January 7, 2022
Dear SAU 90 Staff and Families,
Happy New Year! Happy Snow Day! I hope that everyone had a fantastic holiday and was able to find some time to connect with their families and friends in the spirit of the season for sharing good tidings, comfort, and joy.
Unfortunately, due to the arrival of significant snowfall on the seacoast, we have had to cancel classes today. We are sure that everyone will enjoy the freshly fallen snow while getting outside for some winter recreation. This is an ideal time to build a snowman, plan your next ski/snowboard outing, go sledding, or enjoy a new novel by the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa. Whatever you choose to do, we hope you continue to be safe and are able to participate in all the recreational activities that our wonderful state has to offer us. Please keep in mind that this could impact our calendar in June since we are required to uphold state guidelines for days and hours of instruction.
At this time, our schools are having our students participate in mid-term assessments. At Marston School and Hampton Academy, students are participating in the winter STAR assessments in reading and math. At Centre School, students will be participating in formative assessments that monitor their progress in math and literacy skills. This information is used to guide instructional practices, groupings, and progress. Should you have any questions about your child’s school day or program, please be sure to reach out to us.
To that end, if you have not completed a form from our food service program, we kindly ask that you please do so. This information is used to support school funding including Title I. Programs that do not have the support are at risk of being eliminated due to federal funding. Your participation in completing these forms helps us to secure this funding. A copy of the form is attached here or can be completed electronically here. Thank you in advance to everyone for doing their part in supporting our schools and these programs that benefit so many of our students.
The positivity rates in our Rockingham County, the Seacoast, and our state have increased significantly. As I write, there are 21 new cases at Centre School, 21 new cases at Marston School, and 27 new cases at Hampton Academy since the holiday break. Although this is not the news we were hoping for, the good news is that many of these cases seem to be mild. There is concern surrounding hospitalizations in our state which means that some of these cases are very serious. According to the CDC (Center of Disease Control) New Hampshire’s COVID-19 case rate continues to be very high. The positivity rate has increased to 17.5% statewide. Rockingham County's positivity rate has increased from 14.0% to 23.4% while the Seacoast region rose from 11.8% to 20.5%. These numbers are cause for concern. Although the CDC and the NH DHHS have made some changes in their protocols, we are in the process of reviewing these. We anticipate that new changes will be coming next week. In the meantime, we will continue to uphold the current protocols in place as detailed in a previous letter sent home yesterday. We kindly ask that you review our screener and if you or your child are sick, that you stay home and get tested. The safety of our community is contingent upon everyone doing his/her part. We thank you for your continued support and vigilance of our COVID-19 protocols.
On next Thursday, January 13, Convenient MD will be available at Hampton Academy’s Cafeteria beginning at 3:00 PM for asymptomatic COVID-19 testing for all students and staff. Anyone wishing to participate should fill out a consent form in advance. Once a consent form is on file, you are all set for successive testing.
In closing, we hope that everyone had the opportunity to properly ring in 2022. This new year provides us with a sense of promise, opportunity, and optimism.
Happy Snow Day!
Dr. Lois B. Costa
Superintendent of SAU 90