@NipmucRegional

We were thrilled that our juniors and seniors were able to enjoy prom this past Friday. We wanted to thank our senior class advisor - Ms. Alycia Beatrice - and the class officers for all of their hard work and dedication in putting this fantastic event together. Wachusett Mountain was a wonderful venue, and the kids had a blast enjoying the ski lift, dance floor, never-ending array of appetizers, fire pits, and more.

Thank you to Nicole O'Brien and all of the parents that either volunteered their time or assisted with donations which made the After Prom Party a success! Thank you for giving our students a fun and safe prom night!

Today our seniors received their graduate signs to display at their homes to celebrate them and their journey towards graduation. Congrats to all members of the Class of 2022!

Last week both our seniors and their parents received an email for our graduates to claim their graduation tickets. Included below are some important points about graduation tickets.

• Each student will be given 8 tickets to be seated together and then the opportunity to receive 2 additional tickets which will be seated in the general seating area.
• Seats will be pre-assigned and each ticket will include the name of the guest.
• Reserved seating will be arranged in family pods that are outlined on the front athletic field. These "pods" can accommodate up to eight guests.
• A general admission seating section will be provided for open seating on the athletic field.
• The ticket request form must be filled out in its entirety and to avoid any duplicate entries it must be filled out using each senior's MURSD email. If you missed the timeline of the senior events (linked at the button below) for families we have included it again as it answers many questions.
• The deadline to submit the form is 9am on May 16.

Some members of the senior class are participating in “Senior Knockout”. Please be aware that this is not a school-sponsored activity and is not allowed on school grounds. Any student bringing water guns to school will have them confiscated and parents will be contacted.

We wanted to congratulate Lucie Nicholson, Class of 2022 for being named the Worcester County Superintendent's Association Scholar. As Nipmuc's honoree, Lucie was joined by exemplary students from all of the high schools in Worcester County for a celebration at the Hogan Center. This award was received at an event at Holy Cross in Worcester. Please join us in congratulating Lucie!

Attention all students - are you looking for a way to get involved in leadership at Nipmuc. Nipmuc’s Lead Learner Workshops may be a fit for you! Lead Learner Workshops are Nipmuc’s most important leadership opportunities. They occur monthly and are open to any staff and any student. They are a great way to work with other members of the school community in helping to chart the course to the future of life and learning at Nipmuc. The next Lead Learner Workshop will take place this Wednesday, May 11 from 2:10pm - 3:10pm in the Nipmuc PDC. Join us as we build an expanded freshman orientation program for the Class of 2026!

The school counseling staff will hold a Breakfast with the Counselors event this Wednesday, May 11th from 8:00am-9:00am at Nipmuc. Breakfast with the counselors provides an opportunity for parents to connect with school counseling staff and each other around a number of topics related to adolescent development and the high school experience. We are excited to welcome Dave Quinn, the district's Director of Instructional Technology to lead a discussion on social media, its effect on teenagers and what to do about it.

Ever feel like your teen can't put your phone down? Have you ever stopped to wonder why? This session will explore how social media takes advantage of students' mental makeup and holds their attention hostage. We'll discuss strategies and next steps that will help you help them to break free from the perpetual scroll and use social media more mindfully.

Please click here to RSVP.

The Nipmuc Athletic Hall of Fame will be hosting a fundraiser for the induction ceremony for the Class of 2022. Come join us at Craftroots in Milford on Saturday May 14th from 1:00-5:00pm and see members of the Class of 2022. Tickets are $25 pre-sale ($30 at the door), this is a family friendly event (no charge for children). There will be a number of raffle prizes including gift baskets, gift cards to local restaurants, and free rounds at Shining Rock Country Club. For more information and tickets please visit our website.

BVExcel is a collaborative program that offers free evening credit-bearing classes throughout the semester at local schools in the Blackstone Valley. We are very excited to be opening the BVExcel fall registration on May 1st. It will be open to students until May 15th.

Available classes are listed below. Click here to view course descriptions.

Manufacturing I

Tuesdays - 6-8 pm (plus two Saturdays during the semester), Location - EdHub (Whitinsville, MA)

Cybersecurity & Programming

Day TBD - 3:15-5:00 pm (some hours assigned virtually), Location - Hopedale Jr.-Sr. High School

2D Game Design

Wednesdays - 6-8 pm (plus two Saturdays during the semester), Location - Bellingham High School

NEW - Food for Thought

Tuesdays, 3:15- 5:00 pm (plus two Saturdays during the semester), Location - Douglas High School

NEW - Introduction to Health Careers and Care Essentials

Day TBD, 6-8 pm (plus two Saturdays during the semester), Location - Northbridge High School

During term 4 we have returned to typical guidelines for arrival at school. We did not enforce the guidelines for arrival at school from March 2020 - April 2022. We recognize that this is a change for students and families. Included below is a summary of key points about the attendance policy.

• Students need to be in their first block class (not simply in the building) prior to 7:30am.
• Students are given 3 tardies per term without consequences.
• Tardies 4 - 6 will result in after school detentions, loss of parking for the remainder of the term (if applicable), and ineligibility for after school activities on that day.
• Tardies 7+ result in a Saturday detention per tardy and ineligibility for that day's after school activities.
• Term 4 begins on April 6 and runs through the end of the school year.

We continue to track all students' attendance. You can access this information in PowerSchool.

FAST is coming back! We are planning the return of FAST to take place on May 19. For those who are not familiar with Faculty and Students Together (FAST), this event is one of the highlights of the year. Led by our student council, FAST consists of class competitions, fun activities, and the chance to celebrate Nipmuc pride. We typically host FAST on the day before Thanksgiving but have moved it to take place this spring. This is the first time in two years that we’ve had the event. It will look a bit different but we’re excited to bring it back. Here are some details:

• Date: May 19 (Rain Date: May 24) - We selected this date so that it occurs after AP testing and math MCAS.

• Schedule: We’ll run a modified half-day schedule with classes that are approximately 40 minutes in length. An all-school lunch will take place outside on the front field at approximately 11:30am. FAST activities will take place after lunch through the end of the day.

• Locations: Most FAST events will be scheduled to take place outside on the athletic fields and in the courtyard.

• Pep Rally: A pep rally will close the day. This will take place outside on the front field.

• Class Colors: Most students wear their class t-shirts or class colors during FAST. Class colors are as follows:

Class of 2022 - Purple

Class of 2023 - Pink

Class of 2024 - Red

Class of 2025 - Light Blue

• More details about events and activities will be shared with students as the date approaches.

Did you know that the most requested items in homeless shelters are toiletries? The students in Mrs. Nieves' engineering class will be hosting a hygiene drive through the month of May. Items that will be collected will be donated to the homeless shelter Net of Compassion in Worcester. The most requested items are: t-shirts and shorts, shower gels, and body wash, shampoo and conditioner, toothbrushes, toothpaste deodorant, razors, disposable shower shoes, combs and hairbrushes, flip-flops, wash cloths, and towels. If you have any questions please email Ms. Nieves at bnieves@mursd.org.

Join us for our May meeting in-person or on Zoom!

When: Monday, May 16 at 6:30pm

Where: Your choice - Either at Nipmuc in person or by zoom which the link can be found here.

We will vote on SEPAC board members for the 2022-2023 school year in this meeting! WE WANT YOU! Want to join the board? Learn more about SEPAC, the process for getting involved and voting in our bylaws document here and come to this meeting. In addition to covering regular SEPAC business, we are hosting a special guest speaker on the 16th (rescheduled from the April meeting), Bonnie Delongchamp (LSW, C.A.S., MMFT).

Bonnie is the Executive Director of The Whole Child in Upton. The Whole Child’s mission is to support the healthy (physical, social, behavioral and cognitive) development of children and empower their families through education, coaching, opportunity and consultation. Bonnie's presentation will begin at 7pm, after we cover regular SEPAC business.

What is the MURSD SEPAC? The MURSD Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is a group of parents and guardians of children who are supported or who are seeking special education support in the Mendon-Upton school district. Our SEPAC not only provides a support network for other parents, but a forum for open communication about special education in our district, an opportunity for collaboration with district leadership, and more. To be added to the SEPAC email list, please reach out to mendonuptonsepac@gmail.com. More information here: Mendon-Upton SEPAC | Mendon-Upton Regional School District (mursd.org)

Please find summer courses for your reference. These courses are tuition free with grant assistance from MA Office of Economic Development and would be most appropriate for any graduating seniors who are interested in entering the workforce or trade.

Every year the Upton Men's Club puts on the town fireworks display and will be holding the event again this year on Saturday June 25th. As part of the event, we have multiple bouncy houses for little kids to enjoy. In past years high school students have volunteered to help staff that area and it has worked very well. We wouldn't be able to do it without your help and it is a great opportunity for students to get some volunteer hours helping within the community. There is a sign up sheet in the Main Office at Nipmuc where students can sign up for either shift (4pm-6:30pm or 6:30pm to 9:00pm).