MURSD District Update

August 26, 2026

Dear Mendon-Upton School Community,

We are one week away from opening our doors for our students and we can't wait to fill our halls and classrooms with smiles and learning again!

A note of gratitude

So much has happened over the past few months. I want to extend my deep gratitude to our custodians, administrative assistants, Little Learners and before/after-school staff, ESY staff, technology department, and school and district leaders. They managed an extraordinary number of building projects while continuing to serve our community with professionalism, patience, and flexibility. Their hard work has been incredible, so please join me in thanking them when you see them.

Building projects

We are excited to highlight all of the positive building renovations that took place over the summer.

• All buildings: At all four buildings we have new paging and intercom systems, upgraded alarm systems, and new keycard access controls.
• Clough/Memorial: At Clough and Memorial Elementary Schools we fixed the broken curbing and sidewalks and installed new window sealants and caulking to stop water from getting in.
• Nipmuc: At Nipmuc Regional High School we have new tiled classrooms and cafeteria and new carpet in office areas. The plywood on the stage has been replaced. Epoxy floor has been installed in the athletic wing. Rubberized flooring has been installed in the fitness center area.Through our receipt of a $100,000 grant, our media center has been updated with new tables, chairs, circulation desk, furniture, a recording pod, monitors, laser engravers, 3D printer, and more. New data cabling was installed throughout the building.

• Future Nipmuc work: The new seats for the auditorium will arrive in mid-September. At that time, the old seats will be removed, carpet will be installed, and new seats will be installed. We expect the space to be closed for 2 - 4 weeks as the installation takes place. The roof is scheduled to be replaced next summer. Our project managers are guiding us through the design of the front field, which has required many redesigns due to the unforeseen obstacles that have come up during the design phase. We continue to work through the design features for the front field.
• Miscoe: Significant renovation work occurred at Miscoe Hill this summer. In addition to new tiles and carpets, we also renovated our student bathrooms entirely with new floors, wall tiles, bathroom fixtures, and partitions. All of the classrooms have been painted with fresh paint. A couple of hallways were also redone.
• Future Miscoe work: The generator is due to be installed next summer due to long lead times on generators. Field work design at Miscoe is on hold until we can finalize the cost and designs at the front Nipmuc field first.

Back-to-School Preparations: We are Here to Help

I understand that the start of a new school year can bring a mix of emotions for many. Just like so many of you, as a parent, I also personally navigate the flurry of preparing my own family for school as this year I am sending my youngest son off to college this week. I am right there with you, striving to find that delicate balance! Please know that our schools have thoughtfully compiled a wealth of information in their newsletters to assist you with this process. And, of course, if any questions arise, please remember that we are all here to help. This newsletter includes convenient links to the individual school newsletters for you.

We are genuinely excited to embark on this 2026-2027 school journey alongside each of you. Here's to a truly fantastic and successful academic year!

With sincere appreciation,

Maureen Cohen, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Mendon-Upton Regional School District

Below are some photos highlighting many of our building renovations that took place over the summer as part of the capital projects, as well as grant-funded work. They are still completing some of the work this week, so some of the photos are work still in progress. Enjoy!

We are eager to welcome all of our students next week. It is going to be an incredible year!

For information about MURSD Transportation and bus routes for 2026-2027, please click here.

These times may change due to your buses' loading order and adjustments that need to be made. Please allow at least a ten minute window. Thank you for understanding.If you have any questions regarding bus routes, stops, and timing, please contact the Bus Coordinator, Crystal Homes at Tellstone by e-mailing tellstone@mursd.org or calling 508-381-3946 and she will respond as soon as possible.

Student schedules for the school year can be accessed through PowerSchool. After logging in, click on the "My Schedule" link, which can be found on the menu on the left side of the page, and click the Weekly Schedule tab. If you have any questions about your schedule, please reach out to your school counselor and/or main office.

If you are new to the school, you should have received an email from Liz Black about how to register for PowerSchool. PowerSchool is our district software for student attendance and grades. Please complete the PowerSchool Parent Account Access Google Form to request an account. Please note: Only parents or guardians with legal custody may request access to academic records.

Just a reminder to all families (Grades 7-12) fall sports registration has re-opened. Students who are not registered may not participate. Registration must carry a valid physical (within the last 13 months). Athletes do not need to worry about the SWAY concussion baseline test, we will be doing that in teams one of the first few days of practice.

Registration Deadlines:

• Nipmuc registration closes: August 20
• Miscoe Hill registration closes: September 1

Each of the school nurses will send out notices to you regarding the important medical requirements mandated by Massachusetts State Law and school health guidelines each year. These include requirements related to physical exams, immunizations, and medication management. Please reach out directly to your school nurse with any questions.

We wanted to make sure that families were aware for this upcoming school year breakfast and lunches for students in Massachusetts will be free again.

We thank our food service team for all they do as we begin another school year!

Clough: School Supplies

Memorial: School Supplies

Miscoe Hill: School Supplies

Nipmuc: Nipmuc does not publish a school-wide supply list for students. Unlike the elementary and middle schools where all students take the same courses, students at Nipmuc may take a variety of elective courses. As a result, supply needs may vary from student to student.

It is recommended that all students attend the first day of school with a notebook, pen/pencil, and folder. Teachers will share any class-specific supply requests during the first days of school.

As we gear up for the new school year, our tech team is excited to distribute student learning devices! All students at Miscoe Hill Middle School (Gr. 5-8) and Nipmuc Regional High School (Gr. 9-12) have been, or will be at the start of school, issued an iPad, a keyboard case, an Apple brand charging cable, and an Apple brand charging brick.

We kindly ask caregivers to take a quick moment to complete our new Parent/Guardian iPad Distribution Sign-Off 2026-2027 form, which is now available in your PowerSchool Parent Portal. We’ve created this sign-off to ensure transparency between our Tech Department and families regarding initial device conditions, as well as clear information on the replacement costs associated with damaged or missing technology. Details regarding optional 3rd-party insurance coverage for your student’s learning device are also included in the form.

What’s Next?

• Inspect Together: Sit down with your student to check their iPad and accessories to ensure everything is clean, connected, and in good working order.

• Confirm in PowerSchool: Log into PowerSchool to complete the quick sign-off form, confirming your student's equipment condition.

• Need Support? If you notice any issues with the device, case, cord, or charging brick, please have your student visit the tech team at school or email us directly at helpdesk@mursd.org. We are always happy to help get everything squared away promptly!

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Thank you for partnering with us to ensure a smooth, successful start to the school year!

The Summer Learning Opportunities and Summer Reading Lists have been shared through all of our webpages and newsletters.

Link to summer reading lists.

High-quality instructional materials play a key role in helping students succeed and ensuring all learners have access to grade-level content. In the absence of high-quality resources, teachers often spend hours researching and creating their own instructional resources. This can sometimes lead to inconsistent quality across classrooms, and incoherent routines across lessons. Additionally, studies have shown that access to grade-appropriate instruction through high quality resources improves student achievement and reduces achievement gaps. (Rivet Education, 2024; National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, 2020)

We are thrilled that with the support of both towns, and a recent PRISM grant award of $221,804, MURSD has been able to purchase literacy resources in both English and Spanish that are grounded in the science of reading, and are aligned vertically from PK-8. With generous funding from One8, grades 6-7 will be joining grade 5 in implementing Investigating History, a high-quality curriculum resource used by districts across the Commonwealth. Teachers will receive training on these resources throughout the upcoming year. Additionally, Algebra I will be taught using the same resources at both the middle school and high school, and math teachers across MURSD will be working together to deliver a consistent experience to students regardless of where they take the course.

In all, over 80% of our students will be introduced to new curriculum resources in one or more of their classes this coming year. In the next few weeks teachers will be introducing these resources to students and their families. So keep your eyes peeled for more information.

• Monday, August 24- Miscoe Fall Sports Informational Night

• Monday, August 24- School Committee Meeting
• Tuesday, August 25-New Staff Orientation
• Tuesday, August 25-Nipmuc New Student Open House
• Tuesday-Thursday August 25-27-Nipmuc Band Orientation
• Saturday, August 29-Memorial Kindergarten Playdate
• Monday, August 31- Miscoe New Student Tours
• Monday, August 31-Clough Popsicles in the Playground
• Monday, August 31- 5th Grade Popsicle Social
• Monday, August 31-Memorial New to School Parent Info Night
• Wednesday, September 2- First Day of School K-12
• Wednesday, September 2-Nipmuc Senior Sunrise
• Thursday, September 3-Nipmuc DECA Cookout and activities fair
• Friday, September 4- No School, Labor Day Recess
• Monday, September 7- No School, Labor Day
• Tuesday, September 8-First Day of School PreK
• Wednesday, September 9 - Miscoe PTO Meeting
• Friday, September 11-Clough Welcome Back Picnic
• Monday, September 14- School Committee Meeting
• Wednesday, September 16- Miscoe Open House, Grades 5 &6
• Thursday, September 17- Miscoe Open House, Grade 7 & 8
• Friday, September 18- No School, Full Teacher PD
• Friday, October 2- Miscoe Picture Day
• Wednesday, October 7- Miscoe PTO Meeting
• Friday, October 9- Early Release, Teacher PD
• Monday, October 12- No School, Indigenous People's Day

Every month we seek nominations from our entire Mendon-Upton School Community to highlight members of our community who have made a positive impact. If you have someone who has inspired you or who you would like to celebrate, please click on the form below to submit a #MURSDThrives YOU INSPIRE ME nomination. Below are our most recent nominees.

• You Inspire Me; Jay Byer, Director of Finance and Operations, Ken Choineire and Brett Bergeron, Director and Assistant Director of Facilities The management of our buildings and operations is not an easy task any year, but this summer has required an extraordinary effort to oversee the numerous building renovation projects taking place within a short time-frame of 8 weeks. We can't thank you enough for your dedication and commitment to the project.
• You Inspire Me: Custodial Staff. We are so appreciative of the dedication and time that our staff has put in this summer to get the schools up and running for the 2026-2027 school year.
• You Inspire Me: ESY Teachers and Staff: Thank you to all of the extended school year staff who provided a positive learning environment for our students.

When our teachers are out, our substitute teachers help keep the day running smoothly. If you're looking for a flexible way to make a difference in our school community, we'd love to have you join our pack.

Substitute Teachers Needed

• Start Date: September 2, 2026
• Schedule: As-needed, on-call
• Pay: $110 per day

We also are always looking for substitute nurses as well!

To be considered, please submit your application, resume, completed CORI form, and fingerprint results. Find out how to apply here or apply here.

Know someone who would be a great fit? Please share this opportunity! For more information, view our employment opportunities or contact Heather Korpi in the District Office.

Links to School Weekly Communications Below. If you would like to subscribe to a school newsletter and are not currently on their list, please reach out to the school directly.

We have partnered with a local business to offer Mendon-Upton clothing and other items. Use the green button below to bring you to the online website.