Important Dates

• Monday, January 5 - Welcome Back from December break!
• Monday, January 5 - Coffee and Conversation, 7:30-8:30 AM, Ray School
• Wednesday, January 7 - Norwich Board Meeting, 6:30 PM, Marion Cross School
• Tuesday, January 13 - Dresden Public Hearing & Budget Adoption 7 PM, Hanover High School
• Wednesday, January 14 - Hanover Public Hearing & Budget Adoption 7 PM, Bernice A. Ray School
• Thursday, January 15 - Norwich Public Hearing & Budget Adoption Meeting, 6:30 PM, Marion Cross School
• Monday, January 19 - No School all SAU 70 Schools - Martin Luther King Jr. Day (VT)/ Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Day (NH)
• Wednesday, January 21 - Hanover School Board 7 PM, Bernice A. Ray School
• Tuesday, January 27 - Dresden School Board 6 PM, Hanover High School
• Tuesday, January 27 - SAU 70 Board 7 PM, Hanover High School

District Calendar 

 

From Our Superintendent

The role of a superintendent is often defined by meetings, budgets, policy updates, and strategic planning. It is a balancing act of ensuring our schools run safely, efficiently, and equitably.   But behind the logistics and the late-night meetings, there is a fundamental truth that drives every decision I make: I am an educator at heart.

I entered the world of teaching 36 years ago because I knew I wanted to work with children and I strongly believe in the transformative power of the classroom. I fell in love with the energy of students in the classroom, on the field and in activities, working closely with colleagues, and the profound honor of watching a young person realize their own potential. While my daily view has shifted from a chalkboard to a meeting room, my "why" remains exactly the same.  I am still committed to watching students grow and succeed.  

Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to step out of the SAU and serve as Principal for the day at the Marion Cross School.  The days I am in the schools are my favorites by far. They are a refreshing reminder of why we do what we do and are always the highlight of my week.  

Some of my favorite moments at Marion Cross included: working with a student one-on-one, joining an art lesson, greeting students in the lunch line, and wandering through all our classrooms.   As a result, I had an opportunity to see a student work through a difficult assignment and show persistence.   I also got to work with and make mistakes with students to create large snowflakes for the upcoming holiday concert.   I was able to see how excited our students were for “taco Tuesday.” I also witnessed so many simple joys in the classroom with students working on engaging assignments, working together and with their teachers, reading, writing, and playing in the gym.  Walking through the hallways, the atmosphere was infectious.   From the laughter during recess to the quiet concentration some work required, the energy of our schools is a testament to the incredible work our students, teachers, staff and administrators do every day.  

Superintendent Steiner on lunch duty at Marion Cross School

 

As we approach the winter break, my time at Marion Cross has left me feeling deeply grateful. It is easy to get caught up in the "business" of education, but those moments spent making snowflakes and solving math problems are what truly matter.

I want to wish every one of you a joyful and happy holiday season. Whether you are traveling or staying at home, I hope you find time to recharge and enjoy the company of loved ones.

Thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving this community and, most importantly, our students.

Robin Steiner
Superintendent SAU 70 Schools

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From Our Interim Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Dear SAU 70 Community, 

I am pleased to update you on a variety of projects that are happening across the district during this busy season. 

Grant Funding & School Programs

• I submitted an amendment to Dresden’s Title IV funding for the purchase of an alto saxophone, a tenor saxophone, and a euphonium for Hanover High School. Following a recent instrument audit, these grant funds will be used to expand access to additional instruments for all students at HHS.

Curriculum Updates

• Student Input: I had the pleasure of meeting with a group of 5th graders at the Ray School, who offered insightful suggestions about curriculum, teaching, and assessment methods!
• K-12 Meetings: The December K-12 meetings were cancelled due to snowy weather and the cancellation of after school activities. We will resume in January.
• Curriculum Documentation: Curriculum documents continue to be reviewed, revised, and posted on our SAU 70 website. The Elementary Science curriculum for both Marion Cross and the Ray School is now officially live. Over the next month, we will continue the documentation and publishing work for World Language, Math, and Science curriculum across all schools.
• English/Language Arts (ELA) Program: I presented a formal recommendation to both the Hanover and Norwich school boards for the budgeting and adoption of Arts and Letters, a knowledge-building English/Language Arts curriculum program. This recommendation follows two years of preparatory work. More discussion will occur at the January school board meetings before both boards vote on the program's adoption. You can view these presentations by watching our recorded December meetings.

Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

• All four SAU 70 schools are working on their MTSS models. I am attending MTSS meetings at each of the schools and acting as a liaison to facilitate vertical alignment across the district in our overarching MTSS system, K-12. 

Assessment

• The SAU 70 Strategic Plan includes the following goals related to assessment under Academics: 
  • Current assessment practices will be reviewed and documented in an SAU-wide assessment plan. 
  • Rubrics for multiple types of assessment will be developed and aligned across schools, grades, and subjects as appropriate. 
  • A student-centered and balanced assessment system will allow students to demonstrate understanding in multiple ways. 
  • A system for the secure collection and storage of student achievement data will enable appropriate analysis. 
  • Regular evaluations of student assessment and an ongoing review cycle will be established.
• To begin this important work, I held a kickoff meeting on Monday, December 16th, with a subcommittee of representatives from each school. We will continue to meet monthly for the remainder of the year. There may be budgetary discussions in future years regarding the purchase of a dedicated system for the secure collection and storage of student data.

District and School Safety Planning

• I have submitted this year’s round of SAFE (Security Action for Education) grant applications for our New Hampshire Schools to secure funding for important building safety upgrades. 

Visibility and Supporting our Associate Principals 

• Associate Principal Support: I continue to meet with associate principals monthly (or more as requested) for goal setting, coaching, and consultation.
• School Presence: I continue to spend time in each school on a weekly basis, both visiting classrooms and attending meetings.

Wishing the SAU 70 community a wonderful December break! 

Sincerely,
Lauren Amrhein
SAU 70 Interim Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

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Forest Fridays at Marion Cross School

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Board Meetings

We’d love to have you join us at a meeting; however, we realize sometimes that’s hard to do. Below you will find the Zoom links and start times to the upcoming Board meetings.

Should you encounter issues, the  necessary zoom links, including passcodes, can be found on the SAU 70 calendar on the pop up of the event.
 

Regularly Scheduled Board Meetings for January and associated Zoom links:

Norwich Board Meeting - January  7, 2026 - 6:30 PM Marion Cross School
Hanover Board Meeting - January 21, 2025 - 7 PM Ray Elementary School
Dresden Board Meeting - January 27, 2026 - 6 PM Hanover High School Library
SAU 70 Board Meeting - January 27, 2026 - 7 PM - Hanover High School Library

 

Budget School Board Meetings for January and associated Zoom links:

Dresden School Board Public Hearing & Budget Adoption - January 13 - 7 PM Hanover High School Library
Hanover School Board Public Hearing & Budget Adoption - January 14  - 7 PM Ray Elementary School
Norwich School Board Public Hearing & Budget Adoption - January 15 - 6:30 PM Marion Cross School

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Contact a Board Chair

Lisa Christie - SAU 70 Board Chair lisa.christie@hnsb.org
Benjamin Keeney - Dresden Board Chair Benjamin.keeney@hnsb.org
Kelly McConnell - Hanover Board Chair Kelly.McConnell@hnsb.org
Garrett Palm - Norwich Board Chair garrett.palm@hnsb.org

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Coffee and Conversation at the Ray School

 

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Policy Updates

The Policy Committee meets monthly at the SAU. Meeting dates and times are available on the  SAU 70 Calendar. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Ryanne Schoonover.  

Below you will find what was presented to the Boards this month. Staff members are encouraged to review the agenda, as some topics may be relevant to your role. You can find our documentation on our board governance solution, Simbli.

SAU 70 Updates:
A meeting was not held in December.

Dresden Updates:
Simbli link to December 16, 2025 meeting.

The Board will do a first reading of IJOA - Field Trips and Excursions, JLCJA - Medical Emergency Plan for Sports-Related Injuries, and policy JLIA - Supervision of Students. The Board will also do a first reading of the revised policy JLCK - Special Physical Health Needs of Students. 

The Board will retire policy BCA — "School Director Ethics" (which hasn't been updated since 1977) — as it is now irrelevant due to BBAA - Roles and Duties of School Board Members and BBAB - Roles and Duties of School Board Officers. Both policies outline similar content and are more up to date.

Hanover Updates:
Simbli link to December 15, 2025 meeting.
The Board will do a first reading of the following policies:

IJOA — Field Trips and Excursions,
JLCJA - Medical Emergency Plan for Sports-Related Injuries,
JLIA - Supervision of Students.
JLCK - Special Physical Health Needs of Students. 

The Board will conduct a second reading of LDA - Student Teachers and Internships, and GBGBA - Use of Automatic External Defibrillators. 

The Board will approve retiring policy BCA — "School Director Ethics" because it is irrelevant, as BBAA - Roles and Duties of School Board Members and BBAB - Roles and Duties of School Board Officers outline similar content and are more up to date.

Norwich Updates:
Simbli link to the December 3, 2025 meeting.
The Board will do a first reading of policy LDA regarding Student Teachers and Internships. 

 

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Religious & Federal Holidays as identified by the Calendar Committee   

Orthodox Christmas (Orthodox Christians), January 7

Orthodox New Year (Orthodox Christians), January 14