@NipmucRegional

We hope it's been a wonderful summer for students, staff, and families! We are looking forward to welcoming students back for the first day of school on Wednesday, September 2. This week's newsletter provides information and updates that will help prepare for the start of the new year. Enjoy the final full week of summer!

We are excited to welcome new students and the Class of 2030!

To help our freshmen and new students feel comfortable before school starts, our student council is hosting optional drop-in tours, allowing them to explore the building and find their classrooms. This will take place on Tuesday, August 25 from 10am - noon. No registration required. Stop by anytime between 10am - noon to explore the school.

Freshmen and new students will be able to pick up their iPads on August 25. Students who do not attend the session on August 25 will receive their iPads in their advisory class on the first day of school.

We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back to school Wednesday, September 2. In order to help with the transition back to school, we'll run an alternate schedule for the first two days (see below). Over the course of Wednesday and Thursday, all classes will meet one time. There will be advisory sessions, class meetings, a school-wide cookout, and activities.

Lunch block on Thursday will give all students the chance to participate in three different activities:

• Cookout (hosted by Nipmuc DECA & Upton Police Department) - free for all students
• Class Meetings
• Club and Activities Fair

As a result of these activities, students' schedules will reflect a "blank" in the schedule from 11:20am - 12:40pm on Thursday, September 3.

You can find the schedule for the lunch block that day below organized by grade level.

All returning students in grades 10-12 should still have their devices as they kept them over the summer. As noted above, new students and grade 9 students who do not pick up their devices at the open house on Tuesday, August 25 will have their devices available in the classroom of the advisory teacher for distribution on Wednesday, September 2.

If you have an existing iPad and have any questions, you can fill out a help desk ticket from the help desk app on your iPad, or email the help desk at helpdesk@mursd.org.

Nipmuc Band will be holding its annual orientation on Tuesday August 25th, Wednesday, August 26th AND Thursday, August 27th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm in the Nipmuc band room.

Students should plan on attending as many nights as possible and will need to bring their instruments, a pencil and if they can find it, their lyre and flip folder that was used for marching band. (Orientation is for students only. Parents should enjoy a few hours off!)

Students trying out for sports, please just communicate your schedule with Mr. Harding and try to make all or part of the orientation nights.

During orientation, Tuesday and Thursday will begin with new students being introduced and former students being reacquainted through a variety of different activities. The second half will be used to introduce students to the Pep Band music that will be performed at the home football games throughout the fall and potentially into the playoffs. Wednesday will be focused on music and playing instruments the entire time. Mr. Harding understands if there are tryouts for sports that may conflict, all he asks is that students let him know and do their best to attend as much of orientation as possible within reason.

The last layer and maybe the most important, will be run by our fantastic music booster volunteers, who will be taking students throughout the evening and fitting them for concert dress, marching tops/hats and pep band jackets.

As you can see these three days are very important to kicking off the 2026 - 2027 school year comfortably, especially for students new to the program. Students are encouraged to attend all three nights. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Mr. Harding (sharding@mursd.org).

Pep Band Schedule: (Times Subject to Change)

Sept. 19th - Pep Band - Report @ 12:00

Oct. 10th - Pep Band - Report @ 12:00

Oct. 24th - Pep Band - Report @ 1:30 (Homecoming)

Oct. 31st - Pep Band - Report @ 12:00

Nipmuc Music Calendar for 2026-2027 School Year - (Subject to Change)

The Class of 2027 is invited to kick off their senior year together at Senior Sunrise on Tuesday, September 1! Seniors should arrive at the front field by 5:45 a.m. to watch the sunrise, enjoy a donut, and celebrate the start of their final year at Nipmuc. Bring blankets, chairs and coffee! See you there!

A few things to note:

• Your alternate course choices were entered if all of your primary requests could not fit into the schedule.
  

• If you see Instructional Learning Services (ILS) in your schedule, this is where you will receive services that are part of your IEP. For questions about ILS, you can contact Ms. Beaudoin at lbeaudoin@mursd.org.

• If you are registered for an Advanced Placement (AP) course, please be aware that students are expected to take the AP exam in May at the conclusion of the course. AP exams are administered through the College Board and provide students with the opportunity to potentially earn college credit. Please note that the College Board charges a fee of approximately $100 per exam, though the exact amount may vary slightly from year to year.
  

• If you have a blank in your schedule, an incorrect class, or any other concern, please use this Google form to notify your counselor. Please do not send an email. Remember, we cannot accommodate change requests for certain teachers or to be with peers.

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.

Fall sports information night is August 24 at 6:30pm at Nipmuc Regional High School. Team meetings for these sports (Cross Country, Field Hockey, Soccer (Boys and Girls), Girls Volleyball) will follow.

Find the registration link and practice/tryout schedule below:

Fall Sports Registration Link

Preseason Practice/Tryout Schedule

The parking permit is a school year annual fee of $50.00. Cash or check (made out to MURSD) can be brought to the main office the first week of school. We expect to be able to provide parking to all juniors and seniors.

If you have a license and are driving to school, permits must be purchased by September 18, 2026. Failure to purchase a permit or place your permit on your car may result in parking fines.

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

If you have any questions regarding bus routes, stops, and timing, please contact the MURSD Bus Coordinator, Crystal Homes by e-mailing tellstone@mursd.org or calling 508-381-3946 and she will respond as soon as possible.

Nipmuc is undergoing some construction this summer with the replacement of flooring and updates to our data infrastructure. We've included information below about how to get in touch with the main office or school counseling during the construction. We look forward to communicating with you!

Nipmuc Main Office - Please don't hesitate to reach out via email (nipmucmainoffice@mursd.org) with your needs or call ahead (508-529-2130) to confirm our hours prior to visiting.

School Counseling Office - Need transcripts, proof of enrollment letters for the RMV, or employment permits? Please contact Mrs. O’Brien via email at jobrien@mursd.org or by telephone at (508) 529-2140. Please allow for a minimum of two business days to process your requests.

Please find below an important letter from the Nipmuc health office regarding things to know for the new school year.

Photography Opt-Out: Each year we provide the option for guardians to request that their student's image not be shared through school-based media. We ask that you complete this form ONLY if you DO NOT want your child's image to be shared through images/videos on our website, in our newsletter, through blog posts, and in other school-based publications.

Military & Higher Ed Opt-Out: A Federal Law, commonly known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), provides that any school that receives Federal funds under this Act, such as Nipmuc Regional High School, "shall provide, on request made by the military recruiters or an institution of higher education, access to secondary school students' names, addresses, and telephone listings", Sec. 9528 (a).

The Act further provides that "a secondary school student or the parent of the student may request that the student's name, address and telephone listing described in the above paragraph not be released without prior written parental consent."

Guardians who DO NOT want their student's information shared should complete this form.

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.

We are exceptionally grateful for the community support that helped to update our school. Over the summer, construction crews have helped to update the building which is approaching 30 years of service. We wanted to give you an overview of the work that was completed over the summer.

• Floors Tile has been installed in all classrooms, the cafeteria, and the health office. We maintained the blue and green wings. Carpet has been installed in offices. 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 and room 114.
• Auditorium 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.
• Adirondack Chairs & Water Bottle Filling Stations THANK YOU to Ms. Daniels, Ms. Foisy, and the Class of 2026 for their donations of folding Adirondack chairs for the courtyard and water bottle filling stations on the 3rd floor and outside the gym.
• Outdoor Spaces In addition to all of the work done on the inside of the building, some dying trees have been removed, the fences have been painted, and landscaped areas received some TLC.
• Media Center 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.
• Future Work The roof is scheduled to be replaced next summer. Our project managers are guiding us through the design of the front field. We anticipate breaking ground in spring 2027.

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.

If students would like to purchase a second entree after receiving their free lunch they can do so. Additional entrees can be purchased for $1.50. Please be aware that students who have access to free and reduced lunch will incur the same charge of $1.50 for additional entrees. Additional entrees will be based on availability. Milk will be sold for $0.50.

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

Although all meals are free again this year, there is still a free/reduced meal application for students that wish to have reduced sports fees, etc. Please click the button below to access the application.

Students that will be taking Advanced Placement (AP) course(s) this upcoming school year may have summer work. Please click on the button below for the full list of AP courses for next year and the summer work that is assigned (if applicable). If you have any questions prior to summer break the teacher's emails have been provided.

Are you looking for some great summer reads for your teen? Check out the 2026 MA Teen Choice Book Award finalists and participate in statewide voting in the fall to choose the book of the year! All books are available on Sora.

Regardless of which books you choose to read this summer, students should submit their reflection using this Google Form.

Click here for more information on the Summer Reading Program at Nipmuc.

If you need documents from Nipmuc in support of your application for a learner’s permit from the RMV, please email Mrs. O’Brien (jobrien@mursd.org) in our School Counseling Center as soon as you book your appointment. She will need 2-3 days to prepare these documents for you. Please do not wait until the day of the test to request them as we want to make sure you build in the time necessary so we are able to prepare your documents.