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PCS NEWS 01/16/26

Dear PCS families,

I hope this week's Friday News finds you all well. I want to share some important updates heading into the long weekend!

Upcoming Dates:

Monday 1/19 - No School in observance of MLK Jr. Day

Tuesday 1/20 - Winter Sports

Thursday 1/22 - Caregiver's Conversation - see below!

Friday 1/23 - No School for Teacher In-service

A note from a 6th grade writing group!

Dear PCS families,

Our 6th grade writing class is doing a project to help the Windham County Humane Society. This is an important cause because every animal deserves food and toys. On the Humane Society website they said dogs and cats mostly need food. We want to help by having families donate dog and/or cat food of any kind, money, or toys. If you would like to donate food or toys you can drop the items in the front foyer of the school in a box that we made. If you want to donate money you can go on https://www.windhamcountyhumane.org/ to donate! You can also make a huge impact in the pet community by adopting a pet or fostering. Right now there are no cats and there are 7 dogs and 2 rabbits.

Thank you PCS families!

Sincerely,

Sixth Grade writing class

A call for firewood donation

We have exhausted our firewood supply! If anyone has any split wood to spare, we would welcome it for class fires in the forest. We have a firewood shed between the playground and the pool, and would welcome drop-offs there, or we can mobilize some students to travel to pick up if that's easier. Thank you in advance!

Report Cards
The end of the first semester is Friday, January 23rd. We will prepare report cards that day, and they will come home with students on Friday, January 30th

School Budget Process:

The proposed school budget for the 2026-27 school year is currently in the phase of. being reviewed by the school board. All budget documents can be found here. Please know that my central focus as a school administrator is creating a school environment in which students can thrive academically and socially while being mindful of the financial impact on our community. While PCS's piece is only a fraction of the overwall WSESD budget, here is some baseline information about the overall proposal:

PCS's overall budget proposal for the upcoming year shows a 2.8% overall increase.
Considering the sharp rise in health insurance coverage for staff, this reflects a reduction in other areas to try to contain costs.
The overall proposed WSESD budget shows a 2.6% increase.
The proposed budget would result in a slight reduction in the education portion of the property tax rate for Putney residents

The conversation around the budget will be ongoing, and the central focus of the next few WSESD board meetings if you would like to attend. Also, I am happy to connect anytime if you have questions about the PCS portion or the overall budget process.

Summer Camp Info!

It is time to start thinking about PCS summer camp! This year, camp will look a little bit differently. We intend to hold 3 weeks of traditional PCS summer camp during the first 3 full weeks of July (July 6, 13 and 20). This camp will be for rising 1st - 5th, and our hope is to again have a 6th-8th grader counselors in training program. In addition this year, we will hold a "Jump Start back to School" camp during the weeks of August 10th and 17th for rising 1st - 5th graders. This camp will primarily be by invite.

Sign ups for the July camps will come out during the first week of February, and we will finalize enrollment just before February break.

I hope you have a great long weekend! We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back on Tuesday!

Jon

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Upcoming Activities, Community Events and More!

Staff Highlight

Jen Dimayuga- 4th/5th Grade Paraeducator

Counselor's Corner

1/27/26

Counselor’s Corner

What We’ve Been Working On

Over the past several weeks, students across grades K–5 have been building important social-emotional skills during our counseling lessons.

In grades K–3, our focus has been on the Second Step curriculum, where students are learning how to recognize feelings, calm their bodies, and solve problems. Primary students have been practicing a variety of calm-down tools and learning that when emotions run high, the brain’s “alarm system” (the amygdala!) takes over, making it hard to think clearly or solve problems. Because of this, we emphasize that the first step is always calming down. Many students can even sing our catchy reminder:
“Stop, name your feeling, take a belly breath… and you calm right down!” 🎶
Once calm, students practice simple, age-appropriate steps to problem-solve and ask for help when needed.

Problem-Solving Steps

Stop
Calm your body and brain first. (Belly breaths, counting, calm-down tools.)
Say the Problem, without blame

What is happening? What do you want or need?

Think of Solutions
Come up with safe and respectful ideas.
Explore Consequences
What might happen if you try each solution?
Pick the Best Solution
Choose one that is safe, fair, and helps everyone.

In grades 4–5, we’ve been spending time exploring the Let Grow program, which focuses on building independence, confidence, and resilience. Students have had thoughtful conversations about comfort zones and stretch zones, and how feelings of anxiety often show up when we try new or challenging things. Students are currently planning their first Let Grow independence project, which they will complete and then reflect on before the February vacation. We’ve been especially focused on helping students notice what they learn about themselves when they try something just outside their comfort zone.

Looking ahead, we are excited for our annual Unity, Kindness, and Spirit Week, taking place the week of February 16th. This week is a special opportunity for our school community to celebrate connection, kindness, and belonging. Details around Unity Week are below.

As always, it’s a joy to watch students practice these skills, use the language of emotions, and support one another. Thank you for partnering with us as we help students grow socially, emotionally, and independently.

Try This at Home

When your child is upset, try naming the feeling out loud before jumping to solutions: “It looks like you’re feeling frustrated.” This helps calm the brain so problem-solving can happen.
Practice a belly breath together (hand on belly, slow breath in through the nose, slow breath out through the mouth).
For older students, ask: “Was that in your comfort zone or your stretch zone?” and celebrate the effort, not just the outcome.
Remember: independence grows best with small, safe opportunities to try, make mistakes, and try again.

Children’s book for emotion management:

One More Parenting Resource:

Podcast Recommendation: Flusterclux With Lynn Lyons: For Parents Who Worry – Recent Episode: "Giving Yourself Permission To Let Your Kids Feel Uncomfortable” (Jan 23, 2026)

This episode offers thoughtful guidance on helping children navigate big emotions, such as frustration and disappointment, in healthy ways. It’s a great listen for parents looking for practical strategies that support emotional resilience and readiness for learning.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out for support, or just to say hi!

All the best,

Counselor Marisa