The legal basis for education is vested in the will of the people as expressed in the Constitution of New Hampshire, the statutes* pertaining to education, court interpretation of these laws, the powers implied in them, and the rules and regulations of the State Board of Education.

In New Hampshire, School Districts are political subdivisions of the State and, as such, are considered municipal corporations.

The Contoocook Valley School District is a cooperative school district, established and governed by its Articles of Agreement. The date of operating responsibility as provided in RSA 195:18 (III)(j) is July 1, 1968. The Articles of Agreement may be amended from time to time according to the provisions therein.

The School District has adopted Official Ballot Voting and is subject to the requirements of RSA 40:13.

Board policies are established by the Board, which serves as an agent of the District.

Funds for school operating expenses are approved by a majority of qualified voters present and voting at the annual School District meeting, except that bond issues require approval by 60%.

Statutory/Case Law References:

New Hampshire Constitution, Pt. 2 Article 83

Claremont School District vs. Governor, 138 NH 183 (1993)

RSA 194:2, School Districts to be Corporations

RSA 195:6, Powers and Duties of Cooperative School Districts

RSA 40:13, Use of Official Ballot

RSA 195:18 Procedure for Formation of Cooperative School District

The majority of state laws on education are in RSA Chapters 186 through 200H.

1st Read: June 19, 2012

2nd Read: August 14, 2012

Adopted: August 14, 2012

🥰 HAZEN PARENTS/SENIOR RECOGNITION ADS: This year parents will have the opportunity to purchase yearbook ads that are dedicated to your student. Creating a quality yearbook and keeping students' costs low depends on ad sales. You can order Senior Recognition ads at https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/1120476/Hazen-Union-School/ This link can also be shared with family members who may want to purchase an ad!

👉BUSINESS ADS: Business ads are another way that we help keep costs low. Some of the profits from business ads are also used to purchase yearbooks for some students who cannot afford one. We try to make receiving a yearbook equitable for all. If you or someone you know is interested in purchasing a Business Ad please visit https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/1120476/Hazen-Union-School/

⏰ The deadline for all ads is Thursday, February 6.

Questions about ads? Please contact Christine Gifford at cgifford@ossu.org.

We warmly invite our communities to support the arts and attend one or more of our schools' winter concerts and art shows this December! Here's the festive lineup:

December 9:  Lakeview and Woodbury Elementary Combined Winter Concert & Lantern Walk beginning in the Lakeview Elementary gym, 6 p.m. We invite community members to come to the concert and/or line the streets of Greensboro for our Lantern Walk!

December 11: Hazen Middle School Winter Concert, 6 p.m., Hazen Auditorium (snow date is December 17)

December 12: Hazen High School Winter Concert, 6 p.m., Hazen Auditorium (snow date is December 18)

December 17: Hardwick Elementary Winter Concert and River of Light in the gym, 6 p.m.

December 18: Wolcott Elementary Winter Concert and Art Show in the gym, 6 p.m.

February 13: Craftsbury Winter Showcase art and talent show in the Craftsbury World War II Memorial Gymnasium, 6-8 p.m.

February 13: Hazen Union Coffeehouse, Hazen Auditorium, 6-8 p.m.

Aspen High School Principal Sarah Strassburger announced today that five AHS students have been named “Commended Students” in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSC).

AHS students Henry Hurd, Sharif Khan, Camron Lapointe, Morgan Phillips and Audrey Woodrow have earned the commendation from NMSC. 

“These students represent not only academic excellence, but also the IB Learner Profile traits of  kindness, integrity, inquiry, risk taking, and so much more,” Strassburger said. “Each of these students excels out of the classroom as well; these are student athletes, innovative thinkers, and service oriented students who exemplify the very best of our learning community.  We are so proud of these students and cannot wait to see all that they accomplish to make our world a better place.” 

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2025 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2025 competition by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

"We are so proud of these students for their demonstrated academic success," said ASD Superintendent Tharyn Mulberry. "They embody all of the qualities we strive to cultivate in our learners. These students are risk-takers, caring individuals, and knowledgeable, critical thinkers who approach challenges with confidence and curiosity. They exemplify the spirit of lifelong learning and represent the core values of our district. Their success is a testament to the dedication of our educators and the supportive environment we’ve worked hard to create in Aspen."

Before students arrived for the 2024-2025 school year, Aspen School District teachers and paraprofessionals spent a morning with inquiry coach and bestselling author Trevor MacKenzie, who has mentored educators worldwide.

MacKenzie, whose passion is supporting schools in implementing inquiry-based learning practices, kicked off the school year with an informative and deeply inspiring conversation about proven classroom strategies.Throughout this school year, MacKenzie will visit ASD schools to coach and mentor teachers to build capacity on Inquiry and Assessments. Inquiry is at the core of the International Baccalaureate Continuum.

MacKenzie has authored best-selling books on the topic. Prior to his visit this month, every teacher received a copy of his book, Inquiry Mindset, Assessment Edition. See MacKenzie’s presentation here. 

“We, the IB team, felt privileged to invite Trevor to kickstart the school year and we are looking forward to ongoing coaching and mentoring from him,” said Harpreet Mehta, ASD Director of IB and Student Learning.

ASD is working toward creating lifelong learners who are internationally minded and have respect for all, and who understand that everybody with their differences can also be right, Harpreet Mehta said.

“As a PreK to 12 continuum, we have set the wheels in motion to ensure that the Approaches to Learning and the Approaches to Teaching guide each and every classroom in our district from here on,” she said.

ASD teachers and students celebrated their successes with MacKenzie. 

“I invite you to cheer because there is a lot to celebrate,” Sarah After, IB Middle Years Programme Coordinator, told an auditorium of teachers when they arrived back on campus this month.

ASD is beginning its second year as an official MYP district. There are 508 MYP units and 272 MYP classes, After said.

“Last year, we were among the first and few in the U.S. that offered the official MYP Certificate for tenth graders,” After said. “We also implemented the MYP Personal Project and Community Project and assessed them together.”

This school year, there are 710 MYP students and 122 MYP staff members.

MacKenzie’s graduate research focused on identifying and removing the barriers to implementing inquiry-based learning in the K-12 setting, said Kim Zimmer, Instructional Director of Learning and Innovation. He encourages teachers to go beyond inquiry and consider co-designing learning experiences and assessments alongside their teacher. 

“As we look ahead to the upcoming school year, I urge teachers to take one risk in their classrooms this year, especially within our International Baccalaureate program and ideally within the scope of inquiry,” Zimmer said.

"Innovation and intrinsic motivation is key to preparing our students for a global future, she said. “We have amazing technology tools and peripherals at ASD to help teachers and students along on this journey.”

Aspen Elementary School IB Primary Years Programme Coordinator Dilip Mehta said AES started working on implementing PYP during the pandemic.

“It is no small feat,” he said. “And we authorized with impressive feedback from IB!"

"It took three years, 600 plus students, 80 plus teachers, eight AES Coordinators, and three IB PYP Coordinators with the guidance of our powerhouse principal Ashley Bodkins for the success," he said

ASD launched into its IB journey in 2001 with the Diploma Programme for students in grades 11 and 12.

“We have expanded over the last 23 years so that all of our graduates take at least one DP course, and over 85 percent of our students take three or more IB DP classes,” said Eileen Knapp, DP Coordinator. “In the spring, we earned successful feedback on our DP five-year evaluation.

Knapp went on to say that Aspen students are building resilience and high aspirations throughout their enrollment in the IB

“We believe in IB for All,” she said. “It is so exciting to see all of this work and to graduate students who are ready to make a difference in this world!”

College Fair Highlights:

• Date & Time: Sunday, October 6, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Workshops start at 10:00 a.m.; college tents open at 11:00 a.m.
• College and Program Representatives: Over 200 college admissions officers and career and technical program reps will be attending to meet and interact with students and their families.
• Workshops: More than 35 workshops will cover important topics such as financial aid, essay writing, trade programs, and more.
• Spanish Support: Spanish interpreters will be available throughout the Fair to assist with communication and ensure that language is not a barrier to accessing valuable information.

ASD embarks on a new Outdoor Education adventure with endorsement from the Association of Experiential Education.

Click here to listen to ODE Coordinator Katherine Gleason talk about ASD's ODE tradition.

When the Aspen Middle School 8th-graders packed their camping gear last week for their week-long outdoor education trips, they became part of a cherished Aspen School District tradition.

It was AMS 8th-graders who launched the ASD Outdoor Education program with a hike to Marble Colorado in1967.

This year’s group of 8th-graders head out making their own history: first group of ASD middle schoolers to be under the accreditation umbrella of the Association of Experiential Education (AEE).

AEE is a nonprofit professional membership association dedicated to experiential education and the students, educators, and practitioners who utilize its philosophy. They believe in the process of learning by doing.

So does Aspen School District.

Earning the accreditation means the district will continue to build its cherished experiential and outdoor educational programs. The mission of the School District's ex ed has been embedded and woven throughout the programming. There is a strong belief in ASD that education can and must expand beyond classroom walls.\ ASD’s team set out last year to become accredited. They had to prove the program met 150 minimum standards and show that its program is well-managed and fosters a deep relationship between students and their surroundings while introducing them to various outdoor skills and activities.\ They did it. \ “There is no way we could have achieved this accreditation without the hard work and dedication of all ASD staff, students, alumni and community volunteers,” said Katherine Gleason, ASD Outdoor Education Coordinator.  \ Since that first 8th-grade trip, ASD has expanded and developed its program for all students, PreK to Grade 12.  

“Each group of students from pre-schools to high school seniors has at least one overnight in our beautiful surroundings,” Gleason said.

At Aspen Elementary School, teachers use local surroundings to foster a deeper relationship between students and their homes while introducing them to various outdoor skills and activities.

At AMS, students are exposed to various outdoor experiences in their four years at AMS.  And Aspen High School students begin their school year with a wide range of experiential education activities and courses they select using an auction process.

Across all divisions, activities and courses have been developed, refined, and taught by passionate, committed educators over many years. Programming is sequenced and progressive to achieve educational objectives and maximize student learning. Aspen High School students start the school year with their week-long outdoor education. 

“Most public schools have maybe one or two outdoor experiences or maybe a partnership with someone like ACES (Aspen Center for Environmental Studies)," Gleason said. "Our program is unique. We do this with every single student in our public school system. We make accommodations as necessary, as we do with all students, so they can have their best opportunity for success.”

Here is what the AEE reviewers said: The demonstrated depth of experience and longevity of teaching staff allow for deep institutional knowledge and culture. 

• ASD has a strong sense of community, a unified purpose and strong communication among staff and students.
• ASD has an Outdoor Coordinator, Katherine Gleason, who is passionate about and committed to the ASD outdoor and experiential programs. She understands the complexities, management and coordination of a multifaceted program, which will continue to inform the next development steps.
• By adopting the international Baccalaureate, PYP, MYP, and DP curriculums, Aspen School District has a solid foundation to incorporate Outdoor and Experiential learning into many facets of learning at the school. 

Gleason said former ASD students always comment to her that outdoor ed was among the best school experiences they had, typically followed by a story of their great adventure. 

“It's a really special opportunity for teachers to have lasting connections with their students,” Gleason said. “The stories you hear from alumni about their outdoor experiential education events in their lives when they went through the program are memorable, meaningful and inspiring – that is something every Aspen graduate I've ever met has talked about – is their experience in this program."