Letters from the Superintendent
Good afternoon,
Due to a plumbing issue caused by the extreme cold, there will be no school tomorrow, 2/6/23, at Lincoln Akerman School. Cleanup is ongoing, but due to part availability we will be unable to complete the repair in time for school tomorrow.
We apologize for the inconvenience and expect school to be in session on Tuesday.
Best,
Meredith
Dear SAU 21 parents and guardians,
Although January was unusually warm, the groundhog saw his shadow today, so our winter is evidently not over yet. In all seriousness, tomorrow is going to be VERY cold. According to the National Weather Service, we will be seeing the coldest temperatures in years beginning tomorrow morning and lasting through Saturday. A wind chill warning goes into effect at 10 A.M. tomorrow morning and runs until 1 P.M. on Saturday. Schools will have indoor recess and minimize time outside at the beginning and end of the school day. Our bus company is prepared for these cold temperatures, and we do not expect any delays to our transportation schedule. That said, we encourage you to have your children dress appropriately for the conditions--layered clothing, jacket, hat, gloves/mittens--to limit exposed skin. Temperatures will fall into the single digits tomorrow afternoon, and we don't want anyone arriving home with frostbite!!
In other news, next week brings Deliberative Sessions for each of our school districts. The Deliberative Session is the opportunity for voters in each community to review the School Board proposed budget and warrant articles and vote on moving warrant articles forward to voters for the March ballot. Budget information for all of our districts, including information about the proposed warrant article for the teacher contract, can be found here. All Deliberative Sessions begin at 7:00 P.M.:
- Monday, 2/6, Seabrook School District (gym)
- Tuesday, 2/7, North Hampton (cafeteria) and South Hampton (gym) School Districts
- Wednesday, 2/8, Hampton Falls School District (cafeteria)
- Thursday, 2/9, Winnacunnet School District (auditorium)
Also, tomorrow, February 3rd, is the last day to file for school board and school district officer positions with your school district clerk. A complete list of positions and contact information for each district clerk is attached.
February is typically celebrated as the month of kindness, and it may seem to us and our children as we follow national and international events that kindness is in short supply. Our schools are working with our students to build their empathy and respect muscles and to help them build and strengthen their conflict resolution skills. Across our schools, many of the issues of unkindness and conflict we deal with involving our students occur outside of school via the use of text messages and social media platforms. Our children and young adults need our help in utilizing electronic devices in safe and responsible ways and in handling the things they are exposed to via those devices and tools. During this month of kindness, I challenge us all to post/tweet/snap/send only positive messages and messages of kindness and support. We can all help to build stronger communities for our children today and in their future.
Wishing you a Happy Groundhog Day!
Meredith
Meredith Nadeau, Superintendent, SAU 21
Good morning SAU 21 families and staff,
Due to current and anticipated weather and travel conditions, there will be no school in SAU 21 schools today and offices will be closed. Please stay safe and enjoy the day.
Best,
Meredith
Good evening SAU 21 Parents and Guardians,
It has been a mild winter, thus far, but we are definitely in an active weather pattern. Tomorrow's weather forecast is a tricky one. While we are expecting largely rain overnight, conditions could deteriorate during the day tomorrow and make dismissal time tricky. We may be in the clear with all rain and very little snow or we could have icy conditions if the temperatures drop below freezing with more snow. While the current plan is to hold school as normal tomorrow, I'll be continuing to monitor the forecast throughout the evening and will make a decision by 5 A.M. I wouldn't advise children to get their hopes up, but ask that you please be prepared--just in case--for a cancellation or early dismissal.
For anyone who is interested in my decision-making process, I do not use a Magic 8 Ball or the Snow Day Calculator (though they might be just as accurate). I typically monitor the forecast a few days out, join a National Weather Service briefing prior to the storm, speak with road agents/emergency management folks, talk with the bus company, and, in cases like this, get an update on local, on-the-ground conditions prior to making a decision. Sometimes, as it appears will be the case tomorrow, the forecast and conditions can be quite different across our 5 sending towns. My decision is predicated on our ability to safely transport students to school and back home on our buses, but it is not an exact science.
As a reminder, parents and guardians always have the choice to keep your child home if you feel the conditions are not safe. Your child's absence due to such a concern about will be excused.
Enjoy your evening,
Meredith
Dear SAU 21 Parents and Guardians,
We are fortunate to be missing the snow tomorrow, but, unfortunately, the forecast for coastal flooding and high winds has caused us to cancel school for tomorrow, Friday, 12/23. We have consulted with our local emergency management directors, and the consensus is that it is the safest decision for tomorrow. Schools will reopen on Tuesday, January 3rd.
Budget is the story of November and December within our SAU. All districts have adopted their recommended budgets and moved them forward to budget committees. Public hearings on each district’s budget will take place in January. Citizen votes on district budgets take place in March. In addition to the operating budget, this year's budget will include a warrant article for the collective bargaining agreement with our teachers. Details about the budgets and the warrant articles can be found with the meeting materials for each school board and will be posted to the SAU budget page after the public hearings are completed.
Congratulations to the students listed below who have been selected to serve on the Superintendent's Student Leadership Team for the 2022-2023 school year:
- Barnard School: Violet Davis and Isabel Vaillancourt, alt. Luke Andrusevich
- Lincoln Akerman School: Colby Swasey and Fiona McAfee, alt. Joel Williams
- North Hampton School: Diya Sandeep and December Beal, alt. Emily Hyett
- Seabrook Middle School: Maizy Desrochers and Henry Woolley, alt. Leah Sanborn
- Winnacunnet High School: Sarah Rademacher, Reid Westergren, Liana Pacheco, Makenzie Felch, Lillie Ladd, Jacob Coyman, Aidan Smith, and Erin Ryan.
We held our first meeting last week, and students had the opportunity to learn about the structure and responsibilities of the SAU and the districts as well as to meet each of our SAU administrators. In addition, they began to learn a little about each other and how they work best in groups. We will be meeting again in January with a focus on school safety. I am already learning from them.
Kudos to Winnacunnet High School/Seacoast School of Technology student Matthew Collette. Matthew is in the Automotive Technologies program at SST and recently presented to the SST Governing Board about his experiences with the program. Matthew is a great example of a student who has made the most of his enrollment in SST. He is passionate about the program and the life and work lessons he has acquired there in addition to the technical expertise. He is a bright, personable, and articulate young man who will do well in his chosen pursuits!
My great-grandmother was born in 1898, and she grew up in England in a family that struggled to get by each day. She left school and her family at the age of twelve to go into service and worked hard throughout her life. She raised her children, including my grandfather, with a great appreciation for all that they had and taught them to give back to their communities with gratitude for all that they were given. Father Christmas brought my great-grandmother, and subsequently her children, an orange and a penny. While Santa brought additional gifts to my parents and to me as children, we also received an orange and a penny. Santa still brings those to my children, and I hope that I am continuing to meet my great-grandmother's expectations for giving back and expressing our gratitude for all that we have been blessed with.
Whatever traditions or holidays you celebrate and however your family chooses to celebrate them, I wish you peace and joy and a bright 2023!
Best,
Meredith
Dear SAU 21 Parents and Guardians:
As December approaches, we want to prepare you for possible changes to the school schedule/calendar that may occur as a result of our sometimes unpredictable New England weather. Please review the information below so that you will understand the various changes that we may make to the schedule, as well as where you can best receive the most up-to-date and accurate information.
As was the case last year, our intention is to utilize old-fashioned snow days in the case of school cancellations due to inclement weather--at least through the beginning of the winter. If it begins to appear that the school year will be extended beyond the make-up days already built into our SAU calendar, we will look at implementing some remote instruction days in lieu of traditional snow days later in the winter.
Changes to the Schedule
School Cancellation. In situations where student safety may be jeopardized for an extended period of time, school will be canceled for the entire day. Remember, parents/guardians always have the right to use their better judgment to keep their children home when we have school on bad weather days, based on conditions in your particular location.
Delayed Openings. In some situations, school opening may be delayed by two hours (thereby allowing time for early morning snow removal and ice control to occur and/or weather to improve). If there is a two hour delay:
- Preschool. Morning preschool in all districts will be canceled. Afternoon preschool will be held. Afternoon preschool buses will operate on a normal day schedule.
- All other students should be at bus stops two hours later than normal. Walkers and students being driven to school should arrive at school two hours after their normal time.
- Hot lunches will be served in all schools having school lunch programs.
Early Dismissal. On very rare occasions it may be necessary to dismiss school early. This decision will normally be made the night before the school day on which it will occur except in the case of an emergency. If there is an early dismissal:
- There will be no afternoon preschool.
- All after-school activities and after care programs will be canceled.
- The following dismissal schedule will be utilized: Hampton Falls (11:30 a.m. dismissal); North Hampton (12:00 p.m. dismissal); Seabrook Elementary and Middle (12:00 p.m. dismissal); South Hampton (11:55 a.m. dismissal); and Winnacunnet (11:56 a.m. dismissal).
- Parents, particularly those of younger children, should make arrangements in advance for the care of your children in the event of an early school closing.
Schedule Change Announcements
Notifications of closings or schedule changes will be sent to all families and employees via the SchoolMessenger system. The best source for the most up-to-date information regarding school closings and schedule changes is available on Twitter at @nhsau21. In addition, announcements will be posted on the SAU and individual school websites:
- SAU #21 https://www.sau21.org/sau/
- Hampton Falls https://www.sau21.org/las/
- North Hampton https://www.northhamptonschool.org/
- Seabrook Elementary https://www.elementary.seabrooksd.org/
- Seabrook Middle https://www.middle.seabrooksd.org/
- South Hampton https://www.sau21.org/barnard/
- Winnacunnet https://www.winnacunnet.org/
Notifications will be sent to all families and employees via the SchoolMessenger system. We will also post information related to school cancellations, delayed openings, and early dismissals to the following television stations:
- Television: WBZ Channel 4 Boston
- NECN Channel 6 Boston
- WHDH Channel 7 Boston
- WMUR Channel 9 Manchester
Two other important notes:
- Do not call your local fire or police department(s) or the school bus company to find out if school is canceled or a delayed opening is in effect. Their lines must be kept open for emergencies.
- It is important that you not drop your child or children off at school at the regular hour if school is canceled or a delayed opening is in effect. There will not be anyone present at the school to provide supervision.
Thank you for your assistance and cooperation with these important weather related issues. Please feel free to call our offices at 603.926.8992 if you have questions about anything explained in this letter.
My best to you and your family during the upcoming holiday season.
Sincerely,
Meredith
Meredith Nadeau, Superintendent of Schools
Dear SAU 21 Parents and Guardians,
We have been informed this morning that several New Hampshire districts, including some in our region, have received active shooter threats. The NH Department of Safety believes these to be hoaxes similar to what occurred in Maine a few weeks ago, but that has not yet been confirmed. As a precaution, we have implemented secure campus protocols at our K-8 and Seabrook schools and are working with local police departments to monitor the situation. Hampton Police Department has deployed additional police to its schools but has not recommended a secure campus at Winnacunnet at this time. To be clear, there have been no threats directed at any of our SAU 21 schools.
We will provide additional information and updates as they are received. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Meredith
Meredith Nadeau, Superintendent of Schools
School Administrative Unit 21
Dear SAU 21 Parents and Guardians:
As December approaches, we want to prepare you for possible changes to the school schedule/calendar that may occur as a result of our sometimes unpredictable New England weather. Please review the information below so that you will understand the various changes that we may make to the schedule, as well as where you can best receive the most up-to-date and accurate information.
As was the case last year, our intention is to utilize old-fashioned snow days in the case of school cancellations due to inclement weather--at least through the beginning of the winter. If it begins to appear that the school year will be extended beyond the make-up days already built into our SAU calendar, we will look at implementing some remote instruction days in lieu of traditional snow days later in the winter.
Changes to the Schedule
School Cancellation. In situations where student safety may be jeopardized for an extended period of time, school will be canceled for the entire day. Remember, parents/guardians always have the right to use their better judgment to keep their children home when we have school on bad weather days, based on conditions in your particular location.
Delayed Openings. In some situations, school opening may be delayed by two hours (thereby allowing time for early morning snow removal and ice control to occur and/or weather to improve). If there is a two-hour delay:
• Preschool: Morning preschool in all districts will be canceled. Afternoon preschool will be held. Afternoon preschool buses will operate on a normal day schedule.
• All other students should be at bus stops two hours later than normal. Walkers and students being driven to school should arrive at school two hours after their normal time.
• Hot lunches will be served in all schools having school lunch programs.
there is an early dismissal:
• There will be no afternoon preschool.
• All after-school activities and after care programs will be canceled.
• The following dismissal schedule will be utilized: Hampton Falls (11:30 a.m. dismissal); North Hampton (12:00 p.m. dismissal); Seabrook Elementary and Middle (12:00 p.m. dismissal); South Hampton (11:55 a.m. dismissal); and Winnacunnet (11:56 a.m. dismissal).
• Parents, particularly those of younger children, should make arrangements in advance for the care of your children in the event of an early school closing.
Schedule Change Announcements
Notifications of closings or schedule changes will be sent to all families and employees via the SchoolMessenger system. The best source for the most up-to-date information regarding school closings and schedule changes is available on Twitter at @nhsau21. In addition, announcements will be posted on the SAU and individual school websites:
SAU #21 https://www.sau21.org
Hampton Falls https://www.sau21.org/las/
North Hampton https://www.northhamptonschool.org/
Seabrook Elementary https://www.sau21.org/ses/
Seabrook Middle https://www.sau21.org/sms/
South Hampton https://www.sau21.org/barnard/
Winnacunnet https://www.winnacunnet.org/
Notifications will be sent to all families and employees via the SchoolMessenger system. We will also post information related to school cancellations, delayed openings, and early dismissals to the following television stations:
Television: WBZ Channel 4 Boston
NECN Channel 6 Boston
WHDH Channel 7 Boston
WMUR Channel 9 Manchester
Two other important notes:
• Do not call your local fire or police department(s) or the school bus company to find out if school is canceled or a delayed opening is in effect. Their lines must be kept open for emergencies.
• It is important that you not drop your child or children off at school at the regular hour if school is canceled or a delayed opening is in effect. There will not be anyone present at the school to provide supervision.
Thank you for your assistance and cooperation with these important weather-related issues. Please feel free to call our offices at 603.926.8992 if you have questions about anything explained in this letter.
My best to you and your family during the upcoming holiday season.
Sincerely,
Meredith
Meredith Nadeau, Superintendent of Schools
Dear SAU 21 Families.
As you may be aware, this morning several schools in Maine were dealing with telephonebased reports of school violence. The Maine State Police have determined that these reports were a hoax. I want to assure you that our districts were made aware of the incidents, and our administrators and building teams were taking steps to prepare our own response were that to become necessary. The safety and well-being of students is always our highest priority.
While we are grateful that these incidents were a hoax and represented no immediate threat to school safety, we know that such reports require vigilance on the part of school and emergency response personnel and can also impact the emotional well-being of our staff, parents, and the students in our care. We are attaching a resource from NASP (National Association of School Psychologists) that you may find helpful in processing this situation with your child. School counselors and administrators are also aware and available if additional support is needed.
Sincerely,
Meredith
Dear SAU 21 Parents and Guardians,
November has arrived, and I'm sure we are all enjoying the mild start to what could be a long winter. Last Friday, I had the opportunity to play on the staff team against our Winnacunnet High School unified soccer team. While the faculty team was soundly defeated, it was the most joyous defeat I have ever experienced. First, the weather was perfect for soccer. Second, and more importantly, the teamwork, camaraderie, and spirit of the athletes, their coaches and fans was contagious. I'm still smiling about it! If you haven't had an opportunity to see unified sports in action, I encourage you to consider attending a future event. Basketball season is right around the corner, and I guarantee that you will leave with a smile!
There has been a lot of media coverage recently regarding student assessment data post-Covid and the gaps in performance. It is true that on a national level the data shows a clear gap in learning due to the pandemic. That gap is wider for students who are socio-economically disadvantaged. The picture in New Hampshire is less bleak than it is in much of the country. In NH, one percent fewer fourth graders scored proficient in reading in 2022 than in 2019, and 6% fewer fourth graders scored proficient in mathematics. The difference for 8th graders in NH overall was more significant with 5% fewer 8th graders scoring proficient in reading than in 2019 and 9% fewer scoring proficient in mathematics. These data provide a snapshot, and we expect to see students close those gaps and make growth within our local districts. The most important data for you is, of course, that of your individual child. I would encourage you to review your child's assessment results and to connect with the school if you have questions or if you are not seeing your child continue to progress.
Applications open on Monday for the Superintendent's Student Leadership Team. Students who apply and are selected for the team will work directly with me to will weigh in on a variety of topics such as school safety, school community, curriculum, and opportunities for students. We will have representation from Grades 7 and 8 in each of our K-8 districts as well as representatives from each grade at the high school. For more information or to apply, click here.
On Monday, November 14th, at 6:30 P.M., we will host a discussion about mental health at WHS. Former Chief Justice of the NH Supreme Court, John Broderick, will join us along with student panelists and local mental health providers. The evening is open to all, and we encourage parents/guardians of middle and high school students to attend with their children. As an added bonus, pizza will be available beginning at 6:00 P.M. for those attending. Please join us if you are available and help us get the word out about this important conversation. Solving these challenges and improving outcomes for our young people requires all of us-schools, families, and communities.
As noted in the first part of this letter, it's November which means the holiday season will quickly be upon us. If you are in need of resources or support, please don't hesitate to contact your school counselor, nurse, or principal.
Best wishes for a great November and a Happy Thanksgiving!
Meredith
P.S. As a reminder, there is no school on Tuesday, 11/8, due to elections or on Friday, 11/11 due to Veterans Day. Thank you to our Veterans for your service!
Dear SAU 21 Parents and Guardians,
It has been such a nice start to the school year. We are thrilled to have been able to open the year with some of our traditional back to school activities and opportunities like open houses, curriculum evenings, and back-to-school socials. Students and staff are fully engaged in teaching and learning, and that work really began on day 1. One of the first classrooms I visited when school began had 3rd graders defining and distinguishing between “acute” and “obtuse” angles. As you might imagine, these third graders used their whole selves to show which angle was which.
A focus on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is still important in our schools, and in the coming weeks you will learn more about a universal screening tool that we will be offering to students/families across grades 3-12 to better understand a student's individual strengths in the SEL domains. The Holistic Student Assessment is a student survey that helps educators and families better understand each student's unique strengths and needs in three critical areas: Resiliencies, Learning/School Engagement, and Relationships. More information is provided here. As this is a non-academic survey, parent/guardian consent will be required for students to participate.
On a side note, several Winnacunnet High School students and staff contributed to a recent article about how to support adolescent mental health, and I encourage you to take a look to learn more about ways to aid children and teens who may be struggling.
I recently reread some pieces of a book called Creating the Schools Our Children Need by Dylan William. While released in 2018, much of the info in the book still feels timely. Among other things, William argues that improving schools requires a culture of continuous improvement in classrooms with teachers regularly collecting and responding to student formative assessments. This is not new information, but it underscores the importance of our work with teachers in curriculum and assessment. Time for teachers to work together is critical for reviewing and responding to student performance and is a high priority in our schedules and calendar across the SAU.
Coming up on Tuesday, October 4th is our Portrait of a Learner community event. We hope you will join us in a conversation to identify the skills and abilities that students will need to be successful in school, work, and life. The evening kicks off at 5:30, and pizza and child care will be available. Middle and high school aged students are welcome to participate. Additionally, as described in the attached flyer, a variety of door prizes generously supplied by local vendors will be given away to people who register. Follow the QR code in the attachment or click here to register. We hope to see you there.
Best wishes for a terrific weekend!
Meredith
Dear SAU 21 Parents and Guardians,
I hope your family has been able to enjoy our beautiful New England summer. It's hard to believe that school will be starting next week. It has been another busy summer at SAU 21. We have been working hard to fill vacancies and onboard new staff members, and we still have some Educational Associate and other support staff and substitute positions open across our districts. (Click here if you are interested in applying for any vacancies.) Staff were involved in a number of professional development opportunities, and our summer programs for students were well-attended. A number of capital projects were completed in our buildings involving such things as paving, HVAC, and roofing, and our facilities have been cleaned and polished for the new year. Among many other projects at the SAU office we conducted our annual audits, prepared schedules, calendars, and activities for the year ahead, worked with our schools to apply for safety grants as well as our annual entitlement grants, and worked with our School Boards on policy review.
Though I hate to have to say it, we do still have COVID guidelines in place. A full copy of our COVID plans can be found here. It is important to note that students are still required to stay home/test if they are demonstrating any COVID-19 symptoms and abide by the quarantine/isolation guidelines from NH DHHS. Testing is not required for COVIDpositive individuals to exit isolation on day 6 as long as individuals have improving symptoms and have been fever-free for at least 24 hours. Please reach out to your child's school nurse if you have any questions about COVID guidelines.
The schools across the SAU have also remained focused on emergency management planning and school safety and security. Each district has submitted requests for funding through the NH SAFE grant, and each of our districts has also worked to update its emergency management plans based on the latest information and guidance from local emergency responders as well as the NH Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM). NH HSEM will be conducting its triennial school safety and security audits of our schools early this fall, and NH HSEM officials will be conducting a tabletop exercise of our plans in October. In addition, our staff are also completing their annual ALICE training.
Yesterday was the first official day back at school for our teachers and educational associates, and we had a great kick-off to the new school year. We are excited to continue and outside of the district including suicide prevention, bullying and cyber-bullying awareness training, and training on preventing harassment. More than 80% of our teacher's professional development time is focused on curriculum and instruction related topics including vertical alignment of curriculum, developing quality performance assessments, and reviewing competencies. Over the last couple of years, 20-25% of the time of our professional development time has been focused around the social emotional needs of our students, as meeting those needs is a precursor for students' ability to engage in instruction.
One training scheduled for the upcoming year has been a subject of concern for some individuals. That training is a 90-minute session for educators focused on creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all children--in this case, providing a better understanding of how to support LGBTQ+ youth. The goals of the training are to build staff understanding of the concepts of sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and gender expression, to share information and data regarding the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth, and to discuss strategies for creating a safe classroom/school space for all. There is no curricular component, and no aspect of this training is intended to be provided to children. As educators, our job is to create an environment free from discrimination for all, including on the basis of age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, marital status, familial status, disability, religion or national origin, creed or economic status. Students who identify as LGBTQ+ are twice as likely to report being bullied or harassed as their peers, and 45% of students identifying as LGBTQ+ report having seriously considered suicide in the last year. A recent WHS graduate perhaps best articulated the need for this training for our staff:
I went through Winnacunnet as one of the few LGBTQ+ students... It was incredibly isolating and when I needed help, I hesitated in fear of not being understood...My favorite staff members did not share any of my experiences, but they had open hearts and open minds that I am forever grateful for. I recognize that not everyone is privileged enough to be in my position. That is why I strongly encourage...training so that students like me are able to freely rely on faculty without fear of discrimination or judgement on who they are. It will show them that our school is always striving to be better to all individuals.
The last year has been a very challenging year in our communities, and fear and anxiety have contributed to those challenges and our perceptions of them. All of us have felt that loss of control and normalcy that we had grown accustomed to prior to the pandemic, and we feel that most acutely when it comes to our children. We are inundated with information and misinformation and it can be hard to discern what to believe and who to trust. Instead of the coming together and dialogue that usually occurs, we were forced by distance to resort to announcements rather than discussions. Frustrations with closed schools, restrictions on our daily lives and social interactions, and anxiety about the physical health and safety of ourselves and our families compounded. We have turned to social media conversations about rather than in-person conversations with, where we can look people in the eye and draw our own conclusions. I encourage all of us to rise above that--make contact, ask questions, seek out opportunities for discussion, approach others with a sense of goodwill and a willingness to listen to their point of view. In the end, we don't have to agree, but I hope that we are able to see beyond headlines to hear one another's perspectives.
I look forward to a positive school year and to our collaboration with and support of one another. Our children need the support of all of us--school staff, parents, and community members--to grow strong, healthy, and to reach their full potential.
Sincerely,
Meredith
Meredith Nadeau, Superintendent of Schools
School Administrative Unit 21