Superintendent's Letter

Dear Students, Staff, Families, and Community Members,

I hope you are enjoying April Break. We certainly have experienced wonderful warm weather over for the past few days and then starting this evening, we might have a few inches of snow. It looks like we will need to keep our hats, gloves, and boots out for a bit longer!

Here is the latest from the SAU this week:

Governor Sununu Lifts Mask Mandate as of Friday, April 16th - Masks will be required in the Lebanon School District

This afternoon, Governor Sununu stated he is lifting the mask mandate as of Friday, April 16th. However, we will continue to keep the health and well-being of staff, students, and families as our top priority. Based on the population of students we serve who are not able to receive a COVID vaccine, and the potential of transmission of COVID between staff, between staff and students, and between students we will continue to require Lebanon staff and students to wear masks.

We will also maintain physical distancing at a minimum of three feet or greater throughout the school day. Also, the requirement for the daily health check will continue. If your child or you as a staff member are feeling ill or have one of the symptoms of Covid 19, please stay home.

There has been a spike in the number of children in NH who are testing positive and it has been stated that this may be due to playdates, sleepovers, and other occurrences where physical distancing is not being followed and masks are not being worn. Please continue to take precautions as you are out in the community.

Returning From April Break- DHHS Travel Guidance

Last month, DHHS updated its guidance related to travel and quarantine. A summary is as follows and the full information can be found at the following link.

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.

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).

COVID Vaccination Clinic

On Saturday, April 17th, many Lebanon School District employees will receive their second dose of the COVID vaccine at DHMC. We are grateful to the Upper Valley Public Health Council, DHMC, and all the volunteers who are providing this opportunity for us. Thank you!

April 28th School Board Meeting

At the School Board meeting, there will be a separate one-hour Public Comment session to allow community members the opportunity to provide input regarding the School Resource Officer (SRO) position. Per policy BEDH, each person will be allowed three minutes to speak. Please be prepared to state your name and ward whether you attend in person or participate via Zoom.

The Board Chair is limiting the session to Lebanon residents and Grantham and Plainfield families. The session will not be a forum for debate, but for input only.

There are no presentations planned for the meeting. School Board members may ask certain members of the public or non-public questions regarding the role of the School Resource Officer.

The Board has asked that even if a community member plans to participate in the Public Comment session, the resident should provide the School Board a written statement in advance.

Each letter should include the resident's full name and voting ward or just full name, if they reside in Grantham or Plainfield.

If an organization would like to provide a written statement, the letter should include the organization's name, address, and contact person.

Please send written statements to sroletters@sau88.net.

The last day to submit a written statement is Friday, April 16th by 4:00 pm.

All written statements must contain appropriate tone and language with the intent to be shared publicly on the SAU#88 website. The Board Chair and Superintendent maintain the right to remove statements that are considered to be inappropriate.

Written correspondence will be made available electronically via an SRO Correspondence folder that will be included with the School Board meeting materials.

Lebanon School District Summer Employment Opportunities!

We are incredibly proud of the supports and services that we offer to our students and families throughout the year, including our Summer Program.

This year, we are planning to run a Summer Program for our rising Kindergarten through rising 9th-grade students from July 12-July 30th from 8:30-12:00. Summer Program staff hours will be from 8:00-12:30. There will also be a Summer Program for our Lebanon High School students from June 21-July 23rd from 8:00-12:00.

To run the rising K-9th grade program, we need NH DoE certified special educators, a certified school nurse, and paraeducators. These Summer Program positions will be posted on SchoolSpring tomorrow, Friday, April 16th.

Please visit SchoolSpring to apply.

We hope we will be able to provide a robust and fun learning experience for our students this summer!

In Closing

We look forward to having our staff and students back in school on Monday. I hope you enjoy the remaining days of April Break!

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 Meetings:

Wednesday, April 28, 2021, 6:30 pm LMS Gym and via Zoom

Wednesday, May 12, 2021, 6:30 pm 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