Happenings @ SAU 70

Important Dates

• Wednesday, November 5 - Norwich Board Meeting 6:30 PM, Marion Cross School
• Monday, November 10 - SAU 70 Board Meeting - Public Hearing & Budget Adoption 6 PM, Hanover High School 
• Wednesday, November 12 - Hanover Board Meeting 7 PM, Bernice A. Ray School
• Tuesday, November 11 - No School all SAU 70 Schools - Veterans Day
• Tuesday, November 18 - Dresden Board Meeting,
• Wednesday - Friday, November 26-28 - No School all SAU 70 Schools - Thanksgiving
• Thursday - Friday - November 27-28 - SAU Office closed 

District Calendar 

From Our Superintendent

A Look Behind the Snow Day Call

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As the days get shorter and the first snowflakes start to appear, I know one question is on many people's minds: how is the decision made to cancel or delay school due to weather?

Determining school cancellations and late starts is a decision we take seriously across SAU 70 and the Dresden, Hanover, and Norwich School Districts. The safety of our students, employees, and bus drivers is our paramount concern, and because we are an integrated district, we are committed to making a consistent decision across our schools.

Our Decision-Making Process

Making the call is far more complex than simply looking out the window, especially since our districts cover various terrains and elevations and our 450 employees commute from near and far.

The Night Before and Overnight Tracking: Close attention is paid to the weather every evening during the winter. As soon as a storm advisory is issued by the National Weather Service, our team begins tracking national and local weather channels and Doppler radar throughout the night.

The Morning Assessment (Starting by 5:00 a.m.): A final decision to close or delay must be made by 5:45 a.m. because buses begin their routes at 6:45 a.m. Around 5:15 a.m., our Superintendent and/or Business Administrator contacts:

• Police and Highway Departments to determine current road conditions.

• Student Transportation of Vermont (STV/A) to assess the operability of their fleet.

• Drivers who live in various district locations are polled about conditions on their specific roads.

The Business Administrator, the STV Transportation Manager, and I then consider all this information against several important factors:

• Temperature and wind chill factor.

• Number of inches and timing of projected snowfall.

• Freezing rain and/or icy conditions.

• Wind velocity impacting blowing, drifting snow, and visibility.

• The impact of slower bus routes on students waiting at stops and inexperienced student drivers.

When We Use a Late Start

We utilize a late start, which is normally a two-hour delay, when we anticipate a storm is ending and highway departments advise that the extra time can significantly aid in clean-up. This also provides better visibility for drivers during daylight hours.

• Example: If your student’s school normally starts at 8:00 a.m., a late start would begin at 10:00 a.m. All related schedules move back two hours.

If a two-hour delay is called and conditions do not improve, we will announce a full cancellation before 8:00 a.m.

Our Stance on Early Dismissals

Our practice is to very rarely implement early dismissals for bad weather. Sending a young student home to an empty house or one with unplowed access routes introduces a significant risk. We believe knowing students are inside, safe, warm, and learning is far better than sending them home early during a worsening storm.

However, you are the parent/guardian. If you believe your student would be safer at home in poor weather conditions, please communicate with your school principal, and your young learner’s absence will be marked as excused.

New Weather Advisory Stops

To help cut down on cancellations while prioritizing safety, we have worked with our School Boards and transportation provider to address the roughly 20% of our terrain that proves especially difficult to navigate in bad weather.

We may temporarily suspend certain route stops and use "weather-advisory stops" during days of severe conditions.

• If you live in one of these sections, we will notify you by 6:00 a.m. via email of the alternative pick-up or drop-off location.

• At that time, you may choose to use the alternative stop, drive your student to school, or keep your student home.

How We Communicate Our Decision

Once a decision is made to close or start late, an announcement will be made by 6:00 a.m. or shortly thereafter through the following channels:

• District automatic call and email system (phone-tree)

• Postings on the SAU 70 website

• Notifications to WMUR, WCAX, and NECN

If you are not receiving these automated calls or emails, please contact your school’s secretary to update your contact information.

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This seemingly simple "snow day" decision includes many components: transportation, communications, road crews, the timing of the decision, and coordination across the district. While it is ultimately a difficult judgment call that rests with the Superintendent, our first priority is, and always will be, the safety of our students. We strive to do the best we can for everyone involved, and we support your decision in keeping children home if and when you find it necessary.

Robin Steiner
Superintendent SAU 70 Schools

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From Our Interim Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Dear SAU 70 Community,

We want to share important information and updates on our ongoing commitment to the safety and security of all students. On the morning of October 10th, our district's safety and emergency teams from every school, along with the SAU team, gathered for a critical planning retreat. We were joined by our vital community partners, including representatives from the Hanover Police and Fire Departments and the Norwich Police Department. The entire morning was dedicated to strengthening our shared response to any potential emergency.

Our district, like many across the country, has adopted the safety programs developed by the I Love You Guys Foundation. This non-profit foundation’s mission is to restore and protect the joy of youth by providing standardized, easy-to-understand safety protocols for schools.

Our retreat focused on two of their core programs:

The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) The SRP provides consistent, clear language for five specific actions. This shared vocabulary helps students, staff, and first responders act quickly and confidently in any situation.

You will see posters in our schools with these five actions. This information is also included on our SAU70 website under Safety (link here: https://www.sau70.org/our-districts/safety)

• Hold: "In Your Room or Area" (Used to clear the hallways, often for a medical issue)

• Secure: "Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors" (Used when there is a threat outside the building)

• Lockdown: "Locks, Lights, Out of Sight" (Used when there is a threat inside the building)

• Evacuate: "To a Location" (Used to move students from one place to another)

• Shelter: "For a Hazard" (Used for natural hazards like a tornado or hazmat)

The Standard Reunification Method (SRM) This was the primary focus of our October 10th training. The SRM is a structured, orderly process for safely reuniting students with their families after an emergency.

We conducted a reunification exercise with our police and fire partners to practice this protocol. This method is critical because it ensures every student is accounted for and released only to a verified parent or guardian in a controlled environment.

What Caregivers Need to Know about Reunification:

• In a real emergency, your first instinct will be to go to the school. We ask that you please wait for official communication from the district.

• We will provide clear instructions on where and when to go to the designated reunification site. This site may not be the school itself.

• You will be required to show a photo ID to be reunited with your student(s). This is essential for accountability and protecting all students.

Our partnership with local emergency services is invaluable, and this joint training ensures we are all prepared to work together. To learn more about these safety programs, we encourage you to visit the "I Love You Guys" Foundation website: https://iloveuguys.org/

Lauren Amrhein
Interim Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

 

District-Wide Safety Planning Retreat
 

District-Wide Safety Planning Retreat

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Board Meetings

We’ve made links to board meetings available for your easy reference.  The Zoom links are listed below as well as start times.   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 November and associated Zoom links:

Norwich Board Meeting - November 5, 2025 - 6:30 PM Marion Cross School

SAU 70 Board Meeting - November 10, 2025 - 6 PM Hanover High School Library

Hanover Board Meeting - November 12, 2025 - 7 PM Ray Elementary School
Dresden Board Meeting - November 18, 2025 - 6 PM Hanover High School Library
 

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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.  Please be aware we have moved our board governance solution to Simbli.
 

SAU 70 Updates:
Simbli link to October 28, 2025 meeting. 
The board will do a first reading of policy GBGBA - Use of Automatic External Defibrillator.
 

Dresden Updates:
Simbli link to October 28, 2025 meeting. 
The Board will do a first reading of the following policies:

Hanover Updates:
Simbli link to October 8, 2025 meeting.
The Board will do a first reading of policy JICJ regarding unauthorized Communication Devices. 
 

Norwich Updates:
Simbli link to October 1, 2025 meeting.
The Board will do a second reading of the Behavior Threat Assessment policy.

 

 

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Religious & Federal Holidays as identified by the Calendar Committee   

None identified by the Committee for November.