NSD eNews
Volume XVIII Issue 16
Mario Andrade, Superintendent of Schools
June 7, 2023
Dear NSD Families and Staff,
Senior Week is underway at both Nashua North and Nashua South, as they approach the most important day of the school year: Graduation!
All graduations will take place next week, and I am looking forward to joining them all.
- Monday, June 12 Nashua High School North at Stellos Stadium
- Tuesday, June 13 Nashua High School South at Stellos Stadium
- Wednesday, June 14 Brentwood Academy at Hunt Memorial Library
Thank you for a wonderful school year. For those of you preparing for summer vacation, enjoy and we will see you all soon. Schools open Tuesday, August 29.
Mario Andrade, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Nashua School District
Nashua Board of Education
Committee on Human Resources: The Nashua Board of Education approved Dr. Andrade's recommendation to hire Colleen Hussey, current Assistant Principal at Fairgrounds Elementary School, as the new principal at Dr. Norman W. Crisp Elementary School, replacing Cherrie Fulton. Ms. Fulton is retiring at the end of the school year and has been named Director of Title I, serving in a part-time capacity, beginning August 1. The Board also approved hiring Janail Archer, current Senior Director of Program Operations at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua, as the new Coordinator of the 21st Century Extended Day Program. Ms. Archer replaces Gail Casey who resigned earlier this spring after serving as Coordinator since 2016.
Unfinished Business: Much of the discussion at the meeting was devoted to proposed redistricting plans. Many questions remain about establishing new school attendance boundary lines for the middle and elementary schools. Jennifer Bishop, Board President, presented an edited version of proposed boundary lines that she created and presented for discussion, noting that redistricting is a "difficult conversation." The Board voted to make a decision on redistricting in 30 days, or presumably no later than the July 24 Board meeting, and to make separate motions to vote on middle school redistricting and elementary school redistricting plans.
New Business: The Board accepted two grants, the $300,000 NHED Leaning in Literacy Grant and a collection of 17 separate classroom grants from the Nashua Education Foundation, totaling more than $15,000.
In addition under New Business, Dr. Andrade notified the Board that Nashua is appealing to the NH Department of Education (NHED) Bureau of Credentialing about the low supply but high demand for library media specialists in Nashua. NHED formerly identified library media specialist as an area of critical shortage, which qualifies viable candidates for the NHED alternative certification process. The shortage of credentialed candidates remains a challenge at NSD, and Dr. Andrade would like NHED to acknowledge the local need in order to take advantage of the alternative certification process for that position. Currently NSD is looking to hire a library media specialist for Dr. Norman W. Crisp Elementary School.
The next Nashua Board of Education meeting will be held Monday, June 26, 2023 at Nashua High School North.
Superintendent's Comments
June 5, 2023
Nashua Board of Education Meeting
Redistricting
The process is not complete. Please continue to take advantage of the feedback forms we have posted on the nashua.edu website on proposed redistricting plans. We have heard from more than 180 of you and we appreciate your valuable feedback. Thank you.
Elementary Nashua Nine Completers
We are proud to announce nearly 350 elementary school students have completed the Nashua Nine challenge. That translates into 350 of our elementary students reading more than 3,000 books collectively!
The Nashua Nine reading challenge is a call from elementary school librarians this year to all students in grades 3-5 to explore nine different categories of books during the school year.
Students were inspired to broaden their reading choices by reading books from selected categories. This year the nine categories were:
1. Biography
2. Major Award Nominee or Winner, such as Caldecott, Newbury, or Dr. Seuss
3. Nonfiction
4. Historical Fiction
5. Mystery
6. Poetry or Free Verse
7. Fantasy or Sci-Fi
8. Realistic Fiction
9. Folk Tale or Fairy Tale
We are delighted so many students have been open to discovering books that they may not have considered choosing to read before.
Congratulations to each of our Nashua Niners!
And keep reading! Lists of suggested books for summer reading are now published on our school district and elementary school websites. Thank you.
Cool down at Birch Hill Elementary School!
North Chapter of National Honor Society Honors Mr. Otocka
The Class of 2023 members of the Nashua HS North chapter of the National Honor Society voted him as an outstanding teacher who meets all the criteria of the award: leads students; communicates enthusiasm and respect for the subject taught; inspires students to develop a hunger for learning; and serves as a role model for students. Mr. Otocka is a longtime social studies teacher at North and is repeating as a No Bell Awardee, having first won in 2013.
The annual award comes with a $7,500 cash award, made possible each year by an anonymous donor, and an engraved school bell without a clapper to represent the many, unheralded efforts that teachers, like Mr. Otocka, made each day. Again, congratulations!