The Common

Dear Nashoba Community,

Next Thursday, October 10, 2024, Spring 2024 MCAS Parent/Guardian Reports will be mailed home to families. The MCAS Parent/Guardian Report provides families with their child’s results from the Spring 2024 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science and Technology/Engineering, where applicable.

The MCAS assessment is designed to measure performance based on the Massachusetts curriculum standards and to report the performance and progress, or growth, of individual students, schools, and districts over time. It is important to remember that the MCAS assessment represents only one measurement of achievement. Information about your child’s achievement in the MCAS Parent/Guardian Report should be considered alongside other assessments. At Nashoba, we have multiple assessment data measures to support our understanding of student learning needs.

As we look ahead, we will continue to work towards continual improvement for all students. We see parents as critical partners in the success of our students and school, and we are grateful for the continued support of our families. The following site contains resources that may be helpful: MCAS Resources for Parents and Guardians.

Peace,

Kirk Downing (He/Him)
Superintendent

Nashoba Regional High School is proud to offer two Innovation Pathways: Business & Finance and Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing. These pathways are designed to give students hands-on learning experiences through internships, capstone projects, and technical and advanced level coursework, while partnering with local employers to expose students to high-demand careers. The goal is to help students build practical skills and make informed decisions about their futures. To learn more check out our Innovation Pathways website!

In this inaugural year, the program is off to a strong start and has generated high interest among students. Building on this success, we are excited to explore the addition of a third pathway: the Information Pathway! This pathway would dive into industries focused on producing and distributing information and cultural products, transmitting these products, and processing data. Key areas include broadcasting, publishing, digital media creation, computer science, and data processing.

To ensure the Information Pathway aligns with student interests and community needs, we are inviting families with Nashoba students in Grades 6-10 to speak with their children and complete our brief survey. The survey is open until Friday, October 11th, 2024.

Nashoba Associated Boards of Health will be holding flu shot clinics across Massachusetts throughout the month of October! Click below for a full list of locations, times and dates. Locally, clinics will be held at the Pompositticut Community Center in Stow on Saturday, 10/19, and at NRHS on Thursday, 10/24. All appointments will require pre-registration. Please note that the NRHS clinic will not have the Covid vaccine available. All locations offering the Covid vaccine along with the flu shot are marked with two stars here.

Helpful Information! You can now order four additional over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for free. These tests are intended for use throughout the 2024 holiday season to detect currently circulating COVID-19 variants. More information can be found at COVIDtests.gov.

As cold and flu season gears up, remember that Nashoba’s Respiratory Illness Guidance remains the same. You can find more details here. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact your school nurse.

The Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) will hold its next business meeting on Tuesday, October 8th from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. This virtual meeting is open to all families and caregivers interested in learning more about SEPAC initiatives and supporting students receiving special education services. You can join via Google Meet using the video call linked here, or dial in using the following phone number: (US) +1 267-483-7909‬ PIN: ‪210 132 802‬#. We hope to see you there!

Join Samantha Lavallee, OTR/L, a pediatric occupational therapist and feeding therapist on October 16th at 7:00pm, to discover ways to support your children in building a positive connection with their food while minimizing the stress that often comes with mealtime. Register here.

NESCA's Director of Transition Services Kelley Challen, Ed.M., CAS, will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, October 30th, at 6:00 PM, geared towards learning about IEP transition planning and the most important skills to develop while students are still in middle and high school. Participants will learn about key concepts for transition planning, including visioning and postsecondary goals, requirements for transition services, basics of transition assessment, and critical elements of an effective transition planning process. This workshop is especially relevant at this time as student involvement in transition planning and services are much more prominently featured in the new MA DESE IEP. Register Here.

The pre-kindergarten students and teachers have settled into their routines after the first several weeks of school. The district's new five day model across all three towns has been highly praised by families, and the students are enjoying being in school.

We have a handful of spots remaining in our half day and full day integrated pre-kindergarten programs for students who are 3 and 4 years old. Please reach out to Kristen Ryan, Director of Early Childhood at kryan@nrsd.net for more information.

The Department of Early Childhood Education is hosting FREE fun-filled weekly playgroups designed for caregivers and children to learn and explore together! During each session, you and your child can enjoy open play time with optional centers like crafts, painting, playdough, dollhouses, cars, blocks, and water play. We’ll also have a brief circle time featuring music, movement, and a short story, with outdoor play when the weather allows. Plus, it's a perfect opportunity to connect with other parents in the community.

Dates and Locations:

Stow Playgroup

Location Pompositticut Community Center, 803 Great Road, Stow

Mondays, 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Bolton Playgroup

Location: Emerson Building, FSS, 50 Mechanic Street, Bolton

Thursdays, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Lancaster Playgroup

Location: Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road, Lancaster

Fridays, 9:00 - 10:30 AM

Celebrating everyday greatness! Is there a Nashoba teacher or staff member out there who you think deserves some special recognition? Send a Nashoba Notable Award their way! Fill out the form below and thank a Nashoba employee today!

Nashoba Notable Awards thank Nashoba employees for supporting students, families, and their school communities in all ways great and small.

Employees will receive a certificate that includes a brief explanation from the nominator of why they are Nashoba Notable. This form is open to everyone. Students, families, staff and community members can send a Nashoba Notable Award to any Nashoba employee.

There is no limit to the number of Nashoba Notable Awards someone may receive. Thank a Nashoba employee today!

Click here to tell someone they are Nashoba Notable!

Our new literacy curriculum in action!

Students in Mrs. Sabra's Center School classroom participated in a turn and talk to quote accurately from the text and to make connections between Chapters 4-6 of Esperanza Rising.

Members of a local business met with the high school's Marketing and Community Partnerships class to collaborate on creating an internal website for their employees.

Seventh Grade students at FSS got some fresh air and enjoyed Nature on Wheels!

This week, students across the district explored a variety of new digital tools to enhance their understanding and engagement in learning!

LBMS students drew models of the breakdown of citric acid, baking soda, and water into a gas in a recent Chemical Reactions unit, where they were asked, "How they could make something new that was not there before?"

Second grade students at MRE were hard at work diving into a reading lesson!

Progress continued this week at NRHS!