Benjamin Franklin

At the February 14, 2023 Board of Education meeting I presented the 2023-2024 Superintendent proposed budget. The budget was developed at the school level, analyzed by the Principals, reviewed and questioned by the Business Manager and ultimately crafted by the Superintendent. Several drafts were created as Board deliberations ensued and each page was carefully combed through again and again. At a Special Meeting on February 22, 2023 the Board voted on and approved the latest proposal of a 4.61% increase over the 2022-2023 budget.

Please find the presentation slides below for your review.

These slides have been covered in detail at Public Input Sessions and Board of Education meetings. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly as I would look forward to an opportunity to talk with you about our budget plans.

Lebanon Board of Finance

Special Meeting

February 28, 2023 at 7:00 pm

Lebanon Middle School Library (in person) and via Zoom

The meeting will be held in-person at the Lebanon Middle School Library and via Zoom. To join via Zoom, please click on the link below or dial the number listed.

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AGENDA

A. Call to order

B. Discuss the BOE FY 2023-24 operating, capital, and revenue proposed budgets. After

discussion there will be an opportunity for public input.

C. Adjourn

Please take time to read the letter below introducing our new Lebanon Middle School Principal, Mr. Chad Johnson.

Ms. Mansfield grew up in Stonington and has a big family full of little cousins. She knew at a very young age that she loved working with kids. She worked for years as a camp counselor before deciding to go on to college with the intentions of becoming a school counselor. She attended Southern Connecticut State University and then obtained her Masters Degree at UCONN.

Now in her second year in the Lebanon Public Schools system she enjoys being a staff member the students want to go to for support. She takes pride in connecting students and families with the resources and services they need to support their success. She is happy to be in a district that provides ongoing training while placing an emphasis on social and emotional learning.

Like many who have been interviewed before her for the Spotlight segment, Ms. Mansfield loves the staff and students of our close knit community and truly feels part of a team!

Thank you Mrs. Clark, Mr. Gilberto, Mr. Tedesco and Mrs. Loukides for the tremendous impact you have in helping our students achieve school success and plan for a career.

Coach Lopez, of the Lyman Memorial Girls Basketball Team as part of the Eastern Connecticut Conference's campaign on cancer awareness, arranged for Kimberly Silcox, J.D. to come to a home game on Thursday February 9th vs Putnam to staff a table with information about cancer screenings and their Early Detection and Prevention Program.

Kim Silcox is the Manager of the Cancer Community Outreach Program and HHC CEDPP Project Director for Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute.

For next year he is planning to have them bring their mammography van and medical providers to do screenings.

On Tuesday, January 31st I had the pleasure of attending an Oratorical Contest sponsored and facilitated by the Lebanon American Legion Post 180. We had 5 students who demonstrated confidence, critical thinking and effective communication while reciting 8-10 minute long speeches (with no supporting resources) on the United States Constitution to the audience. As if that wasn't challenging enough, they were given a second task to produce another 3-5 minute speech on a randomly selected topic with just minutes to prepare! It was impressive.

Congrats to all the participants.

Participant Names and Topics are listed below:

Kendall Breault - Failure

Grace Kelley - Honey Mushroom Government

Isabella Deslauriers - What is your difference

Sarah Cropley - What is your difference

Alexis Zimnoch - What we can do for the Constitution.

Recent News... Kendall is moving on to the state level competition after winning district level contest!

As the winter sports seasons enter into tournament play it is a great opportunity to celebrate student-athlete and team successes.

Our Lyman Girls Basketball Team captured the ECC Division IV Regular Season League Championship. They were the top seed in the ECC tournament and are 6th in the State Class S rankings at this point.

Jaiden Lopez scored his 1,000th point in a home game versus Bacon Academy. Jaiden becomes the 15th basketball player in Lyman history to reach this milestone. Equally as impressive have been his efforts as volunteer coach for our middle school recreation basketball team.

The boy's and girls' indoor track teams have been very competitive all season with 6 boys and 8 girls qualifying for the Class S state meet. They traveled to a new venue in Providence Rhode Island where we attended the East Coast Invite and where there were 5 Lyman Indoor Track records broken.

Leah Comeroski 200 meters
Jeremiah Bobbi 200 meters
Ella Caplet 400 Meters
Nicholas Zaprianov 400 meters
Magdalana Carpenter 800 meters

At other meets at Southern , Floyd Little, and the Coast guard Academy we had additional records broken that include:
Leah Comeroski 55 meters
Sprint Medley Relay Team Leah Comeroski, Haley Cardinali, Ella Caplet, and Magda Carpenter
Jeremiah Bobbi 300 meters
Anthony Williams Shot put
Gabriela Dinisoe Pole Vault
Jeremiah Bobbi 55 meters

Besides these individuals breaking records we had all 8 girls qualify for states as well as all three relay teams. The boys had 6 qualifiers, with one relay team and 6 individual events. At our ECC championship meet the girls placed 4th out of 12 teams and the boys were 7th out of 10 teams

Highlights Class S State meet:
Girls 4x200 Relay Team: 3rd place Gabriella Dinisoe, Leah Comeroski, Haley Cardinali, Ella Caplet-Broke school record
Girls Sprint Medley Relay Team: 5th place Leah Comeroski, Haley Cardinali, Ella Caplet, and Hazel DeLucia
Tie for 3rd place Pole vault, Gabriella Dinisoe

5th place finish 300 M Leah Comeroski-Broke school record
Jeremiah Bobbi- 300 meters placed 8th overall, and broke his record he had set earlier in the season.

Lyman Wrestling came in 6th place Eastern Connecticut Conference Wrestling Championships . They were the top team in their division which makes them division champs! Highlighted below are our student-athletes with their placements.

106 pounds: 8th Kaden Moore (Lyman Memorial/Windham Tech).

120: 2nd Hunter Sanchez (LM/WT)

126: 2nd Chase Plourde (LM/WT)

138: 7th Jayden Veilleux (LM/WT)

152: 6th Ben Broderick (LM/WT)

170: 1st Cameron Sammarco (LM/WT), 31-1

182: 5th Zachary Rebello (LM/WT

195: 4th Vicent Gauvin (LM/WT)

285: 4th Timothy Breault (LM/WT)

Recent news...Cam Sammarco won the State Championship and wrestles in the State Open this weekend.

From the Curriculum Office, Rita Quiles-Glover, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment- February 2023

On February 17, LPS faculty participated in afternoon professional development sessions. The elementary level focused on academics with I-Ready Math training and discussion focused on differentiation, assessments, and planning. Preschool staff worked with the Connecticut Science Center on planning inquiry and engaging science units for our youngest learners. Middle and high school staff focused on social emotional support and participated in crisis de-escalation and behavioral management strategies for the classroom. The Child Health & Development Institute of CT presented, based on a staff needs survey that indicated an interest in gaining more knowledge on supporting students with trauma. The presentation focused on principles and applications of the Graduated Response model for working with students with mental health needs. A follow-up workshop will be on March 3. These presentations are funded by a grant called SBDI (Connecticut School-Based Diversion Initiative) designed to prevent school-based arrests and reduce out-of-school suspensions/expulsions for students experiencing emotional or behavioral health challenges. SBDI is a school-level initiative that engages teachers, staff, administrators, other school faculty and community providers through consultation, professional development and capacity building activities. Together, these efforts strengthen systems for enhanced school mental health services and supports, improve school connectedness and promote positive student outcomes. A big thank you to our district social workers, Sabena Escott and Amanda Mansfield, who applied for this grant and are supporting these important efforts directly aligned with our district goals.

Honoring Black History and Heritage PD Playlist

The CSDE Honoring Black History and Heritage PD Playlist is a collection of existing and new resources for educators and their students to view, use and share to honor Black History and Heritage to support understanding, teaching, and learning through the month and beyond. The PD Playlist is located in the Educator Learning Hub and provides alignment to the CSDE African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino Course of Studies.

February is CTE Month®

The CSDE celebrates CTE Month® with the Association for Career & Technical Education® to recognize the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of Connecticut CTE Teachers and students and local CTE programs. Districts are encouraged to share and use the CSDE CTE Month PD Playlist to support local celebrations and recognitions. The curated resources can support future planning to modernize and elevate CTE programming.

Lyman Memorial High School recently held an elective fair during an extended Positive Academic Work Support period . The main goal was to give students a chance to talk with teachers about the variety of electives offered at Lyman. It was a great opportunity for students to learn in depth what the class is all about.

Lebanon Public Schools actively seeks to assist children and families by locating, identifying, and referring children from birth to age 21 who require special education and related services. If you are concerned about a child's development, you are encouraged to contact Lebanon Elementary School to receive information about Early Childhood Screenings.

If the child is younger than 3 years of age, you may choose instead to contact the Connecticut Birth to Three System at 1-800-505-7000.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact 860-642-5636.

Something fun happened in the LES cafeteria! Students had the opportunity to experience a program called “Mood Boost!” Designed to help students make the connection between what they eat and how they feel, Mood Boost brings new lunch menus, fun activities and a collection of characters called “Moodies” into the cafeteria.

Click "buttons" throughout update to view articles & important documents

Families, please feel free to send photos of our students in action so that I can celebrate them in the Superintendent Updates. Thanks for helping share our Lebanon Pride! andrew.gonzalez@lebanonct.org

Sabena Escott, MSW sabena.escott@lebanonct.org

Lyman Memorial High School Social Worker and District Family Care Coordinator

With recent legislation over the summer, a family care coordinator has been added to the growing number of mental health staff that CT recognizes will further support our children and families in the school setting. The family care coordinator role already encompasses what our Lebanon school district mental health teams provide for students and families. Providing students with access to mental health resources within the community and bringing mental health services to students inside of the school has always been a priority in our district. Please reach out if there are any specific mental health topics, community programs, therapeutic referrals or town programs and resources that you would like to know more about. Below are a few programs and resources for students and families.

Lebanon Social Services Office offers a variety of services to Lebanon children, adults, and seniors. Social Services Administrator Shelly Ashcom works with federal, state, and local organizations to provide assistance to Lebanon residents in need. Town of Lebanon Social Services

*The use of the resources/programs in this section are not required by LPS to be used by parents/guardians. They are recommendations only.*

Regular attendance is vital for student success. When students attend regularly they the best chance to achieve academically and thrive. Every day a student is in school is an opportunity to learn, build relationships and access supports. We look forward to partnering with you to make sure our learners are present and prepared to grow each day. We understand that students are more likely to attend school when they feel safe, connected and supported. We will continue to work hard to motivate students to attend by fostering a belief among students that they can achieve at high levels .

Research shows that when students are chronically absent- missing more than 10% of the school year, or 18 days over an entire year- they are less likely to read proficiently by 3rd grade, achieve in middle school and graduate from high school.

E-Cigarettes/Vapes Quick Facts

• Fact Sheet for Parents Download the PDF

• Get the Talk With Your Teen About E-cigarettes tip sheet for parents. Start the conversation early with children about why e-cigarettes are harmful for them.

• Encourage your child to learn the facts and get tips for quitting tobacco products at Teen.smokefree.gov

Family Resource Center: Find information to help you support children who are struggling with mental health, behavior or learning challenges.

Weekly videos to help families support children who are struggling with a wide range of mental health, behavior, and learning issues.

This month’s focus is Anxiety. What Generalized Anxiety Disorder looks like in children and teenagers, treatment alternatives and steps parents can take to help kids overcome it and resources on different ways anxiety can manifest in kids. Also, School Anxiety in the Classroom

FREE: Virtual Community Awareness Program (CAP), Wednesday, March 1st, 9am-12pm REGISTER HERE!

Inviting all K-12 students, with support from adults, to produce short (one to three minute) videos using template scripts for the opportunity to be featured on NBPC websites and viewed by classrooms around the country – plus, win some amazing prizes! “Students with Solutions” is a creative way for adults to engage youth in bullying prevention conversation while involving them in developing resources that can help educate their peers. Submit videos through April 30 Learn steps to participate

Call or text a trained crisis counselor to talk:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. They’re free and available 24/7:
  Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org

• Trevor Project (crisis intervention & suicide prevention for the LGBTQ community): 1-866-488-7386 or Text 678678

• Crisis Text Line: text CTL to 741741

We are in the midst of what experts are calling the "Tripledemic". We have seen many cases of respiratory viruses and the flu in our schools. We have increased the frequency of touch surface cleaning and continue to encourage our learners to practice good hand hygiene to help prevent illness. Our nursing staff has been diligent in their attempts to spot signs of sickness and stop the spread in our classrooms. We ask for your continued cooperation in monitoring your students health and not sending them to school with signs of COVID-19 or a fever. Our district recently sent home self-test kits for families to help with earlier identification of COVID-19 and to set us up for a safe return to school after the holiday break.

Please remember you can see our COVID-19 data that is updated in real time at https://www.lebanonct.org/ There is a "button" on the main page that links directly to our dashboard.

The Lebanon Public Schools, in partnership with families and the community, will prepare students to be contributing members of a diverse global society. We will provide a safe, nurturing, rigorous, and student-centered learning environment.

The school community of Lebanon is committed to the mission of honoring and celebrating the diversity of our students, our community, and our nation. We strive to guide our students to conscious, deliberate, individual and collective actions that cultivate the respect of all races, religions, and social backgrounds. Our school community endeavors to produce graduates who are equipped with a greater understanding of the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The Lebanon Board of Education, in compliance with federal and state law, affirms its policy of equal educational opportunity for all students and equal employment opportunity for all persons. It is the policy of the District to promote nondiscrimination and an environment free of harassment and the District does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, alienage, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, veteran status or any other category protected under state or federal law in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its program or activities. The District also provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups and is specifically required by Title IX not to discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs and activities. The District shall make reasonable accommodations for individuals with identified physical and mental impairments that constitute disabilities, consistent with federal and state statutes and regulations.

The following person has been designated to handle inquires regarding Title IX sex discrimination policies: Dawn DeLia, Title IX Coordinator, 891 Exeter Road, Lebanon, CT; 860-642-5764

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding other non-discrimination policies: Dawn DeLia, 504/ADA Coordinator, 891 Exeter Road, Lebanon, CT; 860-642-5764