raymond high school

Raymond Superintendent Announces Classroom Relocation Plans for Fall 2020

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Raymond School District
Tina McCoy, Superintendent
43 Harriman Hill Road
Raymond, NH 03077

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Raymond Superintendent Announces Classroom Relocation Plans for Fall 2020

Plans for next school year to move fourth grade students to Iber Holmes Gove Middle School and the preschool program to Raymond High School will allow the district to remove portable classrooms at Lamprey River Elementary School. (Courtesy Photo Raymond School District)

RAYMOND — Superintendent Tina McCoy is announcing plans to relocate fourth grade and preschool classrooms to provide students with larger spaces designed to better support modern curriculum.

Next summer, all fourth grade classrooms will be moved from Lamprey River Elementary School to Iber Holmes Gove Middle School, and the district’s preschool program will be moved out of Lamprey River Elementary School to Raymond High School.

“Right now, we have two school facilities that are underutilized, and one that is crowded and has numerous challenges that need to be addressed,” Superintendent McCoy said. “These transitions will ensure a more distributed and equitable use of classroom space across the entire District, and provide exciting opportunities for students as we examine the elementary school facility and consider whether renovations or a new building is necessary to meet the needs of our student population in the future.”

Built in the 1970s, Lamprey River Elementary School was designed as an “open concept” facility, which has fallen out of common practice in schools today. As the district’s student population has continued to rise, the school has additionally added on three sets of portable classrooms to accommodate.

The transition will allow the district to remove the portable classrooms at Lamprey River, which do not provide students and staff with immediate access to restrooms and generate unnecessary foot traffic through the kindergarten wing. In addition, the changes will provide fourth grade and preschool students with larger classrooms, with more natural light.

Both the middle and high schools have ample space to house the fourth grade and preschool programs, respectively.

“Moving the preschool and fourth grade is a much more efficient use of school district facilities,” said Raymond School District Director of Facilities Todd Ledoux. “Removing the portables also creates a safer, more energy efficient facility at the elementary school. Although this decision does not solve the space needs at the school, it does provide a much better learning environment for our preschoolers and fourth graders, while allowing the entire elementary school to be in one building.”

Fourth and fifth grade students will take classes on a separate floor from sixth, seventh and eighth grade students at the middle school next year, and the district will be working over the coming months to develop a new master schedule for the building. The district’s bus company will also be creating revised routes to better facilitate the transition.

Once the new schedule is finalized, the district will host informational sessions with the parents of fourth and fifth grade students for fall 2020, as well as tours and visits. Tours and informational sessions will also be held for parents of preschool students once renovations are complete.

All district parents will be provided with updates regularly about the transition.

Preschool students will additionally benefit from classrooms at Raymond High School, which will be renovated to offer direct access to preschool appropriate bathrooms, a therapy room and a fenced in playground, which will be installed over the summer.

As a result of the move, Raymond High School students will also have the opportunity to intern at the preschool program and learn more about early childhood development.

A Building Committee comprised of five voting community members, led by Chairman Ken Hajjar, and non-voting school district administrators is meeting monthly to examine the Lamprey River Elementary School facility and working to develop recommendations for the School Board for the future of the building, which may involve renovations or a proposal to build a new facility. The group is anticipated to present their findings to the School Board by October 2020.

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Raymond Public Schools Hosts Hannaford Food Pantry Kickoff Event

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Raymond School District
Tina McCoy, Superintendent
43 Harriman Hill Road
Raymond, NH 03077

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Raymond Public Schools Hosts Hannaford Food Pantry Kickoff Event

RAYMOND — Superintendent of Schools Tina McCoy is pleased to announce that Raymond Public Schools hosted representatives from Hannaford supermarkets as part of a kick off event for Hannaford’s new “Fuel Kids at School” initiative.

The kick off took place Thursday, Nov. 14 at Raymond High School.

As part of the “Fuel Kids at School” initiative, Hannaford will be donating $1 million across New England and New York toward the creation of school-based food pantries. These pantries will become self-sustaining with community support after Hannaford’s two-year structured funding and infrastructure-building program is complete.

McCoy said she was happy to host Hannaford after the successful relationship the company has had with the Raymond Public Schools. 

“Hannaford has a store located in our community and they have been a great partner and supporter for our school system over the years,” she said. “They have made many generous donations, especially through the Hannaford’s Helps Schools Program.” 

Thursday’s kick off event served to formally announce the initiative, with supporting comments by NH Hunger Solutions leaders and school representatives. The event included a volunteer activity with Hannaford Chef’s Table partners Matt Louis (a Raymond High School graduate) and Kathy Gunst leading a meal/food preparation with students.

Hannaford donated six new blenders to Raymond High School’s Family and Consumer Science Program at the event, and blenders were used in the food preparation activity.

In total, Hannaford will launch at least 90 school food pantries within the region over the next two years. A dozen pantries will be set up in New Hampshire in low-income communities, in partnership with the nonprofit organization NH Hunger Solutions.

As part of the “Fuel Kids at School” initiative, students will have access to nutritious, easy to prepare or already prepared snacks and meals to supplement the food that they receive when they’re not at school.

The event began with opening remarks from Raymond High School Principal Steve Woodward and a formal announcement of the initiative from Hannaford Vice President of Retail Operations Jim Hamilton.

Elaine Van Dyke of NH Hunger Solutions then discussed the program, followed by Superintendent McCoy, who explained the need to address hunger in local schools.

McCoy said she would be interested in the possibility of starting a pantry at Raymond High School as part of the program.

ABOUT HANNAFORD:

Last year, Hannaford donated nearly 26 million pounds of food across its market area. In New Hampshire alone, the company donated more than 4 million pounds. 

In addition to its fresh rescue program, Hannaford works with local groups such as Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success (ORIS) to train farmers on growing practices and to market strategies.

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Dr. Fiona Coomey to Join Raymond School District as New Assistant High School Principal

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Raymond School District
Tina McCoy, Superintendent
43 Harriman Hill Road
Raymond, NH 03077

For Immediate Release

Monday, July 1, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Dr. Fiona Coomey to Join Raymond School District as New Assistant High School Principal

Dr. Fiona Coomey began her position as Raymond High School’s new Assistant Principal on Monday, July 1. (Courtesy Photo Raymond Public Schools)

RAYMOND — Superintendent Tina McCoy is pleased to announce that Dr. Fiona Coomey will serve as the new assistant principal at Raymond High School.

She officially began her new role in the district today.

Since 2006, Coomey has worked as a physical science educator at Raymond High School.

“The Raymond School District is very fortunate to have the opportunity to hire Dr. Coomey to serve as assistant principal at Raymond High School,” Superintendent McCoy said. “She is knowledgeable about our schools, and committed to the community of Raymond. Dr. Coomey is highly respected by her colleagues and her students. Please join me in welcoming her to our leadership team in a new capacity.”

Coomey is currently the Freshman Academy Team leader, and develops and manages the budget for the program. She helped launch the program in 2015, and has remained on the team that oversees the program since. The Freshman Academy is a team of educators who work with freshmen and meet regularly to identify student needs, challenges and progress as ninth grade students transition from middle to high school.

Coomey also helped create the Raymond High School (RHS) Site Council, a student driven political organization designed to study and evaluate governance at Raymond High. Students in the group, led by Coomey, have made several proposals to building and district leadership regarding daily life at Raymond High School, providing students with an opportunity to experience participatory democracy at the local level.

This April, Raymond High School recently underwent an extensive voluntary re-accreditation process that culminated with an onsite visit from representatives of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Coomey was selected to serve as the Chairwoman of the Curriculum Committee, which worked hard to define the school’s successes and areas of improvement prior to the visit.

“Fiona will bring a fresh perspective to the assistant principal role at RHS,” said Raymond High School Principal Steve Woodward. “She possesses the knowledge of things that can be improved and has a excellent rapport with the student body. I look forward to working with her and am excited that she is joining our administrative team.”

Coomey is trained in suicide prevention, NexGen Science, and the Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate (ALICE) model of gun violence prevention and response. She holds a doctorate degree in Philosophy, Educational Leadership in Higher Administration/Student Retention and a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Phoenix, and a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from Salem State University.

“It has been a privilege for me to work with and learn from the faculty, staff, students and parents at RHS in the capacity of science educator,” Coomey said. “I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to continue working at RHS as the assistant principal, and I am looking forward to supporting the vision of uniting our school district and community to prepare students for future success; ready for anything.”

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Class of 2019 Graduates from Raymond High School

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Raymond School District
Tina McCoy, Superintendent
43 Harriman Hill Road
Raymond, NH 03077

For Immediate Release

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Class of 2019 Graduates from Raymond High School

RAYMOND — Superintendent Tina McCoy and Principal Steve Woodward are pleased to announce the graduation of 89 students from Raymond High School.

On Friday, June 14, graduates were celebrated and received their diplomas during a ceremony at Raymond High School.

The ceremony included processional and recessional performances by the Raymond High School Concert Band, a rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” by Key and Smith and a performance of “Fair Raymond” by senior members of the Raymond Singers.

Valedictorian Carly Cole, Salutatorian Tovah Duffaut and Class of 2019 President Jeffrey Rivard delivered speeches to their classmates at the ceremony.

Superintendent McCoy encouraged the class of 2019 to use their fresh start after graduation as an opportunity to grow.

“Graduating from Raymond High School is a huge milestone, but only one of many important ‘fresh starts’ you will experience throughout your lifetime,” Superintendent McCoy said. “When you come to these important turning points, these times of transition, embrace them. Enjoy them. Most importantly, milk them for all they’re worth because times of change are also times of incredible opportunity to develop as a person.”

Principal Woodward encouraged the graduating class to remember Raymond High School’s core values, which include practicing perseverance when challenged, commitment to a rigorous learning environment, dedication to celebrating everyone’s diversity, becoming active and engaged citizens and assuming accountability for one’s actions.

“Success, however you choose to define it, is not found, it is earned,” Principal Woodward said. “It usually comes form hard work and you will find that the most satisfying achievements or moments in your life are the result of hard work. Those of you who worked hard or struggled to get to this moment tonight know this better than anyone.”

At the ceremony, 50 scholarships totaling approximately $38,000 were also awarded to seniors from local businesses and organizations, as well as several scholarships from regional and national groups. 

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