The Common

Dear Nashoba Community,

I hope you have all had a wonderful summer with your family and friends. On Wednesday, August 30th we will begin yet another school year in Nashoba. We enter this year with optimism and curiosity for learning as we move forward in our strategic work. I sincerely wish a great school year for all of our students, employees, and families.

On a different note, I am announcing that Ms. Lesa Breault-Gulbicki will be leaving Nashoba in the coming weeks to become the Chief Safety Officer for Lowell Public Schools. This is an outstanding opportunity for a leader with Lesa’s talent and we wish her well in her next endeavor. We will fill her position in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition.

Ms. Yumei Yao has successfully transitioned as our Interim Pupil Personnel Services Director. One strategic move we have made over the summer is the reorganization of our evaluation to chairs/school psychologists. Previously, our team chairs have performed the dual roles of the school psychologist and team chair. This year we have decoupled those roles and our team chairs will be dedicated to team chair duties and the psychologist will be dedicated to only do the work of psychologists. We achieved this move using the staffing already in our budget. We anticipate that this move will go a long way in helping us serve the needs of our community. Your principals will provide you an update on the moves specific to their schools in their weekly updates.

Our team has been working diligently on our new website. It will be released to the public on Friday, September 1st. Look for the link and more information in next week’s Common.

I wish you all a wonderful close to summer vacation, and I hope you are looking forward to the start of a new school year.

Peace,

Kirk Downing

(He/Him)

“Be your best self. Pave your path. Impact the world.”

The Department of Teaching and Learning is excited to welcome two new members to the team, Kandice McBrearty, Curriculum Director of Math and Science, and Jed Stefanowicz, Director of Digitial Learning and Innovation. Ms. McBrearty and Mr. Stefanowicz bring a wealth of content knowledge and instructional expertise to the Department and are enthusiastic about joining our Nashoba educators to help us fully actualize our vision of learning for students.

Kandice McBrearty, Curriculum Director of Math and Science, joins us with expertise in mathematics and effective instructional pedagogy. A dedicated Nashoba math educator for the past 13 years, Ms. McBrearty brings deep knowledge and a profound understanding of our educational community. Her contributions extend beyond the classroom as she has been a driving force in providing professional development and serving as a job-alike facilitator, co-mentor coordinator, and Renaissance Learning trainer. Ms. McBrearty's personable demeanor, enthusiasm, and unwavering commitment to Nashoba exemplify her dedication to fostering an enriching learning environment for our Nashoba community.

Jed Stefanowicz, Director of Digital Learning and Innovation, brings a demonstrated commitment to learner-centered innovation, creativity, educational equity, and digital wellness to Nashoba. Mr. Stefanowicz is the author of two books and a sought-after professional speaker. He has delivered presentations at the local and national level, including the International Society for Technology Education (ISTE), MassCUE, EdTech Teacher, ASCD Empower, and Harvard University. Most recently, Mr. Stefanowicz served as a school and district digital learning coach for Walpole Public Schools. Mr. Stefanowicz's creativity and experience as an ed tech leader will play a critical role in our path forward as we work to integrate innovation and digital learning into our curricula and classrooms each day.

Nashoba Regional School District is pleased to announce that we will begin using the Raptor Visitor Management System in all of our schools to strengthen our program of campus safety for students and faculty. Part of keeping students and faculty safe is knowing who is in our buildings at all times, and the Raptor system will allow us to do that. The Raptor system will better allow us to screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers in our schools and provide us with a safer environment for our students and staff. The Raptor System also allows for accountability of all visitors in the building in the event of an emergency.

Upon entering a district building, visitors will be asked to present an US government-issued ID, such as a Driver’s License, U.S. Passport, or U.S. Military ID which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. The Raptor system will check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not entering our school campuses without our knowledge. The Raptor system checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the ID is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency. Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit. A visitor’s badge will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off an item in the office or pick up paperwork.

The safety of our students is our highest priority and the Raptor visitor management system allows us to quickly identify those that may present a danger to our students. Thank you in advance for your understanding and your support in enhancing the school safety protocols in our district.

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!

Last year, 285 Nashoba educators were recognized! We can't wait to see what this year brings!

Click here to tell someone they are Nashoba Notable!

NRHS Welcomed New Nashoba Wolves during Freshman Orientation

A special thank you to over 30 student ambassadors who helped faciliate orientation activities!

Nashoba Extended a Warm Welcome to New Staff during New Educator Orientation

Nashoba Extended a Warm Welcome to New Staff during New Educator Orientation