
District Bulletin
Prepare Challenge Empower
JANUARY 2025
Follow Us On: X: @NU_Supt & Facebook: North Union Local School District
ONE SEMESTER DOWN, HOW IS OUR DISTRICT DOING?
#NUPride Awards
We are excited to resurrect the tradition of the #NUpride awards. These awards are presented to staff or community members who exemplify our mission and vision statement. They Prepare, Challenge, and Empower our schools and district. They are champions for kids and commit their time energy and effort in our community. Please click on the link below if you would like to nominate someone for February's #NUPride Award. Details are in the Google Form.
SIGN UP TO JOIN A TEAM TODAY!
UPCOMING TEAM PROJECTED TIMES
FEBRUARY
- Calendar Team (To prepare calendars for March Board Agenda)
- Safety Team (Discuss options for our shift toward a new emergency response device)
MARCH
- NU Business Advisory Team (Likely will meet at the end of March)
- Administrative Interview Team (Several members will be involved in this process mid to end of March if we have a sufficient candidate pool)
APRIL
- Strategic Planning Team (Middle of April through May to reevaluate our strategic plan with a goal to produce a final product for the June Board Work Session)
MAY
- Safety Team (Middle of May to determine safety goals for next school year)
25-26 School Calendar Now Available
At our December 16th Board meeting the 25-26 school year calendar was discussed and approved. Some noticeable changes.
- We will have one prescribed 2 hour delay each month with then exception of August, December, and April. The purpose of the "Wildcat Power Hours" is to provide staff embedded time for staff meetings, team meetings, interventions, professional development, conference time, curriculum, and vertical alignment. This is a practice that we investigated with other districts that have had a lot of success with.
- Staggered start days for Kindergarten August 12-14. (This will replace the kick up to Kindergarten).
- Staff work day after the last day of school.
We will begin future planning for our next calendars beginning in January, with the anticipation of having several ready to go for March Board approval. If you are interested in joining that committee please refer to the buttons at the top of the bulletin.
WE HAVE AN APP FOR THAT!
STAY SAFE, SPEAK UP
- We value all students and their well being. If there are issues that are occurring at school where you suspect potential harassment/bullying or concern for a students welfare there is a system to process this. Please report this to our Public Works system.
- The online reporting system and the 1-866-listen2me phone system are for staff, students and parents to report concerns which may affect the peace of mind of students or jeopardize the safety of people or school facilities. Concerns may include, but are not limited to, bullying, abuse, bomb threats, cyber crimes, discrimination, drugs, health concerns, suspicious behavior, vandalism, fighting, & weapons. Helpline information helps us maintain school environments that are safe and conducive for learning.
- The ability to report Bullying and Harassment can be found on our website at the top right corner indicated by the blue hand (see graphic above).
- Once a student, parent, or staff member reports an issue it goes directly to the principal of the building for investigation.
- Administration will coordinate the appropriate investigation and communicate findings and outcomes to those involved.
- Administration will document the investigation and outcome in Public School Works.
6 Units Strong = 1 Wildcat Family
One Semester Down
Dear Wildcat Families,
As we begin a new calendar year, I am filled with excitement and optimism about the opportunities we will continue to build on for our students, staff, and entire community. A fresh calendar year really signifies the halfway point for schools. It brings with it the chance to build upon the successes of the past semester, while also embracing new ideas and approaches that will continue to enrich the learning experience for all of our students as we march toward May.
I hope that everyone takes a few minutes to fill out our climate check. Our district is dedicated to creating a positive and engaging environment where each student feels valued, challenged, and supported, the climate survey helps us with this. Whether it's through academic achievements, extracurricular activities, or personal growth, the remainder of our school year holds endless possibilities for our students to explore and excel.
I am truly excited to work alongside our dedicated educators, staff, and families as we continue to focus on growth, achievement, and lasting memories for all. Thank you for your continued support and involvement!
Warm regards,
Justin Ufferman
Superintendent for North Union Local Schools
The Run Down
- We closed out our semester upon our return in January. Grades are available on line.
- We have used 3 calamity days so far this school year (delays do not count). With that being said if we have another calamity day it will be a remote learning day. Buildings are communicating this with students. Please see >>HERE<< for more information. (Also under the parent resources on our website.)
- Our winter sports season is beginning to go into playoff mode! Good luck to all of our athletes as they move into tourney play! Also don't forget to check out senior nights!
- Final touches are being made to the filming and publishing of our choir winter concert. We will communicate when those are posted.
- The calendar team will meet in February to prepare 26-27 and perhaps 27-28 school calendars. Those teams will be chosen from the names we retrieve from our form above. If you are interested please sign up.
- We will also be building a team to work with during the NUES principal interview process. Please fill out the form above if you are interested in begin part of this team.
- Be on the look out for information concerning parent teacher conferences that will coming in February.
- Thank you to all who came to our Pre-school information night!
- High school parents please always be on the lookout for Mrs. Willis' guidance newsletters. It has a ton of good information in it. Click here for the most recent newsletter.
District Updates
Human Resources
- We are always looking for substitute teachers, drivers, custodians, and kitchen staff. If you know somebody that you think would be a good fit for our district please encourage them to apply at our website!
- We have posted a position for Varsity Cheer Coach. Thank you Coach Arver for your service to the program.
- Welcome Mica Boughman to our Wildcat Family! Mica is our new Student Services/Academic Administrative Assistance. See more below!
- We are in great need of a speech pathologist. Currently we are working with virtual speech pathologists, with one in person on Fridays. If you know of anyone who works in this field or may know someone that holds this certification and is looking to join our Wildcat family, please contact our Director of Student Services, Deana Adams.
Operations
- Despite the cold temperatures the buildings and transportation have been operating quite smoothly.
- We are moving closer to installing a fence with gates for the NUES preschool recess area for safety.
- NUES held a meeting inviting members to discuss loop safety and efficiency.
Technology
- If you have not had the opportunity to download our app please do!
- Athletics button has been added to our mobile app.
Curriculum
- A math curriculum committee has been formed to begin evaluating a pk-12 state approved curriculum.
Student Services
- The North Union Preschool Program will transition to a four half-day per week program for the 2025-2026 school year. Students will attend Tuesday through Friday during a morning or afternoon session. Addtional details will be released soon.
- Preschool Peer Model screenings for the 2025-2026 school year will occur on March 11 and 13, 2025. If you are interested in having your child screened to be a peer model, please contact Deana Adams, Director of Student Services, at 740-943-1610 or dadams@nu-district.org.
North Union Local Schools is responsible for locating any child birth through 21 with a suspected disability who resides within the North Union Local School District. The school district provides special education services to any child who qualifies as having a disability according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act ages 3 through 21 years of age. If you know of a child who is suspected to have a disability, please call Deana Adams, Director of Student Services, at 740-943-1610 or contact your building principal for more information.
WELCOME TO OUR WILDCAT FAMILY
MEET MICA BOUGHMAN
Welcome Mica Boughman to our Wildcat Family! Mica is our new Administrative Assistant to the Director of Student Services & Chief Academic Officer. Mica recently moved from Canton, Ohio to Richwood for her new position and my fiancé (an ’87 Grad from NU). She was an Administrative Assistant for 29+ years for five physicians in Canton! Mica has 2 sons and will soon be gaining a stepdaughter. Mica wants to THANK all of the staff for welcoming her into the Wildcat Family!
Volunteer at North Union Local Schools
Want to become a volunteer for North Union Local Schools? We encourage our community to get involved with volunteer opportunities with our students, in our buildings. We also believe it is important to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and community members. This is why we require all volunteers to be BCI checked. There is a processing fee involved with these checks at the expense of the volunteer. BCI checks to volunteer in our district are conducted at our Board office in Essex. Steps to volunteer:
1. Meet with the building administration to determine functions you wish to volunteer with.
2. Schedule for your BCI check below.
3. Become Board Approved.
4. Once these steps are complete you are ready to go!
Should you have any questions please reach out to the appropriate building administration. We look forward in working with you!