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Dear Newmarket parents, teachers, students and community members,
The opening of school is next Tuesday, August 26th. When mid-August hits and student athletes start practicing you know that the start of school is just around the corner. Teachers officially came back yesterday(August 21) to finish preparation for the arrival of students. I say finish preparing because our teachers have really been at work all summer. Educators have been working collaboratively on a range of activities tied to our school growth plans. Efforts include curriculum development, improving student support and coordinating plans for the 25-26 school year.
If you haven’t already you will be hearing from building principals with detailed school opening information. Additionally school opening information is available on our website. If you have questions please reach out to your child’s school. All of our staff are excited to welcome kids back next Tuesday.
The opening of school every year is an exciting time for all involved. Fall 2025 is no exception. The 6th and 9th grade orientations are occurring on Monday, August 25th. The NES PTA is hosting a kindergarten meet up event on Sunday, August 24 at the Rec Center. As school gets started you will hear about many more beginning of school events. I for one am looking forward to watching some fall sporting events.
As we open school this year we are implementing a new policy addressing student cell phone use. It is important to note that this came from a state law. You may have heard Governor Ayotte and other state policy makers refer to this new law as a “bell to bell ban” on cellphones. At the August 21st School Board meeting Policy JICJ: Unauthorized Communication Devices was approved in order to have it in place for the start of school.
While I have concerns that this law is an overreach by our legislature in a state that supposedly values local control, as a district we acknowledge that protecting the student learning environment from the distraction of cell phones is a good goal.
Effectively what the law now requires is that all school districts develop policies and procedures to ensure that cell phones and personal electronic devices are not allowed to be used during the instructional day. The law defines instructional day to mean from the time students arrive in the morning until the end of the school day. In Newmarket that means from 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM at NJSHS and from 8:30 AM to 3:15 PM at NES. This includes passing times and lunch time. Student handbooks address how this will be managed at each school.
As required by law, our policy defines very few exceptions to this rule. The language in recently adopted Newmarket Policy JICJ states: The Superintendent or designee may grant an exception to this policy for medical, educational or emergency reasons only. The medical exception requires a written report from the student’s medical provider explaining the need for the exception. All other exceptions require a documented support plan such as an IEP or a 504 plan.
Please also remember that the Newmarket School District is a 1 to 1 computer district. All students are issued a Chromebook for use at school. While we respect individual preferences for personal devices the law only allows narrow exceptions. Unless your child meets the criteria for one of the allowable exceptions please plan to have them utilize school technology while at school.
As a school district we recognize that this new law will require cultural shifts. Both school offices recognize that effective processes for getting parent messages to kids will need to be developed. We also acknowledge that our policy and procedures may require adjustments as we move forward. In the fall we will be seeking student, parent and community input on the new cell phone rules and policy with the intent of adjusting as needed.
As we launch the 2025-26 school year the Newmarket School District is focused on providing all students with a learning environment that is engaging, appropriately challenging, safe for all and free of distractions so that all students have the opportunity to learn. We look forward to working with our students and families to make this our best year yet.
Sincerely,
Todd Allen