August 24, 2020

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope this letter finds everyone safe and well. It has been a very challenging summer dealing with the changes in COVID-19 related school guidance. We know that many of you have been anxiously awaiting more information in regards to what school will look like, both remotely and in-school. We apologize for the delay, however, it was important to wait to give you information that was more absolute. There were many factors that needed to be considered before we could have a more permanent plan in place. Some of those factors included staffing, parent survey results, finances, and changing CDC guidance. Our Reopening Plan was shared with the school board at several meetings. Again, this plan is apt to change as guidance changes, please see the most recent ReOpening Plan here.

1. Kindergarten students and parents will receive a letter that will include all the information they need for the start of the school year. If you do not receive a letter by 8/28/20,  please contact our school office. Their start times are different from the rest of the students.

2. Chromebooks should be sent to school with students on the first day of school. The devices should be fully charged and ready to be used. The charger can be left at home, to be charged again for the next day.

3. Parent Screening of students: Parents are required to screen their students before they come to school in the morning. They must input their information in the Pick Up Patrol system. Directions can be found here to support you in completing this task in the morning. Students that have not been screened will have a delay getting to class in the morning as they will have to be screened at school. This can cause anxiety in some students and we highly recommend that this become part of your morning routine! 

4. All parents will receive an email that will identify their child’s homeroom teacher since some homerooms needed to be changed. If you do not receive this email by 8/26/20, please contact the office. Students are to proceed directly to their homeroom when they are dropped off in the morning. Staff will be available to guide the students to the appropriate rooms. You may want to discuss their teacher with them and their entry into school prior to coming to school.

   • 5th and 6th grade students who are being dropped off proceed through the drop off doors and down the hall to the back lobby and up the “cemetery stairs” to the second floor and into their homeroom.

   • 5th and 6th graders riding the bus should also use the “cemetery stairs”.

   • 7th and 8th grade students who are being dropped off should enter through the drop off doors and proceed directly upstairs. 

   • 7th and 8th graders riding the bus should use the “back lobby stairs”.

5. Medication / Physical / Immunization record drop off: August 26th – September 1st from 8:30 – 2:30pm. Medications MUST include an updated physician order for the 2020 – 2021 school year. You may drop off in the drop box under the window in the main office.

NH DHHS suggests the following for inhaler use in school:

6. • Inhaler with spacers are preferred

   • Nebulizer use should be avoided 

*All students MUST meet the NH Immunization Requirements to attend school New Hampshire School Immunization Requirements 2020-2021

*Please contact Jennifer Bernier, School Nurse at avsnurse@sau15.net to schedule controlled medication drop off or with any other questions or concerns. 

6. As a reminder, cellular phones and electronic device (iPods, Mp3 Players, handheld video games, smart watches and devices) use is not allowed during school hours and should be stored while at school. They must be stored in their backpacks on silent and may not be checked during the day. 

7. Bus routes will be sent later in the week.

8. Supply Lists can be found here: Supply Lists

9. Our COVID Parent Pick Up Plan can be found here: Parent Pick Up Plan

10. Parent Information Nights will be held remotely, teachers will share the actual Zoom link. They are scheduled for the following dates:

September 17

Kindergarten – 6:00

Grade 1 – 6:30

Grade 2 – 7:00

Grade 3 – 7:30

Grade 4 – 8:00

September 24

Grade 5 – 6:00

Grade 6 – 6:30

Grade 7 – 7:00

Grade 8 – 7:30

Please keep in mind these nights are an opportunity for you to learn about your child’s classroom. Unfortunately, there is not enough time for teachers to conference with you about your child in this particular setting.

11. Mr. Dube and our maintenance staff have done an outstanding job preparing the building for the upcoming school year. Some of the great projects that were accomplished this summer are front parking lot repavement, playground painted games, new gym floor, lighting in the front garden and flagpole lighting. Floors have been waxed, bathrooms disinfected, and cleaning protocols put into place. Their hard work helps make our school a welcoming place for students and staff.  A big shout out to Mr. Angove, Mrs. Perrone, Mr. Marshall, and Mr. Brown as well as Mr. Dube!

12. September Lunch Menu is posted use this link. Lunch will be in the classrooms in grade 1 (because they are 6 feet apart) and in the cafeteria and gym for the other grade levels. Students will be 6 feet apart in both areas. Students assigned to the gym for lunch will have to eat outside for the first two weeks of school as our gym floor needs time to cure. Lunch will be served in a Grab and Go style. There will be 3 Entrees offered daily. Each one will be served with a fruit, vegetable and a milk. The meals will be pre-packaged, including plasticware, to limit time in the lunch line. Meals will be clearly marked to accommodate all grade levels.

13. Visitors will not be allowed in the building. Please be extra careful to plan ahead so that your child does not forget anything. We want to limit outsiders into the building. 

Please join me in welcoming our new staff members to the Auburn community.

Sarah Gott, Health Educator

Mrs. Gott has a Master’s in Educational Leadership and fifteen years of experience teaching Health Education. She lives in Greenland with her husband, their two boys (9 and 4) and their yellow lab, Walter. The family spends a lot of time playing all sports (baseball, basketball and flag football are the favorites), camping, going to the beach, hiking, riding bikes-basically anything that is active and outdoors!  She is very excited for the school year to start and to share her enthusiasm with AVS!  

Jennifer Langevin, School Psychologist

Ms. Langevin lives in Goffstown with her husband and 3 daughters who are 9, 11 and 19. She is a graduate of the Ed.S School Psychology program from Rivier University and previous graduate of the School Counseling program there as well. She was previously employed with the Allenstown School District as a paraprofessional and title one teacher at the middle school level for the past three years. Jenn enjoys going to the beach with her family, reading and designing and making jewelry. 

Andrea Parker, Speech Pathologist

Andrea lives in Alton with her husband and three children, two puppies, and a cat. She has been an SLP for fifteen years. She likes reading and kayaking. She is very excited to join AVS.

Lauren Podbelski, Grade 2 Educator

Lauren grew up in Hooksett, NH and currently lives there with her two daughters and husband. She loves to read, cook, and run! Lauren is very excited to be joining the second grade team at Auburn Village School and she cannot wait to meet everyone!

Linda Reinelt, 21st Century/STEAM Learning Educator

Even though Ms. Reinelt joined us in October of 2019, we thought you would enjoy learning more about her! Linda has lived in Derry with her husband and daughters for 25 years. Prior to joining the AVS staff, she was an educator at East Derry Memorial Elem. School for 14 years and a Nursery/Pre-K teacher in Hampstead. She is very excited about teaching 21st Century Computers and STEAM in Auburn and has done a wonderful job for us to date!

Michaila Sheehan, Art Educator

Ms. Sheehan is so excited to be the new art teacher for AVS! She graduated from Plymouth State University with a degree in Art Education K-12. She enjoys teaching painting, various forms of printmaking, and collaborative installations. She can often be found hiking in the mountains or oil painting in her studio space.

Laura Villenuve, Grade 6 Educator

Ms. Villeneuve is an Auburn native and an AVS graduate! She is a recent summa cum laude graduate with multiple degrees from Wheaton College. She was a substitute teacher at AVS while she was in college and is thrilled to be joining the AVS team full-time. She looks forward to a fantastic first year with her sixth graders!

Athletic Information for grades 5-8:

• Girls’ Soccer Try-Outs: September 8th and 9th at 3:30 pm at the soccer field.

• Boys’ Soccer Try-Outs: September 9th and 10th at 3:30 pm at the soccer field.

• Cross Country- Practice begins on September 9th at 2:45 pm. 

All athletes should bring try-out form to first day

Important Dates:

9-2 First Day of School

9-7 Labor Day NO SCHOOL

9-8 Voting – NO SCHOOL

9-10 Student Photos

9-17 Virtual Open House for grades 1-4

9-24 Virtual Parent Information Night for grades 5-8

9-17 PTA Meeting @ 6:30pm face to face in the cafeteria

(more dates could be added, please check the school calendar on our website)

Thank you for being patient as we navigate school operations in this unprecedented time.

“Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in your mind.” David G. Allen

Best,

Dr. Lori Collins, Principal

Mrs. Lindsay Murray, Assistant Principal

PDF Back to School Letter