Nantucket Elementary School

Dear Families,

Happy April to all of you!! What is that expression? March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb? I am still waiting for the lamb. We have had some up and down weather recently, and we know this makes it hard for our students who really want to play outside. We encourage you to also find some time for your children to play outside. We always notice an uptick in inappropriate student behaviors when the weather prevents us from being outside and as we approach another vacation. We kindly ask for your assistance and cooperation in reminding your children to remember to use kind words, show kindness to others, and maintain personal boundaries. The overarching reminder is to treat others the way they would want to be treated.

Our March Trimester 2 Report Cards were shared with you in Aspen's student portals on Friday, March 28th. Teachers put the envelopes which held the hard copies of report cards, IEP progress reports, ELL reports, and interventionists reports into student backpacks on this same day. It is very important for you to review this document and talk with your child about it. The goal that we hope all children strive for and attain is to have 3's and S's in all categories. This means they are performing on grade level. When you talk with your children about their grades, celebrate their efforts and successes and make a plan to improve the scores that need to go up. If you have difficulty understanding anything on the report card, please reach out to your child's teacher. Kim Albertson and I are also more than willing to help you understand these documents.

Also last month, I electronically shared through Aspen, the parent placement letter. I will share the these below again. This is your opportunity to share information with me regarding appropriate peers for your child to be with next year, potentially peers that may not work, and type of teacher that you think would be best for your child. This is not the chance to request specific teachers for your children, as we cannot honor those.

LIP SYNC is coming quickly!! Participant tickets go on sale this Monday. Each student performer is allowed to purchase no more than 4 tickets for a special section in the MPW auditorium. As of 4/28, any unpurchased special section tickets will go up for general admission sale. The general admission tickets go on sale on Monday, 4/28. You can purchase these at the NES front desk. Tickets are $10.00 per person. The dress rehearsal will be on Wednesday, 5/7 from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm in the MPW Auditorium. Our final show will be on Friday, 5/9 at 6:00 pm in the MPW auditorium.

Finally, please see the flyer below regarding Teacher Appreciation Week, 5/5 - 5/9/25. For the last 4 years, NES School Council has taken up a collection to pay for lunch on the half day, 5/7, during Teacher Appreciation Week. We would welcome your generosity this year. Feel free to send in gift cards to 45 Surfside, checks made out to 45 Surfside, or cash to the front office of NES.

There is a lot here. Be sure to read the updates from our grade level teams and departments shared below. Lots of great things are happening!!

Thank you in advance for reading this and supporting our school!!

Best,

Kim Kubisch and Kim Albertson

Meri Lepore's Nurse's Corner

Now is a great time to start spending more time outdoors and less time in front of a screen for both children and adults. Below is a link to screen free week resources for families and individuals. They have some great ideas of books to read and activities to do instead of watching a television, ipad, phone or other screen. https://www.screenfree.org/resources-for-families-individuals/

The average school aged child spends 6-9 hours per day on screens, this is more than any other activity except sleep! Let's change this and keep our Nantucket children healthy!

As the weather gets warmer it is important to get into the habit of daily tick checks. We are all spending more time outside and the ticks are out there. Not only do we have deer ticks but also the lone star tick has been found on Nantucket. A bite from the lone star tick can cause an anaphylactic allergy to red meat in addition to other tick borne illnesses. Please be sure to do daily tick checks on your children.

There is a spike of Norovirus in the northeast. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain. Make sure everyone in your home is washing their hands after using the bathroom and prior to preparing food. Norovirus is extremely contagious. If your student is vomiting please do not send them to school until they have not vomited for 24 hours, this also applies to diarrhea.

Measles continues to spread in the country. Measles can cause pneumonia, encephalitis and even death. As of 3/31/25 there are 500 cases in the US. Measles is very contagious and 1 infected person will pass measles to 90% of their unvaccinated contacts. The virus is airborne and will continue to spread in a room for 2 hours after the infected person has left the room. I recommend everyone be aware of your vaccination status and make sure your family is protected.

If you are unsure of the vaccination status of your student, please feel free to contact me or your healthcare provider. If you or anyone in your family needs a booster or to be vaccinated, the Nantucket Cottage Hospital is having a free vaccine clinic on 4/12/2025 8am-3pm.

NCH Vaccine Clinic-English

NCH Vaccine Clinic -Spanish

NCH Vaccine Clinic -Russian

NCH Vaccine Clinic -Portuguese

Counselor's Corner

This month the counseling team continues to reinforce and teach the Problem-Solving Steps during our SEL lessons. These steps help students become skilled problem solvers which can result in fewer conflicts with peers. We are noticing that your children are really enjoying singing and dancing to the Problem Solving Song (attached below)! We encourage you to listen to this song with your child and we guarantee you will love it too!

Problem Solving Song

Problem-solving skills play a crucial role in children’s social and emotional health by encouraging them to think critically and come up with creative solutions, which are key skills for learning and everyday life. Developing these skills helps children become more independent and learn how to tackle challenges on their own rather than relying on others for answers.

Problem-solving helps kids build resilience and perseverance. They learn that challenges can be overcome and failure is part of the process, which boosts self-confidence and emotional intelligence. Teaching students how to identify, name problems, and apply different strategies to solve problems will help them be more successful inside and outside the classroom. In order to build upon these skills, we are teaching students how to use these steps when responding to playground exclusion, playing fairly on the playground, and handling name-calling. These are important lessons for your child because it will help them learn how to demonstrate assertiveness and generate solutions to problems.

When discussing problems with your child it is important to help them identify whether this is a little, medium, or big problem. A little problem is a problem that can be solved without any help. A medium problem is a problem that needs some help to be solved. A big problem is an emergency and needs lots of help to solve it. By identifying the size of the problem students can also see if their reactions match the size of the problem. Are there reactions little, medium or big? This will help build self-awareness and social awareness.

As parents and teachers we can’t always be there to solve every problem for our children. In fact, it’s best that we encourage and teach them to solve problems by themselves. Students with effective problem-solving skills will be able to better manage their emotions and persevere when encountering challenges.

We encourage you to discuss and practice these steps at home when you notice that your child has encountered a problem. Losing a toy or having a disagreement with a sibling can be a great opportunity for you to help your child say the problem and then come up with ideas to solve it.

Warmly,

Heidi Smith

Elementary School Counselor

smithh@npsk.org

Jenny Williams

Elementary School Counselor

williamsje@npsk.org

Madeleine Sybert

Elementary School Social Worker

sybertm@npsk.org

Prek Update

March flew by! We had a lot of fun trying to catch the leprechaun on St. Patrick’s Day reviewing some foundational skills and learning about rainbows, jungle animals and dinosaurs! We ended our month with a grade level dinosaur hunt and march! This month we are looking forward to learning about outer space, insects, planting & gardens, and Spring! We are hoping for the weather to cooperate so we are able to spend more time outside.

Kindergarten Update

Kindergarten is working on writing how-to books in writing. Some classrooms made how-to books about a snowman, pizza or peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, and they are writing out the steps across pages. We will soon move into animal research and a class focus to learn about a chosen animal. This spring kindergarteners are working hard each day to get better at their reading. When reading with a kindergartener, encourage them to read known sight words "in a snap" and to use phonics knowledge (letter sounds, digraphs, blends and vowel teams, etc.) to "sound out" the words. In math, kindergarteners work to deepen their understanding of addition and subtraction. To practice at home, create math story problems with everyday things- snacks, groceries, etc. For example: There were 5 cookies on a plate. Two got eaten. How many cookies are there now? We are also focused on building our place value with teen numbers to know that it is a group of ten and extra ones. Reminder: Kindergarten has NO SCHOOL on Wednesday, May 7th. It is the incoming students Getting to Know You Day. It is a half day for the rest of the district. Kindergarten's last day of school is Tuesday, June 17th, 2025.

First Grade Update

First graders are learning all about reading and writing words with vowel teams (ai, ay, oi, oy, ou, ow) and r controlled vowels (er, ir, or, ur) in Fundations. Our grade 1 authors are busy writing opinion pieces including topics like the best and worst animal, the best recess...indoor or outdoor, and the best holiday. This week kids are working hard at writing book reviews. They are stating their opinion and giving many reasons and adding lots of evidence to support their opinion! In math students are comparing numbers in story problems. Kids are drawing math pictures, using number lines, or 120 charts to find How Many More or How Many Fewer.

Second Grade Update

Happy Spring! As the weather is starting to get nicer, we hope that you are starting to enjoy more outside time. Activities such as playing at a playground, bike riding and exploring nature are so much fun on Nantucket! This month second graders are learning about measurement. Measurement is a skill that we will use for our whole lives so it’s very important to learn how to do it correctly! During class discussions, we will brainstorm measurement tools and real life examples of when we or someone we know has measured something. We even ask ourselves why don’t carpenters carry wooden rulers on jobsites? What tool do they use that is more helpful and easily carried around? Are there other jobs where you need to measure daily? Our new unit focuses on many skills including learning how to properly measure an object and comparing lengths. We will learn how to measure in inches and centimeters. We will explore the difference between the two units of measurement. Another important skill will be understanding that it takes more inches than feet. The same is true for centimeters and meters. For example, a bookshelf is about 36 inches. However, if you measure in feet the same bookshelf would be 3 feet long. At home, encourage your child to practice measuring household objects. Also, talk about times when you use measuring tools; at work or home. Also, we’d like to ask for your help in keeping personal items like toys, fidgets, and other non-school-related belongings at home. These items can be distracting for both the students who bring them and their classmates, and we want to ensure everyone can concentrate and have fun during class.

Specialists' Update

Greetings from the Science Labs,

Ms. Jami and Ms. Tornovish update the Science Lab website weekly. You’ll find our Science Newsletter here. We are excited to launch into our next modules! We hope you get outside and take in the nature we’re learning about.

Peace, laughter, and lots of learning from the lab,

Ms. Jami & Ms. Tornovish

News from Physical Education

The month of March in physical education has been filled with movement and manipulatives! K-2 students explored with manipulatives such as hula hoops, scarves, ribbon wands, and nerf balls while enjoying all kinds of movement: running, galloping, hopping, jumping, twisting, turning, stretching, balancing, etc. Students are asked to be creative in their movement and have fun!

Looking ahead to April, K-2 students will be busy working on their throwing and catching skills!

Thank you for your continued support helping your child come to physical education prepared with comfortable clothing (layers are best), sneakers, and a positive attitude.

Best,

Mrs. Beaudette

March Library News!

This month in the library, we explored books with themes of strength, courage, and resilience. We also welcomed spring by reading stories that celebrated all the wonderful things the season brings! In Kindergarten our students used their five senses to identify signs of spring: what we can see, hear, feel, smell, and even taste! First and second graders have started practicing with Mouse Practice and Typing Club. We are in the early stages of learning how to type on a keyboard and becoming familiar with the keys so that eventually, we won’t have to look down while typing! There are so many exciting things happening in the library this spring, stay tuned for more updates!

Warmly,

Mrs. Dew

A note on music class,

Our first and second graders have been practicing safe and creative movement through the activity "Do as I do," while our kindergarteners have had a blast collaborating to become a spinning machine! They even took a trip to Arioso land, where they ordered smoothies using their singing voices.

As we look ahead to the final chapter of this school year, you can expect to hear your second graders excitedly playing the recorder, while our kindergarten and first graders continue to develop their musicality with even more songs and games.

Thank you for your continued support in fostering our young musicians' growth!

Warm regards,

Roland Kinsman

News from the Art Room

The Nantucket Elementary School artists learned about pop art in March. We created lollipops out of model magic. We also learned about still life paintings. Each grade created a work of art based on different artists. First graders are finishing up daffodils that will be on display in the windows of the whaling museum for daffodil weekend.

Please look at your student’s virtual portfolios in Artsonia. This our school’s link to join: https://www.artsonia.com/connect/2F9NDCKF

Stay tuned for more amazing art in April!

Sincerely,

Miss Grant

Multilingual Learner Update

The ESL students in grades K,1 and 2 have been learning about different animals and animal habitats. Like true scientists, they are researching their favorite animal, writing interesting facts about it, and drawing illustrations.

Driving and Parking on the NES/NIS campus -

There are multiple signs in English and Spanish that say and show -NO STUDENT DROP OFF int eh First Way Lot. Remember you are modeling and teaching your students to not follow rules when you are dropping off in the back.

We have had several concerns shared regarding safety of students as they enter and exit the school recently. These concerns have been regarding parent drivers not following safety rules. These are listed below for your reference. We appreciate all of your anticipated efforts and required patience.

• NES will open in the morning at 7:35am. Students who are walking, biking or getting dropped off should go right to the doors (front one or the Kindergarten one) to come in and make their morning choice. Prek students line up outside in the front of the school.
• If parents wish to escort their child to the door, they must park their car in the Backus Lane parking lot ONLY.
• The parking lot off of First Way, behind the school is for staff only.
• All of the parking spots are assigned to staff or students at NHS.
• Parents and Guardians should not use that lot for any reason.
• This is a terrible place for students to be dropped off, this is not a drive through, and there is nowhere for any non permitted driver to park.
• Again, please stop driving in this lot. We are asking you to be a model for all children in the morning and the afternoon.
• Drive through drop off in the morning is permitted at the K and NES/NIS side entrances. This means parents stay in their car, and a staff member will open the passenger side door to help your child exit safely. Then, the car continues driving out the exit. This is for all students.
• Drive through pick up in the afternoon is permitted for all students grades 2-5 in the large circle between NES and NIS. This means parents stay in their car, and a staff member will oversee students entering cars. Then, the car continues driving out the exit.
• K and 1 students are met by parents at the back K entrance. Students will be standing in their assigned class lines.
• The circles and driveways on campus ARE NOT PARKING SPACES. An adult driver must stay in the car while waiting for students to exit or enter the car.
• At dismissal, all parents will continue to wait outside for students to dismiss from their teachers (kindergarten circle for kindergarten and first grade students, outside of the front door for second grade students).
• In the event of inclement weather (severe snow or rain), kindergarten and first grade students will be dismissed out the kindergarten and cafeteria doors to parents outside and second grade students will be dismissed out the gymnasium doors to parents outside.
• Drivers may not pull into the bus loop to pick-up their children EVER.

• Any visitors to our school need to share their identification with the front office staff in exchange for a visitor's badge. You will need to sign in as well.
• There will be no charge for lunches again this year. However, all families should complete the free and reduced lunch forms that were sent home with teacher assignment letters.
• There can be no changes to a child's dismissal plan after 1:00 pm. Be sure your children know what they are doing each day after school.

Attendance - we are starting to see some students with higher absence numbers. It is very important that you notify your child's teacher or call the front office if your child is going to be absent. You can send a message to your child's teacher through REMIND or call the front office to leave a message regarding your child's absence at (508) 228 - 7290 ext, 3. If your child needs to miss 5 or more consecutive days, you must make an appointment with the principal well in advance of upcoming absence. The NES Parent Handbook has been posted on the NES website (www.npsk.org, click on schools, click on Nantucket Elementary School). Please review the important section on attendance. Retention in the current grade level is a possibility if a child has excessive absences. Children being in school each day is a necessity.

Remind App is a wonderful tool for both educators and families! We know this. We know our teachers love being able to communicate with the whole class as well as individually. We know that you, the parents, love this tool too! It is wonderful that this tool allows us to communicate in multiple languages. One caution for us to share is that teachers may not be able to respond to messages you send during the school day. They are teaching and not hanging onto their phones. You may not get a reply until after school dismisses.

March 26, 2025

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Class lists for the next school year are developed in the spring by all the current classroom teachers to provide optimal learning environments for all students. Many factors are considered as we strive to accommodate the individual needs of all of our students. The placement team works together to create classes using the following criteria: classroom configuration (ratio of boys and girls), program needs of individual students, a balance of academic levels, social and emotional needs of students, as well as recommendations from former teachers, principals, support staff and the guidance team.

If there is special information we need to know about your child or their learning style, please share this with me through email or in writing by May 2, 2025. This date is important. We cannot guarantee consideration of your input beyond this date, because the teams will be creating the groups in May. Please be aware that we cannot honor parents’ requests for a specific teacher. Thank you for respecting this policy.

We sincerely promise to select the best possible placements for your child, as well as construct well-balanced classes for all students and staff for the 2025-2026 school year.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Kimberly F. Kubisch

Principal

26 de marzo del 2025

Estimados padres/tutores:

Las listas de clases para el próximo año escolar son desarrolladas en la primavera por todos los maestros actuales para proporcionar ambientes de aprendizaje óptimos para todos los estudiantes. Se consideran muchos factores mientras nos esforzamos por satisfacer las necesidades individuales de todos nuestros estudiantes. El equipo de colocación trabaja en conjunto para crear clases utilizando los siguientes criterios: configuración del aula (proporción de niños y niñas), necesidades del programa de estudiantes individuales, equilibrio de niveles académicos, necesidades sociales y emocionales de los estudiantes, así como recomendaciones de antiguos maestros. directores, personal de apoyo y el equipo de orientación.

Si hay información especial que usted considera que necesitamos saber sobre su hijo o su estilo de aprendizaje, por favor compártala conmigo por correo electrónico o por escrito antes del 2 de mayo del 2025. Esta fecha es importante. No podemos garantizar la consideración de sus aportes más allá de esta fecha, porque los equipos crearán los grupos en mayo. Tenga en cuenta que no podemos cumplir con las solicitudes de los padres de un maestro específico. Gracias por respetar esta política.

Prometemos sinceramente seleccionar las mejores ubicaciones posibles para su hijo, así como construir clases bien equilibradas para todos los estudiantes y el personal para el año escolar 2025-2026.

Gracias por su comprensión y cooperación.

Atentamente,

Kimberly Kubisch

Principal

26 de março de 2025

Caros Pais / Guardiões:

As listas de turmas para o próximo ano letivo são desenvolvidas na primavera por todos os professores atuais para fornecer ambientes de aprendizagem ideais para todos os alunos. Muitos fatores são considerados enquanto nos esforçamos para acomodar as necessidades individuais de todos os nossos alunos. A equipe de colocação trabalha em conjunto para criar turmas usando os seguintes critérios: configuração da sala de aula (proporção de meninos e meninas), necessidades do programa de cada aluno, equilíbrio entre níveis acadêmicos, necessidades sociais e emocionais dos alunos, bem como recomendações de ex-professores, diretores, equipe de apoio e equipe de orientação.

Se houver informações especiais que precisamos saber sobre seu filho ou seu estilo de aprendizagem, compartilhe-as comigo por e-mail ou por escrito até 2 de maio de 2025. Esta data é importante. Não podemos garantir a consideração da sua opinião após esta data, porque as equipes criarão os grupos em maio. Esteja ciente de que não podemos atender às solicitações dos pais por um professor específico. Obrigado por respeitar esta política.

Prometemos sinceramente selecionar as melhores colocações possíveis para o seu filho, bem como construir aulas bem equilibradas para todos os alunos e funcionários para o ano letivo de 2025-2026.

Obrigado por sua compreensão e cooperação.

Sinceramente,

Kimberly F. Kubisch

Diretor

Website: www.npsk.org
Location: 30 Surfside Road, Nantucket, MA 02554, USA
Phone: 508 228 - 7290