Dear Oyster River Families,

We look forward to welcoming students back to school tomorrow ─ celebrating the joy that accompanies the promise of a new academic year! We will lead with compassion and a heartfelt awareness of the recent tragedy that has touched our community and greatly impacted our students, staff, and families. The district’s Critical Response Team will provide available support in all schools, and we encourage families to utilize these resources if they feel it would be helpful.

The ORCSD School Board and administration made good use of the summer months to plan for the upcoming year, set priorities, and identify future challenges. Highlights of recently approved School Board Goals include the development of a new strategic plan, advancing the elementary schools’ renovation and expansion capital project, and working with administrators, faculty, and students on defining the role of AI in teaching and learning.

During the September 3, 2025, school board meeting, school leaders will present a full range of teaching and learning initiatives that will support our commitment to continuous system improvement. This year, we will launch two literacy pilot programs to select a new K-5 reading program for the 2026-2027 school year.

At the middle school, 6th and 8th grade students will focus on media literacy. Oyster River High School will launch a multi-year original science research course in collaboration with regional scientists and institutions designed to provide students with authentic research experiences. All schools will investigate opportunities to revise their instructional schedules and share recommendations with the school board and community.

The summer months provided significant opportunities for improving our school facilities. In addition to regular upkeep and deep cleaning of all buildings, our facilities team supervised and completed several significant improvements, including roof and floor restoration, ventilation system replacements, paving of parking lots, and deep grooming of turf fields. Members of our Building Committee continued planning with district architect partners Novo Studio to complete schematic design and engineering options for the expansion and renovation at Moharimet and Mast Way schools. The school board will focus on capital planning and improvements at the September 17 meeting.

I am providing helpful resources below to support you in navigating this busy back-to-school season with ease and confidence.

I look forward to a year filled with growth, achievement, and meaningful learning experiences for all.

Respectfully,

Dr. Robert Shaps
Superintendent of Schools  
 
 
Bus Routes 
Our bus routes are now available online. Please note that bus routes are subject to change at any time and are currently changing daily based on student enrollment. Barrington families may find their bus routes on the Barrington School District website. If you have any questions, you may contact Brigid Connelly at bconnelly@sau74.org, or 603-664-2609.

Roadwork in Durham 
As the Town of Durham finalizes road improvements, walkers should be aware of unfinished sidewalks and that construction equipment might be in the way. Please consider allocating additional time to your commute for the first week of school. Traffic on Madbury Road is currently limited to one lane traveling north between Garrison Avenue and Edgewood Road, and it won't be possible to turn left on Madbury Road from Bagdad Road. 

We have prepared a transportation and safety video for middle and high school families. I encourage you to take a few minutes to view the video as it contains essential information to ensure the safety of students.  
 
Cell Phones in Schools 
The district has reviewed its cell phone policies and procedures to conform to the state’s new “bell-to-bell” cellphone ban in schools. Additional information will be provided by principals. 
 
ParentSquare Communications 
You may expect to receive district and school communications in ParentSquare. Starting in August, ParentSquare direct messages, classroom posts, and school-wide posts will transition to 10-digit numbers while district messages, digests, and alerts will still come from the 5-digit number. This transition is part of an industry-wide requirement from all mobile carriers to help text messages be delivered reliably and avoid being flagged as spam. 
 
Parents and guardians can save these numbers in their contacts, and those who have not yet registered their account should do so to gain access to all functionalities, such as the ability to access attachments. You may also update your notification settings to choose how to receive our messages. Additional information may be found on the district’s website. 
 
Free & Reduced Lunch Program 
ORCSD's Free & Reduced Lunch program information may be found here. To continue receiving free or reduced meals for the 2025-2026 school year, your application must be received by October 11, 2025. 
 
School Board Meetings and Schedule 
Information about the ORCSD School Board meeting schedule, agendas and minutes are available online. Meetings are livestreamed on the ORCSD Streaming channel, and previous meeting recordings are made available on the ORCSD YouTube channel.