Thankfulness Abounds!
As I sat down to begin drafting this edition of "The Principal's Perspective" I knew that I wanted to talk about all of the great things that I am grateful for at Nichols. I immediately experienced what I thought was writers block. Not because I could not think of anything, but it was exactly the opposite. I needed to figure out a way to capture everything in a brief moment in time. So, I thought to myself, maybe I need to take a Netflix break and finish "The Lincoln Lawyer" since I am low key obsessed. I ended up putting my laptop away and began episode 4 of season 3. Just a little background- if you haven't seem the series- the series features a lawyer, Mickey Haller, who encounters all types of twists and turns, both professionally and personally, while defending his clients.But, no matter what, it seems as though he always finds a way to the truth. And, in that truth, it doesn't always have a happy ending...but- he keeps going. He never stops at trying to make a difference. And, then it hit me, every single member of the Nichols community is resilient and KEEPS TRYING. This is what I am so thankful for! Our students are very passionate about what they believe in, and will defend themselves and their circle of friends to the end with each moment presenting a great opportunity to seek and find truth, and to grow from every situation! They are kind and compassionate, and they truly do care about each other. Our staff, not afraid to tackle the toughest of situations, going beyond teaching in the classroom; mentoring and setting the best example for students to follow. And, you, our caregivers, who take on adult responsibilities every day, showing up at work, showing up in the community, showing up at home, and most importantly, showing up for your scholars and giving 1000% each time! So cheers to you all- I am so thankful for this AMAZING Nichols community!
IAR Kudos!
As you know the IAR results came in and in both ELA and Math Nichols increased the amount of students who were ranked in the "exceeds" category. In ELA our Cohort Growth Percentiles also increased! Great job Nichols! As we continue to move all students along we are reminded of our School Work Plan Goals:
Goal 1: Increase proficiency to 80% of all students in all content areas to achieve a “meets” or higher on the Standards Based Grading continuum (all content areas) (Academic environment)
Goal 2: Implement more inclusivity practices to increase “sense of belonging” and “sense of safety” amongst all stakeholders to improve our rating from weak to neutral on the 5 Essential survey and from 44% to 52% on Panorama. (Supportive Environment)
Goal 3: Reduce the number of referrals by 15% from 643 referrals to 541 referrals including an 8% decrease in Black student referrals over the course of the 2024-2025 school year. (Supportive environment)
Goal 4: Increase the percentage of Black and Latinx students reaching proficiency or advanced levels on MAP testing by 5 percentage points from Fall to Spring. (Academic environment)
8th Grade and ETHS Languages
Attention all families with 8th grade students! Does your child have immersion experience or heritage in Chinese, French, German, Japanese, or Spanish?
If you answered yes and your student will be attending ETHS in the Fall, they can take the AAPPL placement test to get a more accurate placement in their language classes. Please see the attached doc for more information and instructions on how to sign up for the AAPPL test. *Students who take Spanish Language Arts will take the test in class and do NOT need to sign up.
Contact World Languages Department Chair Rachel D’Onofrio at donofrior@eths202.org or New Student Transition Coordinator Alicia Hart at harta@eths202.org with any questions.
Parking Lot Safety
Parents, I need your help in making sure our parking lot remains safe for students and staff. At no time should parents be pulling into the lot to drop off or to pick up students at any time between 7:30 a.m- 8:30 a.m. nor from 2:45 p.m.-3:30 p.m. There is far too much traffic as it is with teachers parking and with students going though the lot to get to breakfast or to the 6th grade door. Please do not pull into the lot for safety reasons. Additionally, please do not stop in the middle of the road to drop off or to pick up your scholar. This is far too dangerous, and your child could be hit by a car. Let us all practice safety for our scholars!
Cold Weather Recess
If there are any families who would like to donate board games (that are well kept, functional, and have all of the pieces in tact) we will accept them to be used during indoor recess. Also, please make sure your children have appropriate outdoor clothing for the days that we do go outside and it is cold.
