Superintendent's Letter

Dear Students, Parents, Staff, and the Lebanon Community,

Transition to Five Day In-Person or Fully Remote Model

On Monday, October 26th, we will be moving from A/B Hybrid or Fully Remote to a Five Day In-Person or Fully Remote educational model. The expectation is that children will remain in the selected model through December 22nd. If there is a specific situation that arises, please contact the School Principal directly.

School administrators and staff have worked incredibly hard to revise the current A/B and Fully Remote schedule to prepare for Monday. They have spent countless hours analyzing the survey information, determining how parent selections impact the current schedule, reviewing courses and schedules, trying to figure out how to support in-person and remote learners, reconfiguring classrooms, and embedding safety protocols for approximately double the number of students. I have attended leadership meetings, staff meetings, and Planning Team meetings and the amount of thought, time, and effort being put into these transitions has been immense. Thank you all for your professionalism and dedication throughout this very challenging time.

For families who have selected the Remote Learning Model, there is an expectation that student attendance and behaviors will be monitored in the home. If school administrators are finding that students are continually not attending class on a routine basis, not handing in assignments, or that their behavior is not appropriate, parents will be notified. If these patterns continue, parents may be contacted and asked if they would prefer their child to attend five days in-person or to homeschool. We will also be taking attendance and holding students accountable for behavior while in school. We appreciate your partnership with this and if your child is struggling, please do not hesitate to reach out to the teacher or School Principal.

Transportation-Busing for Five Day In-Person Model Starting Monday

Please use this link to see an overview of changes to the updated bus routes that will start on Monday. Use this link to see each actual route and the stops. Bus routes may need to be revised over the next weeks to best support our students and families.

Teacher In-Service Day Friday, October 23rd-No School Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Friday, October 23rd, is a Teacher In-Service Day to assist with transitioning to the Five Day In-Person or Fully Remote Model. There will be no school for students tomorrow.

Waiver for DHMC To Expedite COVID 19 Testing

Over the next week, principals will be sending out a waiver for parents' electronic signature, to allow our schools to provide contact information (student name and phone number) to DHMC. By signing the waiver, it allows us to inform DHMC that a certain number of families may need to be tested, who they are, and DHMC can quickly reach out and schedule times to be tested. This will also increase turnaround time for testing. If you sign the waiver, it does not mean you have to go to DHMC, you could still go to APD or another location for testing. We are trying to collaborate to expedite the process and make things easier for our families.

I am deeply appreciative of the continued support from our community and am proud of the fact that we are working together to problem-solve, collaborate, and support our students and families.

Thank you,

Dr. Joanne Roberts

Important Links:

School Board Web Page

Previous Superintendent’s Letters

NH Guidance

Upper Valley Strong-Updated Links and Information

Upper Valley Strong is a group of organizations who come together in times of emergency to help our communities.

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.

• Food Shelves & Community Meals: https://uvstrong.org/resources/food-access/#food-resources
• Afterschool Programs: https://uvstrong.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Afterschool-Programs-Flyer-96.pdf
• Community Flu Clinics: https://uvstrong.org/upper-valley-flu-clinics-fall-2020/
• Link to UV Strong website: https://uvstrong.org/
• Upper Valley strong on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uvstrong.org

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, October 28, 2020 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