Dear NIS Families,

Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons and not just because of the changing colors, gorgeous sunsets and crisp days. One of the main reasons is because it is the time to watch groups of individual students, staff and families turn into communities. Community is such an important piece of each person's growth and fostering a sense of belonging and acceptance. As families you are a vital piece of that community for our students. Working together to support them as they learn and grow is a huge part of what can make a student's education more successful.

I am happy to be able to become part of this community of learners and have the opportunity to greet so many of you at Open House this past month, participate at our school council, enjoy the discussion at our Principal/Family Conversation and around town at the various events and locations.

November will again provide opportunities for you as families to demonstrate our partnership for students. Some opportunities this month are:

• Visiting NIS together tomorrow evening, Thursday, November 2 for our STEM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Math) evening from 5:30-6:30 pm put on by some of our dedicated staff.
• Helping your child participate in our all school Food Drive this upcoming month (see more information below)
• Asking your child about an upcoming author visit by Roseanne Parry (author of our summer shared reading "A Wolf Called Wander")
• Honoring veterans by encouraging the creation of cards or listening during visits from veterans prior to Veteran's Day.
• Including school, teachers, learning, friends in your list of things to be thankful for during this month's emphasis on Thanksgiving.
• Reading with or to your child during the evenings, weekends or days off of school this month. Such as Tuesday, November 7 (No School/Professional Development Day), Friday, November 10 (No School in Observance of Veteran's Day), Wednesday, November 22-24 (No School/Thanksgiving Break.)
• Asking your children about their learning communities at school (classroom, special teachers, band, chorus, orchestra, etc.)

I am thankful for each student, staff and family at NIS and look forward to continuing to meet, interact and grow as a community this upcoming month.

Sincerely,

Becky Janda

NIS Principal

Hello NIS Families! Fall is here and Daylight Savings is just around the corner. So on November 4th remember to turn your clocks back one hour.

I am in the process of doing health screenings in all grades. If your student wears glasses, please make sure they are wearing them in school. I need to test them with their glasses on to make sure their prescription is up to date.

National Child Health Day was recently celebrated in October. The day was created in 1928, and recognizes the care and guidance children need to grow strong and healthy.

Here are just a few ways you and your students' families can still celebrate in the day:

• Schedule your child’s next well-child visit.

• Check to make sure all your child's vaccinations are up to date.

• Schedule a routine dental checkup.

• Add new healthy activities to your family's routine.

Stay Healthy and Safe,

Nancy Small RN NCSN

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.

November 7 - No School - Staff PD and Election Day

November 10 - No School - Veteran's Day

November 15 - ACK-SEPAC Meeting at 6:00 PM

November 16 - NIS School Council Meetings at 3:00 PM

November 22 - 24 - No School - Thanksgiving Break

December 6 - Early Dismissal at 12:00 PM

December 13 - Early Dismissal at 12:00 PM

December 13 - Parent Teacher Conferences

December 15 - NIS Report Cards Posted

Dear NIS Families,

Over the next weeks of November in the spirit of thanksgiving, our school will be collecting food and dry goods to donate to the Food Pantry. Last spring NIS responded to the call of greater need by collecting 721 pounds in a week! Our November food drive will help families, friends and neighbors in our community. A March newspaper article reported that last winter, “Demand at the Food Pantry is at an all-time high.”

The NIS Food Drive is a team effort of students and teachers of grades 3, 4 and 5. This a voluntary activity with a goal of involving students and families in helping a great local cause. We know that helping others is helping ourselves.

Every single donation helps. Together our combined donations will make a real difference for those in need. The Food Pantry is asking for much-needed foods and dry goods. We cannot donate expired food items so please check the dates.

Donations will be collected each morning in your child’s grade level cluster from Wednesday, November 1st through Monday, November 20th. We plan to tally the total weight of donated food for the whole school. Does 1,000 pounds sound like a good goal? Can we do it? A half ton of food for Nantucket families!

Thank you for your help!

Sincerely,

George MacLellan

Grade 4

NIS Food Drive Coordinator

The Food Pantry is a program of Nantucket’s Interfaith Council, and an arm of Nantucket Food, Fuel and Rental Assistance. They are funded through federal, state and local grants and through donations from businesses and individuals. Anyone interested in donating to the food pantry, whether it’s time or money, can do so at https:// www.assistnantucket.org/support-us .

Holiday Donation List

We would love to create holiday bags with the following items.

Vegetable oil 1 quart size

White sugar smaller size is fine 2 pounds

Brown sugar 1 pound bag

Salt regular table salt

All purpose flour or masa

Baking soda

Baking powder

Small cinnamon

Condensed or evaporated milk

General Donation List :

These Items are rarely available from the Greater Boston Food Bank.

Cooking Oil 24-36- ounce bottles

Coffee ground or instant

Shelf stable juices

Breakfast cereal (smaller boxes are better)

Canned poultry/meats/tuna

Condiments - ketchup /mayo/ mustard

Granola bars/protein bars

Pasta sauce

Peanut butter

Jelly/jam

“Look Up! At Loines Observatory”

Join our astronomers for an impressive tour of Nantucket’s night sky. Get a chance to view the moon, planets, stars, nebulae, and even distant galaxies through the MMA’s telescopes! Learn more about the constellations, phases of the moon, the planets, and why eclipses happen. This stargazing program is designed to be engaging and interactive for all ages but with a focus on young adults and students of K-12 grades. This program will take place at the Maria Mitchell Association’s Loines Observatory located at 59 Milk St Extension. In the event of inclement weather, this program will not be held.

This community-centered program provides an opportunity for students, educators, and families of Nantucket Island to visit the Loines Observatory and learn more about the night sky. This program is complimentary courtesy of the Weezie Foundation and other generous sponsors.

Cost: Complimentary, however, pre-registration is required.

Contact: info@mariamitchell.org

Cancellation Policy: Open nights are weather-contingent and are cancelled only if it is raining or there is a threat of a thunderstorm. Please check the website on the day of the event for weather updates; we will post by 4pm if the program is cancelled.

Warm regards,

Jónelle L. Gurley, M.Ed | Director of Science & Programs

Dear Families,

I hope all is well. Strong Wings quietly provides over $400,000 in financial aid and scholarships for island children in need of high quality, confidence-building camp experiences every summer. We hope to target as much of this aid as possible to children who truly need and deserve opportunities to challenge themselves and grow personally. Please feel free to reach out to Executive Director, Chris Getoor cgetoor@strongwings.org or visit Strong Wings to learn more about our camp programming.

If you are interested in applying, please do so before the November 10th deadline. Chances are slim we will be able to consider requests beyond the deadline.

A few things to keep in mind please:

-Please fill out separate applications if you have more than one child.

-Van camp students (4 -7 year-olds) can only receive a total of two weeks of discounted tuition. Please do not apply for more.

-Please do not share this link with other families. Instead, please ask them to email me directly if they are new to the program. An initial conversation about camp and the process is always helpful.

Apply now

Please click this link for the: NIS Literacy Website Newsletter

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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