The Common

Dear Nashoba Regional High School Senior Class,

It may be hard to believe, but after thirteen years of schooling, you are just days away from graduating from Nashoba Regional High School. That moment on Sunday afternoon will mark the culmination of a journey that has been anything but ordinary.

You began that journey as five-year-olds, wide-eyed and eager, stepping into kindergarten with backpacks nearly as big as you were. At that time, no one could have imagined that your educational path would be so deeply shaped by a global pandemic. The years that followed required you to pivot quickly, adjust to ever-changing circumstances, and trust the adults around you to help make sense of it all.

And yet, through that uncertainty, you learned. You adapted. You showed resilience. And when it was time to return to school as you once knew it, YOU WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL! But you leaned in. You reconnected with old friends, built new relationships, and found your footing again, this time with the maturity and perspective that only experience can bring.

Now, here you are. Ready to walk across that stage. Ready for what comes next. I am so proud of our 2025 graduating class. All of us in the Nashoba Regional School District wish you well.

Peace,

Kirk Downing (He/Him)
Superintendent

In January, following federal changes to immigration policies and designated sensitive locations, we addressed the rights and protections of individuals within our school community and the role that school districts play in immigration enforcement. We used this opportunity to offer resources to our community that were provided by the Massachusetts Attorney General (full news piece available here). In light of recent headlines, the Massachusetts Attorney General has sent out updated Guidance for Immigrants, Families, And Communities on ICE Enforcement, this guidance includes the initial Guidance for K-12 Schools on Protecting Students and Their Information. While we cannot advise individuals on immigration, we think it is important to share these resources with our community. In addition to being available here, we have also added these links to our Family Resources page, they can be found under the “Resources and Support” tab.

As a district, Nashoba remains focused on celebrating the diversity and uniqueness of every student and ensuring that all have access to the supportive and inclusive environment they need to succeed.

The Nashoba Regional School Committee would like your feedback on how you learn about work being done by the School Committee. This communication survey includes questions about how accessible the information is on the school committee's website, and what information is most important to you as we consider reorganizing information on the website to better serve you.

The survey should take about 5 minutes to complete. Please complete ONE survey per family, even for those families with multiple children in the district. Your responses are anonymous and email addresses will NOT be collected as a part of this survey. Your feedback is important to us as we approach the end of this academic year and we appreciate your time! Translation services are available by copying the survey link into Google Translate and selecting your preferred language. If you have trouble accessing the survey, please email Amy Cohen at acohen@nrsd.net.

Today is the final day of the application window for Information Pathways students! This pathway expands student opportunities in digital creation, data and computer science, and media production.

The Innovation Pathways program offers high school students the chance to explore courses and career opportunities aligned with in-demand sectors identified by the state of Massachusetts. Students in the program participate in four relevant courses during their high school career, with the completion of an internship or a large-scale capstone project during their senior year. Check out which courses fit into our pathways programs here!

We launched our Innovation Pathways Program this school year, welcoming students into the Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing Pathway and the Business and Finance Pathway. Over the course of the year, current Pathways students explored various career fields and landscapes through field trips and learned about different career paths and job roles from guest speakers that ranged from aerospace engineers, marketers, construction site superintendents, and CEOs. To learn more about the program, visit our Innovation Pathways website.

This past week, students across the district engaged in meaningful opportunities aimed at building confidence and sparking curiosity about their futures.

Lasada Pippen visited each of our middle schools to deliver his powerful message of P.U.S.H. -- Persevere Until Success Happens. Through heartfelt stories from his own life, Mr. Pippen encouraged students to start thinking about who they want to become and how they can get there. His presentations focused on building confidence, resilience, and a mindset of growth, especially as students begin to explore new interests and elective opportunities transitioning into high school.

Earlier in the week, Nashoba Regional High School partnered with Best Buddies to host a Career Presentation event! High school students, along with visiting peers, explored potential career paths by researching professions, identifying key job responsibilities, and understanding the skills and education required for success in each field.

Together, these experiences helped students in grades 6 and up connect who they are today with who they hope to become tomorrow, laying the groundwork for informed, confident choices as they move forward in their educational journeys!

Nashoba Regional School District's Pre-Kindergarten enrollment is ongoing! There are still limited spots available in both the full day and half day program sections. Interested families can reach out directly to Director of Early Childhood, Kristen Ryan, at kryan@nrsd.net.

Free Virtual Parent Education Presentation

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

8:00 - 9:00 PM

Presented by: Jennifer T.

Gillette, MA, Child Development/Behavior & Parenting Specialist

Jennifer is the founding director of The Loved Child (TLC) and brings nearly 28 years of experience supporting the growth and well-being of parents and their children. With a strong clinical foundation in Developmental Pediatrics, she has worked at some of Boston’s most esteemed institutions, including Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Boston Children’s Hospital. Throughout her career, Jennifer has provided guidance to countless families and collaborated extensively with professionals in developmental and behavioral child health, offering training, consultation, and support. Her dedication to research includes managing studies on children’s temperament styles at both the Brazelton Institute at Children’s Hospital and the Psychology Department at Harvard University. Jennifer has also contributed to the Healthy Steps for Young Children program—an influential initiative developed through Johns Hopkins University, The Boston Foundation, and Partners HealthCare. Beyond her professional accomplishments, she is deeply connected to her community and takes great joy in being the proud mother of three college-aged sons

SEPAC will hold their final business meeting next Tuesday, June 10th at 6:30pm. This meeting is virtual and will also include their annual elections. To get a full list of events and meetings offered by SEPAC this past school year, take a look at the 2024-2025 SEPAC Calendar of Events listed below. To join next Monday's meeting click here! (Details: Passcode: NRSD/SEPAC).

What is NRSD SEPAC?

The NRSD Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is an all volunteer group with a mission to support students and their families by providing education and information on special education issues and services. Through their efforts, the organization aims to promote a better understanding of, respect for, and support of special education in the community. The Nashoba SEPAC works closely with the Nashoba Regional School District administration and School Committee to ensure that students' needs are being met in accordance with applicable laws.

SEPAC does this by:

• Listening to families, our students and caregivers

• Participating in the planning, development, and evaluation of the school district's special education programs

• Advising the district on matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities

• Providing family-to-family support and networking

• Hosting presentations

• Making recommendations for professional development

Why explore SEPAC?

SEPAC welcomes everyone. We strive to build a community of support for those on the special education journey.

Get connected

Get in touch on Facebook or by emailing: SEPACchairs@nrsd.net

Each town has parent liaisons whose contact information names can be found on the district website at: https://www.nrsd.net/page/sepac-special-education-parent-advisory-council

MRE hosted their first annual PTO-sponsored Spring-Fest last Friday for students, parents, staff and the community. It was a well attended event with activities and games, one of which was dunking staff members in the dunk tank.

FSS Principal Mr. Bates welcomed incoming kindergarten student's during the Kindergarten-Sneak- Peek!

Innovation Pathways Business and Finance students visited Clinton Savings Bank to meet with the bank's Director of Marketing, Vice President of Technology, and the heads of Lending and HR.

Center School students competed during their annual field day this past week!