The Principal's Perspective

As we run towards May this Friday, with dreams of warm sunny days and seeing the blooms that emerge from the April showers, we scream "Mayday, Mayday!" It's certainly a call that is quite appropriate right now. In maritime history, a "Mayday" call is a signal of distress in the face of overwhelming elements. As we look back at this school year, it’s no secret that we have been sailing through a tumultuous sea. We expected some waves, but we could never have predicted just how high or dangerous they would occasionally become. We boarded the ship packed with suitcases with attire for what we thought would be our Royal Seas Cruise, but it's felt like we needed more life vests that swimsuits! Nonetheless, our "MAYDAY" is not a cry of defeat, but rather, it is a call to action!

We have stood strong. Despite the storms, the mission has remained clear. Our teachers have spent this year at the helm of the classroom ship, navigating uncharted waters with grace and determination to get things done! They have taught, guided, and facilitated through every swell and splash. Most importantly, they have slowly turned that helm over to our students. We have watched your children grow into capable navigators—becoming stronger in their ability to ask deep questions, probe for the hidden meanings, engage in courageous dialogue, and solve complex problems. We see their growth every day in how they express themselves as scholars, problem solvers, best friends, advocates, allies, artists, musicians, singers, and athletes.

But even the best crew gets weary, and this is where I need you. Every captain has to rest! Our teachers have truly "been through it" this year. They have given their all to ensure your children didn’t just stay afloat, but actually sailed forward. As we hit this last leg of our journey, we need to finish strong, and we cannot do that without the full support of our caregivers.

Teacher Appreciation Week: May 4–8

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and my goal is to make sure every single educator in this building knows they are seen, valued, and deeply appreciated. I am asking for your help to make this happen. Whether it is a heartfelt note of thanks, a small gesture of kindness, or simply encouraging your child to share a word of gratitude with their teacher, these actions serve as the "wind in the sails" that our staff needs to reach the harbor of summer break.

Let’s turn this "Mayday" into a celebration of resilience. Thank you for being our partners in this journey, for trusting us with your children, and for helping us bring this ship home strong. Please go into the Signup Genius through this link in order to sign up to support our teachers!

Thank you all for sailing the seas with us!

Would you like to support Teacher Appreciation Week? Here is how you can help:

• Stock the teacher lounge for Monday (110 staff) and Thursday's afternoon staff meeting (76 staff). Sign up for a slot in Signup Genius through this link
• Donate a $15 gift card — the PTA is funding most of our giveaway, and we need 40 more cards from families to reach our goal of 110. Every teacher and staff member takes one home on Friday. Any store works (Target, Starbucks, Amazon, local restaurants, etc.). Please drop off gift cards in the front office in a sealed envelope marked "Teacher Appreciation" by Monday, May 4.
• Decorate the teacher lounge — We would love a little festive flair! If you'd like to volunteer, reach out to Joni Lamb at jonilamb@gmail.com.

Drop off lounge donations in the front office by Monday, May 4. When possible, please include gluten-free and vegan options (clearly labeled) so every teacher and staff member feels included.

As the days get warmer and longer I want to reiterate a point from last week’s newsletter that conduct outside of school hours can often significantly impact our learning environment. Recently, we have noticed a concerning uptick in negative and, in some cases, illegal behaviors occurring in local spaces where our students frequently gather after school. While these incidents may happen off-campus, the ripple effects—conflict, social media fallout, and safety concerns—always follow students back into the classroom.

Please remind your scholar that if they find themselves in a group engaging in negative or unsafe activities, they must immediately remove themselves from the situation. Additionally, being a "bystander" in these high-risk environments can lead to being implicated in the behaviors and/or mental or physical harm. To ensure the safety of our community and the focus of our school day, please note that students involved in off-campus incidents that disrupt the school climate risk losing end-of-year rewards, including field trips, field days, and parties. For more serious offenses, students face the possibility of In-School Suspension (ISS) or Out-of-School Suspension.

Finally, we ask that you remain vigilant regarding your child’s whereabouts after the final bell rings. If your child has a cell phone we strongly encourage you to:

1. Monitor Location: Keep location services active at all times so you know exactly where your child is gathering.

2. Safety Check-ins: Instruct your child that if they ever feel in danger or witness an illegal act, they should find a trusted adult and contact you immediately.

3. Open Communication: If an incident occurs after hours that impacts your scholar’s well-being or ability to learn, please notify us so we can provide the necessary support.

Our goal is to finish this year strong and safe. By monitoring after-school activities and reinforcing these boundaries at home, you help us maintain the respectful environment our students deserve.

To ensure the safety and security of all students, I want to clarify our expectations regarding dismissal. Once the dismissal bell rings, it is the expectation that all students exit the campus and head directly to their next destination. The only exceptions to this are students who are:

• Actively participating in a supervised sport or club.

• Enrolled in a registered after-school program.

• Remaining in a classroom under the direct supervision of a teacher.

For safety reasons, students are not permitted to congregate on school grounds after hours. Our staff’s dismissal supervision ends promptly at 3:15 PM. We politely request that you be on time for pickup to ensure your scholar is not left unsupervised. If your child is a walker please remind them that when a Nichols staff member directs them to leave school property they must do so.

Clearing the campus promptly allows us to maintain a secure environment and ensures that students are moving toward the safety of their homes or after-school destinations. We appreciate your partnership in reinforcing these boundaries with your scholar.

The final reading challenge of the year starts Monday, May 4th and runs through Friday, May 28th. Students need to complete 3 books in the month of May to receive the prize.

6th Grade News

7th Grade News:

Social Studies:

Last week, we learned how Harriet Tubman went from being an enslaved person herself to personally saving over 70 enslaved people as a major "conductor" on the "Underground Railroad." Her contributions to the Combahee River Raid liberated more than 700 enslaved people.

This week, students will debate each other over which is Harriet Tubman's greatest achievement. This debate will force students to take a stand on an issue, use evidence and reasoning to support their claim, and expose the weaknesses and limitations of other opposing claims.

Math:

This week students took their assessment on transforming figures and completed a variety of projects involving transformations. Next week we will kick off our final unit of the year on probability and statistics, with some fun projects to come!

8th Grade

April 28

Orchestra Field Trip 8:15- 2:30

April 29

College Field Trip 10:30-2:20

Graduation is June 2, 2026 at Chute Middle School

Last Names A- Ma.. 5:00 p.m. ceremony

Last Names Mc..-Z 6:30 p.m. ceremony

An End of the Year Letter will be going home to families on Wednesday, April 29th.

This is a reminder that students must maintain daily, on time, attendance through to the end of the school year. Students who do not do so risk losing incentives.

Please note the following upcoming assessments:

May 7th: Math iReady testing

May 8th: Math iReady testing

May 12th: ELA STAR testing

May 13th: ELA STAR testing