@NipmucRegional

The countdown is on to the start of a new school year! We are excited to welcome back our students. Although we will miss seeing everyone walk through the doors on the first day of school, we are thrilled to welcome them back virtually on Wednesday, September 16.

This Wednesday, September 16 will be our first day of remote learning, students will be following our remote schedule for Wednesdays. We have included an image of Nipmuc’s remote schedule below.

On September 9, we released all student schedules for the upcoming year. As we adjust to the phased return to school, we will benefit from the implementation of the 4x4 schedule in which students will take four courses per semester and eight courses over the course of the year. You can find information about the schedule release and the adjustment to the new schedule at the buttons below.

If students have questions about their schedule, they should complete this form (using their MURSD Google account) to communicate with their school counselor.

Additionally, we have included a printable template and an editable digital template for students to write/type in their classes to create a customized schedule.

Teachers will be reaching out to welcome their students with an email prior to the end of the day on Tuesday, September 15. As part of that communication, they will share information regarding their Google Classroom as well as accessing their Zoom room for online classes.

Additionally, on Tuesday we will share a quick reference list for teacher Google Classroom codes. This will make it simple for students to join their teachers’ Google Classroom accounts where they will find links to their virtual classrooms, class announcements, assignments, and more.

A feature of this year’s schedule is the WIN (What I Need) block which takes place each Wednesday for approximately 30 minutes. The WIN block provides an opportunity for clubs and activity meetings, class meetings, advisory sessions, extra help, and more. On the first day of school, students do not have a designated location for their WIN block. This is a great opportunity to take a quick screen break, grab a snack, and get ready to meet their next two sets of students and teachers.

Mr. Clements and Mrs. Moran will be available for virtual office hours with students during WIN block from 9:20 - 9:52am on the first day of school to answer any questions or simply say hello to students. Students will receive a link to the office hours session on Wednesday morning.

Please be aware that there are some teachers that will be working remotely this school year. In most cases, these teachers were paired with students in the stand-alone remote program. There are some courses that will be taught remotely even when students return to school in the hybrid or full-in person. Students who are enrolled in these courses will report to a classroom with their classmates and have access to their teacher virtually during the block in their schedule. Courses that are remote for the year are noted in PowerSchool with a room number that is followed by "r". For example, B302r would be a course that is being taught remotely (even if the district is within the hybrid or in-person models).

Now that schedules are being finalized, teachers of Advanced Placement courses will be reaching out to students taking an AP course during semester 1 via email to share any pre-work/”summer work” expectations. Teachers have been asked to modify and/or streamline these assignments to ensure they are able to be accomplished in the upcoming weeks.

We are looking forward to welcoming our new students on Tuesday, 9/15. All participants should have received an email from Amy Buzzell confirming their arrival time. (Confirmation emails were sent to the email address that was used to complete the registration form.) In the past we have been able to include parents and guardians in this fun event. Unfortunately, due to the health crisis, this year’s orientation will only include the students. When students arrive on campus, we ask that they make their way to the courtyard at the back of the building where our session will begin.

We have organized a variety of outdoor activities to provide a safe introduction to Nipmuc. We will also provide small-group tours of the school so that students can get to know their new home away from home. Please be reminded that everyone needs to wear a mask when on campus.

Students who have outstanding obligations for the 2019-2020 school year received an email yesterday (9/10) with specific information about their obligations. It is important that any books and/or materials from last year are returned to Nipmuc as soon as possible so that they can be distributed to this year’s students. If you have any questions about obligations, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Debbie Manzella in the main office at 508-529-2130.

We are currently making preparations for our upcoming athletic season. Included below are some important updates about virtual team meetings for each sport.

• Girls Cross Country (Coach Townsend): Monday, September 14 at 6pm (Click here for meeting.)

• Field Hockey (Coach D’Amato) Tuesday, Sept 15 at 5pm. (Click here for the meeting).

• Girls Soccer (Coach Vidal): Tuesday, Sept 15 at 6:30pm. (Click here for the meeting.)

• Boys Soccer (Coach Hadfield): Tuesday, Sept 15 at 7:00pm (Click here for meeting. Passcode: Nipmuc)

• Golf (Coach Cody): Tuesday, Sept 15 at 8:00pm (Click here for meeting.)

• Boys Cross Country (Coach Auger): Thursday, Sept 17 at 7pm (Click here for meeting.)

If you are unable to attend your meeting please reach out to your respective coach via email (linked above).