NSD eNews
Volume XVIII Issue 7
Mario Andrade, Superintendent of Schools
November 30, 2022
Dear NSD Families and Staff,
I trust you all had a restful and relaxing Thanksgiving break. I share my deepest appreciation and gratitude for our families, students, and staff who continue to make this school district a great place to be. I am truly grateful to be a part of the Nashua School District community.
During our Board meeting Monday evening, a dozen staff members spoke in support of the work of our paraeducators and advocated for the quick resolution of contract negotiations between the Nashua Board of Education and the Nashua Teachers' Union. I too support the work of our paraeducators and I know all of us here in the school district are hoping for a tentative agreement this week.
Even though we are approaching winter, construction work continues in earnest at Pennichuck Middle School and the new McCarthy Middle School. The Pennichuck gymnasium renovations are now complete. Utilities, site drainage, structural steel, and masonry work continues at the new middle school; window installation is beginning and, once complete, construction will then begin to shift to the interior of the school. We are encourage by the great progress.
Thank you.
Mario Andrade, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Nashua School District
Library Day at Dr. Crisp with Nashua Public Library
Underwater Robotics Class at Nashua HS North
NPL Literary Pumpkin Contest Winners from 21C
Nashua Board of Education
November 1, 2022 Meeting
Cheryl Meesig and Matt Froment, Head Science Teachers at Nashua HS North and Nashua HS South, respectively, advocated, and the Board agreed, to update the study of science in order to:
- align the science curriculum with the Next Generation Science standards by updating course sequencing
- increase required science credits from two to three to increase proficiency in science and engineering practices
Please click here for their detailed presentation on our students' study of STEM.
Purchases for the automotive and the video production and broadcasting technical programs, and the quarterly credit card report and budget transfer reports were approved. Also a rate increase for legal services was approved.
Three policies were rescinded and the following four newly updated policies were approved:
Policy JCA-Change of School Assignment or Assignment
Policy JKAA-Child Restraint and Seclusion
Policy JKAA-R-Procedure for the Use of Child Restraint and Seclusion
As noted above, a dozen staff members spoke during public comment in support of the work of our paraeducators and advocated for the quick resolution of contract negotiations between the Nashua Board of Education and the Nashua Teachers' Union. I know all of us here in the school district are hoping for a tentative agreement this week.
The next Nashua Board of Education meeting will be held Monday, December 19, 2022.
Superintendent's Comments
November 28, 2022
Nashua Board of Education Meeting
Re-Opening of Franklin Street School
It was a great day at Franklin Street School today as our teachers and staff welcomed back preschoolers and Brentwood Academy high school students to a newly renovated building.
Thank you to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua who housed our students while renovations were taking place this fall, and thank you to our families for their understanding and flexibility while we were in transition. We are all thrilled to be back at Franklin Street. Thank you to all the staff who worked steadily to be sure classes were packed, unpacked, set-up, and ready for our students. A lot of effort. Thank you!
Coca-Cola Foundation Scholar Semifinalists
Congratulations to three Nashua High School South seniors who were named recently as Coca-Cola scholarship semifinalists:
Kishan Angadi
Likhita Sree Thiriveedi,
and Samay Sahu…who is wrapping up his term next month as South’s student representative to the Board
Kishan, Likhita Sree, and Samay are among more than 1,500 students nationwide who were selected from more than 91,000 applicants to move forward in the scholarship selection process. Only 14 of the 1,500 are from New Hampshire, with nine of the 14 from public high schools. Scholarship criteria is based on
academic excellence
leadership
and school and community service
They are each competing to be one of only 150 Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation award recipients who will each receive a $20,000 college scholarship. We wish all three well as they hope to advance through the selection process. Good luck!
Student-Produced New Hampshire Board of Education Meeting
I would like to acknowledge the work of two, second-year Video Production and Broadcasting students who really stepped up and worked together to produce and air the New Hampshire Board of Education meeting at 10 am, Thursday, November 10. Pennichuck Middle School hosted the meeting and the site does have its broadcasting challenges but the students navigated those challenges perfectly. Our thanks to …
Piper Burns, Nashua HS North Class of 2023
Kylie Soucy, Nashua HS South Class of 2023
Thank you too to Jeff Leone, their Video Production and Broadcasting Teacher, for all his assistance as well.
The state Board chose to meet at Pennichuck to see firsthand the renovation work underway…and we were proud to host. We appreciate Gabe Falzarano, Pennichuck Middle Principal, and his staff for hosting and it was great to see the Pennichuck Middle School students lead the pledge of allegiance to begin the meeting.
Again, thank you.
Purple Panther Preschool Celebrates 50 Years
Congratulations to the Purple Panther Preschool for celebrating 50 years of teaching our youngest learners.
During the week before Thanksgiving, several administrators, teachers, and current preschool family members gathered to mark the milestone. It amazed me to learn that several of our staff are Purple Panther Preschool alumni…including Keith Richard, Principal at Nashua High South, where the preschool is housed.
Purple Panther Preschool is noted for
· offering consistently exceptional child-to-teacher ratios to student families
· delivering developmentally appropriate curriculum by experienced educators
· and serving as a practicum site for Careers in Education students from Nashua HS North and Nashua HS South, which makes this preschool particularly meaningful program that is one of 19 Nashua Technology Center disciplines.
Again, congratulations!
South Boys Soccer Team Wins State Championship
Congratulations to Nashua HS South Boys Soccer Team for winning the NHIAA Division 1 championship earlier this month. The Panthers won 2-0 over Hanover High School…making it two consecutive state championships.
Nashua ETV
Congratulations to Nashua ETV for winning two third-place Nor-easter Awards at the 2022 Alliance for Community Media (ACM) - Northeast Region conference, for productions completed in 2021.
Pete Johnson, Nashua ETV Administrator, accepted the awards at a ceremony held November 9, at the North Andover, Massachusetts Historical Society. Nashua ETV won for
· Event Coverage category, Single Camera: Battle of the Bridge Football 2021
· Sports Programming category: 2021 NHIAA Division I Girls Basketball Championship
As we are all well aware, Nashua ETV also broadcasts live the Nashua Board of Education meetings. Our thanks to Pete, Jim, and all Nashua ETV videographers for their support. Again, congratulations!
Thank you.
Staples Thanks Elm Street Middle School Science Teacher
Pictured above, l to r: Carrie Charette, Elm Street Middle School Principal; Xavier Martin, General Manager, Staples, Nashua; Denise Rock O'Hara; Mario Andrade, Superintendent of Schools; and Matthew Poska, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools.