Page 2 - Granite Life JAN 2023

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Community
DERBY
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a door prize raffle for all early entries.”
The Webster Lake Ice Fishing Derby has provided a wonder- ful experience for the Franklin community for decades now, and it is something that no one should miss! So bundle up, and come support a great event for the kids! The Griffin Beach fishing begins at 6:00 AM, with
GRANITELIFE.ONLINE
January 2023
By BRittany amalfi
Paul Smith’s Superstar: Zoey Labraney
the fish being in at 3:30 PM, and awards will be at 4:00 PM. You can buy tickets at https://
www.eventbrite.com/e/webster- lake-ice-fishing-derby-2023-tick- ets-302666552807.
You can also check out their Facebook page or their website, https://sites.google.com/view/ websterlakeicefishingderby/ home.
The Webster Lake Ice Fish- ing Derby is put on by a small,
hard-working group, and they are always open to communica- tion and suggestions! The mem- bers of the committee are Chuck
Drew, Scott Haskins, Kristy Pearce, and Brad Prunier.
And, of course, a big shout- out to the sponsors! They do a fantastic job of helping with the cash, prizes, and general support. There are many sponsors that do a lot of community support for this event.
The ticket sellers are— Camaro Heaven/
Drew Autoparts, Tilton Pizza Chef, Franklin
Grevior Furniture, Franklin Barnstore, Salisbury
Park n Go, Northfield
Berry’s Bait, New Durham Winnisquam Market, Tilton Newfound Trading Post, Bristol Bryant & Lawrence Hardware, Tilton
The cold temperatures won’t stop anyone from doing some ice fishing. So let’s make the 44th year of the Webster Ice Fishing Derby the best year yet!
The students of Franklin High School have been doing notable work in their community, but a particular third-grade class might have a favorite volunteer. Senior Zoey Labraney has been doing her school-mandated com- munity service hours in Ms. Nix- on’s third-grade classroom, and her experience has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Labraney knew she wanted to try her hand at working with kids, so when her guidance coun- selor pointed her in the direction of Paul Smith, she jumped on the opportunity. Zoey spent two hours a day, three times a week, in Ms. Nixon’s class, and she was certainly never bored! The high school senior informed me that they have a very busy daily schedule. “When I go in, they’re in quiet time. Quiet time is a 15-20 minute period where Ms. Nixon reads a book, and the kids will color and relax. Then, we clean up from quiet time and start math. They sit on the floor in front of the whiteboard and do some multiplication prob- lems with Ms. Nixon. After that, they go on their computers inde- pendently and do Zearn (a fun math website with lessons and activities for them to do). They do Zearn for about 20 minutes, and then they pack up to go home.”
After spending quite some time with the little ones, Zoey learned quickly that Ms. Nixon’s class was full of energy, and she loved it. “My experience spend-
to learn all of their names really quickly, and I was panicking. But, they never got mad if I mispro- nounced their names or called them by the wrong name.” It wouldn’t take a genius to know that these kids loved Labraney!
When asked about her favor- ite part of the whole experience, the high school senior said, “My favorite part about this entire ex- perience is getting to leave school early to travel to another school and spending time with younger kids. I feel like I’m a good role model for some of the students I work with. “
On top of Zoey’s notable work with kids, she wants to continue helping the public by pursuing nursing in the future. After high school, she plans to take a year off and travel the world. Once she attends community college and becomes an RN, she plans on fulfilling her dream of be- coming a travel nurse. “Dreams only come true if you make it happen,” Zoey said.
There can be a lot to learn from volunteering at Paul Smith. Going to a classroom filled with energetic little kids is the equiva- lent of going somewhere that fills anyone with joy. Zoey’s piece of advice for future volunteers—” My advice to others would be to go for it if you love kids. Reach out to your guidance counselor and get yourself set up to work in a classroom. Everything you do there would be typical stuff you do in your day-to-day life. You need to be patient and kind. They love when you’re there, so
don’t take it for granted.”
And, of course, Zoey had a message for her third-graders. “Do your school work and be nice to your peers. Time flies quicker than you know. Go on adventures and be good to your parents. Wait to get a job until your parents tell you to or sug- gest you to. Make sure to eat your vegetables as well. Thank you for always being so kind and wel- coming me into your classroom.”
Published Monthly Direct mailed FREE to the all homes and businesses in Franklin, NH Circulation: 5,000 copies 837 Lake St, Unit B Bristol, NH 03222
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Michael Conley William Nieman Donna Rhodes
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© Copyright 2023 Granite Life Publications
Zoey Labraney
ing time with the third graders has been wonderful. They love when I’m there, and I love being there. I’m constantly bringing home hand-drawn pictures. They are very energetic, and I love that they keep me on my toes.” There’s no doubt that Ms. Nixon’s class loved having a cool kid around to hang out with them.
From her community work in the third-grade class, Labraney has definitely gained a lot from her experience with the children. “I’ve gained a lot of respect to-
wards young kids. They’ve taught me patience is important, so I’ve gained a lot of patience. I’ve learned to care for younger kids and know what’s right and wrong for them. “ And Zoey wasn’t afraid to share that at the begin- ning of this whole endeavor, she was pretty nervous. But the kids were excited, and they welcomed her with open arms. She said, “When I first started volunteer- ing at the school, I was nervous. The first time I sat down in the classroom, I received 7 hand- drawn pictures (all from differ- ent students). There were about 16-17 students in that class. I had
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