Dear NHS Community,
I would like to thank you for your support during these last few months. We were all thrust into unexpected circumstances and our teachers truly felt the support of the community as they worked to provide instruction in the remote learning environment. We recognize how challenging it must have been for working parents to work from home and support their children’s learning and how difficult it must have been for essential workers to head off to work during this pandemic. It was equally challenging for teachers who were balancing instructional responsibilities along with helping their own children at home. It wasn’t easy and we wish we could have been together, but that is the key word. We still did get through together.
I am sure you are already wondering about what school may look like when it is time to return in August. While there are no clear answers, please know that SAU 21 has a Return to School Task Force looking into all the options and challenges. We hope to begin to make plans in July and will keep parents informed as we navigate the ever changing information that seems to come. For now, I hope you can enjoy summer time with your children and put the computers away! We have certainly all spent a great deal of time in front of them.
There are a few lingering loose ends to the school year and some information to communicate to you.
Report Cards
You will receive a modified report card for the third trimester. Because of the remote learning environment, teachers were not able to conduct the types of assessments that typically provide information about student progress. With that in mind, the T3 report card is largely focused on participation, engagement levels, and student work production. Elementary report cards will consist of 3 short narratives for Reading, Writing, and Math. Middle School report cards will have a letter grade related to participation and marks for competencies based on student work. Report cards will be mailed to your home on June 16th.
Yearbooks
Unfortunately, the yearbooks will arrive at the end of June. Yearbook coordinator, Jen Donnelly, has done a great job and I know those who ordered yearbooks will be happy when they arrive. They are being shipped to the school where Jen will check them in and either deliver them to your mailbox or mail them to you. We have been told to expect them on or around June 24th. Thank you for your patience.
Staffing News
We bid farewell to retiring teachers at the parade on June 4th. We extend our heartfelt thanks and warm wishes for a happy retirement to: Sharon Marquis, grade 1 teacher, Brenda Eaves, grade 3 teacher, Lorraine Johnson, Occupational Therapist, and Leah LaChance, Speech/Language Assistant. Along with these wonderful educators, we also say goodbye to two teachers who are moving on to new adventures. We thank Leah Crohn, kindergarten teacher and Cate Murphy, Spanish teacher for their contributions to North Hampton School.
We have hired three new teachers during the school closure. We are happy to welcome Shannon De Rosa as our new 3rd grade teacher. Shannon joins us with 10 years of experience as an elementary teacher in Milford. We welcome Sarah Benson as half time 2nd grade teacher and half time EA in second grade. She will share the teaching responsibilities with Erin Ibey. Sarah is an experienced classroom teacher as well, joining us from Bakie School in Kensington. That position became available because our very own Tracy Barnes will be the new 1st grade teacher. We are in the process of hiring an Occupational Therapist currently.
Classroom Teacher Assignments
Parents will be notified of their child’s class placement for 2020-2021 during the summer. We have been working to provide this information directly to you through the Powerschool Parent Portal, but are not sure we will have the capability in time. In any case, you will receive notification of your child’s class assignment later in the summer. For now, I’d like to share the classroom teachers at each level with you. There are a few changes due to changes in enrollment.
Preschool: Erin Murtagh
Kindergarten: Ellen Pongrace and Anna Spalding
Grade 1: Tracy Barnes, Tana Gustafson, and Laura Nolan
Grade 2: Erin Ibey/Sarah Benson, Lindsay Lewis, and Laurie Berry
Grade 3: KerriAnn Coronato, Shannon DeRosa, and Catherine LaCroix
Grade 4: Linda Donohoe and Karen Haas
Grade 5: Tricia Markey and Brenda Tharp
Grade 6: Trish Johnston and Chris LaCroix
Grade 7: Dana Babyak, Andre Garner, Rebecca Jones, and Elliot Pope
Grade 8: Drew Szeliga, Andre Garner, Rebecca Jones, and Elliot Pope
I’d like to close by thanking you for welcoming me to the North Hampton School community this year. I am proud to work with the talented educators and engaging students at NHS. We are committed to providing a welcoming school environment that fosters safe and joyful learning for all. With the current issues surrounding equity and social justice, I look forward to working with our students to celebrate human differences and ensure that students and staff have the conversations that lead to understanding and growth.
Wishing you a safe, happy, and healthy summer,
Susan Snyder