For Immediate Release

SAU 16 was informed of an active police investigation around 1:00 pm on Tuesday April 1, 2025. As a result SAU 16 placed Exeter Developmental Preschool, Lincoln Street School, Main Street School, Seacoast School of Technology and Newfields Elementary School on secure campus status. This precautionary measure was being taken to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff.

The decision to initiate the secure campus protocol came following information from local law enforcement regarding a potential threat in the surrounding area. During this time, the safety of our students and staff remained our top priority. We worked closely with local authorities and  continued to provide updates as new information became available.

While on secure campus status entry and exit were restricted. We understand the concerns this situation may have caused and want to assure families and the community that we took all necessary steps to keep everyone safe. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

The Stratham School District (the “Owner”) is in the process of seeking proposals from qualified Owner’s Project Manager firms or individual to function as the "Owner's Project Manager" (”OPM”) in connection with the SMS building additions and renovations project at 39 Gifford Farm Road, Stratham, NH, 03855. To assist the Stratham School Board in this effort, the Stratham School Board is issuing this RFP (click here for RFP) to solicit responses from qualified firms who can meet the Project requirements stated herein.

New England League of Middle Schools has awarded CMS Eighth Grade Assistant Principal Melanie Faulkner with the A+ Administrator Award! NELMS seeks to honor administrators who value, understand, and support effective middle level education.

Criteria:

• Understands how young adolescents learn
• Champions middle level education by

\- actively promoting middle level education

\- building community support

\- recognizing middle level as a distinct entity of education

• Support and models effective middle level philosophy
• Encourages professional development in middle level best practices
• Provides leadership & supervision of effective instructional practices and student outcomes

Exeter, New Hampshire – SAU16 Superintendent Esther Asbell wishes to announce Tonja Neve as the incoming principal of Exeter High School. “Tonja is a dedicated and student-centered educational leader with extensive experience as a principal, school administrator, and high school English teacher”, said Asbell in a letter home to EHS Families. Read the the full release here.

We are excited to bring to life the beginning of our Strategic Planning Process. Please join us on March 27 & 28 from 5pm - 8pm and March 29 from 9am-12pm to workshop common themes while collaborating as a community to share ideas that will help the process of developing our Strategic Plan.

Light meals and childcare will be provided each day. We encourage all SAU 16 families and community members to join us! Click here to register by March 17, 2025.

ATTENTION: Caregivers & Parents please join us for a workshop entitled: From Chaos to Calm - "Executive Function Strategies for Families”

By attending this workshop, we hope to provide YOU (families) with tangible resources and tools to help support yourlearners and students.

This workshop is open to ALL surrounding towns. We hope to see you there!

This Halloween, Exeter High School Student Senate participated in their 10th annual Trick-or-Canning event.

Instead of asking for candy, more than 60 students asked for food donations throughout over 40 neighborhoods in all six SAU-16 towns. The food was collected and brought into school, where it was sorted and organized. This year was the most successful by far in both the number of collected goods and student participation. Items collected for this service project go to End 68 Hours of Hunger, a volunteer organization that packs backpacks that students in our community can bring home to help fight food insecurity during the 68hours between school lunch on Fridays and breakfast on Mondays.

Students from the EHS Student Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Club joined SAU 16's Chief Equity Officer, Arlynn Polletta, to offer a presentation titled Dialogue Across Differences: Strategies for Navigating Conversations on Challenging Topics for residents at RiverWoods in Exeter. Participants were introduced to the key components of dialogue and practiced their skills in small group activities facilitated by students. The event was hosted by the Inclusivity Committee at RiverWoods, and we hope to continue this multigenerational partnership in the future.