School Administrative Unit #9

Superintendent of Schools

A Message from the Superintendent's Office


Welcome Back Letter from Superintendent Kevin Richard - 1st Day September 8th


Open Letter to the Community - June 3rd, 2020



April 16th, 2020

Good Afternoon, 

This is a quick update for you regarding remote instruction.  Governor  Sununu announced this afternoon that remote instruction in the State of New Hampshire will continue through the end of the school year.  While this was not unexpected, it is now a definite reality.

After careful consideration of the best interests of students, families and staff members, we have determined that April Vacation will occur as planned for students.  This will take place from April 27-May 1.  To provide access to school meals during this time, three sets of meals will be provided on Friday, April 24 and three more sets of meals will be delivered on Wednesday, April 29.

Finally, our last student day will be June 15 in Conway and Bartlett.  In Jackson, the last student day will be June 12.  Please continue to check the SAU9 website for updates and information.  

We appreciate your continued support and thank you for your continued partnership.

Sincerely,

Kevin Richard, SAU9 Superintendent of Schools



March 14, 2020

Dear SAU9 Community,

            Due to the changing conditions around COVID-19 and the concerns for students, staff, and community health we have made the decision to close our school facilities until March 27, 2020.  We have been working to prepare for the possibility of remote instruction over the past week.  On Monday and Tuesday of this coming week, our staff will be working to coordinate instructional planning.  They will be taking into consideration students with and without access to the Internet.  

Staff members should be checking email on a regular basis for information regarding changes in how we deliver education.  We will be communicating with you on Tuesday with more specific details about our plans.  Our primary means of communication will be through School Messenger.  You will receive emails, phone messages, and texts as appropriate.   All information will also be posted to our website.  

We understand this is a challenging and uncertain time in our communities.  We hope to do whatever we can to support students and families to maintain as much normalcy as possible during this time.  Thank you for your patience and support as we navigate the current challenges.

For support in talking to children about COVID-19, you may wish to check this resource.  You can also obtain the most up-to-date guidance regarding COVID-19 in New Hampshire from the DHHS websitehttps://www.nh.gov/covid19/.  If you have concerns about your own health or that of a family member, you are advised to contact your physician or contact the NH Help Line by dialing 211.

 Sincerely,

 Kevin Richard, Superintendent of Schools



March 12, 2020

Dear SAU 9 Families and Community Members:

 This letter is to update you on the COVID-19 situation and the impact on the greater school community. The district administration, school nurses, and others have been working in conjunction with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Department of Education (DOE) as well as following Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations. District administration has also met with local health and emergency management services and will continue to do so on a regular basis. District administration has been meeting with the school nurses on a weekly basis and will continue to do so for the near future.

 Within the schools, there are regular cleaning and disinfecting procedures in place with attention to commonly touched surfaces such as tables, sinks, bathrooms, and countertops. We encourage students with illness to stay home. If family or community members are ill, we ask that they do not enter school buildings or attend school community events.

 Following guidance from the DOE, DHHS, and CDC, SAU 9 is postponing any field trip outside the State of New Hampshire at this time. Due to heightened concern about community based transmission of the COVID-19 virus, the scheduling of future field trips is on hold. As conditions change we will evaluate the current situation and communicate accordingly.

The SAU 9 staff is optimistic that our schools will be able to remain open, but our district administrators and emergency teams have been working for the last two weeks to prepare for the possibility of remote learning plans. Our staff has been and will continue to work on remote instruction plans for our students. SAU 9 has an early release scheduled for Thursday, March 19th to plan for such an event. Additionally, we are in communication with food service providers in the event our schools cannot remain open.

If you are looking for the updated information on COVID-19, please refer to these trusted sites:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdcs/2019-ncov.htm

Thank you for your continued support to help navigate through this situation.

 Sincerely,

KM_C754e Q76

Kevin Richard

Superintendent of Schools, SAU 9


March 2, 2020 Coronavirus Letter
February 23, 2018

Dear SAU 9 Community,

As we come to the end of a well deserved February break I would like to send out a notice to all members of our school community. I am sure that all of you have had a number of thoughts, emotions, questions and reactions related to the tragedy in Parkland, Florida. These events weigh on my mind every day as our primary job is to provide a safe environment for all of our students.

Unfortunately, the world in which we live forces us to deal with things that are uncomfortable and unfathomable. For those who have been in this profession for a long time these events were not a thought or part of our practice when we started. Over the years, such events have forced all schools and staff to change our operations and facilities. I want to reinforce to you that the school boards, administration, and staff have been working with emergency staff, police departments, and homeland security to improve upon what we already have in place. We can always get better and we are actively working to do so.

The Department of Homeland Security provided an assessment on all seven school facilities in 2016 and made recommendations for improving our practice. Emergency plans are updated annually (most recent September of 2017) and reviewed by local officials and submitted to the NH Department of Education for review. Most recently we have received a grant to upgrade surveillance cameras for the elementary and middle schools. Administrative personnel are provided additional training and resources periodically and this topic is addressed throughout the year.

With that being said, I encourage you to ask questions of your administrators should you have them. There are no text book answers to address every event that may take place in and out of school, so there is a reliance on the adults to make the best decisions that they can in the instance of school safety. Each and everyone of us is committed to making decisions based upon the information available and in the interest of safety.

As professionals in the roles of educators, our focus of the message is around school safety. There may be discussions that arise on emotionally charged topics such as gun control or  arming teachers with guns. Students, parents, teachers, staff, and community may return to school anxious and it will be important to acknowledge their feelings as we move forward. Individuals may feel strongly about these issues, but we will refrain from bringing personal opinions into classrooms.  Our SAU9 educators are caring adults committed to helping develop our students to the best of our abilities. Listening is a very powerful response.

We are all educators.  We each have the potential to influence the lives of our students.  What can we do? Be aware of what is going on in our schools and with our students.   Listen to what they have to say and notice what they don’t say.  Take action on what we observe.  At the end of each day, continuing to build positive relationships with each and every student has the power to make a real difference.

Sincerely, Kevin Richard


 June 13th, 2017

Parent and Community Brief: Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

The New Hampshire Department of Education released a Parent and Community Brief on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) DRAFT consolidated state plan that will be submitted in September 2017. The ESSA replaced the No Child Left Behind Act in December 2015 and the accountability provisions will go into effect in the 2017-18 school year.
 
The state is requesting feedback from all stakeholders (students, parents, community members, teachers, administrations and others) on their draft consolidated plan before the final draft is submitted to the U.S. Department of Education in September, 2017. Members of the community are encouraged to review the complete first draft of the state's plan as well as the brief overview before adding their feedback through the online survey. 

Parent and Community Brief

DRAFT NH State Consolidated Plan

Online Survey 



May 5th, 2017

ap·pre·ci·a·tion
noun

 
“the recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something”
 
This week has marked teacher appreciation and it is appropriate to recognize all of the efforts that the staff in SAU 9 have put forth to realize the full potential of each and every student. Regardless of your role, whether you are a classroom teacher, a bus driver, a custodian, a nurse, a paraprofessional or an administrator, your work is of critical importance to our students.  Perhaps you received treats for the faculty room, a note from a parent, or a free cup of coffee from a local vendor. There is no greater feeling than hearing a thank you from a current or former student that you made a difference in his or her life, or a parent/guardian who writes a note praising your involvement in their child’s learning.  Those are the moments that inspire us to keep coming back day after day.
 
To all of those who go beyond the scope of your job to attend a game, give a reassuring smile, share a laugh over a funny moment or take the time to listen to a student or family member, thank you.
 
We ask that you also take this opportunity to reflect upon why we are so fortunate to be educators.  What is it about chosen path of education that you appreciate? Is it the summers off?  The high wages? The preferred parking spot in the staff lot?  Probably not. In a recent conversation with “future educators” at the high school the question was posed “What is the best part of the job?” The answers came out quickly; the positive connection to students, involvement in the community, making a difference in a child’s life, igniting a passion for learning or perhaps developing an appreciation for all the uniqueness that students bring to our schools every day.  Author Daniel Pink refers to this motivating factor as fulfilling ones sense of purpose. Without a sense of purpose you might as well be working any job, and there are many other jobs that pay significantly more money.
 
Students are the focal point of the profession, but perhaps there are other parts of education that we must appreciate to be fulfilled in our careers. We ask that you reflect upon the craft of education and identify what else you appreciate about our profession. Working with a group of people with a common vision in the best interest of the public good is a good place to start. In his book A Whole New Mind Pink implores all of us to ask the question “Was I better today than yesterday?” This profession gives us this opportunity to do better every single day. It is this challenge that should inspire all of us.

From Kevin & Kadie



On Thursday, April 6, Superintendent Kevin Richard made a presentation to the Mount Washington Valley Economic Council during their "Eggs and Issues" event.  Below is a link to the presentation.  We hope you will find this information useful in learning a little about who we are and where we are going as we continue to work together to realize the full potential of each and every student.

SAU 9 State of the Schools 2017.pdf



December, 2016

“If there is one thing I’ve learned in my years on this planet, it’s that the happiest and most fulfilled people I’ve known are those who devoted themselves to something bigger and more profound than merely their own self-interest.”~John Glenn

Those words were spoken by the late John Glenn.  Glenn passed away December 8, 2016 at the age of 95.  While he served this county as a Marine in World War II and Korea, and a US Senator, he was most famous for his role as an astronaut.  In February of 1962, Glenn became the first US astronaut to orbit the earth.  This mission held dangers that no one could truly describe.  There were questions regarding the impact the flight would have on his eyesight, and whether the heat shield would hold during re-entry.   While the flight only lasted 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds, it was of significant importance to the US space race.   John Glenn made a difference for this country in so many ways. In Hollywood, he was portrayed as having “the right stuff.”

So, how do we instill in our students the value of contributing to the greater good?  How do we make sure our students have “the right stuff” to succeed in any field they desire?  A big part of it comes back to being intentional in our practice.  Students need to see how what they are doing in class can be applied to situations beyond the walls of the classroom.  They need to see the purpose behind activities, and know what it is we want them to learn and be able to do.  They need to be willing to take risks in their learning, and develop resiliency when they fail.  We need to believe it the abilities of all of our students, and maintain high expectations of them.   We talk about realizing the full potential of each and every student.  To achieve that goal, we must provide opportunities for them to develop “the right stuff.”



October, 2016
            What do T.S. Elliot, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway and Bob Dylan have in common?  They all have won the Nobel Prize in literature.  When you first think of Bob Dylan, you may not think writer, but he has written poetry set to music that has impacted people for over fifty years.  Selecting him as this year’s winner has redefined what many people may consider to be literature.  The Swedish Academy, the committee that decides the winner, selected Dylan "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."

            When Bob Dylan started his career over fifty years ago, he did not do so with the intent of winning the Nobel Prize.  It was his hard work and influence over the course of his lifetime that led to the honor.  He pursued his dreams, used his song writing to express his interpretations of social and political events, and challenged what many people believed about what folk music should be. 

            If our students are to realize their full potential, they need opportunities to express themselves and challenge the status quo.  They need to experiment, fail, and learn from their mistakes.  It is our responsibility to provide an environment in which this is valued.  It is impossible to predict the impact our students will have on society once they leave our schools.  Maybe a future Bob Dylan, or Nobel prize winner is in our schools right now.  Maybe not.  Either way, we do know that with careful planning, clear purpose behind what we ask them to do, and the right about of scaffolding without rescuing, our students will have every opportunity to become whatever they want to be.  If Bob Dylan can be a Nobel Prize winner, who knows what our students can achieve!



September, 2016


"Students don’t care how much you know until they know 

how much you care."

            Those words, spoken by Joe Voci at our opening meeting, resonated with everyone in the auditorium.   This premise is one that all members of our SAU#9 community must use to guide our actions.  It is imperative that we build relationships with our students if we want them to realize their potential.

            Realizing the full potential of each and every student, however, will take more than building relationships.   We need to care so much for our students that we will do all that is within our power to meet their needs.  That will require a commitment to maintaining high expectations for our students and ourselves.  It means collaborating effectively as a team and demonstrating individual accountability.  It means honoring the traditions while transitioning to the future.  It means playing an active role within our community.  It means we must focus on one student at a time and effectively communicate the big ideas our students need to achieve.  It also means being mindful of our practices and remembering to take those three breaths, especially when faced with challenges. 

             As we embark on our journey together, please keep these ideas in mind.  Achieving our vision of realizing the full potential of each and every student will only become a reality if we ALL commit to believing it can be done.

Happy New School Year!

Kevin and Kadie
 
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