Dear Students, Staff, Families, and Community Members,
It is certainly a beautiful day today and it looks like the warm weather will be staying with us for a while. I hope you had the opportunity to spend time with your family outdoors this weekend.
Here is the latest from the SAU this week:
Vaccination Update for Children 12 Years and Older -A Message from the Upper Valley Health Network
The Upper Valley Public Health Region is pleased to provide instructions for parents to register their children ages 12 and older for COVID-19 vaccination.
The US Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the use of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for individuals aged 12 and older. The Governor of the State of New Hampshire has announced that parents can register their children for vaccines effective immediately.
Together with your local school district, we encourage you to take this opportunity to protect your child, your family, and your community from COVID-19 infection and illness by getting your child vaccinated.
There are several convenient locations within the Upper Valley to receive the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, which is the only vaccine currently approved for individuals aged 12 and older.
These include:
· Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, which is holding Saturday vaccine clinics on May 15th and through the end of June;
· State-operated Fixed Site at the former JCPenney building in West Lebanon;
· Walgreen’s Pharmacy; and
· Walmart Pharmacy
To register:
· Access the State of NH Online Registration System at https://www.vaccines.nh.gov/ or call NH211 to request assistance with registration by telephone.
· Follow the instructions to register your child for vaccination.
· When given the option to select a location and date, look for the sites listed above for the most convenient opportunities for vaccine.
· Registration for individuals aged 12 to 17 does require Parental Consent. The consent form is built into the online system and can be completed during registration.
Lebanon School District Spring Assessment Data
At the May 12th School Board meeting, Lisa Scolaro, District Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment provided an update on district-wide assessments which included the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA Grades 1-4), Renaissance STAR (Grades 5-12), and Individual Reading Level Assessment which is a component of the ARC reading program. (IRLA Grades K-6).
A few of the slides from the presentation are located below this letter.
There is much to celebrate when comparing the academic achievement levels of students in the fall until the spring.
We are consistently monitoring student progress and realize that assessment data is only one lens through which we should determine growth.
We appreciate all the hard work and efforts of our administrators, staff, students, and families who partnered together during this challenging time.
Summer 2021 Programming
We are so grateful to have the staffing to run our Summer Programs for eligible PreK-12 students who receive Special Education, Title I, and ELL services including LHS students who are recovering credit toward graduation.
Families of children invited to participate in these programs have been contacted and we are finalizing our plans. We are looking forward to offering these programs in-person this summer!
Lebanon High School 2021 Commencement Ceremony
Graduation will take place on Thursday, June 10, 2021 on the Lebanon High School Football Field. We are looking forward to celebrating the personal and academic achievements of our graduating senior class. We are so proud of all of you!
School and Community Safety
We are balancing the safety of individuals who have been fully vaccinated and those who have not, specifically our children. There are many different recommendations coming from various sources. In order to keep the health and safety of our staff and students a priority, we will continue to require wearing masks, physical distancing, and hand sanitizing. With approximately six weeks left of the school year, we ask for your support in keeping these mitigating layers in place.
For the fall, our administrative team is planning to have all of these mitigating layers in place so that we are as prepared as possible. It will be easier to remove a layer than add additional layers in the fall.
Over the summer, we hope that vaccine research studies will continue, and there will be a safe COVID vaccination available for our younger children.
In Closing:
It is with great energy and enthusiasm that we look forward to these last six weeks of school. The end of the school year is a time to reflect on the individual growth of each student, celebrate the academic and personal learning that has happened, and to consider what the future will bring.
Thank you for your continued support.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Dr. Joanne Roberts
