mascoma

Mascoma Valley Regional School District Releases 5-Year Strategic Plan and New Mission Statement

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Mascoma Valley School District 

Amanda Isabelle, Superintendent

547 US Route 4
Enfield, NH 03748

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003

Email: [email protected]

Mascoma Valley Regional School District Releases 5-Year Strategic Plan and New Mission Statement

ENFIELD, N.H. — Superintendent Amanda Isabelle is pleased to share the Mascoma Valley Regional School District’s new vision, mission statement and Strategic Plan for the 2020-2025 school years.

The district began developing a new vision, mission statement and strategic plan in April, and formed a strategic planning working group comprised of district representatives, School Board members, School Budget Committee members, community volunteers, local business owners, parents and guardians. Community listening sessions were held along with an online survey to garner input from the public, with the goal of soliciting thoughts and ideas on what knowledge, skills and abilities students should be learning and how the district can best serve current and future students.

The strategic plan, district vision and mission statement were adopted by the Mascoma Valley School Board in July. To view the district’s new strategic plan click here.

The district’s new vision statement reads,

“Mascoma Inspires!  Build the Path You Want to Take”

The Mascoma Valley Regional School District’s new mission statement reads,

“We are a community that values creativity, curiosity and the pursuit of excellence, cultivating our strengths and interests to inspire partnerships in the district, community and the world beyond.”

The new vision was crafted with the goal of reinforcing student belief that education is a relevant part of whatever path they may take in life, and encouraging students to commit to learning.

The strategic plan, which will be rolled out over a five year period, focuses on four primary goals to support a customized learning environment for students: leveraging learning communities, building a safe and respectful community, improving communication and collaboration, and improving academic quality and expectations for teachers, students and staff. To achieve these goals, the district will undertake a wide array of initiatives and will closely examine its current curriculum, programming, procedures and areas of improvement.

“We created this strategic plan and revised our mission statement in an effort to refocus, improve and expand our programming to best prepare students to meaningfully contribute to society upon graduation,” Superintendent Isabelle said. “We’re excited to share these goals and plans with the community. It’s a new chapter for our district, and I’m confident as we work toward these goals, Mascoma Valley will become a stronger, more collaborative and supportive district that provides students with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed and thrive.”

As the district works to improve academic quality and expectations for teachers, students and staff, administrators and faculty will examine the life skills students are currently learning and work to design and implement a life skills course. The district will also consider becoming a HI SET (High School Equivalency Test) site where students can earn their New Hampshire General Education Diploma (GED), and consider partnering with the Mascoma Valley Parks and Recreation Department to offer adult education classes. Mascoma Valley will additionally work to improve the curriculum to better meet New Hampshire Department of Education standards, improve the Extended Learning Opportunity Program and examine current assessment procedures, among several other initiatives.

In addition, the district will endeavor to leverage learning communities and build connections with local businesses, organizations and groups. District leadership will prioritize expanding their partnership with the Mascoma Valley Parks and Recreation Department, starting this school year, to create STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programming for all students. That partnership will work toward eventually opening a teen center at Mascoma Valley High School. Mascoma Valley Regional School District will also seek out community members willing to volunteer in schools and examine new vocational arts learning opportunities.

As it builds a safe, respectful community, the district will continue and refine mindfulness exercises for students, explore hiring a second social worker for the district, and work to develop and implement additional social emotional development and wellness programming. The district will also work to improve its processes for identifying emotionally and physically vulnerable students by building relationships with groups that offer mental health services and working with a trauma expert.

To improve communication and collaboration, the district will develop a communication strategy and brand standards, and will foster and encourage community and student dialog with the district.

As the district undertakes these initiatives, it will also work to provide and improve professional development opportunities for staff to align with the strategic plan’s goals.

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Mascoma Valley Regional School District Announces Completion of Administrative Review of Cafeteria Employee Situation

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Mascoma Valley School District 

Amanda Isabelle, Superintendent

547 US Route 4
Enfield, NH 03748

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003

Email: [email protected]

Mascoma Valley Regional School District Announces Completion of Administrative Review of Cafeteria Employee Situation

ENFIELD, N.H. — Superintendent Amanda Isabelle announces that an independent administrative review of the facts and circumstances surrounding the termination of a Cafe Services employee this spring has come to a close.

The report is being released in its entirety with only legally-mandated redactions. The report can be downloaded here.

The administrative review and report, chiefly produced by veteran law enforcement leader and criminology professor Dr. John G. Dristilaris, found that Fresh Picks Café/Café Services, the district’s food vendor, was justified in its firing of former cafeteria worker Bonnie Kimball.

The report further found evidence that multiple students may have been given free a la carte items, including sports drinks and french fries, over a period of several months, resulting in lost cafeteria revenue.

“This review was comprehensive, and provides the facts and answers the school community has called for and deserves regarding this chapter in the history of our school district,” Superintendent Isabelle said. “I am confident moving forward that Mascoma will be more proactive in sharing the many, many positive programs we have in place to support our students and community, and in strengthening communication among all stakeholders in our schools.”

The district commissioned the independent administrative review this spring in an effort  to better understand the facts and events surrounding Kimball’s termination, which resulted in local, statewide, national and international media attention drawn toward the district.

Additionally, a false narrative circulated — and became a national and international headline — that Mascoma Valley Regional School District had terminated Kimball after she allegedly gave a free lunch to a hungry child in need. Kimball’s employment was entirely under the purview of Cafe Services, not the district, and it is a school policy that all children are given lunches, regardless of their financial means to pay for that meal. The district sought to learn what, if anything, could have been done to prevent this situation from escalating the way it did in recent months.

After interviewing multiple individuals, reviewing the policies of the district and Cafe Services, analyzing documents and examining student meal account data, the report concludes that Cafe Services acted appropriately. The report also states that Cafe Services had just cause to terminate Kimball’s employment after she violated the company’s policies and procedures by giving away free food and drinks to multiple students over several months.

The review made a number of recommendations aimed at streamlining communication and the food service process and preventing the media spectacle that grew from this incident to repeat itself in the future. Those recommendations include:

  • Mascoma Valley should more clearly state, boldly, in its published policies and handbooks, that all students, regardless of their ability to pay, will receive lunch daily
  • Rewording sections of the food policy, including changing “Parents are prohibited from running a negative balance” to “The district will work proactively with parents to maintain a positive balance on their students’ meal account.”
  • Monthly meetings between the district and its food service vendor to discuss any issues that may have arisen
  • Summertime meeting between district and its food service vendor to go over expectations for the upcoming year and discuss any suggested ways of improvement
  • Place a copy of the district’s meal charging policy as an exhibit in all future food service contracts
  • The district should require its food service vendor to clearly state in its employee handbook the expectations regarding feeding all students a school meal (except a la carte items) regardless of student account balances, along with a sign off acknowledgement from employees of the vendor
  • More closely follow New Hampshire School Boards Association (NHSBA) recommendations regarding meal charging
  • The district should conduct a student meal account audit for 2018-19 to determine possible loss revenue

“This incident greatly impacted our community, and it is a relief to have completed this review and share this report with all of the stakeholders who were impacted,” Superintendent Isabelle said. “The overall well-being and health of our students is of the greatest importance at Mascoma Valley Regional School District, and we will continue working to improve our policies and communication to reflect that dedication to our community moving forward.”

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Tom Fitzgerald Joins Mascoma Valley Regional School District as High School Principal

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Mascoma Valley School District 

Amanda Isabelle, Superintendent

Rt. 4
PO Box 789
Enfield, NH 03748

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003

Email: [email protected]

Tom Fitzgerald Joins Mascoma Valley Regional School District as High School Principal

Tom Fitzgerald began his new role as Mascoma Valley Regional High School’s principal on Monday, July 1. (Courtesy Photo Mascoma Valley Regional School District)

ENFIELD, N.H. — Superintendent Amanda Isabelle is pleased to announce that Tom Fitzgerald will serve as the new Principal at Mascoma Valley Regional High School.

Fitzgerald, of Lempster, began his new role on Monday, July 1.

The Mascoma Valley Regional School Board selected Fitzgerald to be the school’s principal for the 2019-2020 school year on March 26.

“We are so excited that Tom will be joining us this fall as Mascoma Valley Regional High School’s new principal,” Superintendent Isabelle said. “He has years of experience as both an administrator and an educator, which will be incredibly valuable as he works with faculty and staff this school year to meet the district’s goals for student success.”

From 2014 through this school year, Fitzgerald worked as the principal at Twin Valley Middle High School in Whitingham, Vermont, where he oversaw a renovation of the school facility, combined middle and high school programming under one roof and implemented a new schedule, safety plan and building level leadership team.

Prior to working in Whitingham, Fitzgerald served as the principal at Poultney High School in Poultney, Vermont from 2010-2014; principal at the Goshen-Lempster School in Lempster from 2006-2010; district administrator for SAU 71 in Lempster from 2008-2009; and principal at Rindge Middle School in Jaffrey from 2001-2006.

He began his career in education as an English teacher at Hinsdale High School from 1994-2001.

“My goal is for Mascoma Valley Regional High School to be the best high school in the state of New Hampshire,” Fitzgerald said. “My immediate goal is to be the best high school in the Upper Valley. I’m excited to build a comprehensive high school program that will support student success at all levels, in all areas of growth.”

Fitzgerald holds a master’s degree in education leadership from Keene State College, bachelor’s degree in English and psychology from Hawthorne College and completed the teacher certification program at Franklin Pierce College.

Fitzgerald is also certified as a New Hampshire School Administrator 0003 and 0005, New Hampshire Experienced Educator Secondary English, 0500, Vermont level 2 principal K-12 and Vermont level 1 superintendent K-12.

Fitzgerald replaces former Mascoma Valley Regional High School Principal James Collins, who held the position for 15 years.

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Mascoma Valley Sixth Grade Student to Run Half Marathon for Positive Tracks

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Mascoma Valley School District 

Amanda Isabelle, Superintendent

Rt. 4
PO Box 789
Enfield, NH 03748

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003

Email: [email protected]

Mascoma Valley Sixth Grade Student to Run Half Marathon for Positive Tracks

Gunner Currier, a sixth grade student at Indian River Middle School, will run a half marathon this June to raise money for Positive Tracks, a nonprofit that encourages young people to use exercise as a platform for social change. (Courtesy Photo Mascoma Valley Regional School District)

ENFIELD, N.H. — Superintendent Amanda Isabelle is pleased to share that an Indian River Middle School Student is using his passion for running to raise funds for Positive Tracks.

Positive Tracks is a nonprofit that encourages young people to use exercise as a platform for social change.

Gunner Currier, a sixth grade student, set a goal this November to raise $500 for the nonprofit. As of Tuesday, May 28, Currier had raised $520 through a  Crowdrise page he created. As part of his fundraising campaign, Currier will also be running the Covered Bridges Half Marathon on Sunday, June 2, in Pomfret, Vermont.

Currier was inspired to raise money for the group after the nonprofit supported his cross country team during its 2018 Fun Day fundraiser. In the spring of 2018, the Indian River School Track and Cross County Team held its first Fun Day — a day of activities for children of all ages to raise money to support its program. The teams raised $1,000 that day, which Positive Tracks matched.

Positive Tracks also matched $300 in funds that students raised at their second annual Fun Day event on Sunday, May 19, and has supported individual members of the team in their initiatives to raise money for the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD) Hero Half Marathon.

“It’s such a pleasure to see one of our middle school students taking the initiative to thank an organization for supporting his team,” Superintendent Isabelle said. “Gunner’s decision to run this half marathon to raise funds also makes it clear that this nonprofit’s mission has really resonated with him, and he’s using running, one of his favorite pastimes, to make an impact.”

Currier ran his first half marathon when he was 8 years old. He holds the state record for fastest time for a 9-year-old to run a half marathon, at 1 hour and 57 minutes, and the record for the fastest 10 year old to run a half marathon, at 1 hour and 47 minutes. He holds the record as the fastest 8, 9, and 10-year-old to run a 12 kilometer race in the state as well.

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