SAU 16 BLOG
MAY 2021
As we approach Memorial Day and the final weeks of the school year, I think I can speak for everyone in saying how happy we are to be back in school full-time and enjoying the routines that might have been mundane in 2019 but now feel comfortable and preferable. We see this in hallways and classrooms.
The confidence of students is growing, and we can see the impact that day-to-day in-person learning has on students. The return to five in-person days a week is a reminder of the sense of connection and community that we have in each school. Our students are especially excited to be back! Our high school students have been reflecting on how much they missed the daily social interaction from the school experience while our younger ones are excited for activities, friends and seeing their favorite teachers. These sentiments sum up our combined feelings and will make for a nice end of the year celebration.
CMS Principal Patricia Wons Moving On from SAU 16
As you may have heard, CMS Principal Patty Wons recently submitted her resignation and will step down June 30. She has been principal at CMS for nearly five years and led CMS's growth efforts in several areas including her leadership in enhancing facilities to create a much more effective learning environment. She also led efforts to heighten awareness of critical issues around diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice and increasing student choice and options from a curriculum standpoint.
“Patty has been a driving force in our schools journey toward implementing a system of competency based learning,” said CMS assistant principal, Melanie Faulkner, who has been with the school for 20 years. “We have always been working towards enhancing our learning environment but her wealth of teaching and administrative experience really made a lasting impact. We have been fortunate to have her lead us to this and we are all grateful for that. Students are at the heart of what she does. There has always been a level of excitement when she’s around and she has built some great relationships with the kids. Patty has been very supportive and influential to us all and while she will be missed, we are happy for her to move on to the next professional chapter in her life.”
We wish her the best in her future endeavors. The Board has commenced a search for an interim principal for the 2021-22 school year and we will keep everyone informed of the progress of this search.
New School Board Member Profiles
We welcomed several new school board members as a result of the local elections this spring across the communities we serve. Here are some snapshots of their backgrounds:
Letty Bedard, Brentwood, is a longtime New Hampshire resident who has lived in Brentwood for the past 12 years. Her interest in becoming a school board member comes from her desire to get more involved in the municipal budget processes above and beyond her attendance at town meetings.
Kate Davis, Stratham Memorial, is a former SAU 16 student and a longtime New Hampshire-resident who was raised in Newfields and graduated from UNH. Her interest in becoming a school board member comes from her desire to be a voice for parents and her passion to give back to the community.
Meghan Fitzgerald, Brentwood, has had a career as a public servant working as a middle school paraprofessional and with adults in the non-profit sector, upon receiving a graduate degree in Public Management, where the success of her work depended on community collaborations. Her interest in becoming a school board member comes from her desire to work on behalf of children, improve the schools, and be a voice that positively impacts the community.
Andy Herum, East Kingston Elementary Board, has been a resident of East Kingston since 2016. His interest in becoming a school board member comes from his desire to work with the community and schools to provide the resources needed to help them thrive and be excellent for all children.
Alison Roy, Kensington, was born and raised in New Hampshire. Her interest in becoming a school board member comes from her desire to support her children's school as a public servant and impact the community to help with recovery and resilience building in the wake of an incredibly difficult year.
Deb Wheeler-Bean, Exeter Elementary, is 24-year Exeter resident. Her interest in becoming a school board member comes from her desire to advocate for students from a different point of view as she is very invested in public education and serving the Exeter community.
Bill Gauthier, Exeter Region Cooperative, a 21-year Exeter resident, His interest in becoming a school board member comes from his desire give back to the community while serving the schools.
Jackie Tassinari, Newfields, Jackie has lived in Newfields for the past eight years. Her interest in becoming a school board member comes from her passion for education. She knows that children are our future and that they deserve the best possible education.
To view their full bios, click here.
Academics first but mark your calendar for September 12
I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the exciting national news around town recently. We are all very proud of Hunter Long, a 2016 EHS graduate, who was the 81st pick in the 2021 NFL draft and was signed by the Miami Dolphins. He’s already hard at work training for the upcoming season and his high school coach, Billy Ball, shared some wonderful memories:
“It’s been such a pleasure to watch Hunter grow as a student and an athlete from his elementary years to today. Here is a young man who graduated from Exeter High School at age 17 and from day one when he walked into our school, he had his eyes on academics first and football second. He is an incredible and elite athlete, but he performed equally well in the classroom, had great grades and was a student scholar. This carried over to his time at Boston College, where he also excelled on and off the football field and graduated a semester early.
It’s been quite a spring for Hunter and soon he’ll be returning to New England to participate in commencement at BC and walk with his class. My takeaway from knowing Hunter is that at the end of the day, academics took precedence. He’s a bright young guy who has his eye on the ball. His parents are extremely proud of him and I’m sure they are hoping to see him when the Miami Dolphins visit Foxborough for the season opener on September 12. I’ll certainly be watching.”
Home stretch for the 2020-21 school year
Before we head into summer in a few short weeks, let’s take a moment to enjoy some of the updates from our schools and their return to "normalcy" through their eyes:
Main Street School
The return to five days a week in April was incredibly exciting for the students and staff of MSS. There has been pure joy as students picnic outside with their classmates having snack or lunch. It’s been delightful to see students skipping down the hall and some dancing in the playground. When students arrive there is a chorus of greetings as students come out of their cars and enter the doors.
Cooperative Middle School
Exeter High School
In education, sometimes the clearest example that things are getting "back to normal" is when we're trying or seeing something new. In that spirit, following spring break the lunch periods at EHS offered students a chance to step inside a "recording booth" run by our cable television coordinator, Tim Cremmen. The purpose - dubbed "EHS Listens" - was to capture students' thoughts and feelings on the past year. Dozens of students participated, with the idea that the footage will make its way to Hawk.O or another student production. Either way, it's the beginning of a digital time capsule for the future. We can’t wait to check out these recollections down the line.
Beth Kaputa and Geoff Simard's honors world history class was tasked with applying the Anatomy of a Revolution chart to other revolutions in the world and comparing them to each other. The Anatomy of a Revolution was written in 1938 by Crane Brinton, which outlines the "uniformities" of three major political revolutions: the English Revolution of the 1640s, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution. In an attempt to return to normalcy, we required that the kids use their computers minimally and think creatively.
Seacoast School of Technology
High school students join our free Summer Learning Academy
The Summer Learning Academy a FREE summer-camp-style academically based social-emotional program for high school students. Courses are varied and designed to meet academic gaps caused by the pandemic, address social and emotional needs and build a close-knit community amongst peers and adults. We have partnered with Adventurelore to help us continue to build upon that community connection, social emotional learning and team building skills. Classes will travel to Adventurelore in Danville each session for group activity challenges that work on communications skills and ropes course and water activities. Two week sessions run from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. June 21 - July 1 and July 12-22. Lunch will be provided and transportation can be arranged, if needed. Registration ends May 28.
SAU 16’s 5th Grade Retreat at Alnoba
Sargent Camp is one of those beloved traditions for the four small schools in SAU 16; East Kingston Elementary School, Kensington Elementary School, Newfields Elementary School and Swasey Central School. For over 30 years, Sargent Camp has been considered a rite of passage for our fifth graders as they come together to learn about the outdoors, build their independence and begin to connect and collaborate with classmates before heading off to middle school.
This year, we have created the 5th Grade Retreat at Alnoba which will run from May 24 – 27 at Alnoba in Kensington. Outdoor facilitators will lead our students in their outdoor learning journey and provide “Nature’s Classroom on Wheels,'' which will include wilderness survival, bioblitzing, hiking, navigating the ropes course and many more team building activities. Thank you to the staff at all of the respective schools for your hard work and for designing a week that will be fun and memorable for our students.
Newfields Elementary School
Swasey Central School
Swasey Central celebrated a 'Salad Dressing' themed Spirit Week May 10th through the 14th! Students and staff participated in the fun, and the week was enjoyed by all! In the middle of the week, we had our first in-person schoolwide Swasey Shindig in over a year! Swasey held the assembly outside on the hill and it was a colorful celebration (House Dressing day-with all grade levels and teams being assigned a color).
Many thanks to our entire school community for making this event something special. It was so nice for all of us to be together again, in a safe and spirited way!
Before we close out the month of May, let's review some student reflections on their return to full-time in person learning:
From a remote child at MSS: “This is the first time I get to go to the playground this year! I can’t wait!”
A kindergarten class at MSS shouted in unison when they were told they were going to the art room: “Yahoo!”
From a sophomore at EHS: "I got to focus on growing myself and what I need for myself mentally," she said. "I did miss all of my school friends but I did grow closer to the friends that I already did have. ... I would not have gotten through that without them."
From another EHS student: "Even interactions with teachers," another student added. "I really like that person-to-person interaction."
We want to wish everyone an enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend full of traditional and familiar outdoor activities with families and friends. Upon our return, it will be a quick 2 ½ week sprint to summer filled with many of the end-of-year activities that our students and families were not able to enjoy last year, making this time extra special to all of us. Enjoy!