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Dear Parents and members of the Newmarket community-
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. The snow from the recent weather events saves us from having to dream of a white Christmas/holiday season since it is unlikely the two feet of snow we received on Monday and Tuesday will melt away anytime soon. Before I mention opportunities to get involved in our school and district improvement efforts or the proposed budget for next year, I want to share with you some fun holiday events that are coming up this month in our schools and the broader community so they are not lost at the end of my letter.
School and Community Happenings
December 7th, 5:00 PM, Newmarket’s Tree Lighting & Giving Tree Ceremony, Arbor Park (across from Post Office Downtown)
December 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Lions Club - Santa Claus pictures, treats, trees, etc., Thrift Shop, 10 Main Street, Newmarket
December 10th, 11:00 AM, Senior Citizens Christmas Dinner, Elementary Cafeteria
December 12th, 6:30 PM, Winter Concert, Jr/Sr High School Cafe/Library
December 17th, 6:17 PM, Kindergarten Holiday Show, Elementary Cafeteria
December 18th, 6:30 PM, Grades 3-5 Chorus Group, Elementary Cafeteria
December Calendar for the Newmarket Library...
https://newmarketlibrary.org/uploads/1/0/5/0/105085461/2019_december_event_calendar.pdf
School and District Improvement Committee Opportunities
We have been very busy this fall developing our District and School Improvement goals for the upcoming year and are excited to share opportunities for you to participate on committees that will focus on improving communication, my entry plan, and reviewing the JSHS student handbook. There will also be opportunities to participate on screening committees this winter and spring as we seek to recruit staff for next years vacancies. Your voice is invaluable to the conversations that will take place in these committees, and your service would be greatly appreciated. Amazing things happen when stakeholders come together to talk about important topics such as communication, meeting the needs of the whole child, and the expectations and supports that lead to student achievement. The committees will begin their work in January. A brief description of the committees follow.
District Website Improvement Committee: This committee will help the district improve its overall online presence and the quality of communications on its website. Our goal includes ensuring that parents and members of the public are able to find commonly-sought documents and information intuitively and with no more than two navigational clicks. The committee will begin its work with a survey inviting the community to share their experience with the current website, as well as their hopes for improvements on an updated website.
Superintendent’s Entry Plan Committee: This committee will assist Superintendent Givens with gathering information about the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) of the schools and community. A summary of findings will be shared with the community in the late spring/ early summer.
JSHS Student Handbook Review Committee: This committee will look at industry best practices (trauma informed schools, restorative practices, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), etc.) and based on this learning, identify how we can create a learning community that supports the development of the whole child and make recommendations to the student handbook that reflect current best practices in the field.
JSHS Communication Committee: In support of a JSHS Organizational Goal, this committee will help to develop a culture of participatory leadership and communication at the Newmarket Junior Senior High School.
NEW Communication Committee: In support of an NES Organizational Goal, this committee will work to enhance internal and external communications among multiple stakeholder groups in the Newmarket educational community.
Ad Hoc Hiring Committees: Over the winter and spring, members of this committee will participate when needed in selection committees during the hiring process.
If you would like to participate on one of these committees, please submit a letter of interest, with details about any relevant experience and the name of the committee(s) on which you would like to serve, to Penny Botterman at bottermanp@newmarket.k12.nh.us. Letters may be delivered in person to the SAU office, as well. The deadline for submitting letters is Tuesday, December 17th. The committees will begin their work in January.
If you are not able to participate in a committee, please know that there will be additional opportunities to provide input on this work throughout the school year.
FY21 Proposed Budget
Last evening, the School Board adopted the FY21 proposed budget. This budget includes funding for some important program enhancements centered on:
1) Sustain or advance existing school improvement efforts;
2) Attend to some essential needs that, if not addressed, will have a detrimental effect on student growth and development;
3) Ensure our facilities are safe, secure, and accessible to all members of our school community
The adopted budget that will be reviewed with the Town Budget Committee on Monday, December 9th, at 7:00 PM, is posted on our website (https://www.newmarket.k12.nh.us/school-board/school-board-budget) under the School Board’s menu tab.
Personnel Matter
As many of you know, our Principal, Mr. Mazzone has not been at school for the past few weeks and as previously mentioned, his attendance is not a topic that will be discussed publicly. The assistant principals continue to take care of the daily staff and student affairs and have completed the budget, goal setting, staff observations, supply ordering, etc. in his absence. That said, it is important to have one person ultimately in charge. With this in mind, I am developing an interim plan that I will share with you next week pending resolution of this matter. Thank you for your patience, advise, and notes of support.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and look forward to seeing you at some of the events this month.
Sincerely,
Susan K. Givens, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools