Congratulations to Christine Poulin and Edward Millette who were
married at the East Congregational Church in Concord, NH, on
February 29, 2012. Following the ceremony, a family dinner was held
at the Red Blazer Restaurant in Concord, NH.
The Old Home Day Committee will meet on Thursday, March 22, at 7 pm
at the Fire Station. Old Home Day is August 18 this year and the
theme is "Under the Big Top."
March 24 and 25 is Maple Weekend in New Hampshire. Please stop by a
local sugar house to observe their operation and purchase their
wares. Some families take a tour and visit several sugar houses.
Each one is different, and there are several in the
Pittsfield/Loudon area.
Happy Birthday to Sharon Wescomb on March 22 and to Sean Menard and
Keith Davison, Jr., on March 26.
The Chichester Grange Penny Sale is coming up on March 31 from 10 am
until noon at the Chichester Grange/Town Hall. Arrive between 10 and
10:30 to buy a block of tickets and distribute them on the many
small items of a yard sale variety that will be spread out on
tables. The numbers will be drawn starting at 11:30 and most folks
should go home with at least one article if not more. It is
inexpensive fun for the whole family and helps Chichester Grange to
raise money to contribute to the window project for the Grange/Town
Hall.
Out Of Your Attic Thrift Shop News
Submitted By Carol Hendee
We are trying to help the Chichester school with their spring play.
They need white sheets and umbrellas (they do not have to work.)
Hard to imagine, we do not have one white sheet. If you have one,
even with holes, please drop it off for CCS (they need to make
ghosts.)
Things are looking very spring-like! Winter clothing has been put
away, some for next season, some to go north and some for the
homeless shelter in Concord. Thank you all for your wonderful
response to the need for mittens, hats, coats, etc. We have a nice
selection of Easter goodies and a small selection of flower pots,
garden books and lawn care. Also, some great books on barbecue,
which, hopefully, can be done soon!
We’re at 345 Suncook Valley Highway, Chichester, open on Mon. 8-12,
Tues. and Thurs. 8-4, Wed. 11-4, and Sat. 10-4. Our phone number is
247-7191.
Chichester Library News
The Chichester Town Library will be hosting a presentation from the
Concord-Merrimack SPCA during our story hour on Thursday, March 29th
from 11:00 am to 12 noon. Shannon Camara will talk about how to
properly care for a pet, how to read a cat or dog’s body language,
how to be safe around unfamiliar animals. Some gentle furry visitors
are expected to visit as well.
All preschool and kindergarten age children are welcome. Children
are welcome to bring a bag lunch and eat at the library. The program
is free, but donations of pet care items are appreciated, Purina One
is preferred, or dog and cat toys. For more information call
798-5613.
Ayn Whytemare, from Found Well Farm, will host another gardening
workshop on Wednesday, March 29th at 6:30.
Chichester School District Meeting
Chichester’s School District meeting on March 10th was one of the
speediest and friendliest on record. Moderator Nancy Fraher has both
the voice and the personality for the job, and the warrant was short
and specific. The meeting convened at 9 am and finished at 10:15 am.
Principal Pamela Stiles delivered her "state of the school" message
in the form of a short film. It showed students of all ages actively
engaged in learning by interacting with each other and using the
latest technology. It was the sort of film one sees at a teacher
training session as the ideal to strive for, and it is happening
every day right here in our small town. Chichester is one of the few
schools in the state which continues to achieve "adequate yearly
progress" each year. Truly, we have a school to be proud of.
Ben Brown presented the budget. It showed a decrease in special
education costs due to early intervention and to a new program which
allows several students, who once needed to be sent out of district,
to be educated at Chichester School. In the coming months the School
Board will explore the possibility of educating a few out of
district students on a tuition basis, thus making full use of
Chichester’s facilities and generating some revenue for the school.
A small eighth grade will mean less high school tuition to pay next
year. A smaller number of students in the lower grades means that
one fewer teacher will be needed next year. The budget was brought
to a vote and passed by a comfortable majority.
The teachers’ contract article generated more discussion, most of it
favorable. Last year the School Board and the teachers came to an
agreement which was rejected by the Town. As a result many teachers
took home less pay than they had the previous year. Several people
stated that rather than working less because they were working for
less and without a contract, Chichester teachers have been working
even harder to provide an excellent learning environment for their
students in the classroom and through extra-curricular activities.
On a ballot vote the new contract passed, 55 to 22.
The meeting ended with a round of applause for John Poirier who is
leaving the School Board after twelve years of service. There was
also a moment of silence for those who had passed away during the
last year or who are currently deployed overseas.
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