects?
* Is my child working up to his or her ability?
* Does my child participate in class discussions and activities?
* Has my child missed any classes other than ones I contacted the school about?
* Have you noticed any sudden changes in the way my child acts? For example, have you noticed any squinting, tiredness or moodiness that might be a sign of physical or other problems?
* What kinds of tests are being done? What do the tests tell about my child's progress?
* How does my child handle taking tests?

It's a good idea to ask your most important questions first, just in case time runs out before you and the teacher have a chance to discuss them all. Be sure to ask the teacher for specific suggestions on ways to help your child do better. This is the most important part of the meeting. It will become your action plan. If the teacher says something you don't quite understand, don't be shy about asking for an explanation. It's a good idea to end the conference by summing up decisions you've made together. If needed, ask to meet again.

After the Conference
Start immediately on the action plan you and the teacher worked out together. Discuss the plan with your child. Make sure he or she knows that you and the teacher care. To see if the action plan is working, watch your child's behavior and check your child's class work and homework.

Stay in regular touch with the teacher to discuss the progress your child is making. Meeting with your child's teachers should help build strong parent-teacher partnerships — partnerships that are needed if you and your child's teachers are to reach your common goal of helping your child get the best education possible.

November 16, 2007

Principal’s Notes

Dear Families,

I decided not to write a message today but to share a poem with you instead!

Thanksgiving
It's the time of year when we're reminded to give thanks.
Instead of waiting until next year to be reminded,
Let's make every day one of thanksgiving;
After all, each day is a unique gift.
So, give a hug for no reason;
Say I love you, just because;
Share a smile with a stranger;
Take the time to count your blessings;
Don't take anything or anyone for granted;
And end each day with no regrets.
Thank you, my friends and family,
For sharing, caring, laughing and crying with me.
I'm truly blessed to have each and every one of you in my life
And I am thankful you have allowed me
To be a part of yours.
May you and yours have a safe and memorable Thanksgiving.

Author Unknown.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!

Yours in the service of children,
Mrs. Karen Moody

Walking School Bus
Join us at the Common every Tuesday at 7:55, weather permitting, as we walk to school together! Parents are always welcome to join us.

Early Release Days
Our next Early Release Day will be Wednesday, December 19th. Elementary school students are dismissed
at 12:30.

School Store
The school store is open in the office on Monday and Wednesday mornings before school.

GEPTA News
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, December 4th at 6:00 pm at River View Community School.

Family Fun Night: Join us at RVCS for a game night on Friday, November 30th from 6:00 - 7:30! Bring your favorite game. Look for the sign up sheet in your child's bookbag!

Gift Basket Fundraiser: We are soliciting items from area businesses for gift baskets that we will be raffling off. If you would like to donate something, please send the item(s) to LER. We will have three theme baskets - Dad, Mom, and Family). Items need to be in by Monday, November 26th. For more information email GEPTAnews@gmail.com or call Helen at 582-6492

Scholastic Book Fair: LER is hosting their annual book fair on
Tuesday, 11/20 from 12 - 3:30,
Tuesday, 11/27 from 8:30 - 10:30 and 2:00 - 4:00,
Thursday 11/29 from 5:00 - 7:00, and
Monday 12/3 from 8:30 - 10:30 and 2:00 - 4:00.
We will also be open during the LER Craft fair on December 1 from 9 - 2. Books always make wonderful gifts! If you are able to sit at the booth for an hour or so please email geptanews@gmail.com or call Tiffany at
582-5222.

Thank you to everyone who sent food into the teachers during conferences! Everything was delicious and appreciated!

If you would like to get involved in upcoming events, email us at GEPTAnews@gmail.com. There are opportunities of all sizes!

No School
Please note that there is no school Wednesday, November 21st through Friday, November 23rd. Enjoy this special time with your family!

Picture Retake Day
LifeTouch will be at LER for picture retakes on Wednesday, November 28th. Here’s your chance if your child was absent, forgot portrait money, needs a retake, didn’t buy portraits or you want to buy more. For retakes - be sure to return the original portrait package! To purchase new portraits - pick up a flyer in advance from the LER office.

Gardiner Football Rally
There is a parade and rally planned in support of the Gardiner Football Team who will be playing in the Class B State Championship Saturday evening. The event will be held Friday starting at 6:00 pm. The parade will begin at Hannaford, go up Bridge Street by McDonald’s, down Water Street and end at the boat landing where there will be a bonfire and cookout. Tiger fans are encouraged to line the parade route and follow the team to the boat landing. These events are being sponsored by parents and friends of the football players. (This is not an M.S.A.D. #11 sponsored event)

LER Holiday Craft Fair
Saturday, December 1st
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
at Laura Richards School
Proceeds benefit LER students
To rent a table, or for more information please contact Valerie Hanscom at 582-8182 or evakghanscom@msn.com

Gardiner Area Music Boosters
9th Annual Holiday Alumni Concert
Saturday, November 24, 2007, 6:00 pm
Gardiner Area High School Little Theater
Admission: Adults, $8.00
Seniors & students, $5.00
Family, $25.00
Tickets sold at the door.
Enjoy catching up with Alumni at intermission with complimentary coffee and desserts donated by area businesses.

Box Tops for Education
Have you filled the turkey sheet that came home with your student for this month’s contest? Each Box Top for Education symbol is worth 10 cents to our school. Students are encouraged to fill as many sheets as they can, and return completed sheets to the collection box in each classroom. Each grade level classroom collecting the most Box Tops each month will win a prize!

Children’s Discovery Museum
Start the Holiday season with us!
Check out these upcoming events –
For more information, please visit www.childrensdiscoverymuseum.org

Make, Take & Bake a Holiday Pie
Nov. 21st, Wednesday before Thanksgiving
Help with the family preparation of the Thanksgiving dinner with a contribution of a pie!! Come between 12-3pm and make your very own Apple Pie! Must pre-register for this hands-on cooking lesson! No extra fee required but as always, donations are welcome.

Drop N Shop, It’s Pajama Day!!
Nov. 23rd, Friday after Thanksgiving
What better way to start your holiday shopping (without the kids). Leave them at CDM for half a day or a full day and get your shopping done!! Kids, you can come dressed in your comfy pj’s and spend a day at the museum instead of inside a store with your parents. Fun activities planned all day. All kids must be pre-registered. Hours are available in 4 hour increments, from 9am to 1pm and 1pm to 5pm. Each 4 hour increment is $15 per child. Snacks will be provided but kids must bring their own bagged lunch.

Downtown Augusta Holiday Open House!
Nov. 24th, Saturday after Thanksgiving
Come celebrate the lighting of the Downtown Augusta Tree by stopping by the museum to enjoy some holiday cheer. Decorate cookies, make ornaments and drink hot cocoa. Open from 10 to 5pm. Half price admission for all!!!

The Whimsical Art Auction
November 29th, 6pm to 8pm at the Benjamin Wales Bed & Breakfast in Hallowell.
Come enjoy an elegant evening of silent bidding on fine, functional and wearable art and creative gifts. All art is donated by local Maine artists and businesses. Guests will be treated to wonderful food by White Flour Catering as well as entertainment and drinks!
Generously sponsored by area supporters:
Kennebec Savings Bank, The Cote Corporation,
Manchester Dentistry, Facial and Oral Surgery Associates, Dr. Robert Patenaude

For tickets and more information, please call the museum at 622-2209. Or e-mail us at info@childrensdiscoverymuseum.org

Turkey Facts

We will gobble you some of the interesting turkey facts that you may pass on to your friends on Thanksgiving Day:

* There are many reasons given being the name 'Turkey' for the particular bird. While some think it simply because it produces the sound of 'turk,
turk…', others trace it back to the Native American version of the name of the bird, which was 'Firkee'. Some others connect the origin of the word to Christopher Columbus, who mistook America for India and 'turkey' for a type of peacock. Thus, he tried to name the word based on the Tamil translation of peacock, which he knew was 'Tuka'. Though, it was discovered later that the bird actually belonged to the pheasant family, people kept using the name for the bird.

* While there was some conflict over 'turkey' and 'bald eagle' for being the National Bird of America. Benjamin Franklin voted out 'bald eagle' for being cowardly.

* Though people prefer the meat of older male turkeys for they find younger tom turkeys to be too stringy, they prefer younger female turkeys for older female ones have tougher meat.

* People do name turkeys according to their age - Turkeys less than sixteen weeks old are called 'fryers' while those between five to seven months of age are called 'young roasters'.

* Turkey is the only native poultry breed of the Western Hemisphere.

* Turkeys have great hearing skills but no ears.

* Turkeys can see in colors, have excellent visual acuity and their field of vision spans across about 270 degrees.

* Turkeys have poor sense of smell but great sense of taste.

* Wild turkeys can fly at a speed of as much as 55 miles per hour over short distances and are good runners with a speed of about 25 miles per hour.

* Turkeys are so sensitive that they can drown by looking up while it is raining and can have heart attacks due to sudden shocks.

* Next time on Thanksgiving Day, try the ballroom dance known as the 'Turkey Trot', which is based on the short, jerky steps of the turkeys.

November is Positive Attitude Month!

The following is taken from
Parenting Perspectives
by Virginia Harvey, PhD, NCSP

Positive attitudes - These attitudes include thinking positively, encouraging ourselves to try, being determined to to persist until we achieve success, and applying a problem-solving approach when we encounter difficult situations. Positive attitudes reflect a sense of power, promise, purpose, worth, and “self-efficacy.” Children and adolescents with positive attitudes are optimistic. They believe that when they try they can learn, achieve in school, and have successful careers. They also believe they are capable of making friends. Parents and other adults play a critical role in helping children and adolescents to develop these positive attitudes. Many successful persons remember specific adults who gave them words of encouragement when they were young, resulting in the development of positive attitudes.

November 30, 2007

Principal’s Notes
Dear Families,

Students at Laura Richards have done a fantastic job this month on showing a “Positive Attitude” while at school. They all seem to understand that it means to “try like crazy!” Please be sure to take a look on our school website to see the students who were recognized. Again, use the LER Navigation Menu on the left when you go to the website. Click on Star Students…and there they will be!

Speaking of the website, I hope you will take a look at what is on it so far!! There are lots of pictures of students in action during celebrations, learning activities, and school programs we’ve had so far this year. There is also lots of information available as resources for families. I hope you will visit the site and let me know what you think. Really use the LER Navigation Menu on the left side to find your way around our website. It is pretty organized!

The Super Kids skill for the month of December is “Caring”. We are talking with students about how they can show kindness to others using words and actions. Students are encouraged to say kind greetings to one another and give compliments to other students. They are also encouraged to practice acts of kindness by sharing, helping each other in class or on the playground, and by praising each other with “high fives and smiles!” The best acts of kindness are the ones no one expects!

Please encourage your child to zip up! It is really starting to feel like winter! Students will be going outside unless it’s too cold or slippery. Hats, mittens, scarves, ski pants, and boots are really needed for students to comfortably play outside. We do have a rule that children need boots and ski pants to play in the snow on the field. If not, they have to stay on the pavement; otherwise, students get too cold and wet. You may want to send an extra set of clothing to keep at school for those times when students may get wet.

As always, if you ever have a question, comment, or suggestion that you want to discuss with me, please feel free to call (582-3612) or stop by my office and visit!

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody, Principal

Upcoming Events

November
30th: GEPTA Family Fun Night, 6:00-7:30 at River View

December
1st: LER Holiday Craft Fair & Scholastic Book Fair, 9:00 - 2:00
3rd: Book Fair, 8:30-10:30 & 2:00-4:00
4th: Walking School Bus, 7:55
4th: GEPTA meeting, 6:00 at River View
7th: Grade 2 to GAHS for middle school drama club play, 9:00
11th: Walking School Bus, 7:55
14th: GEPTA Holiday Family Fun Night at LER - more info to follow
17th: Sing-a-long, 2:00
19th: Early Release Day, students dismissed at 12:30
18th: Walking School Bus, 7:55
24th: Winter break begins. Have a safe & cozy vacation!

For safety reasons,please do not drop your child off at school before 8:10. There is no supervision inside or on the playground until then.

December’s Character Skill is CARING!

Menu correction:The choices for Monday, December 17th should be hamburger on a wheat roll or stuffed shells with Italian bread. Please make a note of this on your copy at home.

Walking School Bus
Join us at the Common every Tuesday at 7:55, weather permitting, as we walk to school together! Parents are always welcome to join us.

Early Release Days
Our next Early Release Day will be Wednesday, December 19th. Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30.

School Store
The school store is open in the office on Monday and Wednesday mornings before school.

GEPTA News
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, December 4th at 6:00 pm in the RVCS cafeteria.

Family Fun Game Night: Friday, November 30, 2007 from 6:00 to 7:30 at RVCS. Bring your favorite game. Come join us for a night of fun!

Gift Basket Fundraiser: Tickets are going home on Friday, November 30th. Each child will have a book of 6 tickets to sell for $1.00 each 0r six for $5.00. If you need more tickets please call the school or send in a note. The Gift Baskets will be on display at Family Fun Game Night and at the LER Craft Fair on December 1 from 9:00 to 2:00. The drawing will be held at the Holiday Family Fun Night on December 14th at LER. The proceeds from this raffle will help fund our Family Fun Nights!

Scholastic Book Fair: It’s not too late to visit the book fair! We will be open during the LER Craft fair on Saturday, December 1st from 9:00 to 2:00, and Monday, December 3rd from 8:30 - 10:30 and
2:00 - 4:00. Books always make wonderful gifts!
If you would like to help out please contact geptanews@gmail.com or come by!

Bake Sale: We are having a bake sale during the LER Craft Fair. Be sure to come by for something yummy! We are still looking for baked goods which can be brought to the Family Fun Game Night at RV or brought to LER the morning of the craft fair.

Meadow Farms Fundraiser “Thank You”
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Meadow Farms fundraiser! Our contact person from Meadow Farms informed us that we had the third highest participation rate in the entire state! Your participation was the key to our success with this very important fundraiser. Thanks you once again!
Hannaford Helps Schools - From September 2nd through December 1st, shoppers received school dollar certificates at the register with the purchase of participating products, which Hannaford will redeem for cash for our school. Hannaford will also grant an additional $1,000 to the school that raises the most funds! Please be sure to send these valuable certificates to school during the coming week so that we can redeem them before our deadline.

LER Holiday Craft Fair
Saturday, December 1st
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Crafts, GEPTA bake sale, Scholastic Book Fair
concession, raffles, and much more!
Proceeds benefit LER students
For more information please contact Valerie Hanscom at 582-8182 or evakghanscom@msn.com

December 14, 2007

Principal’s Notes
Dear Families,

How appropriate that December’s SuperKid’s skill is “Caring”! Every morning during announcements I remind children what it means to show kindness to others. They can use their words to be kind by giving friendly greetings to each other, by giving compliments to someone, and by saying “I accept your apology” when someone does something to them that was not kind. Children are also encouraged to show kindness with actions. This includes sharing and taking turns and helping someone who may need help with reading or understanding directions to an activity. I love it when I visit classrooms and walk through the halls and children share with me how they have shown caring to others!

Showing caring to others starts at home. You are your child’s first teacher and make the biggest difference in developing the person they will grow up to be. Showing your children how to be kind to others by visiting an elderly family member or friend, giving to the needy, volunteering at a community supper, or saying friendly greetings to others, models kindness for children. Another way to model kindness to your children is by forgiving family and friends who may have offended you. This is so very difficult, but it does make a huge impact on how your children will build and keep relationships with others.

At this time I wish to send my best wishes for love and happiness to you and your family! I hope you enjoy the December break with your family and friends. Stay safe and rest!

How far that little candle throws his beams!
So shines a good deed in a weary world.
~William Shakespeare

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events
December
14th: GEPTA Holiday Family Fun Night at LER, 6:00 - 7:30
17th: Sing-a-long, 2:00 - Parents are welcome to join us!
18th: Reindeer visit, 9:15 - 11:30 - Please note the new date
19th: Early Release Day, students dismissed at 12:30
21st: Grade 2, Holiday caroling, 1:45
24th: Winter break begins. Have a safe & cozy vacation!

January
2nd: Students and staff return.Welcome back!
8th: GEPTA meeting, 6:00 at RVCS
21st: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - no school

Walking School Bus
Our Walking School Bus has been postponed for the winter. We look forward to starting again when the warmer weather returns. Be watching the newsletter for more information!

Box Tops for Education
Have you filled the snowflake sheet that came home with your student for this month’s contest? Each Box Top for Education symbol is worth 10 cents to our school. Students are encouraged to fill as many sheets as they can and return their completed sheets to school. Each grade level classroom collecting the most Box Tops each month will win a prize!

Star Students
Each week, our teachers choose a Star Student from their classroom who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken for our Star Student bulletin board in the lobby. Stop by and check it out! December’s skill is caring. Congratulations to all of our Star Students!

Host Family Needed for AFS Teacher
LER will be welcoming AFS teacher Zhi Zhang from China, who goes by the name of “Big John.” He will be at LER sharing his language and culture with our students and staff from January 2nd through February 15th.

We are in need of a host family for Mr. Zhang. If you would like information on this wonderful opportunity for your family, please contact our AFS coordinator, Larry Ralph at 626-0779.

No School Announcements
In the event that schools are unable to open due to inclement weather, announcements will be broadcast on TV stations channel 6, 8, & 13 and by radio stations WABK and WMME as early as possible. Cancellations are also posted on WABI’s StormWatch at www.wabi.tv. Please listen for the announcements and do not call the schools, principals, superintendent, or teachers. Occasionally, school is dismissed early during the day, which would also be announced on these radio and television stations.

Bundle Up ... It’s Getting Cold Outside
Now that cold weather is here, students need to dress appropriately for outside recess - including hats and mittens or gloves, boots and snow pants. When there is snow on the playground, students who are not wearing boots and snow pants will need to stay on the paved areas.

Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

We continue to hold recess outdoors throughout the winter unless the weather is exceptionally cold. All students are expected to participate in outside recess unless there is a health reason accompanied by a doctor’s note.

Spare Shoes or Sneakers at School
Students should bring a pair of shoes or sneakers to school each day, or leave a spare pair in their locker or cubby, to wear during the day instead of boots. Please note that slippers are not permitted.

Emergency Contact Information
Please remember to notify the school whenever you have a change in phone numbers, address, or other contact information for you or the people you have listed on your child’s emergency form. We sometimes have difficulty reaching a parent or guardian because contact information has changed and we have not been informed. It is very important that the school be able to reach you in case of emergency.

Ongoing Fundraisers- LER participates in these ongoing programs which will help us to raise funds for our school:

Campbell’s Labels for Education -Collect UPC codes and logos instead of front labels from Campbell’s products as well as many other products with the “Labels for Education” logo. Remember that Campbell’s no longer accepts the front labels for redemption. Please send us only the UPC code and logo.

Reindeer & Fallow Deer Visit
LER will be hosting some very special visitors on Tuesday, December 18th from 9:15 to 11:30. (Please note the new date!) We have a reindeer and fallow deer coming with their caretaker. Pre-K students, kindergarteners, and first graders will get to walk through and pet a very friendly European Fallow Deer. Second graders will be having a very special half-hour presentation with more in-depth information about deer. The visits will take place on the paved area near the big playground.

9:30-10:00: Pre-K and kindergarten.Afternoon Pre-K families are welcome to bring their student for this half hour to walk through and pet the deer!

10:00-10:30: Grade 1

10:30-11:30: Two half-hour presentations for second graders (Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Canning will visit at 10:30, Ms.Brown and Mrs. Murphy will visit at 11:00.)

If your child will be leaving school at the end of the day other than in their usual manner, please send in a note or call the office. Remember that we can only release students to the people you have listed on the blue emergency contact form.

Please note that if your arrives after 8:25 he or she is considered tardy. If your child is signed out before 2:55 it is considered a dismissal. All tardiness and dismissals are part of your child’s permanent attendance records.

Thank you for respecting our learning time by making sure your child arrives on time each day, and by not dismissing your child early unless it is an emergency!

Head Lice
There have been a few cases of head lice found at LER. Whenever a child is found to have live lice or viable nits (nits less than 1/2 inch away from the scalp) the child will need to go home for treatment. The child may return to school after being treated. Once you have treated your child you are encouraged to check his/her head every day for the next few weeks. It is helpful for all parents to check their children’s heads for lice off and on through out the year.

For more information on the prevention and/or treatment of head lice, please call your health care professional, our school nurse, or visit our website. There is a link under “School Nurse.” !

Spare Clothing
We cannot stress enough how helpful it is for each student to have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. It is sometimes not convenient for parents to bring clothing in if a child spills a snack, falls in the slush, or needs extra clothing during the school day for any reason. This time of year finds us spending a great deal of time each day trying to reach parents to bring clothing to school. This also means lost class time for your student!

January 11, 2008

Principal’s Notes
Dear Families,
“Happy New Year 2008” to you! I hope you all enjoyed your December break and were able to spend quality time with your families and friends.
So…did you make any New Year’s resolutions? I don’t know about you, but as good as my intentions are, I have difficulty following through to make these changes last and permanently change my life for the better. Jeanie Davis authored a great article that offers great tips on how to keep resolutions alive throughout the year. Here they are:

1. Take time to reflect: Many of us do, do, do! Be sure to take time to think deeply about who you are and where you want your life to go!
2. Tune into your passions: Focus on who you are, on producing a life you can enjoy. We're all given talents. Focus on those.
3. Pinpoint what drains your energy: Everyone has different irritants that drain their energy. Try to recognize them for yourself so that you can prioritize what is important…and let the little stuff go!
4. Harness the power of emotion: Emotions are much more powerful than logic. So, focus on the emotions -- happiness, satisfaction, and exhilaration -- that you will feel if you achieve your goal. It's about spending more time feeling good rather than feeling bad."
5. Develop a support group: Too often, we try to make changes alone. It helps to have a support group -- family, friends, whoever -- to help keep you on track.
6. Visualize yourself making the change: It's a step-by-step process in which you imagine yourself performing in a certain way.
7. Be brave: It takes courage to move out of your comfort zone. Success breeds success. After you've made one change, you feel the passion and like it, because you have ventured out of your comfort zone and succeeded. You're then motivated to make other changes.
8. If I may, I would like to add… be kind to yourself! Recognize that you will have good days and “not so good” days. (And if all else fails…there’s always 2009!)

If you plan to make resolutions, I encourage you to make ones that will also positively impact your children, such as buying healthier snacks, spending quality time together, and reading together more often. My wish for you is that 2008 be the happiest and healthiest one yet!
Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events
January
18th: End of second quarter
21st: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - no school
27th: GEPTA Family Health Day,1:00 - 3:00 at LER
February
1st: Sugar-Out Day
5th: GEPTA meeting at LER, 6:00
18th-22nd: Winter break

Walking School Bus
Our Walking School Bus has been postponed for the winter. We look forward to starting again when the warmer weather returns. Be watching the newsletter for more information!

Early Release Day
Our next Early Release Day will be Wednesday, March 19th.Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30.
(There is no Early Release Day for January or February.)

School Store
The school store is open in the office on Monday and Wednesday mornings before school.

Knights of Columbus
FREE THROW CHAMPIONSHIP
for boys and girls ages 8 to 14
on Sunday, January 20th
in the LER gym
at 11:00 a.m.
Please sign up at 10:30.
For more information,
please contact
Pat Berends at 446-4011.

The treated child can be reinfested by lice, which were hiding in the seams of clothing, blanket or from brushes and combs. A thorough cleaning of these objects is necessary at the same time the child is treated. The backs of upholstered furniture, car seats, etc., should be thoroughly vacuumed.

GEPTA News
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 at 6:00 pm in the LER cafeteria. Childcare is available.
If you would like to be involved please email GEPTAnews@gmail.com. There are opportunities of all sizes (and you don’t need to come to a meeting!)

Family Fun Nights:
November’s Family Game Night was a hit! It was great seeing all the different games being played. We raffled off three baskets filled with Scholastic books and posters.
December’s Holiday Family Fun Night was enjoyed by all. Everyone had fun making ornaments, cards, and decorating cookies! We finished our Basket Fundraiser that evening.
Our next Family Fun Night will be Family Fun Food & Fitness Day on Sunday, January 27 from 1:00 – 3:00 held at LER in the cafeteria and gymnasium. Join us for an afternoon of fun, fitness, and good healthy food ideas!

Here’s a recap of what GEPTA has done this school year:
Meals for the teachers/staff for First Day of School
Octoberfest
Scholastic Book fairs at LER and RVCS (we earned over $1000 in free books!)
Meals for teachers during conferences
Fall Support to teachers (each teacher received a check to help with classroom supplies)
Family Fun Nights
Sponsored field trips
New swings at RVCS
Holiday Bazaar at RVCS

Recycling Request: We are looking for Holiday cards to use for next years Holiday Family Fun night!

Menu Corrections
The menu selections for Tuesday, January 29th will be Teriyaki chicken or shepherd’s pie,broccoli florets with low fat Ranch dressing, juice, apple crisp.

Friday, February 1st is “Sugar-Out Day.”
The menu will be toasted cheese or hamburger on a wheat roll, chicken & rice soup, corn on the cob, fresh apples. Please make a note of these changes on your menu at home.

January’s Character Skill is TEAMWORK!

A Message from Our AFS Teacher “John”
My name is Zhixiang Zhang and you can call me John. I am a visiting teacher of AFS program, which works to create a more peaceful and just world. I am an English teacher in Ma’anshan No.2 High School, Anhui Province China. My school is the first model high school in our province. And it is a well-equipped high school with high reputation in Anhui and even in China.
I feel very lucky to be able to study and teach in the States. And I feel more fortunate and excited to come to your school, Laura E. Richards School. Since my first arrival, I have been feeling warmth and friendliness from you. I believe with your great help, I can learn a lot from you.
During my stay here from Jan.2 till February vacation, not only do I want to improve myself professionally, but want to communicate with your children about Chinese culture as well. To help people know more about China, to let foreigners know a real China, I’d love to be a cultural ambassador to share with you some perspectives and exchange ideas. The topics I’d like to share with your children are as follows:

1.China’s national flag, national anthem, and national emblem.
2.Some basic everyday Chinese
3.Some Chinese characters
4.Counting in Chinese
5.Chinese currency
6.Chinese eye exercise
7.Chinese songs
8.Chinese festivals and holidays
9.Tourist attractions in China
10.Students’ everyday life in China
11.Family life in China
12.Chinese food and cooking
13.Chinese calligraphy
14.Taiji (Taichi) 15.Chinese knot
16.Paper-cutting and paper-folding
17.History and geography of China
18.Chinese wedding customs
19.Chinese lunar calendar and zodiac
20.Chinese mythology
21.Chinese fables, stories, and poetry
22.Political situation in China
23.Introduction to my province
24.Some information about 2008 Olympics in China

My email address is zxz0818@ahmasez.com.cn or zzxafs@hotmail.com. Thank you very much!

January 25, 2008

Message from the Principal

Dear Families,

Well Mother Nature has certainly made getting back into routines after the holiday break quite challenging! Looking at the extended forecast, we may get to enjoy at least two full weeks of school. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!!
An exciting decision was made this week! After participating in an overview presentation, the teaching staff at LER decided that we would pilot a reading software program called Lexia. This reading program is multi-sensory in design and delivery. It automatically individualizes instructional needs of each child. So, very soon, we will have the program downloaded for our use for 60 days. I am sure your child will enjoy the program and see great results!
This Sunday our GEPTA will be hosting a family fitness and nutrition fun day. I hope many of you will be able to attend. This family event may help those of us suffering from “Cabin Fever” (at least for a couple of hours)! I am sure it will be fun and informative as well.
This month’s Star Student skill is Teamwork. Students at LER are concentrating on how to work well with others in a team to complete projects or play games in their classrooms. We are emphasizing to them the importance of listening to each other’s ideas, compromising…being willing to do it someone else’s way, cheering for each other, and encouraging teammates to do their best when difficulties arise. We really enjoy recognizing students every week! They are so proud of themselves! I also love hearing students tell me how hard they are trying to show the character skills that we are working on. The positive messages and recognition of the students do make a difference in the climate of our school. Be sure to check out our website to see our star students!
Be safe and stay warm while enjoying, okay surviving, this winter season! If you ever have a question, concern, suggestion, or want to chat, please call or stop in!

Yours in the service of children,

Karen Moody
Principal

Upcoming Events

January
27th: GEPTA Family Health Day, 1:00 - 3:00 at LER
28th: Report cards go home
31st: Assembly in LER Gym, 8:45

February
1st: Sugar-Out Day
5th: GEPTA meeting at LER, 6:00
7th: Read-a-thon kick-off assembly
18th-22nd: Winter vacation
25th: Students & staff return
28th: Read-a-thon awards assembly

For safety reasons, please do not drop your child off at school before 8:10. There is no supervision inside or on the playground until then.

Early Release Day
Our next Early Release Day will be Wednesday, March 19th. Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30. There is no Early Release for February.

January’s Character Skill is TEAMWORK!

Walking School Bus
Our Walking School Bus has been postponed for the winter. We look forward to starting again when the warmer weather returns!

School Store
The school store is open in the office on Monday and Wednesday mornings before school.

Menu Corrections
The menu selections for Tuesday, January 29th will be Teriyaki chicken or shepherd’s pie, broccoli florets with low fat Ranch dressing, juice, and apple crisp.

Friday, February 1st is “Sugar-Out Day.” The menu will be toasted cheese or hamburger on a wheat roll, chicken & rice soup, corn on the cob, and fresh apples.

Please make a note of these changes on your menu at home.

Friday, February 1st is SUGAR-OUT DAY
Sugar-Out Day is held on the first Friday of February as part of the celebration of Children’s Dental Health Month, to bring about an awareness of the role of sugar in oral health, dental decay, and the relationships among oral health, nutrition and overall health. We are asking you to join in by helping your child choose non-sugary snacks and meals for Sugar-Out Day. Why not join your child in observing Sugar-Out Day by giving up sugary foods too!

GEPTA News
Our next meeting will be February 5th starting at
6:00 p.m. in the LER library.

Family Fun, Food, and Fitness! Join us for some great free family activities, fantastic food, and fabulous ideas to keep you and your family fit and full of energy! This event will be held Sunday, January 27th, 1:00 -3:00 at LER.

Book Swap - Our annual book swap will be coming in February! Clean out your bookcase - for every book you donate you'll receive a slip for a free book. Stay tuned for more details!

If you are interested in helping out with any of our activities please email GEPTAnews@gmail.com

Last Call for Music Boosters Merchandise
The Gardiner Area Music Boosters is gathering its last order for the school year for T-shirts, sweatshirts, and fleece vests and jackets. Garments come in adult and children’s sizes and have an embroidered Gardiner Music logo. Items can be personalized for an additional fee. If you would like to place an order, please ask your music teacher for an order form. The deadline for ordering is February 11. Delivery will be in late March.

February 8, 2008

Principal’s Notes

Dear Families,
Can you believe it?! The 100th day of school is almost here! If we have no snow days, we will celebrate 100 days of learning on February 12th. Be watching for specific information from your child’s teacher as many teachers ask students to bring in collections of 100 objects.
This Saturday our GEPTA is sponsoring a Book Swap event in the Laura Richards’ gym at 6:00. This is a great chance to bring in books that your children no longer read and “swap” them for other books that are of more interest! Students may bring in books on Friday or at the actual swap on Saturday. A small snack will be served and children may make bookmarks! I hope to see you there!
We have one more week until our February break. I hope you are able to spend some quality “down” time with your family and friends during that time. This break has always been my personal favorite because we have no huge holidays to prepare for! It is just a great time to recharge and reconnect with our loved ones.
As always, if you ever have any questions, concerns, suggestions, or just want to chat, please stop in or give me a call!

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody
Principal

Upcoming Events

February
9th: Book Swap at LER, 6:00 pm
12th: 100th Day of School
18th: Presidents’ Day
18th-22nd: Winter vacation
25th: Students & staff return - Welcome back!
25th: All Read-a-thon materials due back at school!
28th: Read-a-thon awards assembly
29th: Happy “Leap Day”

March
4th: GEPTA Meeting, 6:00 at RV
17th: Spring pictures
19th: Early Release - students dismissed at 12:30
26th- 29th: Grandparents visit for lunch
26th: Chewonki visits LER
28th: Chewonki visits LER

Important Note From the Office - Please be sure that we have up-to-date contact information in case we need to reach you during the school day.

Walking School Bus
Our Walking School Bus has been postponed for the winter. We look forward to starting again when the warmer weather returns!

February’s Character Skill is PURSUIT OF QUALITY!

School Store
The school store is open in the office on Monday and Wednesday mornings before school.

2008 - 2009 Pre-School Registration
The Four Year Old Program is currently accepting applications for the 2008 - 2009 school year. This is a preschool program specifically designed for four-year-old children who are ready for a preschool experience. We offer a preschool curriculum that focuses on the whole child and at the same time prepares them for kindergarten. Children must be four years of age on or before October 15, 2008. If you are interested, please call 582-5346 for more information and for an application. Space is limited.

GEPTA News
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, March 4th starting at 6:00 p.m. at River View School.

Book Swap - Our annual book swap will be Saturday evening, February 9th at 6:00 pm in the LER gym! Clean out your bookcase - for every book you donate you'll receive a slip for a free book. There will be snacks and an opportunity to make bookmarks.

Read-a-thon - Be watching for the white “2008 Read-a-thon” envelope that came home with your student this week. Students will collect pledges and chart the number of minutes they read each day through February 24th. What a great way to help raise money for our River View and LER students, and to earn a chance to win great prizes!

If you are interested in helping out with any of our activities please email GEPTAnews@gmail.com

Last Call for Music Boosters Merchandise
The Gardiner Area Music Boosters is gathering its last order for the school year for T-shirts, sweatshirts, and fleece vests and jackets. If you would like to place an order, please ask your music teacher for an order form or get one from the LER office. The deadline for ordering is Monday, February 11. Delivery will be in late March.

Ongoing Fundraiser News
Please continue to save Box Tops for Education symbols, which are worth 10 cents each for our school! We also continue to collect printer and toner cartridges which are redeemed for cash, and Campbell’s Labels for Education logos which we can use to purchase school supplies.

March 14, 2008

A Note from the Principal

Dear Families,

Spring officially begins this Thursday!! I know I am quite done with winter! Cheerful daffodils and crocuses are just below the ground; sidewalks and yards are becoming clear of ice and snow; and, children are beginning to bring out their bikes to ride in their driveways! I love the bright morning sun and longer days of sunlight! Please continue to encourage your children to dress appropriately. While it may be bright and sunny out, the temperature is still pretty chilly and the March winds can make it quite uncomfortable without a coat, hat, and mittens.

The end of the third quarter has been extended until April 3rd due to the amount of snow days. Parent teacher conferences have also been extended until the week of April 14th. Your child’s teacher will soon be contacting you to set up an appointment. This is a great time to talk with your child’s teacher to discuss the progress your child has made this year.

On that note, we will also begin creating class lists for next year very soon. Teachers will be meeting with me to create balanced classes, which take into account student learning styles, academic needs, friendships, the ratio of boys and girls, and special learning plans. Creating balanced classrooms is a challenging process for sure! We do take into consideration input from parents/guardians as well. While teacher requests are considered, they are not a guarantee. Out top priority is to create balanced classrooms that offer the best learning environments for all students. If you would like to make a teacher request, please make this request to me in writing explaining your educational reasons for the placement. Your request should be sent before April 4, 2008. Again, creating balanced classrooms will remain our top priority. If you have any questions about the placement process, please call me at 582-3612.

Enjoy the beginning of the spring season…especially before the black flies arrive! I hope to see your families out and about as I too begin getting fit again by running about town!

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events
March
17th: Spring pictures
19th: Early Release - students dismissed at 12:30
26th & 28th: Chewonki visits LER
27th: Superkids Assembly, 8:45
28th: Family Fun Beach Party at RVCS, 6:00 - 7:30
April
1st: GEPTA meeting, 6:00 @ LER
3rd: End of 3rd quarter
19th: Gardiner Music Boosters Craft Fair at LER
21st - 25th: Spring vacation
May
2nd: No kindergarten classes due to k-screening for next year
6th: K-2 Spring concert, 2:00
21st: Early release - students dismissed at 12:30
26th: Memorial Day - no school

School Store
The school store is open in the office on Monday and Wednesday mornings before school.

Kindergarten Registration
It’s kindergarten registration time! If you have a child who will be five years of age on or before October 15, 2008, or if you know of one, please contact the school.

Box Tops and Campbell’s Update
So far, we have collected $695.70 in Box Tops symbols for our school, and a total of 1,234 in Campbell’s points!

GEPTA News
Dr Seuss said, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." LER and RVCS have logged 72,274 minutes of reading! That is more than 50 days! We are definitely going places! We also raised $2000 that will help fund activities for both schools.

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, April 1st at 6:00 at LER. Chidcare will be available.

There will be a meeting to discuss the River View playground on Tuesday, March 18th at 6:00 at RVCS. Come help choose equipment and talk about fund raising. Childcare is available. FMI email geptanews@gmail.com

Family Fun Beach Party! Come have some fun in the sun! March 28th from 6:00 - 7:30. Please send in the reply from the flyer sent home to RSVP, or call Helen 582-6492 or Karen 582-0610 or email geptanews@gmail.com so we know how much food to bring to the beach!

Gardiner Main Street Easter Festivities
Meet outside A1 to Go by 11:00 on Saturday, March 22 and take a stroll down Water Street showing off your creations - bonnets, hats & ties. Free framed photos of the winners in the following categories - Most Traditional, Most Outrageous and Most Charming in both Adult and Children's categories. Storefront Easter Egg Hunt 11:00 to
1:00, and more. All children under 12 are winners!

News from Your School Nurse,
Pat fisher, R.N.
We have been notified of a few cases of Strep Throat at school. Strep throat is the type of sore throat caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria. It is more common in children than adults.

A child who is diagnosed with a strep infection may return to school 24 hours after starting antibiotic therapy and not running a fever.

Please notify the school if your child is diagnosed with a strep infection. To prevent the spread of infection please encourage your child to cover his/her mouth and nose when he/she coughs or sneezes, and wash hands frequently!

A Note from the Office
Please remember that you must stop at the office to sign your child out if you are picking him/her up from school at dismissal time and at any other time during the day.

March 28, 2008

Principal’s Note,
Dear Families,

Spring has officially arrived!! Celebrating the arrival of spring reminds me of my favorite quote, “Bloom where you are planted!” Students are certainly “blooming” at Laura Richards School! Not only have they “bloomed” in size over the winter, but they have also grown and “bloomed” as learners. It is so exciting to visit rooms and see how well students are reading, writing, and engaged in math problem solving! We look forward to sharing your child’s progress at Parent-Teacher conferences on Wednesday, April 16th. Your child’s teacher will be contacting you to set up conference appointments.

The following “Reading Moments” comes from the BoxTop website which can be accessed from the Laura E. Richards website by clicking on “Support Our Schools”. I encourage you to continue to motivate and support your child as they “grow as readers”!

As always, if you ever have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please give me a call at 582-3612 or stop by for a visit!

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Reading Moments

Finding time for kids to read is important. Even if they don’t sit down with a book, kids still have daily reading opportunities.

Car trips, errands, and waits in checkout lines all provide reading opportunities. Keep books or magazines in your car, diaper bag, or backpack for lulls in the action, even if you only have time to read a few pages. Encourage older kids to bring their favorite reads along.

Other reading moments:
• in the morning, before breakfast or getting dressed
• after dinner, when kids are relaxed
• bath time (with plastic, waterproof books)
• bedtime

Read signs aloud while you're driving. Ask your preschooler to "read" pictures on boxes at the store and tell you about them. Older kids can tell you what's on the shopping list. Around the house, kids can read recipes aloud or peruse a catalog while you read the mail. Ask relatives to send letters or e-mail and read them together. Make sure kids get some time to spend quietly with books, even if it means curtailing time in front of the TV or video games.

Most important, be a reader yourself. Kids who see their parents reading are likely become readers, too!

Upcoming Events

March
28th: Family Fun Beach Party at RVCS, 6:00 - 7:30

April
1st: GEPTA meeting, 6:00 @ LER
3rd: End of 3rd quarter
16th: Parent-Teacher conferences, 3:30 - 7:00
19th: Gardiner Music Boosters Craft Fair at LER
21st - 25th: Spring vacation

May
2nd: No kindergarten classes due to k-screening for next year
6th: K-2 Spring concert, 2:00
16th: District Art Show at GAHS, 3:30 - 7:30
21st: Early release - students dismissed at 12:30
26th: Memorial Day - no school

School Store
The school store is open in the office on Monday and Wednesday mornings before school.

2008 - 2009 Kindergarten
It’s kindergarten registration time! If you have a child who will be five years of age on or before October 15, 2008, please contact the school.

LER Lions T-Shirts
We have LER T-shirts in youth sizes and a variety of great colors for sale in the office for $12.00 each.

GEPTA News
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, April 1st at 6:00 in the LER library. Childcare is available.

Lexia is here! Are you wondering what the Lexia program is that your children have been working on? We will have some computers available to check it out!

Family Fun Beach Party! Join us for a beach party at River View Community School on March 28th from 6:00 - 7:30. Come for fun, food, and activities. Please send in RSVP's or email geptanews@gmail.com. If you would like to help while there, please let us know. The more the merrier!

The River View Playground Committee met on March 18th. Eric from Miracle gave a presentation on some of the systems available, and fundraising was discussed. Unfortunately, there was not a big turn out of volunteers. We need families to get involved so we can make sure RVCS has an appropriate playground for our children! There will be drawings available to look at and discuss at the April 1st meeting. We will announce the next playground meeting soon!

Save Your Shaw's Receipts! Do you or your friends and family shop at Shaw's? Help raise funds for a new playground at River View School by bringing in your original Shaw's receipts. Through the Shaw's Receipt Rewards Program, Shaw's will donate 1% of the amount of the receipts. There's no limit to how many receipts you can bring in!

Save your Yogurt Containers! We have started a fund raising/recycling program through Terracycle (www.terracycle.net). Send in your CLEAN 6 oz and 32 oz containers. Look for more information on this great program, coming soon.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up and the GEPTA will provide dinner for the teachers on April 8th at River View, and April 16th at LER. If you would like to help out with this, please call Helen at 582-6492 or email geptanews@gmail.com.

Ongoing Fundraiser News
We continue to collect printer and toner cartridges which are redeemed for cash, BoxTops for Education which are worth 10 cents each to our school, and Campbell’s Labels for Education logos which we can redeem for supplies. Keep on saving!

April 11, 2008

Message from the Principal

Dear Families,

We are finally having a break from “cabin fever”! I love seeing children out playing and riding their bicycles, families out raking their lawns, and nature celebrating the return of warmer temperatures…the spring birds have returned and the daffodils and crocuses are emerging from the muddy mess of the April thaw!

With the return of warmer temperatures, our “Walking School Bus” is also returning. We will meet Tuesday, April 29th at the park at 7:50. I look forward to the brisk walk to school. Exercising is a great way to begin our school day, and I certainly enjoy chatting with students and families along the way!

I would also like to bring your attention to some upcoming events so that you have an opportunity to “plan ahead”:

1. This Monday “The Steelgraves” will be performing a magic show for all our students. There is a 10:00 and 12:30 show.

2. Then on April 16th we will have Parent-Teacher conferences from 3:30-7:00. Please be sure to make an appointment to speak with your child’s teacher.

3. Tuesday, May 6th is our school Music Concert at 2:00 in our gymnasium. Parking at school is a challenge with so many students.

I encourage you to car pool or park at the Gardiner Armory and walk over. Please allow yourselves some extra time for the parking challenges.

I look forward to April vacation this year because of all the illnesses in the building. It is time to spring clean and open up the windows to let the fresh air in! I hope you are able to enjoy the week spending quality time with your families and friends! Stay safe!!

As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please stop in or call me at 582-3612. Thank you and…think SPRING!!

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events
April
12th: GEPTA D.E.A.R. Night, 6:30 in LER gym
14th: Magic Show
16th: Parent-Teacher conferences,3:30 - 7:00
18th: LifeTouch money or photos due at school
19th: Gardiner Music Boosters Craft Fair at LER
21st - 25th: Spring vacation
29th: Walking School Bus - meet at Common at 7:50, weather permitting

May
6th: Walking School Bus - meet at Common at 7:50, weather permitting
6th: K-2 Spring concert, 2:00
6th: GEPTA Meeting at RV, 6:00
9th: No kindergarten classes due to k-screening for next year (please note the new date)
13th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
16th: Mini-Courses, 1:30 - 2:30
16th: District Art Show at GAHS, 3:30 - 7:30
20th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
21st: Early release - students dismissed at 12:30
26th: Memorial Day - no school
27th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
28th: First grade to Gray Animal Park
(Rain Date of May 29th)

June
6th: First Grade Beach Day at LER
9th: North Star Planetarium at LER

The Walking School Bus is Coming Back!
Beginning Tuesday, April 29th, students and parents are invited to join Mrs. Moody and Mr. Anderson at the Gardiner Common at 7:50 each Tuesday morning, weather permitting, as we walk to school together!

School Store
The school store is open in the office on Monday and Wednesday mornings before school.

2008 - 2009 Kindergarten
It’s kindergarten registration time! If you have a child who will be five years of age on or before October 15, 2008, please contact the school.

LER Lions T-Shirts
We have LER T-shirts in youth sizes and a variety of great colors for sale in the office for $12.00 each.

GEPTA News
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, May 6th at
6:00 at River View School. Childcare is available.

River View Playground: We are in the process of choosing a design and planning fundraisers. If you would like to be involved please call Helen (582-6492) or Karen (582-0610) or email geptanews@gmail.com

On going Fund Raisers for River View Playground:

• Shaw's Receipts- bringing in your original Shaw's receipts. Through the Shaw's Receipt Rewards Program, Shaw's will donate 1% of the amount of the receipts. There's no limit to how many receipts you can bring in!

• Terra-cycle - Send in your CLEAN 6 oz and 32 oz containers. Look for a flyer with more details in your child's bookbag.

• Family Fun Magazine - Forms were sent home with your child. Order Family Fun Magazine for $10 and $5 stays with GEPTA! This is a great magazine that promotes fun family activities !

The Family Fun Beach Party was a big success! Thank you to everyone who helped out that evening and during the beach day earlier! Over 100 people enjoyed a night at the beach! Check out the pictures on msad11.org/ler .

D.E.A.R. Night - Join us for our monthly Family Fun Night by dropping everything and reading! Come April 12 at 6:30 to the LER gym, dressed in your PJ's for some bedtime stories and cookies & milk!

Spring Picture Reminder
All LifeTouch money should be turned in to school by Friday, April 18th. Any photos or packages that you will not be purchasing should be returned to school by that date also. Thank you!

LER Spring Concert
Our K-2 students will be performing in the LER Spring Concert on Tuesday, May 6th at 2:00 in the LER gym.

Kindergarten Schedule Alert
There will be no school for LER kindergarten students on Friday, May 9th as our teachers will be participating in the screening of our incoming K-students.

Box Tops Contest Winners
The classrooms bringing in the most Box Tops were Mrs. Ellis’ a.m. pre-K, Mrs. Carey’s Kindergarten, Mrs. Cockrell’s first grade, and Mrs. Smith’s second grade. Our school collected $275.70 in Box Tops for Education during February and March!
Each Box Top for Education symbol is worth 10 cents to our school. Students are encouraged to continue saving as many sheets as they can and return their completed sheets to school.

Star Students
Each week, our teachers choose a Star Student from their classroom who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken for the LER website. April’s skill is PROBLEM SOLVING!

June 6, 2008

June Upcoming Events
6th: Pre-K Family Fun Day
6th: Family BBQ
6th: First Grade Beach Day at LER
9th: School store open
9th: Northern Star Planetarium at LER
10th: Last Walking School Bus of the school year, 7:50
10th: Budget vote, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm at Boys & Girls Club
10th: Kindergarten to Boothbay
11th: School store open
11th: Field Day, 9:00 - 11:00
13th: Second Graders visit River View, 9:50 - 11:00
13th: Second Grade Fun Day at LER
16th: School store open
16th: K & 1 Step-up, 2:00
16th: Last day for Pre-K
16th: Assembly at 2:20 - please note the new time!
17th: Last day of school for students! Elementary students dismissed at 12:30

Message from the Principal
Dear Families,
As I write this message, I just can’t believe that it is the last one for the year! The year has been full of great learning experiences for students! It just does not seem possible that we are coming to an end with only 7 ½ days left.
I want to thank you all for a wonderful first year here at Laura Richards School as building principal. I feel so blessed to work with such talented and dedicated educators as well as caring and supportive families. I am so very happy to be back here serving the students and families in my own community. Again, thank you!
This year we will be letting K-2 students know who their next year’s teachers are prior to leaving for the summer. Class lists have been finalized, and a classroom placement letter will be sent home next Thursday, June 12th. Second grade will be having a ‘Step-up day” next Friday, June 13th as part of their Fun Day. They will be visiting River View School from 10:00-10:45. Permission slips will be coming home for this. Kindergarten and Grade 1 students will have their Step up day on Monday, June 16th at 2:00. At 2:20 on the 16th, we will have our end of year assembly.
We have a couple of all school fun activities coming right up as well:
Tomorrow is our Family Barbeque. Please remember to bring blankets or chairs to sit on. The plan is for parents to eat with their children at the times listed on the next page. If you were unable to send in a sign up sheet for lunch, please still feel free to join us but bring your own lunch to enjoy. Parking will be a challenge. You may park at the Gardiner Armory and across the street at the Faith Christian Church.
On Monday, June 9th, we will have a visit from Northern Stars Planetarium. Many thanks to our GEPTA for funding this visit! Students will be learning about the solar system.
Next Wednesday, June 11th is our field day. Students will enjoy outside events from 9:00-11:00. A rain date has been scheduled for the 12th.
Again, thank you so much for a wonderful learning year at Laura Richards School! I look forward to many more years to come! Have a happy, safe summer!
Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Voting Day!
Tuesday, June 10th - Budget Vote
8:00 am to 8:00 pm
MSAD 11 residents visit their local polling places to vote. Gardiner residents will vote at the Boys & Girls Club between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm.

LER Lions T-Shirts
We have LER T-shirts in youth sizes and a variety of great colors for sale in the office for $12.00 each.

Family Barbeque Day
If you are joining us for the LER Barbeque on Friday, June 6th, please note the time that your child’s class will be having lunch:
Pre-K - 10:45
Grade 1 – 11:10
Kindergarten – 11:45
Grade 2 – 12:20
Remember to bring your lawn chair or a blanket for sitting. If you have not already made your reservation and would still like to attend, please feel free to bring a bag lunch and join us! Additional parking will be available at the Faith Christian Church and at the Gardiner Armory.

Lost & Found Alert
Be sure to visit our Lost & Found area before the end of the school year to locate any clothing that your child might have lost. All unclaimed items will be donated to Goodwill!

School Calendar Note
The original 2007-2008 MSAD 11 school calendar listed Friday, June 6th as a workshop day. Please note that this will now be a full school day for students and staff.

“Big Cat” Field Hockey Clinic
at Gardiner Area High School
for students entering grades 2-8
June 23rd - 26th, 8:30 - 2:00
Interested students can pick up information in the LER office. (This is not an MSAD 11 sponsored event.)

Also, remember to save your Shaw’s receipts and clean yogurt containers, which are redeemed for cash towards playground equipment at River View School.

Keep on saving over the summer months!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM YOUR SCHOOL NURSE
Please note that an adult must pick up any medication your child has at school. Students are not permitted to transport medication, nor can we keep medication in the school building over the summer. Please make arrangements to pick up your child’s medication before the end of the school year.

This is our last newsletter of the school year! The last day of school is Tuesday, June 17th. Students will be dismissed at 12:30. Students in Pre-k through grade 9 will return to school on Wednesday, August 27th.
Have a safe and restful summer!

May 8, 2008

Message from the Principal

Dear Families,

As many of you know, we are in a very difficult budget year. We are receiving $454,621.03 less from the state for our school district. Local funds from our communities are expected to match what the state subsidizes. Therefore, we are looking at $684,095.77 in cuts that have been made. It has been a very emotional time for sure!! Our superintendent and school board have spent many hours discussing areas that would have the least impact educationally for our students. They have a proposed budget ready for the taxpayers of MSAD #11.

Additionally, the legislature has mandated a new process for passing school budgets. There are 2 levels of approval that must happen. First, there is a budget validation/approval meeting. At this meeting on May 27, 2008, local taxpayers will vote on the budget article by article. This meeting will be in the Gardiner High School Gymnasium at 7:00 pm. A moderator will be overseeing this meeting. If the budget is approved at this meeting, then the budget goes to a referendum vote on June 10, 2008 in the individual towns. If the budget passes on June 10th, then the process is done. If the budget fails at either the validation /approval meeting, or the referendum, then the budget process starts all over again with another validation /approval meeting and referendum vote. In fact the process does not stop until the budget is finally approved.

I cannot encourage you enough to attend and vote at both the validation/approval meeting and the referendum. If you have any questions, please call me at 582-3612 or Dr. Paul Knowles, our district’s superintendent, at 582-5346.

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events
May
8th: Scholastic Book Fair, 3:00-7:00
9th: Scholastic Book Fair open, 8:30-3:00
9th: No kindergarten classes due to k-screening for next year
11th: Happy Mother’s Day!
12th: Scholastic Book Fair, 11:00-1:00
13th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
16th: Grade 1 to GAHS see GRMS “Beauty & the Beast”
16th: Mini-Courses, 1:30 - 2:30
16th: District Art Show at GAHS,3:00 - 7:30
20th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
20th: Orientation for incoming kindergarten, 5:00 - 6:00
21st: Early release - students dismissed at 12:30
23rd: Shamou performance at LER, 1:45 - 2:45
26th: Memorial Day - no school
26th: Memorial Day Parade, 10:00
27th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
28th: First grade to Gray Animal Park (Rain Date of May 29th)
29th: Pre-K to Children’s Discovery Museum
29th: Assembly, 8:45

June
3rd: Walking School Bus at 7:50
3rd: Mrs. Carey’s ABC-123 Circus, 10:00
6th: Pre-K Family Fun Day
6th: School BBQ
6th: First Grade Beach Day at LER
9th: North Star Planetarium at LER

The Walking School Bus is Back!
Students and parents are invited to join Mrs. Moody and Mr. Anderson at the Gardiner Common at 7:50 each Tuesday morning, weather permitting, as we walk to school together!

School Store
The school store is open in the office on Monday and Wednesday mornings before school.

2008 - 2009 Kindergarten
It’s kindergarten registration time! If you have a child who will be five years of age on or before October 15, 2008, please contact the school.

LER Lions T-Shirts
We have LER T-shirts in youth sizes and a variety of great colors for sale in the office for $12.00 each.

GEPTA News
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, June 3rd at
6:00 at LER. Childcare is available.

Save Your Shaw's Receipts!
Do you or friends and family shop at Shaw's? Help raise funds for a new playground at River View School by bringing in Shaw's receipts. Through the Shaw's Receipt Rewards Program, Shaw's will donate 1% of the amount of the receipts. There's no limit to how many receipts you can bring in, just make sure the receipt is the original, not a copy.

Save your Yogurt containers!
We have started a fund raising/recycling program through Terracycle (www.terracycle.net). Send in your CLEAN 6 oz and 32 oz containers.

This is Teacher Appreciation Week!
May 5th - 9th - GEPTA sent home a flyer of some ideas to help celebrate. If you have any questions please email geptanews@gmail.com. It’s not too late!

Box Tops Winners
The classrooms bringing in the most Box Tops for the month of April were Mrs. Ellis’ a.m. pre-K, Ms. Coolidge’s Kindergarten, Mrs. Cockrell’s first grade, and Ms. Brown’s second grade. Our school collected $119.80 in Box Tops for Education during April!

Each Box Top for Education symbol is worth 10 cents to our school. Students are encouraged to continue saving as many sheets as they can and return their completed sheets to school. Be looking for the gumball sheets that came home with your student last week!

Kindergarten Schedule Alert
There will be no school for LER kindergarten students on Friday, May 9th as our teachers will be participating in the screening of our incoming K-students.

MSAD 11 Arts Extravaganza
The Best of the Best Art Work by K-12 students of MSAD11 will be on exhibit in the Gardiner Area High School Cafeteria on May 16th, 3:00-7:30

Rotary Club Rail Trail Walk-a-thon
Saturday, May 17

Rotary Club of
Gardiner is sponsoring their first annual Kennebec Rail Trail Walk-a-thon. Regisration begins at 9:30am at the Gardiner Hannaford Parking Lot. All participants will be bused to Hallowell to begin the 4-mile walk back to Gardiner. The walk will begin promptly at 10:30am. Walkers will head south from Hallowell on the trail for 4 miles until they reach Gardiner. Pledge forms will be available for anyone who has not received a form prior to the walk. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. A minimum of $20.00 is required for registration. Conact Dale Staples at 582-8458, ext 215 or dalestaples03@aol.com for more information.

*ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF GARDINER SCHOLARSHIP FUND.

(This is not an MSAD 11 sponsored event.)

2008-09 Newsletters

Click on the date for the newsletter that you would like to read.

LER Newsletter for June

Principal’s Notes
Dear Families,

Here we are…the last newsletter of the 2008-09 school year! It seems like just yesterday that I was looking at the huge mountains of snow in our playground thinking how far away summer seemed…and here we are…just days away. It has been quite a year for sure! While we celebrate all the learning that our students have experienced this year, there is a bit of sadness as we offer our best wishes to our second graders as they head to new adventures and learning experiences at River View Community School.

Class lists have been finalized, and students will know who their next year’s teachers are on Step Up Day. Next year’s teachers will also be stated on student report cards that will come home on the last day of school.

Second grade will be having a ‘Step-up day” Tuesday, June 16th as part of their Fun Day and will be visiting River View School. Kindergarten and Grade 1 students will have their Step up day on Wednesday, June 17th after our final year school assembly. As always, families are welcome to join us for the assembly. June 17th is also our last day of school, and it is Early Release. Students will be dismissed at 12:30.

I invite you to join our school in expressing appreciation to all our support staff here at LER. We will be demonstrating our appreciation to our ed techs, custodians, cafeteria staff, and Spurwink counselors on June 15th. These individuals are committed to meeting the needs of our students and school building. I am so proud of all their contributions! We truly have a positive, caring school community!

Within this newsletter are also dates for you to mark on your calendars for end of school year events, as well as for the oncoming school year. We will be hosting a second annual “First Day of School Celebration” again on September 2, 2009. We look forward to this day of celebration as we welcome in a new school year!

Thank you so much for a wonderful learning year at Laura Richards School! I hope you all have a restful, fun-filled summer. Enjoy the Maine outdoors and family get-togethers! Be safe, and I look forward to being with you all again for the 2009-10 school year.

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events

June
8th: Mrs. Carey’s ABC 123 Circus
9th: MSAD #11 Budget Referendum - 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Be sure to vote at your ward’s polling location!
9th: Last Walking School Bus, 7:50
9th: Mrs. Duquette’s Beach Day at LER
9th: Mrs. Tarrio’s class presents “The Rainbow Fish,” 9:00 & 1:30
10th: Field Day
12th: Pre-K graduation
12th: GEPTA Ice Cream Social, 6:00 - 7:00 pm at LER
15th: Support Staff Appreciation Day 15th: Grade 1 Beach Day at LER
15th: Grade 2 Fun Day at LER
16th: Second graders visit River View
16th: Rain date for Beach & Fun Days
16th: Last day of school for Pre-K
17th: Assembly, 8:45
17th: Step-Up Day for kindergarten & 1st grade, 9:20
17th: Last day of school for K-2, Early Release Day! Students dismissed at 12:30

August
25th: Kindergarten Open House, 5:30 -6:30

September
2nd: First day of school! Welcome back!
2nd: GEPTA First Day of School Celebration: 8:25 - 10:15 at LER, afternoon at River View School
8th: First GEPTA meeting

This is our last newsletter of the school year.
Have a safe & happy summer! See you again on Wednesday, September 2nd!

Walking School Bus
Students and parents are invited to join Mrs. Moody and Mr. Anderson at the Gardiner Common at 7:50 on Tuesday, June 9th for the last Walking School Bus of the school year!

Healthy Snack Help
Donations of healthy snacks for our classrooms are always welcome.

LER School Store
Our school store is open before school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the office. Students can buy pencils, erasers, and other small school supplies. We also have LER T-shirts in youth sizes and a variety of great colors for $12.00.

Early Release Day
The last day of school, Wednesday, June 17th, is an Early Release Day. Elementary school students will be dismissed at 12:30. The last day of school for Pre-K students in Tuesday, June 16th.

Pre-School & Kindergarten Registration
The Four Year Old Program is still accepting applications for the 2009 - 2010 school year. Children must be four years of age on or before October 15, 2009. Please call 582-5346 for more information and for an application.

If you have a child who will be five years of age on or before October 15, 2009, or if you know of one, please contact the school at 582-3612 for kindergarten registration information.

Lost & Found
Be sure to come by and visit our Lost & Found tables soon to locate any items that your child might have lost. All unclaimed items will be donated at the end of the school year.

Recycle Your Gently Used Backpacks
If you have a gently used backpack that your student will no longer be using, we would love to provide a new home for it. Please send it in to school, and we will give it to a child who might need one. Thank you!

Important Information from Your School Nurse
Please note that an adult must pick up any medication your child has at school. Students are not permitted to transport medication, nor can we keep medication in the school building over the summer. Please make arrangements to pick up your child’s medication before the end of the school year.

Box Tops for Education, May Winners
The classes collecting the most BoxTops during May were Mrs. Duquette’s morning Pre-K, Mrs. Grant’s kindergarten, Miss Whitman’s first grade, and Mrs. Webb’s second grade. Congratulations! Continue clipping those Box Tops. They really do add up!

We continue to participate in these ongoing programs which will help us to raise funds for our school. Keep saving over the summer months!

Campbell's Labels for Education - Collect UPC codes and logos (instead of front labels) from Campbell's products as well as many other products with the “Labels for Education” logo. Please note that Campbell’s is now accepting ONLY THE UPC CODE AND LOGO for redemption. Please do not send the front labels to school.

Printer & Toner Cartridges - We participate in two different programs to collect printer cartridges and toner cartridges of all types and sizes, which are redeemed for cash. Please send your empty cartridges to school.

Yogurt Containers - Please send in your CLEAN empty yogurt containers for recycling - and cash for the GEPTA! Only carefully washed, traditional shaped containers please - we cannot redeem smoothie bottles or Yoplait containers.

Star Students
Every week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! The character skill for May was citizenship. Congratulations to our Star Students!

GEPTA News
We would like to thank all the children, parents, principals, teachers and office staff for their support and enthusiasm throughout the year with all our activities! Together we have accomplished so much and had some fun along the way! We started the year off with a First Day Celebration and will close with an Ice Cream Social on June 12th. We were able to help install a new playground at River View School (a big thank you to Allison and Jeff Wells) and bring different programs to the schools.

We would like to personally thank the GEPTA Officers; Ellen McGuire, Veronica Babcock, Tony Theberge, and Tony Veit and the committee chairs; Katherine Kollman, Paula Bourque, Liz Brodie and Jill Jamison.

Please join us to welcome the new co-presidents for next year, Katherine Kollman and Ellen McGuire, and co-vice presidents Veronicca Babcock and Liz Brodie.

We hope you have wonderful summer, and look forward to seeing you in September.
It has been our pleasure to serve the GEPTA.

Helen Wright and Karen Montell

Ice Cream Social - Please join us for the last GEPTA Family Fun Night of the year, June 12th from 6:00 - 7:00 in the LER gym. There is no charge for the event, but please RSVP with the lavender sheet that was sent home with your student, or by sending a note to school!

Meeting Date Change - Starting in the fall, the GEPTA meetings will be held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. The first meeting will be September 8th. Please contact GEPTAnews@gmail.com for any questions or comments.

E-Mail Mailing List - If you would like to be put on the GEPTA's private email list for updates on free family activities in our school and local area, please send your e-mail address to GEPTAnews@gmail.com

Thank You to Our Very Special LER Volunteers!
We would like to thank our loyal volunteers for the time, talent, and energy that they have given to our school during this school year. We appreciate the many hands of our volunteers, which provide so much enrichment for our children!

Calling all Parent & Guardians
You are invited to a
First Day of School Celebration!
Sponsored by Gardiner Elementary PTA

Come celebrate the beginning of a brand new school year on Wednesday, September 2nd from 8:25 - 10:15 at The Laura E. Richards School. (River View School will begin their celebration at noon. More information will be sent home for our second grade families.)

Come with your child (or see her/him to the bus) then join us in the school gym for a special celebration of education and community. We will have refreshments, information, activities, door prizes, and special guests from our community! Then join with the LER students for a parade of classes, a special First Day story time and the first school assembly of the year!

Help us celebrate the beginning of an
exciting year of learning - together! For more information, please contact Katherine at 582-8250 or geptanews@gmail.com

GEPTA’s Summer Story Time
Mondays, June 29th through August 24th,
at 11:00 am in the
Gardiner Public Library Children’s Section
This weekly event is held in collaboration with the Gardiner Public Library’s Summer Reading Program.
Join us for stories, songs & crafts!
Please call 582-8250 or email geptanews@gmail.com for questions, or to volunteer as a guest reader!

MSAD11 Summer Music Program
July 27th to August 6th
For more information, visit
web.me.com/bpackales1/Summer/Home.html
Theater at Monmouth Summer Program
If your child enjoyed Monmouth Theater’s presentation of the Three Little Pigs at LER, be sure to visit www.theateratmonmouth.org and check out their summer programs! The Wind in the Willows will be presented from August 4th - 21st.

__________________

FIELD HOCKEY CLINICS
at Gardiner Area High School
Saturday, July 11th
Grades 2-4, 9:00 - 12:00
Grades 5-8, 1:00 - 3:00

Central Maine
GIRLS LACROSSE CLINIC
at Capital Park in Augusta
July 13th - 17th
8:30 am - 11:30 am
Grades 3-8

Gardiner Boys Summer Basketball Clinic
at Gardiner Area High School
July 13-16
grades 3-5. 8:00 - 11:30
grades 6-9, 12:00 - 3:30

Gardiner Girls Summer Basketball Clinic
at Gardiner Area High School
July 20-23
grades 3-5 8:00 - 11:30
grades 6-8, 12:00 - 3:30

Capital Area Soccer Club
looking for players for fall travel teams to play throughout Central Maine. Please contact Matt Backus at 582-6802

More information on these events available
in the LER office.
(The above are not MSAD#11 events)
____________________________

MSAD 11 2009-2010 Budget Vote
Please mark your calendar for
Tuesday, June 9th, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
MSAD 11 residents visit their local polling places to cast their ballots. Please vote!

LER Newsletter for May

Principal’s Notes

Dear Families,

Our motto for the month of May is “Work hard, play hard!” We have a full month of assessments and school community activities coming up. Some of May’s events include the Theatre of Monmouth, our school concert, and mini courses. At the same time, teachers are administering end of year assessments while trying to teach through to the last day of school, which is June 17th. I encourage you to keep your children in a regular routine as much as possible. We ask a lot of them during these last weeks of the school year, so it is really important that they are well rested! Be sure to keep this newsletter on hand so that you can refer to it for all the upcoming events.

Now that the weather is warming up, please be sure that your children have safe footwear for recess. Flip-flops, crocks, and sandals are cool, but they can be difficult to run in, especially if they don’t have a back ankle straps.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please be sure to call or visit. My door is always open!

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events
May
1st: No school for kindergarteners due to screening for next year
4th - 8th: Teacher Appreciation Week!
5th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
5th: GEPTA at River View, 6:00
7th: GEPTA Family Fun Night & TESS performance at RVCS, 6:00
10th: Happy Mother’s Day!
12th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
13th: Spring concert dress rehearsal
14th: LER Spring concert, 9:30 & 2:00
19th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
20th: Early release, 12:30
22nd: Monmouth Theater visits LER
25th: Memorial Day observed, no school
26th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
29th: Mini-courses at LER, PM
29th: District Art Show, GAHS, 3:30 - 7:30

June
2nd: Walking School Bus, 7:00
2nd: GEPTA meeting at LER, 6:00
9th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
10th: Field Day
15th: Grade 1 Beach Day at LER
15th: Grade 2 Fun Day at LER
16th: Rain date for Beach & Fun Days
17th: Last day of school

Healthy Snack Help
Donations of healthy snacks for our classrooms are always welcome.

Star Students
Every week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! The character skill for April was problem solving and May is citizenship. Congratulations to our Star Students!

Clothing Bank
LER neighbor, Barbara Veregge, has organized a clothing bank, and is welcoming donations of clothing of all sizes. If you have items to donate or if your family is in need of clothing, please call Barbara Veregge at 582-3085 or 242-0602. Clothing donations can also be dropped off at school. The need is great!
(This is not an MSAD#11 sponsored activity)

Spring Picture Reminder
All LifeTouch money should be turned in to school by Friday, May 8th. Any photo packages that you will not be purchasing should be returned to school by that date also. Thank you!

Pre-School & Kindergarten Registration
The Four Year Old Program is currently accepting applications for the 2009 - 2010 school year. Children must be four years of age on or before October 15, 2009. Please call 582-5346 for more information and for an application. Space is limited.

It’s kindergarten registration time! If you have a child who will be five years of age on or before October 15, 2009, or if you know of one, please contact the school at 582-3612.

Warm Weather Clothing
With warm weather approaching, please be sure that your student is wearing comfortable and appropriate footwear to school. Students should wear sneakers, shoes, or sturdy sandals that have a strap around the heel or ankle. This will allow them to play safely and comfortably on the playground, and to participate fully in all of our activities!

LER Spring Concert
Our K-2 students will be performing in the LER Spring Concert on Thursday, May 14th at 9:30 and 2:00. We have scheduled two concert performance times this year to help with parking and seating challenges. All families are cordially invited to attend at either time.

MSAD #11 Annual Art Extravaganza
The best of the best art work by K-12 students of MSAD 11 will be on exhibit in the Gardiner Area High School cafeteria on Friday, May 29th from 3:30-7:30. We are also in need of volunteers. If you are interested in helping, please contact Mrs. Marquis at mmarquis@msad11.org, or by calling 582-3612.

GEPTA News
May 4th through 8th is National Teacher Appreciation Week! Check out our flyer that is coming home with your student for ideas to help celebrate our teachers!

Join us for a Free Family Fun theatrical performance of "Out of this World," featuring acting and art students from River View Community School. It will be held Thursday, May 7 at 6:00 at the RVCS gym. Snacks and drinks will be served after the show. See page 4 of this newsletter for more information!

The book fair is coming! Scholastic Buy One Get One Free Book Fair is starting Thursday, April 30th at LER. Be watching for more information and a schedule. If you are able to help, please let us know.

Our next meeting will be held May 5, at 6:00 pm at River View. Childcare is provided, free of charge, for school age children.

We will be holding elections in June for President and Vice-President. Both positions are a two year commitment and can be shared. If you would like more information, please email geptanews@gmail.com or call Helen at 582-6492.

It’s time to be thinking of committees for next year also. Do you have a special talent that would benefit one of our committees? Please let us know. The committees meet outside the regular meeting time and the chair gives their report at the GEPTA meeting.
Reading Incentive: Paula Bourque
Family Fun Nights: Katherine Kollman
Book Fairs: Liz Brodie
Playground: Helen Wright
Fundraising: Karen Montell
Volunteer : Jill Jamison and Helen Wright
First day celebration: Katherine Kollman

Please contact GEPTAnews@gmail.com or call Helen at 582-6492 for any questions or comments.

Early Release Day
Our next Early Release day will be Wednesday, May 20th. Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30. There is no Pre-K on Early Release days. If there is an Early Release day on Wednesday, Pre-K students attend school on Friday instead.

Extra Clothing at School
Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

Lost & Found
Be sure to come by and visit our Lost & Found tables soon to locate any items that your child might have lost. All unclaimed items will be donated at the end of the school year.

For your child’s safety…
Please check in with the office if you are picking your child up at the end of the day. Dismissal time is very hectic in the classroom. Out of consideration for our teachers and for your child’s classmates, please wait in the lobby for your child to be dismissed.

If you would like to meet with your child’s teacher, please call ahead to set up a time.

Box Tops for Education
Continue clipping those Box Tops. They really do add up! Thank you to everyone who contributes. The classes collecting the most BoxTops during March were Mrs. Duquette’s afternoon Pre-K, Mrs. Carey’s kindergarten, Mrs. Cockrell’s first grade, and Mrs. Canning’s second grade.

GEPTA Free Family Fun Night
The GEPTA proudly invites you to a Free Family Fun theatrical performance of
"Out of This World"
featuring acting and art students from the
River View Community School
(part of the Johnson Hall Teen/Elementary School Shows-TESS)

Thursday, May 7 at 6:00pm at the RVCS Gym

Come see a great show, support our RVCS students, and enjoy free snacks and drinks at the cast party following the performance!

For questions, please contact geptanews@gmail.com or call 582-8250. Once again, as we have been doing all year, the GEPTA will be collecting donations of canned food (soup, tuna, beans, vegetables, etc.) and personal care items (toothpaste, soap, shampoo, disposable diapers, bath tissue, etc.) for the Gardiner Area Food Pantry. Your donations are greatly appreciated! Thank You!

Skills and Drills
FIELD HOCKEY
CLINICS
at Gardiner Area High School
Saturday, July 11th
Grades 2-4, 9:00 - 12:00
Grades 5-8, 1:00 - 3:00

Featuring: Ross Gorham,
UNH Staff, U19 Mens Team, USFHA Futures Coach, Seacoast United Coach; Courtney
Allen, Husson University, MFHA Lunt Award winner; and other current and former GAHS field hockey players.
The cost is $25.00. More information and registration forms are available in the LER office. (Not an MSAD#11 event)

Teresa C. Hamlin School
Annual Fun Fair
School Street, Randolph
Saturday, May 2nd, 10:00-2:00
Hope to see you there!

Helen Thompson School
Peter Pan Fair
Spears Corner Road, West Gardiner
Saturday, May 16th
10:00 - 2:00
Food, games, raffles, plant sale, white elephant sale, and much more!

Rotary Club of Gardiner
Second Annual Walk-a-thon
Saturday, May 9th
Kennebec River Rail Trail
All proceeds go to the
Rotary Club of Gardiner Scholarship Fund
For more information, please call 462-2680 or visit the LER Office for registration form
and pledge sheets.
(This is not an MSAD 11 sponsored event.)

Helen Thompson School’s Destination ImagiNation team is headed for Tennessee!
Congratulations to the HTS students who recently won the Destination ImagiNation State Championships, and are now off to the GLOBAL FINALS being held in Knoxville, Tennessee! However, in order to make this dream a reality, they must raise thousands of dollars. Please join them for any or all of the upcoming fund raising events:
Movie Night at HTS, 6:00, Friday, May 1st
Hot Dog Sale at Sam’s Club on Saturday, May 2nd
Home Run Derby at Quimby Field, May 2nd
Summer Fun Night at HTS, 6:30 - 8:00, May 8th
Pizza Hut discount cards and candy bars available for sale from a DI student near you!
Also, drop off your bottle returns to Fuller's Market, Tiger Town, or Randolph Redemption Center and tell them it is for the Helen Thompson DI Team. Please have bags clearly marked with a tag or tape, and all proceeds will go to this fundraiser.
If you are interested in making a donation, please make checks payable to HTS DI Team and mail to Sue Glazier, 22 Mary Street, West Gardiner, Maine 04345. For more information, please call Sue Glazier t 582-1412, or Sandra Palmer Fish at
582-8278. The HTS DI Team thanks you for your support! (These are not MSAD 11 sponsored events)

LER Newsletter for April

Principal’s Notes

Dear Families,

March literally “blew by”!! Thankfully we didn’t have too much snow, and I am certainly keeping my fingers crossed that we don’t have that “last storm” of the year in April!! As of now, our last school day for the year is June 17th, unless we have more snow days.

On that note, we will also begin creating class lists for next year very soon. Teachers will be meeting with me to create balanced classes, which take into account student learning styles, academic needs, friendships, the ratio of boys and girls, and special learning plans. Creating balanced classrooms is a challenging process for sure! We do take into consideration input from parents/guardians as well. While teacher requests are considered, they are not a guarantee. Our top priority is to create balanced classrooms that offer the best learning environments for all students. If you would like to make a teacher request, please make this request to me in writing explaining your educational reasons for the placement. Your request should be sent before April 30, 2009. Again, creating balanced classrooms will remain our top priority. If you have any questions about the placement process, please call me at 582-3612.

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events
April
4th: Gardiner Music Boosters Craft Fair at LER, 9:00 - 2:00
7th: GEPTA meeting at LER, 6:00
8th: Parent teacher conferences
10th: GEPTA Family Fun Beach Night at RVCS, 6:00 - 8:00
15th & 16th: No Pre-K
16th: Grade 2 to Junie B. Jones
16th: Pre-K spaghetti dinner, 5:30
17th: Staff workshop, no school for students
20th - 24th: Spring vacation
28th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
30th: Assembly 8:45 - 9:15

May
1st: No school for kindergarteners due to screening for next year
5th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
5th: GEPTA at River View, 6:00
10th: Happy Mother’s Day!
12th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
13th: Spring concert dress rehearsal
14th: LER Spring concert, 9:30 & 2:00
19th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
20th: Early release, 12:30
22nd: Monmouth Theater visits LER
25th: Memorial Day observed, no school
26th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
29th: Mini-courses at LER, PM
29th: District Art Show, GAHS

It’s Mud Season!
Please remember that students should continue to bring boots to school to wear during recess, as the playground is still wet and muddy! When the playground is wet, students who are not wearing boots will need to stay on the paved areas.

Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack, especially this time of year!

The Walking School Bus is Back!
The Walking School Bus will be starting again on Tuesday, April 28th! Meet at the Gardiner Common at 7:50, weather permitting, and walk to school together!

Healthy Snack Help
Donations of healthy snacks for our classrooms are always welcome.

It’s kindergarten registration time! If you have a child who will be five years of age on or before October 15, 2009, or if you know of one, please contact the school at 582-3612.

Art Volunteers Needed
The annual District Wide Art Show always means the busiest time of year for our art teachers. There is much preparation to be done for the May 29th show. If anyone is interested in helping, please contact Mrs. Marquis at mmarquis@msad11.org, or by calling the school at 582-3612.

Extra Clothing at School
Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

Lost & Found
A pair of children’s glasses was found at the GEPTA Winter Carnival. Please stop by the LER office to claim them. Also, be sure to check our Lost & Found tables when you come in for Parent Teacher Conferences!

GEPTA News
The students at LER together read 34,785 minutes during the Read-a-thon!!! That is 580 hours or about 24 days of reading. Wow! The classrooms that reached their goals were treated to a popcorn party and $25 in books. Thank you to all the families who encouraged their children to read and helped them record their minutes. Congratulations!

Thank you for helping make the Family Fun Winter Carnival a great success!

Join us for Family Fun Beach Night on Friday, April 10th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at River View Community School. Come join us for some fun!

Our next meeting is April 7th, at 6:00 pm in the LER library. Childcare is provided, free of charge, for school age children. Our May meeting is on May 5th at 6:00 pm at River View Community School.

GEPTA Fundraiser Updates:

Colley Hill Candles: The candles are in! Please pick them up from the school.

Applebees Pancake Breakfast: Its not too late to come have breakfast on Saturday, April 4th! If you haven't sent your order form tro school yet, you may still buy tickets at the door! If you would like to help serve, please email geptanews@gmail.com or call Helen at 582-6492.

Spring Gift Baskets: Raffle tickets went home with the children last week. If you need more, please contact the school. The drawing will be held at our Family Fun Beach Night at River View Community School on April 10th.

GEPTA Committees
Do you have a special talent that would benefit one of our committees? Please let us know. The committees meet outside the regular meeting time and the chair gives their report at the GEPTA meeting.
Reading Incentive: Paula Bourque
Family Fun Nights: Katherine Kollman
Book Fairs: Liz Brodie
Playground: Helen Wright
Fundraising: Karen Montell
Volunteer : Jill Jamison and Helen Wright
First day celebration: Katherine Kollman

Any questions or comments, please contact GEPTAnews@gmail.com or call Helen at 582-6492.

MSAD 11 Adult Ed Offering
Kindergarten Transition for Parents
Sending your child off to their first day of school is a major milestone for most parents. This transition from pre-school into a larger school setting is full of anxiety, pride, uncertainty and emotions for both the parents and the child! What will kindergarten be like? What does the screening process hold? Is my child ready? This workshop is designed to provide useful tips on what parents and guardians can do at home to make this journey a successful one. We will introduce some activities that parents can work on during the summer before school starts. Being involved in your child's education begins here! All families participating in this workshop will receive a free picture book about going to kindergarten to read to their child before school. (While quantities last!) Primary Audience: Parents and Guardians of pre-school aged children. $5.00 registration fee.
Laura E. Richards School Library
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
6:00 -7:30 pm
To register, please call 582-3774
or visit MSAD11.org/adulted

Remember to keep sending us your Shaw’s receipts, clean empty yogurt containers, BoxTops for Education, Campbell’s points, and empty ink & toner cartridges!

Please contact your child’s teacher if you have not yet scheduled your Parent Teacher Conference!

LER Newsletter for March

Message from the Principal
Dear Families,

March is here!! Hooray! Spring is sooo close! Warmer days mean our students are able to get outside more often! Cabin fever is certainly challenging to us all!

I want to thank all the families who were able to attend our Pancake Breakfast to celebrate the 100th day of school. We have great pictures on our website of this event, which was well organized by Emily Pearl, our food service manager, Scott Brann, our head custodian, Stephanie Houdlette and Patty Peckham, our secretaries, and Sharon Scheirer, our Literacy Specialist. It was a wonderful way to start our school day for sure!

Our Readathon, sponsored by the GEPTA, went very well here at LER as well. Tuesday began our week of literature celebrations as we celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday and his contributions to children’s literature. Students and staff enjoyed special visitors who read to classes and a strawberry shortcake treat shaped like the Cat in the Hat’s hat! In addition, each class selected an author to learn about. Classes enjoyed decorating their doors and doing projects in their classrooms, and then dressing up as a favorite children’s literature character for our assembly. I encourage you to visit our school website to see some really cute pictures of our celebrations. I am trying very hard to keep the website updated regularly.

Please mark your home calendars for our upcoming March events. Next Thursday, March 12th we will have a visit by Officer Phil who uses magic tricks to teach children about personal safety. Saturday the 14th our GEPTA is sponsoring an “Inside Carnival” here at LER. Then Chewonki visits our school on the 16th and 17th. And finally, spring picture day will be on the 20th. Busy!! Busy!!

I hope you all have a safe end to the winter season and look forward to seeing you out and about enjoying spring!

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events
March
8th: Spring Ahead! Daylight Savings Time begins!
12th: Officer Phil visits, 1:30
13th: End of second trimester
13th: Book Swap for students with vouchers who missed the February swap
14th: GEPTA Winter Carnival at LER, 5:00 - 7:00
16th & 17th: Chewonki visits
18th: Early Release day
20th: Spring pictures

April
7th: GEPTA meeting at LER, 6:00
15th & 16th: No Pre-K classes due to screening
17th: Staff workshop, no school for students
20th - 24th: Spring vacation

May
1st: No school for kindergarteners due to screening for next year
14th: Spring concert at LER, 9:30 & 2:00, more info to follow.
22nd: Monmouth Theater visits LER

Clothing Donations
Our supply of spare clothing that we keep on hand for students to use in case of emergency is running low. We could especially use donations of size 6, 7, or 8 pants that your child may have outgrown. Please keep us in mind when cleaning out your closets for Spring!

Walking School Bus Postponed
The Walking School Bus has been postponed for the winter. We look forward to starting again as soon as the weather and sidewalk conditions allow!

Healthy Snack Help
Donations of healthy snacks for our classrooms are always welcome.

Box Tops for Education
Continue clipping those Box Tops. They really do add up! Thank you to everyone who contributed to our February collection. The classes collecting the most BoxTops were Mrs. Ellis’ morning Pre-K, Mrs. Grant’s kindergarten, Mrs. Cockrell’s first grade, and Ms. Brown’s second grade. A special thank you to Mrs. Awley for coordinating this effort each month, as well as our Campbell’s Labels for Education collection!

Remember to keep sending us your Shaw’s receipts, clean empty yogurt containers, BoxTops for Education, Campbell’s points, and empty ink & toner cartridges!

Pre-School & Kindergarten Registration
The Four Year Old Program is currently accepting applications for the 2009 - 2010 school year. Children must be four years of age on or before October 15, 2009. If you are interested, please call 582-5346 for more information and for an application. Space is limited.

It’s kindergarten registration time! If you have a child who will be five years of age on or before October 15, 2009, or if you know of one, please contact the school at 582-3612.

Health Notes from Your School Nurse
Pat Fisher, R.N.

Strep throat is the type of sore throat caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria. It is more common in children than adults.

A child who is diagnosed with a strep infection may return to school 24 hours after starting antibiotic therapy and not running a fever.

Symptoms of strep throat may include sore throat, skin infections, fever, and ear infections. We recommend that children complaining of any of these symptoms be examined by their health care provider.

For more information on the prevention and/or treatment of strep throat, please call your health care professional, our school nurse, or visit our website at msad11.org/ler. There is a link under “School Nurse.” Thank you!

Early Release Day
Our next Early Release day will be Wednesday, March 18th. Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30. There is no Pre-K on Early Release days. If there is an Early Release day on Wednesday, Pre-K students attend school on Friday instead.

Mural Exhibition at Gerard’s Pizza
During the month of January, grade levels from LER took turns filling the windows of Gerard’s Pizza in downtown Gardiner. Visitors were able to go inside and cast a vote for their favorite mural. The class creating the mural with the most votes received a pizza party from Gerard’s Pizza! All other students received a frosty treat for participating. Congratulations to the following classes, who celebrated with a pizza party:
Second grade - Mrs. Webb’s class
First grade - Miss Whitman’s class
Kindergarten - Mrs. Grant's class

Thank You, Dr. Seuss Guest Readers!
Thank you to Dorothy Strickland, Sue Williamson, and Howie Tuttle who donned red and white striped hats and read to our students in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday!

Thank you to everyone involved in creating the strawberry shortcake “hats.” Mrs. Houdlette, Ms. Brown, Mrs. Scheirer, Mrs. Peckham, Mrs. Cockrell, Miss Whitman, Mrs. Ellis, Ms. Goudreau, Mrs. Michaud, and Mrs. Carey all helped prepare the goodies, and our servers were Mrs. Tarrio, Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Struble, Ms. Karter, Mrs. Gipson, Mrs. Houdlette, Mrs. Williamson, and Mrs. Gorham. Our celebration was a big success, despite being rescheduled because of the snow day, because of the efforts of so many people!

Extra Clothing at School
Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

Maine’s Truancy Law
Students who are the ages of 7 through 17 must go to school. If your child is at least 7 years old, he/she is considered habitually truant if he/she misses 5 unexcused school days in a row or 7 unexcused school days in one school year. Excused absences include: personal illness; an appointment with a health professional that must be made during the regular school day; observance of a recognized religious holiday when the observance is required during the regular school day; a family emergency; and, a planned absence for a personal or educational purpose that has been approved. Schools must be notified when your child will be absent from school; otherwise, your child will be marked “unexcused”. Truancy violations carry a $250.00 fine for responsible adults.

A new state law was also passed last year and mandates that DHHS be notified when a child is habitually truant. They will investigate to see if a child is in “jeopardy” and may bring a child protective proceeding.

Please be aware of these laws and recent changes. If you have any questions, please notify Mrs. Moody at 582-3612.

Gardiner Public Library Literacy Public Forum
The Gardiner Public Library is proud to announce that it is a recipient of a 2009 Planning Grant from Maine Reads! Before plans are made to apply for a full grant, they would like to hear your ideas of how to improve literacy for our very young readers (ages 3-6), and start them on a road to life-long reading and learning. Please plan on attending this public forum. The moderator will be Michael Estrada, news director for Blueberry Broadcasting, also known as on-air personality “Mr. Mike” on WTOS. There will also be snacks and refreshments at the forum. Come and share your ideas! Please call 582-3312 or e-mail annedavis@gpl.lib.me.us for further information. The forum will be held on Tuesday, March 10th, 6:00 to 8:00 pm in the Hazzard Reading Room at the Gardiner Public Library, 152 Water Street.
(This is not an MSAD 11 sponsored event.)

Art Volunteers Needed
It’s hard to believe that we are heading into the last trimester of the school year. With the annual District Wide Art Show around the corner, this always means the busiest time of year.

Preparations for the May 29th show include mounting and labeling artwork, sending out invitations, contacting local news media regarding the show, and the hanging the work. If anyone is interested in helping, please contact me either by e-mail, calling the school, or sending in a note. Thank you for any time that you can give!

Mrs. Marquis
Art Teacher

GEPTA News
The book swap was enjoyed by many children finding new treasures to read over vacation! We enjoyed listening to Helen Stevens and Sandy Palmer Fish read their books and share some art activities. Thank you to everyone who helped make the afternoon fantastic! If your child was unable to come and has a voucher for books, we will be having a time for them to "shop" during the school day on Friday, March 13th. Be sure they bring their vouchers to school! The Read-a-thon was also a big success. Look for the minute totals in next month’s newsletter.

A great time was had by all at the Family Fun Skate Afternoon at the Kennebec Ice Arena! Thank you KIA!

The March Family Fun Winter Carnival will be held on Saturday, March 14th from 5:00 to 7:00 at LER. We found a cure for cabin fever! Come for an evening of fun games, activities, and food. Be watching for more information. Every child who participated in the Read-a-thon will receive ten free tickets at the door. If you would like to help with one of the games or activities, please email geptanews@gmail.com or call Katherine at 582-8250

GEPTA Fundraisers:
A Colley Hill Candles packet went home with each student at the beginning of the week with the information on this fundraiser. The candles are beautiful and there is a scent for everyone - including unscented! The orders are due back by Wednesday, March 11th, but you will still be able to order some at the Winter Carnival. Candles will be available for pick-up during the week of March 25th.

We will hold an Applebee’s Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, April 4th at Applebee’s in Augusta, to benefit new playground equipment at River View School. We will send home order forms for tickets on March 19th. If you and your child would like to help with serving, please let us know by e-mailing geptanews@gmail.com, or call Helen at 582-6492.

We will be holding a Spring Gift Basket Raffle. The baskets will be on display at the Winter Carnival, and tickets will go home at the end of the month.

Our next GEPTA meeting will be held Tuesday, April 7th, at 6:00 pm in the LER Library. Childcare is provided, free of charge, for school age children.

Do you have a special talent that would benefit one of our committees? Please let us know. The committees meet outside the regular meeting time and the chair gives their report at the GEPTA meeting.
Reading Incentive: Paula Bourque
Family Fun Nights: Katherine Kollman
Book Fairs: Liz Brodie
Playground: Helen Wright
Fundraising: Karen Montell
Volunteer : Jill Jamison and Helen Wright
First day celebration: Katherine Kollman

For any questions or comments, please contact GEPTAnews@gmail.com or call Helen at 582-6492

LER Newsletter for February

Principal’s Notes

Dear Families,

HOORAY!! WE SURVIVED A WEATHER RECORD BREAKING JANUARY!! January 2009 Maine set records for the coldest temperature and amount of snow! It was -50 degrees at one point in Caribou!!! YIKES!! We are sooooo very happy to see the kids back outside getting fresh air and exercise! Unfortunately, the groundhog saw his shadow, which means 6 more weeks of winter…at least this week has been above freezing temperatures.

I need to congratulate all who have helped contribute to our ongoing BoxTop fundraiser. We recently received a check for $650! As I have said, the money we receive is used to bring enrichment opportunities to our students. We are thrilled to have booked the players from Monmouth Theatre to come to our school on Friday, May 22nd for a 9:00 a.m. performance of the “Three Little Pigs”. Thank you so much for continuing to send in those tiny little coupons! They truly add up quickly and make it possible for us to bring special programs to our school.

Progress reports recently went home with students. Because we changed from sending report cards home four times a year to three times a year, there is a longer time span between report cards. These “comment style” mid-trimester progress reports are meant to keep the communication flowing between home and school about student progress. Formal report cards will be coming home in March, as the second trimester ends March 13th. Please call if you have any questions.

Next week will be a busy one! We look forward to celebrating the 100th day of school, celebrating Valentine’s/Friendship Day, and enjoying our school Parent-Child Pancake Breakfast. If you haven’t returned the green slip that lets us know if you are attending, please do so in order to help us plan for seating and food. We are definitely looking forward to this school event!

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events

February
13th: Last day to redeem your books for Book Swap vouchers
13th: Parent-Child Pancake breakfast
15th: GEPTA Book Swap at LER, 2:00 - 4:00
16th-20th: Winter vacation
27th: Read-a-thon pledges due
28th: GEPTA Family Fun Day at Kennebec Ice Arena, 2:10 - 4:10

March
3rd: GEPTA meeting at RV, 6:00
12th: Officer Phil visits, 1:30
13th: End of second trimester
14th: GEPTA Winter Carnival at LER, 5:00 - 7:00
16th & 17th: Chewonki visits
18th: Early Release day
20th: Spring pictures

April
20th - 24th: Spring vacation

May
14th: Spring concert at LER, 9:30 & 2:00, more info to follow.
22nd: Monmouth Theater visits LER

Walking School Bus Postponed
The Walking School Bus has been postponed for the winter. We look forward to starting again as soon as the weather and sidewalk conditions allow!

Healthy Snack Help
Donations of healthy snacks for our classrooms are always welcome.

LER School Store
Our school store is open before school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the office. Students can buy pencils, erasers, and other small school supplies.

Star Students
Every week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! January’s character skill was teamwork, and February’s is pursuit of quality. Congratulations to our Star Students!

Box Tops for Education
Continue clipping those Box Tops! Tell your family, friends, and neighbors to save these 10-cent symbols. They really do add up! Thank you to everyone who contributed to our December and January collections. The classes collecting the most BoxTops were Mrs. Duquette’s afternoon Pre-K, Mrs. Tarrio’s kindergarten, Ms. Clary’s first grade, and Mrs. Smith’s second grade.

Campbell’s Labels for Education
Thank you to everyone who collected Campbell’s logos from participating products. Through this program, we recently ordered materials for our art, music, and phys ed classes at no cost!

Remember to keep sending us your Shaw’s receipts, clean empty yogurt containers, BoxTops for Education, Campbell’s points, and empty ink & toner cartridges!

Pre-School & Kindergarten Registration
The Four Year Old Program is currently accepting applications for the 2009 - 2010 school year. Children must be four years of age on or before October 15, 2009. If you are interested, please call 582-5346 for more information and for an application. Space is limited.

It’s kindergarten registration time! If you have a child who will be five years of age on or before October 15, 2009, or if you know of one, please contact the school.

GEPTA News
February is our month to celebrate reading! We hope you will enjoy the activities planned:

Book Swap - Sunday, February 15th from 2:00 to 4:00 at LER. The swap will take place from 2:00 to 3:00, and we will listen to stories, make bookmarks, and enjoy snacks from 3:00 to 4:00. Start off vacation with some new books to read! Children can send gently used books in to school until February 13th and receive a voucher to get books at the Book Swap. Now’s the time to clean out your bookcase and trade in those books that your child might have “outgrown.” Please have your child bring books to school by Friday, February 13th.

Read-a-thon - Begins February 11th. Look for information in you child's backpack soon! Help your children keep track of all the minutes they read until February 26th. They can solicit sponsors to pledge money for time spent reading.

Family Fun Skate Afternoon - Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 28th from 2:10 - 4:10 for a skating party at Kennebec Ice Arena! Skate rentals are available for $1.00, but youth sizes are limited so do your best to bring your own skates or borrow some from family or friends. All children must be accompanied by an adult! Look for more information to follow.

March Family Fun Winter Carnival - Saturday, March 14th from 5:00 to 7:00 at LER. This will be a great cabin-fever reliever! Please contact us at geptanews@gmail.com or 582-8250 if you would like to be involved.

Our next GEPTA meetingwill be held Tuesday, March 3rd, at 6:00 pm at River View School. Childcare is provided, free of charge, for school age children.

Mural Exhibition at Gerard’s Pizza
During the month of January, grade levels from LER took turns filling the windows of Gerard’s Pizza in downtown Gardiner. Visitors were able to go inside and cast a vote for their favorite mural. The class creating the mural with the most votes received a pizza party from Gerard’s Pizza! All other students received a frosty treat for participating. So far, the following classes have celebrated with a pizza party:
Second grade - Mrs. Webb’s class
First grade - Miss Whitman’s class

Early Release Days
Our next Early Release day will be Wednesday, March 18th. Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30. There is no Pre-K on Early Release days. If there is an Early Release day on Wednesday, Pre-K students attend school on Friday instead.

Health Notes from Your School Nurse
Pat Fisher, R.N.

Head lice are tiny insects that move very quickly and are difficult to find. More likely you will find nits, the louse eggs, which are small, white, and oval in appearance. Head lice attach each nit to the hair shaft close to scalp with a waterproof, cement like substance.

Nits cannot be washed or brushed out like dandruff or dirt. There are many over the counter treatments available. After doing the treatment, carefully examine the entire scalp to find any nits or live lice. The nit comb may remove some of the nits, but most times you have to physically remove them with your own fingers. The nit feels like a grain of sand.

If a child is found to have live lice parent/guardian will be called immediately so that the child may go home and be treated and return to school as soon as possible. The child may return to school after being treated, as long as no live lice are present. After treatment we ask that an adult bring the child to school for the school nurse or designee to check the child’s head before they may return to their classroom. Parents/guardians are encouraged to check the child’s head every day for the next few weeks. It is helpful to regularly check a child’s head for lice off and on throughout the year.

The treated child can be re-infested by lice, which were hiding in the seams of clothing, blankets, sheets, brushes and combs etc. A thorough cleaning of these objects is necessary at the same time the child is treated. The backs of upholstered furniture, car seats, carpeting etc., should be thoroughly vacuumed.

Remember, the best way to control this problem is for parents/guardians to examine their child’s head frequently for lice or nits (eggs), and if they find that their child has become infested, please let the school know.

Strep throat is the type of sore throat caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria. It is more common in children than adults.

A child who is diagnosed with a strep infection may return to school 24 hours after starting antibiotic therapy and not running a fever.

Symptoms of Strep Throat may include sore throat, skin infections, fever, and ear infections. We recommend that children complaining of any of these symptoms be examined by their health care provider.

For more information on the prevention and/or treatment of head lice and/or strep throat, please call your health care professional, our school nurse, or visit our website at msad11.org/ler. There is a link under “School Nurse.” Thank you!

Bundle Up ... It’s Cold Outside
Now that cold weather is here, students need to dress appropriately for outside recess - including hats and mittens or gloves, boots and snow pants. When there is snow on the playground, students who are not wearing boots and snow pants will need to stay on the paved areas.

Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Remember to pack shoes or sneakers in your child’s backpack, or to leave at school in his/her locker or cubby. We do not allow slippers in school. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

LER Newsletter for January

Principal’s Notes
Dear Families,

Happy 2009!!! I hope you were all able to enjoy the holiday break! At this time every year many people commit to making self-improvement goals for the new year. Research does show that people who have goals, achieve more. I encourage you to help your child set goals at home as well. Your child might want to set a goal to read more often or expand reading experiences to include different kinds of texts, like poetry, non-fiction, or mysteries. Maybe he/she wants to be able to learn to tell time or count and make change independently. I’d like to share some tips from Monicka Gregory and Cassie Martin from an article they wrote in a parent newsletter on their website, www.kidsgoals.com.
Here they are:

1. Be careful when suggesting deadlines or time limits. When we get to the age where the months seem to fly by, it's easy to forget what time feels like to a child. Remember when two weeks seemed like an impossibly long time? Be sensitive to the age of your child when talking with him about time frames.

2. Have your children write their goals down — or help them with that if they are too young. Write down not only the goal itself, but also WHY it's important and what it will LOOK LIKE when it's achieved.

3. As much as possible, let your children be the ones to come up with the ideas for their own goals. If you need to make suggestions, be as sensitive as you can to their age and interests. Be especially sensitive about the "size of the goal". Children need to have big goals broken down into mini-goals so that they can see progress quickly, preferably on a daily basis. A goal to learn to spell five new words a week is better to focus on than winning the national Spelling Bee!

4. Work on the goal with your child — but don't take over! Make sure that your child can sense your interest and support, but be careful she doesn't think that you want to do it for her.

5. Set a good example by having written goals of your own and let your children see you working towards them regularly.

The authors also suggest setting monthly goals. “That way you and your children can have all the excitement, anticipation and motivation that comes with the New Year twelve times… rather than just once!” Personally, I would like to add that it is really important to celebrate when your child has reached his/her goal! Praising your child, planning a special dinner, having a “game night” or “craft night”, inviting a friend to come over, or going to the city library to check out new books are great ways to celebrate the hard work and dedication it takes to achieve a goal.
I look forward to all the new adventures that come our way in 2009 and wish you and your families a very healthy and happy New Year!

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events

January
19th: No school - Martin Luther King Jr. Day observed

February
3rd: GEPTA meeting, 6:00 at LER
16th-20th: Winter vacation

Walking School Bus Postponed
The Walking School Bus has been postponed for the winter. We look forward to starting again as soon as the weather and sidewalk conditions allow!

Healthy Snack Help
Donations of healthy snacks for our classrooms are always welcome.

LER School Store
Our school store is open before school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the office. Students can buy water bottles, pencils, erasers, and other small school supplies.

Pre-School & Kindergarten Registration
The Four Year Old Program is currently accepting applications for the 2009 - 2010 school year. Children must be four years of age on or before October 15, 2009. If you are interested, please call 582-5346 for more information and for an application. Space is limited.

It’s kindergarten registration time! If you have a child who will be five years of age on or before October 15, 2009, or if you know of one, please contact the school.

Parking in Front of School
When arriving at LER to pick up or drop off students, please be sure to pull completely into the parking spaces provided. Double parking or parking in the bus lane can cause traffic and safety issues for others.

For Your child’s safety…
Please check in with the office if you are picking your child up at the end of the day. Dismissal time is very hectic in the classroom. Out of consideration for our teachers and for your child’s classmates, please wait in the lobby for your child to be dismissed.
If you would like to meet with your child’s teacher, please call ahead to set up a time.

Star Students
Every week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! December’s character skill was caring, and January’s is teamwork. Congratulations to our Star Students!

Clothing Bank
LER neighbor, Barbara Veregge, is organizing a clothing bank, and is welcoming donations of clothing of all sizes. If you have items to donate or if your family is in need of clothing, please call Barbara Veregge at 582-3085 or 242-0602. Clothing donations can also be dropped off at school.
(This is not an MSAD#11 sponsored activity)

GEPTA News
Our next GEPTA meeting will be held Tuesday, February 3rd, at 6:00 pm in the LER library. Childcare is provided, free of charge, for school age children.

The GEPTA is planning an indoor Winter Carnival in early March as part of our monthly Family Fun series and as a special follow-up celebration to our annual Read-A-Thon. But we need your help! We need 10+ parents to help us supervise carnival games and activities that night...the date will be set pending enough volunteer commitment so PLEASE contact us at 582-8250 or geptanews@gmail.com if you would like to be involved. This will be a great cabin-fever reliever for us all but cannot be done without the help of our wonderful parent volunteers! Thank you and we look forward to working with you on this fun event!

Helping Children Cope in the Economic Crisis
The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has developed an outstanding resource for parents and teachers. Helping Children Cope in Unsettling Times: The Economic Crisis. The document consists of practical suggestions that may help vulnerable or sensitive children cope. The material is available free of charge at www.nasponline.org.
Go to “Search NASP,” type in “Helping Children Cope in Unsettling Times,” and click on “Go.”

Gardiner Elks Hoop Shoot
Sunday, January 11th
at 10:00 at Gardiner Area High School -
For boys & girls age 8-13
(Participants must be age 8-13 by April 1st)
For more information, contact Dick Leighton at 458-6128
(This is not an MSAD 11 sponsored event)

Mural Exhibition at Gerard’s Pizza
During the month of January, grade levels from LER will take turns filling the windows of Gerard’s Pizza in downtown Gardiner. Not only are the winter themed murals beautiful to look at, but visitors may go inside and cast a vote for their favorite mural. The class creating the mural with the most votes will receive a pizza party from Gerard’s Pizza! All other students will receive a frosty treat for participating. Look for your child’s grade level to be displayed in the following weeks:

11th-17th - Second grade
18th-24th -First grade
25th-31st - Kindergarten

We hope you all enjoy the beautiful artwork from the children of LER!

Welcome Student Teachers!
Please join us in welcoming two student teachers from the University of Maine at Farmington who will be with us for the coming 16 weeks. Amanda Garland will be working in Mrs. Smith’s room, and Rebecca Lewis will be working in Mrs. Tarrio’s room. Welcome!

Safe Footwear at School
Children should wear sturdy, comfortable footwear to school. With boot weather here, remember to pack shoes or sneakers in your child’s backpack, or to leave at school in his/her locker or cubby. We do not allow slippers in school.

National Kidney Foundation Serving Maine
Valentine’s Father & Daughter Dance
Saturday, February 7, 2009
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
The Senator Inn, Augusta
284 Western Avenue
(call 207-622-5804 for directions)
To reserve tickets, call Ruth Klemanski at 772-7270
~ NO TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR ~
This event sells out - Registration now open
Reserve early!
$40.00 per Father/Daughter Couple
$5.00 each Additional Daughter
Ticket cost includes light refreshments, free gift, a free raffle entry, music by live DJ, and photo opportunities by Tsukroff Photography.
Proceeds benefit The National Kidney Foundation Serving Maine’s patient assistance program, which in turn assists kidney patients throughout Maine. The mission of the National Kidney Foundation Serving Maine is to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, improve the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by these diseases, and increase the availability of all organs for transplantation.
(This is not an MSAD #11 sponsored activity.)

The Leadership School Adventure Camp at Kieve
The Leadership School at Kieve is offering a wonderful opportunity for children ages 5-14 to remain active during the week of February break, the 16th-20th. The Adventure Day Camp offers campers a chance to meet new friends, explore winter outdoor activities, and experience the new, state-of-the-art climbing facility. Local pick-up and drop-off transportation is available. For more information, contact Sarah Ricker at
(207)563-6212 or visit www.theleadershipschool.org.
(This is not an MSAD #11 sponsored event)

LER Lions T-Shirts
We have LER T-shirts in youth sizes and a variety of great colors for sale in the office for $12.00 each.

Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

Box Tops for Education
Continue clipping those Box Tops! Tell your family, friends, and neighbors to save these 10-cent symbols. They really do add up! Thank you to everyone who contributed to our December collections. The classes collecting the most BoxTops were Mrs. Ellis’ morning Pre-K, Mrs. Michaud’s & Mrs. Awley’s kindergarten, Ms. Clary’s first grade, and Mrs. Canning’s second grade.

Remember to keep sending us your Shaw’s receipts, clean empty yogurt containers, BoxTops for Education, Campbell’s points, and empty ink & toner cartridges!

LER Newsletter for December

Principal’s Notes

Dear Families,

Happy Holidays!!!! It was wonderful to see so many parents join us this week for Parent Teacher Conferences. Having a strong partnership between parents and our staff is vital to students’ achievement and happiness in school. I certainly encourage you to meet regularly with your child’s teacher. We will have conferences again in the spring.

Well, we have a busy 3 WEEK MONTH! We have a basketball player from the Harlem Rockets joining us today. Students will get to meet him and see “some of his basketball moves!” Next week there is a GEPTA meeting on the 9th, Early Release on the 10th, and our wonderful Scholastic book fair closes on the 11th. Finally, we have the reindeer coming back to visit us this year on the 17th and our school winter Sing-a-long on the 18th.

Our SuperKids skill for the month of December is “Caring”. What an appropriate focus for this time of year! With everyone cutting back financially this year, families seem to be focusing more on the gift of spending time with each other, which is wonderful!! I am sharing some snip-its on page 4 of this newsletter from the BoxTop 4 Education website which has an article on showing empathy and caring for others. It might give you some ideas for ways you and your child can join together to help other family members or your neighbors. You can also visit the site yourself. It has lots of great articles on it that you may be interested in!

I do wish your family a wonderful holiday season! Our last day of school is the 19th. Have a safe, fun, and restful vacation! As always, if you ever have a question, concern, or want to chat, please stop by and visit or call at 582-3612.

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events

December
5th: Scholastic Book Fair,9:00 to 3:00 and 6:00 to 8:00
6th: LER Craft Fair & Scholastic Book Fair, 9:00 - 2:00
8th: Scholastic Book Fair, 9:00 to 3:00
9th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
9th: Scholastic Book Fair, 9:00 to 3:00
9th: GEPTA meeting at LER, 6:00 pm
10th: Hannaford Helps Schools certificates due to LER by today!
10th: Scholastic Book Fair, (times to be announced)
10th: Early Release Day, students dismissed at 12:30
11th: Scholastic Book Fair, 9:00 to 1:00
13th: GEPTA Holiday Family Fun Night, 5:00 - 7:00 at LER
16th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
17th: Reindeer visit LER
18th: Sing-a-long, 2:00
19th: Last day of school before winter break. (See you again in 2009!)

January
5th: Welcome back!
6th: GEPTA meeting at RVCS, 6:00 pm
19th: No school - Martin Luther King Jr. Day observed

Walking School Bus
Students and parents are invited to join Mrs. Moody and Mr. Anderson at the Gardiner Common at 7:50 each Tuesday morning, weather permitting, as we walk to school together!

Walking School Bus Note for River View Families
Please note that because of the changes in River View and LER bus routes, there is no longer a bus to take River View students from LER to River View after the Walking School Bus.

Healthy Snack Help
Donations of healthy snacks for our classrooms are always welcome.

LER School Store
Our school store is open before school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the office. Students can buy water bottles, pencils, erasers, and other small school supplies.

LER Holiday Craft Fair
Saturday, December 6th
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
at Laura Richards School
Crafts, concession, raffles, bake sale,
Scholastic Book Fair
Proceeds benefit LER students
For more information or to volunteer, please contact Valerie Hanscom
at 582-8182 or evakghanscom@msn.com

Star Students
Every week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! November’s character skill was positive attitude, and December’s is caring. Congratulations to our Star Students!

Early Release Days
Our next Early Release day will be this Wednesday, December 10th. Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30. There is no Pre-K on Early Release days. If there is an Early Release day on Wednesday, Pre-k students attend school on Friday instead. Please note the following Early Release days for the 2008-2009 school year:
December 10th
March 18th
May 20th

Parent - Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher conferences took place this week. If you did not make it in for conferences, please contact your child’s teacher soon to set up a time to hear about how your child is progressing at school, and to build a strong home-school connection!

GEPTA News:
Our next GEPTA meeting will be held Tuesday, December 9th, at 6:00 pm in the LER library. Please note, this is a new meeting date due to Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Please join us for our December Family Fun Night, Saturday, December 13 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at LER. Admission is just $1.00 per person if you pre-pay by Monday, December 8th, or $2.00 at the door. The cost of admission includes 10 free tickets for children, good for their choice of fun seasonal activities! Come have some pizza, decorate cookies, and create some crafts! (Please remember that all children MUST be accompanied by an adult!) We will also be collecting donations for the Gardiner Area Food Cupboard. Your donations of canned food and toiletries will be greatly appreciated!

Support our Gift Basket Fundraiser. Check out the beautiful gift baskets we are raffling off, which will be on display at the LER craft fair on Saturday, December 6th. Raffle tickets were sent home with each child this week, and sell for $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. The winners will be drawn at the Family Fun Night.

Do you have a special talent that would benefit one of our committees? Please let us know! The committees meet outside the regular meeting time and each chairperson gives a report at the GEPTA meetings. For more information, call Helen 582-6492 or email geptanews@gmail.com.

Reading Incentive: Paula Bourque
Family Fun Nights: Katherine Kollman
Book Fairs: Liz Brodie
Playground: Helen Wright
Volunteer: Jill Jamison & Helen Wright
Fundraising: Karen Montell
First day celebration: Katherine Kollman
Octoberfest: Ellen McGuire & Veronica Babcock

Our January GEPTA meeting will be at 6:00 pm on January 6th, 2009 at River View School.

We hope you have a wonderful vacation and Happy New Year!

Scholastic Book Fair
Have you 'herd' that LER is going on Safari? That's right, a Safari into Reading! The Scholastic Book Fair is here with it a WILD selection of books. Trek down to the book fair and check out all the great titles by authors you know and some new ones too. (See our Upcoming Events on page 1 of this newsletter for remaining dates and times!)

SOMA! OTA! KUA! - that's Swahili for READ! DREAM! GROW! Support your school and your child's education by visiting the Book Fair and encouraging them to read every day!

We are still in need of volunteers for many time slots. If you are able to help, please call Liz Brodie at 588-6265, or e-mail pta@flintandtinder.com.

The GRMS Drama Club Presents
"30 Reasons Not To Be in a Play"
Stage kisses, pinkeye, inciting World War III ---these are only a few of the many things that can go wrong during the production of a play. From the author of 15 Reasons Not To Be in a Play comes a full evening of horrors and hardships that befall those who feel the call of the stage. In a series of hilarious examples, this play proves that drama can be a very dangerous thing and it must be avoided at all costs!
Friday, December 5th & Saturday, December 6th
7:00 PM
GAHS Little Theater
$4.00 Adults, $ 2.00 Students & Seniors,
$10.00 Family

Hannaford Helps Schools Program Ends Today! Shoppers have been receiving school dollar certificates at the register with the purchase of participating products, which Hannaford will redeem for cash for our school. Hannaford will also grant an additional $1,000 to the school that raises the most funds! Please be sure to send these valuable certificates to school during the coming week so that we can redeem them before our deadline!

LER Lions T-Shirts
We have LER T-shirts in youth sizes and a variety of great colors for sale in the office for $12.00 each.

Bus Changes
Our new bus schedule went into effect this week, allowing us to get all students to LER and River View in time for breakfast and morning meeting, and reducing daily mileage. Students now have the same bus driver in the morning and afternoon. Our goal is to providing better bus service to our LER and River View families. If you have any questions or concerns, please call our transportation office at 582-6663.

Box Tops for Education
Continue clipping those Box Tops! Tell your family, friends, and neighbors to save these 10-cent symbols. They really do add up! Congratulations and thank you to the winners of our November contest! The following classes collected the most box tops last month: Mrs. Duquette’s pm Prek-K, Mrs. Carey’s kindergarten, Ms. Clary’s first grade, and Ms. Brown’s second grade!

Remember to keep sending us your Shaw’s receipts, clean empty yogurt containers, Hannaford Helps coupons issued at the register, BoxTops for Education, Campbell’s points, and empty ink & toner cartridges!

Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

Safe Footwear at School
Children should wear sturdy, comfortable footwear to school. As boot weather approaches, remember to pack shoes or sneakers in your child’s backpack, or to leave at school in his/her locker or cubby. We do not allow slippers in school.

Teaching Compassion
Great Opportunities for Kids to Give a Little Bit

Everyday Success - Empathy is a natural emotion that just needs nurturing, says Dale McGowan, co-author of, Parenting Beyond Belief. And it begins by modeling compassion in your daily life.

Do As I Do - Parents are strong influences on a child’s behavior and they can teach through their own actions.

Those simple acts of holding doors for others, waving a car into your lane or helping those less fortunate are strong values your child is beginning to absorb.

Include kids from the get-go. Make a meal for a neighbor or friend who has a new baby. Together, talk about why you want to help. Allow them to help with baking muffins, making casseroles, or tossing a salad together. Let that mixing-and-measuring-moment at the kitchen counter be the talking point of how a new baby might be tiring for a family and how your meal helps.

Personally Giving - Small giving can reap big benefits. Before you reach to your pantry for a school’s canned food drive, let your child pony up the funds. Make it an event by taking your children to the supermarket with their allowance money, suggests McGowan. Giving them the power to pick what foods to give makes the donation meaningful.

No allowance? No worries! Start a family coin jar from finds in the bottom of the washing machine or pocket change. When it’s full, ask the kids to count the money and then discuss charities the money could support.

Working Together - Working as a family for a good cause is an “all-hands” effort that leaves a lasting impact on kids.
• Help your elderly neighbors with raking or lawn work.
• Collect lightly-worn clothes from closets and donate them to a shelter.
• Host a cookie sale and donate the proceeds to a charity.
• Dedicate a family day to serving a meal at a local soup kitchen.

Don’t bribe kids. While it may seem harmless to offer treats or gifts when your child cleans up a neighbor’s yard, it teaches him to work for rewards. Removing external incentives from good deeds teaches kids to care about others simply because it’s the right thing to do.

Talking about needs of others is effective, too. Try a simple conversation-starter to get their minds rolling: “Can you imagine what it would feel like to not have enough to eat?” When they want to get involved and help others, indulge them. You can be a catalyst to nurturing their loving side, which will build a lifetime of compassion.

(Taken from the BoxTops4Education website,
http://www.boxtops4education.com)

LER Newsletter for November

Message from the Principal

Dear Families,

What a beautiful fall season we’ve had so far! October was certainly a month full of great learning and fun activities for students and their families. Here’s a recap!

Octoberfest was another great success this year! What a beautiful day we had too! Many families throughout the Gardiner community came to enjoy the outdoor games, food, and activities that were sponsored by our GEPTA. Thank you to all who helped make this a wonderful experience again this year!

Our kindergarteners enjoyed learning about Johnny Appleseed, which was followed by a parade throughout the building. Later in the month they were able to reenact a favorite book, Miss Spider’s Tea Party, by David Kirk. They read the story, dressed as spiders or insects, paraded through the school, and then participated in a tea party! We have pictures going onto the website for both these events so be sure to check it out!

First graders learned about bats and made barn books after reading Bill Martin’s book, Barn Dance.

Our second graders also enjoyed “creepy crawly” activities with a bug celebration to end their unit on “Life Cycles”.

Our Four Year Old program had their first Family Fun Day on October 24th. They had a great turn out of families who enjoyed activities and lunch together.

Our whole school participated in mini courses on October 31st. This is one of my favorite school events as students are able to visit other staff throughout the school and are grouped with other grade level students to enjoy activities and crafting. Mini courses bring our whole school community together to enjoy each other and build positive relationships. Many, many thanks to our staff and parents who helped lead activities! Again, pictures will be going onto the website...soon!

So we certainly had a busy month! November is much shorter! Please be sure to mark your calendars, as we have no school for students on the following dates: 10th, 11th, and the 26th through the 28th.

I hope you are able to take some time on those days to enjoy family time. The days seem to zoom by so quickly and these are times to cherish with our children for sure.

If you ever have a question or concern, please do not hesitate to call your child’s teacher or me. My door is always open!

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events
November
10th: Workshop Day - no school for students
11th: Veteran’s Day - no school
14th: Family Fun Night, 6:00 - 8:00 at River View
18th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
20th: Picture retake day
25th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
25th: Kindergarten Friendship Festivities
26th - 28th: Thanksgiving break

December
1st: Welcome back!
2nd: Walking School Bus, 7:50
2nd: Parent-Teacher Conferences, 3:30 - 7:00
6th: LER Craft Fair & Scholastic Book Fair, 9:00 - 2:00
9th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
9th: GEPTA meeting at LER, 6:00 pm (please note the new date)
10th: Early Release Day
16th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
22nd: Winter break begins

Walking School Bus
Students and parents are invited to join Mrs. Moody and Mr. Anderson at the Gardiner Common at 7:50 each Tuesday morning, weather permitting, as we walk to school together!

LER Lions T-Shirts
We have LER T-shirts in youth sizes and a variety of great colors for sale in the office for $12.00 each.

LER School Store
Our school store is open before school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the office. Students can buy water bottles, pencils, erasers, and other small school supplies.

GEPTA News
Our next GEPTA meeting will be held December 9th, at 6:00 pm in the LER library. This is a new meeting date due to Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Our November Family Fun Night will be held Friday, November 14th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at River View School. Come see Kung Foo Panda! Look for more information soon.

The River View Playground is installed. A HUGE thank you to all that have helped make this possible! We will have an event in the spring to honor those who have contributed. If you would like to be involved, we are still collecting funds for this protect. For more information, call Helen 582-6492 or email geptanews@gmail.com

Do you have a special talent that would benefit one of our committees? Please let us know. The committees meet outside the regular meeting time and the following chairs gives the committee’s report at the GEPTA meeting:

Reading Incentive: Paula Bourque
Family Fun Nights: Katherine Kollman
Book Fairs: Liz Brodie
Playground: Helen Wright
3 for ME: Helen Wright
Fundraising: Karen Montell
Classroom parents: Jill Jamison
First day celebration: Katherine Kollman
Octoberfest: Ellen McGuire and Veronica Babcock

Thank to all who participated in the Meadow Farm Fundraiser! We were able to raise $8,000. This will fund field trips, assembly presentations such as Chewonki and the Planetarium, resources for teachers, Octoberfest, Family Fun Nights, and more.

Keep saving your Shaw’s receipts, clean empty yogurt containers, Hannaford Helps coupons issued at the register, BoxTops for Education, and Campbell’s points!

Now that it is over...
If you have any left over political signs on your property that you don't want, the GEPTA would love to re-purpose them into game signs for our annual Octoberfest! We will be re-covering them and using them to identify our games and ticket prices at our annual Fall event on the Common. You can drop them off at school anytime. Thanks so much!

Box Tops for Education
Continue clipping those Box Tops! Tell your family, friends, and neighbors to save these 10-cent symbols. They really do add up! Last month’s contest winners were Mrs. Ellis’ a.m. pre-k class, Mrs. Tarrio’s kindergarten, Miss Whitman’s first grade, and Mrs. Canning’s second grade!

Campbell's Labels for Education
Remember to continue saving those UPC codes from participating Campbell's products. Campbell's no longer accepts the front label, so please cut the UPC codes and attach them to the collection sheets sent home with your child. So far this school year we have collected 775 points!

Hannaford Helps Schools
Through December 4th, shoppers will receive school dollar certificates at the register with the purchase of participating products, which Hannaford will redeem for cash for our school. Hannaford will also grant an additional $1,000 to the school that raises the most funds! Please be sure to send these valuable certificates to school.

School Picture Re-Take Day
LifeTouch will be at LER for picture retakes on Thursday, November 20th. Here’s your chance if your child was absent, forgot portrait money, needs a retake, didn’t buy portraits, or you want to buy more. For retakes - be sure to return the original portrait package! To purchase new portraits, pick up a flyer in advance from the LER office.

Please note that there is no school for students on Monday, November 10th because of a staff workshop day, and on Tuesday, November 11th in observance of Veteran’s Day.

Healthy Snack Help
Donations of healthy snacks for our classrooms are always welcome. Also, please remember that students should not be bringing Halloween candy to school.

Parent - Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher conferences will take place from 3:30 - 7:00 on Tuesday, December 2nd. Your child’s teacher will be contacting you soon to set up an appointment. This is a great time to meet with your child’s teacher, to hear about how your child is progressing at school, and to build a strong home-school connection.

Barbara Cooney Dollhouse
The Skidompha Library on Main Street in Damariscotta is currently displaying a dollhouse inspired by Barbara Cooney’s illustrations in Miss Rumphius, Emma, and Island Boy. The dollhouse will be on exhibit in various Maine libraries for the rest of this year, and will tour schools in 2009. For more information visit www.skidompha.org or call
563-5513.

Class of 2009 5th Annual Holiday Craft Fair
Saturday, November 8th
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Gardiner Area High School Cafeteria
Crafts, bake sale, concession, raffles
Proceeds will benefit Project Graduation

LER Holiday Craft Fair
Saturday, December 6th
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
at Laura Richards School
Crafts, concession, raffles, bake sale,
Scholastic Book Fair
Proceeds benefit LER students

To rent tables, or for more information on either
of these events, please contact Valerie Hanscom
at 582-8182 or evakghanscom@msn.com

Congratulations to Our Coloring Contest Winners!
The Gardiner Firefighters visited LER during Fire Prevention Week, and also held a coloring contest for our students. Thank you to our Firefighters, and congratulations to our winners!

Student Art Work on Display
Congratulations to LER students whose art work was chosen to be on display at the MSAD 11 Central Office through November. Stop by and check it out!

The Scholastic Book Fair is Coming!
Have you 'herd' that LER is going on Safari? That's right, a Safari into Reading! The Scholastic Book Fair is once again coming to our school and bringing with it a WILD selection of books. From November 24th through December 10th you can trek down to the book fair and check out all the great titles by authors you know and some new ones too! SOMA! OTA! KUA! - that's Swahili for READ! DREAM! GROW! More information including our schedule and even a book fair WEBSITE will come home with students soon.

Support your school and your child's education by visiting the Book Fair and encouraging them to read every day!

The Children’s Discovery Museum
CDM has a calendar full of wonderful events for November, including Make & Take, World Kindness Day, Drop & Shop, and Open House. Visit www.childrensdiscoverymuseum.org or call 622-2209 for more information!

Comedy Basketball at it's Best!
The Harlem Superstars (formerly the Harlem Rockets) are coming to Gardiner Area High School on Wednesday, December 3rd at 6.30, where they will play our high school faculty in a benefit basketball game! Advance tickets are $6.00, or $7.00 at the door. For more information, contact Dawn Wise, GAHS Jobs for Maine Graduates, at 582-3150, ext 3405.

Guidance Groups for Students
Elementary school Guidance counselors will soon be starting small group counseling sessions for students in grades Kindergarten through grade five. There are four offerings for groups at this time: Friendship; Grief and Loss; Divorce and Family Change; and Social Skills (empathy, impulse control/, problem solving, anger management).

Students are eligible to participate in these groups if they are experiencing difficulty that is impacting their learning in school or their social and emotional well being. Sign up sheets will not be coming home with students this year; instead we ask that you refer your child by contacting the school and leaving a message for the Guidance Counselor. Please feel free to call with questions or for more information about these groups. And, as always, please call us about any concerns you have about your child(ren).

Jim Bourque
School Guidance Counselor

TerraCycle Update
Thanks to everyone who has been helping our GEPTA recycle yogurt containers for money! We recently redeemed over 500 containers and are still collecting more! Please remember, the yogurt containers may be sitting in storage for awhile before we have enough to mail in (we need a minimum of 400 per box) so PLEASE make sure they have been washed in soap and water before dropping them off in our recycling bins! Also, TerraCycle only accepts traditionally shaped yogurt containers. (Sorry, no Yoplait or snack sized containers.) Thanks so much for helping to recycle AND raise money for the GEPTA's Playground Fund!

Be Watching for Bus Changes
We are looking forward to providing better bus service to our LER and River View families. Be watching for a notice outlining these changes, coming soon!

Star Students
Every week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! Character skills for September and October were respect and responsibility. November’s is positive attitude. Congratulations to our Star Students!

LER Newsletter for October

Principal’s Notes

Dear Families,

September has come to an end! We have had a great start to our school year! Students are adjusting well to school routines, making new friends, and working hard to do their best learning. I am so very proud of the staff and students here at LER!

Now looking ahead to October, I would like to bring your attention to upcoming events. First, this Saturday we will be celebrating Octoberfest on the Gardiner Common from 11:00-3:00. This event is a wonderful community celebration of the fall season! There will be bounce houses, games, relay races, pumpkin painting, cakewalks, a petting zoo, face painting, and much more! I encourage you to bring your family and enjoy this event that is organized by our awesome PTA friends!

We have fire fighters visiting our school on October 9th to talk about fire safety with our students. We have no school for students October 10th (Teacher Workshop Day) and October 13th (Columbus Day Holiday). Picture Day is on October 14th. Our next school assembly is October 30th from 2:15-2:45. Families are welcome to join us! Lastly, on October 31st students at LER will participate in our fall mini course day from 1:30-2:30. Students will sign up to participate in fall crafts and games with staff around the building. We did mini courses last spring, and the event was such a hit that we decided to do one this fall as well! If you would like to volunteer to help with an activity, please let your child’s teacher know as soon as possible as we are presently busy planning activities.

I wish your family a very merry fall season! I hope you can get out often to enjoy the beautiful Maine foliage. Apple orchards and local farms are also open now for apples and pumpkins.

If you ever have a question or concern, please do not hesitate to call your child’s teacher or me. My door is always open!

Yours in the service of children, Karen Moody

Upcoming Events

October

4th: GEPTA Octoberfest, 11:00 - 3:00,at the Gardiner Common
5th: Rain date for Octoberfest
7th: GEPTA meeting, 6:00 at LER
7th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
9th: GAHS coin drive ends
9th: Fire Department to visit LER
10th: Workshop Day - no school for students
13th: Columbus Day - no school
14th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
14th: Picture Day
15th: LER school store opens
21st: Walking School Bus, 7:50
24th: Pre-K Family Fun Day,9:00 - 11:00
24th: Kindergarten “Miss Spider’s Tea Party & Parade,” 2:00
28th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
30th: Assembly, 2:15 - 2:45
31st: Mini-courses, meet @1:15 in gym,activities 1:30 - 2:30

For safety reasons, please do not drop your child off at school before 8:10. There is no supervision inside or on the playground until then.

Extra Clothing at School
Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

Please note that there is no school for students on Friday, October 10th because of a staff workshop day, and on Monday, October 13th in observance of Columbus Day.

Walking School Bus
Students and parents are invited to join Mrs. Moody and Mr. Anderson at the Gardiner Common at 7:50 each Tuesday morning, weather permitting, as we walk to school together!

LER School Store Opening
Our school store will be open before school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the office, beginning Wednesday, October 15th! Students can buy water bottles, pencils, erasers, and other small school supplies.

We also have LER T-shirts in youth sizes and a variety of great colors for sale in the office for $12.00 each.

GEPTA News
Our GEPTA meeting will be held October 7th, at 6:00 pm in the LER library.

Octoberfest will be on Saturday, October 4th from 11:00 to 3:00. We hope you will come and enjoy the day with your family at the Gardiner Common! If you would like to help out, please call Veronica at 441-2059 or email GEPTAnews@gmail.com.

Box Tops for Education - Continue clipping those Box Tops symbols! Last year, LER families collected $1,195.50. WOW! Once again we will have monthly contests by grade level. Watch for those October contest sheets to come home. Tell your family, friends, and neighbors to save those 10-cent symbols. They really do add up!!

Campbell's Labels for Education - Remember to continue saving those UPC codes from participating Campbell's products. Campbell's no longer accepts the front label, so please cut the UPC code and attach it to the 1-point and 5-point collection sheets sent home with your child.

GAHS Student Council Coin Drive
As part of Spirit Week, the Gardiner Area High School Student Council is holding a coin drive to benefit families in our area who need help heating their homes this winter. Your student can contribute through Thursday, October 9th by bringing in coins to help fill the collection jar in the LER office.

Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge
The Knights of Columbus Soccer challenge will be held at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Gardiner on Saturday, October 11th at 1:00 pm. All boys and girls ages 8 -14 are invited to participate. For more information, contact Pat Berends at 446-4011. (This is not an MSAD#11 sponsored event.)

School Picture Day
Mark your calendars! Lifetouch will be here to take school pictures on Tuesday, October 14th. Order envelopes came home with your student earlier this week.

Star Students
Every week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! The character skill for the month of September was responsibility. October’s character skill is respect. Congratulations to our Star Students for September!

LER Newsletter for September

Principal’s Notes

Dear Families,

Welcome to the 2008-09 school year! For those of you who were able to join us for the First Day of School Celebration, I hope you enjoyed all of our festivities and information! Many, many thanks to Katherine Kollman-Veit who organized this event! It was an absolutely wonderful way to begin the school year. I will put pictures of the first day on our school website as soon as we receive media release forms from students.

We have new members to our LER school family this year! Mrs. Grant is our new Kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Webb is our new second grade teacher. We have 4 new educational technicians: Mrs. Baron joined the STEPS program, Mrs. Hersom joined the 4 year old program, Mrs. Stevens joined our Title 1 program, and Mrs. White joined our special education program. Last, but not least, Mrs. Scheirer has joined our Title 1 program as our literacy specialist. I hope you will join me in welcoming them to Laura Richards School!

Well…the year is off and running for sure! Teachers are busy getting students into their school routines, and I have seen many happy faces throughout the building and playground! Our entire school staff is committed to helping every child succeed while encouraging and fostering positive relationships with staff and other children. A positive school community is vital to student achievement! We sincerely invite families to take an active role here at Laura Richards. This may include volunteerism or attendance at school activities like our monthly assemblies, Parent-Teacher conferences, and GEPTA events.

Again, I welcome you to a brand new school year! I look forward to a great year for us at Laura Richards! If you ever have a question or concern, please do not hesitate to call me or stop by my office.

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events

September
9th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
12th: GEPTA Subway Fundraiser, 5:00 - 8:00
16th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
17th: Early Release Day (Elementary students dismissed at 12:30)
23rd: Walking School Bus, 7:50
25th: Assembly, 8:45 in the LER gym
30th: Walking School Bus, 7:50

October
4th: GEPTA Octoberfest, 11:00 - 3:00, at the Gardiner Common
5th: Rain date for Octoberfest
7th: GEPTA meeting, 6:00 at LER
7th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
10th: Workshop Day - no school for students
13th: Columbus Day - no school
14th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
14th: Picture Day - more info to follow
21st: Walking School Bus, 7:50
28th: Walking School Bus, 7:50

Walking School Bus
Students and parents are invited to join Mrs. Moody and Mr. Anderson at the Gardiner Common at 7:50 each Tuesday morning, weather permitting, as we walk to school together!

Opening Soon -- the LER School Store!
Our school store will soon be open before school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the office. Students can buy pencils, erasers, and other small school supplies.

LER Lions T-Shirts
We have LER T-shirts in youth sizes and a variety of great colors for sale in the office for $12.00 each.

GEPTA News
The first GEPTA meeting of the school year will be held October 7th, at 6:00 pm in the LER library.

Octoberfest will be on Saturday, October 4th from 11:00 to 3:00. We hope you will come and enjoy the day with your family at the Gardiner Common! If you would like help out, please call Veronica at 441-2059 or email GEPTAnews@gmail.com. There will be planning meetings coming up.

Our Subway Fundraiser is September 12th from 5:00 to 8:00. You must bring the coupon that was sent home in order for us to receive credit for your order.

Remember to save your Shaws receipts, clean empty yogurt containers, and Hannaford Helps coupons issued at the register. (Read more about Hannaford Helps Schools elsewhere in this newsletter!)

Please remember to send in your "Three For Me" pledge cards. Think about all that we will accomplish if everyone gives just three hours!

For more information or to help in any way, please email GEPTAnews@gmail, or call Karen at 582-0610 or Helen at 582-6492.

School Calendar Note
The original 2008-2009 MSAD 11 school calendar listed Wednesday, October 22nd as an Early Release day. Please note that this will now be a full school day for students and staff.

Early Release Days
Our first Early Release day of the school year will be Wednesday, September 17th. Elementary school students are dismissed at
12:30.

Please note the following Early Release days for the 2008-2009 school year:
September 17th
December 10th
March 18th
May 20th

School Picture Day
Lifetouch will be here to take school pictures on Tuesday, October 14th. More information will be coming home with your student soon!

Extra Clothing at School
Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

Hannaford Helps Schools
Purchase participating products at ANY Hannaford Supermarkets from September 4th through December 4th, 2008 and we will earn money for our school. We can make this happen by simply buying something every family needs - groceries. There is no limit to the school dollars we can earn and every store will award an additional $1000 grant to the school that raises the most money! Inform your relatives, friends and neighbors of this wonderful program and have them help us earn money for our students! Please send in coupons to your child's classroom.

Jim Bourque
School Guidance Counselor

Bus Safety Reminder
We love our kids and want them to be safe at all times! When dropping off and picking up your child, be sure to walk him or her to the sidewalk closest to the school. Our bus drivers are not able to see small children crossing between the busses!

When dropping your child off during morning recess, please bring him or her to the front of the school. For safety reasons, please do not drive through the parking lot to drop your child off at the back playground.

New Phone Numbers?
Please be sure that we have up-to-date contact information at all times in case we need to reach you during the school day.

Legal FYIs:
Smoking Ban in Cars with Kids: As of September 1, 2008, it is against the law to smoke in a vehicle with a passenger present who is under the age of 16. Maine’s law authorizes police to issue warnings until September 1, 2009. After that time, $50.00 fines may be issued.

Maine’s Truancy Law: Students who are the ages of 7 through 17 must go to school. If your child is at least 7 years old, he/she is considered habitually truant if he/she misses 5 unexcused school days in a row or 7 unexcused school days in one school year. Excused absences include: personal illness; an appointment with a health professional that must be made during the regular school day; observance of a recognized religious holiday when the observance is required during the regular school day; a family emergency; and, a planned absence for a personal or educational purpose that has been approved. Schools must be notified when your child will be absent from school; otherwise, your child will be marked “unexcused”. Truancy violations carry a $250.00 fine for responsible adults.

Please be aware of these laws and recent changes. If you have any questions, please notify Mrs. Moody @ 582-3612.

Star Students
Each week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Each teacher chooses a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Students receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! The character skill for the month of September is responsibility. Be watching next month’s newsletter for our September Star Students!

LER’s First Day Celebration a Success -
Thanks to All of You!
Thank you so much to everyone who contributed their time, energy, talent, and resources to make LER’s First Day Celebration such a huge success!

Mayor Andrew MacLean
Maine Parent Federation
Gardiner Police Department
Gardiner Fire Department
Gardiner Main Street
Healthy Communities of the Capital Area
Gardiner Public Library
Curves of Gardiner
Anthony Anderson, MSAD 11 Health Coordinator
Allen Carey, Financial Advisor
Katherine Kollman-Veit
Tiffany Awley
GEPTA
Jim Bourque, Guidance Counselor
Justin Walton, Music Teacher
Jim Whalen, Phys Ed Teacher
Maxine Marquis, Art Teacher
Pat Fisher, School Nurse
Barb Gipson, School Librarian
Movie Gallery
YMCA
Curves of Gardiner
Shaw’s of Augusta
Hannaford of Gardiner
Wal-Mart of Augusta
Reny’s of Gardiner
Helen Wright, Bare Foot Books
Out of My Head
Blue Sky Bakery
Isamax Snacks & Wicked Whoopies
McDonald’s of Gardiner
Dunkin Donuts of Gardiner
Ainslie’s Pizza & Subs
Subway of Gardiner
Chet & Leona’s Market
Berry & Berry Floral

Ongoing Fundraisers-
LER participates in these ongoing programs which will help us to raise funds for our school:

Box Tops for Education - “BoxTop” labels are a great fundraiser for our school. Each label is worth 10 cents, and the money goes to purchasing items for our school.

Printer cartridges - We participate in two different programs to collect printer cartridges of all types and sizes, which are redeemed for cash. Please send us your empty cartridges !

Campbell’s Labels for Education -Collect UPC codes and logos from Campbell’s products as well as many other products with the “Labels for Education” logo. Remember that Campbell’s no longer accepts the front labels for redemption. Please send us only the UPC code and logo.

Notes from the Office
If your child will be absent from school, please call the office to let us know or e-mail the secretary at shoudlette@msad11.org. If your child arrives to school late, be sure to sign him/her in in at the office so that they are not marked absent for the day.

Please remember that you must stop at the office to sign your child out if you are picking him/her up from school at dismissal time and at any other time during the day. If your child will be leaving school at the end of the day other than in their usual manner, please send in a note or call the office. Remember that we can only release students to the people you have listed on the pink emergency contact form.

Please note that if your child arrives after 8:25 he or she is considered tardy. If your child is signed out before 2:55 it is considered a dismissal. All tardiness and dismissals are part of your child’s permanent attendance records.

Thank you for respecting our learning time by making sure your child arrives on time each day, and by not dismissing your child early unless it is an emergency!

2009-10 Newsletters

Click on the date for the monthly newsletter that you would like to read.

LER Newsletter for May, 2010

Notes from the Principal
Dear Families,

Thank you so much to the families who were able to attend the Spring Concert last week. It meant a great deal to the children!

Believe it or not…we are in the final weeks of the 2009-2010 school year!! The last few weeks of school are the busiest of the year as we have many events and field trips scheduled. Please be sure to check out the events schedule included in this newsletter and mark your calendars!

Teachers are administering end of year assessments while trying to teach through to the last day of school, which is Thursday, June 17th. I encourage you to keep your children in a regular routine as much as possible. We ask a lot of them during these last weeks of the school year, so it is really important that they are well rested!

Enjoy the wonderful Spring we are having this year! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please be sure to call or visit. My door is always open!

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Please be sure to complete and return the survey at the end of this newsletter. We appreciate your feedback!

Upcoming Events
May
1st - 12th: Visit the Book Fair at LER (See schedule below)
11th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
11th: GEPTA meeting at LER, 6:00
14th: Pancake breakfast, 8:00
14th: Lifetouch orders and/or photos due
18th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
18th: Kindergarten, Farm field trip, 9:00 - 1:00
19th: Early Release Day, students dismissed at 12:30
21st: GEPTA Family Fun Movie Night & benefit supper, 6:00
25th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
25th: Grade 2 to Maine State Museum, 8:30 - 12:00
28th: No school - workshop day
31st: No school - Memorial Day

June
1st: Walking School Bus, 7:50
4th: Mrs Carey’s ABC123 Circus, 9:30
8th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
8th: GEPTA meeting at RVCS, 6:00
10th: Grade 1 to Gray Animal Farm
11th: Rain date for Grade 1 field trip
14th: Grade 1 Beach Day at LER
14th: Grade 2 Fun Day at LER
15th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
15th: Field Day
16th: Rain date for Grade 2 Fun Day
17th: Last day of school, students dismissed at 12:30

Join Us for the Walking School Bus!
Students and parents are invited to join Mrs. Moody & Miss Sergent, RSU #11 Health Coordinator, at the Gardiner Common at 7:50 each Tuesday morning, weather permitting, as we walk to school together!

Extra Clothing at School
Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

Visit the LER School Store
Our school store is open before school on Mondays and Fridays in the office. Students can buy pencils, erasers, and other small school supplies. We also have LER Lions T-shirts.

GEPTA NEWS
The GEPTA is also coordinating a spaghetti supper to benefit the family of an LER Kindergarten student who has been diagnosed with leukemia. Mark your calendars for Friday, May 21st from 5:00-6:30 p.m. (movie starts at 6:30 p.m.) and join us for a delicious dinner, family movie, popcorn, silent auction, raffle and more! If you or someone you know would like to donate an item to our raffle or silent auction, please contact Katherine at katherine@gepta.org or 582-8250. Any donation (merchandise, gift certificate, hand-craft, free service or class) will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Our next monthly meeting will be held on May 11th at the LER School library at 6:00 pm. Chidcare will be provided and we might even have a door prize! We hope to see you there!

Please keep remember, even if you aren’t able to attend our monthly evening meeting, you are still welcome to join GEPTA! Perhaps you would serve on one of our sub-committees? We have groups who work separately on our Family Fun Nights, Fundraising, Book Fairs/Reading Incentive, Scholarships, and more! Contact Katherine at 582-8250, Ellen at 582-9467 or geptanews@gmail.com, if you would like more information!

Follow the GEPTA on Facebook!
The GEPTA now has a Facebook Page! Please join us at Facebook (search “GEPTA”) and join our group for all the latest updates on our school community events and local free/low cost family events happening in our area.

The Book Fair is Here!
The GEPTA is holding a Spring Book Fair at LER
through May 12th. Please contact Liz Brodie at liz@gepta.org if you have any questions or would like to volunteer.

Buy a book, get a book free!
Tues, May 11th: 8:30 - 11:00 am
Wed, May 12th: 8:30 - 11:00 & 1:00 - 3:00

Lifetouch Spring Picture Reminder
All Lifetouch money should be turned in to school by Friday, May 14th. Any photos that you will not be purchasing should be returned to school by that date as well.

Thank You!
The LER teachers and staff would like to thank our students, families, and the GEPTA for all of the special surprises that we were treated to during
Teacher Appreciation Week!

Star Students
Each week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! The character skill for the month of April was problem solving, and the skill for May is citizenship. Congratulations to all of our Star Students!

Box Tops & Campbell’s Update
Congratulations to our 1st graders who won the April Box Tops contest! As a school, we earned earned $67.00 last month. Our final contest for the school year win run through Wednesday, June 9th. Watch for summer collection sheets to come home with your student in June.

This month, we collected 433 Campbell’s points. Each grade level was able to use the points collected over the school year to order supplies -- at no cost! -- for end of year activities. Please continue passing in those UPC with logos from our favorite Campbell's products.

A special reminder to our second grade families that the Box Top and Campbell’s collections take place at River View school as well. Please continue collecting over the summer!

Early Release Day
Please note that Wednesday, May 19th is an Early Release Day. Elementary school students will be dismissed at 12:30. There is no Pre-K on Early Release Days. Pre-K students will attend school on Friday, May 21st instead.

A Reminder of District Policy Regarding Pets on School Grounds
Please remember that no animals are allowed on RSU #11 property without first getting permission in writing from the building administrator. This includes activities on our playgrounds and fields during non-school hours.

First Grade Writers
As part of their bird unit, first graders were asked to write an advertisement for a birdhouse. Enjoy these samples!

House for rent. Just for robins. Lots of worms. A bunch of privacy. A perch that is firm. A bunch of girls robins. Not a hawk in sight. Come on down today.

Mrs. Malcolm’s Class

Rent it now! Come and rent a hotel room from Every Bird Hotel! We have pools and hot tubs. So come on down to Every Bird Hotel now! Its’ free! We have great food. We have fresh water and water slides for the kids.

Miss Whitman’s Class

Move in now to the new bird house! No pesky bugs. In New Jersey. Just the right size. Free to all birds. Water refilled every day. Bird feeder. Comfy nest. Nice and medium sized rooms. Call now! So, have you called yet?

Miss Whitman’s Class

Notes from the Cafeteria
Be sure to visit mynutrikids.com! Parents can check their student’s account balance, make payments, and view the account activity.

Recycling Helps Our Students in Art Class
Mrs. Marquis is always in need of empty egg cartons and clean styrofoam meat trays for use in art classes. Please “recycle” by sending these in to school.

Teresa C. Hamlin School Annual Fun Fair
Friday, May 14th
4:00 - 7:00 p.m.
(Rain date, May 21st)
T.C. Hamlin School Back Playground

Two bouncy houses, games with prizes, cake walk, pictures with Gardiner Tiger or a State Trooper and cruiser, caricatures drawn by a local artist, tattoos/face painting, hot dogs, chips, soda, popcorn, cotton candy!

Teresa C. Hamlin School Lawn Sale
Saturday, May 15th, 7:00 a.m - noon
On the TCH basketball court, or in the gym in case of rain)

Big Cat Field Hockey Clinic
for students entering grade 2-8
at Gardiner Area High School
June 21st - 24th, 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Cost: $100.00
(Additional fee for registrations after June 2nd)
All proceeds benefit the GAHS Field Hockey program. More information and applications available in the LER office.

Gardiner Girls
Summer Basketball Clinic
July 26th - 29th at GAHS
For girls entering
3rd through 8th grades
Cost: $75.00
More information and applications available in the LER office.

60th Annual Peter Pan Fair
Saturday, May 15th
Helen Thompson School
West Gardiner
10:00 - 2:00, rain or shine!
Raffles, food, white elephant table, plant room, games, and much more!

Kids Swing into Golf
at The Meadows Golf Course,
Huntington Hill Road, Litchfield
Free golf clinic for kids
ages 5 - 12 (with a parent or adult)
9:00 - 12:00, Saturday, May 22nd
For more information,
call 268-3000
(This is not an RSU #11
sponsored event)

Ongoing Fundraisers
LER & GEPTA continue to participate in these ongoing programs which will help us to raise funds or supplies that benefit all of our students. Be sure to continue collecting over the summer!

Box Tops for Education - BoxTops are a great fundraiser for our school. Each label is worth 10 cents, which goes directly towards purchasing items for our school. Please take a moment to clip these valuable BoxTop logos and send them in to school.
Printer cartridges - We participate in a program in which we collect printer cartridges of all types and sizes, which are redeemed for cash. Please send your empty cartridges to school.

Campbell's Labels for Education - Collect UPC codes and logos (instead of front labels) from Campbell's products as well as many other products with the “Labels for Education” logo. Please note that Campbell’s is now accepting only the UPC code and logo for redemption, and no longer accepts the front label.

Shaw’s Community Rewards Program - Visit www.shaws.com, click on Community Rewards, register your Shaw’s Rewards Card, click “Sign me up,” and choose GEPTA. Our kids will benefit from a percentage of your Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday Shaw’s purchases!

2 + 2 Laura Richards' School Improvement Survey

Dear Families,
We strive for excellence here at Laura Richards school. We value feedback from our families. Please give 2 compliments and 2 suggestions about the academic experiences or programs offered to your child(ren) at our school. Please do not mention the names of specific people. A copy of this survey was sent home with each student on Monday, May 10th. Please return it to your child's teacher by May 21, 2010. Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback!
Mrs. Moody

Compliments:

Suggestions:

LER Newsletter for April, 2010

Principal’s Notes

Dear Families,

Just like last year, March literally “blew by”!! Thankfully we are enjoying a beautiful early spring! We only had 3 snow days this year! As of today, our last school day for the year is June 17th.

On that note, we will also begin creating class lists for next year very soon. Teachers will be meeting with me to create balanced classes, which take into account student learning styles, academic needs, friendships, the ratio of boys and girls, and special learning plans. Creating balanced classrooms is a challenging process for sure! We do take into consideration input from parents/guardians as well. While teacher requests are considered, they are not a guarantee. Our top priority is to create balanced classrooms that offer the best learning environments for all students. If you would like to make a teacher request, please make this request to me in writing explaining your educational reasons for the placement. Your request must be sent in by April 30, 2010. Again, creating balanced classrooms will remain our top priority. If you have any questions about the placement process, please call me at 582-3612.

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Safe Footwear at School
With warm weather around the corner, please remember that flip-flops, high heels, and open-back sandals should not be worn to school. Children should wear sturdy, comfortable footwear each day, and remember that sneakers must be worn for phys. ed. classes.

The Walking School Bus Returns!
Students and parents are invited to join Mrs. Moody & Miss Sergent, RSU #11 Health Coordinator, at the Gardiner Common at 7:50 each Tuesday morning, weather permitting, as we walk to school together!

Extra Clothing at School
Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

GEPTA NEWS:
Our annual Read-a-Thon was a wonderful success! Extra special congratulations to our Top Grade Readers and to our Top Reading Classrooms – Mrs. Tarrio’s Kindergarten Class at LER with 20,272 minutes and Mr. Michaud’s 4th Grade Class with 22,462 minutes! Great Reading, Everyone!

We had the most reader participation EVER in this year’s Read-a-Thon – fantastic! Many thanks to all the parents and staff who helped make the Read-a-Thon’s closing event, The Indoor Carnival, such a fun day!

The GEPTA is planning a spring Fundraising Rummage and Plant Sale for Saturday, May 8 at the LER School. We are not able to accept donations quite yet, but please keep us in mind as you are doing your Spring cleaning and stay tuned for more details about dates and drop offs! Thank you! We will also be renting tables to give YOU an opportunity to make a little money from your unwanted treasures. Check your child’s backpack for further details, e-mail Kristy Gould at kgould21@ymail.com, or call Katherine at 582-8250.

The GEPTA now has a Facebook Page! Please join us at Facebook (search “GEPTA”) and join our group for all the latest updates on our school community events and local free/low cost family events happening in our area.

The GEPTA is also coordinating a spaghetti supper to benefit the family of an LER student who has been diagnosed with leukemia. Mark your calendars for Friday, May 21 and join us for a delicious dinner, family movie, silent auction, raffle and more! If you or someone you know would like to donate an item to our raffle or silent auction, please contact Katherine at katherine@gepta.org or 582-8250. Any donation (merchandise, gift certificate, handcraft, free service or class) will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Our next monthly meeting will be held April 13 at the River View Community School in South Gardiner at 6:00 pm. Childcare will be provided and we might even have a door prize! We hope to see you there!

Please keep remember, even if you aren’t able to attend our monthly evening meeting, you are still welcome to join GEPTA! Perhaps you are interested in serving on one of our sub-committees? We have groups who work separately on our Family Fun Nights, Fundraising, Book Fairs/Reading Incentive, Scholarships, and more! Contact geptanews@gmail.com, Katherine at 582-8250, or Ellen at 582-9467 if you would like more information!

No School on Friday, April 16th
Please note that there is no school for students on Friday, April 16th because of a staff workshop. Students will return to school on April 26th following April vacation.

No School for Pre-K and Kindergarten on Screening Days
Please note that there is no school for our Pre-K students on Wednesday and Thursday, April 14th & 15th, due to screening for our incoming Pre-K students.

There is no school for kindergarten students on Friday, April 30th, as we will be holding screening for our incoming kindergarteners.

BoxTops & Campbell’s Update
Great job collecting and passing in those Campbell's labels. Total points for the month of March were 477. We have reached a balance of 8,000 points in our Campbell's account! Each grade level will be using these points to order supplies from the catalog for end of year activities. Please continue passing in those UPC with logos from our favorite Campbell's products.

CONGRATULATIONS to our Pre-K students and their families for winning the February/March Box Tops contest! Their combined efforts brought in 644 Box Tops labels. The students will receive an extra recess along with a popsicle treat. The total collected for these two months was $228.80, which will help fund the Puppet Theater coming to our school at the end of the month.

The Book Fair is Coming!
The GEPTA is holding Spring Book Fairs at the LER and RVCS Schools and we need your help.

The RVCS Fair is scheduled for April 8-15 and the LER Fair will be April 29-May 15. Please contact Liz Brodie at liz@gepta.org if you are able to work at the Book Fair during any of those dates!

All the proceeds from the Book Fairs are turned directly back into the GEPTA's Reading Incentive Program which puts free books into the hands of our students! Thank you so much for helping to bring books to our schools!

GAHS Food Drive for Life
The GAHS Civil Rights Team is holding a food drive to benefit Chrysalis Place in Gardiner and the New Life Center in Thailand. Non-perishable food items can be dropped off by April 15th in the LER office, at GAHS or at Goggin’s IGA. Area businesses have pledged cash for each item collected, which will be donated to the New Life Center.

Art Volunteers Needed
It’s that time of year again! The annual district-wide art show is being held on Friday, May 7th from 3:00 to 7:00 in the GAHS cafeteria. Mrs. Marquis is in need of parent volunteers, or high school students who would like to earn community service hours. Please send a note to school if you are able to help, or call the school at 582-3612 to leave her a message.

Recycling Helps Our Students in Art Class
Mrs. Marquis is in need of empty egg cartons and clean styrofoam meat trays for use in art classes. Please “recycle” by sending these in to school.

Parent-Teacher Conferences
It’s time for Parent-Teacher Conferences! Your child’s teacher has sent a note home regarding the conference schedule. Our teachers will be available on Thursday, April 15th, as well as other times as needed. Be sure to reply and schedule your conference appointment if you have not already done so!

Lost & Found
Our Lost & Found area is overflowing! Please stop by during Parent-Teacher Conferences to look for items that your child might have forgotten or misplaced. Please put your child’s name on the inside of his/her clothing, backpack, lunch box, etc. Names help us in returning lost items!

Star Students
Each week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! The character skill for the month of March was effective communication, and the skill for April is problem solving. Congratulations to all of our Star Students!

A Message from the Maine Public Health Association
It takes more than duct tape to be ready for an emergency! An emergency or illness can keep you home - sometimes without power, heat, or clean water. There are a few simple steps you can take to help your children, your pets, and the older adults you care for be safe during emergencies or illness.

Flooding. Ice Storms. The Flu. Get ready to help your family for the unexpected by creating a kit of the essentials, including food, water, medicine, and safety supplies. These are all important if you are stuck at home due to an emergency or illness. Make a plan for how you and your family will respond to the situation, and stay informed of potential illness and emergencies and what are the best things to do if they happen.

Visit www.getMEready.org to watch Dr. Dora Ann Mills, Director of the Maine CDC, and Dr. Carrie Frost, a pediatrician from Portland, talk about getting ready to help your family during an illness or emergency.

How ready are you? At www.getMEready.org you can take a short survey, then learn more about how easy it is to build a kit, make a plan, and be informed.

In Maine we like to be independent. When you’re ready for an emergency, you won’t need help from emergency professionals. That will let them focus on others needing assistance. And when you and your family are ready, you can help your neighbors and others in need.

What goes in my kit? Go to www.getMEready.org and find out what you need, what you’ve already got, and how to build your kit without spending a lot of extra money. The steps to building a kit are simple. You can also enter a drawing for a free kit to be sent to you!

Mainers are known for being ready for anything. Let’s make sure we are! Go to www.getMEready.org and start getting ready today! Get ME Ready 2010 is a project of the Maine Public Health Association.

Get a Kit. Make a Plan. Be Informed. Go to www.getMEready.org to learn more.

The TOOTH ANGEL PROGRAM
has had another successful year!
Repeat students have a decreased new decay rate of 90%

Maine Dental Health Out-Reach, Inc. visited Laura E Richards School in March 2010. We are a team of Registered Dental Hygienists providing dental care to eligible children.

Who is eligible?
• Children who do not have a dentist, have not seen a dentist in the past 6 months and do not receive cleanings or twice yearly exams or fillings if decay is present.
o 20 Students were seen
16 new students
4 previous students

These are the services we provided:
• 20 student’s teeth were cleaned
• 119 sealants placed (coverings on the top of teeth to reduce decay)
• 20 fluoride treatments (to harden teeth)
o 18 received a 2nd treatment
• 20 Oral Hygiene Instruction (teaching children how to clean their teeth)
o 18 received a 2nd instruction
• 20 screenings (listing healthy teeth, cavities and missing teeth)
• 20 dietary counseling (educating children on what decays their teeth)
• 10 students were referred to a dentist for fillings and extractions
o 38 decayed teeth

DENTAL HYGIENE PREVENTION:
Improves Health
Increases Self Esteem
Decreases Pain
Increases School Attendance
Decreases the cost of Emergency Room Care

How can your child receive these services next year?
A consent form will be in your child’s school packet at the beginning of the school year.

How can you help this program’s success?
Your tax deductible donation would enable the Tooth Angels to expand our out-reach programs to those who would not be able to receive dental care. Please visit our website for more information (www.mdho.org) and to donate. Or send checks to: Maine Dental Health Out-Reach, Inc., PO Box 275, Winthrop, ME 04364.

Thank you for your support!
Susanne J. LaVallee,
Founder 2003

EDUCATE, TREAT AND CREATE HEALTHY SMILES!!!

LER Newsletter for March, 2010

Principal’s Notes
Dear Families,

MARCH!!! Wow!!! Where has this year gone?! I am certainly not complaining about an apparent early spring though. The tulips have even begun sprouting up around our sign and front lawn at LER.

Our school enjoyed celebrating Dr. Seuss Day yesterday, March 2. Special thanks to our community readers: Howie Tuttle (District Curriculum and Instruction Director), Chief Jim Toman (Gardiner Police Department), Carolyn Goggin (Assistant to the Superintendent), Katherine Kollman (GEPTA Co-President), SFC David Gruber (US Army), Juan Lavalle-Rivera (Assistant Special Education Director), Al Ghoreyeb (Principal of River View School), and Becky Fles (School Board Vice Chair). You made our day so special with your presence! Our entire staff enjoyed our 3rd Annual Strawberry Shortcake desserts. We formed the shortcakes to look like the Cat in the Hat’s hat. For lots of pictures of this event, please visit our school’s website. There are some very cute pictures there!

I would like to also thank our GEPTA for organizing our Read-a-thon again this year. This event helps motivate our students to read even more, especially over February vacation. Our GEPTA is also hosting an inside Carnival on March 13 from 3-5:00 here at LER. There will be food, games, and crafts. I hope you will be able to join us for another afternoon of family fun!

I did make an error on Parent Conference dates. We are holding conferences on April 15th. Our Pre K teachers will have an additional day on April 8th. Teachers will be in contact with you soon to set up times to discuss your child’s progress in school. In addition, second semester report cards are due to be sent home with your child on March 19th.

Finally, we concluded our Coin Fundraiser for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Our school donated $650.39! That is amazing!! As I said on our website, LER may have the little people, but we have huge hearts! Thank you to all who supported this effort.

Enjoy the final weeks of winter! Spring is only two weeks away!

As always, if you ever have a question or concern, please feel free to call or visit!

Yours in the service of children,

Karen Moody

Upcoming Events
March
5th: Trimester ends
9th: GEPTA meeting at LER, 6:00
13th: GETPA Family Fun Indoor Carnival, 3:00 - 5:00
17th: Early Release Day
19th: Spring pictures
25th: Assembly, 8:45 in LER gym

April
6th: Walking School Bus returns! Meet at the Common at 7:50,
weather permitting!
13th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
13th: GEPTA meeting at RVCS, 6:00
15th: Parent-Teacher Conferences
16th: No school -workshop day
19th - 23rd: Spring vacation
27th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
27th: Spring Valley Puppet Theater presents “Jack and the Beanstalk” at LER
30th: No school for kindergarteners (Screening for incoming
k-students)
30th: GEPTA Family Fun Night “Beach Night,” at River View

May
4th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
6th: LER Spring Concert, 10:00 & 2:00
8th: GEPTA Lawn Sale
11th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
11th: GEPTA meeting at LER, 6:00
18th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
19th: Early Release Day
21st: GEPTA Family Fun Movie Night at LER, 6:00
25th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
28th: No school - workshop day
31st: No school - Memorial Day

June
1st: Walking School Bus, 7:50
8th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
8th: GEPTA meeting at RVCS, 6:00
15th: Walking School Bus, 7:50

It’s Cold Outside!
Please help your student remember to dress appropriately for the cold, wet weather!

GEPTA NEWS
Our next monthly meeting will be held March 9 at the LER School in Gardiner at 6:00 pm. Childcare will be provided and we might even have a door prize! We hope to see you there!

Please remember, even if you aren’t able to attend our monthly evening meeting, you are still welcome to join GEPTA! Perhaps you are interested in serving on one of our sub-committees? We have groups who work separately on our Family Fun Nights, Fundraising, Book Fairs/Reading Incentive, Scholarships, and more! Contact Katherine at 582-8250, geptanews@gmail.com, or Ellen at 582-9467 if you would like more information!

Our annual Read-a-Thon was a great success! We celebrated at the LER Read-A-Thon Closing Assembly this week, and shared all the fantastic reading totals! Remember, if you turned in a Reading Log, you are entitled to 10 free Tickets to our upcoming Indoor Carnival on Saturday, March 13th from 3:00-5:00 at the LER School. We still need volunteers so please contact Katherine at 582-8250 or katherine@gepta.org if you can help!

Mark your calendars for our indoor/outdoor lawn sale to be taking place at LER on Saturday, May 8th. Rent a table, or donate your items for the GEPTA to sell. We don’t have the storage space to accept your donations yet, but keep us in mind when you do your spring cleaning! We will be collecting items soon.

Coin Drive & Hats for Haiti
Our school held a coin drive during the month of February to raise funds for the American Red Cross in its efforts to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. The jar was filled twice! Mrs. Brown's class alone collected $153.00! Another student gave all her birthday money, which totaled $30.00! In addition to our coin drive, we also held “Hats for Haiti” day. Students, staff, and parents donated a dollar to enjoy wearing a hat at school. In all, we collected $650.93! We may have "the little" people here at Laura Richards...but they have HUGE HEARTS!

Thank you, thank you to all who supported this effort. The "Gift of Giving to Others in Need" is a wonderful life lesson for our students to experience here at Laura Richards School!

Art Volunteers Needed
It’s that time of year again! The annual district-wide art show is coming, and Mrs. Marquis is in need of parent volunteers, or high school students who would like to earn community service hours. In addition to prepping for the art show, she can also use help organizing her many spaces, or just “spring cleaning.” Please send a note to school isf you are able to help, or call the school at 582-3612 to leave her a message.

Recycling Helps Our Students in Art Class
Mrs. Marquis is in need of empty egg cartons and clean styrofoam meat trays for use in art classes. Please “recycle” by sending these in to school.

Family Friendly Adult Ed Classes
Please visit www.msad11.maineadulted.org to learn about a wide variety of upcoming Adult Education classes, or pick up a brochure in the LER office.

The Walking School Bus Returns!
Students and parents are invited to join Mrs. Moody at the Gardiner Common at 7:50 each Tuesday morning, beginning on April 6th, weather permitting, as we walk to school together!

Star Students
Each week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! The character skill for the month of February was pursuit of quality, and the skill for March is effective communicator. Congratulations to all of our Star Students.

Early Release Days
Please note the remaining Early Release days for this school year:
March 17th
May 19th
Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30. There is no Pre-K on Early Release Days. Pre-K students will attend school on Friday instead.

Pre-School & Kindergarten Registration
The Four Year Old Program is currently accepting applications for the 2010 - 2011 school year. Children must be four years of age on or before October 15, 2010. If you are interested, please call 582-5346 for more information and for an application. Space is limited.

It’s also kindergarten registration time! If you have a child who will be five years of age on or before October 15, 2010, or if you know of one, please contact the school at 582-3612.

Box Tops Update
We will soon be receiving a check for $396.50 from Box Tops for Education! Keep clipping those symbols. Just a reminder that during the months of February and March, we are competing by grade level, rather than by classroom, to see who can collect the most Box Tops for Education! As of today’s date, the second graders are ahead with 292 Box Tops! But don't worry -- you have until March 31st to take the lead, so continue to pass in those collection sheets and watch April's newsletter for the winners!

Helpful Phone Numbers
Laura E. Richards School 582-3612
Superintendent's Office 582-5346
Transportation Office 582-6663
Boys & Girls Club 582-8458
Special Education Office 582-7366
LER fax 582-3175
River View School & fax 582-3402

Visit us often at www.msad11.org!

For safety reasons,
please do not drop your child off at school before
8:10. There is no supervision inside or on the playground until then.

LER Newsletter for February, 2010

Principal’s Notes
Dear Families,

We have some big literacy plans coming right up! My favorite is happening tonight! Our GEPTA is sponsoring a book swap at River View Community School from 6:00-7:30. This is my favorite event, as it doesn’t cost any money and families share resources. Books that your child has already read or doesn’t want anymore can be exchanged at the Book Swap. I hope you will be able to join us tonight.

Next, the Read-a-thon Kickoff Assembly was held this afternoon. For the next two weeks, students will be encouraged to rev up the amount of reading they do at home! Be looking for additional information about the Read-a-thon coming home with your child.

March 2nd is Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Every year we celebrate his contributions to children’s literacy by having a special healthy red and white snack…strawberry shortcake!!! Mmm!!! We also have special guests from our school community visit to read to our students.

Parent Teacher conferences are scheduled for the weeks of March 22nd through April 2nd. Our common night will be Thursday, March 25th. Your child’s teacher will be contacting you to set up a conference time.

Finally, I want to thank all the families who have allowed their children to donate to our Haiti coin drive. The jar is filling up!! Children donating have beamed as the drop their coins in. We will continue this fundraiser through to the end of February. We will have Hat Day for Haiti on February 12th as well. Students may pay a $1.00 to wear a hat for the day. All the monies will be sent directly to the Red Cross to help the people of Haiti. Again, thank you!

As always, if you ever have a question or concern, please feel free to call or visit!

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events

February
5th: Pre-K Family Fun Day, 9:00-11:00
5th: GEPTA Book Swap & Family Fun Night at River View, 6:00 - 7:30
8th: Second Graders to Henry & Mudge, 8:30 - 12:30
9th: GEPTA meeting at RVCS, 6:00
12th: Hats for Haiti
15th - 19th: Winter vacation
26th: Coin drive ends

March
2nd: Dr. Seuss’ birthday
5th: Trimester ends
9th: GEPTA meeting at LER, 6:00
13th: GETPA Family Fun Indoor Carnival, 3:00 - 5:00
17th: Early Release Day
19th: Spring pictures

April
13th: GEPTA meeting at RVCS, 6:00
16th: No school -workshop day
19th - 23rd: Spring vacation
27th: Spring Valley Puppet Theater presents “Jack and the Beanstalk” at LER
30th: GEPTA Family Fun Night “Beach Night,” at River View

May
6th: LER Spring Concert, 10:00 & 2:00
11th: GEPTA meeting at LER, 6:00
19th: Early Release Day
21st: GEPTA Family Fun Movie Night at LER, 6:00
28th: No school - workshop day
31st: No school - Memorial Day

June
8th: GEPTA meeting at RVCS, 6:00

It’s Cold Outside!
Please help your student remember to dress appropriately for the cold weather!

GEPTA NEWS
Our next monthly meeting will be held February 9th at the River View Community School in South Gardiner at 6:00 pm. Childcare will be provided and we might even have a door prize! We hope to see you there!

Our annual Read-A-Thon will start on February 6th and run for two weeks. Any and all reading counts toward your reading goal! And remember, everyone returning their Reading Log will get 10 free tickets to our Indoor Carnival on March 13th! So be sure and keep track of your reading time!

We will need many volunteers for the Indoor Carnival so please mark your calendars for the afternoon of March 21st! More information and sign up sheets will be coming home soon with your child!

Wear Your Hats for Haiti
The LER School and the GEPTA are coordinating a “Hats for Haiti” Day to help toward the school’s effort to raise money for the earthquake victims of Haiti. Your child’s donation of $1.00 will earn him/her the right to wear his/her favorite hat to school all day on Friday, February 12. The money earned will go toward the schools fundraising efforts and benefit the Red Cross’ Haiti Fund.

Coin Drive to Benefit the American Red Cross
You are invited to contribute to LER’s Coin Drive to benefit the American Red Cross’ relief efforts in Haiti. Bring your donations to the jar in the LER office through Friday, February 26th.

It’s also kindergarten registration time! If you have a child who will be five years of age on or before October 15, 2010, or if you know of one, please contact the school at 582-3612.

Recycling Helps Our Students in Art Class
Mrs. Marquis is in need of empty egg cartons and clean styrofoam meat trays for use in art classes. Please “recycle” by sending these in to school.

Star Students
Each week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! The character skill for the month of January was teamwork, and February’s is pursuit of quality. Congratulations to our Star Students!

BoxTops and Campbell’s Update
During the months of February and March, we will be competing by grade level, rather than by classroom, to see who can collect the most BoxTops for Education! This will take TEAMWORK, which was January’s character skill of the month! Be sure to read our April newsletter to find out if Pre-K, kindergarten, grade one, or grade two will be the winners for February and March.

Because of all of your hard work in collecting BoxTops, we are able to invite the The Spring Valley Puppet Theater to visit LER in April. They will be performing “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

Congratulations and thank you to the following classrooms who collected the most BoxTops during December and January:

Pre-K: Mrs. Ellis’ morning class
Kindergarten: Mrs. Carey’s class
First grade: Miss Whitman’s class
Second grade: Mrs. Murphy’s class

We have also collected a total of 367 Campbell’s points during the month of December, and 494 during January!

Please see the article in this newsletter for a reminder of the ongoing fundraisers that we participate in, which directly benefit all of our students.

Highly Qualified Teacher Information for Parents of Title I Students
Your child is attending a school receiving Title I federal funds through the No Child Left Behind Act (referred to as NCLB). This Federal law requires that parents be notified of their right to know the professional qualifications of their child's teacher(s) in core academic subject areas, including the following:

1. The type of state credential or license that the teacher holds. Some teachers will have a credential in a particular subject area, such as English or mathematics, and others will have a multiple subject credential, which allows them to teach a variety of subjects, such as in elementary schools.

2. The education level and subject area of the teacher’s college degree(s). All teachers have a bachelor’s degree, and many teachers have graduate degrees beyond the bachelor’s, such as a masters or doctoral degree.

In addition to the qualifications of the teacher, if a paraprofessional (Educational Technician) provides your child services, you may also request information about his or her qualifications. Many paraprofessionals have two years of college, and others have passed a test that verifies their qualifications. If you would like this information, please contact Mrs. Moody
at 582-3612.

Classroom Visits
While we encourage parents to visit our school, please note that unannounced visits can be disruptive and may interfere with learning time. Please contact your child’s teacher in advance to schedule classroom visits.

Extra Clothing at School
Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

New Phone Numbers?
Please be sure that we have up-to-date contact information at all times in case we need to reach you during the school day.

Ongoing Fundraisers
LER & GEPTA continue to participate in these ongoing programs which will help us to raise funds or supplies that benefit all of our students -

Printer cartridges - We participate in a program in which we collect printer cartridges of all types and sizes, which are redeemed for cash. Please send your empty cartridges to school.
Campbell's Labels for Education - Collect UPC codes and logos (instead of front labels) from Campbell's products as well as many other products with the “Labels for Education” logo. Please note that Campbell’s is now accepting only the UPC code and logo for redemption, and no longer accepts the front label.

LER Newsletter for January, 2010

Principal’s Notes
Dear Families,

Happy New Year 2010!! I hope you all had a wonderful and restful holiday season!

Since returning to school, all staff have been working to get students back into our school routine. January is typically a big month for learning as students tend to be more focused. Let’s hope the flu season is over for us and that Mother Nature cooperates as well!

Did you make any resolutions for 2010? Goal setting with your child is also a great idea! Setting realistic goals is the key to success. Here are some ideas to help your child be successful at school:

Read 5 days a week for 15 minutes.
Eat breakfast.
Go to bed by 8:00.
Eat a piece of fruit every day.
Get outside and play for 30 minutes every day.

Keeping track daily is important. Try using a calendar and having your child put a sticker or draw a happy face each day on the date to show progress towards his/her goal. Before you know it...the goal will become a lifestyle habit.

I want to thank families again for their continued support of the ongoing BoxTops fundraiser. Amazingly those 10 cent little coupons add up fast! We just received another check from BoxTops for $912.10. The funds are used to pay for enrichment activities for our students, like field trips, our recent reindeer visit, and special events like a puppet theatre show coming to us in late April. Thank you so much for your efforts to send in those tiny coupons!! If you haven’t participated, all it takes is ripping or cutting off a tiny coupon from products, like cereal, granola bars, diapers, or tissues, and sending them in to school. For more information, click on Boxtops 4 Education under "Support Our School" in the LER Navigation bar to the left of this page.

If you have any questions about this fundraiser...or have any other questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to give me a call. Again, Happy New Year!!

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events

January
12th: GEPTA meeting, 6:00 at LER
18th: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day observed
28th: Assembly in LER gym, 8:45

February
5th: GEPTA Family Fun Night at River View, 6:00 - 7:30
15th - 19th: Winter vacation

March
5th: Trimester ends
13th: GETPA Family Fun Night Indoor Carnival, 3:00 - 5:00
17th: Early Release Day
19th: Spring pictures

April
16th: No school -workshop day
19th - 23rd: Spring vacation
30th: GEPTA Family Fun Night “Beach Night,” at River View

May
6th: LER Spring Concert, 10:00 & 2:00
19th: Early Release Day
21st: GEPTA Family Fun Night, 6:00
28th: No school - workshop day
31st: No school - Memorial Day

It’s Cold Outside!
Please help your student remember to dress appropriately for the cold weather!

GEPTA NEWS
Our next monthly meeting will be held January 12 at the Laura E. Richards School at 6:00 pm. Childcare will be provided and we might even have a door prize! We hope to see you there!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped make LER’s Student Holiday Bazaar such a great success! It was wonderful to see the students’ excited little faces as they so carefully and thoughtfully shopped for the special people in their lives.

The GEPTA is once again planning the annual LER and RVCS Book Swap which will kick off our yearly Read-A-Thon in February. Stay tuned for more details but feel free to start collecting any of your gently used books that you might want to trade in for new-to-you ones! Details about drop off dates, etc. will follow in your child’s mailbox soon!

Star Students
Each week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! The character skill for the month of December was caring, and January’s is teamwork. Congratulations to our Star Students!

BoxTops and Campbell’s Update
Additional collection sheets will be coming home with students this week. Be sure to fill them up and send them back to school! Watch for the combined December & January classroom winners in next month’s newsletter!

Ongoing Fundraisers
Remember send in your BoxTops for Education, Campbell’s points, and empty ink & toner cartridges! Also, sign up for Shaw’s Community Rewards at www.shaws.com.

LER Newsletter for December, 2009

Principal’s Notes
Dear Families,

November was certainly a busy month for sure! All our first and second graders completed the NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association). Math and reading skills were assessed. The assessment will be given again in May. At that time, student reports will be sent home to parents. The goal of the assessment is to show growth from fall to spring. There is more information included below in the parent toolkit. If you have any other questions, please feel free to call.

We have lots of positive school activities happening this December! First, tomorrow is our annual school Craft Fair from 9:00-2:00. There will be 68 crafters here! Our staff also hosts a bake sale with all proceeds benefitting LER. Again, we use the money to pay for field trips, enrichment programs, teacher/classroom needs, and special events, like our mini courses. I hope to see you tomorrow!

The reindeer is also coming for a visit again on Thursday, December 17th. We are looking forward to the visit! The children learn interesting facts about this animal and how it adapts to life in the arctic. Later on that same day at 2:00 we will have our SuperKids assembly and our holiday Sing-a-Long. Please join us if you can!

Finally on Friday, December 18, students will participate in our school-wide mini courses. Students are able to sign up for an activity that is hosted by a school staff person. These activities include cooking, crafts, games, and singing. This is a wonderful, positive school event that we all look forward to here at LER.

I know the holiday break will here before we know it!! I hope that you will all have a very happy holiday season with your families and friends! Enjoy these special times and memories!
Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events
December
4th: Scholastic Book Fair begins
4th: Report cards go home with students
5th: LER Craft Fair, 9:00 - 2:00
5th: GEPTA joining Gardiner Holiday Parade, line up at 12:15 near Loads of Fun
8th: GEPTA Basket Raffle tickets due
9th: Early Release Day - elementary students dismissed at 12:30, no Pre-K
9th: Hannaford School Dollars due
10th: RSVP for the GEPTA Crafts & Dinner Night due
12th: GEPTA Family Fun Night,5:00 - 7:00 at LER
16th: Last day for Scholastic Book Fair
17th: Reindeer visit LER
17th: Holiday Sing-a-Long, 2:00
18th: Mini-courses, 1:30
21st: GEPTA Holiday Bazaar
23rd: Holiday break begins - see you on January 4th!

January
4th: Welcome back!
12th: GEPTA meeting, 6:00 at LER
18th: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day observed

NWEA TESTING INFORMATION
First and second graders at LER recently completed the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) testing. The students will take the test again in the spring to measure levels of growth during the 2009-2010 school year. Our kindergarteners will also be participating in the spring testing. Since the testing is meant to measure academic growth and progress, you will not be receiving your child’s testing information until after the spring session.

Please visit http://www.nwea.org/support/article/930 to access the NWEA Parent Toolkit, which was created as a resource and guide for parents. It includes Frequently Asked Questions, Tips for Parents, a list of web site resources for parents and kids.

A Reminder of District Policy Regarding Pets on School Grounds
Please remember that no animals are allowed on
RSU #11 property without first getting permission
in writing from the building administrator.

It’s Getting Chilly Outside
Please help your student remember to dress appropriately for the colder weather!

Visit the LER School Store!
Our school store is now open before school on Mondays and Fridays in the office. Students can buy pencils, erasers, and other small school supplies. We also have LER Lions T-shirts.

GEPTA NEWS
Our next monthly meeting will be held Tuesday, January 12 at the Laura E. Richards School at 6:00 pm. Childcare will be provided and we might even have a door prize! We hope to see you there!

Please remember, even if you aren’t able to attend our monthly evening meetings, you are still welcome to join GEPTA! Perhaps you are interested in serving on one of our sub-committees? We have groups who work separately on our Family Fun Nights, Fundraising, Book Fairs/Reading Incentive, Scholarships, and more! Contact geptanews@gmail.com, Katherine at 582-8250, or Ellen at 582-9467 if you would like more information!

Our next Family Fun Night will be held on Saturday, December 12 from 5:00-7:00 pm at the Laura E. Richards School in Gardiner. It will be our annual Crafts and Dinner night! admission is free, but you must RSVP by December 10th. Look for more information coming home soon in your child’s folder!

We are still accepting donations of gently used, giftable items (especially for men) and wrapping paper, gifts bags and tissue for our L.E.R. Holiday Bazaar on December 21. Please send any donations to the box outside the L.E. R. Office. Thank you!

The GEPTA thanks you for all you do to help us support our school families and wishes you a safe and happy holiday season!

LER Holiday Craft Fair
Saturday, December 5th
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
at Laura Richards School
Crafts, concession, raffles, bake sale,
Proceeds benefit LER staff & students.
For more information or to volunteer, please contact Valerie Hanscom at 582-8182 or evakghanscom@msn.com

Fundraiser Orders & Backordered Items
There are still Meadow Farms Fundraiser orders waiting to be picked up from school. The backordered items have also arrived. If your family participated in the fundraiser and you have not yet picked up your order, please stop by the LER office as soon as possible. We are not able to send these items home on the bus.

Early Release Day
This Wednesday, December 9th, is an Early Release Day. Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30. There is no Pre-K on Early Release Days. Pre-K students will attend school on Friday, December 11th instead. Please note the remaining Early Release days for this school year:
December 9th
March 17th
May 19th

Please Note the Following Menu Changes:
Mon, Dec 7: Spaghetti & meat sauce OR Philly steak pocket sandwich (No Italian sandwiches)

Tues, Dec 8: Shephard’s pie OR chicken nuggets in a hot dog roll

Star Students
Each week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! The character skill for the month of November was positive attitude, and December’s is caring. Congratulations to our Star Student!

Tardy Arrivals
Please be sure that you bring your child inside and sign them in at the office if they are arriving after 8:25. Some tardy students are being marked absent, and it is also a safety concern when students are just dropped off.

SmileSafe Kids
The SmileSafe Kids program is a partnership between LifeTouch, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and thousand of schools nationwide to help families stay safer. Your child’s SmileSafe Kids ID card was sent home this week. Please visit www.smilesafekids.com for more information.

Mural Exhibition at Gerard’s Pizza
Thank you to everyone who stopped by Gerard’s Pizza
during the months of October & November to vote for their favorite mural. The classes creating the mural with the most votes received a pizza party from Gerard’s Pizza! All other students will receive a frosty treat for participating. Congratulations to the following winners:
Second grade - Mrs. Smith’s class
First grade - Mrs Malcolm’s class
Kindergarten - Mrs. Michaud’s class
It’s not too late to stop by to see the Pre-K murals!

Campbell's Update
We had a record month for collecting Campbell’s UPC labels! In November alone, our LER families collected 720 points. Our students now have two new basketballs, two new soccer balls, and six new twist ball hops to play with at recess. Thank you to all who have made this possible. Please continue sending in these UPC points!

BoxTops News
The BoxTops for Education winners for November are Mrs. Ellis’ morning class, Mrs. Carey’s kindergarten, Mrs. Malcolm’s first grade, and Mrs. Canning’s second grade. Thank you to everyone who is collecting the BoxTop symbols which earn cash for our school. Your efforts benefit each of our students!

Hannaford School Dollars
The last day to earn rewards dollars from the Hannaford Helps Schools program is Sunday, December 6th. Please send all of your reward certificates to school by Wednesday, December 9th so that we can redeem these valuable certificates before the program deadline!

Cinderella!
by Craig W Stump
Performed by the
GRMS Drama Club
December 3rd, 4th, and 5th
at 7:00 PM
at the GAHS Little Theater
$3.00 for Students/Seniors
$5.00 for Adults, $10.00 Family

Spaghetti Supper & Auction
Saturday December 5th
Gardiner Area High School
Supper 4:30-6:00
Auction 6:30
Supper $5.00 per person
All Proceeds to benefit
Project Graduation

GAHS Music Department Annual Holiday Concert
Monday, December 7th, 7:00 p.m. in the G.A.H.S. Gym
Come and enjoy the High School Jazz Ensemble and Concert Band as well as the High School Chorus and newly formed Show Choir.
Admission to the concert is free!

GEPTA’s Winter Basket Raffle
Each basket is valued at $200 or more! Tickets are just $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. Two books of tickets were sent home with each student this week, and are also available at the LER Craft Fair, Scholastic Book Fair, the GEPTA Craft & Dinner Night, or in the LER office. The drawing will be held at the GEPTA Craft & Dinner Night on December 12th.

Please note the following corrections to the Basket Raffle Tickets: Many of the tickets were printed incorrectly. The “Mother” basket is actually filled with “Home-Decor” items, and the “Father” basket is filled with “Kitchen” items. Please circle your choices according to this information.

The Scholastic Book Fair is Coming!
The Scholastic Book Fair will be at LER from Friday, December 4th through Wednesday, December 16th. We are looking for volunteers to share their time, talent, and energy with us. If you would like lend a hand, please contact Liz Brodie at 620-4718 or pta@flintandtinder.com. Be looking for the information that came home with your child this week.

Ongoing Fundraisers
Remember send in your Hannaford Helps coupons issued at the register, BoxTops for Education, Campbell’s points, and empty ink & toner cartridges! Also, sign up for Shaw’s Community Rewards at www.shaws.com.

Extra Clothing at School
Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

New Phone Numbers?
Please be sure that we have up-to-date contact information at all times in case we need to reach you during the school day.

LER Newsletter for November, 2009

Message from the Principal
Dear Families,

This month all children in first and second grade will be taking a district-wide assessment called the “Northwest Evaluation Association” (NWEA). The purpose of the assessment is to measure learning growth in reading and math from fall-to-spring and year-to-year. There are 4 assessments involved, 2 in reading and 2 in math, that take about 30 minutes each to complete. The assessment is administered on the computer and children use headphones to listen to directions. The assessment adapts to the individual levels of each child. For example, if your child answers questions correctly, the test gets harder. If your child answers questions incorrectly, then the test gets easier. The goal is to find the skills your child is ready for at his or her instructional level. Your child’s teacher can then use the information to adapt instruction that is appropriate to your child’s learning needs.

Your child’s teacher will be letting you know when your child will be taking the NWEA. Here are some tips to help your child do his/her best on the day of the assessment:

•Make sure that your child gets enough sleep on the night before

•Encourage your child to do well but don’t pressure him/her

•Make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast and avoid heavy foods or foods with high sugar content that can make your child feel groggy or hyper

•Make sure your child gets up early enough to be sure he/she is on time for school

We will begin the assessments next week. Again, the goal is to identify your child’s instructional skill level and to track growth over time. If you have any questions, please call me or your child’s teacher.

On another note, the weather has gotten colder much earlier this year. We have limited hats, mittens, and coats in the office. Please be sure your child has warm clothes available to be comfortable outside. Thank you!

As always, if you ever have a concern, question, or want to chat, please call or stop by to visit! My door is always open!

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Upcoming Events

November
10th: Last Walking School Bus until Spring, 7:50
10th: GEPTA meeting at LER, 6:00
11th: No school, Veteran’s Day
13th: GEPTA Family Fun Night at RV,
more info to follow
20th: End of first trimester
25th-27th: No school, Happy Thanksgiving!

December
5th: LER Craft Fair, 9:00 - 2:00
9th: Early Release Day
16th: LER Flu Shot Clinic
17th: Holiday Sing-a-Long, 2:00
18th: Mini-courses, 1:30
21st: GEPTA Holiday Bazaar
23rd: Holiday break begins - see you on January 4th!

For safety reasons,
please do not drop your child off at school before 8:10. There is no supervision inside or on the playground until then.

Important Attendance Note -
If your child will not be coming to school, please call us at 582-3612. All student absences are considered unexcused until parental contact has been made with the office.

A Reminder of District Policy Regarding Pets on School Grounds
Please remember that no animals are allowed on
RSU #11 property without first getting permission
in writing from the building administrator.

It’s Getting Chilly Outside
Please help your student remember to dress appropriately for the colder weather!

GEPTA NEWS:
We have been busy at the GEPTA planning our year and finishing up our Meadow Farms fundraiser! A huge thank you to everyone who helped us with our biggest fundraiser of the year! We will use the money raised to sponsor class field trips, give free books to our students through our Reading Incentive Program, sponsor monthly Family Fun Nights, buy necessary equipment for our schools, offer college scholarships to Gardiner Elementary graduates, and so much more! Orders will be coming in soon and we’ll keep you posted regarding their delivery.

Our next monthly meeting will be held November 10th at 6:00 at the Laura E. Richards School. Childcare will be provided and we might even have a door prize! We hope to see you
there!

Please keep remember, even if you aren’t able to attend our monthly evening meeting, you are still welcome to join GEPTA! Perhaps you are interested in serving on one of our sub-committees? We have groups who work separately on our Family Fun Nights, Fundraising, Book Fairs/Reading Incentive, Scholarships, and more! Contact geptanews@gmail.com , Katherine at 582-8250, or Ellen at 582-9467 if you would like more information!

You are invited to join us for a Family Fun Dance Night! Friday, November 13 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm at the RVCS School Gym. All LER and RVCS students and their families are welcome to attend! The Book Fair will be open, too!

Only One More Walking School Bus!
Students and parents are invited to join Mrs. Moody and Mr. Anderson at the Gardiner Common at 7:50 on Tuesday, November 10th, weather permitting, as we walk to school together. This will be our final Walking School Bus until the warm weather returns in the spring!

Please note that there is no school for students on Wednesday, November 11th in observance of Veteran’s Day. There is no school for students Wednesday, November 25th through Friday, November 27th in celebration of Thanksgiving.

Campbell's & Box Tops Update
What a way to start off our school year!! In the months of September and October, our LER families collected 983 points worth of Campbell's UPCs. Just a friendly reminder to fill up those 1- and 5-point collection sheets. Campbell's points are not counted towards the monthly Box Tops contest, but if we pass in a full sheet we receive bonus points! Here are our first Box Tops winners of the school year... Mrs. Ellis’ am Pre-K
Mrs. Carey’s kindergarten
Mrs. Cockrell’s 1st grade
Mrs. Murphy’s 2nd grade
The total value of Box Tops collected by the whole school was $298.70. Incredible !!

Extra Clothing at School
Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

Star Students
Each week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! The character skill for the month of October was respect, and November’s is positive attitude. Congratulations our Star Students!

New Phone Numbers?
Please be sure that we have up-to-date contact information at all times in case we need to reach you during the school day.

Thinking Spring?
The RSU #11 Music Department has announced its schedule for the school year. The LER Spring concert will be held on May 6th at 10:00 & 2:00.

Early Release Days
Please note that Wednesday, December 9th is an Early Release Day. Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30. There is no Pre-K on Early Release Days. Pre-K students attend school on Friday instead.

Mural Exhibition at Gerard’s Pizza
During the months of October & November, grade levels from LER are taking turns filling the windows of Gerard’s Pizza in downtown Gardiner. Visitors are able to go inside and cast a vote for their favorite mural. The class creating the mural with the most votes receives a pizza party from Gerard’s Pizza! All other students will receive a frosty treat for participating. So far, the following classes are looking forward to celebrating with a pizza party:
Second grade - Mrs. Smith’s class
First grade - Mrs Malcolm’s class
It’s not too late to stop by and vote for your favorite kindergarten and Pre-K mural!

LER Holiday Craft Fair
Saturday, December 5th
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
at Laura Richards School
Crafts, concession, raffles, bake sale,
Proceeds benefit LER students
For more information or to volunteer, please contact Valerie Hanscom at 582-8182 or evakghanscom@msn.com

No School Announcements
In the event that schools are unable to open due to inclement weather, announcements will be broadcast on TV stations channel 6, 8, & 13 and by radio stations WABK and WMME as early as possible. Cancellations are also posted on WABI’s StormWatch at www.wabi.tv .. Please listen for the announcements and do not call the schools, principals, superintendent, or teachers. Occasionally, school is dismissed early during the day, which would also be announced on these radio and television stations.

GAHS Drama Club Presents
Tuck Everlasting
- An adaptation of Natalie Babbit's classic children's story,
November 5th & 6th at 7:00
November 7th at 2:00
at the High School Little Theater
$3.oo for students, $5.oo for adults

Ongoing Fundraisers-
LER & GEPTA continue to participate in these ongoing programs which will help us to raise funds or supplies that benefit all of our students -

Hannaford Helps Schools - From now through December 6th, shoppers will receive school dollar certificates at the register with the purchase of participating products, which Hannaford will redeem for cash for our school. Hannaford will also grant an additional $1,000 to the school that raises the most funds! Please be sure to send these valuable certificates to school.

Campbell's Labels for Education - Collect UPC codes and logos (instead of front labels) from Campbell's products as well as many other products with the “Labels for Education” logo. Please note that Campbell’s is now accepting only the UPC code and logo for redemption, and no longer accepts the front label.

Please note we are no longer participating in the Terracycle yogurt container recycling program.

Notes from the Office
If your child will be absent from school, please call the office at 582-3612 to let us know. If your child arrives to school late, be sure to sign him/her in at the office so that they are not marked absent for the day.

Please note that if your child arrives after
8:25, he or she is considered tardy. If your child is signed out before 2:55, it is considered a dismissal. All tardiness and dismissals are part of your child’s permanent attendance records.

Thank you for respecting our learning time by making sure your child arrives on time each day, and by not dismissing your child early unless it is an emergency!

LER Newsletter for October, 2009

Dear Families,

Our school year is off to a great start! I am so pleased to see students settled nicely into classroom routines and actively engaged in their learning!

This weekend the GEPTA hosted the Octoberfest celebration. We had a huge turnout! Many families enjoyed fall festivities inside our school despite the rainy day outside! Please check out our school
website for some great photos of the event. Keep a lookout for more upcoming Family Fun Night events sponsored by our GEPTA!

Parent Teacher conferences are scheduled for the week of October 20th. Your child’s teacher will be contacting you soon to schedule an appointment to discuss your child’s progress. You may wish to bring a list of questions with you to parent-teacher conferences. Conferences are a great way to connect with your child’s teacher and to be informed about the learning happening in your child’s classroom. I encourage you to continue to stay in regular contact with your child’s teacher throughout the school year.

This week is Fire Safety week. Our students enjoyed a presentation sponsored by the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office. The program focused on fire prevention in the home. The presentation included a hazard house model, which showed household hazards in each room. The presenter then discussed with students how to fix or remove those fire hazards. Students also learned the importance of fire escapes and smoke detectors. This Thursday our local Gardiner fire department will visit with classrooms to demonstrate their uniforms and equipment and to share more safety tips. Again, check our website for pictures of these presentations.

Our school system will soon be hosting flu shots offered by The Maine Department of Education and the Maine Centers for Disease Control. Attached in this newsletter is a letter from Superintendent, Dr. Paul Knowles that gives an update on the flu vaccines. More information regarding the flu is also on our school’s website.

This weekend is a 4-day weekend for your children. Friday is a Teacher Workshop Day and Monday is Columbus Day. I hope you are able to get outside to enjoy our fall season this weekend as the leaves have peaked and many orchards are open for apple picking!

If you ever have a question or concern or just want to visit, please do not hesitate to call me or stop by my office.

Yours in the service of children,

Karen Moody

Upcoming Events

October
9th: Workshop Day - no school for students
12th: Columbus Day - no school
13th-16th:Bus Driver Appreciation Week
13th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
13th: GEPTA meeting, 6:00 at RV
19th-23rd: School Lunch Week at LER
19th: Parent-Teacher Conferences this week
20th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
21st: Early Release Day (Elementary students dismissed at 12:30, no school for Pre-K)
27th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
30th: Miss Spider’s Tea Party, 2:00,kindergarten

November
3rd: Walking School Bus, 7:50
10th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
11th: No school, Veteran’s Day
13th: GEPTA Family Fun Night at RV,
more info to follow
17th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
20th: End of first trimester
24th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
25th-27th: No school, Happy Thanksgiving!

LER Lions T-Shirts
We have LER T-shirts in youth sizes and a variety of great colors for sale in the office for $12.00 each.

Opening Soon -- the LER School Store!
Our school store will soon be open before school on Mondays and Fridays in the office. Students can buy pencils, erasers, and other small school supplies.

Walking School Bus
Students and parents are invited to join Mrs. Moody and Mr. Anderson at the Gardiner Common at 7:50 each Tuesday morning, weather permitting, as we walk to school together!

GEPTA NEWS:
Thank you to all the parents, teachers, and staff who helped make our rainy day Octoberfest such a success! Despite the soggy weather, we managed to squeeze in almost all of our planned activities (and added a few new ones!) into the LER School for some Fall Family Fun. Special thanks to Principal Moody for so generously opening the school for our event!

Our next monthly meeting will be held October 13th at the River View Community School. Childcare will be provided and we might even have a door prize! We hope to see you there!

Please keep in mind, even if you aren’t able to attend our monthly evening meeting, you are still welcome to join GEPTA! Perhaps you are interested in serving on one of our sub-committees? We have groups who work separately on our Family Fun Nights, Fundraising, Book Fairs/Reading Incentive, Scholarships, and more! Contact geptanews@gmail.com , Katherine at 582-8250, or Ellen at 582-9467 if you would like to help!

Plans are underway for our November Family Fun Night (November 13th at the River View Community School) so stay tuned for details!

Please note that there is no school for students on Friday, October 9th because of a staff workshop day, and on Monday, October 12th, in observance of Columbus Day.

Parent - Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher conferences will be taking place soon. Your child’s teacher will be contacting you to set up an appointment. This is a great time to meet with your child’s teacher, to hear about how your child is progressing at school, and to build a strong home-school connection.

A Reminder of District Policy Regarding Pets on School Grounds
Please remember that no animals are allowed on
RSU #11 property without first getting permission
in writing from the building administrator.

Adult Ed Offerings -
Strong Body, Strong Mind,
Balanced Body, Balanced Mind
Dr. Andrew Wawra
Dr. Wawra is a practicing Chiropractor with a particular interest in parent/child wellness. In this workshop parent/child pairs will learn practical exercises which calm the mind and body and also improve coordination and concentration.
All ages welcome. Bring a mat. High School Library.
Tuesday, October 13th, 6:00-7:00 pm - 2 classes
No Charge – Be Our Guest

Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge
The Knights of Columbus Soccer challenge will be held at the Gardiner Regional Middle School on Saturday, October 10th at 1:00 pm. All boys and girls ages 8 -14 are invited to participate. Winners of each group will be invited to the State Soccer Championship Competition. For more information, contact Pat Berends at 446-4011.
(This is not an RSU#11 sponsored event.)

Thinking Spring?
The RSU #11 Music Department has announced its schedule for the school year. The LER Spring concert will be held on May 6th at 10:00 & 2:00. Mark your calendars in advance for either performance!

Early Release Days
Please note that Wednesday, October 21st is an Early Release Day. Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30. There is no Pre-K on Early Release Days. Pre-K students attend school on Friday instead.

Extra Clothing at School
Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

Important LER Bus Scheduling Change
Please note that starting Tuesday, October 13th, we will begin dismissing our bus students 5 – 10 minutes earlier. From now on, you should expect your child to arrive at his/her bus stop a few minutes sooner in the afternoon. Please plan accordingly. Students who are being picked up will still be dismissed at 2:55. The morning bus schedule will remain the same.

Ongoing Fundraisers-
Remember to keep sending in your Hannaford Helps coupons issued at the register, BoxTops for Education, Campbell’s points, and empty ink & toner cartridges! Also, sign up for Shaw’s Community Rewards at www.shaws.com.

Please note we are no longer participating in the Terracycle yogurt container recycling program.

School Lunch Week at LER
October 19th - 23rd is School Lunch Week at LER. Please look for the form that came home with your student today, and remember to make your reservations in advance.

LER Newsletter for September, 2009

Principal’s Notes

Dear Families,

Welcome to the 2009-10 school year! For those of you who were able to join us for the First Day of School Celebration, I hope you enjoyed all of our festivities and information! Many, many thanks to Katherine Kollman-Veit who organized this event! It was an absolutely wonderful way to begin the school year. I will put pictures of the first day on our school website as soon as we receive media release forms from students.

We have new members to our LER school family this year! Amber Taylor and Emily Coughlan have joined Tena Hinds as ed techs in our STEPS program. Melanie Ward is also joining us in our Four Year Old Program as an ed tech. I hope you will join me in welcoming them to Laura Richards School!

We are enjoying a smooth start to this school year. Teachers are busy getting students into their school routines, and I have seen many happy faces throughout the building and playground! Our entire school staff is committed to helping every child succeed while encouraging and fostering positive relationships with staff and other children. A positive school community is vital to student achievement! We sincerely invite families to take an active role here at Laura Richards. This may include volunteerism or attendance at school activities like our monthly assemblies, Parent-Teacher conferences, and GEPTA events.

Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody

Please see the article in this newsletter with important information regarding school attendance.

Upcoming Events

September
16th: Early Release Day (Elementary students dismissed at 12:30, no school for Pre-K)
18th: Family Fun Night at LER, Ice Cream Social, 6:00 - 7:00
22nd: Walking School Bus, meet at the Common at 7:50
22nd: GEPTA fundraiser begins
29th: Walking School Bus, 7:50

October
3rd: GEPTA Octoberfest, 11:00 - 3:00, at the Gardiner Common
4th: Rain date for Octoberfest
5th: Picture day
6th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
9th: Workshop Day - no school for students
12th: Columbus Day - no school
13th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
13th: GEPTA meeting, 6:00 at RV
20th: Walking School Bus, 7:50
21st: Early Release Day (Elementary students dismissed at 12:30, no school for Pre-K)
27th: Walking School Bus, 7:50

For safety reasons,
please do not drop your child off at school before 8:10. There is no supervision inside or on the playground until then.

LER Lions T-Shirts
We have LER T-shirts in youth sizes and a variety of great colors for sale in the office for $12.00 each.

Opening Soon -- the LER School Store!
Our school store will soon be open before school on Mondays and Fridays in the office. Students can buy pencils, erasers, and other small school supplies.

Walking School Bus
Students and parents are invited to join Mrs. Moody and Mr. Anderson at the Gardiner Common at 7:50 each Tuesday morning, beginning September 22nd, weather permitting, as we walk to school together!

GEPTA NEWS
Our first meeting of the year was a great success. New faces, new ideas, and new energy are always exciting! Please keep in mind, even if you aren’t able to attend our monthly evening meeting, you are still welcome to join GEPTA! Perhaps you are interested in serving on one of our sub-committees? We have groups who work separately on our Family Fun Nights, Octoberfest, Fundraising, Book Fairs, Scholarships, and more! Contact geptanews@gmail.com or Katherine at 582-8250 if you would like to help!

Our next monthly meeting will be held October 13th at the River View Community School. Child care will be provided and we might even have a door prize! We hope to see you there!

Free Family Fun Night for September: You are invited to an Ice Cream Social! Friday, September 18th from 6:00 -7:00 pm in the LER Gym. Come enjoy a sweet treat with us!

Save the date for Octoberfest!
Saturday, October 3rd from 11:00-3:00 on the Gardiner Common. Come enjoy games, crafts, food, and fun! Contact Veronica at 441-2059 or email geptanews@gmail.com for more information.

LER’s First Day Celebration a Success -
Thanks to All of You!
Thank you to everyone who helped make our First Day of School Celebration such a fantastic success!

The GEPTA sends our sincere thanks to those businesses whose generous donations made our First Day of School Celebration possible:

Subway of Gardiner
Bagel Mainea
Millstream Restaurant
Blue Sky Bakery
R&B Dance Company
Movie Gallery
Ainslie’s Market
Pasta’z
Kennebec Valley YMCA
Dunkin’ Donuts
The Village Jeweler
Target
Olive Garden
A-1 Diner
Reny’s
Gerard’s Pizza
Shaw’s
Sam’s Club
Gardiner Federal Credit Union
The Children’s Discovery Museum

Campbell’s & BoxTops Update
Last year, LER families collected 3,143 Campbell’s points, and earned $928.30 for our school through BoxTops for Education. We are already off to a great start, and we’re sure we can earn even more this year! Please see page 3 of this newsletter for more ways to help our school!

Ongoing Fundraisers-
LER & GEPTA continue to participate in these ongoing programs which will help us to raise funds or supplies that benefit all of our students -

Printer cartridges - We participate in a program in which we collect printer cartridges of all types and sizes, which are redeemed for cash. Please send your empty cartridges to school.

Campbell's Labels for Education - Collect UPC codes and logos (instead of front labels) from Campbell's products as well as many other products with the “Labels for Education” logo. Please note that Campbell’s is now accepting only the UPC code and logo for redemption, and no longer accepts the front label.

Please note we are no longer participating in the Terracycle yogurt container recycling program.

Legal FYI Regarding Maine’s Truancy Law
Students who are the ages of 7 through 17 must go to school. If your child is at least 7 years old, he/she is considered habitually truant if he/she misses 5 unexcused school days in a row or 7 unexcused school days in one school year. Excused absences include: personal illness; an appointment with a health professional that must be made during the regular school day; observance of a recognized religious holiday when the observance is required during the regular school day; a family emergency; and, a planned absence for a personal or educational purpose that has been approved. Schools must be notified when your child will be absent from school; otherwise, your child will be marked “unexcused”. Truancy violations carry a $250.00 fine for responsible adults.

Notes from the Office
If your child will be absent from school, please call the office to let us know or e-mail the secretary at shoudlette@msad11.org. If your child arrives to school late, be sure to sign him/her in at the office so that they are not marked absent for the day.

Thank you for respecting our learning time by making sure your child arrives on time each day, and by not dismissing your child early unless it is an emergency!

Star Students
Each week, we recognize a Star Student from each classroom. Teachers choose a student who has demonstrated the character skill of the month. Each Star Student receives a certificate, a special pencil, and has his or her picture taken! The character skill for the month of September is responsibility. Be watching next month’s newsletter for our September Star Students!

School Picture Day
Lifetouch will be here to take school pictures on Monday, October 5th. More information will be coming home with your student soon!

Extra Clothing at School
Each student should have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. Be sure to label all of your child’s belongings.

New Phone Numbers?
Please be sure that we have up-to-date contact information at all times in case we need to reach you during the school day.

Forms for the New School Year
Please be sure to complete all of the forms that were sent home with your student, and return them to school if you have not already done so. This information will help us to provide a safe and positive school year for your child.

Please be certain to return all free & reduced meal applications to school as soon as possible. If your financial situation changes at any time during the school year and you feel you may qualify, please let us know and we will send you a new application.

Families should also review the school calendar and make a note of important dates such as Early Release Days, workshop days, holidays and school vacations.

Early Release Days
Our first Early Release day of the school year will be Wednesday, September 16th. Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30. There is no Pre-K on Early Release Days. Pre-K students will attend school on Friday instead. Please note the following Early Release days for the 2009-2010 school year:
September 16th
October 21st
December 9th
March 17th
May 19th

Lawn Sale
to benefit the Gardiner Youth Hockey Association
at the Storage Depot,
Brunswick Avenue, Gardiner
Saturday, September 12th, 8:00 - 4:00

Swing into Golf
A FREE "involved clinic" at
The Meadows, Litchfield,
for students ages 5-10 attending
Gardiner, Monmouth, Oak Hill, or Richmond schools,
on Saturday, October 10th
9:00 - 11:00
(Rain date, October 17th)
Participants must be accompanied by an adult.
(These are not RSU #11 sponsored events)