NIS Weekly News
Nantucket Intermediate School - Oct. 26, 2020
Week One of Full Hybrid
Week one of having Cohorts A, B, and C in the building went well overall. The students were so excited and happy to be here and teachers took extra care to go over all of the school safety protocols and classroom expectations with all students again. We realize this was a shift for our at home learners as teachers devoted more of their time and attention to the in school learners, the majority of their students on any given day. They worked hard to set up playlists with a school day's worth of work for each day and included check-in times. This of course requires our students to work more independently than they have previously. Some students thrive with self-pacing their work while others struggle more with having this level of independence. Keep communicating with the classroom teacher and support staff about what is and isn't working. We will continue to collaborate with you to find that just right balance of support to promote the learning for all students.
Full Hybrid and Days Off
While remote learning provides the opportunity to work from anywhere, it is expected that our Cohort A, B, and C students are in school on their in school days. As there is less teacher/student synchronous time on remote days, the in person days become even more important for all of our learners. We cannot ask our teaching staff including specialists to further navigate making sure children who should be in school are receiving the same educational opportunities when families choose to miss in person days to be away. Educators' planned in person learning experiences many times cannot be replicated to support a child who will be out all week for a trip away. We will seek further guidance from the district about whether or not students will be considered absent if they do not come to school on their in person days, but in the meantime, please take these learning days seriously and send your child to school.
Respectfully,
Evemarie McNeil, Principal & Donna Johnson, Assistant Principal
NIS Virtual Open House Moved to November 12th
School Picture Days
Friday November 6 - Cohorts A & C
Cohort D will be contacted with a time for Friday.
Monday November 9 - Cohorts A & B
Picture Day ID: EVT4JN9Q8
Please Charge Chromebooks Each Night - Thank You!
Nantucket Boys and Girls Club - Welcoming Grades 1-5 !
They are offering this to all NES and NIS students with a cap of 120 members. Each grade will be assigned a staff leader. They will be open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11am - 6pm. Wednesday hours are 9 am - 5 pm.
11 am - 2 pm: Required school work at the Club. Students must bring their Chromebooks there and will get help with assignments.
2 pm - 6 pm: Regular Club activities.
No School November 2 and 3 District Staff PD Days
Arrival and Dismissal
- Students may not arrive to the building before 7:40 AM. 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders each have a designated meeting spot outside where teachers will meet them at 7:45 AM, rain or shine. Staff will be available to direct students to their designated areas. *Please remind your student to wear their mask and be physically distanced from others.
Dismissal:
- Walkers and bikers will be dismissed at 2:10 PM to allow students to safely be on their way before the busses and cars start to move. Others will dismiss after that.
Breakfast & Lunch Information
Breakfast and lunch will be available at no cost to any child who needs a breakfast or a lunch regardless of free/reduced status for the entire school year. Breakfast must be pre-ordered. The food truck is available Monday - Friday for meal pickup from 9:30am - 11:30am at NHS for remote learners.
From NIS Nurse Nancy
I want to give an update to the drive thru flu clinic. The hours are now Monday - Friday 2-5 pm
and Saturday 8-12 noon. As stated earlier, it is state mandated that all students get the flu
vaccine before 12/31/2020. It is not too early to get the vaccine.This year, more than ever, it is imperative that we protect ourselves against the flu. With Covid-19 still circulating, protecting ourselves against the flu will decrease the number of hospitalizations and lessen the illness if you were to get the flu. Our Nantucket Cottage Hospital makes it very convenient to get the flu vaccine. Why not take advantage of it? Please click on the link below from the CDC.
Reminder for Parents of 4th Graders:
Per Massachusetts state law, all fourth graders must have a new physical exam for the school year. If your student has had a physical in the past three months, please get a copy of it to me. If not, please make an appointment to get a yearly physical exam.
Thank you and stay healthy!
Nancy Small BSN, RN
Mask Wearing on School Grounds
Per health and safety requirements, our students will be required to wear masks all through their school day. There have been recent reports about which masks are safest to wear: "Of the 14 masks and other coverings tested, the study found that some easily accessible cotton cloth masks are about as effective as standard surgical masks, while popular alternatives such as neck gaiters made of thin, stretchy material may be worse than not wearing a mask at all." Click HERE for a link to that Washington Post article.
It will be important that students have had some practice wearing a face mask for longer periods of time just to get used to it. Here is a video to help your child learn about how to appropriately put on and wear a mask: For Kids - Masks for Older Kids We thank you for all you have done to keep our island safe through social distancing and wearing your masks when expected!
District and NIS Return to School Safety Protocols
NPS Return to School Protocols - Fall 2020
Draft NIS Family Handbook 2020-2021
- English: draft NIS Family Handbook 2020 - 2021
- Espanol: NIS Familia Manual 2020-2021
Tech Help Desk Access en Espanol
Video # 1
Steps for TECH HELP DESK REQUEST/Pasos para SOLICITAR AYUDA TÉCNICA
Loom | Free Screen & Video Recording Software — Watch Video
From the Town Culture and Tourism Department
COVID-19 Travel Order
Effective August 1, 2020, all visitors and returning residents entering Massachusetts must follow new travel orders. The Commonwealth has made great progress to slow the spread of COVID-19 and gradually re-open the economy, and all visitors have a responsibility to help us keep transmission levels as low as possible.
All visitors entering Massachusetts, including returning residents, who do not meet an exemption, are required to:
- Complete the Massachusetts Travel Form prior to arrival, unless you are visiting from a lower-risk state designated by the Department of Public Health.
- Quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72-hours prior to your arrival in Massachusetts.
If your COVID-19 test result has not been received prior to arrival, visitors, and residents must quarantine until they receive a negative test result.
Failure to comply may result in a $500 fine per day.
Please find more information, including the list of lower-risk states, exemptions, business guidance and other details at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order
For NPS District Information
Be sure to check the www.npsk.org website for specific District communications and updates.
Nantucket Intermediate School
Email: mcneile@npsk.org
Website: https://www.npsk.org/NIS
Location: 30 Surfside Road, Nantucket, MA, USA
Phone: 508-228-7290
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nantucketintermediateschool/
Twitter: @NISlearners