Students are laughing at talking during lunchtime in the cafeteria

"Rivendell is small. It's different. They encourage you to be creative."

- Allison, Class of 2018

Rivendell Academy is the middle and high school for students from Fairlee, West Fairlee and Vershire, Vermont and Orford, New Hampshire. We also have students from other Vermont and New Hampshire towns including Corinth, Piermont, Warren, Lyme, Newbury and Bradford.

We value a rigorous and engaging education for all students, prioritizing student thinking, projects, collaboration, creativity, interdisciplinary learning and communication.

Thank you for visiting our website! Please read our principal's welcome letter to students, our academic program, and explore other sections of our website to learn about clubs and sports, travel opportunities, Projects and Critical Exploration (a student-driven inquiry model of classroom discussion and learning), the theater program, the Advisory program, Summer Reading, and traditions like Winter Carnival, and more.

The Mission of the Rivendell Interstate School District is to foster the intellectual, social and personal development of its students. Our goal is that they will become life-long learners, positive contributors to their communities, and positive healthy adults.

5/30/2025

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are writing to let you know that Rivendell Middle School recently completed testing for lead in drinking water. This is part of an ongoing effort related to New Hampshire state law RSA 485:17-a, which requires school and child care facilities to test for lead in drinking water and to act when lead is found at levels at or above 5 parts per billion (ppb).

Lead is a toxic heavy metal that has a range of adverse health effects if inhaled or swallowed. Lead rarely occurs naturally in New Hampshire’s drinking water sources (groundwater or surface water) and typically enters drinking water due to the wearing away of piping, faucets, fixtures and other plumbing materials.

Because lead is tasteless, odorless and colorless in drinking water, testing is the only way to learn whether lead is present. It is important to sample each faucet or water fountain that is used for drinking or food prep because test results can vary between locations.

During recent testing, we collected samples from 16 drinking water outlets (e.g., drinking fountains, classroom faucets, kitchen sinks), with 1 sample testing at or above 5 ppb, the level where action must be taken.

We have removed access to these outlets until the problem can be corrected. The table below shows a list of all the tested outlets, their locations, sample results and our planned remediation.

Outlet Number Location Sample Result (ppb) Planned Remediation
19     Room 2158 Bathroom Faucet      6.17      No drinking sign and replace faucet and retest     
                

All sample results and additional resources from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) can be viewed at gettheleadoutnh.org.

Sincerely,                                                                                                 

Bruce Taylor

Director of Operations 

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