@NipmucRegional

As we made our way back to school this morning we saw many of our students’ faces for the first time in nearly two full years. As we mentioned when we met with students last week, there’s a range of feelings about transitioning to a “mask flexible” environment. Many are excited to take the masks off and get back to more normal routines. At the same time, this change will cause some anxiety for others. If we can offer any support or answer any questions as we make this transition, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

If you are looking for additional information about the transition to the updated health guidelines, Dr. Cohen's message to families on Friday includes many updates as well as frequently asked questions. You can find that email here.

Parents/Guardians -

We wanted to ask if you could please try and contact the main office by 7:30am each day if you are planning to have your student dismissed that day. We understand things come up throughout the day and sometimes you may need to call during the day to have your student dismissed. We would ask in that case that you please try and call at least 15 minutes prior to the dismissal. This will allow our front office staff the time to locate your student, make the teacher aware and give the student the time to wrap up where they are in class. All dismissals can be done by either calling the Nipmuc Main Office at 508-529-2130 or by email at nipmucmainoffice@mursd.org. We appreciate your help!

Last week we met with students to let them know that during term 4 we will return to typical guidelines for arrival at school. We have not enforced the guidelines for arrival at school since March 2020 and recognize that this will be a change for students and families. Included below is a summary of key points about the attendance policy.

• Students need to be in their first block class (not simply in the building) prior to 7:30am.
• Students are given 3 tardies per term without consequences.
• Tardies 4 - 6 will result in after school detentions, loss of parking for the remainder of the term (if applicable), and ineligibility for after school activities on that day.
• Tardies 7+ result in a Saturday detention per tardy and ineligibility for that day's after school activities.
• Term 4 begins on April 6 and runs through the end of the school year.

Although we have not issued consequences for the late arrival to school, we continue to track all students' attendance. You can access this information in PowerSchool.

Inspired Learning Days are full-day learning in which we reimagine the school experience and focus on bringing our vision to life.

The countdown is on until our next ILD on March 17!!! On Friday (3/4) we released the schedule of available sessions. On Wednesday, March 9 students will sign up for their sessions during advisory.

After putting these events on hold for the past two years, we are thrilled to bring back our Inspired Learning Days! Click the link below to explore the Inspired Learning Day offerings!

The school counseling staff will host a Breakfast with the Counselors event on Tuesday, March 15th from 8:00am-9:00am. Breakfast with the Counselors provides an opportunity for parents to connect with school counseling staff and each other around a number of topics related to adolescent development and the high school experience. This session will focus on stress and anxiety and how it impacts our students. Please click here to RSVP.

Nipmuc's affiliation with BRYT provided us with exciting new resources to share with our families! BRYT's Family Engagement team is extending their invitation to monthly virtual peer networking that focuses on providing supports for family leaders (parents, guardians, etc.) who care for children, youth, or young adults with mental health or substance abuse issues.

We provided the link that entails the information of the sessions including the dates/times for your convenience. BRYT has also shared their flyer for weekly virtual "Parents Supporting Parents" meetings where parent/guardians access resources and discuss the difficulties of caring for someone with significant mental health issues. Please feel free to reach out to the School Counseling Office or our RSS team Rachel Robbins at rrobbins@mursd.org or Erin Dailey at edailey@mursd.org.

Link to the peer networking can be found here.

Link for BRYT Parents Supporting Parents weekly meetings can be found here.

If you haven't had the time to order from the new Nipmuc store, there is still time! The deadline has been extended through Wednesday, March 9. Don't miss out on some of the new items. You can find the link for the store here.

The Nipmuc Showcase is tomorrow and we are looking forward to having our eighth grade students, families and new students to our district come and see everything Nipmuc has to offer. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to hold this annual event in person this year and are getting ready to open our doors tomorrow evening.

The schedule for all Spring 2022 MCAS testing is listed below.

English Language Arts (Grade 10)

Tuesday, March 22: English Language Arts - Session 1

Wednesday, March 23: English Language Arts - Session 2

Mathematics (Grade 10)

Tuesday, May 17: Mathematics - Session 1

Wednesday, May 18: Mathematics - Session 2

Biology (Grade 9)

Tuesday, June 7: Biology - Session 1

Wednesday, June 8: Biology - Session 2

The cast and crew of The Addams Family musical are working feverishly on the show which opens Friday, March 25 at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale at the door $15.00 for adults $10.00 for students and $7.00 for children. Saturday, March 26 there will be two shows, one at 2pm and the final show at 7 pm. The Drama Guild is excited to be back performing after two years. Everyone is working together on this fun musical based on a TV show from the Baby Boomer's childhood that reminds us that “Love is what brings us together.”

We still could use some help. Tech Day will take place on Saturday, March 19 from 10am-2pm. We are erecting the final set that will remain in place through the show. We could use help from some adults who are handy with a drill, a paintbrush, and/or sponges for sponge painting. It will be a day of fun, camaraderie and will help us out greatly.

We hope you can show your support for the theatre! If you can't make it to our Tech Day consider a donation of help backstage or a small donation of goods. We are in need of items such as large plastic bins for our costumes in our beautifully organized costume closet built by Eagle Scout, Jacob Collard. We still have some cardboard boxes holding our costumes and the wear and tear of use on the costume closet can make it look messy. We are also in need of plastic hangers, tissues, Q-tips, cotton balls and other makeup items for this show. Please consider a donation of time or goods as we appreciate anything you can do. Email Nipmuc Drama DirectorTam Johnson tjohnson@mursd.org with any questions.

On Saturday, March 12th between 4:00pm – 8:00pm, the Class of 2023 will be hosting a fundraiser at the Milford Chipotle. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the junior class. Each person must show this flyer at their time of purchase in order for the donation to go through, so make sure you save this to your phone or print it out prior to going.

The Class of 2025 enjoys supporting local businesses and wants to share their connections with you! Yummy Mummy Bakery, located in Westborough, MA, has offered to support Nipmuc's Class of 2025 by providing delicious homemade baked goods that you can either pick up or have delivered right to your door! Take a look at the link here to learn more about our fundraiser and about this great local company!