Superintendent's Letter
August 8, 2020
Saturday, August 8, 2020 Update
Dear Students, Parents, Staff, and the Lebanon Community,
Thank you, to all. Whether you participated in the Board meeting Wednesday or have sent emails to us with your feedback, we appreciate the input. We do apologize for the technical issues that occurred at the Board meeting and are working to resolve them before the next meeting.
At Wednesday's Board meeting, the Board discussed options for reopening schools this fall. After consideration and deliberation, the Board voted (7-2) to move forward with an A/B Model.
The Board also decided the first day back to school for students will be Tuesday, September 8, 2020.
The A/B Model
In an A/B model the total population of students is divided into half. One half is labeled Group A; the other half is labeled Group B. Group A attends school two days per week and Group B attends school two days per week. On Wednesdays, all students learn remotely. Therefore, each Group attends school in-person two days a week and learns remotely three days a week.
We have put a lot of thought into which days our students should attend school each week. Based on important considerations such as providing meals, student services and supports, socio-emotional support, and academic support Group A will be in school on Mondays and Thursdays and Group B will be in school on Tuesdays and Fridays. All students will learn remotely on Wednesdays.
The placement of students in Group A or Group B will be determined by the location of residence, meaning their home address. This will ensure all children from one household will attend school on the same day. This will also assist with transportation if parents need to carpool. We ask that if children from different families ride in a vehicle together, they wear masks.
A family can decide to have one child learn remotely, and another child participate in the A/B model based on the individual needs of their children.
Provision of Meals in an A/B and Fully Remote Model
Providing meals for our children during the school week is important. For students participating in the A/B Model Students in Group A, who are eligible for Free and Reduced Meals or paying for lunch, will come to school on Monday and be provided bagged meals for Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, Group A students would come to school and be provided bagged meals for Friday.
Students in Group B who are eligible for Free and Reduced Meals or paying for lunch, will come to school on Tuesday and be provided bagged meals for Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, they would be provided bagged meals labeled for Monday.
Bagged meals consist of both breakfast and lunch.
A family with children who are eligible for Free and Reduced Meals can also choose to pick up meals at one of our schools except on Wednesdays.
For families who choose to have their children learn fully remote, we will have bagged meals available to pick up for the week on Mondays. If a Monday is a holiday, bagged meals can be picked up on Tuesday for the rest of the week. Families can also elect to pick up bagged meals at the school except for on Wednesdays.
Per New Hampshire regulations we cannot provide meals for weekends or school vacation days.
For more detailed information on the A/B Model please use this link.
All families will also have the option to have their children not attend school in the A/B model and learn remotely.
Home Education
In New Hampshire, parents also have the option to homeschool their children or have them attend a private school. For information about home education, visit: https://www.education.nh.gov/education-pathways/home-education/home-education-rules-and-regulations
Gathering Information from Families-Survey due Wednesday, August 12, 2020, 4:00 pm
The next step will be to gather information from families. Please complete this survey which asks about transportation, internet access, and other needs.
The survey must be completed for each individual child in each family Prek-12th grade. The reason for this to have student-specific information about which model, A/B, fully remote, or home school/private school each child participate in, transportation needs for pick up and drop off etc.
The survey will close on Wednesday, August 12th, 4:00 pm.
After receiving the survey information, we will finalize which students will be in Group A or Group B and the bus routes.
At this time, we plan to provide specific information about which Group, A or B, children will be assigned to and the bus routes on Thursday, August 20th.
Thank you in advance for completing the survey.
YMCA After School Program
The YMCA After School Program will not be offered while the A/B Model is in place.
In closing, based on the Board’s decision on Wednesday, August 5th, our efforts will be directed toward planning an A/B model for the start of school on September 8th.
Thank you for your continued support.
Dr. Joanne Roberts
Important Links:
COVID-19 Resources:
Upper Valley Strong
Upper Valley Strong is a group of organizations who come together in times of emergency to help our communities.
Under the UV Strong umbrella, over 20 agencies and community representatives work together to respond to urgent needs in our region. The organization was first launched in 2011 in response to Hurricane Irene. In March 2020 UV Strong was reactivated to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UV Strong’s purpose is to connect people in need to services, coordinate resources, and share expertise. In response to COVID-19, UV Strong is focused on issues including child care, housing, support for seniors, food access, and transportation.
We are your neighbors helping neighbors. At our core, we support agencies you already know, such as the Upper Valley Haven, LISTEN, and many more. We know that by working together, we will achieve more than we ever could alone.
- For people who want to volunteer - VolunteerHub link: http://vhub.at/uvstrong
- For groups and organizations with needs - Google form link: https://forms.gle/cjwe9tnMvLp4PL5H9
- Check out UV Strong on Facebook @uvstrong.org
Women's Health Resource Center. The Resource Center provides feminine products, baby diapers, and also has some baby formula available at this time. Contact information: Phone- 603-650-2600; Email- whrc@hitchcock.org. The Resource Center is located at 9 Hanover Street, Lebanon next to Three Tomatoes.
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
Lebanon School Board Information
Upcoming School Board Meeting:
Wednesday, August 26, 2020, 6:30 pm
LMS Gym or via Zoom
Please visit the SAU #88 website for further information.
Lebanon School District Mission Statement
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
SAU #88 Lebanon School District
Website: www.sau88.net
Location: 20 Seminary Hill Road, West Lebanon, NH, USA
Phone: 603-795-8500