Superintendent Winter 2025 Update

Dear New Buffalo Families,

As we move through the end of Winter, I’m grateful for the energy, care, and teamwork happening across New Buffalo Area Schools every day.

In this newsletter, you’ll see updates on how we’re supporting student well-being and school culture through our No Bullying work, restorative supports, and advisory/WIN time. You’ll also find encouraging K–8 winter assessment trends, along with a look at our annual budget development process and how we plan responsibly for the future.

And of course, there are some great moments that remind us about the importance of community including, Family Fit Night, the middle school ski trip, and BASE enrichment that’s focused on creativity, movement, and relationships.

Thank you for being an important part of the NBAS community.

- Adam Bowen

Here at New Buffalo Area Schools, we pride ourselves on supporting students both academically and socially. Student well-being and mental health play an important role in overall success at school, and we want every student to feel safe, supported, and welcome in our buildings.

Bullying continues to be an important issue nationwide, and we believe it’s essential that students understand what bullying is—and also know where to turn if they have a concern. For the past three years, NBAS has partnered with No Bullying Schools, a program that provides an anonymous way for students to report concerns through an app or website. This year we have received a few reports; after thorough investigations, these reports were found to be unsubstantiated. Even so, having a trusted reporting option available is an important piece of helping students feel comfortable speaking up.

In addition to reporting tools, the No Bullying Schools program includes five teacher-led lessons throughout the school year. These lessons focus on the definition of bullying and how to build resilience if you become a victim of bullying. Understanding the definition is critical because bullying is often misunderstood as simply “mean behavior,” when in reality it is repeated and targeted behavior that includes a power imbalance.

We also emphasize the importance of being an upstander—someone who helps and speaks up when something isn’t right. Our message to students is simple: “See something, say something.” We believe this program, along with the trusted adults throughout our buildings, helps deter bullying behaviors and strengthens a positive, supportive school culture.

We will continue our No Bullying Initiative each year to ensure our students feel safe and welcome at New Buffalo Area Schools.

We are thrilled to share that our Sensory Room continues to be an invaluable resource for our school community. This thoughtfully designed space is used throughout the day for restorative conversations, collaborative small-group sessions, and purposeful student breaks that help our learners reset, recharge, and refocus.

The positive impact on student well-being and engagement has been inspiring to witness. The Sensory Room remains an important part of our ongoing commitment to supporting the “Whole Child” — academically, socially, and emotionally.

Thanks to our recent Whole Child Award recognition, we were also able to expand the space to include a dedicated area for our hardworking teachers. This addition provides staff with a place to take a brief restorative break, ensuring that our educators feel supported and refreshed as they continue their important work with students.

We look forward to seeing the continued growth and benefits this space brings to our entire school community throughout the year!

High School Advisory (MTSS Support)

At New Buffalo High School, all students participate in a 30-minute Advisory period at the end of each school day. This time is part of our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and is designed to ensure every student receives the academic support they need to succeed.

Students are assigned to Advisory groups based on standardized assessment data. When needed, students are placed with a specific content-area teacher to receive additional support in English, Math, or other core subjects. During this time, students may:

• Work on SAT practice questions

• Participate in small-group intervention with a content teacher

• Complete homework or classroom assignments

• Make up tests or quizzes

• Visit another teacher for additional help

Students who do not require Tier 2 or Tier 3 academic support use this time productively to stay ahead on coursework and assignments.

Advisory ensures that every student has built-in academic support during the school day. Parents with questions about High School Advisory are encouraged to contact Principal Tracy Ripley at tripley@nbas.org.

Middle School Support Systems

New Buffalo Middle School provides multiple layers of academic and social support to help students grow academically and personally.

WIN Time (What I Need)

WIN Time is a targeted academic support period focused on helping students strengthen skills in English Language Arts and Math. Using standardized assessment data, teachers identify students who are approaching proficiency or are close to meeting state standards.

WIN Time takes place Tuesday through Friday from 3:00–3:30 PM. During this period, students engage in skill-based, on-level instruction aligned to state standards to improve performance and build confidence.

Students who are not scheduled for WIN Time rotate through their four core classes for an additional 30 minutes of instructional time at the end of the day.

RTI (Response to Intervention) – Math & ELA

Students identified within the bottom 30% based on academic data are enrolled in Math or ELA RTI. This is a more intensive, data-driven intervention designed to address specific skill gaps.

RTI meets every other day during either 5th or 6th hour and provides focused, individualized instruction to help students close learning gaps and demonstrate measurable academic growth.

Advisory

Middle School Advisory meets every Monday from 3:00–3:30 PM and focuses on connection, well-being, and school culture.

Each month follows a consistent structure:

• First Monday – HERD Huddle: A school-wide celebration recognizing students who demonstrate our PBIS expectations. HERD stands for Have Integrity, Engage in Learning, Respect Everyone, and Do the Right Thing.

• Second Monday – Healthy HERD: Students choose from a variety of activities that promote wellness, positive relationships, and engagement.

• Remaining Mondays: Dedicated to Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), College and Career planning through Xello, and lessons from our No Bullying Schools program.

Advisory provides students with consistent opportunities to build life skills, reflect on personal growth, and strengthen a positive and inclusive school community.

Family Fit Night is a night where parents can come with their students to experience the ninja course that we work on in class. Lots of fun obstacles and climbing apparatuses for all ages. It is a night full of happy, sweaty children! It is a very well-attended event, typically between 250 to 300 people come out to partake that night.

New Buffalo Middle School students enjoyed a memorable day of winter fun on February 10th during a school ski trip to Timber Ridge Ski Area in Gobles, Michigan. The trip was open to all middle school students and designed to be affordable, inclusive, and welcoming to students of all experience levels.

For just $17, students and their parents could receive a lift ticket, ski rental, and a one-hour ski lesson. Students who chose not to ski were also able to participate by tubing for the same cost, ensuring that everyone had the opportunity to enjoy the day outdoors.

The weather could not have been better, providing perfect conditions for both skiing and tubing. Even better, the day ended with no injuries, a testament to the preparation, instruction, and supervision provided throughout the trip.

The staff at Timber Ridge played a key role in the day’s success. Their hospitality, organization, and patience with students (many of whom were trying skiing for the first time) helped create a positive and encouraging experience for everyone involved. New Buffalo Middle School extends a sincere thank you to the Timber Ridge team for their professionalism and support.

Skiing is a lifelong sport that can be enjoyed well beyond the school years, and the trip offered students the chance to build confidence, learn new skills, and discover a healthy activity they can return to for years to come. At the same time, Timber Ridge’s tubing and other winter activities showed students that there are plenty of ways to enjoy winter fun, even if skiing isn’t their thing.

Beyond the physical benefits, the trip also supported students’ social and emotional growth. Spending the day together outside the classroom encouraged teamwork, perseverance, and positive peer interactions, making the experience both educational and enjoyable.

Overall, the New Buffalo Middle School ski trip was a great success and a reminder of the value of providing students with opportunities to explore new activities, stay active, and build lasting memories.

This year at BASE, we’ve decided to consciously disconnect from electronics during program hours. Instead, we’re focusing on:

Enrichment Activities

Arts & Imaginary Play

Building Social Skills

Strengthening motor skills

Our incredible BASE staff is excited to spark creativity, encourage friendships and make every moment count, without the plugs.

We can’t wait to see all the fun, laughter and growth that comes from being “Unplugged!”

The students have been participating in the optional enrichments that we offer, for free!

Recently, we teamed up with the High School Envirothon Team to participate in Project Wild. Project Wild is an environmental educational program that aims to help learners develop awareness, knowledge, and skills concerning wildlife and the environment. Collaborating with the high school staff & students creates & builds relationships, not only within the students, but within the community as well.

For another enrichment, we invited the middle school volleyball team over to teach any student that wanted to, the basics of Volleyball in a short clinic! All of these enrichments are free and are optional each week, and change each Trimester.

All year, we offer high school students the option to volunteer at BASE for community service hours, and then some students finish volunteering and get hired on our team! We also offer part time hours & volunteering for those local community members who would like to join us at BASE.

We are always on the hunt for new and exciting enrichments for the kids to do! If you or someone you know has a hobby or talent that they'd want to teach the students, please contact Madeline Selby, BASE Director at 269-469-6062 or mselby@nbas.org