Superintendent's Letter

Dear Students, Staff, Families, and Community Members,

These last few weeks have flown by. I had the pleasure of attending the Wet Paint Players' production of Hello Girls which was fantastic and this week I spent time at Lebanon High School, Mount Lebanon Elementary School, and the Middle School. There is an abundance of academic work going on as well as activities that build a sense of community such as School Spirit Days.

A reminder that schools are closed this coming Wednesday, December 22nd through Sunday, January 2nd for December Break. Schools will reopen on Monday, January 3rd. I hope you have a wonderful December Break!

Newsletter Topics:

• Social Media Posts Involving School Threats
• COVID Update
• Equity Survey

Social Media Posts Involving School Threats

Over the last few days, there have been reports on Tik Tok and other social media platforms regarding nationwide school threats involving bombings or other forms of violence on Friday, December 17th. At present, these threats are not specific to the Lebanon School District and school will take place tomorrow. We have been in contact with the Lebanon Police Department and there will be increased police presence.

There is zero tolerance for these types of actions and any threat made to our schools will be met with serious consequences.

We ask students and families to report anything that is of concern to your school principal or directly to the Lebanon Police Department so they can be investigated. As it relates to violent threats against our schools, we rely on the Police Department to perform the investigations.

Thank you for your assistance in keeping our students, staff, and families safe.

COVID Update

Statewide, the number of COVID cases is increasing. We anticipate COVID cases will continue to rise as families travel over the holiday season and into the winter months. When not in school, please remember to wear masks and physically distance. DHHS is recommending that any individual who can be vaccinated, should do so.

We will continue to update you when we learn about positive COVID cases. After December Break, we will be creating a dashboard that will be updated each Friday. The dashboard will contain the number of staff and students who have tested positive in each school and are not in school as of that Friday. There will be a link to the dashboard in an upcoming letter. Please keep in mind that the data will change throughout the week as students and staff test positive or return to school.

From Alice Peck Day:

Anyone aged 5 and older can request a vaccine appointment at APD. Simply call (603) 442-5612, self-schedule through myD-H, or speak with your care team while you are here. There are locations across NH and VT offering the vaccine and many offer walk-in service without an appointment. Find COVID-19 vaccination sites near you at https://www.vaccines.gov/.

Equity Survey

The consulting firm, Deo Mwano Consultancy, will be finalizing the equity surveys for students, staff, and parents over December Break. The surveys will be sent in mid-January. Mr. Mwano will be providing a video introduction for each survey to frame the type of questions, the intent of the survey, and how we will use the information from the surveys to develop the next three-year strategic plan.

In Closing

Please know that we appreciate your patience, understanding, and support as we navigate through this school year. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

Dr. Joanne Roberts

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

Upcoming School Board Meeting:

Lebanon School Board Regular Meeting- Wednesday, January 12, 2021, 6:30 pm LMS Cafeteria

Please visit the SAU #88 website for further information.

Link to Board Agendas and Minutes

Website: www.sau88.net
Location: 20 Seminary Hill Road, West Lebanon, NH, USA
Phone: 603-795-8500