Superintendent Update: December

Good morning, Lebanon School District Community,

Happy December! I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving break. The start of the winter holidays brings a special energy to our schools. Concerts and theater performances along with the excitement of winter sports, and the warmth of service projects that remind us how connected our community truly is. From the classrooms to the ice rinks to a tremendous donation of food and goods to LISTEN, our students, faculty, and staff continue to demonstrate curiosity, compassion, and resilience, qualities that reflect the best of our district.

As we close out the calendar year, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to our staff, families, and community partners for your ongoing support. Your collaboration helps make Lebanon not just a school district, but a caring community where every student can thrive. I wish you all a joyful, restorative holiday season and a bright start to the new year.

Here’s to a wonderful December and upcoming winter break.

In partnership,
Amy Allen
Superintendent

The Student Wellness Advisory Committee (SWAC) recently hosted a district-wide food drive for LISTEN Community Services. Together, our students and staff donated 488 pounds of food and goods. The Interact Club at Lebanon High School also hosted a food drive for LISTEN that collected 711 pounds of dry goods and $452 to support the food pantry. We are so grateful for your generosity and support, and so proud of our students embodying our Vision of a Learner as responsible local and global citizens and empathetic and resilient individuals.

Celebrating critical & creative thinkers, local and global citizens, and demonstrated empathy & resilience

An LMS staff member sent in the following shoutout: "I would like to nominate our 8th grade student Gabe Hawkins. Gabe has developed a great passion for photography this year, and he has taken it upon himself to use his skill to serve his school community. He volunteered to go to our LMS football games and photograph the games for the yearbook. He takes the school camera out at recess to practice taking pictures of students playing two hand touch football. He then looks over the photos to see how he could improve for the games. He rode the bus with the team, and took excellent photographs of the players. He embodies the Lebanon School district spirit of service!"

At the International Potluck, 3rd grader Shrihaan wowed the audience with a beautiful guitar performance that brought smiles from across the gym. His poise, talent, and enthusiasm were the perfect complement to an evening celebrating the rich cultural diversity of our school community. Bravo to Shrihaan for sharing his music and helping make the night truly unforgettable!

Share the students you want to shout out! Email Amy Allen (aallen@sau88.net) today.

Lebanon Teachers: Growing, Leading, and Inspiring

A student submitted the following about Todd Matte: " I wanted to shout out Mr. Todd, who teaches photography, animation, and film at Lebanon High School, and also advises the yearbook and yearbook club. I think he’s a great addition to our school and doesn’t always get the credit he deserves. When I came to LHS as a freshman, he was one of the first friendly faces I met. He creates a fun, welcoming environment while still keeping us focused when it’s time to work — a perfect balance.

His classroom has become a space where students feel comfortable, supported, and encouraged to be themselves. For me, as a foreign student, it was also a place to meet people and build confidence. Anyone who’s spent time in his room can tell you he’s not only a great teacher but also a caring mentor.

Mr. Todd has done so much for both students and staff, and I think he deserves a moment of recognition for all he contributes to our school community." The student also included the picture.

A parent wrote in to nominate transportation coordinator Paula Harthan: "I want to give Paula a quick shout out! I've been coordinating the away game meals for the boys' soccer program this fall. It has always been important to us to include a meal for our bus drivers at no cost to them. This season, I've been sending Paula our order form for the bus drivers to be able to select their sandwich preferences. She has been connecting with the driver and facilitating completing the form. The drivers have all been delighted and grateful to receive their meals of a sandwich, chips, drink, and a cookie.

I truly appreciate her time and effort to help us make this happen for our bus drivers! In my mind, she has gone above and beyond, and we thank her for her efforts. Small things make a big difference!" Paula keeps our buses running smoothly with heart, gratitude, and a whole lot of drive!

Know a staff member who deserves a shoutout? Email Amy Allen (aallen@sau88.net) to let her know!

We’re developing a new High School Graduation Guide to help families and students better understand what’s required to graduate and explore the different pathways available. Your insights are invaluable!

We are inviting parents of current 7th graders to participate in a focus group. Your feedback will help us make the guide useful for all families. If you're interested, please email Emma at ewunsch@sau88.net. We look forward to working together to support student success!

As winter settles into the Upper Valley, we want to make sure you know that student safety is our primary concern. If weather conditions are deemed unsafe, we may need to delay the school day by two hours or close the school entirely.

We'll do our best to make snow day and delay calls as early as possible, but Mother Nature doesn’t always make it easy. By 5:45 am, families will receive notifications by call, text, and email when there’s a delay, closure, or cancellation of after-school activities. You should have received a communication test on October 28. If you didn't, please reach out. You can also check WMUR’s School Closings, WCAX, and the SAU 88 website for updates.

Typically, we don't close schools early if students are already in attendance. We consider several factors when deciding whether to alter the school day due to bad weather. First, we check with both the Lebanon Police Department and Public Works Department to determine road safety, pedestrian safety at schools and bus stops, whether the building exits can be cleared in case of an evacuation, and bus travel.

We understand that sometimes school may remain open in less-than-ideal weather conditions, which can pose a concern for teenage drivers. We urge parents to consider whether to allow their young drivers to leave for school in inclement weather. If you feel that the road conditions are unsafe for your child to attend school, you have the freedom to keep your child home.

Please note that Grantham and Plainfield may have different weather conditions and may close or run on a two-hour delay when Lebanon runs on a regular schedule. In those instances, Grantham and Plainfield students will be marked with an excused absence and can make up any missed assignments. Plainfield and Grantham administrators make the final decision regarding the running of their buses.

We also want to remind everyone to take extra care when walking and driving outside of the school. Please be aware of the potential for ice on the roads and in the parking lots/walkways, especially early in the morning. Families, please make sure students are wearing appropriate footwear and outerwear to keep them warm. Students generally go outside for recess unless it's below 10 degrees.

If you need assistance getting winter clothing, please reach out to your students' specific school administrator. Our schools often have a supply of extra winter apparel. Additionally, LISTEN Community Services can provide vouchers for clothing. You can reach out to a service coordinator at 603-448-4553.

Last week, we sent out a message regarding the ongoing 2026-2027 school budget process. If you missed it, it's here. All items related to budget planning are archived on the SAU website.

• Friday, December 5- Sunday, December 7: LHS Wet Paint Players present Water for Elephants at the Lebanon Opera House, 7:00 pm (Friday & Sat) 1:00 pm (Sunday)
• Wednesday, December 10: School Board Meeting, 6:30 pm in the LMS Cafeteria
• Wednesday, December 17: School Board Meeting, 6:30 pm in the LMS Cafeteria
• Thursday, December 18: LHS Bonfire 5:45 pm at LHS
• Thursday, December 18 LMS Winter Concert 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm at LMS
• Monday, December 22 - Friday, January 2: Winter Vacation - No School
• Monday, January 5, 2026: School resumes

• Saturday, December 6: 'Tis the Season Lebanon's Downtown Winter Celebration Explore downtown Lebanon and celebrate winter and the holiday season with Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides, musical entertainment, crafts, refreshments, a tree-lighting ceremony, and visits with your favorite characters. More info and specific times here.
• Saturday, December 6: HopStop Family Event Cookie Swap Contest 12:00 - 1:00 pm 'Tis the season to celebrate with crafting and holiday cookies! Each cookie submission receives two free tickets to any Hop film events. Participants can enjoy cookies and create and decorate paper snowflakes.Come and enjoy this intergenerational HopStop event full of cookies, crafting, hot cocoa and live music. More info and sign up here.
• 4th & 5th grade Ski Passports! Ski NH is a junior ticket program hosted on the WinterKids App that provides one lift ticket or trail pass for each of Ski New Hampshire’s 32 member ski areas for students in 4th and 5th grade. The cost of the passport is $59. More information here.

Thanks to the generosity of the LIFT club at the Tuck business school, families in need can get free turkeys and Christmas trees on Saturday, December 13th. This is first come first serve with a limit of 30 families so make sure you reach out to MLS principal Katie Roach (kroach@sau88.net) as soon as possible!

Looking for a flexible way to support our students? Join our team of bus drivers and help get students to games, field trips, and special events!

All vacant SAU88 positions here.