Featured image of article: ConVal School District Reopens With District-Wide Staff Meeting

ConVal School District Reopens With District-Wide Staff Meeting

The ConVal School District reopened with a district-wide staff meeting on the football field of ConVal High School on August 26, 2021.

School Board Chairman Tim Theberge addressed the audience with a heartfelt message of gratitude for what everyone had accomplished during the pandemic and spoke of the opportunities that had presented themselves in the crisis. “The work from home trend, which accelerated during COVID-19 pandemic, has demonstrated that the Monadnock region is an attractive place, both to work from and to raise a family, largely because of the excellence in education that the ConVal school system provides,” Theberge noted.

Dr. Kimberly Rizzo Saunders delivered an inspiring and humorous opening speech that played with the metaphor of “interdimensional portals” in schools. “There will be questions such as whether students will need parent permission to use portals and, if other beings come through the portal, if they have to wear masks,” Saunders mused.

Dr. Ann Forrest reflected on last year’s opening message and how many of the items noted then still apply this year. She also introduced a year-long initiative of professional development opportunities. “These will be intentional learning communities, forums for us to learn from one another and adjust our practices in the pursuit of the goal that all learners will achieve academically, act thoughtfully, and contribute to the larger society,” Forrest said.

The remainder of Opening Day was spent in teams working together to address the challenges of the coming year.