NSD eNews

Volume XVIII Issue 10

Mario Andrade, Superintendent of Schools

February 1, 2023

February 1, 2023

Dear NSD Families and Staff,


My thanks to the students and teachers from Fairgrounds Elementary, Ledge Street Elementary, and Main Dunstable Elementary Schools who presented classroom science lessons at the Nashua Board of Education Monday night.


Great to see firsthand what science instruction looks like in our elementary school classrooms. Our teachers spark our students' innate curiosity by having them learn about the natural world, matter and energy, and how things work. STEM instruction is an important part of our early elementary classrooms, and we very much appreciate our science coaches who work closely with our teachers from all grades to leverage these great hands-on lessons.


Thank you, and please stay warm this weekend.


Mario Andrade, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Nashua School District

February 1, 2023
Nashua Board of Education

Nashua Board of Education

January 30, 2023 Meeting


The Nashua Board of Education met Monday with a full agenda, and here are the highlights:


Two purchases, one to upgrade the NSD network infrastructure and another to install 330 webcams in the elementary computer labs for greater student login efficiency were approved. Also the Board approved 11 policies that impact Board function, instruction, and student support services:


Board of Education Governance and Operations

BBA School Board Power and Duties

BBA-R School Board Power and Duties Appendix

BEAA School Board Meeting Preparation


Instruction

IF Instructional Approach

IHAK Character and Citizenship Education

IHBBA Limited English Proficiency Instruction

IKF High School Graduation

IKF-R Core Diploma Application Form


Students

JFABD Education of Homeless Children and Unaccompanied Youth

JFABD-R Dispute Resolution Form-Homeless Children and Unaccompanied Youth


Student-Community-Home Relations

KA School, Community and Home Relations


The Board also approved several curriculum-related expenditures, including a contract with Paradigm Cyber Ventures to further develop the new cyber security certification program at Nashua HS North and Nashua HS South.


The next Nashua Board of Education meeting will be held Monday, February 20, 2023.

Nashua Board of Education

Superintendent's Comments

January 30, 2023

Nashua Board of Education Meeting


JrROTC

The US Air Force awarded Bryson Borromeo, North Class of 2023 and a member of the JrROTC Program at North, a full scholarship to any college of his choice that offers an Air Force ROTC program.


Bryson is one of 100 cadets selected nationwide to earn this distinguished scholarship. The rigorous criteria for eligibility includes achieving top SAT and fitness scores, a full resume with challenging course selection, and a successful hour-long interview before a six-member panel. For Nicholas Ellis, US Air Force Master Sergeant and JrROTC instructor at Nashua HS North, Bryson is the second consecutive JrROTC student to win a full scholarship to the college of their choice.


Congratulations, Bryson! We are very proud of you.


Recent Personnel Changes

I would like to take a moment to bring attention to two personnel changes in our school district. We look forward to welcoming Yvette Hester as the Assistant Director of the Nashua Technology Center. Ms. Hester brings with her great credentials in career and technical education as well as seasoned management experience in rehabilitation programs serving both adults and youth. I am looking forward to working with her.


In addition, after 18 years of service, I am sorry to have to say goodbye to Dave Rauseo, Transportation Director. By all accounts, our favorite “bus guy” has served us well in a demanding field with many challenges that only New England weather, a large, somewhat sprawling school district, and one or two mischievous bus riders can bring to a Transportation Director.


Dave has served thousands of families, thousands of students, and eight superintendents in his career with the Nashua School District. I am sorry to be his last superintendent but I wish him well in his latest endeavor as he moves forward in his career in transportation.


Good luck, Dave, we will all miss you.


Thank you.

Big picture

North and South Begin Transition from 5.4 GPA to 4.0 GPA

We are halfway through the school year. On Monday, our high school students started a full day of second semester classes, the last semester of our current GPA scale to measure course grades.


Starting with the new school year, the schools will do away with class rank and transition to a 4.0 calculation, which will include all courses. A 4.0 GPA scale is a more commonly used scale to measure grades.


Nashua High School Transition from 5.4 GPA to 4.0 GPA

Class of 2023 = 5.4 GPA Scale

Class of 2024, 2025, 2026 = 5.0 GPA Scale

Class of 2027 and subsequent classes = 4.0 GPA Scale


If you have questions about this transition, you can find FAQs that our guidance directors published on the North and South websites under the Academics tab. The FAQs are also published on the nashua.edu website under the Academics tab. If parents have specific questions, please contact their high school students’ guidance counselors.