Greetings Families!
I hope you had a safe and fun weekend. Winter has arrived!
As I took a walk around school on a cold and windy Friday last week, my heart was warmed by the sights and sounds of students and teachers studying, creating, and socializing: preK students engaged in cooperative learning at their "centers"; kindergarten students coloring the letter Z, proudly announcing that they had reached the end of the alphabet; first graders learning about the year-round habitat that Christmas trees provide for woodland animals; and second graders enjoying Frosty the Snowman for indoor recess. I saw third graders taking on a challenge in IXL, fourth and fifth graders rehearsing for their concert this week, and last minute shoppers at the Book Fair learning to manage money transactions. On any given day or at any given time, and no matter what the weather, our school is alive with happy kids learning new skills and having fun.
This week, while it may be pouring rain outside on Wednesday, our students will be entertained by the amazing Frog Town Puppeteers who will be performing The Grinch, thanks to the PTG's fundraising efforts. (Parents, don't be surprised if your children start turning your socks into puppets after seeing the show!) Then on Thursday, students and staff will attend the grades 4 and 5 concert rehearsal, and we will welcome families to the concert on Friday. It's going to be another exciting and inspiring week at Marcia Buker, and we couldn't do it without your interest and support.
In partnership with you,
Mary
Mary Paine
Principal, Marcia Buker ES
28 High Street
Richmond, Me 04357
School (207)-737-4748
Mobile (207) 557-0062
Dates and Notices
Dec. 11th Frog Town Puppet Show for students (The Grinch)
Dec. 11th PTG Meeting, 6:00 PM
Dec. 12th 4th/5th Grade Concert dress rehearsal for school
Dec. 13th 4th/5th Grade Concert for families
Dec. 16th Holiday Bazaar
Dec. 20th Early Release (no PreK); buses at 11:30
Dec. 23-Jan. 1st School Vacation
December Menus
Breakfast
Lunch
It Takes a Village
Record-breaking Book Fair: We are pleased to announce that this year's Scholastic Book Fair was a record-breaking success! We thank Kerry Gardner and Nurse Ashley who organized the event, assisted students throughout the fair, and kept it open at convenient times for parents; the teachers and staff who took time out of their schedules to make sure every child was able to visit the fair; and the PTG parent volunteers who took shifts at the fair and helped many students with their purchasing decisions.
Holiday Bazaar preparations: We would like to thank all who have donated new or gently used items for our annual Children's Holiday Bazaar! We will gratefully accept donations through December 12th.
BOOK FAIR
Celebration: We are Winter Kids!
Marcia Buker is thrilled to announce that we have been selected as one of only 16 schools across Maine to participate in the 2025 WinterKids Winter Games! From January 13th through February 7th, participating schools will complete outdoor challenges with the chance to win cash prizes. Our school nurse, Ashley DeWever and PE teacher, Andy Haskell teamed up to write the application, and eighth graders Sullivan McDaniel and Taylor Johansen, along with teacher Becca Redman helped to create the application video as part of their Exploration 8 class:
Being a WinterKids school provides an opportunity for students and faculty to engage in outdoor learning, including weather science. During the four weeks, we will complete challenges listed in the PLAYBook WinterKids provides to students. For each challenge completed, we will earn points that are tracked and compared to other schools across the state. Regardless of whether we win a prize, we will spend a great amount of time outside using our critical thinking skills, collaborating together, and enjoying physical outdoor activities.
Opening Ceremony to be held at MBES! In addition to being selected to compete, our school was selected to host the statewide WinterKids opening ceremony of the Winter Games on January 13th at 11:30 at Marcia Buker. The WinterKids director and staff will be present as well as members from our community.
Family fun! In addition to the Winter Games competition for schools, WinterKids offers Family Days for those who want to participate in activities such as skiing and ice skating. In some cases, families can participate at certain events at no cost, such as at the WinterKids Welcome to Winter Event, a free evening of fun at Lost Valley. We encourage parents to explore the extensive variety of resources on the Winter Kids website.
Let the games begin!