The Common

Dear Nashoba Community,

This week I need to bring to your attention the importance of school attendance for our students. As you might suspect, school attendance is a leading indicator for success in school. Historically, we have averaged 95% attendance for the school year across the entire district. However, we do also experience chronic absenteeism. Chronic absenteeism is defined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as missing 10% or more of the school year. That means students who miss 18 days or more over the entire school year are identified as chronically absent.

It is our goal this year to bring the attendance metrics below that 10% benchmark, and to have students in their seats as much as possible. By doing this we can make sure that each and every one of our students have greater success in the classroom and feel more connected to their learning community.

We recognize that we have had a spike in illnesses to start the year which has impacted school attendance. If your child is sick, please keep them at home and consult with your physician about returning to school. You can also learn more about when you should keep your child home from school by going to the Health and Wellness page of our website, or by reaching out to any of our fabulous nurses for guidance.

Teaching and learning is a team effort and we appreciate your partnership in sending your child to school. Please try to avoid extending vacation breaks, weekends, or taking vacations when school is in session. Those days do add up at the end of the year when you combine them with absences due to illness.

If you are experiencing difficulty with your child’s attendance, please reach out to your school’s Health Office or Counseling Office. Our Student Support Staff are able to support families struggling with school avoidance and chronic absenteeism, and want to support students’ academic progress and achievement. The Student Support Staff Team has resources, experience, and specific training to help, so please do not hesitate to reach out.

I wish you all a wonderful, and healthy, weekend!

Peace,

Kirk Downing (He/Him)
Superintendent

This week, 12 NRSD educators and administrators attended the MassCUE conference in Foxboro, a two-day event featuring workshops, demonstrations and presentations by thought leaders and educators on how to enhance teaching and learning with technology. Keynotes and workshop sessions from educators, edtech providers, and DESE shared technology advances and instructional design with educators and administrators from across the region. Professional learning experiences like the MassCUE conference ignite innovative approaches that our educators will bring back to share with their colleagues and students across the district to lift the digital learning at NRSD.

Our Pathways Program is off to a strong start and has generated high interest among students. We are excited to explore the addition of a third pathway: the Information Pathway.Today is the final day to complete our Information Pathways Survey. We'll use this data to make sure that a future Information Pathway aligns with student interests and community needs. If you are a Nashoba family with students in Grades 6-10 we ask that you speak with your child(ren) and complete the brief survey linked below.

We had a fantastic time celebrating the 62nd annual National School Lunch Week! Since its launch by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, this week has highlighted the importance of healthy school lunches in shaping student success. We’re proud to recognize the incredible efforts of our cafeteria staff, who work tirelessly to serve nutritious and delicious meals every day. Take a look at the collage below to see some of the tasty Plates of the Day featured from each school on our LiveFeeds!

As part of our Family University series our Student Services Department is excited to host an informative evening for families. This is a great opportunity to meet our new Director of Student Services, Roann Demanche, and to learn about the new DESE IEP. Whether you're looking to understand more about Special Education or have feedback to share, we invite you to join us for this important discussion. See our flyer below for additional details and to register!

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.

Students in Bolton's Pre-K made "Exploding Apples" with hollowed out apples, baking soda and vinegar this week. What a fun hands-on science activity! There are still open spots remaining in our half 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.

October marks the 20th Annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Cybersecurity Awareness Month focuses on "taking daily action to reduce risks when online and using connected devices." Some of the easiest tips for staying safe online include: using strong passwords, turning on multi-factor authentication (MFA), recognizing and reporting phishing, and updating software. For additional resources and information on cybersecurity check out America's Cyber Defense Agency's Secure World page!

If you haven't already, mark your calendars! Nashoba Associated Boards of Health will be holding flu shot clinics across Massachusetts throughout the month of October. 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.

The Extended Learning Program will be partnering with Buildwave for a 5-week session of programming that will start later this month. This Buildwave series offers 5 sessions that build on one another in complexity and challenge. Over the course of 5 sessions students create with over 50 different building materials, including Lego®, PlusPlus®, and custom-made Buildwave materials. Each session of the program is a new “level” of the Buildwave game, with an audiovisual setup featuring animations and music that guide students through the different building waves. This Buildwave session is open to students in grades K-5. To learn more about cost, dates, and registration click below!

Nashoba Drama is exciting to present A Christmas Carol this November! A Christmas Carol recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. Tickets are available for Friday, November 22nd at 7:00 PM, Saturday, November 23rd at 7:00 PM, and Sunday, November 24th at 2:00 PM. Check out the flyer below and click here or scan the QR code to get your tickets!

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!

MRE first graders walked to the Lancaster Town Hall to VOTE! The students voted for their favorite character and had to choose between Pete the Cat and The Pigeon. The pigeon won by a landslide! Students filled in their ballot and got an “I Voted” sticker.

NRHS students participating in the Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing Innovation Pathways Program, as well as interested technology students, visited the Youth Remodeling Career Day Fair! They had the chance to meet different employers and do some hands-on learning!

Mrs. Milton's fourth grade class celebrated the results of their Boosterthon Fun Run by having some fun with silly string!

MRE Third Graders played "Hand-Tennis" during PE Class this week!

Representatives from Consigli visted the high school to offer a presentation and field questions on geothermal energy basics to interested students!