Dear Nyack Public Schools Community,

Women's History Month honors successes, sacrifices, and superpowers of women across the United States. Here in Nyack Public Schools, we are surrounded by amazing, visionary women each day who inspire us all year long with very real, bold living. As Superintendent, I am privileged to work alongside the women on our leadership team and throughout all our schools.

March also holds our annual Superintendents Conference Day - a day when all staff gathers together to continue our collective learning, "the why" we do what we do in in NPS. It's all about our babies and cultivating the sense of belonging that makes all the difference in their precious lives.

Since September, we have been engaged in deep, intentional work and the district vision for our work is to ensure that this is not simply a program, not only a moment, but who we are becoming and what we are going to continue to do.

And we are doing this work at a time when the messages around us are shifting from state to federal levels, particularly around what this work is called, and how it is understood. School systems are being asked to solve inequities, while at times being discouraged from naming them; and we are being discouraged for doing the real work of reducing the predictability of who feels they have closer proximity to the having success in education. In NPS, we know this work has never been about a label or an acronym. The language may shift. The mandates may change. But our commitment will not.

The world our students walk into every single day has them asking, sometimes without saying a word, “Do I belong here?” We answer that question in how we teach, how we speak, and how we show up. So the question for us is: What kind of spaces are we creating for them? Our answer is, "You belong here, and we are better because you showed up.”

Yours in Education,

Dr. Lizzette Ruiz-Giovinazzi

Superintendent of Schools

The entire community cheered our incredible Varsity Girls Basketball all they way to the semi-finals this month. We are brimming with RedHawk Pride for their excellence all season long. These girls showed toughness, grit and talent, with an unprecendented desire to compete. Congratulations to all the players, coaches, and families on what was a remarkable and historic season. We could not be more proud of how they represented NPS. In the words of Athletic Director, Joe Sigillo, "we thank everyone who showed support along the way, reminding our players why Nyack is a special community."

Caroline Lexow Babcock was an activist and Nyacker whose passions were suffrage, peace and the Equal Rights Amendment. The Caroline Lexow Babcock exhibit places her personal journey into the wider story of the 72 year struggle of women to obtain the vote and the the ongoing fight for Black women, Black men, Indigenous people and other minorities to have a meaningful right to vote.

Dr. LRG, along with some of her leadership team, visted the Historical Society of the Nyacks to learn more. In partnership for learning, Asst. Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Joe Simoni, is encouraging teachers and students to be connected with our local history. Nyack High School senior Marleigh Graziano chose to do exactly that with her WISE (Wise Individualized Senior Experience) project. Her goal is to digitize the Caroline Lexow Babcock exhibit and bring it to the high school to put on display. "I was inspired to do this project because I wanted to share the Caroline Lexow exhibit with more people my age. I think it's important to know the history of your hometown and uplifting to know that even someone from a small town like Nyack can make an impact on the world."

NPS Social Studies Chair, Mary Berat, visited the exhibit before it closed in March and plans to work with Mr. Simoni to expand local history learning opportunity beyond this exhibit to more students.

On March 20, all staff came together for our Superintendent’s Conference Day centered on BELONGING. Dr. LRG kicked the day off, framing gratitude, aligning our district vision, and grounding staff in "the why" we do what we do in NPS: "As we are dreaming with determination, cultivating a sense of belonging is at the heart of our work. We're re-learning it. We're measuring it. And, we're turning belonging into action."

Dr. Brutus was the keynote speaker presenting One Community, Many Identities: Advancing Racial Equity and Belonging. She voiced a powerful challenge, rooted in her personal story of growing up and into the equity warrior she is today. She urged staff to "S.E.E." See each student. Expect excellence. Empower through belonging. Threading through the trajectory of antiracist work of our school community from the past 25 years, Dr. Brutus closed with a quote from Dr. Asa Hilliard: “I have never encountered any children in any group who are not geniuses. There is no mystery on how to teach them. The first thing you do is treat them like human beings and the second thing you do is love them”.

Breakout sessions sparked deep dialogue, shared insights and practical strategies. A host of staff and community partners facilitated with heart and expertise.

Getting to the Root circle of discussion continues

School Psychologist, Dr. Marie-Carmel Durandisse

Box breathing, or four-square breathing, is a stress-reduction technique involving equal-part breathing: inhale for four seconds, hold for four, exhale for four, and hold empty for four. It regulates the nervous system, reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, and increasing focus by calming the body.

How to Do Box Breathing:

Sit upright: Find a comfortable, upright seated position or lie on your back.
Exhale: Gently exhale all air through your mouth.
Inhale: Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of four.
Hold: Hold your breath for a count of four.
Exhale: Exhale slowly through your mouth (or nose) for a count of four.
Hold: Hold the exhale for a count of four.
Repeat: Repeat this cycle for 5–20 minutes, or as needed for quick stress relief

Be connected with your elected officials who serve on the district's Board of Ed.

The Board of Education encourages community engagement. Our seven trustees are responsible to listen and represent our school community. Board members may be emailed at: BOEmembers@nyackschools.org.

BOE webpage for information on the district budget, workshop presentations, trustees contact info, and a schedule for BOE meetings and committee meetings.
Access Board Docs for BOE meeting agendas, meeting minutes, and important information about BOE discussions and decisions that take place.
e-Policy Book for BOE policies in Nyack Public Schools.

BOE Meetings are open to the public, posted on the district website and calendar on specified Tuesdays each month. The public is encouraged to join in-person or via Zoom. Links to the webinar meetings are available on the district website homepage calendar at www.nyackschools.org.

Upcoming BOE Meetings:

Tue, April 2@6:30pm - Workshop: Bridging Innovative Curriculum & Instruction, Part 2; an Elementary ELA, Math and ENL Update
Tue, April 21@6:30pm - Workshop: District 2026-27 Budget Adoption; HR Presentation

Stay up-to-date with all our Nyack RedHawks and show your team spirit.

View the schedule online .

Follow Nyack Athletics on Instagram: @NyackHSAthletic

Parents/guardians receive flyers directly to their emails and can manage their own accounts, saving time, money and trees! Peachjar can be accessed on our school websites using the Peachjar icon.

Check out the current flyers here.