superintendent's message

Fremont School District Deliberative Session

2012-01-26T11:16:00.000-08:00

I would like to remind you that the Fremont School District Deliberative Session is scheduled for Saturday, February 4, 2012 in the Ellis School Gymnasium beginning at 9:00AM. During this meeting, the school board will provide an overview of the 6 warrant articles that will be officially voted on in March. As voters of the Town of Fremont, you will have an opportunity to ask questions, discuss and debate each of the warrant articles. Warrant articles may be amended subject to the laws of New Hampshire, which are within the actual copy of the warrant articles. Additionally, a brief overview of things that have taken place during the last year will be presented.

The warrant article include:
1. An overview of the election of School District Officers.
2. Approval of the Support Staff Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
3. A special meeting option if the CBA id defeated.
4. The operating budget of $11,049,721; the default budget is $11,048,753.
5. The approval to take $10,000 from the 2012 fund balance to be placed in the existing expendable trust fund for building and ground maintenance.
6. The funding for a foreign language teacher ($69,990)

Deatilas of the budget and the warrant articles can be found on the Ellis School website.

I hope to see you on the 4th.
Bill Lander

Administrative Restructuring

2011-06-08T05:50:00.000-07:00

At the April 12, 2011, Fremont School Board meeting, the Board voted to eliminate the combined position of the Elementary Principal/Special Education Director. Since that time, the Board has been working toward the restructuring of the administration at the Ellis School beginning in the 2011-2012 school year. It is anticipated that there will be one Pre-K-8 Principal, an Assistant Principal and a Special Education Director. Details of the positions are still under consideration.

The topic of administrative restructuring will be on the Fremont School Board meeting agenda scheduled for Tuesday, June 14, 2011, beginning at 6:30 PM in the Ellis School library.

Snow days

2011-02-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

Good morning!
First, I want to thank all of you who attended the deliberative session Saturday. The turn out was far better than I expected. Don't forget the ballot vote on
March 8th!

Snow seems to be dominating the thought process of many of us! February is not over yet and we have had five snow days to date. If we have no more and the floods avoid us, the last day of school right now is June 22nd. This isn't too bad. BUT, if we get more days and go into the last week of June, it becomes more of an issue.

I'd like to get some feedback on ideas of how to make up days if we do get into the last week. The timing is too close to do anything for February vacation. What are your thoughts about making up a few days during April Vacation? Having school on Saturdays? Other ideas? I am not in favor of extending the school day unless absolutely necessary.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Bill Lander

Deliberatvie session

2011-02-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon,
I want to remind you that the school district deliberative session is scheduled for this Saturday, 2/5/11 at 9:00am in the Laurence Pettengill Hall at the Ellis School. This will provide an opportunity for the voters of Fremont to hear about what is taking place throughout the school district as well as gain an overview of the budget for next year.
I hope that you can make this important meeting.
Bill Lander

Info for parents with pre school children

2011-01-17T09:11:00.000-08:00

Good morning and Happy New Year!
For my first post of 2011 I want to direct my remarks to those parents who have children not yet enrolled in school. Having just completed the book "Annual Growth:Catch-up Growth" I can not stress enough the importance of building the literacy and math skills of your children prior to the start of school. Reading to them daily, asking them questions about what you read is vital. Making sure that when entering the Ellis kindergarten, they have developed an awareness of the alphabet and numbers is very important. The world around us is filled with chances to practice these skills in natural settings. Simply going food shopping provides many opportunities to reinforce numbers, colors, letters of the alphabet and words. Building these skills can be a lot of fun and will greatly improve academic success when school begins.
For more information on specific skill, please contact me.
Bill Lander

2010-12-22T07:39:00.000-08:00

At the December 14, 2010, Fremont School Board meeting, the final reading of the new bullying policy occurred. The board unanimously adopted this policy, which by law must be done by each school district in New Hampshire prior to January 1, 2011. In drafting the new Bully policy, all facets of the law have been addressed. This policy is posted on the school district web page. I would encourage you to review it and if you have any questions, please contact me.

Cyber Safety

2010-12-13T08:01:00.000-08:00

The ever increasing social networking that is taking place among our children presents routine concerns for parents about their safety. Who can gain access to the sites that they frequent and how can we safe guard against people gaining this access? Has your child been the victim of cyberbullying?

Last week, I received a document entitled "Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids About Being Online". This document has been written for parents, providing information to help assure that children have safe experiences when on-line or when they are using cell phones. If anyone would like a copy of this, please let me know and I will make it available to you.

Yours,
Bill Lander

District Planning

2010-11-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to posted that the action plan for the Fremont School District was approved at the last school board meeting. This plan has taken the work done a number of years ago by NESDEC and developed a timeline to implement the goals that they created from "focus group" discussions throughout the town. The goal is ultimately to improve the programs for our children. You can review this action plan under the school board tab on our web page.

Also, at the last meeting Ms. Nancy Bernhardt announced that she would be moving her family to Rochester New York. We will miss Nancy and thank her for all that she has done for the Ellis School. If you are interested in filling her position until March, please contact the SAU office.

2010-09-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

It was a great start to the school year! Walking around the building on the first few days, it was like we had never left. I give credit to the school administration and teachers for being so well prepared for the children.

I would also like to recognize North Reading Transportation, our new bus company. Their preparation for the new year was wonderful. Communication with them has been outstanding. They are receptive to hearing from you about your concerns. In turn, they communicate with me as needed.

I encourage you as parents and community members to be in touch with the teachers and the administration. I welcome your involvement in the school!

Bill Lander

NEW SCHOOL YEAR

2010-08-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

I hope that this has been a restful and relaxing summer for you all. As the calendar was turned last week and we are approaching the middle of August, it is time to think about the start of school. The Ellis School will open its doors to the student with great enthusiasm on Monday, August 30, 2010.

In the few short weeks prior to the start of school, you can help getting your child(ren) into the school mode by getting necessary supplies, starting routines that will be similar to when they are in school and setting goals for the upcoming year. As the year unfolds, I encourage to be part of the education of your student(s); talk about the the daily occurrences at school, contact the school when you have concerns or questions and be active in the school.

I am looking forward to the upcoming year! Please let me hear from you about topics that you would like me to address in my blog and as always thoughts on how we can better provide an education for your family.

NECAP and AYP

2010-05-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

This past week, I received, anonymously, a copy of an article appearing in the Manchester Union Leader some time ago indicating that the Ellis School was among the failing schools in the State. One needs to be careful how you read into headlines; they are meant to sell newpapers! While the Ellis School did join the list of schools that are schools in need of improvement, they join some 183 other schools on that list. If you look closely at the data, we in fact do continue to have more students in many areas reach the level of proficient and over time, grades 3 through grade 8, we can track continued growth. The fact is, as outlined in NCLB, it becomes more and more difficult to make AYP, Adequate Yearly Process, because the "bar" is raised annually, requiring all schools to demonstrate higher levels of proficiency. A clear indicator of the Ellis School's success is seen when we realize that this is only the the second year that AYP was not made, something that most schools in the State have been unable to avoid.

I would be glad to meet with anyone interested to discuss NECAP testing and AYP in more detail. Please feel free to contact me.

While we will use all data possible to continue to improve the achievement level of the students and will never to satisfied with the status quo, the Ellis School is by no means failing!

New Hampshire Reads

2010-03-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

Many libraries throughout the state are participating in "The Big Read: New Hampshire Reads To Kill a Mockingbird" a state program organized by the Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library. many events will be scheduled throughout the state and can be reviewed at www.bigreadnh.org. If interested, I would also recommend that you check at the local library in Fremont to see if they are participating.
Yours,
Bill Lander

School District Meeting

2010-03-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank all of you who supported the school district last Saturday. It certainly seemed that there was a great deal of positive support in the room. Approving the School Board's budget provides for us the financial support necessary to move the Ellis School forward. As I did Saturday, I remind you that school improvement is a process not an event! I look forward to working hard to assure our "process" yields positive results!
Yours,
Bill Lander

School District Meeting

2010-03-03T08:47:00.000-08:00

I would like to remind everyone that the Fremont School District meeting is scheduled for Saturday, March 13, 2010 beginning at 9:00 AM in the Laurence Pettengill Hall at the Ellis School. I encourage you to attend and take part in the decision making process for funding for the school district for the 2010-2011 school year. In the upcoming days, information regarding the warrant article will be mailed to the voters in Fremont. I encourage anyone who has questions to contact me at 895-6903.

I look forward to seeing you on the 13th!

2010-02-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

Snow days
So were you among the many, including myself, wondering why there was no school Tuesday? It certainly seemed like a wasted day off. However, at 5:00 AM I was in front of WMUR, listening for the forecast, anticipating what might take place. When I heard that the "storm" would start late morning and intensify throughout the afternoon, I felt that that would be putting the children on the buses at an unsafe time, even if we dismissed at noon.

I don't know that you can truly appreciate the thinking and the stress that goes into making a no-school decision. I will always err on the side of caution for our young people. And the decision becomes even more difficult when you need to think about sending the students home mid-day. While our ALERT NOW systems make the communication of this better, I am always afraid that we not get out message across to some folks, leaving a young child locked out of his or her home.

Now let's cast some blame! Who is it that really owns the responsibility for all of us superintendents calling off school? Why it is those weather people!! If they were correct, we would have looked like heroes in this decision rather standing around with egg on our faces!

As winter break approaches, I wish for you all to have a safe and restful time away from school.

GLOBAL LEARNING

2010-01-26T08:22:00.000-08:00

Vivien Stewart writes in a chapter called "A Classroom as Wide as the World" in Heidi Hayes Jacobs' book Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a Changing World, three elements for global literacy or competence. They are:
1. Knowledge of other world regions, cultures, economics and global issues

2. Skills to communicate in languages other than English, to work in cross-cultural teams, and to assess information from different sources around the world

3. Values of respect for other cultures and the disposition to engage responsibility as an actor in the global context.

As the world becomes "smaller" as a result technology, we need to assure that our citizens of tomorrow are prepared to work cooperatively with the diverse cultures of the world.

2009-12-15T08:49:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I have posted anything and will try to be more diligent in getting information out.
The Fremont School Board and administration reviewed the 2010-2011 budget with the Fremont Budget committee last Saturday. I have had posted on our web site talking points for the budget and encourage you to go there to review the overview.
More generally, the budget supports the district goals. It is an increase of $358,192 representing a 3.41% increase. It does not include collective bargaining (except step increases for teachers) increases that will be identified in separate warrant articles. The administration is requesting 2 additional teachers next year; one at grade one and one at grade two.
This is an abbreviated overview and more detail can be obtained on the web site. Additionally, I would be glad to sit down and discuss the budget with anyone who is interested.
Bill Lander

Cyber safety

2009-10-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended a workshop where one of the sessions focused on Internet safety. Based on this work session, I offer the following safety tips:
1. Be cautious in putting addresses and phone numbers on the Internet.
2. Avoid naming the child's school and school logo.
3. Be careful not to identify sports teams and involvement.
4. Talk with your provider to determine whether or not you can block images from coming and limiting what you child might have access too.
5. When possible, allow the use of the computer only in areas where use can be monitored.
6. Caution should be used when posting things on "Facebook" or other websites of the like as colleges and perspective employers can check these websites.

It is a shame that we need to take these precautions but I always feel that we need to err on the side of caution.

I would be interested in hearing from you about what topics in the future you would like me to post in my blog!

Best wishes!

Bill Lander

2009-10-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon,
The NECAP testing period begins today and will end on October 22, 2009. During this time period, all students in grades 3-8, unless excused by the NHDOE, will be participating in these assessments. Specific schedules by grade levels will be sent home from the school.

It is important that the young people in Fremont take these tests seriously and try their hardest on them. Information gained on the test can promote instruction for the students for the rest of the school year. Additionally, it will allows us to look at the test results to further improve programs at the school. While these tests offer only one form of indicator of school performance, they do present a picture to the public of "how we are doing". Having each student do his of her best, shows that each of thesae young people has pride in the Ellis School.

Parents can assist in helping their children do their best. Early bed times during the testing period is most important. Assuring that each child has a healthy breakfast will help our test takers. Regular attendance at school is vital! And finally, talking with the children about the test and stressing the importance of doing their best supports what we will be doing at school. Thanks for your advanced cooperative efforts on this!

Please feel free to contact me about the NECAP's or other questions that you might have.

Yours,

Bill Lander

READING

2009-09-18T05:17:00.000-07:00

Good Day!
Lots has been said in the past years about the value of homework; some are in support of it, some are not. In my opinion, any school work with meaning enhances the learning process, whether at home or at school. Regardless of your opinion on homework, one thing that is clear is the importance of reading! Clearly, the more one reads, the better reader you become!

Here's a challenge: As a family read together! Turn off all forms of technology, and have each member of the family pick up something of interest to them to read. My preference would be to choose a book but newspapers and magazines are fine. Spend 30 minutes reading silently, or with younger children, reading to them out loud. Then (and here's the good part!) Once the time period is up, share with one another what you have just read! Talk about it!

Have fun and enjoy the rich literature we are so lucky to have!

Yours,
Bill Lander

Sanborn High School Inquiries

2009-09-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon!
I want to be sure to have you know that my attention to the education of the Fremont children is not limited to the Ellis School. I am in regular contact with the Sanborn administration. Dr. Blake, their new superintendent and I have agreed to meet regularly to discuss matters related to education in general and topics specifics to Fremont.

I would be interested in hearing from you if you have matters you would like communicated to the administration in Sanborn.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours,
Bill Lander

Beginning of the year: Off to a great start!

2009-09-03T05:31:00.000-07:00

The beginning of the school year in Fremont is off to a great start! It was a real pleasure to watch the students come into the school on Monday and settle into what promises to be an exciting year!
In order for the year to most successful for the students, I would like to offer the following tips:
1. Assure that your student attends school regularly, unless sick.
2. Assure that your child gets 8-10 hours of sleep each night.
3. Provide a healthy breakfast or encourage your child to eat breakfast at school.
4. Find time to read as a family.
5. Set a routine/consistent time to do homework.
6. Encourage your child to become involved in extracurricular activities, both in school and outside of school.
7. Talk to your child about school. This can be difficult at times to get information from children but it is so important that your child knows you are interested in what is happening at school.
8. I encourage you to stay in touch with the school: communication is the key!

Please feel free to contact me at anytime with your thoughts.

Yours,
Bill Lander

2009-08-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

As the summer finally has arrived, so too will it come to an end! Schools starts on August 31st, leaving two short weeks for us to prepare to greet the students. Steps have already been placed to start this process. Last week, the Kindergarten Academy was held at the Ellis School. it was great to see the eager 5 years olds getting acclimated to their new school environment. Many of them couldn't wait to tell me about their two day expereince!

The teachers return on August 26th, allowing for them to work with the principals to prepare for the new year. In talking with Ms. Lewis and Mr. Safina, I am confident that this will be a smooth start to a successful year.

I look forward to the return of the youngsters in Fremont!

Yours,

Bill Lander

superintendent's message

2009-08-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the SAU 83 superintendent of schools!

My name is Bill Lander and I joined SAU 83 on July 1, 2009.

I am anxious to get to know the Fremont community and hear not only from the parents at the school but from the citizens of the town.

As my tenure continues, I hope to use this blog as one source to communicate with folks throughout Fremont. It will be an opportunity to relay information regarding education, changes in the laws, curriculum updates and budget data.

Please feel free to contact me via this blog or at the SAU office.

Yours Truly,

Bill Lander