Dear AVS Families,
We hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer. We also hope you feel relaxed, recharged, and ready to begin a new school year. We are delighted that you are part of our amazing learning community. Your positive energy and dedication to excellence in education are truly valued, and we look forward to working with you and your children.
All signs point to another incredible and productive school year ahead. Our skilled and devoted staff is already planning and preparing for your child(ren). Our enthusiastic office team is welcoming new families, ordering materials, and updating student files. Our hardworking maintenance crew has spent the summer thoroughly cleaning and refreshing our school. Meanwhile, our much-appreciated PTA is ready to welcome families, provide volunteer opportunities, and host exciting events and programs.
We are indeed a joyful and caring community, united by our commitment to nurturing responsible, compassionate students and promoting high-level learning.
Opening Day Information at a Glance
Please join us in welcoming our new staff members to the Auburn community.
Mrs. Arianna Brady, Occupational Therapist
Mrs. Brady is thrilled to be joining the Auburn team as she also grew up in a small town in NH and is now raising her 7 month old son in Dunbarton. She graduated with her Masters in OT in 2019, and has practiced in a variety of settings including an out of district school and home care. Mrs. Brady is very excited to be working with students again and helping them succeed in all areas of their day! When not working, she loves to spend time outdoors with her family and two dogs. Mrs. Brady also enjoys traveling; she spends time each year fishing in Alaska and volunteering in El Salvador. She can not wait for a great school year with everyone!
Mrs. Carly Cohen, 5th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Cohen is so excited to return to 5th grade, teaching math and science! Over the past few years, she has been our middle school reading specialist, and before that, she taught all subjects in 5th and 6th grade. Mrs. Cohen grew up right here in Auburn, attended AVS herself, and later moved back to raise her family. She knows just how special the AVS/Auburn community is and feels lucky to be part of it. Mrs. Cohen can’t wait to start the 2025–2026 school year and share her love of learning with her students!
Mrs. Carolyn Coraccio, Front Office
Carolyn is excited to be a part of the Office Team at AVS. As an Administrative Assistant for the past 10 years she has worked in both elementary schools and at Pinkerton Academy. Her former students affectionately called her “Mrs. Coco” and it stuck (plus is a lot easier to say than her real last name …LOL) Before raising my family, she was a recreational therapist, working with children and adolescents in a psychiatric facility. For the past 26 years, she has lived in Derry with my husband, Neil. They have two children who attended Pinkerton Academy and the University of Oklahoma. Drew is an Aerospace Engineer in Massachusetts and Grace is a fourth grade teacher in Hudson, NH. As a family, we enjoy spending time at Lake Ossipee, hiking, walking our mini poodle “Charlie”, biking, boating, kayaking…she loves to read, craft, travel and watch college football (Boomer Sooner! and Go Irish!) She also loves to be festive and make the office feel like a safe and welcoming environment. You never know when you might catch me with a wacky headband or funny T-shirt on!
She looks forward to being a part of the team and meeting everyone!
Ms. Meredith Davine, Director of Student Services
Ms. Davine lives in Hampstead, NH with her 13 year old daughter, Elsa. She also has two dogs, Scout and Benson. This will be her 23rd year in special education. Ms. Davine has her undergraduate degree in Elementary and Special Education, as well as her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Keene State College and Special Education Administration from Plymouth State University. Special Education has always been Ms. Davine’s passion, beginning her career as a paraeducator in 2002 at Hampstead Middle School. Outside of her special education world, Ms. Davine enjoys playing sports, spending time with her daughter, friends, family and spending time in Maine. She is excited to begin her new role at Auburn Village School!
Mrs. Pattie Gagnon, BCBA
Mrs. Gagnon is so excited to be joining the Auburn Village School staff. She is a resident of Auburn and her three children all attended AVS. Mrs. Gagnon began working in the school system in 2006 as a substitute teacher and paraprofessional. She became a Speech Language Assistant in 2012 and worked in the Derry and Bedford school systems. She left the school system for a position in the Autism Program at Easterseals NH and began a graduate program at Endicott College where she graduated with her Masters in Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis in 2018. She became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2018 and has worked with children in the home, clinic, and school settings. In her free time, Mrs. Gagnon enjoys reading, traveling, being outdoors, and spending time with her family. She can’t wait to begin the school year at Auburn Village School!
Mrs. Kasey Rizza, Parttime Occupational Therapist (Thursday & Friday)
Mrs Rizza grew up in Manchester, NH and has been an OT for 20+ years. She earned her Masters of Occupational Therapy from The University of New England. She has worked mostly in the hospital setting in Maine, Boston and currently at CMC Hospital in Manchester. She is excited to join Auburn Village School and take the leap into a new area of OT for her. Mrs. Rizza still lives in Manchester with her husband Rich, six year old daughter Cameron & dog Jerry. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and spends a lot of time in Waterville Valley hiking & skiing. She’s excited to be a part of the AVS community!
School Supply Lists
School supply lists can be found on our website at Supply Lists. Teachers have identified items that your child will need for the upcoming school year. Thank you to the Longmeadow Church for providing supplies for our students. If you would like to take advantage of this generous program, please contact Lori Collins, Principal, at lcollins@sau15.net.
Please label your child for the first days of school
Parents of kindergarten, first grade, second grade and new to AVS students, please place a label (masking tape or address labels) on your child’s shirt each morning for the first few days of school with their first and last name, their grade and homeroom teacher and dismissal plan for the day. This will help our staff to direct them to the right place when they arrive. Please make sure that your child knows how they will be going home at the end of the day and it is reflected in PickUp Patrol accurately.
Middle School Student Schedules
Middle school student schedules are available in PowerSchool. If your student does not have an active PowerSchool account, they will be given a printed schedule on the first day of school. On the first day of school, and subsequent days, middle school students will report to their homeroom/advisory room (according to their schedule in Powerschool). The students will be directed to the 5th/6th grade wing or the 7th/8th grade wing when they arrive on the 2nd floor. All of the middle school teachers will be outside of their classrooms holding a sign with their name on it to assist the students.
Updated Dress Code Guidelines – Please Review Before Back-to-School Shopping
The AVS Family Handbook was updated this summer and includes important changes to the student dress code. As you shop for back-to-school clothing, please be sure to review the updated guidelines to ensure your child’s outfits meet the new requirements.
Shorts worn to school must have an inseam of at least 3 inches. Skirts or dresses must meet mid thigh guidelines unless shorts are worn underneath. We recommend checking inseam lengths carefully when making clothing purchases to help your child stay in dress code throughout the school year.
The following are restricted items:
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Clothing that does not cover areas from one armpit across to the other armpit, down to approximately 3 to 4 inches in length on the upper thighs (see image below).
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Clothing that displays language or images that are inappropriate, hateful, or promote alcohol, tobacco or illegal substances.
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Hoods, hats, bandanas and sunglasses.
Further guidance for acceptable dress:
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Tops must have shoulder straps.
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Rips or tears in clothing should be below the acceptable length for shorts.
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Undergarments must not be visible, not including straps.
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Skirts or dresses must reach mid thigh (fingertip length) or have appropriate length shorts underneath.
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Sneakers must be worn during PE class.
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When worn during the school day, all athletic uniforms must adhere to the dress code.
Students shall be required to change if they arrive at school dressed inappropriately. Parents may be asked to bring appropriate clothing to them. A student who wears an article of clothing to school after it has been deemed inappropriate will be subject to disciplinary action.
Health Office
Medication drop off: Monday and Tuesday, August 25 & 26th from 9-3 pm. Medications must be in original containers and include an updated physician’s order for the new school year. Medications can be dropped off to the school nurse. Ms. Lombardo would like to touch base in regards to medication before receiving it. Inhalers can be sent with your child to school with the proper paperwork as stated above.
Please submit updated physical and immunization records for your child. This information can either be emailed or sent in with your child.
***6th grade parents – please make sure medications are in the health office for the field trip that is scheduled for 6th graders on the second day of school. (More information about the field trip will be provided by the 6th grade team as we get closer to the beginning of school.)
Food Services
We are pleased to welcome back a large variety of choices in our cafeteria. We offer many daily choices for both breakfast and lunch! Please see the opening of school information and first week lunch menu here. Breakfast will be $1.50 and lunch will be $2.90. Please talk with your child about cafeteria choices and purchases so they are aware of what purchases they may make. Any questions or concerns please contact Sarah Belanger; sbelanger@sau15.net.
Pick Up Patrol and Bus Routes
All families, new and returning, will receive a welcome letter from PickUp Patrol. All Default Plans have been cleared from PickUp Patrol and must be entered for the 25-26 school year. Once you have received your welcome email from PickUp Patrol, please log into PickUp Patrol to make sure that you have access and have set a default dismissal plan for your children. Preschool parents do not need to set default plans for non-school days. When entering the bus number for your child, please check the bus routes posted on the AVS website as there may have been changes in bus routes this year. Please note that door to door stops are not always possible to allow for more efficient transportation times for all students. The bus routes for this year have been completed and are currently posted on the AVS website. These routes are similar to last year’s routes with a few tweaks for new students. They can be found under the Transportation menu: https://auburn.sau15.
For bus questions or concerns please contact Nancy Banner nbanner@sau15.net
For PickUp Patrol questions or concerns please contact Carolyn Coraccio ccoraccio@sau15.net
**PickUp Patrol continues their new feature this year! If your child will be leaving for an appointment and returning to school, please be sure to use the Leave and Return option rather than Early Dismissal. This allows school staff to know how to dismiss your child after they return to school.**
Parent Pick Up
UPDATED PICKUP ROUTINES 2025-2026
We will no longer have a separate pick-up time for kindergarten and first grade families. All elementary students will now be dismissed in the order of car arrival, using our PickUp Patrol dismissal system. You will receive a visor tag with your child’s name—please hang this from your rearview mirror to help us dismiss students quickly and safely.
Parents will line up along Eaton Hill Rd. starting at the end of the cross walk area outside of the parking lot beginning at 2:55. Preschool dismissal will be from 2:45-2:55. Please do not pull into line until after 2:55 to keep the area clear for our preschool families. Please be very patient with us the first few days of school while we all become familiar with our school routines. To cut down on the traffic at parent pick up, we encourage you to consider using our bus transportation. It is very important that parents stay in line and not go around other cars for the safety of our staff and students. Please drive carefully and be aware of staff and students in crosswalks in the parking lot as you navigate the parent pickup line. All students should exit their vehicle from the passenger side to avoid crossing in between vehicles. Parents must remain in their vehicles. Students should be able to open their car door, climb into the car, close the door and buckle their seat belt independently. Please practice before the school year begins!
School Notifications/Student Information Update
In the event of inclement weather, school may be delayed, canceled, or released early. AVS delayed openings are 2 hours. Should this occur, students can be expected to be picked up at their bus stops 2 hours later than normally scheduled. For example, if your child is normally picked up at 7:30 AM, they will be picked up at 9:30 AM. Should students be sent home early, announcements will be made on WMUR, and students will be given the opportunity to call home. For any delays, cancellations, or early releases, announcements will be made on WMUR / Channel 9, and www.wmur.com.
In addition to these methods, we will text and email parents about delays, early releases, or cancellations. Please make sure you have updated your demographic information through the Powerschool Parent Portal to include your cell phone number in order to accept text messages. We ask that all parents log in to PowerSchool and update the contact information for all children. This can be done by following the directions in the Updating Student Information Guide. We ask that all families complete this form by Friday, August 29th.
Registered Sex Offender Information
The Auburn School District is committed to creating a healthy and safe environment for our students. We have adopted a host of policies and procedures toward that end. This letter is intended to provide you with important safety information that you might want to use for future reference. In New Hampshire, individuals convicted of certain crimes are required to register as sex offenders in the community in which they reside. By law, registered offenders can live in any neighborhood. Because the information regarding registered offenders changes regularly, the School District cannot provide you with regular updates. We do however make an attempt to regularly monitor the list of registered offenders in our community. The information that is available to the schools is also available to the public and can be accessed from the internet at http://business.nh.gov/
Artists, Grab Your Pencils, Pens, Markers, or Paint!
Have you noticed that the banners at the Safety Complex and Town Hall are looking a little faded? Well, we have, and we want to do something about it. While you are at home this summer, why not take a stab at some Auburn art! Your art can be featured on a lamp post this year! Visit this link for more information.
AVS PTA Welcome Back AVS Families!
The AVS PTA is excited to kick off the 2025–2026 school year! We’re lucky to have most of last year’s amazing Board members back for another round, ready to bring you another year filled with community, connection, and fun.
As our kids grow, so does our PTA family—and we know the time will come to pass the baton (don’t worry, no track practice required! ). We’ll be looking for fresh faces and new ideas to keep the energy strong, so if you’ve ever thought about jumping in, this could be your year!
Whether you volunteer your time, join as a member, or simply cheer us on, your support makes a world of difference. Let’s make this year the best one yet—together!
Join the PTA!
Your membership helps us create events, programs, and opportunities for our school community. Sign up today at: https://my.cheddarup.com/
Save the Date! Back to School Bash
The PTA is hosting their BTS Bash again this year. We are looking forward to seeing you all Tuesday, August 26 from 3 – 5:00 at the Back to School Bash in the school courtyard. In order for families to recognize students in each grade, we have created a color-coded grade list. If you have one, please wear a t-shirt of that color so a new student, or even someone who you know, can recognize you. The teachers will be there from 3-3:30, and they will each be wearing the colors too.
Preschool: Turquoise
Kindergarten: White
Grade 1: Green
Grade 2: Pink
Grade 3: Red
Grade 4: Black
Grade 5: Yellow
Grade 6: Blue
Grade 7: Orange
Grade 8: Purple
Unified Arts, Specialists and Admin: Tie Dye
UPCOMING EVENTS
AUGUST:
27 First Day of School for Gr. 1-8, Kindergarten staggered start day (½ class)
28 Kindergarten staggered start day (½ class)
28 6th Grade Adventurelore Field Trip
SEPTEMBER:
1 No School- Labor Day
2 Meet and Greet 3’s: 9-10 am 4’s: 11-12 pm
3 First Day of PEEP
9 School Board Mtg 6:00 PM
11 Student Photo Day (also group photos)
- Open House: Preschool- Gr. 4 6 – 7 pm
- PTA Ice Cream Social 6 – 7:30 pm
12 Auburn Town “Fireworks”
13 Town Duck Race
16 PTA Meeting 6:30 – 7:30 pm
18 Parent Information Night Gr. 5th – 8th
26 No School for Students-Professional Development Day
OCTOBER:
8 Early Release
- Child Find 9 am – 12 pm
13 No School- Columbus Day
14 School Board Mtg 6:00 PM
21 PTA Meeting 6:30 – 7:30 pm
30 Picture Retake Day
Thank you for your continued support as we work together as a school community inspiring our children to strive for and achieve their goals.
All our best,
Lori Collins
Principal
Lindsay Murray
ES Assistant Principal
Jennifer Barnhill
MS Assistant Principal
Meredith Davine
Student Services Director
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