In Laconia Schools: Measuring progress toward the strategic plan

Good day, Laconia School District community. I hope that this communication finds you well as the calendar turns to the last month. We have a three-week stretch before the winter break, and there are many exciting developments happening in the district. As we finalize the district’s strategic plan, I will connect the highlights with goal areas of the plan. 

Academics — teaching and learning

Lily Lescarbeau, a senior at Laconia High School, is engaged in a Diploma with Distinction project that focuses on the LHS Centennial. She presented her work to date at the board meeting. The Diploma of Distinction program was created in the spring of 2019 to recognize students who have been “purposeful” in planning their education. Designed to recognize and reward student successes that exceed the minimum requirements of the 26-credit diploma, the program celebrates the academic achievements of the lifelong learner and is an important reflection of our district’s vision and values. The framework for the program rests firmly on and embodies Laconia School District’s Portrait of the Graduate and Sachem PRIDE expectations. It celebrates students' abilities to develop important skills that support career and life readiness through its “passion project” and “Sachem legacy.” The Diploma of Distinction recognizes the goals and ideas that inspire students to explore their natural ability to learn and grow.

Lily’s presentation was extremely engaging. Some of the highlights of her research thus far that she shared with the board include:

• The first class graduated from Laconia High School in 1878. In the fall of 1886, the building that is currently the district courthouse opened up as the (then) new high school in the fall of 1886. The current Union Avenue campus opened in the fall of 1923.
• There were only five principals (called “headmasters” at the beginning of the 20th century) in a 77-year period, including Donald Piper (from 1949 to 1973), for whom the auditorium is named, and Robert St. Lawrence (from 1979 to 2000), for whom the library is named.
• The original football field, one of three on the Union Avenue campus, was perpendicular to the current field and located where the rear parking lot and where some Huot programs are located in the background of the 1923 building.
• There were additions and/or major renovations in 1936, 1976, 1983 and 2013.

Student wellness

We are working to upgrade the playgrounds at all three elementary schools. The district has set aside $250,000 for this project and we are embarking on a capital campaign to raise $250,000 more. We realized that there was site work that needed to be done at Pleasant Street School to make room for more playground equipment. The school board and the city council approved $102,500 in impact fees to do this in November, and the site work at PSS was completed last month. We are planning to have new equipment on this site and at the other schools in the spring.

Academics — literacy

Our schools adopted a new assessment platform called iReady to measure our students’ math and reading skills. Our students in kindergarten through 10th grade take these assessments so we can measure their progress and use the data to inform instructional plans. State law RSA 200:59 was amended to say that all students in kindergarten through third grade in public schools must be screened for potential indicators or risk factors of dyslexia and related reading disorders. iReady is an approved screener designed to identify areas of concern and components of reading that may suggest characteristics of dyslexia and other reading difficulties. This is not a comprehensive dyslexia assessment designed to diagnose a child with dyslexia, but it does give us information so that we can dig more deeply and better support our students.

Other areas of the Strategic Plan include academics — assessment, staff wellness, and community resources and engagement. We will continue to update the school board and the community on areas of the plan.

In closing, our schools and the wider City of Laconia community express generosity in several ways. I am always overwhelmed with pride and gratitude for all that is done in our Great Little City to support our kids and families in the holiday season. On behalf of the Laconia School District, the generosity of people in Laconia is appreciated.

Steve Tucker, superintendent, Laconia School District