Superintendent's Letter

Dear Students, Staff, Families, and Community Members,

With the increasing number of individuals in NH that are getting vaccinated, DHHS updated its guidance related to travel and quarantine earlier this week. As a District, we have been following State guidance and therefore our practices change as the State guidance changes. A summary is as follows and the full information can be found at the following link.

Revised NH DHHS Guidance Related to Travel

Domestic travel within the U.S. no longer requires quarantine upon return to NH (regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status), this includes domestic travel to U.S. territories.

People who travel internationally or on a cruise ship are still required to quarantine upon arrival to NH, unless diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the prior 90 days or fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Everyone who chooses to travel, regardless of vaccination status or prior immunity, should wear a well-fitted, multi-layered face mask, physically distance (i.e., maintain at least 6 feet from other people), avoid large groups and gatherings, frequently sanitize hands, and self-monitor for symptoms.

Overall, there continues to be a substantial risk of contracting and transmitting COVID. The CDC recommends delaying travel and staying home to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. We are strongly recommending that families and staff who must travel seek testing for asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection 3-5 days after travel, per CDC guidance on travel during the COVID-19 pandemic (applies for both domestic and international travel).

Revised NH DHHS Guidance Related to Quarantining

A new study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases is the first to show that in the setting of universal face mask use in classrooms, COVID-19 infection rates were equivalent for schools that implemented either a minimum of 3 feet or 6 feet of physical distancing.

Therefore, NH DHHS will not recommend quarantine for students or staff if a COVID-19 exposure occurs in the classroom setting where students and staff are seated and spaced at least 3 feet apart with consistent and correct face mask use.

NH DHHS will continue to recommend quarantine for persons within 6 feet of someone with COVID-19 for a cumulative time of 10 minutes or longer during the person’s infectious period, regardless of mask use, in settings where it is challenging to determine the level of interaction between students and/or staff.

Moving forward, if a student or staff member tests positive we will be following the above guidance as part of our contact tracing procedures.

Keeping Our Community Safe

The health and safety of our staff, students, and families remain a top priority. We have put many layers in place to try to mitigate the risk of transmission of COVID. When we are informed of a positive test result, we contact DHHS, perform a thorough investigation including contact tracing, and work with DHHS to determine which individuals should quarantine.

We greatly appreciate the collaborative effort by staff and parents to let us know when there is a positive test so we can immediately begin to investigate and respond to the situation. Thank you, the open communication has made it easier for us to respond quickly.

In addition, our staff start the vaccination process this weekend by getting the first of two doses of the vaccine.

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.

Reminder: Hartford Area Career and Technology Center Fall 2021 Enrollment-Online Application Deadline March 19th

Today is the last day to apply online!

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.

Welcome to the School Board

Recently elected Board Members Stephen Kantor, Lil Maughan, and Lisa Vallejo-Sorensen attended their first meeting on Monday joining the existing Board members and newly elected Chair, Richard Milius, Vice-Chair, Jenica Nelan, and Secretary, Martha DiDomenico.

In Closing

We sincerely hope the students who recently tested positive are recovering and doing well. We look forward to having them back in school.

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:

Wednesday, March 24, 2021 LMS Gym and via Zoom

Wednesday, April 28, 2021 LMS Gym and 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