March Newsletter
March 1, 2024
Principal's Corner
March 1, 2024
Dear IRS Families,
I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful February break and the warm temperatures outside. As we move into March we start the State mandated testing series. We will be administering the writing assessment over the first two weeks in March with the rest of the test schedule for the month of May. March is also the time of year where our eighth graders start signing up for high school classes next year.
Event coming our way in the month of March:
Grade 8 NAEP test will be March 5 and only 50 grade 8 students participate, the NAEP folks administer and select randomly who takes the test.
March 6 grade 8 will be taking the SAS writing test.
March 7 grade 7 will be taking the SAS writing test.
March 11 grade 8 visits the high school and starts the signing up process for next year.
March 12 grade 5 will be taking the SAS writing test.
March 13 grade 6 will be taking the SAS writing test.
March 27 is the Student of the Month assembly.
March 28 is an Early Dismissal day.
March 29 there is no school for students as we have a teacher workshop day.
Welcome back to warm temps and sunny days ahead, enjoy our newsletter.
Warmest Regards,
Kevin Towle
Principal
New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System (NHSAS)
We know that testing is never a favorite for students, but we wanted to provide some tips to help your student be a successful test-taker. On the day of the test, remind your student to do their best and take their time with the test.
Mark the days of statewide testing on your calendar- remind your student this is coming up so it is not a surprise.
Adequate Sleep - Make sure your student gets enough sleep the night before testing
Breakfast / Snacks - Your student should eat a healthy and hearty breakfast. If you’d like to provide a snack for your child's class we will gladly accept them. For our 8th grade students, please try to coordinate with Mrs. Donica (LDonica@MVRSD.ORG) and Mrs. Ball (EBall@MVRSD.ORG) if you'd like to provide snacks. Some great “brain foods” are jerky, nuts, yogurts, cheesesticks, apples/bananas with nut butter, and granola bars.
Hydration - Sending your child to school with a water bottle is key.
Be on time the day of the test- make sure your student has set an alarm to not oversleep so your student doesn’t feel rushed on testing day.
The New Hampshire SAS testing is coming up shortly. Attached below you will find the letter from Principal Towle with that dates of the SAS testing for each subject.
IRS School Spirit Store
We've had many students and parents ask about sweatshirts and shirt from the IRS School Spirit Store so we decided to do another round. Below you will find the link to order your gear!
Solar Eclipse - April 8, 2024
We wanted to get out information about the Solar Eclipse that will be happening in April. The northeast has a great opportunity to view the Total Solar Eclipse this year. A brief search online states that the last time the Northeast was able to view a total solar eclipse was 1959 and may not happen again until 2079. At the bottom of this section you will find a link to purchase eye protection to view the eclipse safely.
Below is an excerpt from Nasa's website (https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/)
"A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. People located in the center of the Moon’s shadow when it hits Earth will experience a total eclipse. The sky will darken, as if it were dawn or dusk. Weather permitting, people in the path of a total solar eclipse can see the Sun’s corona, the outer atmosphere, which is otherwise usually obscured by the bright face of the Sun. A total solar eclipse is the only type of solar eclipse where viewers can momentarily remove their eclipse glasses (which are not the same as regular sunglasses) for the brief period of time when the Moon is completely blocking the Sun. The next total solar eclipse in the U.S. will be on April 8, 2024."
Information from The Great American Eclipse website
February Student of the Month
Athletics
With the exception of the Karp's Klassic in Hanover our winter sports are now over. You can catch our Boys Team at the Klassic on Saturday 3/16 at 5:45pm at the Lang Metcalf Gym in Hanover, and our girls team on Sunday 3/17 at 12:45pm at the Lang Metcalf Gym in Lebanon. Below you can see the brackets for our two teams participating in the Klassic.
Drama Club presents Annie Jr!
Dr. Lorenz and the Drama Club proudly present Annie Jr!
The production will be on April 26, 27 and 28.
If your student is part of the production you should have a calendar of all the important dates.
Spring OLE
The winter OLE program wraps up this week and we are already thinking about spring! The Outdoor Learning Experience by Dartmouth plans to begin their spring program during the last week of March. Please fill out the attached forms and return them ASAP if your child would like to participate in the spring session, we'd like to have them back by 3/15.
If you need a paper copy please notify the school and we will send it home with your student.
Upcoming Events
Cell Phone Policy
We would like to remind you and your student about Indian River School's Electronic Devices policy. The below excerpt comes directly from the Student Handbook, page 23, which is in the front of their agendas.
"Electronic Devices During School: Though students may have their cell phone and other electronic devices on their person or in their locker throughout the day, these items may not be out without explicit permission from a staff member between 7:40am and 3:00pm. If these items become visible, even if they are not in use, the student in possession of the electronic device will be given a verbal warning. If the electronic device is not removed from view immediately, or if the electronic device becomes visible again in the same school day, the student will be referred to the administration. Electronic devices that reach administration will be confiscated for the duration of the school day and returned to the student upon dismissal. If a student is referred to the administration for the possession of an electronic device for the second time in the same school year, that device will be confiscated and will be returned, no to the student, but to the parent or guardian of that student. Each subsequent violation of the school's electronic policy will result in the same consequence for the duration of the school year."
"Appropriate Telephone Use: Students may use their personal cell phones to text or make a call ONLY in the Front Office and with the permission of an administrator, administrative assistant OR secretary. Before school, during lunch or recess, or after school; or with permission from the nurse a teacher or an activity sponsor; students may use the school office phone to make a call to a parent or family caregiver to request transportation due to illness, to confirm transportation home, to communicate a school-designated change in an after-school activity, or to relate information about an emergency."
MVRSD News
Join the Mascoma Valley Regional School District family! Check out the available job openings below.
Below you will find the 2024-2025 district calendar.