Dear NIS Families,

Although March has a reputation for being a "long" month I am definitely not feeling that way this year. It seems that we hit March running and have a lot going on in our NIS school life. Students and staff are back after a week off feeling refreshed and ready to jump back into routines, curriculum and some extra events.

A few highlights for this month are:

1. This Thursday (March 7th) evening we will be hosting the Multicultural Literacy Night from 5:30-6:30 pm at NIS. Students will have many interactive activities to participate in and opportunities to see or listen to various community presentations as well. We look forward to welcoming you to this event and I look forward to continuing to meet and get to know families better.

2. Next week we will be hosting a combined band/orchestra/chorus program at NIS on Tuesday (March 12th) evening beginning at 7:00 pm. All are welcome to come and listen to our students regardless of whether your child is participating.

3. Next Wednesday, March 13th is a half day of school for students with a dismissal at noon.

4. We will be celebrating "World Down Syndrome Day" on Thursday, March 21st with a whole school meeting and by asking students and staff to wear mismatched socks in support of the day.

5. We are also gearing up for MCAS testing to begin on April 1st so students will have opportunities to participate in some practice test sessions and continue their curriculum work to prepare for these important assessments. Please make sure to review the dates below to know when your child(ren) will be testing as it is important to have students in school for those days.

6. Lastly, report cards and progress reports will be posted at the end of the month and sent home the following week.

Also, a quick reminder that we "spring ahead" this weekend for Daylight Savings time so please be sure to change your clocks and adjust your schedules.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming March events.

Sincerely,

Ms. Becky Janda

NIS Principal

Reminder! Students need to be dressed and prepared for the weather when they come to school. Coats need to be worn when it is cold outside.

Please reach out to our guidance department if you need assistance.

Rachel Foulkes, foulesr@npsk.org

Katie Manchester, manchesterk@npsk.org

Each spring all districts in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts participate in Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System or more commonly known as MCAS testing.

This testing is extremely important for all students to participate and for schools to review the results to ensure that we remain accountable for all students, regardless of level of need or demographic having an opportunity to succeed and grow. Therefore it is essential that all students are present to take the tests. In an effort to help families plan ahead we are sharing the testing dates so that as much as possible students will be present to participate on the same day as their grade level peers.

Please take a look at the dates and note them on your calendars as well.

All visitors must check in at the front office upon arrival at the school.

During school hours, visitors are required to exchange an ID for a visitors badge. You may not enter the school without a valid form of ID.

IDs may be retrieved at the end of the visit when the visitor badges are returned.

Welcome back from Winter Break!

I hope you are all recharged and ready for Spring. This Saturday, March 9th, is Daylight Savings time and that means we “spring ahead” one hour. That means we are losing an hour of sleep. The connection between sleep and health is very real according to the National Sleep Foundation. Getting enough sleep is critical to the students growing and learning. Check out the link below to see how many hours you and your students need to be most successful in work/school. Establishing good sleep habits is also important to getting a good night’s sleep. Have a set schedule for bedtime. Getting outside in natural light and exercising daily. Limiting the use of electronics and turning them off one hour before bedtime all help to get the brain ready for sleep. There is a correlation between the foods you eat and how they affect your sleep. What and when you eat can make a difference in the quality of your sleep. Check out the link at the bottom.

Chart on hours of sleep per age

Sleep Tips

Foods and Sleep

Due to the recent uptick in Measles cases recently in the United States, I wanted to share some information from our website. If your student is not vaccinated against Measles, please see your Doctor/Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant, to get them up to date on their immunizations.

Measles is a highly contagious viral respiratory disease that begins with a high fever, as much as 104 degrees F. Other symptoms include cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a rash. The rash consists of tiny, red spots that start at the head and spread to the rest of the body. Measles can be a dangerous disease for anyone, but especially for babies, young children, and those whose immune system is compromised. Complications from measles include ear infections, pneumonia, and encephalitis. Children younger than 5 years and adults over 20 years are more likely to suffer complications. Measles is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can linger in the air or on a surface for up to 2 hours, so a person can become infected without direct contact with someone who has the measles. A person infected with measles is contagious four days before the rash occurs until four days after the onset of the rash.

Measles can be prevented with the MMR vaccine. This vaccine protects against not only measles, but also, mumps and rubella. The vaccine is very effective in preventing the spread of measles and very few cases have been reported in the U.S. In countries where people are not vaccinated, measles is still common and the disease spreads rapidly. Because it is extremely contagious, 90% of unvaccinated people in contact with an infected person will become ill with this virus.

Measles Vaccination: The CDC recommends that all children get two doses of MMR vaccine. The first dose is administered between 12 months and 15 months of age. The second dose is given between the 4th and 6th birthday. The second dose can be given earlier, as long as it is at least 28 days after the first dose.

Mandated requirements in the case of measles:

For Case and Symptomatic Contacts - Exclude student/staff through 4 days after onset of rash. (Count the day of rash onset as day zero.)

For asymptomatic contacts – If one case of measles: exclude susceptibles from work or classes from the 5th through the 21st day after their exposure. If multiple cases or continuous (two or more days) exposure: exclude susceptibles through the 21st day after rash onset in the last case.

These restrictions remain even if the contact received immune globulin (IG).These mandates are in place to protect the health and well-being of all school and community members. As a public school we are required to follow these regulations and all children without two MMR vaccinations will be excluded from school if a case of measles is reported.

Stay Safe and Stay Healthy,

Nancy Small RN NCSN

Get ready for the April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse!

​​The eclipse may overlap with dismissal for many Massachusetts schools. We recommend preparing students to safely experience the eclipse. Comprehensive information related to the eclipse is available on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Schools new eclipse resource site.

• ​Visit NASA’s website for a comprehensive information about the eclipse.

• ​Free eclipse glasses for families! Solareclipse.us is sponsoring 1 free pair of glasses per household. You will need to order by February 8th, 2024 to allow time to ship. Your local library may also have glasses or other resources.

There have been several unsafe conditions created with cars coming into the Surfside Road parking lot to drop off or pick up children. This is NOT the correct location for drop off or for pick up. Please ONLY use the Backus Lane entrance/exit to reach the drop off/pick up circle.

Nantucket Elementary / Intermediate School

LIP SYNC CONCERT

Friday April 26, 2024 at 6:00 pm

Nantucket High School Auditorium

Gather a group of friends and put on a fun filled show to help raise money for our Student Activity Accounts!

The Student Activity Accounts support students at every grade level.

Funds are used for such things as Literacy Night, financial assistance for field trips,

bringing in guest speakers and performers, and playground equipment.

All monies raised during our annual Lip Sync event will go directly to these accounts!

What is a Lip Sync? A group of students sing (well, pretend to sing) and dance on stage in costumes to a song.

Who can participate? NES/NIS students in groups of 5 or more students.

It is our hope that every student who wants to participate is given the opportunity to do so.

In the spirit of friendship and cooperation, please accept students into existing groups and discourage students from excluding anyone. Students should only participate in one group. Each group must have one designated parent representative who is responsible for coordinating the group’s routine and practice schedule, attending the dress rehearsal and keeping other parents in the group informed.

How do I sign up? Each group must complete one sign up sheet.

It is the responsibility of the parent representative to return the sheet to the main office, with their group members’ names and grades by Friday March 22, 2024. Members may be added after this date, but new groups may not be formed. The parent representative will be contacted after submission with a list of FAQ’s.

Sign up early! Event is limited to the first 20 acts!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• Wednesday, January 31 - 5:30 pm in the NES Cafe. Mandatory information meeting for any potential parent representatives

• Friday, March 22 - Deadline for submitting the sign up sheet

• Friday, April 5 - Participant ticket orders are due

• Monday, April 8 General Admission tickets go on sale

• Wednesday, April 24 - 4:00-6:00 Dress Rehearsal at NHS auditorium

• Friday, April 26 - 6:00 pm - Lip Sync Concert at NHS auditorium

Ticket sales information coming soon!

NES/NIS Lip Sync Guidelines 2024

Ticket Sales

∙ The parent representative and their group will receive free admission. Each student participating will have the opportunity to purchase up to 4 tickets each prior to general public ticket sales for friends and family.

∙ Participant tickets come with priority seating and must be purchased by April 5, 2024.

∙ The parent representative is responsible for distributing ticket order forms to their group members.

∙ Individual group members are responsible for submitting their ticket order forms to the front office at NES/NIS April 5, 2024.

Song Choice

∙ Songs must be appropriate for elementary school age children. Kidzbop has an extensive library of popular pop songs that are age appropriate. If you are unsure about your song choice, this is a great option!

∙ Groups will be notified if their song choice is not acceptable or of any duplicate song choices.

∙ Due to time constraints, each song will be limited to 3 minutes in length. We will provide you with an edited version of your song. It is important that groups are practicing with the edited version of the song to avoid confusion at the time of the performance.

∙ Please send a mp3 file of the exact version of the song you will be using to: Kara Evans at evansk@npsk.org

March 5 - School Committee at 6pm

March 7 - Multicultural Literacy Night

March 12 - NIS Band/Chorus/Orchestra Concert at 7:00 PM

March 13 -

• Early Release at 12pm
• FONPS Meetings at 6pm

March 14 - Joint School Council

March 19 - School Committee at 6pm

March 20 - ACK-SEPAC Meeting at 6pm

March 22 - Trimester 2 Ends

March 29 - Report Cards Posted

Nantucket Clothes Drive!

Drop off at the CPS Lobby

Collecting March 18 - April 5

All clothes go to support cradles to crayons. Powered by Project 351 and it's Nantucket Ambassador Robert Graves.

¡Colecta de ropa en Nantucket!

Dejar en el vestíbulo de CPS

Recogida del 18 de marzo al 5 de abril

Toda la ropa va desde cunas hasta crayones. Impulsado por el Proyecto 351 y su embajador de Nantucket, Robert Graves.

Traducido por Google.

Unidade de roupas de Nantucket!

Desembarque no lobby do CPS

Coleta de 18 de março a 5 de abril

Todas as roupas vão para berços de apoio aos lápis de cor. Desenvolvido pelo Projeto 351 e pelo Embaixador de Nantucket, Robert Graves.

Traduzido pelo Google.

Нантакет Одежда Драйв!

Выйдите в вестибюль CPS.

Сбор 18 марта – 5 апреля

Вся одежда идет на подставки для колыбелей для мелков. Работает на базе Проекта 351 и его посла в Нантакете Роберта Грейвса.

Переведено Google.

At NIS students are NOT ALLOWED to bring in food items to celebrate their birthday with their class. This was instituted pre-COVID due to the number of children with food allergies and due to our responsibility with promoting healthy bodies. You wouldn't believe the number of cupcakes that would come into the school each year!

We would like to encourage you to donate a birthday book to your child's classroom library in honor of their birthday. Other acceptable ideas include bringing in a special pencil or decal for everyone in the class if that's preferred.

Thank you for not sending your child to school with food items for the class to celebrate their birthday.

NPS Vision Draft

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

NPS Mission Draft

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.

NPS Core Values Draft

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

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

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

• 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.

30 Surfside Road

Nantucket, MA 02554

Telephone: 508-228-7290

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