NIS Weekly News
Nantucket Intermediate School - Oct. 5, 2020
Cohort A to Start In Person Learning TODAY
Below, find the information you will need to be prepared for our staggered start to the hybrid model. As our start is now staggered, please be on the lookout for more information regarding remote learning for Cohorts B and C as the week of October 19th approaches.
Staggered Start to Hybrid: Please know that all safety measures outlined in our protocols will be followed.
Today, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020 - Cohort A students start at NIS (only Cohort A). Their face-to-face days are Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Anticipated: Monay, Oct. 19, 2020 Cohort B students start at NIS. Their face-to-face days are Mondays and Tuesdays.
Anticipated: Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020 Cohort C students start at NIS. Their face-to-face days are Thursdays and Fridays.
Wednesdays - All students REMOTE Learners
How to Prepare:
Watch our return-to-school video below created by Ms. Johnson and several of our students!
Charge student Chromebook and gather materials into student's plastic bin. The bin and Chromebook will travel between home and school.
Review student health screening questions daily on in-school days
Review the NIS Return to School Protocols below
Review the draft NIS Family Handbook 2020-2021 (see below)
Pre-order breakfast for in-school days (see information below)
Review arrival and dismissal procedures - do not drop off students before 7:40 am.
Check out this document in English and Spanish: Welcome Back to NIS!
Here's hoping we will all be together soon!
Evemarie McNeil, Principal & Donna Johnson, Assistant Principal
Many Thanks to Our Amazing NIS Staff!
- Taskforce teams meet all summer long to develop health and safety protocols, social/emotional learning training and curriculum, blended learning training and resources, and building specific schedules and routines.
- The volume of new learning our staff has had to engage in and absorb would typically fill a professional development calendar for a couple of school years. Staff have worked diligently to quickly understand blended learning, all of the technology to make blended learning work, and the logistics of working with children both remotely and in person.
- Staff are consistently advocating that we prioritize students' social and emotional well-being because they understand the stress families are under, the sadness for students around not returning to school, and the unfamiliarity of what school looks and feels like now and the anxious feelings that can create.
- All staff are asked to leave the school soon after the children leave so that the building can be deeply cleaned each day. This absolutely creates a hardship for our teachers who traditionally spend long hours at school preparing for their lessons. Our custodial staff has a mountain of work to do to ensure a deeply cleaned building every morning when staff and students reenter.
Many thanks to all of you who have emailed me to share your appreciation for everything our staff has done and continues to do. Thank you for recognizing the effort put forth to engage your children, even when from a distance, to connect with them and grow their skills and knowledge. I am truly humbled by the commitment, dedication and resilience our NIS staff demonstrates day in and day out. All they want is for your students to return to us the minute it's deemed safe to do so. Thank you families for your genuine understanding and patience as we continue to all do things for the very first time. We expect it to look and feel a bit messy, and will continuously refine our practices to improve the experience for all each day.
Arrival and Dismissal Reminders/Updates
- Students may not arrive to the building before 7:40 AM. 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders each have a designated meeting spot outside where teachers will meet them at 7:45 AM, rain or shine. Staff will be available to direct students to their designated areas. *Please remind your student to wear their mask and be physically distanced from others.
Dismissal:
- Walkers and bikers will be dismissed at 2:10 PM to allow students to safely be on their way before the busses and cars start to move. Others will dismiss after that.
From NIS Nurse Nancy
Welcome back to school!!! Although we started the year off in remote only learning, I know that we are Nantucket Strong and will continue to fight the good fight. We must be diligent in wearing face masks, washing hands, and social distancing. We know these work in helping to stop the spread of Covid 19. Hopefully we will be in the hybrid model in no time.
In August the state mandated that all students must be vaccinated with the flu vaccine by December 31, 2020. Nantucket Cottage Hospital is running a drive thru Flu Clinic Monday - Friday 7am to 6pm, Saturday 8-12 noon. How convenient is that!! I urge the whole family to get the vaccine as well. Make it a family affair. It is more important now than ever to get a flu vaccine because flu symptoms are very similar to those of Covid-19 and preventing the flu will save lives and preserve healthcare resources.
This year when calling in your student’s absence, please leave the reason why. Even when we are in remote learning, we need to know why the student is absent. This will help me to track illnesses and do the necessary follow up, if needed.
Have a safe and healthy fun school year!!!!
Nancy Small BSN, RN
NIS Welcome Back Newsletter
Mask Wearing on School Grounds
Per health and safety requirements, our students will be required to wear masks all through their school day. There have been recent reports about which masks are safest to wear: "Of the 14 masks and other coverings tested, the study found that some easily accessible cotton cloth masks are about as effective as standard surgical masks, while popular alternatives such as neck gaiters made of thin, stretchy material may be worse than not wearing a mask at all." Click HERE for a link to that Washington Post article.
It will be important that students have had some practice wearing a face mask for longer periods of time just to get used to it. Here is a video to help your child learn about how to appropriately put on and wear a mask: For Kids - Masks for Older Kids We thank you for all you have done to keep our island safe through social distancing and wearing your masks when expected!
Taking the Bus?
Safety precautions will be in place on the school bus.
District and NIS Return to School Safety Protocols
NPS Return to School Protocols - Fall 2020
Draft NIS Family Handbook 2020-2021
- English: draft NIS Family Handbook 2020 - 2021
- Espanol: NIS Familia Manual 2020-2021
Tech Help Desk Access en Espanol
Video # 1
Steps for TECH HELP DESK REQUEST/Pasos para SOLICITAR AYUDA TÉCNICA
Loom | Free Screen & Video Recording Software — Watch Video
Supporting our NIS Community - Parent Initiative!
Thank you Kate!
COVID-19 Travel Order
Effective August 1, 2020, all visitors and returning residents entering Massachusetts must follow new travel orders. The Commonwealth has made great progress to slow the spread of COVID-19 and gradually re-open the economy, and all visitors have a responsibility to help us keep transmission levels as low as possible.
All visitors entering Massachusetts, including returning residents, who do not meet an exemption, are required to:
- Complete the Massachusetts Travel Form prior to arrival, unless you are visiting from a lower-risk state designated by the Department of Public Health.
- Quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72-hours prior to your arrival in Massachusetts.
If your COVID-19 test result has not been received prior to arrival, visitors, and residents must quarantine until they receive a negative test result.
Failure to comply may result in a $500 fine per day.
Please find more information, including the list of lower-risk states, exemptions, business guidance and other details at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order
For NPS District Information
Be sure to check the www.npsk.org website for specific District communications and updates.
Nantucket Intermediate School
Email: mcneile@npsk.org
Website: https://www.npsk.org/NIS
Location: 30 Surfside Road, Nantucket, MA, USA
Phone: 508-228-7290
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nantucketintermediateschool/
Twitter: @NISlearners