We are excited to share the October edition of The Nanuet News with you!

This month, our Golden Spotlight shines on Nathan Mendler, a Nanuet Senior High School senior whose fantastic Eagle Scout project has added a special feature to the Outdoor Education Center. His StoryWalk is an interactive way to “walk (or run)” through a storybook, and our Highview students were thrilled to explore it. We’re grateful to the many Eagle Scouts who have contributed to the district over the years—projects like Ronnie Peralta’s Simple Machines Stations, installed last school year at the Highview Upper Playground, continue to enrich learning for our youngest Knights.

We’re also proud of the many community service activities our Golden Knights engage in throughout the Nanuet community. These connections are vital to our students’ success, helping them grow as engaged citizens. We appreciate these essential partnerships and the meaningful opportunities they bring to our schools.

Sincerely,

Lisa Brady, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Welcome to the first Golden Spotlight of the 2024-25 school year! This month, we’re heading over to the Outdoor Education Center to check out the brand-new StoryWalk. This special addition to the OEC was created by Nanuet Senior High School student Nathan Mendler as part of his Eagle Scout project.

The sweet sound of success can be heard throughout the halls of the district. The Nanuet music program has been selected by the New York State School Music Association to receive their Presidential Citation Award. Presented annually at the NYSSMA All-State conference held in Rochester, the honor is bestowed upon a member school district that acts as a “model for music education programs in New York State.” Read about it in our Facebook post.

Golden Knights took to the polls this month for a district-wide “Kids Vote.” The election, held alongside the Nanuet Library’s bond vote, allowed students to decide on the next library pet and the outcome of a school proposition. “We always try to create real-life experiences," said Barr principal Michelle O’Sullivan. “This is the perfect opportunity for our students to take part in a civic duty with their families.” Read more in our Facebook post.

Watch your step! Members of the freshman class navigated a “Mindful Minefield” as part of a grade-wide wellness day filled with DBT-based workshops and health lessons. There were also presentations on safety at home (Nanuet EMS) and online (CANDLE). Additionally, members of VAASA spoke with the Class of 2028 about the importance of getting involved in the school community. Read more in our Instagram post.

The Middle School Knights traded gold for orange on October 16 in recognition of National Unity Day. October is recognized across the country as National Bullying Awareness Month, and ‘Unity Day’ was created by PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center (NBPC) to “unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.” Read more about what the day entails and see pictures of our students creating a school-wide art project in our Instagram post.

Welcome to Wonder Girls! Now in its second year at A. MacArthur Barr Middle School, Wonder Girls is a New York and New Jersey-based after-school program for middle and high school girls, offering workshops that build confidence, leadership, and business skills. Founded in December 2020, Wonder Girls creates a safe space for girls to express themselves, address challenges, and grow into future leaders. Read more about the program.

As we told you last month, Highview Elementary has been selected by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence as a 2025 RULER Spotlight School. An anchor of RULER is the classroom charter. Think of it as a promise or agreement between classmates and teachers, indicating how they want to feel when they are together and the ways they can achieve their goals. Check out our Facebook post to see what it means to be a Spotlight School.

Drum “roll” please! Now introducing the Highview Elementary Library’s “Rolling into Fall” character contest. For the second year in a row, Highview students rolled up their sleeves and crafted their favorite literary character from paper rolls for the chance to win a new book and have their artwork displayed at the school. Check out our Facebook post to see some of their amazing creations.

Let’s salsa! Not sure how? How about we step over to George W. Miller where the 2D class got a lesson from ENL teacher Ms. Mobray. “Dancing salsa is like walking forward and backward,” Mobray told students before pumping the sounds of Tito Puente through the Smart Board. Puente, known as the godfather of salsa, was the centerpiece of the Hispanic Heritage Month discussion and activity. Read more in our Instagram post.

Chromebooks! It’s the moment our George W. Miller Elementary kindergartners have been patiently waiting for—their first day with their very own devices. Over the past month, Instructional Technology Facilitator Daniel Lennane has been visiting Miller’s kindergarten classrooms to introduce our young learners to the basics of their Chromebooks and how they’ll be used for instruction. Read more in our Facebook post.

Apples in autumn - a New York favorite. In an expansion of what they have been learning in the classroom, several of our ENL students and teachers visited the Outdoor Education Center this month to make apple crisps. Students have been reading and writing about comparing natural and processed foods, as well the farm-to-table restaurant concept, embraced by the district, creating a wonderful hands-on learning opportunity. Learn more.

Survey says?! Nanuet Senior High School’s AP Environmental Science class visited the Outdoor Education Center this month to survey the land and record the plant species found on the grounds. Led by their teacher, Mr. Singh, the biogeography lab demonstrated that “even small losses or transformations of habitat can result in a loss of biodiversity, contributing to local or global species extinction.” See pictures here.

The OEC is the perfect setting for our district's students to take part in grade-wide team building activities days. This month, the eighth grade class, fifth grade class and first grade class stepped out of the classroom and into the sunshine for days filled with activities, games and mindful moments. Read more about it in our Facebook and Instagram posts.

Thank you to our #NUFSD Board of Education! Ahead of School Board Recognition Week, the board was honored with song during the October 8 meeting. School Board Recognition Week, led by the New York State School Boards Association, aims to promote awareness and understanding of the important work performed by local school boards. Read more about the meeting and the performances by the Nanuet Music Department.