Mystery Reader ConVal Principal Ms. McKillopHigh School principal Heather McKillop visited Pierce School to read to students. Kindergarteners were fascinated by her reading of Giles Andreae's _Giraffes Can't Dance_ while second graders enjoyed Amy Blankson's _How To Make A Shark Smile_.
"Read Across America Day" at PESConVal's National Honor Society students visited PES classrooms in celebration of "Read Across America Day" to inspire young students to be passionate about reading. Students read stories and engaged in various activities with each elementary classroom.
Community Forum On BudgetDuring the community forum on the ConVal School District budget, superintendent Dr. Kimberly Rizzo Saunders and school board members Katherine Heck and Alan Edelkind answer audience questions.
Rock, Paper, ScissorsAt an All-School Meeting on Friday before Winter break, Ms. Petrone's 3rd grade class performed The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors, a book by Drew Daywalt, after students played a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors with their neighbor.
NHDI Performance At AESDue to a snowstorm and no school, the NHDI Performance for AES families was held during the day on Friday before Winter break. Each grade level (3 & 4 combined) performed a dance, and then the entire school performed together as well.
Presidents Day PresentationsIn celebration of Presidents Day, Temple Elementary School 3rd and 4th graders presented their social studies reports on influential Americans to their families.
Chris Cox, an education and career counselor with the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation (NHHEAF) Network, gave a presentation on Wednesday about "Early College and Career Planning."
Cox presented the wide variety of pathways that are open to students after high school, including 2-year and 4-year college options as well as professional and certificate programs. The presentation included a segment on the NH Scholars Program which qualifies successful completers for scholarships and college application fee waivers. Cox also emphasized that specific courses may qualify high school students for eStart and Running Start credits that bring down the overall cost of a post-secondary education.
Cox encouraged students to take the lead in being advocates for their career goals and exploring opportunities outside the classroom through co-curricular activities, community service, summer programs, extended learning opportunities (ELOs), and career exploration programs.
The final portion of the NHHEAF college and career planning presentation was devoted to the calculation of the true cost of college education, the availability of financial aid, and different ways to secure funding from a variety of sources.
Chris Cox, an education and career counselor with the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation (NHHEAF) Network, gave a presentation on Wednesday about “Early College and Career Planning.”
Cox presented the wide variety of pathways that are open to students after high school,
The ConVal School Board wishes to thank you, the voters, for your continued support of our students, staff, and programming. Even three feet of snow, power outages, and a delayed vote could not stop your dedication to our community and our schools.
Voter approval of the 2023-2024 operating budget ensures a continued excellent and supportive education for the children of our district. For the Board and administration, this was a months-long process, developing a budget that is both educationally sound and fiscally responsible in financially difficult times. We also appreciate your support of all remaining articles, from the building capital reserve trust fund to the health maintenance trust fund.
Please help us welcome both new and re-elected School Board members: William Bryk (Antrim), R. Michael Hoyt (Bennington), Thomas John Kirlin (Francestown), Dan Harper (Hancock), Greg Kriebel (Peterborough), and Jim Fredrickson (Sharon).
Thank you again for your support. For a .pdf file with detailed results, please click here.
Kevin Skarupa, WMUR Meteorologist speaks to the SMS 6th Grade via Zoom all about what causes our weather. Students also given time to ask him multiple questions.
Kevin Skarupa, WMUR Meteorologist speaks to the SMS 6th Grade via Zoom all about what causes our weather. Students also given time to ask him multiple questions.
At AES, 4th graders used a filbert brush to create unique flowers to decorate our halls. Each student created their own unique flower or flowers to adorn our halls.
At AES, 4th graders used a filbert brush to create unique flowers to decorate our halls. Each student created their own unique flower or flowers to adorn our halls.
The ConVal School District has summer learning opportunities available for elementary and middle school students. The Title 1, Explore and Expand, and Middle School Summer Academy programs will run from July 5 through July 27, 2023.
During three or four days a week, students will receive 1.5 hours of academic support in both mathematics and/or readingfrom ConVal Certified Teachers and Tutors. An extra hour of the program is reserved for enrichment and exploration, including drumming and cartooning residencies. Additional details can be found in the signup forms that are linked below.
If your student attends AES, Pierce, FES or PES, please register using this link.
The ConVal School District has summer learning opportunities available for elementary and middle school students. The Title 1, Explore and Expand, and Middle School Summer Academy programs will run from July 5 through July 27,
Congratulations to ConVal High School science teacher Carol Young who has been selected by the nonprofit organization Ecology Project International (EPI) to participate in an 8-day Teacher Fellowship in Costa Rica in April.
She will be immersed in the rainforests and beaches of Costa Rica’s Caribbean slope. Days will be spent collecting data and planning hands-on lessons near Pacuare Reserve, a field research station managed by EPI.
Young will work alongside researchers and instructors on a variety of ongoing ecological studies, such as monitoring leatherback sea turtles and observing the behavior and social structures of primates.
Throughout the program, Young and other Fellows will learn strategies they can bring back to their classrooms to help students observe, question, collect data, and critically analyze the world around them.
Established as a nonprofit organization in 2001, the mission of Ecology Project International (EPI) is to inspire youth with nature and empower them with science, fostering tomorrow’s leaders. EPI envisions a diverse movement building communities that cherish and restore the ecosystems that sustain them.
For more information on EPI’s programs or how teachers can apply for next year’s EPI Teacher Fellowships, visit their website at www.ecologyproject.org/teacher-fellowships.
Congratulations to ConVal High School science teacher Carol Young who has been selected by the nonprofit organization Ecology Project International (EPI) to participate in an 8-day Teacher Fellowship in Costa Rica in April.
The Contoocook Valley School District budget vote will be held on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. Below are the places in the towns of your residence where you can cast your vote:
[table id=27 /]
For a brief video on the budget, please click here. For a message from the Chair of the ConVal School Board regarding the budget, please click here.
The Contoocook Valley School District budget vote will be held on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. Below are the places in the towns of your residence where you can cast your vote:
In a recent "New Hampshire Chronicle" segment, reporters the Manchester ABC affiliate WMUR visited Dublin to explore the history of The Old Farmer's Almanac.
A portion of the broadcast, which dealt with the children's edition of the Almanac, was filmed at Dublin Consolidated School. You can watch the entire TV program by clicking here.
In a recent “New Hampshire Chronicle” segment, reporters the Manchester ABC affiliate WMUR visited Dublin to explore the history of The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
You should have recently received a one-page mailing that provides some insight into our proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, which residents will be asked to vote on on Tuesday, March 28 in your respective communities.
Due to a printing error, some incorrect or unclear information was shared on this flyer and so we would like to provide an updated version.
The flier contains information on our proposed budget, including details on how the funding would be appropriated across our core areas of service.
You should have recently received a one-page mailing that provides some insight into our proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, which residents will be asked to vote on on Tuesday,
Tuesday, March 21, 2023 8am-3pm at Peterborough Elementary School
***Snow Date of Thursday, March 23, 2023
For children residing in Dublin, Greenfield, Peterborough, Sharon and Temple
Kindergarten Registration All Towns
Wednesday, April 12, 2023 8am-3pm at Peterborough Elementary School. For children residing in Antrim, Bennington, Dublin, Francestown, Greenfield, Hancock, Peterborough, Sharon, Temple
To attend the Kindergarten Registration and Screening, please call Kate Wasserloos at 603-924-7503 ext. 2032 to schedule an appointment time. All incoming kindergarteners should attend. Pre-registration is required. A child must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
The ConVal School Board wishes to remind residents of the 9 district towns of the upcoming interactive community forum the board and district administration are hosting in-person and online.
The forum will take place Monday, March 6, from 6-8 p.m. at the Lucy Hurlin Theater at ConVal High School, and will also be accessible via live stream.
The forum will feature four presentations highlighting different aspects of the budget development process and will detail the budget figures that are most consequential for the community to know. The presentations will include a layman’s view of the budget, an explanation of the budget process, an overview of significant budget drivers, and highlight the goals and initiatives of the proposed budget and detail how property taxes are impacted by the School Budget.
Throughout the evening, there will be opportunities for the in-person and online audiences to ask questions. Each question will be answered by the presenter or by a member of the School Board or Administration. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions on district-related topics other than the budget
The live stream will be done as a YouTube event that will be available as it happens, and a recording will be accessible after the event concludes. To view this forum via live stream at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 6, click here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ConValEvents) and select the “2023 March 6 Community Forum” video from the list of available videos.
To send in a question via e-mail please use Forum@conval.edu.
Ahead of the forum, community members are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the work that has been done already on the development of the budget by clicking here (https://schoolboard.convalsd.net/budget/).
At the conclusion of the forum, attendees will have the opportunity to meet and speak with board members and district administrators.
The ConVal School Board wishes to remind residents of the 9 district towns of the upcoming interactive community forum the board and district administration are hosting in-person and online.
The ConVal School Board is pleased to invite stakeholders to an upcoming community forum, where they will have the opportunity to engage with the board and learn more about the district’s work with students and the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
The forum will take place Monday, March 6, from 6-8 p.m. at the Lucy Hurlin Theater at ConVal High School and will be accessible via live stream.
“We believe in providing a venue where the ConVal community is engaged and informed and all can discuss, share knowledge, and talk to each other about topics of mutual interest,” School Board Chair Janine Lesser said. “These forums are a way for our community to stay connected with the District and have an active role in the work we do, so I’m hopeful our community will take part.”
The forum will feature four presentations highlighting different aspects of the budget development process and will detail the budget figures that are most consequential for the community to know. The presentations will include a layman’s view of the budget, an explanation of the budget process, an overview of significant budget drivers, and highlight the goals and initiatives of the proposed budget and detail how property taxes are impacted by the School Budget.
After the second and fourth presentations, there will be an opportunity for the in-person and online audiences to ask questions. Each question will be answered by the presenter or by a member of the School Board or Administration. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions on topics not related to the budget.
The live stream will be done as a YouTube event that will be available as it happens, and a recording will be accessible after the event concludes. To view this forum via live stream at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 6, click here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ConValEvents) and select the “2023 March 6 Community Forum” video from the list of available videos.
To send in a question via e-mail please use Forum@conval.edu. Ahead of the forum, community members are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the work that has been done already on the development of the budget by clicking here (https://schoolboard.convalsd.net/budget/).
At the conclusion of the forum, attendees will have the opportunity to meet and speak with board members and district administrators. To view the agenda for the forum, click here.
The ConVal School Board is pleased to invite stakeholders to an upcoming community forum, where they will have the opportunity to engage with the board and learn more about the district’s work with students and the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
The Awesome Potatoes were indeed awesome yesterday and not only won a trophy but also earned one of the 6 invitations available to MS teams from NH/VT to the VEX IQ World Championship in Dallas as well as a $1200 scholarship to cover the entry fee for Worlds.
The Awesome Potatoes were indeed awesome yesterday and not only won a trophy but also earned one of the 6 invitations available to MS teams from NH/VT to the VEX IQ World Championship in Dallas as well as a $1200 scholarship to cover the entry fee for Worlds.
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month.
On their tour of the Region 14 Applied Technology Center at ConVal High School, DCS students enjoyed getting hands-on with student woodworking samples, such as puzzles, wooden dice, nutcrackers, and handmade “Thor” mallets that high schoolers had produced for their midterm exam.
In the engineering lab, they learned about additive and subtractive manufacturing. Engineering teacher Karen Fabianski showed off a student project that combined both techniques — a laser-engraved chess board (subtractive manufacturing) and 3D-printed chess pieces (additive manufacturing).
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month.
On their tour of the Region 14 Applied Technology Center at ConVal High School, DCS students enjoyed getting hands-on with student woodworking samples,
Susie Spikol, Naturalist from the Harris Center, came to visit grade 3 this week. She brought skulls from different animals for students to observe up close and draw. We then compared and contrasted the skulls by shape, teeth, eye sockets, etc. They had a lot of fun!
Susie Spikol, Naturalist from the Harris Center, came to visit grade 3 this week. She brought skulls from different animals for students to observe up close and draw. We then compared and contrasted the skulls by shape,
Students at Dublin Consolidated School recently completed a unit on penguins. Their work included explorations of penguin anatomy, their habitat and life cycle, penguin nutrition facts as well as counting and graphing skills.
Students at Dublin Consolidated School recently completed a unit on penguins. Their work included explorations of penguin anatomy, their habitat and life cycle, penguin nutrition facts as well as counting and graphing skills.
Temple Elementary School will be hosting a Blood Drive on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, from 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
This will be our "Pie Drive". We will be serving all types of pies from meat pies to dessert pies. Please consider donating and then enjoy a piece of delicious pie. Call 1800REDCROSS or visit RedCrossBlood.org to make an appointment.
Ms. Zablotny has so many fun ways of teaching students to read, write, and do mathematics.
Using these fun, magnetic letter boards, students practice spelling words with individual letters and groups of letters. They start with a word and can then quickly see different words by changing the initial, middle, and final sounds; "cat" can become "bat", "cot", or "cap".
Our kindergarten students have been working very hard to be ready for first grade while having fun along the way. The proud smiles are just so awesome to see.
Third and fourth-grade students have been working on their math facts.
Each day the students get a bit closer to having their photo on the "Hot Seat" hall of fame. The students get to show off their abilities with Mr. Iwanowicz. Once they have successfully completed a verbal "Quiz" of their math facts, they get to hang their photo on the board. The "stars" are starting to accumulate. We are so proud of the progress they continue to make.
The day to vote on the 2023-24 ConVal budget is March 14th in your local polling place. All households in the nine towns in our regional school district will receive an annual flyer with the budget and the warrant articles, and information on your voting locations and times. We sincerely hope you will make the commitment to vote for the school budget on the 14th — our students are counting on you.
We all know it’s crucial we make good decisions. If you have children enrolled in the district schools, if you are a community-oriented person who believes in investing in our children, or if you are simply thinking about real estate values and taxes, the school budget vote makes us sit up and pay attention.
But the issues are complicated and straightforward, understandable facts can sometimes be hard to come by. The ConVal School Board would like to offer some information that we believe is important to your decision. The Board has posted a series of articles on the ConVal School Board website. The information includes the proposed 2023-2024 budget, a PowerPoint including highlights of the proposed budget, the warrant, a sample ballot, an explanation of the trust funds, and information on how property taxes are determined. You can find that information here: schoolboard.convalsd.net/budget.
There is a Community Forum on March 6th at 6:00 PM in Lucy Hurlin Theatre, whose subject will be the proposed budget. The Forum is live-streamed at this link: youtube.com/c/ConValEvents. You will be able to find the recording on YouTube, after March 6th. You can also contact your school board representative with questions, those representatives are also listed under the school board link.
The ConVal 2023-2028 Strategic Plan is now finished and approved and moving into implementation. You can find the plan in the "Quicklinks" section of the ConVal website under the heading "District Strategic Plan 2028."
Included in the proposed budget is the ability to begin the work of reaching our identified student-centered outcomes. The increase in the budget is at 1.35% — an accomplishment during these challenging economic times. Kudos to the school and SAU administration: their hard work and ability to balance student needs and taxpayer limits was accomplished through skill and creativity.
Public education is facing challenges across the country. ConVal has fared better than most but the ever-decreasing state funding and an onslaught of legislation and unfunded mandates present serious barriers.
Despite this reality, our schools continued to gain recognition and awards. In academics and the arts, last year alone, the ConVal High School Choir won a Gold Medal and the ConVal High School Band won a Platinum Medal at the Great East Music Festival (well-deserved!!). A ConVal High School student won first prize at the New Hampshire High School Short Film Festival, “Everest to End Duchenne.” Juniors and seniors achieved: 15 AP Student Performance and 4 Scholars With Honors Awards; 4 Scholastic Writing and 35 Scholastic Arts Awards; 2 National Merit Scholarship Commendations.
The GBS and SMS Robotics teams respectively won First Place and participated in the World Championships in Dallas. A ConVal Applied Technology Center student garnered the Best Overall Project award from the New Hampshire Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIANH).
ConVal students also demonstrated good citizenship, winning the First Prize in the American Legion Oratorical Contest and the DAR Good Citizen Award. Two high school students received the Peter R. Marsh Foundation Silent Servant Award in the fall.
Our sports teams brought home their share of honors as well, among them the Division 3 State Championships, Middle School Girls Cross Country, teams A & B; SMS Boys Soccer, 2nd in Tri-County Championship; ConVal High School Lacrosse WMUR Hometown Hero Award; Athletic All-State Honors for ConVal High School Boys Soccer, Golf, Girls Field Hockey, Soccer and Volleyball; the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript Sports Awards (ConVal High School Soccer and Volleyball); Keene Sentinel Player of the Year Awards Soccer and Volleyball; Keene Sentinel Player of the Week Honors Boys Soccer, Football and Girls Volleyball. And just weeks ago, two Cougar alpine skiers qualified for the NHIAA Division II Meet of Champions.
Our staff are great, too, and were recognized for their excellence this past year: ConVal staff received the School Librarian of the Year Award and the New Hampshire Society for Technology in Education Technology Impact Award. The Applied Technology Center was recognized by the New England Association of Woodworking Teachers with the Program of the Year Award. ConVal High School's soccer coach received the Division II Soccer Coach of the Year Award, and a Great Brook School teacher was a semi-finalist for the honor of New Hampshire Teacher of the Year.
Beyond classroom learning, our students enjoy expanded educational opportunities with a variety of community and state-based organizations: the Harris Center for Conservation Education; Lab Girls; the Cornucopia Project; and New Hampshire Fish and Game.
There are cooperative partnerships with the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation (NHHEAF); Keene State College; the Community College System of New Hampshire; Upward Bound; Career Day; and Stem Fest UNH.
Our students are matched in Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs) and internships with a wide variety of local employers. They engage with service organizations like the Rotary, the Lions Club, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. They also regularly connect with local emergency management departments, fire departments, and police departments; local libraries and senior centers; and community organizations like the River Center and the Grapevine.
In addition to classroom visits by a wide variety of local artists, such as writer-illustrator Marty Kelley and Cy Montgomery, our students also get to expand their physical education and movement skills through artist–in-residency programs like those offered by the Wunderle's Big Top Adventures Circus and the New Hampshire Dance Institute (NHDI).
Music enrichment activities are provided by Monadnock Music, the Temple Band, and Electric Earth Concerts. At the high school level, student writers and photographers gain valuable experience through their collaboration with the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript by editing and publishing "The Link." And for those who are interested in serving as first responders in their communities, ConVal offers EMT training, scenario-based firefighter training, and LNA certifications.
All of these expanded learning opportunities are designed to help connect our students to the nine towns that make up ConVal, explore the rich cultural resources in our district, and offer them pathways to their future careers.
Again, the budget for which we are asking support is conservative: the operating budget has a 1.35% increase over the current year’s budget. In the face of declining state revenues, the school board fully recognizes both its responsibility to taxpayers and to the children and families of these nine communities.
The need for an education that prepares our students for the rigors of independent and informed decisions and action in our democracy has never been greater. The Board is fully invested in comprehensively addressing one of our most pressing problems — managing the cost of education while maintaining excellence and equity in education for all students.
We hope that you agree and vote yes for the budget.
The day to vote on the 2023-24 ConVal budget is March 14th in your local polling place. All households in the nine towns in our regional school district will receive an annual flyer with the budget and the warrant articles,
We hope you have weathered this storm. We are ready to welcome students back to school tomorrow, March 17, 2023. We will have a two hour delay and will follow our usual schedule for a delay, with arrival between 10:20-10:40 AM.
Due to the continuing hazardous road conditions in many towns, there will be some significant changes to bus routes. In many cases, buses can only travel on main roads; therefore, families will need to transport their children to the identified bus pick-up/drop-off locations, which can be found below as well as on the Conval district website and social media sites. Any student who cannot be transported to school by families or to the designated bus pick-up/drop-off locations will be considered absent excused.
Bennington/Pierce Bus Stops
Bus 20 - 10:15 AM
pick up along Rte. 202 from Ross Rd to the center of town.
Pick up along Rte. 31 to Mountain Rd
Bus 6 - 10:15 AM
pick up along Rte. 47 from Onset to Pierce School
Please contact the bus company by phone at (603) 924-9211 for any questions regarding the routes, if you have other questions or concerns please reach out to me.
We hope you have weathered this storm. We are ready to welcome students back to school tomorrow, March 17, 2023. We will have a two hour delay and will follow our usual schedule for a delay,
The ConVal School District has summer learning opportunities available for elementary and middle school students. The Title 1, Explore and Expand, and Middle School Summer Academy programs will run from July 5 through July 27,
Chris Cox, an education and career counselor with the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation (NHHEAF) Network, gave a presentation on Wednesday about “Early College and Career Planning.”
Cox presented the wide variety of pathways that are open to students after high school,
Ann E. Forrest, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent and Title IX Coordinator
106 Hancock Road
Peterborough, NH 03458 aforrest@conval.edu
(603) 924-3336 ext. 2068