The Common Edition #1
August 26, 2022
August 26, 2022
Superintendent Update
Dear Nashoba Families,
On Wednesday, August 31st, the school doors will open for another school year in the Nashoba Regional School District. Our faculty and staff are eager to welcome all the children who will be returning to NRSD as well as those who are coming to our district for the first time. If you are new to our district, we welcome you with open arms. We hope the transition into school life in Nashoba is a good one and please do not hesitate to reach out to school officials if you need anything. For our returning families, let’s welcome our new families by offering guidance and friendship. Nothing has a greater impact on school than a welcoming and caring community.
At the close of the 2021-2022 school year, the School Committee voted approval of our 2027 strategic plan. The plan is posted on our website, and I encourage you to review it. We want to thank our families, educators, and students for participating in the strategic planning process. Your voices were reflected throughout the plan and the people who represented you on the committee looked closely at your feedback so we could develop a plan that reflects the core values of our community.
The essence of our work is educating young people to help them grow up and make positive impacts in their communities. Our core values live at the foundation of our work and permeate all throughout the organization. These core values surfaced as the most important to our community.
We value…
Academic achievement and personal growth
Voice, choice, and agency
Lifelong learning
A safe, caring, and inclusive community
Collaborative partnerships
Innovation
A sense of belonging
For All.
In the strategic plan you will also notice that we have committed to a new vision for our school community. Our vision is a simple statement with an audacious goal. It guides us to stay focused on our mission to “inspire and challenge all learners to realize their unique potential and become active contributors to their community.”
Be your best self. Pave your path. Impact the world.
This year we will begin the journey of this five year plan. It is the roadmap of our future endeavors and be our guide. Certainly, there will be adjustments along the way as we learn about ourselves and change to meet the needs of our students. We look forward to taking this journey with you as we launch into a new school year.
Peace,
Kirk Downing
(He/Him)
Bus Route Update
Please be on the lookout for updated bus routes this afternoon. Dee Bus has worked to update and correct routes over the past week. Please check your child’s stop on the updated routes when you receive them.
News From the District Health Office
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Public Health (DPH) have provided guidance and support to K-12 schools and districts across the Commonwealth to promote the health and safety of our students, staff, and families. NRSD continues to collaborate with key stakeholders within our community including the Nashoba Associated Boards of Health, our own School Physician Consultation and the state epidemiologist experts. At this time the NRSD will follow the 2022-2023 COVID Protocols provided by DESE and DPH.
If a student Athlete is diagnosed with COVID the Return to Play Post COVID form must be completed in order to return to sport according to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and our School Physician consult.
Vaccines continue to be the best way to protect individuals against the effects of COVID-19. DESE and DPH strongly recommend that all faculty, staff and students, including the Commonwealth’s youngest children ages 6 months-5 years, receive the COVID-19 vaccine primary series and all boosters, as they become eligible for them.
Throughout this August and September, DPH is offering free family-friendly vaccine clinics to prepare teachers, staff, students, and family members for going back to school. No ID, health insurance, or appointment is needed at these clinics, and fliers to promote them to families are available in multiple languages and can be found here. Information about these vaccination clinics and others across the state is available online at VaxFinder.
We are aware that there was a breach of benefits to a number of families receiving assistance through the state's benefit systems (this includes SNAP and EBT benefis). For any family that was impacted, we have resources and supports to help. Please contact your child's school nurse or school counselor if you need support with clothing, back to school supplies, etc. Additionally, we have a Community Resources page that has available supports locally.
News from the Department of Teaching and Learning
The start of a new school year is always exciting. A new year offers opportunities for a fresh beginning, new academic challenges and learning experiences, and the chance for our students to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. This year, we may well be entering the most exciting new school year ever. Why? As Superintendent Downing shared in his message above, we enter the school year with an updated district mission and vision, articulated competences for our Portrait of a Nashoba Graduate, and a new five year strategic plan that outlines a multitude of clear and outcome driven action steps to actualize our district mission of challenging and inspiring all leaners to realize their unique potential.
As we step forward into the new school year, the Department of Teaching and Learning steps forward with our students and with our administration, faculty and staff, fully committed to providing the initiative, direction, and support neceesary for our community of learners to grow and achieve to an even higher level. The vision of our future, our students’ future, has never been brighter.
COMING! Each week, the Teaching and Learning section of The Common will provide updates of our work in action. We will also provide photos, snapshots, and highlights of the learning happening across classrooms within the district. Stay tuned!