Superintendent's Letter

Dear Students, Staff, Families, and Community Members,

I hope you have enjoyed the warmer weather this week. It is wonderful to have a longer amount of daylight each day!

Our administrators and staff are continuing to do an amazing job and are putting in long hours supporting students and families in both fully remote and in-person models. We are looking forward to, hopefully, returning to a traditional five-day in-person model this fall.

As spring approaches, here is the most recent news for the District.

Lebanon School District Budget 2021-2022

On Tuesday, the Lebanon School District budget and warrant articles were passed by voters. The School Board will continue to discuss the role of the School Resource Officer which was a petitioned warrant article. Thank you to those who took the time to vote on Tuesday. We greatly appreciate it!

New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System (NH SAS) Information

Each year, students in grades 3 through 8 participate in the New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System (NH SAS) and students in grade 11 participate in the College Board School Day SAT and NH SAS science assessment. Students who have the most significant cognitive disabilities are eligible to take the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Assessment, as designed in their individualized education program (IEP).

This year, your child will take the following assessments, depending on their grade level:

• NH SAS for English language arts/writing and mathematics in grades 3 through 8
• DLM for English language arts/writing and mathematics in grades 3 through 8 and 11
• NH SAS for science in grades 5, 8, and 11
• DLM for science in grade 5, 8 and 11
• College Board School Day - SAT
• English language arts/reading/writing and mathematics grade 11

Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Section 1111(b)(2) and New Hampshire law, RSA 193-C:6 requires each school district in the State to implement a set of high-quality academic assessments that include, at a minimum, assessments in mathematics, reading/language arts and science to be administered in each of grades 3-8 and not less than once during grades 10-12; and in science not less than once during grades 3-5, grades 6-9, and grades 10-12.

Furthermore, ESSA sections 1111(b)(2)(B) require State assessments to be the “same academic assessments used to measure the achievement of all public elementary school and secondary school students in the State,” and provide for the participation in such assessments to all students.

State assessments are an important part of a student’s core educational program. They provide an evaluation of student mastery of content and skills in various academic areas, serve as one tool for measuring the degree to which students are on track to graduate high school and be college and career-ready, and help inform future instruction in the classroom. Along with student work on classroom assignments, projects, essays, and local assessments, state assessment results give teachers and parents important information about where students are on their path toward academic success.

If you choose to exempt your student from the state assessment (permitted in RSA 193-C:6), you must submit a form to the school the student attends. Please contact the building principal to receive a copy of the exemption form. Please understand that if you choose to exempt your student from the assessment, no scores or summary of individual student performance, based on the statewide assessment, will be provided to you or your student.

Please note:

• Student results for the NH SAS (reading/writing, mathematics, and science) are generally available within 10 days of the student completing the test. Each school will send a student’s Individual Score Report home as soon as possible after receiving results, and certainly before the end of the school year.

• School Day SAT results will be available to students in early May. Students may retrieve their results through their personal College Board account.

• DLM scores will be released to districts in early July. Schools will then send home to each family the Individual Score Report for each student who took the DLM assessment as soon as possible upon receiving the results.

If you have any questions related to this assessment administration, please feel free to contact Lisa Scolaro, District Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment @ lscolaro@sau88.net.

Hartford Area Career and Technology Center Fall 2021 Enrollment-On-line Application Deadline March 19th

We are fortunate that many of our juniors and seniors spend half-days engaged in hands-on learning focusing on program-specific curriculum in their area of interest at the Hartford Area Career and Technology Center (HACTC).

For more information about the exciting opportunities at HACTC and to complete the on-line application click here.

To watch the HACTC Overview video click here.

Kindergarten Registration for Fall 2021

We look forward to welcoming you and your child to the Lebanon School District Kindergarten Program. Our Kindergarten Enrollment for Fall 2021 is open! If your child will be 5 years old on or before September 30th and you have not yet enrolled, you must enroll for the upcoming school year with the Central Office.

Please call Lorie Morgan at the Central Office for information on how to enroll your child. Ms. Morgan can be reached at 603-790-8500 x1102 or lmorgan@sau88.net

Lebanon School District Employee COVID Vaccinations

We have been partnering with the Upper Valley Regional Public Health Network to develop a plan to vaccinate School District employees. On Saturday, March 20th, Lebanon School District employees who have elected to participate have been scheduled to be vaccinated. The second round of vaccinations will be scheduled several weeks later if the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine is administered. We do not know which vaccination will be administered.

Next Winter Weather Event- No School-No Remote Learning Day

The School Board unanimously voted to have the next day when we cannot run buses due to inclement weather be a traditional day off without remote learning that day. After that one day, we will return to remote learning if schools are closed. If we need to close our schools due to a weather event, I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Year-End Events

This is the time of year that we begin transition planning for the fall and end-of-year events for our students. We would like to be able to offer celebratory moments for our students and families, however, we are not sure at this point exactly what they will be as plans for events will ultimately depend upon the health guidelines that are in place. Stay tuned for further information.

Keeping Our Community Safe

Please continue to be vigilant about wearing masks, physical distancing, washing/sanitizing hands, not traveling, and only gathering in small groups. As a community, we can make a difference by keeping ourselves and others safe by limiting the transmission of COVID.

If you have any questions or require further clarifications, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thank you,

Dr. Joanne Roberts

Links to further information:

City of Lebanon https://lebanonnh.gov/1350/COVID-19

DHMC https://www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/patient-education/coronavirus.html

DHHS NH Department of Health and Human Services

CDC School Guidance

NHDOE K-12 Back to School Guidance

Upcoming School Board Meeting:

Monday, March 15, 2021 (Organizational Meeting) LMS Gym and via Zoom

Wednesday, March 24, 2021 (Regular School Board Meeting) LMS Gym and via Zoom

Please visit the SAU #88 website for further information.

Link to Board Agendas and Minutes

The Lebanon School District, in partnership with the community, is committed to providing a challenging, positive and safe learning environment that CARES:

• Cultivates curiosity and collaboration
• Achieves academic excellence
• Respects and values diversity
• Encourages responsible citizenship
• Supports the needs of every learner

Website: www.sau88.net
Location: 20 Seminary Hill Road, West Lebanon, NH, USA
Phone: 603-795-8500