CPS Parent Update

CPS Parents & Guardians,

Please review the June calendar below and make some notes in your own planners - there are many events scheduled for our last month of the year!

Sorry, no Video Version this week.

Thank you,

CPS Admin Team

Michael Horton - Principal

Adriene Lombardi - Assistant Principal

Tracy Mailloux - Assistant Principal

May 31, 2023 - Wednesday - Special Olympics

June 1, 2023 - Thursday - CPS Musical - 7pm - MPW Auditorium

June 2, 2023 - Friday - CPS Musical - 7pm - MPW Auditorium

June 3, 2023 - Saturday - CPS Musical - 7pm - MPW Auditorium

June 4, 2023 - Sunday - CPS Musical - 2pm - MPW Auditorium

June 5-7, 2023 - Monday-Wednesday - Lynx Sails for Grade 8

June 6, 2023 - Tuesday - School Committee - 6:00pm - NHS LGI

June 7, 2023 - Wednesday - FONPS Meeting - 6pm

June 7, 2023 - Wednesday - Chorus Concert - 7pm - MPW Auditorium

June 8, 2023 - Thursday - Grade 6 Scavenger Hunt - ACK Historical District

June 9, 2023 - Friday - PLTW Cardboard Boat Race - 11am - NHS Pool

June 9, 2023 - Friday - Multi-Language Parent Advisory Committee Meeting - 6pm

June 16, 2023 - Friday - Grade 6 Community Service Day

June 16, 2023 - Friday - Grade 7 Field Day

June 19, 2023 - Monday - Juneteenth Holiday - No School

June 20, 2023 - Tuesday - Jump-Up Day

June 20, 2023 - Tuesday - School Committee - 6:00pm - NHS LGI

June 21, 2023 - Wednesday - Grade 6 Field Day

June 22, 2023 - Thursday - Grade 8 Field Day

June 23, 2023 - Friday - Grade 8 Promotion Ceremony - 9am - MPW Auditorium

June 23, 2023 - Friday - Last Day of School for CPS

It is almost time for our 6th and 7th graders to pick their encores for next year.

8th grade students have already been meeting with Mrs. Pellegrino to select their courses for NHS next year.

With report cards being published on 3/31/23, just a reminder that the most recently published report card dictates athletic eligibility for students to participate in games/matches/meets for the spring. Students may participate in practices, but are ineligible to play in games/contests if they fail ANY subject at CPS. Students may appeal to the principal to be placed on an academic probation plan.

Students currently failing any course are also ineligible to play in CPS athletic games. contests, or matches until the student athlete's trimester averages are brought at or above a 60.

Students also need to be modeling good behavior and respect in school. Students who are suspended are not eligible to participate in games/matches/meets for the duration of the suspension (weekends if the suspension occurs on a Friday).

All school detentions must be served before practices and games (including an early dismissal for an away contest) and coaches reserve the right to 'bench' players for repeated disciplinary issues in school.

Please refer to the Whaler Student-Athlete Handbook or contact Mr. Horton directly with any questions:

hortonm@npsk.org

Please refrain from using the front driveway. That entrance must be kept clear for buses and emergency vehicles.

Parents should have received 'Welcome to Schoology' back in September. To log in, please go to:

Schoology

If you have forgotten your username and/or password, follow the prompts to reset it through the email you provided NPS when you registered your student.

Schoology is the platform CPS teachers use to share student grades and progress on homework, classwork, and other assignments. Report cards will stil be shared and printed through ASPEN, our student information database.

Any student wishing to get a FREE breakfast before school each morning, needs to enter the CPS building through the front office main doors. Office staff will give students a 'breakfast pass' to go to the NHS cafe. Students cannot enter through the back or CPS Courtyard doors. Anyone dropped off or arriving via bike or foot at the back of the building will need to walk around to the front main doors to get a 'breakfast pass'. The back CPS Courtyard doors do not open until 7:45am.

Breakfast is served from 7am to 7:45am in the NHS Cafe.

Electric bicycles continue to be a concern on our school campus. Dr. Hallett sent out an email and phone message recently banning E-Bikes 'indefinitely' from being ridden on the NPS Campus.

We cannot prevent students from operating around the island, but students MUST walk them on sidewalks as they approach the building and crowded areas. Students MUST wear helmets and obey traffic signs.

Please talk to your students about bicycle safety. Students will need to 'register' their E-Bikes with CPS administration to review these rules and where to park them on school property.

Students should not be carrying around medications at school. All medications need to be registered and subsequently administered within our CPS School Nurse office:

Camilla McGarvey

508-228-7283 x1405

Student Absences and Dismissals need to be shared with the CPS front office:

Kristen Holdgate

508-228-7283 (Option 2)

We have started to offer 'seconds' and beginning on 10/3 additional 'a-la-carte' items will be available for a fee during lunch. (ie: chips, fruit, and cookies for around a $1) Parents may want to consider depositing funds into their student's food account by either cash or check. Checks made payable to NPS Food Services. Students can bring funds to the CPS front office.

Here is a link to the Food Service department where you can find the annual Chartwell's 'welcome back' newsletter: NPS Food Services

Cover for teachers when absent by implementing sub plans.

$150/day

Opportunity for growth if interested in becoming a classroom teacher or teacher assistant. School involvement can also lead to tutoring options outside of school, club stipends, and coaching positions.

Please email hortonm@npsk.org if you are interested or know someone who is interested.

For their Silver Award, Girl Scout Troop 86110 received $1000 from the Nantucket Freemasons Lodge to construct and stock a Nurse Care Closet in the CPS Nurse Office. In memoriam, the closet has been dedicated to Sara Brooks. Thank you to NHS Construction Tech teacher, Michael Girvin, and his students for constructing the closet.

Yearbook Club - Ms.Minore

Games Club - Mr. Millen

Book Club - Mrs. McMahon

Morning News - Mr. Gonnella

Drama Club - Ms. Cutts

Student Council - Ms. Cutts & Ms. Gordon

Science Fair - Ms. Arnold

Students expressing themselves with vulgar and sexualized language has increased nationally since returning to school full-time after an extended time in isolation/remote learning. Overuse and an unhealthy dependence on technology along with lost time to interact in-person appropriately has led to exposure to several inappropriate Tik-Tok, Instagram, and You Tube videos/challenges.

We need help from home:

1) Talk to your student about inappropriate language. Even if they claim they aren't the ones swearing, ask them to speak up when someone else is being inappropriate.

2) Model polite language, and acknowledge it when you 'slip up' in front of your kids

3) Monitor your student's internet use and browsing of Instagram, Tik Tok, Snapchat, You Tube Shorts, etc... Do not let students have unsupervised access to technology at night.

Current consequences at CPS:

1) Teacher detention

2) Office detention

3) Saturday morning detention (8am to 12pm)

(We are using Saturday detentions to avoid in-school and out-of-school suspensions to keep students in their classes at school.)

Letters of apology and counseling may be included.

What else we are doing:

We are meeting with small groups of students during Friday morning extended homerooms to talk about inappropriate language and remind students of the expectations and consequences. We are forming a Student Conduct Committee that will include students from all three grades at CPS.

After relaxed enforcement during the 2020-2021 year due to ever-changing learning formats and schedules, contact-tracing, and required days absent for a Covid-19 positive test, we made a step back to enforcement last year through office detentions. This year we are back to full enforcement of our state mandated attendance and tardy policies this year. Please review these guidelines in our student handbook.

Student Handbook

Attendance (p.11)

Tardiness (p.41)

At 10 days tardy to school per TRIMESTER, students will start receiving after school 'office detentions' from 2:20pm to 2:50pm. After each additional 5 days late per trimester, students will receive another office detention. A parent meeting may be scheduled for repeat offenders. Massachusetts asks schools to meet with families of any student who is absent for any reason for more than 10% of a school year (18 days). We have on and off-island resources to help students who are struggling to get to school consistently.

We have a School Resource Officer (SRO) and School Counselors to assist with getting students to school on time.

Aspen generated 'form' letters will be automatically generated to families after 5 days tardy or absent, after 10 days tardy or absent, and after 15 days tardy or absent. These letters are emailed regardless of the reason. At the end of 180 days of school, however days missed (no matter what the reason) are school days missed. We are required to report this information to the state.

How are your student's grades?

Are they making up missed work?

Teachers are available after school for extra help Monday-Thursday. If students are struggling and have missed 10% of the year (18 days), then a meeting will be arranged to discuss options to get back on track: tutoring, extra help after school, summer school, or even the possibility of retention. Repeating a grade is RARE in middle school, but it is a last resort if students are simply not present for a substantial portion of the year and not completing required assignments.

As a reminder, please email Michael Horton to share the need for any extended family trips or travel. We will work with you on a plan for when your student returns to school.

hortonm@npsk.org

Barnstable County District Attorney's Office sponsored a webinar last year. Here is a link to another free webinar:

Middle Schoolers and Screens

School-wide student assembly was Monday, 10/17/22.

Please TALK to your kids about responsible use of their Smart Phone. The recording, photoshopping, and sharing of inappropriate images and videos is on the rise nationally and that includes CPS.

Instead of suspending a student in or out of school, we are utilizing Saturday morning detentions. Students miss instruction when they are suspended, so instead let's try adding a 6th school day for students to make up the class time that they missed due to being disruptive.

VISION: We commit to provide equitable, diverse, and inclusive learning experiences where every student and adult feels seen, heard, valued, and respected.

MISSION: Nantucket Public Schools, in partnership with a caring community, will create a dynamic and equitable learning environment which engages each of us to be inspired learners and responsible citizens, prepared to meet local and global challenges.

CORE VALUES: Nantucket Public Schools values collaboration, communication, and reflection that supports:

• Equitable access to multiple pathways for individual and collective success.

• Inclusive and sustained family relationships that respect all cultures and the experiences each child brings to our schools.

• Challenging ourselves to embrace and advocate for the needs of every student, adult, and family within our school community.

• High expectations and a student-centered educational approach that integrates academic progress, extra-curricular participation, personal responsibility, and community involvement.

CPS has adopted the district's vision, mission, and core values, but will be working on our own specific focus areas this year. Our school slogan is still 'Do The Right Thing' - not only a Spike Lee movie, but a reference to Cyrus Peirce's "Live to the Truth" motto. Please check out the NHA link and the book, Live to the Truth: The Life and Times of Cyrus Peirce, written by retired CPS teacher, Barbara White:

NHA Cyrus Peirce Link

Feedback and comments welcome to: hortonm@npsk.org

School Lunch Menu: https://npsk.nutrislice.com/menu

CPS is under 'Secondary' with the high school menu

Per the US Department of Agriculture, School Lunch will be FREE for ALL students for the third year in a row through June 2023.

Free breakfasts are available, too; must pre-order through Food Services director, Linda Peterson: petersonl@npsk.org

Parents must still call students in if they are sick and won't be attending school. This also applies if a student cannot make an afternoon class due to an appointment or other 'early dismissal'.

CPS School Council meets on the THIRD Thursday of every month at 3:00pm in the CPS cafe. We develop the School Improvement Plan, review the Student/Parent Handbook, and discuss monthly events, and hot topics at CPS.

Term ends 2023 - Erin Carson nantucketerin@gmail.com

Term ends 2023 - Pauline Cronin pollywollysuperdolly@hotmail.com

Term ends 2024 - Jessica Douglas jessicadouglas2145@gmail.com

Term ends 2024 - Annie-Kay Rose roseanniekay@yahoo.com

Term ends 2024 - Meg Browers megbrowers@gmail.com

Term ends 2024 - Stacy Montes stacy@greyladyins.com

In addition to the parents and community representation above, the CPS School Council also includes: one student representative from each grade, 4 CPS teachers, and the CPS Admin Team.

Up 2 students since the 5/15/23 update. Two new students enrolled at CPS last week.

Down 50 students since the June 22, 2022 report (431). We promoted a large class to the ninth grade (153) and welcomed a smaller class to grade 6 (102).

We are up 1 student to our starting enrollment of 380 on 9/6/22 - the first day of this school year.

Email: hortonm@npsk.org
Website: www.npsk.org
Location: 10 Surfside Road
Phone: (508)228-7283