Weekly Update title in a box

January 21, 2022

Dear SAU 90 Staff and Families,

Another short, but significant week of learning in our schools.  Marston School held their annual Spelling Bee on Wednesday which turned into a real show-down between the final two students, Quinton Quiroga and Wes Granger.  In the end, Wes emerged as the winner.  He will move on and represent the school in the regional finals held on February 26 in Concord at the Capitol Center for the Arts.  Congratulations to all of the students who did an outstanding job representing their classes.  We are so very proud of you!  We look forward to hearing about Hampton Academy’s Spelling Bee next week.  

We are still looking to add some additional substitutes to our pool.  If you are interested in working in a great place and love children, this is the job for you.  We offer flexible schedules and a terrific work environment.  We were pleased to see former alumni return to their alma mater over their winter break.  Yes, we welcome college students too and are willing to work around their schedules, when they are home between terms or when they return in May.  The current daily rate for substitutes in our district is $15/hour for teachers and $11.50/hour for paraeducators.  Our application can be found here.    

Girls on the Run (GOTR) is getting ready to launch their spring training at Marston School for their 5K held in June.  If you are interested in coaching, we strongly encourage your involvement.  Coaching a Girls on the Run team is one of the most rewarding ways to get involved with the program!  A GOTR coach is a volunteer position that facilitates and supports the GOTR curriculum (open to girls in grades 3-5). The position requires approximately 2-4 hours per week for 8 weeks with the additional commitment of a one-time new coach training (most of the training will be done online, self-paced).  Coaches do not need to be runners. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Betsey Cissel,  betsy.cissel@girlsontherun.org.

As many of you know, the Town of Hampton is currently updating its Master Plan, a long-range planning document that guides future growth, development, conservation, and infrastructure investment over the years to come.  As part of the outreach phase of this project, the Town is coordinating a virtual community conversation series to discuss issues, opportunities, challenges, and ideas for the future of Hampton.  Please review the attached flyer for more information.  

The positivity rates in Rockingham County, the Seacoast, and our state are starting to decline.  The positivity rate in Rockingham County is at 24% down from 26% last week and the Seacoast positivity rate is at 21.5% down from 24% last week.  Hampton currently has 146 active cases down from 193 active cases last week.   As I write, there are 10 new cases at Centre School, 15 new cases at Marston School, and 17 new cases at Hampton Academy since last week.  This is good news for our community.  Although case counts continue to be significantly high, we are certainly moving in the right direction.    Please be sure to stay home if you are sick and to get tested.  

Our district continues to offer asymptomatic testing for all students and staff through ConvenientMD.  This will take place on Thursday, January 27 from 3:00 – 4:00 PM at HA Cafeteria.  You must complete the Consent Form 24 hours in advance.  Once a consent form is on file, you are all set for successive testing. Please be aware, that ConvenientMD will no longer be contacting those who test positive.  Everyone should be accessing the portal the day after testing to review their results.  It can be found here. 

We are pleased to offer our parents/caregivers access to a free Parenting/Caregiver Group offered through Seacoast Mental Health.  This support is for parents who have children ages 6-12 that struggle with behaviors associated with attachment disorders, ADHD, opposition or defiance, or struggle with listening to rules at home.  The group will meet virtually via Zoom on Tuesdays from 5-7:00 PM for 4 weeks.  Please email District Social Worker Emily Fixler, if you want to learn more about this group at efixler@sau90.org 
 
If you have not had the chance to check out Shark News, please be sure to do so.  This week’s edition highlights helmet safety, curriculum news, basketball, experiential learning, and students’ learning. 
 
Stay warm,
Dr. Lois B. Costa
Superintendent of SAU 90