2026-2027 Kindergarten Registration (Opens March 2, ...

2026-2027 Kindergarten Registration (Opens March 2, 2026, 8:00 am) Welcome families of incoming kindergarten students! The Derry Cooperative School District looks forward to your child becoming a member of the 2026-2027 Kindergarten class. For all new and returning students, we utilize the PowerSchool Registration system. This online system allows us to quickly obtain annual up-to-date student information. In addition, our families can electronically sign annual permission forms for School District policies such as the Technology Acceptable Use Policy and School Handbooks. Beginning at 8:00 am, on Monday, March 2, 2026, you will be able to click a link on the District  website  to register your child for Kindergarten in the 2026-2027 school year.   Please note that registration is on a first-come, first-served basis at each school.  Please do not delay your registration, as we utilize an “overflow” process for Kindergarten. Classes at your child’s school may become full based on the School Board’s recommended class size of 18 students per class. In this case, your child will be assigned to a different elementary school that has openings in Kindergarten. The registration process must include the documents listed below. These documents may be uploaded as images into the electronic form, or, after the online information has been entered, you   may deliver the documents to your child's school in person. Registration is considered complete once all items are received: Parent/Guardian with a Photo ID Birth certificate Immunization record Physical record from primary care physician Custody papers or other legal documents Proof of Residency (2 proofs required): Current Lease, Mortgage, or Property Tax Bill;  AND Current Utility Bill (electric, cable);  OR *Residency Affidavit (form can be obtained from Superintendent of Schools Office) *If you do not have two proofs of residency because you are living with another person or family, the person you are living with needs to go to the Office of the Superintendent of Schools with their two proofs of residency (current lease agreement, mortgage agreement, or property tax bill, AND current utility bill) and a photo ID.  Please contact the SAU Office at (603) 432-1210  to schedule an appointment. The person or family you are living with will sign a legal affidavit, which will be notarized, stating that you are living with them. The residency affidavit will be your "Proof of Residency" required to complete a new student registration. If you need information or have questions regarding which school your child will attend, please call the Office of the Superintendent of Schools at (603) 432-1210 or access the online  SchoolSite Locator .  We look forward to having your child and family join our Derry Cooperative School District learning community, where our students learn, connect and grow. 

Monday, Jan 12 2026

School Board Newsletter - January 2026

School Board Newsletter January 2026 What is Included in the School District's Budget? The school district's operating budget covers the day-to-day costs of running all of Derry's schools for the upcoming year, including staffing, classroom materials, student services, transportation, utilities, high school tuition, and more. Some costs, such as special education services, retirement contributions, salaries, and healthcare, are determined by state/federal requirements and collective bargaining agreements. Over the past several years, there have been increases in some expenses, such as healthcare, utilities, and contracted services as well as decreases in state funding and student enrollment. The district works hard to manage these expenses responsibly without sacrificing high-quality learning experiences for all students. How is the School District's Budget Finalized? In towns like Derry, there is a two-step process for voters to approve the proposed budget. On Saturday, February 7, the school district holds part 1 of the process, called the Deliberative Session. This is where voters can hear presentations, ask questions, and discuss each warrant article, including the school budget, before it goes on the official ballot. During the Deliberative Session, voters may propose and vote on changes to warrant articles, including the budget. No final decisions are made at the Deliberative Session. Instead, the session shapes what voters will see during part 2 of the process, Voting Day (March 10, 2026). On the voting day, citizens weigh in on a series of items, known as "articles," that are listed on the warrant. These warrant articles include the district's operating budget as well as any other items that were moved forward during the Deliberative Session. Voters also choose new school board members. How Can You Participate? Attend the Public Hearing - January 13, 2026 Community members can come and speak publicly before the budget is finalized. Attend the Deliberative Session - February 7, 2026 Voters can see presentations on each warrant article, including the school budget. Voters can propose changes to dollar amounts of articles. Run For School Board - Filing Period: 1/21 - 1/30/26 Must be a registered voter in Derry. Cannot be a school district employee. Pick up & submit application at Town Hall (14 Manning St.) Volunteer for the Fiscal Advisory Committee Group meets during the fall to review initial budget proposals and advise the School Board. Application period begins in June Upcoming Dates Tuesday, January 13 - 6:00 pm: Public Hearing on School District Budget - Derry Municipal Center, 14 Manning St. Tuesday, January 13 - Immediately Following Public Hearing: School Board Meeting - Derry Municipal Center, 14 Manning St. Wednesday, January 21: Filing period opens for School Board Member positions Tuesday, January 27 - 6:30 pm: School Board Meeting - Derry Municipal Center, 14 Manning St. Friday, January. 30 - 5:00 pm: Filing period closes for School Board Member positions Saturday, February 7 - 10:00 am: Deliberative Session, West Running Brook Intermediate School Tuesday, February 10 - 6:30 pm: School Board Meeting - Derry Municipal Center, 14 Manning St. Tuesday, March 10 - 7:00 am - 8:00 pm: Town & School District Elections - Pinkerton Academy, Hackler Gymnasium School Board Members Michael Thiele - Board Chair Jennifer Theroux - Board Vice Chair Jenna Paradise - Board Secretary Jamie Carreau - Board Member Jason MacLeod - Board Member Karen Rand - Board Member Brenda Willis - Board Member School District Administration Michael Flynn - Superintendent Joe Crawford - Assistant Superintendent Jane Simard - Business Administrator Kim Conant - Director of Curriculum & Grants Clifton Dancy - Director of Information Services Jeremy Lamothe - Director of Facilities Laura Powers - Director of Student Services Paula Quiroga - Director of Human Resources

Thursday, Jan 08 2026

October School Board Newsletter

School Board Newsletter October 30, 2025 From the Board Chair Welcome to the first Derry School Board newsletter and the 2025-26 school year! Staff and students are off and running for another exciting year of learning and growth. The Derry Cooperative School District serves 2,800 students across four K-4 elementary schools, one 5-6 intermediate school and one 7-8 middle school. The District also offers preschool through the Derry Early Education Program. High school students have the option to attend Pinkerton Academy or Next Charter School through established tuition contracts. Fall marks the beginning of one of the most important tasks of the School Board, review and approval of the next District budget. The process begins with the creation of a draft budget by the Superintendent and Business Administrator, with the input of department heads and school principals. The draft is presented to the School Board and Fiscal Advisory Committee, a group of citizens appointed by the Board to provide advice during the budget process, over a series of meetings where input can be given and adjustments can be made. These meetings will produce a proposed budget that will go to a public hearing and final vote of approval by the Board in January, and then on to the Deliberative Session and the town election. As we work through the budget process, please get involved! All meetings are open to the public and available for viewing online. Input can be provided at regular Board meetings during the public comment period. The School Board is elected to represent you and the input of citizens is invaluable in our work. Michael Thiele Derry School Board   School Board Committee Members School Board Members: Michael Thiele-Chair Jen Theroux-Vice Chair Jenna Paradise-Secretary Jamie Carreau-Member Jason MacLeod-Member Karen Rand-Member Brenda Willis-Member Administrative Team: Mike Flynn-Superintendent Joe Crawford-Asst. Superintendent Jane Simard-Business Administrator Paula Quiroga-Dir. of Human Resources Kim Conant-Dir. of Curr., Instruction, Assessment, & Grants Laura Powers-Dir. of Student Services Christina Kaskiewicz-Asst. Dir. of Student Services Jeremy Lamothe-Dir. of Facilities Clifton Dancy-Dir. of Info. Services & Transportation Coord. Committee Highlights: September & October 2025 Our School Board committees have been busy during the first quarter, focusing on critical curriculum changes, necessary facility upgrades, and enhancing district-wide communication processes. Here are the highlights of their important work: 🛠️ Facilities Committee: Investing in Our Infrastructure Jason MacLeod, Jen Theroux, Michael Thiele, Jeremy Lamothe, Mike Flynn, Jane Simard The committee is focused on accelerating key district projects for the Summer of 2026, prioritizing safety and efficiency. The committee has set a meeting cadence for the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month at 9:00 a.m. until February 2026. South Range Project Acceleration: Moving quickly to get bids for work. The committee continues the design for boiler redundancy as an alternate price to drawings, as South Range (SR) is the only building without redundant heating. Project drawings for SR HVAC have been updated from 2023. Equipment lead times can be up to 6 months, requiring quick action to get bids out in time for summer of 2026. The RTU design will be the initial focus, followed by the boiler design. The review of the 70% design submission led to an agreement to upgrade existing single-pane entrance doors at South Range to more secure doors. The existing storefront doors will be a contract amendment for design due to poor insulation and drying seals. The front entrance storefront design is included in the current contract. Gale Associates was hired to investigate the entryway canopy structure. Lincoln/Haney Engineering was hired to calculate existing conditions snow load to assess the potential impact of adding required insulation for the 26/27 roof replacement. ARM will be putting in insulation to increase the roof pitch. West Running Brook (WRB) Repairs: Current metal roof repairs were scheduled for September 9, 2025. Gale Associates found cracked bricks that CSI is fixing. The committee reviewed Field Report #3 from ARM regarding dormers; the identified issues are being fixed, requiring two sections of metal to be fabricated and installed. Future Vision and Bond Spending: The goal is to develop a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for Derry by January 2026 to identify and plan for long and short-term repairs/costs. Engaging LBA and Gale for exterior work throughout the district, including doors, windows, and repairs, with the goal of completing these projects in the summer of 2026. The committee reviewed a draft of the “Bond at a Glance” chart created by Clifton. Discussions were also held regarding warrant articles, including the options of “raise and appropriate” and “funded by unspent year end funds”. 🍎 Curriculum Committee: Focused on Learning Excellence Jen Theroux, Jenna Paradise, Brenda Willis, Kim Conant, Joe Crawford, Laura Powers Meetings centered on supporting academic programs and connecting with families. The meetings are scheduled on the first and third Thursday at 10:00 AM through the end of the calendar year. We are excited to share a few highlights about the great work happening across our schools!  Unified Math Program- All K-8 students are now using the enVision Math curriculum. This ensures consistency and strong alignment from grade to grade Supporting Our Teachers- We are investing in strong instruction.  Through grant funding, many teachers participated in volunteer professional learning, with our Math and ELA Task Force team completing over 30 + hours of work to support curriculum implementation. Monthly ongoing training for new teachers and mentors is underway with Dr. Joe Crawford and Scott Fuller (G&D Associates). A new state law requires districts to use evidence-based ELA programs by 2027, and we are well on our way to preparing for those requirements. Leadership & Student Safety- Administrators have been reviewing important topics such as mandated reporting and guidance related to the New Hampshire Parent Bill of Rights. We are also identifying areas to strengthen, including improved training for substitute teachers.  Partnering With Families- We are developing helpful family-friendly tools like short videos and simple guides to support families at home as well as in early winter starting to host “PIE” (Partners in Education) events so families can see learning in action.  Program Updates- To give students more choice in Unified Arts classes (UA), we are now offering Spanish as both a one-year and a two-year option.  As we expand our focus on social-emotional learning, Kim shared a video that discusses the C.A.R.E.S. model and the Fly Five curriculum which helps students build strong relationships, confidence, and community skills 📱 Technology & Transportation Committee: Modernizing Systems Karen Rand, Michael Thiele, Brenda Willis, Clifton Dancy, Joe Crawford, Christine Kaskiewicz The committee addressed technology use and the critical issue of school start times. The committee agreed to alter the meeting cadence to quarterly meetings scheduled for December, February, and April. School Start Times Task Force: A task force was organized to provide a recommendation to the School Board by January 31, 2026. The task force membership will include representatives from Teachers (2), AFSCME (2), Parents (4), Board (2), (2) Principals and (2) Central Office Administration Parent participation will be announced via a ParentSquare survey. Digital Communications: Overall usage of ParentSquare is high. Dr. Dancy will send out letters and videos to parents explaining how to use ParentSquare and Powerschool, which will also be posted on the website. The district uses BrightArrow, which is connected to Powerschool, to send Learning Reports. Dr. Dancy will work with the bus company to implement the transportation app. YouTube Policy Change: The policy was switched to a parental “opt-in” setting for student YouTube use, meaning parents must provide consent for access. An opt-in form has been drafted. YouTube continues to be filtered by district software. Software Review: The committee began an in-depth review of current systems, including Tyler-Tech and Powerschool. 📋 Policy Committee: Keeping Policies Current Brenda Willis, Jamie Carreau, Karen Rand, Mike Flynn, Kim Conant, Paula Quiroga The committee reviewed several policies, advancing key items to the School Board for review. Policies Advanced (First Reading): Policies sent for a first reading include the New Hampshire Parental Bill of Rights (Policy AB), Unauthorized Communication Devices (JICJ), Acceptable Use - Student (JICL), Regular Board Meetings (BEA), and Policy CH, Policy Implementation (after edits). Policies Under Review: Items still under discussion include Bidding Procedures (DJE) (for which the committee will pull samples from other districts and the NH School Boards Association), Transportation - Riders (EEA), Staff Conduct with Students (GBEBB), Homework (IKB), and Minutes (BEDG). Policy JLF, Reporting Child Abuse or Neglect, was tabled. 💰 Finance Committee: Budget Planning and Reporting Jenna Paradise, Karen Rand, Michael Thiele, Jane Simard, Mike Flynn, Laura Powers The focus was on establishing efficient financial processes for the district. Budget Process Changes: The process is shifting to allow administrators and directors to develop and present the budget. Mike will bring an FAQ document regarding the budget to the next meeting. Discussions also included warrant articles for facilities. Financial Reporting: The committee agreed to maintain detailed financial reports within the monthly report for the second meeting of the month, and will prepare a mid-year financial report in January. Meeting Schedule: Future meetings were scheduled for October 14th and November 4th, both at 10:00 a.m.. 📰 Communications Committee: Enhancing Outreach Jamie Carreau, Jason MacLeod, Jen Theroux, Joe Crawford, Clifton Dancy, Paula Quiroga The committee launched its efforts to improve how the School Board shares information with the community. The committee agreed to meet monthly for one hour, with materials provided electronically. Newsletter Development: The committee set a goal to publish the first school board newsletter prior to Thanksgiving. Deliverables for the newsletter include developing a mock-up with clear sections for each school board committee and a QR code for joining the newsletter group via ParentSquare. Distribution Methods: Planned channels include ParentSquare, social media, the website news feed, and print copies in selected locations like Derry News, Town Hall, Marion Gerrish, and the Chamber (for new resident packets). Information Collection: The committee is developing a regular process for collecting updates from department heads and committee chairs to be shared via the website. Deliverables include creating a form, process, and cadence for collection. 🏫 DVS Advisory Committee: Property Review Jason MacLeod, Brenda Willis, Karen Rand, Mike Flynn, Joe Crawford, Jane Simard, Jeremy Lamothe, Beverly Donovan, Erin Spencer, Ben Cone, Tom Cardon, Elizabeth Corcoran The committee began its work focused on the future of the Derry Village School (DVS) property. Initial Activities: The committee conducted a walkthrough of the Derry Village School building and property on September 30, 2025, and later completed a walkthrough of the SAU office and outside property on October 7, 2025. Resources: A shared drive called “Documents” was created for committee access. Meeting Schedule: The committee decided to meet each Tuesday through November at the SAU office at 3:00 PM, with a remote option available. The October 14 meeting was cancelled. The next scheduled meeting was October 21.   Contact information This newsletter is intended for informational purposes only and will be published four times throughout the school year. Questions or comments regarding this publication may be directed to the School Board at school-board@sau10.org.

Thursday, Oct 30 2025