Dover High School Homecoming set for October 2

DOVER —
The schedule of events for the First Annual Dover High School Homecoming to be held on Saturday October 2, 2010 on the DHS campus has been announced. The event is open to the public and in particular anyone that attended either the “old” or “new” Dover High Schools. Day-long activities will begin with an “Alumni Division” in the Dover Apple Harvest road race in downtown Dover and end with the varsity football game on Dunaway Field.
The homecoming committee has been working several months to present a well rounded program with doors at the Alumni Drive Dover High School opening at 9 am and featuring a three ring affair with entertainment in the Frederick C. Walker Auditorium, athletic events starting at 10 am in The Oliver J. Adams Gymnasium and Judson Dunaway Fields and class meetings and school tours originating from the mezzanine, cafeteria and Mary C. Reilly Library.
Historic displays include several videos, including a recently produced interview with three of the honorees of the first homecoming, former high school principals A. Harvey Knepp, Kent Rosberg and Greg Kageleiry along with a slide show presentation from 60 years of DHS yearbooks. Football game ceremonies will include introduction of four outstanding contributors to Dover High School as well as the Dover American Legion Post 8 coordinated salute to veterans and active military at 1:15 pm, prior to kick-off of the Dover-Alvirne varsity football game. Halftime of the football game will feature a special half-time show by the Green Wave marching band and alumni.
Evening events will continue the homecoming theme as independent, post homecoming venues welcome alumni including informal gatherings at favorite Green Wave establishments Kelley’s Row, Roger’s Pizza and a special performance by The Spectras at the Somersworth VFW Hall. For more information and Spectras ticket forms email DHS.Homecoming@gmail.com.
Photo caption: The diploma of Henry Clinton Fall from the class of 1880 suprisingly arrived in the mail at Dover High School this summer. (Courtesy photo)

Comic Genius

By Chip Schrader
Book Review Editor
Author and cartoonist Daniel Clowes made his name in the graphic novel and independent film circles with “Ghost World,” a film that starred the then undiscovered sixteen-year-old actress Scarlett Johansson. Since then, Clowes has authored some of the most edgy, irreverent, hilarious and tragic portraits of everyday life that echoes the works of Al Jaffee and Don Martin of MAD Magazine, R. Crumb (Fritz the Cat) and the late Harvey Pekar (American Splendor).
His latest effort, “Wilson,” is a portrait of a loner who could easily be defined as a lost soul, or even a loser to less sympathetic readers. Wilson is only a logical extension of Clowes’s work as Wilson’s life story is divided up into single page comic strips, form Clowes had worked with in last work “Ice Haven.”
Wilson is a shabbily dressed man whose semi-estranged father is comatose, and his life in Oakland is far from satisfactory. The first portion of the book deals with his distaste for modern culture, and the lack of identity that Oakland seems to exude. Oakland plays as a nice backdrop for a character that seems listless and has a personality that is difficult to categorize, or even nondescript, a complaint Wilson states about Oakland. But, his father’s loneliness seems to spark insight into his own existence.
Soon Wilson searches for his ex-wife and a daughter he never knew. The three of them are starkly awkward within the real world, and no less awkward with each other as a family unit, which somehow makes perfect sense. Wilson swore his wife left him and ended up in prostitution, and there were times one wondered if that wasn’t better than being stuck with Wilson.
The bickering, the one liners, and absolute disdain for the mainstream make this semi-tragic comedy gut busting. All the while, Clowes taps into the universal curmudgeon that waxes and wanes within all of us, and creates a character that is as easy to identify with as he is to nauseate with his irritability. Wilson is every bit lovable as he is off-putting, and he is easy to see in the mirror at many turns of the page. By the end, we hope to see Wilson get a glimmer of insight and enlightenment, but will he? Or was he already enlightened, and is that why hid path is so jagged.
Offbeat is Clowes’s signature, and “Wilson” wears it proudly. The content is for adults and more mature adolescents, and while stories are often hard to follow or are often superficial in graphic novels and comics, Daniel Clowes’s is a master of juggling simplicity and nuance while treading into the depths of human psychology and sociology. Clowes’s other great works: “David Boring” and “Ghost World” should not be missed, either. A must read for any comic strip fans, or those with a taste for social satire.
Photo caption: Cover to Daniel Clowes’ Ghost World, a graphic novel. (Courtesy photo)

Help Your Child Succeed in School

STRAFFORD COUNTY—
Now that another school year is here, children are heading back to the classroom and parents might wonder what they can do to help their children succeed in school.
Most parents would say they want their children to know the alphabet and how to begin to count as their child begins school, but most kindergarten teachers and multiple research studies tell us social, emotional learning paves the way for academic learning.
Helping children develop strong social/emotional skills is one major key to school success. It’s hard to teach children who don’t listen, don’t get along with others, and aren’t interested in learning.
Some key social/emotional skills children should learn include how to follow directions, get along with others, stay focused, solve problems with words rather than aggression, work independently or within a group, and identify and manage their emotions and behaviors.
Children learn important social and emotional skills when they solve problems that arise in play with others. Playing games with your toddler can help prepare him/her for school in a couple of years.
Offer children a balance of “choice time,” such as free play, and time for structured play.
Help them with this balance by providing a regular routine. Help them schedule their time. Make sure they have time for both schoolwork and fun activities.
Parents can establish a routine for meals, bedtime and homework; provide books, supplies and a special place to study. They can encourage their children to “ready” themselves for studying by refocusing their attention and learning to relax. Offer to study with them periodically, such as spelling words or using flash cards.
Part of a daily meal routine includes making sure children eat a good breakfast. As simple as it sounds, according to an expert in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, “Eating breakfast improves concentration, memory and problem-solving ability. Eating breakfast improves the brain’s ability to function and gives you the energy to get you going and keep you going throughout the day.”
According to Katherine French, registered dietitian and extension educator, this is especially important for school-age children because “those who eat breakfast are more alert, less irritable, participate more fully in learning activities and have better behavior. These kids have longer attention spans, get better test scores and are tardy and absent less often.”
In many ways, parents are the most important teachers children will have and it’s important to support your children’s education both at school and at home. Children continue to learn outside of school. The more positive and constructive learning experiences children have outside of school, the better they do in school. Establish regular communication with your child’s teachers. As a parent, you know your child best. Help your child’s teacher understand his/her strengths and struggles, daily life, and culture making the teacher/student connection stronger and more meaningful. This helps bridge the connection between what children learn in the classroom with their lives outside of school, keeping them engaged and excited about learning.
Talk with your child’s teachers about the kind of behavior you both expect from the child. Children learn better when parents have clear and reasonable expectations. Then, give your children frequent verbal support and praise them often in their schoolwork, progress and efforts. Let kids know you care about them and how they perform in school; this increases their self-confidence and helps them do better in school.
Remember, your children watch you, so be a role model for education and learning. Set a positive example by reading, studying, asking questions, and talking about education. The important thing for parents to remember is they are the most important teachers in their child’s life. Children are born eager to learn, but parents need to help them channel that learning. Talking with children before, during, and after any activity helps them learn the steps involved in learning.
To learn more about parenting and other family topics, contact Ellen Rondina, UNH Cooperative Extension Strafford County Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Resources, at ellen.rondina@unh.edu or by calling 603-749-4445.