We're proud to share that two outstanding educators from our district have been named 2026 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year nominees by the NH Department of Education. Congratulations to Jenn Howard from Hampstead Middle School and Sarah Wisecarver from Hampstead Central School for this well-deserved recognition.
Both teachers are known for their creativity, ability to connect deeply with students and families, and their talent for bringing content to life in meaningful, lasting ways. They are educators who shape a love of learning and inspire students every day. We’re thrilled to see each of them being recognized for the excellence we’ve had the privilege of witnessing in Hampstead for years.
Congratulations to Jen Howard who has recently moved forward to the semi-finalist round, she's one of 9 in the state!
See the full list of nominees here:
https://www.education.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt326/files/inline-documents/sonh/nominees_15.pdf
And the list of nine seim-finalists here: https://www.education.nh.gov/news-and-media/semi-finalists-chosen-new-hampshires-2026-teacher-year
HCS Spirit Week is coming up next week! Join in on the fun!
Last Thursday our four graders held their annual holiday concert and art show at HCS. The evening was filled with beautifully sung seasonal songs and a student art gallery featuring Romero Britto-inspired self portraits. It was a great night to celebrate the arts at HCS. Thank you Mrs. Starck and Mrs. Shaw! Well done fourth graders...Bravo!
Recently, Mr. Remillard's middle school students came to meet with some of our preschoolers to design 3-D figures. In turn, the HMS students created the figures in wood and brought them back last week as a gift for their preschool buddies to paint. It was a fun, creative partnership activity between our middle schoolers and preschoolers.
To celebrate Thanksgiving, the hallways became alive with our own first-grade version of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade called “Balloons Over Broadway.” Students designed their own balloon characters and proudly paraded around the school showcasing their creative and fun balloon designs. Following the parade was a spirited, Gr 1 performance of the Turkey Tango!
Our Kindergarteners also participated in the parade with their annual "Turkey Trot" in which they showcased the colorful turkeys. Students put a lot of time and creative detail into their turkey friends! Yesterday was a day of festive Thanksgiving fun throughout the school! Happy Thanksgiving from HCS!
Our Kindergarteners also participated in the parade with their annual "Turkey Trot" in which they showcased the colorful turkeys. Students put a lot of time and creative detail into their turkey friends! Yesterday was a day of festive Thanksgiving fun throughout the school! Happy Thanksgiving from HCS!
Congratulations to Kai Kirby and Julia Rogic! Grade 4 PE classes finished their unit on speed stacking. Kai and Julia were the fastest speed stackers in the fourth grade! Well done!
In recognition of World Diabetes Day, students in Mrs. Welvers' class turned out in blue on November 14th to recognize folks who live with diabetes. It was so wonderful for the students to come together as a class community to show their support!
Hampstead Central School teachers Mrs. Wisecarver and Mrs. McLaughlin presented at the state Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference about the coding progressions at the Central School. We appreciate them sharing the innovative learning happening at HCS!
Last week we opened our in-house postal service called Wee Deliver. We received a special visit from Jack Guyette and Teresa Pruett Sieg from the Hampstead Post Office and the East Hampstead Post Office. Students learned about the US Postal Service. They also learned how to write a letter using our Wee Deliver postal service and how to send messages to friends and staff. Our third and fourth grade students were also proudly sworn in as official Wee Deliver postal workers.
Congratulations to the Hampstead Central School Grammies on their Spirit of New Hampshire award recognizing their volunteer efforts. HCS is lucky to have such dedicated volunteers supporting our students!
On Tuesday, members of the Salem Area Rotary Club came to deliver dictionaries to all our third grade students. We thank the Salem Area Rotary Club for visiting and for giving our third graders such a valuable learning resource. Thank you!
Last week, all third grade students had the opportunity to participate in Caine's Arcade, an interactive, collaborative STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) project. Each small group collaborated on one arcade design. Over the course of several days, the students used the engineering design model to plan, build, revise and construct the games. The culminating day was our Day of Play when students were able to celebrate their accomplishments through a day of playing each other's games.
Last Thursday our fourth graders had a fun field trip to Concord to visit the NH Historical Society and the NH State House. The field trip featured a tour of the statehouse, a visit to the senate and house chambers, and a visit to the governor's office. One group even got to meet the governor! While at the Historical Society Museum, students learned about NH history and artifacts of the past. This field trip was a great opportunity for our fourth graders to learn about and celebrate our great state of New Hampshire!
Last Friday HCS celebrated Halloween in style! Students and staff dressed in costumes, students paraded with their costumes through the school, and everyone enjoyed a spirited Thriller dance from the fourth grade. In class, students participated in many Halloween-themed activities. It was a fun day for all at HCS!
Jim Carey’s famous cinnamon rolls will be available Thursday morning at the Pop Up Party behind St Anne’s! Donations only - cash or cards accepted. All proceeds support the food pantry and mobile kitchen.
Recently, HCS welcomed four former Hampstead students from the Pinkerton Academy Student Ambassadors. They visited our Kindergarten students to read to them, talk about Pinkerton, and talk with students about what they aspired to become when they grew up. This was a wonderful partnership between PA and HCS. Kindergarten students also received a Pinkerton Academy t-shirt, a coloring page, and a sticker!
We’re excited to launch a community art project at HCS in honor of Mr. T, one that will bring color, joy, and connection to our school walls. Here is a brief video describing the project. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nKU7j0RguAcBASc8dhdcmKqlJIdR0w49/view?ts=68dc82d3
We invite all members of the Hampstead community to sign up and paint a heart on our mural, leaving your mark in a meaningful and creative way. We are encouraging participation from students (current and past), family, staff, and community members. To keep the design unified, we ask that contributions include only colors, textures, and shapes—no letters, numbers, or words. We hope you and your family will join us in creating this visual story together.
Click here to sign up and help paint, we can take up to five families per session, please sign up your family in one space and indicate the number of people who will attend in the comments. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C48ACAE28A4FDCF8-59005620-make#/
If you'd like to volunteer for this project, click here. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C48ACAE28A4FDCF8-59545811-volunteering#/
We look forward to making art together as a school community!
This past week our Preschool through Grade 2 students got to learn about fire prevention from members of the Hampstead Fire Department. Our Kindergarteners also had the opportunity to take a walking field trip to the Hampstead Firehouse! A big thank you to all the members of the Hampstead Fire Department!
"Stillness Between Us", an art show at The Governor's Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts will be featuring Michael Terrile's amazing artwork. The opening reception is on October 10th from 5:30-7:00. The art show will run until November 7th. If you wish to attend the reception before the show on Friday, please follow the link below to RSVP.
https://www.boostmyschool.com/orgs/govsacademy/events/govsacademy-stillness-between-us
https://www.boostmyschool.com/orgs/govsacademy/events/govsacademy-stillness-between-us
Today the Central School celebrated its 23rd Annual Read with a Hero Day! We welcomed over 25 local heroes from the fields of firefighting/EMT, law enforcement, the FBI, the US Dept. of Homeland Security, the Secret Service, and active and veteran military personnel. These heroes came in to read and talk with our students. The event was a huge success and we thank all our heroes for taking the time to come in to read to our students!
