June 12, 2020
Dear Staff, Students, and Community Members,
Please read this important update on
COVID-19 and district planning to improve cultural tolerance.
Return to School Work Groups have been established for Sanborn to plan how we will start the coming school year in the midst of the
COVID-19 pandemic. There are two groups - one focused on grades Pre-K through Six and another focused on grades Seven through Twelve. The groups include parents, a member of the school board, teachers from each grade level, guidance counselors, school nurses, building administrators, and SAU office administrators. Our first meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 24th.
The District is in the beginning stages of establishing a Social Justice Committee in response to the death of George Floyd and recent related events. The District Social Justice Committee will include teachers, administrators, and parents from all of the District's schools. Each school will also have a Social Justice Committee that mirrors the District Committee. The goal of the District is to examine our pedagogical practices: the language we use, the texts and materials we present to our students, and the curriculum we build to see how we can change them to be culturally inclusive, responsive, and anti-racist. We need to teach ourselves, each other, and our students how to identify, engage, and dismantle racism, bias, and oppression. As educators, we must continuously work toward becoming agents of positive change through self-reflection, and education. Sanborn is committed to this work.
Finally, we are pleased to report that the move to make the District Reorganization a reality is now complete. All of the schools have now been moved to their new locations, teachers have had some time to unpack and are still settling in to their new classrooms. While there is still some construction happening, this is another milestone in our journey.
We want to express our deep gratitude to all the teachers, paras, custodians, and administrators for their help and patience. A huge thank you go out to Steve Riley, Director of Facilities and Matt Angell, Business Administrator, for their roles in making the move happen.
Enjoy your weekend and stay safe!
Sincerely,
Thomas J. Ambrose
Superintendent
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SAU 17 Board & Committee Meetings
School Board Meetings
The next remote meeting via Zoom is scheduled for:
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 at 6 PM
To view links for meetings,
visit the SAU 17 Homepage at
Subcommittee Meetings:
6-17-2020
Facilities- 3:45 PM
Excellence in Student Achievement (EISA) 4:45 PM
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All Sanborn Regional School District fields and playgrounds
are
currently
closed
to the public until further notice
.
Talking to your children about Race and Inequity
An article by School Psychologist, Samantha Broadhead
No child is too young to discuss diversity, and current events mean the children in your home may have many questions right now. Effective communication about race with your children can help foster respect for those who look different than they do. These dialogues support and encourage compassion and empathy for others. In part, these conversations also involve us, as caregivers, talking about our own biases. For many of us, conversations about race and inequity feel uncomfortable, and it can be hard to know where to start. Below please find some ideas - It is through these conversations that change happens for us, our children and communities in which they live.
Ideas for conversation topics:
There are a lot of beneficial children's books to support these conversations. Many of these can be found in audiobook form through your local library and even as read-alouds on YouTube. These resource links provide some ideas for children's book titles about supporting racial inclusivity:
These are trying times for adults and children. Through kindness, communication and empathy, we will get through this and be stronger for it. As always, please reach out to your child's counselor or principal over the summer if you need resources for additional support.
Food Updates:
Food is available for all students who attend the Sanborn Regional School District. Free and reduced meal forms should still be completed because once we go back to "normal" those will be used to determine who is eligible to continue to receive meals. Everyone is eligible to receive the food, but the paperwork needs to be completed regardless of income level. Even if you have not been approved in the past, please consider applying again.
We would like to encourage anyone who has experienced a change in job
status to reach out to us for food support. The information is completely confidential and the approval process has changed during this time of a national emergency.
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Contact Us
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Thomas J. Ambrose
Superintendent of Schools
Sanborn Regional School District
(603) 642-3688 x 222
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