Lebanon Public Schools
Superintendent Gonzalez's Update
Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory. --Dr. Seuss
Happy Summer
How are you? I hope you are all enjoying a safe, healthy and relaxing summer. Please do not see this update as a signal that summer is almost over but rather continue to value the moments of fun in the sun while making memories.
In this update, you will find important information regarding our initial plans for utilizing the American Rescue Plan Elementary & Secondary Schools Emergency Relief funds so that our schools may thrive and innovate. We value your thoughts and feedback and invite you to complete the brief survey below.
The district calendar has once again been shared with you so that you can take a glance at some important dates. Please be on the lookout for our summer mailings in the second week of August that will include bussing routes and times, class placements, student schedules along with a welcome letter from myself and building principals. I am confident that the information provided within my Superintendent's Updates and the planned summer mailing packet will prepare you for the start of an exciting new school year.
In each of my updates this year, I will be sharing an article along with a personal reflection. I invite you to call or come by my office to share your reflections about the articles or anything else that is on your mind at a Coffee and Chat session (dates to be shared soon!)
I will aim to be clear and concise in my updates and would appreciate feedback from you on how to best communicate with you so you can be informed about and connected to our schools.
Best,
Andy
The return to normalcy in the United States, or something like it, is a time to rethink our understanding of mental health and well-being. We should think of flourishing less as personal euphoria and more as collective effervescence. —Adam Grant
Food for Thought
The following NY Times opinion article, "There's a Specific Kind of Joy We've Been Missing" by Adam Grant focuses on emotions and how they are inherently social and woven through our interactions.
In our experiences over the past few years, we have missed out on many opportunities for interaction. In response, our team is excited and looking forward to launching our plan, Lebanon 2021-2022 Perseverance, Pride and Pursuit of Excellence.
We find our greatest bliss in what the author calls "collective effervescence”-- the sense of energy and harmony people feel when they come together in a group around a shared purpose. Research has found that people laugh five times as often when they're with others as when they're alone. Psychologists have also found that in cultures where people pursue happiness socially- through connecting, caring and contributing- people appear to be more likely to gain well-being. We look forward to the start of the new school year and the collective effervescence of our students and staff engaged in meaningful and enjoyable learning.
With pride,
Andy
American Rescue Plan for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief
The American Rescue Plan for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ARP ESSER) have been allocated to create programming that is not only innovative but allows our students to thrive in a safe, nurturing, rigorous and student-centered learning environment.
Lebanon Public Schools is projected to receive $347,039 ESSER II funds and $770,405 ESSER III funds that are to be used by June 2023.
Our team has developed a plan to apply these significant funds to support students who have experienced injuries of trauma as a result of necessary changes in the learning environment during the 2020-21 academic year.
Our plan addresses the following priorities:
■ Providing academic support to address learning loss and accelerate recovery
■ Partnering with families and the community
■ Ensuring our schools’ safety and well-being
■ Integrating Technology to support the success of all learners
Being responsive to the needs of the district and the students whom we serve, this plan will be reviewed and revised at regular intervals and updated materials will be posted on our district's website, shared with Board of Education as well as with our families by sharing at the building level through newsletters and other sources of communication.
As a result of a needs assessment and the collaborative conversations between administration, staff and Board of Education members, Lebanon Public Schools has hired a Math Interventionist and Literacy Coach to work at Lebanon Middle School. We have also contracted with Eastconn, our Regional Education Service Center, to provide K-12 Math support for our educators. Lyman will have a supported study hall to keep students on track. Our district added a Social worker to support our students social and emotional well-being. We also have invested in new educational platforms to support targeted instruction for our learners and teachers have been actively engaged in curriculum development this summer. Most recently the district posted, and has begun interviewing to fill positions that we feel will meet the priorities above. These positions include; a grade 4 & 5 teacher, a 7-12 Math position that will bring a concentrated focus to this subject and support 6th grade. These were initial steps towards addressing the needs of our district. Further communication will be sent to all stakeholders to engage in meaningful consultation for suggestions on educational areas to support.
If you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can grow our district through creative use of these funds, please reach out to me directly.
Important Dates and Events
7-29- Summer Meal Distribution at Lyman
7-29- 8:00-10:00- Vaccination Clinic at Lyman
8-13- Summer Mailing to Families and Staff
8-24- 11:00-Popsicles with the Principal at LES- Kindergarten students
8-25- 11:00-2:00- Freshman Orientation at Lyman
8-25 & 8-26- 9:00-12:00- High School Sports Clearance
8-26 & 8-27- New Staff Orientation
8-30- Convocation
8-31- Back to School Professional Learning
9-1- First Day of School
9-6- Labor Day- No School
Connecticut Summer at the Museum
Governor Ned Lamont has launched the Connecticut Summer at the Museum – a new state program created in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that allows Connecticut children to receive free admission at more than 90 museums across Connecticut during the 2021 summer months.
Under the finalized program, from July 1 to September 6, 2021, all Connecticut children age 18 and under – plus one accompanying adult – will receive free admission to any of the participating museums, including historic house museums, historic sites, historical societies, art museums, children’s museums, science centers, special-interest museums, natural history museums, university museums, arboretums/botanical gardens, and zoos. Some of the participants include the Connecticut Science Center, Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Mystic Aquarium, and Mystic Seaport Museum, among many others.
The full list of participating museums is available at www.CTSummerMuseums.com.
Connecticut residents are encouraged to take advantage of the Connecticut Summer at the Museum program and share their experiences on social media using the hashtag #CTSummerMuseums.
Lebanon Fair...Hope to see you there!
Curriculum Corner
District Curriculum and Instruction Update
Rita Quiles-Glover, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
July 30, 2021
Even with schools not in session, the office of Curriculum and Instruction has been busy! Having transitioned from the Elementary Principal role to the central office earlier this month, I’ve been working on learning the ropes of the position and preparing for the upcoming school year.
As part of the process, I have met extensively with Mrs.Jessica Scorso, Interim Principal of Lebanon Elementary School. It’s important to me as the outgoing administrator and as the Curriculum Director to ensure a smooth transition for faculty/staff and continued success for the students of LES. Along those same lines, much work has been done this month in regards to our preschool program. We’ve been trained on a new database called DOTS to better target students' needs, share with families and that align with ELDS (Early Learning and Development Standards), as well as a new scope and sequence of preschool screening to reflect current trends and requirements at the Pre-K level.
Relevant and meaningful professional development has also been at the forefront of July’s work. Some of the work has included summer professional development sessions/workshops-science instruction at LES, SRBI and Social/Emotional learning at LMS and continued curriculum development/writing at Lyman. We’ve also been working to create our plan for professional development at the beginning of the school year at the three schools and what new teacher orientation is going to look like for our incoming teachers.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all the work we’ve been doing with the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) on how it will align with our district goals and with input from faculty, families, building principals and central office administration.
Mission Statement
The Lebanon Public Schools, in partnership with families and the community, will prepare students to be contributing members of a diverse global society. We will provide a safe, nurturing, rigorous, and student-centered learning environment.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement of the Lebanon Public Schools:
The school community of Lebanon is committed to the mission of honoring and celebrating the diversity of our students, our community, and our nation. We strive to guide our students to conscious, deliberate, individual and collective actions that cultivate the respect of all races, religions, and social backgrounds. Our school community endeavors to produce graduates who are equipped with a greater understanding of the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Nondiscrimination Statement of the Lebanon Public Schools:
The Lebanon Board of Education, in compliance with federal and state law, affirms its policy of equal educational opportunity for all students and equal em ployment opportunity for all persons. It is the policy of the District to promote nondiscrimination and an environment free of harassment regardless of an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, ancestry, disability (including but not limited to, intellectual disability, past or present history of mental disorder, physical disability, or learning disability), genetic information, marital status, or age or because of the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ge nder identity/expression, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, marital status, or age of any persons with whom the individual associates. The District shall provide to all students without discrimination, course offerings, counseling, assistance, employment, athletics, and extracurricular activities. The District shall provide equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The District shall make reasonable accommodations for identified physical and mental impairments that constitute disabilities, consistent with federal and state statutes and regulations.
Lebanon Public Schools
Email: andrew.gonzalez@lebanonct.org
Website: https://www.lebanonct.org/
Location: 891 Exeter Road, Lebanon, CT, USA
Phone: 860-642-5637
