Increased Call-In Substitute Rates for Portsmouth Sc...

Portsmouth Schools Call-In Substitute Rate Increases Portsmouth Schools are looking for energetic Substitute Teachers and Paraeducators to work with our students and staff. In an effort to appreciate our current group of dedicated substitutes and attract more applicants to this rewarding work, we are increasing our extremely competitive call-in substitutes rates starting January 18 up until at least February break. To be considered as a substitute, please complete our General Employment   application and email to apply@sau52.org or mail to: Superintendent Steve Zadravec                     Portsmouth School Department 1 Junkins Avenue, Suite 402 Portsmouth, NH 03801 Updated call-in substitute rates: Teacher substitutes                   $115/day Certified Teacher substitutes    $125/day Paraeducator substitutes          $16.80/hour School Nurse Substitutes          $220/day Please call Human Resources at (603) 610-7274 with any questions.

Tuesday, Jan 11 2022

Portsmouth Schools News 1.7.22

Message from the Superintendent's Office Happy New Year Portsmouth Schools Community,  We hope you are enjoying the snow day. It is actually a well-timed pause at the end of a fairly strained week back due to Covid. It continues to be critically important that we all stay vigilant by being attentive to any symptoms of illness and following all established health protocols.   This week, NH DHHS adopted new quarantine and isolation guidance from the CDC. That guidance can be found  here   as well as attached to this newsletter. It is important to note that the overall time periods for quarantine and isolation can be shifted to 5 days only when following the conditions and recommendations found in the guidance. We wish all a healthy snowy weekend. Sincerely, Stephen Zadravec                         George Shea Superintendent                              Assistant Superintendent   Dondero Grade 2 Snowman authors and meteorologists were forecasting snow.   The Girls Field Hockey Division II State Champions received embroidered jackets donated by Colleen Bean (former PHS graduate and Field Hockey player) and Ceal Anderson.     Our mailing address is: Portsmouth School District 1 Junkins Avenue, Suite 402 Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-431-5080 https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/school

Friday, Jan 07 2022

Portsmouth Schools Closed 1.7.21

Portsmouth Schools will be closed for a snow day Friday, January 7th.

Friday, Jan 07 2022

Portsmouth Schools Newsletter 11.17.21

Message from the Superintendent's Office Dear School Community, During this holiday season we pause and reflect on the generosity of our school community, particularly in efforts to brighten the holidays for any family in need of support. Our staff, students, and families go out of their way this time of year to bring joy during the holiday season. Each holiday season student council members at Portsmouth High School organize to help meet the needs of fellow classmates whose families are experiencing hardship by organizing the Giving Tree and the Barbara Porter Memorial Holiday Raffle.  All money generated from these campaigns helps to sustain the Clipper Family Fund, which is overseen by members of the PHS Guidance and Health Service Departments.  They collaborate to identify PHS students and families in need.  This powerful partnership allows our school community to meet a range of needs such as gift cards for shoes, coats, groceries, and other assistance to make sure everyone in our school family receives care and dignity.  Last year, 55 PHS families were provided meaningful help.  Funds are also used for academic scholarships for summer learning opportunities. This Holiday Season we supported over 60 families with food and gifts for the Holidays for a total of over $10,000 gifted to our families.  At the Robert J. Lister Academy, students volunteered at Gather to help sort donations and offered free leaf raking to a community member in need. All students will have a bag of gifts for the holiday and some families will receive food baskets and gift cards through the fundraising at PHS.  Portsmouth Middle School works with the PTA to bring gifts and holiday meal baskets to middle school families.  Once gift requests are received by Mr. Davis, who keeps family names confidential, he hands off lists of gifts to the PTA who organize and collect the gifts to be picked up from the middle school or delivered directly to families before the holiday break.  Lastly, if requested, PMS partners with McKinnon's Market to offer a holiday meal basket to families as well that can be picked up at McKinnon's or delivered to the home. This program is in its seventh year and is serving more than 50 families this year with 193 gifts.  New Franklin staff and community members have come together to support 32 New Franklin students this holiday season. Principal Simons and her band of holiday elves will be delivering over 95 gifts to New Franklin students to make their holiday a little more special. At Little Harbour School, the Community Connections team has been collecting donations of winter gear, gift cards to support holiday shopping, and grocery and gas cards to fill the gaps when kids are home over break. Many families also received personalized holiday food baskets.    In collaboration with Dondero’s faculty, Kate Callahan reaches out to families who may need a “boost” during the holiday season and partners with community businesses to provide gifts for identified families.  This year, Red’s Good Vibes will be supporting families who have requested assistance with a meal for the holiday. We thank all of our staff, students, and families for their contributions, big and small, that help make our school community such a truly special place. Happy Holidays Sincerely, Stephen Zadravec                         George Shea Superintendent                              Assistant Superintendent Confectionary models from AP European History students at PHS. Mild December temperatures have meant more time for PMS students in their new outdoor classroom. LHS 5th graders putting on a mini-golf course they built in the library. Portsmouth Public Library Youth Services Newsletter   Download the ParentSquare app to receive notifications, follow school calendars, set your language and delivery preferences, and view post archives.           Android                             iOS       Our mailing address is: Portsmouth School District 1 Junkins Avenue, Suite 402 Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-431-5080 https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/school

Friday, Dec 17 2021

Portsmouth Schools Early Release 12/22

December 22nd will be an  early release day for students. Happy Holidays!

Monday, Dec 13 2021

Portsmouth Schools 12.3.21 Update

Portsmouth Schools News 12.3.21 #GivingTuesday This year, on Tuesday, November 30, 2021, Portsmouth School Department  participated in #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving, collaborating, and celebrating generosity. “Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts, and everyone has something to give.” Portsmouth School Department values your support of our school, students, and community. Please consider making a donation to our Educational Opportunity Fund. Every gift makes an impact, no matter the size. The Portsmouth School Board established the Educational Opportunity Fund in 2018. This fund was established in alignment with our goal to close gaps of opportunity for students and to create even more intentional structures to ensure equitable learning environments.  Specifically, this fund assists students on Free and Reduced Lunch in accessing school-sponsored educational programs that require a fee. These could include fees associated with certain high school courses (running start, dual enrollment, etc.) or activities such as field trips.  We feel strongly that all students thrive best in a barrier-free learning environment. Click here to donate now   or you can send a check payable to: Portsmouth School Department Opportunity Fund   Portsmouth School Department  1 Junkins Avenue, Suite 402  Portsmouth, NH 03801 Garden Club has moved indoors at Portsmouth Middle School and are now learning to cook with fresh produce.  Time for apple pies.     Free at home COVID test kits. Parents can request their free kits at https://sayyeshometest.org/   Dondero first graders visited Bowl-O-Rama to apply their knowledge of math facts to 10. PHS Culinary crew shaping up some pizza dough.     Little Harbour 5th graders studying the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid.   Our mailing address is: Portsmouth School District 1 Junkins Avenue, Suite 402 Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-431-5080  

Friday, Dec 03 2021

Superintendent Search ES Focus Group

Dear Parents of Portsmouth Elementary School children, The Superintendent Search Committee received several emails from ES parents expressing concerns over the rising number of Covid cases and requesting that the focus group be rescheduled as a Zoom session.  As such, the ES Focus Group has been rescheduled for Tuesday, December 7th from 6:00-7:00pm on Zoom.  You will need to pre-register for the event so that we can make sure we have enough facilitators.  Again, the goal of the focus group is to have open and engaging dialog about the desired roles, competencies and experiences we seek in the next Superintendent of Schools.  The details for the event are as follows: You are invited to a Zoom meeting. When: Dec 7, 2021 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkcOuqpz4vEtFy5niBpuulAoMx_dKg5huk After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Thank you, The Superintendent Search Committee

Wednesday, Dec 01 2021

Portsmouth Schools 11.19.21 Newsletter

Message from the Superintendent's Office Dear School Community, November reminds us of how thankful we are for the amazing efforts of our staff and the support of our community in providing the best educational experiences for our students. We’d like to highlight some of the work related to district goals, give an update from our Wellness Committee, and “forecast” what snow days will look like this year. District Goal Progress This month we gave a report to the School Board on progress against our four core goals: Equity, Opportunity, Community, and Wellness .  During the Board’s summer retreat (not as exotic as it sounds), we determined a number of key “Board actions  and “Admin. actions” to ensure progress on these goals. We will update the Board each quarter on the status of these strategic actions. The Quarter 1 Goal Progress report details our progress and also offers a sample of metrics we continue to assemble on student outcomes related to the goals. These metrics will be expanded upon in each quarterly report. If you have any questions about this report, please feel free to reach out to us. Wellness Committee Our Wellness Committee met this week to discuss the ongoing work to support student and staff wellness. Efforts have ranged from team building activities at PMS during Success Block, to enrichment offerings at PHS during FLEX block, and from the Wellness Club providing student-led training for staff on trigger warnings, to the pursuit of a new and updated social-emotional curriculum to replace Open Circle. These efforts will continue to expand throughout the year and the Wellness Committee will continue to allow cross pollination of great ideas across schools. As a reminder, our wellness work has also included a collection of parent resources to support student wellness. Snow Days It’s hard to believe, but yes, we may soon have snow days upon us! As we experienced last year, we have the ability to leverage remote learning as needed to limit the number of days needing to be made up at the end of the year. This also allows us to “lock-in” important events such as PHS graduation (June 10th). We also recognize the need for real snow days from time to time! This year we will plan to have two real snow days and use remote learning for additional days. These plans are subject to change based on the specifics of any given storm (power outages, etc.). Expectations for students will include asynchronous work provided by teachers and teachers will offer a minimum of two hours of “office hours” for student assistance. On a somewhat related note, we’ll be testing our emergency alert system next Tuesday afternoon (11/23) with a test message. Again, we appreciate all of the continued efforts to support our students and wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving! Sincerely, Stephen Zadravec.                     George Shea Superintendent                           Assistant Superintendent Scenes from Dondero's Veterans Day ceremony Congratulations to PHS Field Hockey. State Champs! Vaccination Updates COVID 19 Vaccine Clinics Mobile Van age 5-11 Portsmouth, NH Monday   November 29, 2021 3:00 - 7:00 pm Little Harbour School 50 Clough Dr.  Portsmouth, NH   Click here  to register for an appointment,   or use this link: https://vini.nh.gov/providers/s/ code: PSD45191 Wednesday  December 1, 2021 Portsmouth Middle School 155 Parrott Ave  Portsmouth, NH   Click here  to register for an appointment,   or use this link: https://vini.nh.gov/providers/s/   code: PSD45192 2nd dose clinics will be   Monday December 20th at LHS 3-7 and Wednesday December 22nd at PMS 3-7 Questions? Contact Christine Burke, cburke@sau52.org The next Public Health Vaccine Clinic at the Portsmouth Senior Center on 125 Cottage St. is November 24th from 8-3. Pediatric and booster shots will be available. Pre-registration is not required, but families can save time by at the clinic by completing this COVID Vaccine registration  form. Please see the attached flyers from the Seacoast Public Heath Network regarding COVID vaccine clinics for ages 5-11 at Wamesit Place (Greenleaf Rec. Center) and Gosling Meadows on November 29th and 30th. Holiday Poinsettia Sale The PHS Class of 2025 is partnering with the Wentworth Gardens once again and will be selling poinsettias for the upcoming holiday season.  The cost for each 6” pot is $14.00.  Orders are due by Sunday,11/28 and the plants will be delivered to PHS on Friday, 12/3.  Pick-up will be at PHS on 12/3 between 3:00-4:00 pm in the main office. To purchase your plant, please go to: http://go.rallyup.com/746891 If you have any questions, please email Lauren Casimiro ( lcasimiro@sau52.org ) or Bryan Rogers ( brogers@sau52.org ). PHS Anatomy and Physiology students engaged in pig dissection. All Hands on Deck With increased staff and family illnesses and a shortened roster of available substitutes, we've been fortunate to have so many staff members willing to cover classes during their planning periods or outside of their normal job functions. Here's Superintendent Zadravec dusting off his middle school math teaching skills to step in for 7th grade last week. Our mailing address is: Portsmouth School District 1 Junkins Avenue, Suite 402 Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-431-5080 https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/school

Friday, Nov 19 2021

COVID Vaccine Clinics for ages 5-11

Please see the attached flyers from the Seacoast Public Heath Network regarding COVID vaccine clinics for ages 5-11 at Wamesit Place (Greenleaf Rec. Center) and Gosling Meadows on Novermber 29th and 30th 

Tuesday, Nov 09 2021

Portsmouth Schools Newsletter 10.29.21

Dear School Community, Looking over this week's newsletter we're reminded of just how much goes on in a week in Portsmouth Schools. Sure, between spirit weeks and Halloweenish weeks, our halls are extra animated, but even on a random Tuesday in say, mid-February, there's a vibrance and high energy level that permeates the buildings. That energy may also explain why educators are so exhausted from their work; They're the catalysts for so much of this activity, while the students are the fuel. So many of these activities serve to build supportive school communities that promote belonging while celebrating difference, as evidenced by the chalk images from PHS at the top and bottom of this newsletter. We're continually impressed by the resolve to build and strengthen community in Portsmouth Schools. Thanks to all who play a part in that important work for any district. Have a happily haunted weekend. Sincerely, Stephen Zadravec                         George Shea Superintendent                              Assistant Superintendent PMS cut the ribbon on a brand new fitness center   that was awarded to only three schools in the state by the National Foundation for Governor's Fitness Council.  The $100,000 NFGFC fitness grant was awarded by Jake Steinfeld and has been opened for student and staff use. The gym will compliment PMS PE classes and be open for supervised use by students and for staff wellness.  Thank you to PE teacher Tom Denning for spearheading this effort. New Franklin aliens, ghouls, and other colorful characters held their traditional Halloween Parade today. This year's staff costume theme paid a well-deserved tribute to Nurse Karen at NFS. Thanks to Nurse Karen and all of our district nurses for their many extra efforts.  Download the ParentSquare App to customize how you receive school and district communications. Parent Square Guide (English) Parent Square Guide (Spanish) Check out this video announcing the new ACE Engineering Mentorship Program at PH S Little Harbour halls decked out for Halloween!  At 8th Grade Open House last night, 8th graders got a taste of how math can roll in a PHS math class. Halloween hijinks at RJLA Our mailing address is: Portsmouth School District 1 Junkins Avenue, Suite 402 Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-431-5080 https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/school

Friday, Oct 29 2021