SAU 16 Newsletter
JANUARY
FROM THE SUPERINTENDENTS OFFICE
Dear SAU 16 Community:
Welcome to 2020 and Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed time spent with family and friends during the extended vacation and returned to school a few weeks ago rested and ready to power through the winter months.
We are just about in the heart of the school district budgeting process as the public hearings in our five SB2 towns have been held and their respective Deliberative Sessions are scheduled for the first week of February. Our two school district meeting towns, Brentwood and Stratham, have scheduled their public hearings for the second week of February and district meetings in March. A calendar of all budget events are below and can also be found on individual school district websites by clicking the Budget & Elections tab on our homepage (www.sau16.org).
School District Event Date Time Location
Brentwood Budget Hearing
February 10
6:30 PM
SCS
Brentwood District Meeting
March 6
7:00 PM
SCS
East Kingston Deliberative
February 6
6:00 PM
EKES
Exeter Deliberative
February 4
6:30 PM
LSS
ERCSD Deliberative
February 6
7:00 PM
EHS
Kensington Deliberative
February 5
6:00 PM
KES
Newfields Deliberative
February 6
6:00 PM
NES
Stratham Budget Hearing
February 12
6:00 PM
SMS
Stratham District Meeting
March 6
7:00 PM
SMS
Now that we are back in school and focused on our journey to summer, it may be a good time for you to review our safety and security protocols. As you well know from this past fall, the Cooperative Middle School and Exeter High School enacted safety and security protocols in response to what was believed at the time to be a threat at each school.
On October 11, the Cooperative Middle School experienced an accidental activation of the security system that caused our students and staff to implement A.L.I.C.E protocols.
October 17, EHS went into secure campus mode in response to a suspicious person on campus. In both instances, students and staff followed their training and behaved in accordance with what they have been taught.
While the events were not true threats, they were unnerving and reminded us all that we must be prepared for any type of activation. It is with this thinking that we are reminding our parents and community members to refresh themselves on the training that has been provided to students and staff by visiting the Safety section of the SAU 16 website. Here you will be able to watch A.L.I.C.E presentations delivered last winter in our schools.
The non-sequential protocol, Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate, provides alternatives to responding to a school shooting by presenting options to a traditional lockdown. The “enhanced lockdown” trains adults and students to consider evacuation as an option if the location of the threat is known, and barricading doors and entry points when evacuation is not possible. As a last resort, when life is in danger, the A.L.I.C.E. protocol calls for countering strategies to impair the intruder and reduce his effectiveness such as throwing objects or striking him. In our training, this strategy is taught to be used only as a last resort and when age appropriate.
As with any critical incident, a team of school administrators and first responders formally gathers to debrief the incident. One of the recommendations that immediately emerged from these debriefs was to enable and release SchoolMessenger Text Alerts as an additional form of communication with staff and parents. Our goal has always been to provide accurate and timely information to members of our school community, especially in the midst of a critical event, and this method will be an easily accessible platform on your mobile phone. Prior to the vacation, everyone should have received an “opt-in” email from SAU 16 to enable this text feature. If you believe you discarded the email in error or did not receive it at all, you can email Carrie Drew at cdrew@sau16.org for instructions on how to enroll.
Thank you for your support in our efforts to improve communication efforts with you, and we look forward to the work ahead as we continue to evaluate ways to ensure the highest level of student safety and school security for every student and adult in our district.
As always, please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or suggestions on how to improve our level of service to you. Thank you!
Sincerely,
David Ryan, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Seacoast Eat Local Farmers Market
Saturday, Feb 8, 2020, 10:00 AM
Exeter High School, Blue Hawk Drive, Exeter, NH, USA
MAIN STREET SCHOOL NEWS
On Friday, January 10th, Main Street School families spent an evening together enjoying a variety of math games and activities. MSS staff, students from the Seacoast School of Technology Careers in Education program, and the EHS Math Honor Society, guided families through many of the creative ways we seek to help students gain a love and understanding of math concepts. Activities included technology resources, hands-on measurement explorations, interactive graphs and charts, as well as a wide variety of learning games. Parents were also provided a packet of resources including math related board games, websites and picture books to further explore opportunities at home. We were excited to see so many of our families take advantage of this event and the joy expressed while participating in the evening together.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion- Our school community has many identities and many differences that are important to recognize, celebrate, and support. These differences include racial, ethnic, socio-economic, religious, family structure, mental and physical ability, and gender identity. When the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee was formed this past summer, we wrote for ourselves the following mission statement, “The Exeter Elementary School Community is dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving inter-group relations and supporting equitable school experiences for our schools’ children. The Exeter Elementary School Community supports an anti-bias education that focuses on identity, diversity, justice, and action.”
The committee, which includes administration, staff, parents, and school board and community members, has been meeting monthly to take on this sizable mission. We have been setting goals that focus on the four main areas of communication, school culture, professional development, and curriculum. In terms of communication, we want the work of the work of the DEI Committee to be visible to community members and will look for ways to share it on our website and in other venues. Building a strong, inclusive school culture is an ongoing goal, and we want everyone that enters our schools to feel welcome and celebrated. We have a great deal to learn about the topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, and cultural competency and are looking for ways to provide professional development for staff and the school board. Lastly, we will be working with SAU 16 to update our anti-bias school curriculum and programming. This is exciting and challenging work that we expect will support our goal to provide a high-quality learning experience for all our learners.
EXETER DEVELOPMENTAL PRESCHOOL NEWS
At Exeter Developmental Preschool we are building our social emotional curriculum to include the books How to Fill Your Bucket by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer, and Fill a Bucket, by Carol McCloud and Catherine Martin MA. These books focus on spreading kindness. Our Goal is to teach the concept of kindness using role playing and modeling. Children will earn awards Kindness Counts Awards at the end of this unit as they are rewarded for spreading kindness in our community.
SEACOAST SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Munters visited The Wonderful World of Welding to pre-interview students and invite them to their Job Fair. Students who were hired start at 18.29 and hour with a 15% shift premium. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership!
SWASEY CENTRAL SCHOOL NEWS
We’ve been busy here in the library as usual! Our NH State book award for grades K-3 was recently announced, and the Ladybug Book Award winner is Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings. Thank you to all of our student voters! All grades have been learning about the Caldecott and Newbery Medals which will be awarded on January 27th. We cannot wait to find out if our title predictions for winners are accurate. Stay tuned!
First grade families may have noticed that chapter books are now available for check-out; please enjoy reading those together! As the biography projects get underway in fourth grade, we’ve learned what plagiarism is and why it is important to cite our sources from databases or reliable websites. Fourth and fifth graders have also been learning the characteristics of fiction genres so that they can be part of a library reorganization project this year. And congratulations to our fifth graders for completing our first ever Stick Together mosaic, a collaborative project that is now displayed in our hallway.
Finally, thank you to all of our fabulous Swasey parents who help return and care for our library’s books. With a higher volume of books being checked out this year, your involvement makes a positive impact on our reading culture!
EXETER HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
NEWFIELDS ELEMENTARY NEWS
Newfields Grade One Students Continue their Work with our Aquaponic Tower
Melissa Guy worked with our students this week to set it up our aquaponic garden operation.The students have set a goal to use the tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and basil they grow in our hot lunch program. It is our wish to have the entire system run by students. Grade one students planted seeds a couple of weeks ago and they have begun to sprout! Two upper grade students will be responsible for maintaining the tower and working with the first grade students to teach them how it works. Melissa worked with the upper school students to learn how to test the water in the tank and monitor the pH. In addition, they learned how to add nutrients to the water to help the plants grow!
Kindergarten Students learn about Martin Luther King Jr.
Mrs. Albertelli worked with our kindergarten students to understand the work of civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and why there is a holiday in his honor. They learned about his famous “I have a Dream…” speech. They also read a story about 6 year old Ruby Bridges who was the first African-American student in 1960 to desegregate an all white school in Louisiana. It was a great learning experience for our students.
COOPERATIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL
This year students and staff from the Wildfire Pod teamed up with Team Landslide to expand their teams’ community service project. The Kids Who Care project partnered with Dead River Oil Company to raise money through a variety of fundraisers to help families in SAU 16 keep their homes warm during the winter months as well as provide emergency service funds to families experiencing challenging circumstances. The culminating fundraising event is the traditional Holiday Feast and Silent Auction that took place on December 19th. The afternoon was a tremendous success and Kids Who Care raised over $3,400.00, the most successful event to date. As a result, three oil deliveries have been scheduled for January which will benefit families within SAU 16! We are so grateful to our students, parents, and the community at large for supporting our efforts to raise money for Kids Who Care. Many thanks to the Team Seven and Team Eight teachers: Mr. Brown, Ms. Cook, Mr. Durant, Ms. Foulis, Ms. Frigon, Mr. Leslie, Ms. Poulin, Ms. Shuman, Ms. Swanson, Mr. Talon, and Ms. Wong for their efforts in planning and organizing the auction and continuing this meaningful tradition for CMS students and families.
Edgar Wolfe, a 7th grade CMS student, recently shared his life’s journey with Autism to the Cooperative Middle School’s faculty during their recent Staff Meeting. Edgar proudly stood, with a microphone in hand, and shared his personal story. He defined Autism, described conditions of Autism, and shared his struggles and triumphs. Edgar’s courage touched us all and we are inspired by his spirit and sense of wonder.
STRATHAM MEMORIAL SCHOOL NEWS
On Thursday, January 9 SMS held its annual Scripps Spelling Bee competition. The twenty five finalists who survived the first round in early December came back together for a night of intense focus. With students in grades two through five competing for the SMS title it made for a fun filled evening for all. In the end, fifth grader Richard Mocny took home the title, only after several rounds of excellent skill and sportsmanship. Way to go!
Who better to lead SMS in our monthly assemblies than our courageous students? Throughout the month of December, SMS focused on developing an attitude of gratitude. With so much to be grateful for, it only seemed fitting to practice in the moment gratitude. Our fifth grade students brought it all together when they planned, implemented and facilitated a fantastic school wide assembly. They had us laughing, dancing and singing. Thank you for leading the way.
KENSINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS
Cultural Passport
It’s that time of year at Kensington Elementary School! Passports have been stamped and we are off to ENGLAND! Opening Ceremonies were held on Monday, January 6th and excitement filled the air! Cultural Passport, celebrated annually in the month of January, exposes our children to the people and customs of various countries from around the world. Countries are selected carefully each year to honor the heritage of a current student at Kensington Elementary School. Our most recent studies have included the countries of Croatia, Serbia, Finland, South Korea and the Philippines. This year, we are honoring two KES families as they both have heritage from the country of England. We are fortunate to have these families who are willing to share their stories, photos, artifacts and traditions with our students to help broaden their worldly perspectives and expose them to life outside of Kensington. Over the next month, students (and teachers) will immerse themselves in all things English! We will be playing Cricket in PE, hearing stories of Beatrix Potter in Media, singing “Oranges and Lemons” in Music, constructing famous British landmarks in STEM and tasting some Toads in the Hole from the kitchen! We look forward each year to a month of cultural activities when we recognize and celebrate our similarities and differences with others around the world. Closing ceremonies and our annual bonfire will be Thursday, January 31st!
East Kingston Elementary School News
Winter Concert for Grades 3-5
On January 16, the EKES third, fourth and fifth graders performed a range of that included singing, drumming and spoken word. The evening was highlighted by the students all joining together for two songs - “Happy” and “Re-gift It” . Music teacher Katherine Walden organized and directed the show with support from the grade level teams - Deb Simmons, Lynne Walker, Amanda Ward, Carol Miller, Cheryl Titone, JoAnne Phillips, Barbara Hauck, Kim Kemp, Jodi Guillmette and Rosalie Goodwin. Lights and sound support from Chris Benson. Set up by Wayne Mizzi and Mike Benjamin. As is the EKES tradition parents cleared the floor of the folding chairs before they left. We even had some drums on loan from Newfields! It sure does take a village to put on a show!
Kindness Matters
The EKES Tree of Kindness is thriving these days with the help of two students. Georgia Ranz and Penelope Moss are working to highlight all the acts of kindness that happen in our community. Recently, when asked about the "tree" the two student leaders said, "We want everyone to know that everyone can be kind." They went on to say, "by putting the leaves on the tree young students are able to see kindness happens."
Finally, they said that when students' kind deeds are on the tree it encourages others to do the same for themselves and to do the same to others.
Keep an eye open for kindness at EKES and for leaves on the "tree"!
LINCOLN STREET SCHOOL NEWS
Third grade students have been able to engage in scientific investigation through the use of large whiteboards! Students are able to formulate science questions that can be answered through investigation. Teamwork and collaboration lead to a group consensus. Students featured in these pictures are answering the question "What is a desert?" Third grade students were also challenged to spread holiday kindness throughout the school community. On any given day you may have seen a third grader complimenting the kitchen workers, helping a friend, or fist bumping a PE teacher!
Last month, Mrs.Pupino’s class and Mrs.Leaver’s class wrote letters of kindness. Letters of kindness are where you get to pick out of a jar and then show your teacher and nobody else. You now have to watch that student in your class for the rest of the month. We also got a notebook where we would write down their kind actions secretly. For example, if your person helped pick up dropped pencils, you would secretly write down what they did kindly in your notebook. After a lot of watching acts of kindness all month, we typed a letter and printed it. Then we would put it in an envelope and we gave it to them at our holiday party. It was really hard to keep it a secret, but it paid off!
Before the holiday break we had a whole school assembly about responsibility. A nice way for 4th graders to be responsible is to clean up after yourself and turn your homework in on time. Another way to show responsibility is by following directions and safety precautions.
That’s your 4th grade January update from Ashleigh, Alexis, Nora and Annabel!As you may have read in a recent post, LSS is collecting images of students going about their day-to-day activities while also keeping their hands to themselves. We're posting the pictures around school to use as models for doing the right thing! To share a picture of your child and to read more, click this link.
EXETER ADULT EDUCATION NEWS
The new year means new courses and learning opportunities at Exeter Adult Education. Adult High School Diploma courses in English, math, economics, biology and chemistry start next week. Enrichment and community education classes are already filling up (see adulted.sau16.org for full listing and to register online). Enrollment for HiSET prep, math, reading, writing and English classes is ongoing throughout the school year. Next round of HiSET testing begins in early February.
Adult Education’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESL) program now includes additional instruction that combines English language learning with technology and career skills development. This hybrid learning program, Integrated Digital English Acceleration (I-DEA) enables adult learners to meet face to face with an ESL teacher, learn workplace vocabulary and norms, and learn and practice commonly used technology skills. Students continue their learning by completing additional modules online. One participant, who has made significant gains in skills and confidence, started a new job this weekend.
Adult education is designed to meet individual needs through classroom based or individualized instruction. Whether for career or academic development and achievement or for a fun night out, adult education is the place to be!