CPS Parent Update
January 30, 2023
Winter Events
CPS Parents & Guardians,
We hosted our first school-wide dance in the last two years this past Friday night. About 70 students attended, 50 of which were 6th graders. Students danced to a variety of popular songs played by DJ Billy Voss. Please be on the lookout for a spring dance in March and we traditionally host a grade 8 semi-formal in May or June. Please read the sections below for other events that are scheduled this winter. For example: Grade 6 is showcasing student work this Thursday night (2/2) - future dates coming for grades 7 & 8.
Video Version of CPS Parent Update - 1/30/23
Thank you,
CPS Admin Team
Michael Horton - Principal
Adriene Lombardi - Assistant Principal
Tracy Mailloux - Assistant Principal
February 2023 Calendar
February 2, 2023 - Thursday - Grade 6 Celebration - 5:00pm - CPS Cafe and CPS Library
(Ratio recipe project, 6th grade cookbook, Personal narrative books, recipe art projects)
February 7, 2023 - Tuesday - School Committee - 6:00pm - NHS LGI
February 8, 2023 - Wednesday - FONPS - 6:00pm - NIS
February 15, 2023 - Wednesday - Half-day - Noon Dismissal
February 16, 2023 - Thursday - CPS School Council - 3:00pm - CPS Cafe
February 16, 2023 - Thursday - CPS Principal's Coffee - 5:30pm - CPS Cafe
February 20, 2023 - Monday - NO SCHOOL - Presidents' Day
February 21, 2023 - Tuesday - School Committee - 6:00pm - NHS LGI
February 27, 2023 - March 3, 2023 - NO SCHOOL - WINTER BREAK
MA Safe Routes to School
Wednesday, 10/12/22
Wednesday, 2/1/23
Wednesday, 5/3/23
Students are thanked for their efforts to get to school without using a car and are provided bookmarks or stickers with reminders for how to safety get to school each morning.
Swimming Unit in Wellness Classes
Mr. Almodobar's Grade 7 and Grade 8 sections have swimming in February. Stay tuned for information from wellness teachers:
Olivia Gallugi (grades 6 & 7): gallugio@npsk.org
Beau Almodobar (grades 7 & 8): almodobarb@npsk.org
Mid-Trimester 2 Progress Reports coming home this week...
Extra help available for all 4 core academic subjects.
Please email Michael Horton to sign up:
Art Portfolios
Jr Operator Boating Course - Coming Soon!
LOST and FOUND in Front Lobby of CPS
Student DROP-OFF and PICK-UP is in the BACK of CPS
Repeat Reminders Are Below
Schoology
If you have forgotten your username and/or password, follow the prompts to reset it through the email you provided NPS when you registered your student.
Schoology is the platform CPS teachers use to share student grades and progress on homework, classwork, and other assignments. Report cards will stil be shared and printed through ASPEN, our student information database.
Mitigating Flu, Covid, and RSV
FROM NPS NURSES:
Dear NPS Staff,
We are in the thick of flu season and have had numerous confirmed positive cases thus far! If
you haven’t received your flu vaccine yet, we highly recommend you consider reaching out to
your primary care, Dan’s Pharmacy or the Town of Nantucket Health Department. If there is
enough interest we can arrange another flu clinic after school with Heather Francis, our public
health nurse. Symptoms of Influenza usually come on suddenly and include:
fever* or feeling feverish/chills
cough
sore throat
runny or stuffy nose
muscle or body aches
headaches
fatigue (tiredness)
Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children
than adults.
There is no quarantine or isolation for influenza, people who test positive for the
flu should remain home until they are fever free without medication for 24 hours
and symptoms have improved.
The CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine for everyone 6 months and older who is able to
get the flu vaccine.
As a school we want to do as much as we can to protect all students and staff, from illness,
hospitalization and missed school days.
If you have any questions about the flu vaccine, please feel free to contact your doctor or school nurse.
CPS Nurse: Camilla McGarvey
Athletic Eligibility for Winter Sports
Students also need to be modeling good behavior and respect in school. Students who are suspended are not eligible to participate in games/matches/meets for the duration of the suspension (weekends if the suspension occurs on a Friday). All school detentions must be served before practices and games (including an early dismissal for an away contest) and coaches reserve the right to 'bench' players for repeated disciplinary issues in school.
Please refer to the Whaler Student-Athlete Handbook or contact Mr. Horton directly with any questions:
Breakfast Passes through FRONT CPS Office in the morning
Breakfast is served from 7am to 7:45am in the NHS Cafe.
E-Bike Update
We cannot prevent students from operating around the island, but students MUST walk them on sidewalks as they approach the building and crowded areas. Students MUST wear helmets and obey traffic signs.
Please talk to your students about bicycle safety. Students will need to 'register' their E-Bikes with CPS administration to review these rules and where to park them on school property.
CPS Reminders
Camilla McGarvey
508-228-7283 x1405
Student Absences and Dismissals need to be shared with the CPS front office:
Kristen Holdgate
508-228-7283 (Option 2)
CPS Winter Sports
LINK to CPS Sports (including schedules)
CYRUS PEIRCE MIDDLE SCHOOL / 2022 WINTER SPORTS
(The first day of practice for Middle School Winter Sports will be on Monday, December 5th)
Girls Basketball (grades 7 & 8)
Boys Basketball (grades 7 & 8)
Varsity Girls Hockey (grades 7-12)
Varsity Boys Swimming & Diving (grades 7-12)
We encourage anyone interested in playing a sport for the 2022 winter season to complete the registration process as soon as possible. Please note that all athletic registrations must include the following 4 items prior to any practice / game participation:
#1: Online registration at www.FamilyID.com
Submitting a current doctor’s physical form to the Athletic Department / Athletic Trainer
Having a current concussion baseline test on file with the Athletic Department
Payment of the required participation fee to the Athletic Department
Please contact assistant athletic director, Matt Hunt with any Questions: huntm@npsk.org
NPS Food Service - Chartwell's
Here is a link to the Food Service department where you can find the annual Chartwell's 'welcome back' newsletter: NPS Food Services
Annual Verification for ALL students REQUIRED Through ASPEN
Log-in using the email you entered when registering your student in the past. Please click the 'forgot my password' option if you don't remember your password.
Once logged-in:
Click the 'here' under the Family Portal users section
Follow the prompts and type your name to 'sign' each section.
Please carefully review which medications you allow the nurse to administer and please read the technology agreement closely. It outlines when there are charges incurred by students with school distributed devices.
We Need Substitute Teachers!
Cover for teachers when absent by implementing sub plans.
$150/day
Opportunity for growth if interested in becoming a classroom teacher or teacher assistant. School involvement can also lead to tutoring options outside of school, club stipends, and coaching positions.
Please email hortonm@npsk.org if you are interested or know someone who is interested.
CPS Sara Brooks Nurse Care Closet
CPS Student Clubs
Games Club - Mr. Millen
Book Club - Mrs. McMahon
Morning News - Mr. Gonnella
Drama Club - Ms. Cutts
Student Council - Ms. Cutts & Ms. Gordon
Science Fair - Ms. Arnold
CPS Mission to Address Student Language
Students expressing themselves with vulgar and sexualized language has increased nationally since returning to school full-time after an extended time in isolation/remote learning. Overuse and an unhealthy dependence on technology along with lost time to interact in-person appropriately has led to exposure to several inappropriate Tik-Tok, Instagram, and You Tube videos/challenges.
We need help from home:
1) Talk to your student about inappropriate language. Even if they claim they aren't the ones swearing, ask them to speak up when someone else is being inappropriate.
2) Model polite language, and acknowledge it when you 'slip up' in front of your kids
3) Monitor your student's internet use and browsing of Instagram, Tik Tok, Snapchat, You Tube Shorts, etc... Do not let students have unsupervised access to technology at night.
Current consequences at CPS:
1) Teacher detention
2) Office detention
3) Saturday morning detention (8am to 12pm)
(We are using Saturday detentions to avoid in-school and out-of-school suspensions to keep students in their classes at school.)
Letters of apology and counseling may be included.
What else we are doing:
We are meeting with small groups of students during Friday morning extended homerooms to talk about inappropriate language and remind students of the expectations and consequences. We are forming a Student Conduct Committee that will include students from all three grades at CPS.
Attendance and Tardiness
After relaxed enforcement during the 2020-2021 year due to ever-changing learning formats and schedules, contact-tracing, and required days absent for a Covid-19 positive test, we made a step back to enforcement last year through office detentions. This year we are back to full enforcement of our state mandated attendance and tardy policies this year. Please review these guidelines in our student handbook.
Attendance (p.11)
Tardiness (p.41)
At 10 days tardy to school per TRIMESTER, students will start receiving after school 'office detentions' from 2:20pm to 2:50pm. After each additional 5 days late per trimester, students will receive another office detention. A parent meeting may be scheduled for repeat offenders. Massachusetts asks schools to meet with families of any student who is absent for any reason for more than 10% of a school year (18 days). We have on and off-island resources to help students who are struggling to get to school consistently.
We have a School Resource Officer (SRO) and School Counselors to assist with getting students to school on time.
Aspen generated 'form' letters will be automatically generated to families after 5 days tardy or absent, after 10 days tardy or absent, and after 15 days tardy or absent. These letters are emailed regardless of the reason. At the end of 180 days of school, however days missed (no matter what the reason) are school days missed. We are required to report this information to the state.
How are your student's grades?
Are they making up missed work?
Teachers are available after school for extra help Monday-Thursday. If students are struggling and have missed 10% of the year (18 days), then a meeting will be arranged to discuss options to get back on track: tutoring, extra help after school, summer school, or even the possibility of retention. Repeating a grade is RARE in middle school, but it is a last resort if students are simply not present for a substantial portion of the year and not completing required assignments.
As a reminder, please email Michael Horton to share the need for any extended family trips or travel. We will work with you on a plan for when your student returns to school.
Internet Safety
School-wide student assembly was Monday, 10/17/22.
Please TALK to your kids about responsible use of their Smart Phone. The recording, photoshopping, and sharing of inappropriate images and videos is on the rise nationally and that includes CPS.
Saturday Morning Detentions
NPS Vision, Mission, and Core Values
MISSION: 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.
CORE VALUES: Nantucket Public Schools values collaboration, communication, and reflection that supports:
Equitable access to multiple pathways for individual and collective success.
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.
High expectations and a student-centered educational approach that integrates academic progress, extra-curricular participation, personal responsibility, and community involvement.
CPS has adopted the district's vision, mission, and core values, but will be working on our own specific focus areas this year. Our school slogan is still 'Do The Right Thing' - not only a Spike Lee movie, but a reference to Cyrus Peirce's "Live to the Truth" motto. Please check out the NHA link and the book, Live to the Truth: The Life and Times of Cyrus Peirce, written by retired CPS teacher, Barbara White:
Feedback and comments welcome to: hortonm@npsk.org
LUNCH MENU - School Lunch FREE for ALL students through June 22, 2023
CPS is under 'Secondary' with the high school menu
Per the US Department of Agriculture, School Lunch will be FREE for ALL students for the third year in a row through June 2023.
Free breakfasts are available, too; must pre-order through Food Services director, Linda Peterson: petersonl@npsk.org
CPS Attendance Line: 508-228-7283 option 2
CPS School Council Parent Members
CPS School Council meets on the THIRD Thursday of every month at 3:00pm in the CPS cafe. We develop the School Improvement Plan, review the Student/Parent Handbook, and discuss monthly events, and hot topics at CPS.
Term ends 2023 - Erin Carson nantucketerin@gmail.com
Term ends 2023 - Pauline Cronin pollywollysuperdolly@hotmail.com
Term ends 2024 - Jessica Douglas jessicadouglas2145@gmail.com
Term ends 2024 - Annie-Kay Rose roseanniekay@yahoo.com
Term ends 2024 - Meg Browers megbrowers@gmail.com
Term ends 2024 - Stacy Montes stacy@greyladyins.com
In addition to the parents and community representation above, the CPS School Council also includes: one student representative from each grade, 4 CPS teachers, and the CPS Admin Team.
CPS Enrollment Update: 376
Up 1 student since the 1/23/23 update. 1 new student enrolled at CPS since 1/23/23
Down 55 students since the June 22, 2022 report (431). We promoted a large class to the ninth grade (153) and welcomed a smaller class to grade 6 (102).
We are down 4 students to our starting enrollment of 380 on 9/6/22 - the first day of this school year. We anticipate a few of our recent withdrawals returning to CPS in the spring.
