Superintendent Update for Families
❄️ A brief summary of important information in SAU 92 ❄️
January 2024
Whatever It Takes
Dear Families,
I hope that everyone has been enjoying the winter season and all of the fun activities that snow can bring. We are fortunate to have had just the right amount so far that allows us to maintain our busy schedules while providing for the occasional magical snow day.
It has been a very busy year thus far and we are almost at our 100th day of school! At the time of this publication, students at the middle school have been busy preparing and working through their MAPs Testing (NWEA Measurement of Academic Progress), high school students are in the throes of midterm exams, and our elementary students are focusing on their core content with attention to kindness, self awareness and independent thinking. Our teachers and staff members are at the center of this activity, supporting and encouraging all of our students to make themselves proud.
We have grown together through the first half of this school year and I have truly enjoyed getting to know and understand the Hinsdale culture. I admire the community's support and advocacy for the schools and the programs that take place on and off of the school campus. It is very clear that our families want the very best learning opportunities for their children so that they can be best prepared for life after high school graduation, and I see our schools working hard to make those opportunities available within a fiscally responsible envelope. I also see many in the community working to increase and diversify the types of real world learning experiences students can have, and I am all in with helping each student maximize their interests in this way. Thank you to everyone who contributes toward the growth of our students in this way.
Should you wish to share information about events that involve our students in town (or surrounding towns), and we encourage you to do so, please summarize the information in an email to dryan@hnhsd.org. All positive stories are welcome and we love photos with submissions.
Thank you for helping us spotlight the important news for you, and for sharing part of your day to review this update.
📆 Main Events
Winter Concert at HMHS
HMHS Music teacher Caleb Thurston is excited to invite you to the HMHS Winter Band Concert on Wednesday February 7th at 6:30pm in the HMHS gymnasium. It has been several years since HMHS has hosted a band concert and everyone is looking forward to hearing music in the campus halls once again. The band members include students from grades six through nine, and they have been learning and rehearsing since the very first day of school. Please join us in celebrating the return of such an important and beneficial program!
Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical
Our school district’s Drama Club, run through the Hinsdale After School Program (HASP), is excited to announce its spring musical! Our Drama Club has put on a spring musical with the elementary students for the last twelve years, and we are thrilled this year to see it grow and expand.
This year, HASP has more staff members involved in running the club. Mr. Pion, one of our Second-Grade teachers, has joined Ms. Mahoney in running the club and directing the show. He has brought in a professional choreographer to help them and has worked tirelessly with the theatre company to secure rights to the show. In addition to HASP’s 21st Century Learning Community Learning Center funding, the Out of School Time Career Pathway (OSTCP) Grant and the MRAC/United Way grant has helped secure rights, scripts, and staffing. Through a growing partnership with Hinsdale town administrators, the troupe is able to rehearse and perform in the majestic and historic Town Hall. Special thanks to Town Administrator Kathryn Lynch for all or her help in making this happen! Costumes are being provided generously through other theatre professionals in the region, in a “Pay It Forward” fashion. It is incredible what can happen when a community comes together.
Showtimes include Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23 at 6:30 pm, with a matinee scheduled for Sunday, March 24 at 3:00 pm in the Hinsdale Town Hall. There is no admission fee for the shows, and we hope that you come see our wonderful student performers. It’s going to be a fantastic show!
Tutor.com is Free for Everyone in NH
On-demand, 24/7 online tutoring in 209 subjects—including individualized elementary math and reading, bilingual Spanish tutoring, AP® subjects, and more—is available to all New Hampshire public, non-public, charter, Education Freedom Account, and home education learners in grades 4–12 at no cost.
We are currently working with Tutor.com to establish a secure link between their site and our students' Microsoft Office suite account to allow for direct access to this helpful service. We will share specific instructions once the service has been fully established.
Community Leadership Needed
School District Moderator and Clerk Needed
The Hinsdale School District is in need of a School District Moderator and School District Clerk for the upcoming school district meeting on March 16, 2024. The term of both appointments would conclude after this meeting, and anyone wishing to continue their term would file for the electable position as stated below. These two positions carry a small stipend and are incredibly valuable to the community, and upon temporary appointment by the Hinsdale School Board (and for those elected for the new term), the district will provide the proper training and support. If you would like more information and/or are interested in serving, or if you are able to refer another resident for consideration, please contact Maria Webb at the school district SAU office (603-336-5728) or email at mwebb@hnhsd.org.
Further, the filing period for two open school board seats is underway! Please see below for information about where to file, and thank you for thinking about how to help your school community!
Holt Trust Fund Grant Application Committee
As you may have seen, the story about Mr. Holt’s will establishing a trust for the town and schools to use for improvements made international news, appearing in print, television, cable, and radio around the world. HinsdaleTown Administrator Kathryn Lynch reached out to the school district to suggest a team from the school district and town work together and coordinate grant requests so that we can all capitalize on this generous gift and ensure we are maximizing the benefits for our community. As a result, a small team of six was assembled and will be meeting shortly to define the process it will follow to chose projects that will benefit the school district and town.
FY25 School District Budget Process
The process for developing the 2024-2025 budget has been underway since early fall. Using a framework of improving teaching and learning, improving financial reporting, strengthening climate and culture, and building community relationships, all members of the school district administrative team and many support staff contributed to building a budget that will provide enough of what the schools need to meet our students' learning needs while keeping costs as low as possible. While there have been some modest increases, the primary obstacle to reducing the bottom line is the significant increase in healthcare costs (25%), a figure that is decided upon by the state's pooled healthcare organization, HealthTrust, and one that accounts for almost 60% of the requested increase.
The Hinsdale School Board approved the draft budget to be moved to the town budget committee where it has been presented and discussed over the past few weeks, culminating in a recent joint meeting of the school board and budget committee. The budget committee will continue to review and deliberate on the request and has scheduled the public hearing on the budget for Monday, February 5 at 6:30 pm in the Town Hall. School district meeting will take place on Saturday, March 16 where the final budget number will be decided by voters, and more specific information about school district meeting will be shared after the public hearing takes place.
Let's Stay Healthy!
Just a reminder to all families about the importance of hand washing, staying home and keeping students home when sick, and recognizing symptoms that could lead to illness. The broader health community has a concern for what has been termed as a “tridemic” and/or "tripledemic", which is a combination of cases involving influenza, COVID-19, and RSV (respiratory syncytial (sin-sishul) virus). It may be unavoidable to get sick during the winter months, however we can minimize the number of cases by following some of the simple guidelines to stay healthy.