Dear Students and Parents,

Welcome to the 2020 – 2021 school year. I hope that everyone had a great summer and was able to enjoy the beautiful weather. The Cawley staff has been working diligently to prepare for the reopening of school. The last time the school community was together was on March 13. It goes without saying that the staff and myself have missed the students and the normalcy of school life prior to the Governor’s order to close all schools in March. As September gets closer, we become even more eager to welcome students back. Our first day of school will be on September 3, 2020.

Cawley Middle School is implementing systematic changes to ensure the safety and health of students and staff. The ​Cawley Middle School Reopening Manual​ details those changes. All of the safety protocols are greatly important, but I would like to highlight the numerous changes that will be noticeable to our students and much different than the school’s normal operating procedures pre-pandemic.

• The Hooksett School Board approved a model in which parents can select the option of full- time in-person learning or full-time remote learning for the first trimester.
• Students who attend school in-person will be cohorted (when feasible) and remain in their homeroom to receive instruction. Core and Unified Arts teachers will travel to the homerooms, rather than the students traveling to different classrooms.
• Students will sit 3 feet apart in the classroom and will sit facing in the same direction.
• It will be encouraged to have classes outside as weather permits.
• One half of each homeroom will eat lunch in the cafeteria and the other half in the classroom. This will rotate weekly and students will have the same lunch options in both locations.
• All students will be required to wear cloth face coverings/masks on the bus and in school.
• Students will have designated cloth face covering/masks breaks throughout the day.
• Students will be regularly hand washing and sanitizing throughout the school day.
• Students will have outlined traffic patterns that adhere to social distancing guidelines.
• Events and assemblies have been canceled until further notice but may be held virtually.
• Clubs and organizations will still occur, but meetings will be virtual or in large rooms to adhere to social distancing.
• Arrival and departure procedures have changed with assigned locations for students to enter and leave the building based on their teams.

During this week, letters will be mailed home to students and parents with team placements and supply lists. Please note that the many requests that we received in the spring may not be honored as a result of numerous teaching assignments being altered and the requirement of cohorting students in homerooms. Requests for changes in teams and teachers will not be granted as they have been in the past.

School will look different, but the ultimate goal is still the same. We aim to provide students with a high-quality education and a well-rounded middle school experience. I have a lot of pride in Cawley Middle School and truly value and appreciate the ongoing support of students, parents and staff. I know that we can all work together during these challenging times to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment and still make Cawley Middle School a place where students can grow academically, socially and emotionally.

Sincerely,
Matthew Benson
Principal
mbenson@sau15.net
603-518-5047, ext. 5003