Volume: 2020-2021 ● Number: 30 ● Lebanon, NH

April 23, 2021

Email: jdentremont@sau88.net
Website: https://lms.sau88.net/
Location: 3 Moulton Avenue, Lebanon, NH, USA
Phone: 603-448-3056
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LMSLebNH/
Twitter: @LMSLebNH

Dear LMS Families,

Welcome back from April Break! We hope you had a fun and restful vacation! It has been a busy and exciting week at LMS. It is good to be back. The snow this week made recess more exciting.

We now turn toward the end of our school year and all the details required to finish our year strong.

There are a variety of notices and details this week.

Have a great weekend and enjoy this week's Scoop!

Regards,

John P. D'Entremont, Principal

Each year, LMS asks for parent input on their child to contribute to placement decisions for the following school year. Please take a moment to provide input for your child(ren) as they move to the next grade at LMS.

Thank you for completing this process through the online form by April 30th, 2021.

We will be communicating placements of students on teams and in advisories either at the very end of this year or over the summer.

Please also check out the section below.

6th graders have some course choices as they move to 7th grade. Please complete this form for your rising 7th grader. It is imperative we have a form completed for each student. If you have questions, please reach out to the school office.

Thank you for completing this form by April 30th, 2021.

We are in the final stretch and the preparations for our end of year celebrations are in full swing. It is time to get information and feedback from our 8th grade students regarding T-shirts and possible mask items. We are asking 8th graders to complete this SURVEY by Wednesday, April 28th. Individual emails have been sent out to each student, but please remind and encourage your child to complete the form as soon as possible. Thanks for your help!

We need to know if you would like to take the spring assessments or opt out. Please contact Synthia Liska, our Student Services Director, at sliska@sau88.net to make arrangements. Assessments will be the weeks of May 10th and 17th for students who will be taking them.

A superintendent update included information about testing in the District a while back.

Friday, April 23 PJ/Comfy Clothes Day

Friday, April 30 “Fun & Funky Fashion” Day

Welcome back LMS families! Hoping everyone enjoyed their April break and are ready to push through the rest of the school year.

Many of our school staff were able to receive their 2nd covid vaccine last weekend and are well on their way to being fully vaccinated. Anyone who currently wants a covid vaccine is eligible to receive one in NH by registering at: vaccines.nh.gov.

We continue to monitor everyone, vaccinated or not, for covid symptoms. Please continue to do your child’s health screening each morning(pikmykid), keep them home if they have any covid symptoms and have them tested. Covid questions and results of any covid test should be reported to the school nurse.

It is currently TICK season and they are definitely out and about! We are encouraging anyone who spends time outside to check for ticks on their clothing and person before coming back into the school building. I am including a CDC link with useful information about preventing tick bites, how to remove them if attached and checking for symptoms.

https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/index.htm.

In preparation for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year, please schedule your child for their annual physical exam and any required immunizations. I am still missing many immunization records for 7th graders, specifically Tdap vaccines. If your child has had a recent physical or any immunizations, please provide a copy to the nurse. For any questions about what is needed for your child, please contact me.

Looking forward to having warmer weather next week!

Regards,

Nancy Pageau

npageau@sau88.net

603-727-9817 (direct line)

603-448-3056 (LMS)

The OLD NEWS, FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & COVID HOTLINES information has been moved to the OLD NEWS SECTION at the end of the Scoop in case you still need to reference.

Positive Cases - 10

Current Active Cases - 1

Students/Staff Currently Isolated/Quarantined - 11

Number of Students/Staff Tested (since September) - 368*

*Includes students/staff who have been tested multiple times.

Number of Students/Staff with Pending Test Results - 2

Carolynn Stockwell, 5/6

cstockwell@sau88.net

Stephanie Allard, 7/8

sallard@sau88.net

Elena VanZandt, Student Assistance Provider

evanzandt@sau88.net

Most of us are familiar with the term “senioritis”. Remember that from high school? The final semester after almost four years of hard work, when the last thing you wanted to do were assignments, tests or term papers. Instead we just wanted to be outside with our friends, and doing almost ANYTHING besides studying. It was hard to find motivation to do the things we needed to do.

Many students are struggling right now to find the motivation for school. It has been a LONG year. First with everyone in lockdown, and now trying to push through a school year that has been anything but normal. Kids are tired both physically and mentally. While we can’t MAKE anyone motivated, we can certainly help our students create conditions more conducive to motivation taking hold.

So how can we support our students and encourage them to dig deep to finish the year strong?

1. Acknowledge that this is a difficult time. A lot of us feel a bit “off” and there is no quick fix to this. Let your child know you understand this, and that you want to support them do their best right now. It may not be perfect and that is okay. Encourage them to do healthy things like exercise, eat right, get good sleep and find time away from screens.

2. If you can, try to identify what is getting in the way of your child doing their best, it will make it easier to identify the steps to take toward improvement. Typically kids struggle in one or more of these areas: goal setting, task initiation, time management, organization, attention, persistence. These are skills we call Executive Functions.

3. Co-create a reachable end-of-year goal. Discuss with your child what matters to you as far as school goes. Ask your child what their goal is and brainstorm obstacles and setbacks to obtaining the goal. Try to stay as neutral as possible during this discussion.

The following link is an article from ADDitude magazine, written by Sharon Saline, Psy.D about how to ignite motivation. While she discusses motivation with a lens toward remote learning and those with diagnosed ADHD, her recommendations are applicable to all students and all learning environments. https://www.additudemag.com/distance-learning-motivation-adhd/

It is important to remember that we cannot MAKE our students motivated, but we can support them with the tools and boundaries to create the best conditions for success to flourish.

It is time to order your LMS YEARBOOK!

8th graders do not need to order. All 8th graders will get a yearbook this year.

To order online go to:

http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A05041040

If you have any questions or want to help with the yearbook, please email Mr. Masi: dmasi@sau88.net.

About 100 families received an email on Thursday directly from Dr. D'Entremont about a yearbook photo with important details. If you received this email, please ensure you send a photo to Mr. Masi so your child's portrait appears in the yearbook.

Over the course of the last few weeks, the Student Council has been leading Staff Shoutout Wednesdays! The Student Council has recognized all of the important people in our school every Wednesday over the last month and more. We have been grateful to have to opportunity to make sure that the staff of LMS knows how much we care about them and all they have done this year to make LMS the BEST! Student Council delivered treat bags to staff over the course of our Shoutout Wednesdays. It was awesome!

Starting in the month of May, Student Council will be using Wednesdays to bring awareness to various causes and organizations. If you have a cause or organization that you would like recognized, reach out to any Student Council Member.

Remaining April Spirit Days:

Friday, April 30 “Fun & Funky Fashion” Day

Have an idea for the student council? Find out who your team's members are and stay up to date with everything student council here:

https://sites.google.com/edu.sau88.net/lmssc/home?authuser=0

Questions, please contact Mrs. McFarland.

Team 365 Days of Cool

1st Place

The Next Level – Technical Challenge

Destination Imagination North East Regional Competition

(CT, MA, NH, NY, PA, VT)

Team 365 Days of Cool developed a video game which is set in our own version of the Mario Universe. In our game, Mario has been kidnapped by Bowser instead of Peach being kidnapped. Peach has been deployed to save Mario. This is about having fun, making people laugh and smile and demonstrating that anyone can be the hero.

Members of our team hand drew all the scenes, designed and build a functional Mario drill, designed and made the costumes including the transformation dress and bowsers costume. Members of the team also used a variety of sound and cinematography tools to bring together all the individual elements into a cohesive video. Our team used the creative and technical skills of each individual to bring, develop, and perform our winning game and skit. We always bring humor to make our audience laugh.

Our team, in alphabetical order:

Dorothy (Peach) -Story writer and Costume creator; designing and sewing the transformation dress (team choice item).

Marco (Toad)- Technical Creator designing and building the drill; integrator of individual videos and audio clips into a cohesive video game.

Nic (Bowers), The online team designer creating all the art used in our story line (team choice item).

Omar (Luigi) - Story writer and designer and constructor of Bowser’s costume.

Walden (Mario) -Technical Creator designing and building the drill and video integrator.

ON TO GLOBALS!!!

The PTO recently funded a virtual Q&A for LMS students who participated in a book club. The students read The Benefits of Being an Octopus and then met with author Ann Braden. The students asked fantastic questions and seemed to enjoy meeting the author. Thanks to the LMS PTO for supporting this event!

Remote Learners...if you have pictures of your remote learning, send them to lmsspirit@sau88.net. We will include them in the Scoop too!

When: Wed, May 5 , 7:00pm - 8:00pm

Location: https://zoom.us/j/94660181992?pwd=UElPek9IanV5YmQ3Wjc5R3hpeDF2Zz09

Meeting ID: 946 6018 1992
Passcode: 965891

Dial by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

It's time to show LMS teachers and staff some love! This year, we've decided to give them care packages during the first week of May, and we're asking for your help. Please drop off store-bought, individually wrapped goodies from the list below at the front door of the school OR send in a donation of a check or a grocery gift card, and we will buy the goodies on your behalf. Donations of all kinds will be accepted between now and next week Friday, April 30th. Care packages will be delivered the following week, right about the time when all teachers and staff will be fully immunized, so we will be able to help them celebrate as well as thank them for their tireless work this year! And as always, thank YOU for your continued support of our LMS team!

DRINKS

Cases of any cola or diet cola

Cases of any flavored seltzer

Coffee K-cups

Tea K-cups or bags

Bottled water

SNACKS (remember: individually wrapped packages, please!)

Chocolate of any kind

Nuts/Trail mix

Granola bars

Potato chips

Cookies

April 30th - 6th Grade Course Selection Forms

April 30th - Parent Input Forms Due

When: Wed, April 28 , 6:30pm - 10:30pm

Location: Lebanon Middle School, 3 Moulton Ave, Lebanon, NH 03766, USA

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89581467339?pwd=a25JeEtRT2l5M082QVNqZkxMY1AzUT09

Passcode: 947352

Click the button below for the latest newsletters from our Superintendent. Other letters can be found on the District website.

If you have a student returning in person to LMS for the first time this year, please review the video tutorials to understand our processes and procedures while at school. We strongly encourage families to watch these together. Although some of our spaces now look a bit different than in the videos, we will still be using these procedures.

Here is the link to the Lebanon Middle School COVID Procedures. The button below titled LMS COVID Procedures takes you to the module and the LMS website too.

NH COVID related information can be found on the nh.gov/covid19 website.

Revised NH DHHS Guidance Related to Travel from Scoop 3.26.21

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(2 weeks after their last vaccine dose).

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.

The number of positive Covid-19 cases continue to be substantial and any travel increases the risk of transmission. The CDC recommends delaying travel and staying home to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. We strongly recommend 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).

For any covid symptoms, at any time, you should stay home and get a PCR based covid test.

Revised NH DHHS Guidance Related to Quarantining from Scoop 3.26.21

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.

*** If a student or staff member tests positive we will follow the above guidance as part of our contact tracing procedures. Please continue to keep your school nurse informed if your child has had a covid test and/or is waiting for results.

Vaccines

NH DHHS has shared their vaccine allocation plan (always subject to change): https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdcs/covid19/documents/covid19-vaccine-allocation-plan-summary.pdf

Common Questions:

Can I get a rapid COVID test instead of a PCR test?

One can get a rapid test if symptomatic. If one has no symptoms, then a PCR test should be done for accurate results.

Can I come to work/send my kids to school if someone in my house is getting a COVID test and waiting for results?

Yes. As long as you/they are asymptomatic, then you may come to work and the kids may come to school. If the individual in your house tests positive, then you would need to remain home.

How long do I need to stay home if I test positive for COVID?

You will need to remain home in isolation for 10 days since the start of your symptoms, or 10 days from the test collection date if you are asymptomatic. You can return to school on the 11th day.

Someone in my house tests positive for COVID. How long do I need to remain home?

You will remain home for 20 days (10 days for the person who tested positive, and then you are home an additional 10 days for your quarantine after the period of isolation ends).

What is the definition of close contact?

Close contact is defined as being less than 6 feet from a positive COVID individual for a cumulative 10 minutes or more during the person’s infectious period. What is the infectious period? It is based on the 2 days before the person becomes symptomatic or 2 days before the test collection date if the person is asymptomatic.

Please continue to be in contact with your school nurse if your child is being tested for COVID-19 either due to symptoms or if they have been exposed to a person determined to have COVID. Please contact the school nurse for any positive test results.

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear anytime from 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. All of the following are symptoms of COVID-19:

• Fever(over 100.o F) or chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

In order for your child to return to school if they exhibit any of the symptoms listed above, they should either get a COVID PCR based test and produce a negative test result, OR choose to quarantine for 10 days since onset and improvement of symptoms.

DHMC Covid hotline (603) 650-1818. Hotline hours: Monday through Friday, 6:00 am to 6:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. This is for DHMC patients only (unless you are deemed a close contact to a positive case) and you do not need a referral from your Pediatrician before testing. Appointment only. https://www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/patient-education/covid19-testing.html

Alice Peck Day- (603)-442-5665 Hotline hours 8:30am-4:00pm on weekdays. Official State testing site therefore will test anyone regardless if your doctor is at APD or if you do not have a doctor. Do not need a referral. Appointment only. Must live within the Community of Alice Peck Day. https://www.alicepeckday.org/services/covid19communitytesting/

The school day begins at 7:45 - 7:50 AM.

The PikMyKid Check-in Health Screening is required each day. Students who do not complete the check-in before arriving will have to be screened at the door before entering the building. We continue to average 20-30 check-ins daily which is still slowing down the process. Please complete the check-in health screening before leaving home in the morning.

Students will be expected to arrive at the following times, as we stagger our arrival in order to process students into our building:

Bus Riders - 7:22 AM

Band/Chorus Students - 7:22 AM - Please follow directions from Ms. Garnham and Mr. Terry. If your child has a sibling that is not in the band or chorus, please drop them together at the same time.

Car drop offs need to plan to start at 7:30 AM or after. There is no early drop off.

Students should be sitting in a seat on the right side of the vehicle to exit on the sidewalk side. Students should also be prepared to get out before the car stops so they can do so quickly and the car line can keep moving.

If your child has to exit from the left side of the vehicle, please park and we will help them cross the crosswalk.

5th & 7th Grade Car Riders - Begins @ 7:30 AM

6th & 8th Grade Car Riders - Begins @ 7:38 AM

***If you have students in 5th and 8th for example you can choose the earlier or later time.***

Students will be dismissed at the following times:

Please park if your child is not along the curb when you enter the loop to keep the flow of traffic moving.

Bus Riders - 1:55 PM

5th & 7th Grade Car Riders Starting at 2 PM (please try not to arrive before 2PM)

6th & 8th Grade Car Riders after 2:05 PM

***If you have students in 5th and 8th for example you can choose the earlier or later time.***

We have changed our School's PikMyKid settings. Parents can no longer change the default pick-up mode of their students. If you have a student who will be picked up by car permanently and not taking the bus for example, you will have to contact the school. To change your child's afternoon plans temporarily, use the calendar feature in order to delegate someone else to pick up for example.

Tutorials are found below in the Scoop.

OBJECTIVE:

On Wednesdays, LMS students may elect to learn remotely. This option is being offered to support students who are in need of a mid-week respite from COVID protocols.

Teams will continue to present curriculum and address the academic and social emotional needs of middle school students. Classes will look like a “typical” day, supporting students’ academic and social/emotional needs.

EXPECTATIONS FOR ALTERNATIVE WEDNESDAYS:

• Students, who are in school or elect to learn remotely, will continue to engage with the day’s curriculum.

• Students’ daily class schedules will remain the same.

• Pine Team, 5th grade, may structure remote learning individually for each classroom. If interested, please contact your child's teacher directly.

PARTICIPATION:

• Students are welcome and supported in attending school all five days in person.

• Students who participate in alternative Wednesdays may choose to learn remotely on a week-to-week basis.

• If a student is participating remotely, attendance will be taken in Advisory by 7:45 AM.

• LMS will communicate with families of students who are participating remotely if the model is not supporting the student’s needs.

All students are expected to attend school each day it is in session if they selected to be in school, and must be in Advisory by 7:45am for attendance.

All students arriving to Advisory after 7:45am will be considered late to school.

Parents must complete the PikMyKid App Check-In Health Survey each morning for each student to attend in person learning.

Parents must contact the school office each day their student (in person or fully remote) will be absent or late. [On Alternative Wednesdays, students should show up remotely at 7:45 to advisory for attendance. No call to the school is necessary.]

In person learners who have symptoms keeping them from in person learning, will be marked absent and do not need to access their teachers remotely. Our nurse will contact the family to discuss if COVID testing is necessary and what date the student may return to school.

All students who are called out absent for 1 to 2 days, for any reason, will be marked absent and do not need to access their teachers remotely. Student may make up missing work upon their return to school.

In person learners who are absent for 3 or more days due to illness or quarantine may learn remotely at their teachers’ discretion; however, they will continue to be marked absent.

Planned absences for all students must follow our student handbook attendance policy. In this case the student may learn remotely at their teachers’ discretion; however, they will be marked absent.

Extended Absences/Vacations

Parents/Guardians are discouraged from planning family vacations while school is in session. Please make plans that coincide with school vacations and holidays because it is difficult for students to make up classroom learning activities when a child is absent for an extended period of time. Permission is granted by an administrator, and a written request to the main office for a student’s work two weeks in advance is required. It is the student’s responsibility to notify teachers and collect assignments. It is the student’s responsibility to submit the completed assignments upon his/her return to school. Failure to obtain permission and to request work two weeks in advance will result in absences being unexcused.

New Period Attendance – In an effort to improve communications, LMS teachers now have the ability to take class attendance each period via Powerschool for all students. Students will be notified if they are marked absent. Parents will be notified if they have created a parent portal account in Powerschool. This should help parents/guardians monitor attendance for their remote learners.

It is important to note that an in person learner, who is at school, could be marked absent for a class for a variety of reasons (early dismissal, student services, counseling, etc.).

Breakfast and Lunch

Students will be able to purchase breakfast or lunch ahead of time. More details to come soon as to how students will order meals ahead.

• Breakfast $1.75
• Lunch $3.15

Reduced price tentatively for breakfast is $0 and lunch is $.40.

Food service along with everything else looks a little different this year. In the morning, students may not enter the building early to get and eat breakfast. There will be a daily offering with a cereal option for the students to choose from between 7:25 and 7:40. Students, regardless of grade, should enter the front doors of the school in the morning and the students should go directly into the cafeteria and pick up and eat their breakfast. Breakfast will not be available once the school day begins at 7:45. There will not be a breakfast break period this year. Remember that a reduced pay student receives a free breakfast.

At lunch there will be two options available at lunch every day. A daily offering and an option that will be consistent for the week. We are also offering a breakfast and a lunch for remote learning days. A cohort students can order meals for Tuesday and Wednesday at Monday lunch and again on Thursday for Friday. B cohort students can order meals for Wednesday and Thursday at lunch on Tuesday and again on Friday for Monday. The meals will be available for pickup at the end of the day and the student will pick up the meals on the way out at dismissal time.

Just a reminder, Free and Reduced applications must be filled out every year. You can apply on line at https://www.lunchapplication.com/ or you can get the application on the district’s website. Applications are also available at the main office.

Dennis Samuel

Food Service Director

Fresh Picks Café

Each day when your child(ren) come to school, they will be required to complete the health screening before coming to school. This will be through the PikMyKid app (more information to follow).

It is imperative that students do stay home if they are sick or have COVID-19 symptoms (COVID symptoms). Students should not come to school if they are not feeling well or have any of the following symptoms:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Students should have a water bottle and can use the bottle filling stations throughout the day.

Every student needs a backpack every day to carry their materials for the day.

Students also need to bring their chromebook to school every day they are in person. Parents/Guardians need to help students remember their device and help make sure it is charged. Students need to be reminded to be careful with their chromebooks to avoid breaking them. If you are having trouble with the Chromebook, email techsupport@sau88.net.

Students need their chromebooks every day they are at school! We continue to encourage students to take care of their machines and very much appreciate your help with this. We want to keep our machines in good working order at all times. We can troubleshoot functioning but we can't just replace due to breakage.

Please help your students with the following:

• Charging chromebooks every night.
• Making sure chromebook and charger get into backpack each night to and from school.
• Cleaning chromebook daily.
• Emphasizing taking care of your machine.
• Remembering passwords.

Need technology help?

Tech Support Hotline number: (603) 790-8501

This phone line will be open from 8am-4pm M-F. After hours, please leave a message and we will return your call.

Tech Support Hotline email: techsupport@sau88.net

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

The Lebanon Middle School community challenges and supports all learners in a

rigorous, stimulating, and developmentally appropriate environment.

To achieve our mission, we strive to foster curiosity, lifelong learning, and global citizenship while encouraging individual aptitudes, interests, and talents by underscoring our core values of LMS PRIDE:

Leadership

Motivation

Spirit

Perseverance

Respect

Integrity

Dependability

Excellence

John P. D’Entremont, Principal

Kim Ezen, Assistant Principal

Synthia Liska, Student Services Administrator

Brett Franklin, Director of Athletics & Co-Curriculars

Email: jdentremont@sau88.net
Website: lms.sau88.net
Location: 3 Moulton Avenue, Lebanon, NH, USA
Phone: 603-448-3056
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LMSLebNH
Twitter: @LMSLebNH