NIS News - November 29, 2021
Nantucket Intermediate School
Holiday Fun and Lots of Learning!
We are excited to have our students and staff back after the Thanksgiving holiday. Everyone seems refreshed! The week before our break we welcomed several community members to come to school to read to our students. Our guests of honor included those who are not likely familiar with our day-to-day operations, but have great influence to support our work here at NIS. It's important for our larger community to experience first hand our staff's commitment to your children and our amazing student body. Our students certainly enjoyed our guest readers and learning more about what they do too.
This week several of our classes will be headed to town to decorate trees with handmade ornaments as part of Nantucket tradition. Otherwise, it'll be a full week of academic learning! We do have some half days coming in December. Mark your calendars for 12/8 and 12/15 as both are half days of school. Parent/teacher conferences will be held on 12/15 so be sure to sign up for a time with your child's classroom teacher!
Our December holiday break begins on Thursday, Dec. 23rd and students return to school on Monday, Jan. 3rd. If you are planning to extend this holiday break and your child will miss 5 or more days of school as a result, please reach out to our front office to set up a time to meet with me or Ms. Johnson. Extending vacations is not in the best interest of student learning, and thus we discuss the likely impact to your child.
Wishing you joy and merriment all month long!
Grateful for your partnership,
Evemarie McNeil, Principal
Donna Johnson, Assistant Principal
Dr. Hallett - Guest Reader
Jason Bridges - Guest Reader
Jose Tejada - Guest Reader
NIS Picture Retake Day - December 7th - 9:00 to 9:30 AM
Intervention Services for Children on Nantucket
The Special Needs Advisory Council is partnering with the South Shore Autism Center to conduct a forum for island families on December 10th between 11am-3pm in the Nantucket High School conference room. This is a drop in event. Families and community members are invited to stop in to provide feedback on what kinds of services are needed on the island for children with autism and special needs. They will also be able to provide information regarding in-home therapies, parent training and social group skills.
This is a valuable opportunity to build partnerships and provide input into needed therapies. Please see the attached flyer. Please, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Kerry Ray
Director of Programming and Operations, Nantucket S.T.A.R.
508-325-5276
NPS Campus Master Plan - Years of Thoughtful Planning
MMA Look Up Program - Free for Students & Families!
MMA is thrilled to announce their new “Look Up” Program, launching in December 2021.
The MMA’s Look Up Program provides the opportunity for every student in the Nantucket school system to visit Loines Observatory and learn from professional astronomers. Each month, from December through May, the MMA will host a special version of their Open Night program geared towards children age five through eighteen. Students will be invited to attend the Look Up Program with their families entirely free-of-charge. When students arrive at Loines Observatory for the in-person component, they will receive a special Look Up shirt to celebrate their participation in this program.
The December schedule for the Look Up Program for 2021 is as follows:
Wednesday, December 8th, 6-7:30PM
Thursday, December 9th, 6-7:30PM
For more information checkout the Maria Mitchell Webpage at https://www.mariamitchell.org/
Previously Shared Information Below
No Student Drop Off on Surfside Road
Vaccine News
Hello NIS Families,
Finally the Pfizer vaccine was approved for children 5-12 years old. The CDC states that the vaccine is safe and effective for your students. During the summer the Delta variant hit that age group hard. The number of hospitalizations nationwide was fivefold in a 6 week period during the summer. Getting the vaccine will help to minimize covid symptoms, decrease hospitalizations for your students, and help to stop the spread of covid. Nantucket Cottage Hospital is offering vaccine clinics on Mondays from 2-5 pm. You can make an appointment by using this link Nantucket Cottage Hospital
Here is the CDC link for more information on the vaccine.
CDC vaccine for 5-12 year olds
Stay healthy,
Nancy Small, RN
NIS School Nurse
Protocols for School COVID Testing
Dear NIS Families,
We are fortunate enough to be participating in the Test and Stay program which allows school close contacts to test daily (5-7 days) with the BinaxNow test (rapid covid antigen test) and stay in school with a negative test result and be asymptomatic. Students who are deemed close contacts to a positive case outside of the school setting, cannot participate in this program. They must use the protocols set by the Department of Education and the Department of Public Health. The reasoning for this is that school close contacts are less likely to become positive because of masking, social distancing and hand washing. We can control the school environment.
We are also participating in Symptomatic testing. This is another way to keep the students in school. So if your student comes to my office with a covid symptom and I have your signed consent, then I can use the BinaxNow test to help rule out covid.
There are links below for the protocols and close contacts.
My main objective is to keep my students safe, healthy, and in school. If you have not handed in the consent to test, please do so. Please reach out if you have further questions.
Stay healthy,
Nancy Small, RN
NIS School Nurse
Dept. of Education COVID-19 Flowchart Protocols (linked below)
Brrr....Cold Weather is Here
Bus News - Wait List Information
If your child still needs bus transportation, please email Ms. Emily Murphy and your child will be put on the bus waitlist. Once we hear anything we will be in contact with you. Here is Emily's email: murphye@npsk.org
Children are only permitted to ride the bus if their address is 1.5 miles or more away from the school.
No Birthday Food Treats Please
We would like to encourage you to donate a birthday book to your child's classroom library in honor of their birthday. Other acceptable ideas include bringing in a special pencil or decal for everyone in the class if that's preferred.
Thank you for not sending your child to school with food items for the class to celebrate their birthday.
NPS Vision, Mission and Core Values
NPS Vision Draft
We commit to provide equitable, inclusive, and challenging learning experiences where every student and adult feels seen, heard, valued, and respected.
NPS Mission Draft
Nantucket Public Schools, in partnership with a caring community, will create a dynamic and equitable learning environment which engages each of us to be inspired learners and responsible citizens, prepared to meet local and global challenges.
NPS Core Values Draft
Nantucket Public Schools values collaboration, communication, and reflection that supports:
Equitable access to multiple pathways for individual and collective success.
High expectations and a student-centered educational approach that integrates academic progress, extra-curricular participation, personal responsibility, and community involvement.
Inclusive and sustained family relationships that respect all cultures and the experiences each child brings to our schools.
Challenging ourselves to embrace and advocate for the needs of every student, adult, and family within our school community.
NPS Return to School Safety Protocols - updated 8/18/21
Nantucket Intermediate School
Email: mcneile@npsk.org
Website: www.npsk.org/NIS
Location: 30 Surfside Road, Nantucket, MA, USA
Phone: 508-228-7290
Facebook: facebook.com/NantucketIntermediateSchool
Twitter: @NISlearners