As many of you know we have been experiencing increasing numbers of Covid cases in the Upper Valley. We have been fortunate to be able to stay open through all of this and look forward to continuing to do so. 

We are asking everyone to remember that wearing a mask properly in the building is imperative and a town mandate. Masks should only be lowered when students and staff are actively eating. Masks also need to cover both the nose and mouth at all times. The most common offense is masks being worn just below the nose.
 
We are also using a high number of disposable masks every day. We ask that families provide masks (disposable or reusable) daily. We will have masks on hand if there is a mask malfunction, but cannot provide 750 disposable masks a day for our students. If you are having trouble getting a mask please see the nurses.

In addition, please continue to practice safe social distancing when possible, proper hand washing, and keeping students home if they do not feel well.  

We have options if we notice in school transmission. We could go back to eating lunch in cohorts, having meetings over zoom, daily study hall and limiting tables and seating in our common areas such as the Atrium. 

The majority of our students have been doing an excellent job ensuring that we do not have in school transmission. We are in awe of their flexibility. They are to be applauded for sticking with the protocols.

Let's continue to keep our school community safe and mask up!

Principal Stevenson

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March Intensive Courses and Registration

The March Intensive Committee is pleased to present the 2022 March Intensive Program of Studies. This week juniors and seniors are reviewing their options and registering for courses.  The deadline for them to sign up is Monday December 6, at 4 PM.  On December 8, after juniors and seniors have been placed in courses, an updated program of studies and course sign up form will be emailed out to 9th and 10th graders.  They will be required to register by December 14 at 8 AM.  Students can expect to be notified of their placement before the holiday break. This year March Intensive will run from March 15 -18, 2022.

While most MI courses have no cost to students, some have a fee.  We are committed to making sure every course is available to every student.  If your family is experiencing financial hardship please be aware that scholarships are available. 

If you have any questions about any aspect of the March Intensive Program please contact MI coordinator Matt Prince, at matt.prince@hanovernorwichschools.org.

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Health Room Notes:

We continue to see many students with “cold like” symptoms. We thank you for your patience and support when we ask you to pick up your children and also have a COVID test done. We are accepting the quick antigen test that can be purchased at most pharmacies or online. This is in accordance with current NH Dept of HHS guidelines. If the quick test is positive we ask for a PCR test which will take 24-48 hrs. to receive results.

The majority of the COVID tests are negative. The few positives seem to have originated from travel or celebrations over the holidays with extended family. We do not seem to have in school transmission yet. We are staying in full alert and feel determined to keep this school open. We will be able to do this with your continued support.

We also thank you for your support with our continued policies of being masked and attempting social distancing in school. As we peruse national news we realize this is not the case in many school districts.

COVID will continue to be with us for a long time with its many iterations or variants. Continued vaccinations and new medical treatments will hopefully cause a decrease in morbidity, mortality and fear. 

Please feel free to call or email us with any questions at all. 

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Essay Contest - Biographies of Contemporary Women in Mathematics

For the sixth year the Dartmouth Mathematics Department is sponsoring an Essay Contest on "Biographies of Contemporary Women in Mathematics."  They are very excited to share this program with the community and hope to receive some outstanding essays.  In the past they have had quite a few students receive recognition or win the national AWM Essay Contest!!!!  See the links to past winners on the website below.

This contest is open to ALL 6-8 and 9-12 students (all genders) in the Upper Connecticut River Valley, including home schooled students.  The grand prize will be an iPad for each of the two age groups. Depending on the quantity and quality of essays there could be additional prizes.  While the subject of the essay is "women in mathematics" the contest is open to all genders.

The deadline for submission is 2/1/22.  To go directly to this website for all the details go to:

If you have any questions please contact Mrs. King via email or in the MRC.

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High Mountain Institute (HMI) - Semester school, summer program, and gap year in Leadville, Colorado 

Meet with a representative from HMI on Thursday, December 9 between 11:15 and 11:50am. During the HMI Semester, high school juniors and seniors receive full academic credit while participating in backpacking and backcountry ski expeditions through mountains and canyons (students apply the year before, as sophomores or juniors). During the HMI Summer Term, rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors spend 5 weeks in Colorado backpacking and taking courses in writing and leadership. During HMI Gap, high school graduates partake in rock climbing and/or backpacking expeditions in Colorado, Utah, and Patagonia, Chile. Extensive financial aid (including free outdoor gear rental) is available--our top scholarships include free flights to/from Colorado. Located in Leadville, CO at elevation 10,000 ft, HMI brings together students from all over the U.S. The mountains are our classroom--no previous outdoor experience required.Applications and financial aid applications are due February 15. Zoom link. 

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Volunteer News - Student Tutoring Program

• Is your child interested in tutoring fellow students at HHS or RMS?
• Would your child benefit from some peer tutoring?

Please contact me if you would like more information.

Thank you
Emma Cottage
SAU 70 Volunteer Coordinator

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Volunteer News - Volunteer Sign Up

SAU 70 requires that ALL volunteers in the district complete the Volunteer Application Form. The following link will direct you to the form, and details the Volunteer Background Check Process. Volunteer's Information, please reach out if you have any questions. 

Thank you Emma Cottage

SAU70 Volunteer Coordinator

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The SAU 70 district needs substitutes. 

We would love to have you help us occasionally in the school. If you are interested in being a substitute teacher, you can apply for the role on the SAU70 Job Listings.

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Norwich Christmas Pageant

Attention all HHS seniors. All Norwich and Hanover seniors are invited to participate in the Norwich Christmas Pageant. This is a wonderful tradition and fun Senior event. 

(The Hanover Christmas Mystery will not be held this year, so all Hanover and Norwich Seniors are invited to participate). 

• There will be ONE Rehearsal at 3:00 pm Sun Dec 12th - Meet at Norwich Grange ( 1 hour) 
• The Pageant will start at 7:00 pm Thurs Dec 16th - participants will meet at Grange (TBD) 6:30pm to get dressed; done by 8:00 pm. 

We are also looking for Norwich and Hanover junior high school students to be Marshalls at the Pageant, carrying the rope behind the procession. Juniors do not have a rehearsal, all they need to do is sign up and then arrive at the Norwich Post Office by 6:30 on the night of the Pageant.

If you are interested, please sign up at this link, at Dan & Whit's or email AnnMarie at birdseye95@comcast.net

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Youth-in-Action 

is looking for volunteers for several fun events (Craftstudies Fair! Buddy Up tennis at RVC! Serving Chili with Hanover Rec!) this weekend!  Sign up You can see upcoming events by signing up for this calendar . 

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 Council Update - 12/1/21

This week, Council members nominated each other for the Council Rep. position on the Principal Search Committee. There will be 1 Council representative and 1 overall student representative (who will be chosen by an outside party), who will both aid in conducting interviews, discussing candidates, reading résumés, etc. Next week, the nominees will give a quick speech before a paper vote to determine the Council Rep. on the committee.

Council continued their discussion of the Honors Social Studies Resolution, in which a formal statement of Council’s support could be shown for the addition of Honors classes to the Social Studies (SS) department.

In the minutes this week, an attribution to the speaker’s position in the school (teacher, student representative, community member, etc.) was included to establish additional perspective. The core of the discussion was debating whether vertically leveling classes (Honors / Regular / General) is inherently prejudicial and hierarchical. Many staff representatives posited that horizontally leveling classes (in terms of learning styles, themes, etc.) would be more beneficial and create less division among students. For example, United States History could be offered through the lenses of case studies (current practice), project-based learning, discussion-based learning, etc., and that students could self-select which class they would prefer to be in. Honors SS electives could also be offered along with other “regular” electives for upper-level students.

Teachers and students, alike, cited that offering Honors SS classes was one more way for students to “check another academic box,” leaving students to feel like they need to take the Honors class, leading to an increased workload and more stress. Many students took issue with this argument, agreeing that HHS students often take on too much, but stating that it is ultimately up to the student to determine their level of stress, as a result of their course load. Since SS is the only core academic department to not offer leveled classes, a number of speakers urged everyone to consider why SS is the last department with no Honors offerings. While some implied that this was due to a sentiment that Science + Math classes are more valued at HHS, others stated that SS is about community and citizenship, and that students should be able to learn without the fear of needing to take the hardest class possible. This discussion will continue at the next Council meeting. View all information about the resolution.

Please submit questions, comments, and feedback about Council or this summary through an anonymous survey. We meet from 11 to 11:50 am every Wednesday in the HHS Auditorium (vaccinated community members are encouraged to attend). If you’d like to learn more about Council, explore our website.

Saia Patel (Council Secretary)

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FREE STUDENT TICKETS (first come first served) from HHS Theatregoers Club

to “THE LION, THE WITCH and THE WARDROBE” at Northern Stage (both casts are listed here) Here is where you can see which cast is on which date and time. See the NS website for the Covid protocols.

Dates available: December 8,9 (both at 7:30pm)

                             December 24,26,29-31, Jan 1 (all days at 7:30pm)

                             January 2, (2:00pm)

Please reach out to Yuliya Ballou, HHS Theatregoers Club co-advisor, at yuliyaballou@hanovernorwichschools.org to reserve your free ticket. 

Please include your first and last name and the grade you are in and the date and time of the show you would like to attend. (If the dates above don’t work for you, please let us know)

If you are interested in buying an additional ticket for a sibling/friend/parent, etc.(student ticket $20.14 (tax included), adult ticket $30.74 (tax included)) please mention that as well and we could help make it happen.