Dear NSD Families and Staff,

On Monday, I sent a letter with added information about the school attendance boundary lines for the three middle schools. Click here to review the boundary map. Neighborhoods are shaded in the attending school colors: Fairgrounds Middle is green, McCarthy Middle is red, and Pennichuck Middle is blue.

As you may know, we are about to wrap up the middle school project. In August 2024, McCarthy Middle School will open for the first time and join Fairgrounds Middle and Pennichuck Middle Schools to serve our students in grades 6, 7, and 8.

If you have questions about attending middle school, please contact your current school principal. We want to be sure you and our middle school students know which middle school they are attending in August. Each middle school principal will be reaching out to students directly later this spring about opening plans for the new school year. If you have additional questions, please email middleschoolproject@nashua.edu.

In the meantime, I wanted to remind you that the last day of school is Friday, June 14. Please click here for the last day of school schedule.

Thank you.

Mario Andrade, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Nashua School District

April 29, 2024

Committee on Finance and Operations: The Board approved a three-year $201,215.73 contract with Performance Rehab, Inc. (PRI) to provide access to athletic trainers, orthopedic surgeon, and neuropsychologist consultation services to high school athletes, and approved the $18,840 purchase of 16 printers from Specialized Purchasing Consultants Corporation for school cafeterias. The Board also approved the FY2024 February and March Transfer Report.

Committee on Policy: The Board approved one policy, JFABD Education of Homeless Children and Unaccompanied Youth, and held a first reading for six other policies, several having to do with the school nurse administration of medications in school.

J. Students

• JFABD Education of Homeless Children and Unaccompanied Youth

First Reading

• ACN Nursing Mothers' Accommodations
• BEDG Meeting Minutes
• JLCD Administering Medication to Students
• JLCD-R1 Administering Prescription Medication to Students - Form
• JLCD-R2 Administering Over-the-Counter Medication to Students - Form
• JLCD-R Administering Medication to Students - Rescinded

Committee on Curriculum and Evaluation: The Board accepted two $25,000 CLiF (Children's Literacy Foundation) of Waterbury Center, Vermont Year of the Book grants to Ledge Street Elementary School and Sunset Heights Elementary School. (see article below)

Committee on Human Resources: The Board approved 30 recommended personnel actions that included 23 resignations, which is typical at this time of year, and the hiring of Trisha Kaufmann as principal of New Searles Elementary School. (see article below)

New Business: Dr. Andrade and Board members discussed the establishment and the difference between the City of Nashua Task Force on Capital Improvements and the anticipated establishment of a Nashua Board of Education Task Force on Redistricting Elementary Schools. Although the schools do not have a seat at the table of the City's capital improvements task force, Jennifer Bishop, President of the Board, said she expects to be contributing as an audience member because the work will dovetail into the Board's work with reviewing elementary school facilities and enrollment. She said the Board will be establishing the elementary redistricting task force soon.

The next Nashua Board of Education meeting is scheduled to take place Monday, May 13, 2024 at Nashua High School North.

From below sea-level at the Isle of Shoals to the top of Mount Washington, Kate Paraggio has gone the distance to bring the study of meteorology to Nashua High School North.

During the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year, Nashua North will be one of the first high schools in the region to offer a meteorology class as part of its rich and rigorous science curriculum. The class will be focused on weather phenomena and why the world works the way it does.

"I want our kids to be as excited as I am," said Ms. Paraggio.

In February, Ms. Paraggio was one of the few teachers selected to participate in "Arctic Wednesdays: Professional Development for Teachers in Extreme Weather and Climate" at the top of Mount Washington. Before this, she spent a week at the Shoals Marine Laboratory with Cornell University and UNH students and faculty. She continues to develop the curriculum and educate herself and has been accepted to participate in an AMS/NOAA/NASA course entitled "Project Atmosphere: Sensing, Analyzing, and Forecasting." This course will be held at the National Weather Service Training Center in Kansas City, Missouri this summer.

Ms. Paraggio's passion and knowledge have inspired two classes worth of students to sign up for the class in its very first semester. Ms. Paraggio expressed gratitude to Principal Nate Burns, Head Science Teacher Cheryl Meesig, as well as her colleagues for the encouragement and support on this new venture.

The offering of this new course builds on the rich studies of sciences available at Nashua North, including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Anatomy and Physiology, Forensic Science, several AP Science Courses, Intro to Engineering, Principles of Engineering, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Engineering Design and Development, Health Sciences, and Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences.

Ledge Street Elementary and Sunset Heights Elementary Schools join Mount Pleasant Elementary and Dr. Norman W. Crisp Elementary Schools as winners of the CLiF (Children's Literacy Foundation) of Waterbury, Vermont flagship Year of the Book grants.

This is the fourth consecutive year a NSD elementary school has won a Year of the Book grant, which is a wonderful reflection on our schools' dedication to teaching students to read to learn and to read for pleasure. Ledge Street and Sunset Heights are two of 12 schools in New Hampshire and Vermont awarded a grant for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year.

The grant provides $25,000 worth of literacy programming, support, and new children's books over one school year to help build a culture of literacy in elementary schools. Each student at Ledge Street and Sunset Heights Elementary Schools will bring home 10 books over the course of the school year for their personal libraries.

Congratulations to Ledge Street and Sunset Heights Elementary Schools!

Last night, the Nashua Board of Education approved Dr. Andrade's recommendation to hire Trisha Kaufmann as the Principal of New Searles Elementary School.

Since 2020, Ms. Kaufmann has served as the Assistant Principal at New Searles Elementary, working with Helayne Talbott, her predecessor as Principal who was named last month as the new Director of Career and Technical Education at Nashua HS North and Nashua HS South. Ms. Talbott and Ms. Kaufmann are finishing the school year at New Searles, and both will begin their new roles with NSD on July 1.

Ms. Kaufmann began her professional career in business, first earning a Bachelor in Political Science from UNH and then a Master of Business Administration from Southern NH University. She earned a second master's in Education in School Counseling from Rivier University and worked as a counselor and administrator at Pinkerton Academy before becoming an assistant principal at Pelham Elementary School. Along the way, Ms. Kaufmann earned a Master of Education in School Administration from Rivier University. She arrived in 2020 as the Assistant Principal at New Searles Elementary.

Dr. Andrade is about to begin the search for a new assistant principal at New Searles Elementary, and will make an announcement as soon as a replacement has been hired.

Congratulations, Ms. Kaufmann!

Jackie Lesser, Director of NCLL (Nashua Center for Lifelong Learning), has published the latest edition of the department's newsletter. Please know that the lottery for a seat in drivers education classes this fall will take place Tuesday, May 14. Click here to learn more about driver education and other summer learning opportunities. If you have additional questions, please email ncll@nashua.edu.

Sealing Smiles Across New Hampshire pilot program was a great success this year. Please take a few minutes to take the following short, 10-question survey:

Sealing Smiles Across New Hampshire Survey

Research revealed that Nashua youth have the highest prevalence of untreated dental decay in New Hampshire. The in-school dental program this year screened about 700 students from preschool through grade 8, treated them with fluoride, and applied more than 4,000 sealants. In addition, the certified public health dental hygienists assisted more than 220 students in finding a dentist for much needed, ongoing care. The program treated all students whether they had dental insurance or no dental insurance.

We hope the program can continue next year because it is important to do what we can to be sure NSD students are focused on their classroom lessons, and not be distracted, uncomfortable, or in pain because of toothaches, decaying teeth, or poor oral hygiene.

Thank you for your consideration in taking a few minutes to complete the survey.

Under the guidance of Art Teacher Valerie Paquin, students collaborated and created inspiring murals that they painted in the bathrooms off the main lobby at Pennichuck Middle School.

According to staff, the Pennichuck Middle School community is grateful for their hard work, positivity, and artistic talents. All will benefit from their efforts for years to come!

Pictured from left to right: Molly Lantz, Layla Dube, Neha Lingadal, Mia Barbosa, Kaelyn Prowker,

Mackenzie Gerow, Olivia Prowker, Kristin Rinko, PMS Counselor, Bodie Hoaglund, Alex Gomez Yepes, Amirah Saber, and Valerie Paquin, PMS Art Teacher. Unavailable for photo is Adara Philibotte. Enjoy added photos below of their artwork.

Thank you...#NashuaSchools has gained more followers since the last edition of NSD eNews. We now are approaching more than 1,100 followers. Once again, we encourage you to follow NSD on Instagram for all important announcements and school highlights!