The Common

Dear Nashoba Community,

Today, I write to you humbled by the decision of our three communities to design and build a new Nashoba Regional High School. The school district has been engaged in this process since the Fall of 2018 and to see our community endorse the project is a testimony to the values of our three communities.

I intentionally used the word humbled because we recognize that this decision was not the desire of all of our residents. We respect our citizens who asked deep questions about the project and had concerns about the cost. We share those concerns and you have our pledge that we will be responsible stewards for the town as it is our goal to bring a first class high school to our community on time and under budget.

As we proceed in the design process we will bring you updates through school building committee meetings and our social media channels. This is an extremely exciting time for our community and we look forward to bringing this amazing opportunity to our towns.

#GONASHOBA!

Peace,

Kirk Downing

(He/Him)

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

The work of Kevin Keaveney, social studies teacher at the Hale Middle School and Civics Action Project Fellow, has been recognized by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Two of Mr. Keaveney's civics project artifacts have been shared as exemplars of student-driven learning in DESE's Civics Projects Artifacts Library. The artifact library is a curated library of high-quality civics project instruction selected in partnership with The Teacher Collaborative. The curated collection includes lessons and learning experiences from educators and students across Massachusetts that support the planning and implementation of high-quality, non-partisan, student-led civics projects. All of the resources included in the Civics Projects Artifacts Library align to one or more of the project stages and represent the many ways projects can take shape in grade 8 and high school.

Nashoba middle and high school educators have been working diligently on the development of high-quality civics learning experiences for students, and Mr. Keaveney's work sets the standard. Engaging in civics action projects empowers students by fostering active citizenship and enhancing their understanding of civic responsibilities. Projects cultivate critical thinking and problem-solving skills and promote a deeper connection to the community, preparing our students to become informed and engaged members of society.

The Mary Rowlandson Elementary School half-day integrated preschool program provides a rich, developmentally appropriate environment for 3 to 5-year-old children with and without disabilities. Our program includes children from all three towns and also integrates with our district's Little Friends Program. The curriculum is designed to meet the Massachusetts State Standards while supporting the needs of unique learners and readiness for kindergarten. Preschool staff plan the program based on each child's individual needs to promote social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and language development. The environment is structured to encourage children to learn through play, hands-on experiences, exploration, and discovery.

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!

Load Money On Your Account Virtually with MySchoolBucks!

Check Out What Else Is New With The Food and Nutrition Program Here!

Anatomy & Physiology students engaged in hands-on learning at the high school.

Thank you, Ms. Dumais!

Ten seniors from Nashoba Regional High School have received Letters of Commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Program. Three of these individuals have been recognized as Semifinalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Students take the qualifying PSAT exam in October of their junior year of high school. More than 1.3 million juniors entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as the initial screening of program entrants.

Students receiving Letters of Commendation are:

• Yi Cheng
• Brayden Duprey
• Thomas Hastings
• Alexander Jangro
• Maxwell Libby-Grantham
• Jack London
• Chloe Mitchell
• Ivan Roberts
• Keira Smith
• Victor Xu

From this list comes the nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, and includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout their high school career, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn ACT® and SAT® scores that confirm the Semifinalists earlier performance on the qualifying test.

The Semi-Finalists from Nashoba are:

• Yi Cheng
• Thomas Hastings
• Keira Smith

Finalists will be announced in February, and all National Merit Scholarship winners for 2024 are selected from this group. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

Congratulations to our NRHS students!

Luther Burbank Middle School cross country meet. Great effort and fun event.

Peer reading at the Florence Sawyer School