Nishuane News

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Nishuane School News
June 14, 2024


What an exciting week of end of the year celebration and fun at Nishuane! Thank you to all parents and caregivers that joined us for
For our Kindergarten production of The Empty Pot. Our learners did a spectacular job! A big thank you to our SNAP teachers and Kindergarten team for making this very special performance possible! We also had the honor to conclude the week with our first ever Pre-Kindergarten end of the year Extravaganza! During this special event, we celebrated all of the remarkable growth and accomplishments of our youngest learners at Nishuane! There was a slideshow, singing, drumming, and even a special visit from an ice cream truck! Thank you to all who joined us for this special event, as well as to the Pre-Kindergarten team who worked very hard to make this event very special. Thank you!

We very much look forward to celebrating our second graders with you all on Tuesday, June 18th at 9:45 am during our Second Grade Moving-Up Celebration! Please see directly below for additional information.

As we spotlight Caribbean Heritage, the children learned facts about Caribbean American trailblazers. With the help of SATp’s Cultural Infusion committee, each homeroom was assigned a Caribbean country and they learned the country’s motto, national bird, and national dish. Students also spent time learning about the celebration of Carnival and designing masks for our Caribbean Carnival parade that will happen on Monday, June 17th! We are excited to “play ah mas”, as we masquerade in the music filled halls with our masks to our last whole school Nish Family meeting of the year.

We are also excited to share that we are providing you with resources to support your children as we strive to keep Nish students learning over the summer! These resources were sent home this week along with the Nish Summer Slide Resource page linked here. Check your child’s backpack for the books distributed to their grade level. Please take time to build a routine for your child where they are practicing in the area of English Language Arts and Mathematics 15-20 minutes per day over summer break. Regular practice of skills will help your child maintain confidence and mastery of the skills they have learned!

We wish all fathers and those who serve in such roles throughout our community a very Happy Father’s Day! Enjoy your special day!

As a reminder, we will have an abbreviated final two days of school with a 2:10 pm dismissal on both Wednesday, June 19th and Thursday, June 20th. Our last day of school will be Thursday, June 20th.

Important Nishuane School Arrival & Dismissal Safety Reminders!
● Please remain mindful to maintain the flow of traffic, particularly when traveling down Cedar Avenue and/or when making a left onto High Street after dropping off your child(ren) on the car line.
● Please remain mindful of pedestrians and the crosswalk at all times.
● It is strongly recommended not to park on both sides of Cedar Avenue. You are strongly encouraged not to park across from the car line on Cedar Avenue. Parking on the opposite side poses a safety hazard and disrupts the flow of the car line.
● Families are encouraged to use the carline during drop off as a safe option.
● Always stop when you see a bus stop sign.
● If crossing Cedar Avenue, please always use the crosswalk. As a reminder, the crosswalk must be used to ensure that you are legally crossing the street. Not using the crosswalk poses a major safety hazard.
● K turns cannot be made on Cedar Avenue when the car line is underway.
● Only allow your chil(dren) to exit your vehicle on the right passenger side of your vehicle directly onto the sidewalk in front of Nishuane.  Similarly, only allow your child(ren) to exit your vehicle directly onto the sidewalk when dropping off on High Street for the YMCA before and after care program. When buses are not present, it is strongly encouraged to drop off on the side of the street closest to the school building.
● Do not block driveways.
● Please do not park in the staff parking lots as spaces are needed for staff to park. Please also do not block the entrance to the staff parking lot on High Street.
● Carefully monitor your vehicle speed at all times.
● Cones are set up each morning along the curb of Cedar Avenue across from Nishuane. These cones help to prevent parking/stopping in critical areas and maintain the flow of traffic.

*The Montclair Police Department enforces all traffic laws pertaining to buses and traffic. The Montclair Police Department will support with monitoring the car line, as well as to ensure that everyone is legally parking and crossing Cedar Avenue.

Second Grade Moving-Up Celebration, Tuesday June 18th
We are excited to share that Nishuane’s Second Grade Moving Up Celebration is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 at 9:45 am. The celebration will take place in the Nishuane School auditorium followed by a brief reception. Please click here for the invitation that was sent to the families of all second-grade caregivers. Additionally, four tickets will be sent home in backpacks to all second-grade families. We very much look forward to you joining us for this special day of celebration!

Summer 2024 Literacy Program
Please see the below links to learn more regarding a literacy program being offered through St. Paul’s in Montclair during the Summer 2024.
Informational Flyer 1    Informational Flyer 2    Informational Flyer 3    Registration Form

Summer Enrichment Camps
Summer Enrichment Camps registration is now open! There are a variety of affordable programs being offered to the community. One of these camps is the Nishuane Summer Spectacular run by our very own Mr. Eder! Please click here to learn more regarding the district’s summer enrichment camps! Please reach out to Valerie Hampton ([email protected]) via email should you need any assistance with the registration process.

Montclair Public Library Summer 2024 Reading Club
The Montclair Public Library is delighted to announce their Summer 2024 Reading Club! Of particular interest may be the program’s emphasis on early literacy, which includes decodable workshops for parents/caregivers and a decodable reading club for PreK+ students. For a full list of program details, please visit the following link: https://montclairlibrary.org/summer/ .

Nishuane News!
Please click here to view the final version of the Nishuane News published by the students in Ms. Ceneri and Ms. Polzella’s CI course this past cycle. Enjoy!

Nishuane Visitor Form & Protocols
Please click here to review Nishuane’s visitor protocols. Visitors must complete the visitor form prior to a visit.
○ Please remember that visitors must report only to the location of the building that was indicated on the visitor form. Visitors may not visit other locations in the building. Thank you for your support with this important safety measure!
○ Please wear a visitor’s badge for the duration of your visit. The visitor’s badge must be visible at all times.
○ Please do not prop doors open under any circumstance.
○ Please do not hold open the door for anyone behind you when entering or exiting the building.

 
Nishuane Instagram
Nishuane is on Instagram! Follow us @nishschool for a peek into the learning and fun we have in our community. Our account is private for everyone's safety. When requesting to follow us, please send a message with your child's name and we will accept you.

Spirit Wear Fridays
Every Friday at Nishuane is School Spirit Day! On Fridays students may participate by wearing blue and white, as well as Nishuane spirit wear. Spirit wear is available for purchase through our PTA.

Nurse’s Notes
Please see the below reminders from Nurse Anne Ndungu
(Phone: 973-509-4236 or E-mail: [email protected]):

Dear Families,

It is hard to believe that we are coming to the end of the school year. Please make arrangements with the nurse to pick up your child's medication. Kindly note that any medication that is not picked up by the last day of school will be discarded.

Also, a gentle reminder that new Medication Forms will be required at the start of the next school year. The forms can be found on the District's Website, or you can email me and I will send it to you.

Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and healthy summer. Attached please find the guidelines from the New Jersey Health Department to stay safe this summer.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Have a great and wonderful summer!

Please click here for guidance on how to stay safe on hot and humid days

Important Dates: Mark Your Calendars! 

LGBTQIA+ Pride Month: June 1, 2024-June 30, 2024
Caribbean Heritage Month:
June 1, 2024-June 30, 2024
● Father’s Day:
June 16, 2024
Nish Family All Grade Levels Meeting (Whole School): June 17, 2024 at 2:50 pm (Nishuane Auditorium)
Second Grade Moving Up Celebration: June 18, 2024 at 9:45 (Nishuane Auditorium)
Abbreviated Day (2:10 pm Dismissal for Students & Staff): June 19, 2024
Last Day of School (2:10 pm Dismissal for Students & Staff): June 20, 2024
Trimester III Ends: June 20, 2024
Summer Begins: June 20, 2024
Third Trimester Report Cards Available on Genesis Parent Access Portal: June 20, 2024 at 4:00 pm
Juneteenth (District Closed): June 21, 2024

School Action Team for Partnerships (SATp) News & Upcoming Events
https://nishuane.montclair.k12.nj.us/administration/school_action_team  
Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds: Montclair Playground Scavenger Hunt
Montclair is full of wonderful playgrounds. The Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds sub-committee thought it would be fun for us to visit them all. We sent home a list of all the playgrounds in your child’s folder. As you visit them and play please check off the playground. Once you have visited all the playgrounds, hand your completed form to your teacher or Mr. Eder. At the end of the year children who have visited all the playgrounds will get to enjoy a pizza party with Coach Eder.
 
Carnival: Calling all West Indians in the Nishuane Community! It's time to share a little piece of the culture. Let's Play Ah Mas, Get On Bad and Rep Your Flags with Pride. Let's bring the vibes! 🏝️☀️🎉Email [email protected]

● Questions? Ideas? You may contact the SATp at the following email address: [email protected]

PTA News & Upcoming Events
www.nishuanepta.org 
PTA Calendar: https://montclairpta.org/nishuane/calendar/

Join the Nishuane PTA Facebook group!
Join the Nishuane PTA WhatsApp group!
Join the Montclair Bike Bus WhatsApp group

Congrats to our elected 2024-25 PTA Executive Board:

● Co-Presidents - Mike Estler and Kimberley Williams
● Recording Secretary - Osei Poku
● VP Events - Anna Mellman
● VP Explorers - Christina Ramirez
● VP Strategy - Ayana Stewart-Hartsfield
● Treasurer-Mariana Horta

The Corresponding Secretary position
is still vacant. If interested, please email [email protected] or [email protected]

Thank you to the Nominating Committee members Abena Amoah-Harris and Chin Young Song for all your incredibly hard work. We really appreciate you.

Thank you to all the parents who bravely stepped into this process, showing your passion and dedication for the Nishuane community. Special thank you to Gail Ryan and Hafeeza Moody.

Lastly, thank you to outgoing board members Obie Miranda-Woodley, Roxanne Delaney, and Katelyn Delano for your countless hours of dedication to the children and families of Nishuane.

Nishuane PTA Year-End Collections (closes on Monday, June 17 at 5:00pm)
As we near the end of another successful school year, we want to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible efforts of our amazing Special Nishuane Arts Program (SNAP), Special Education, Student Support Teachers, and dedicated staff.
Please donate what you can so our community can provide end of year gifts to all of our teachers and staff. This is voluntary and any amount is welcome!
1. The collection for Nishuane's SNAP, curriculum support and special education teachers will be split equally amongst 16 staff members. Collection link: https://bit.ly/3yYYHLZ
2. The collection for Nishuane’s Administrators, support staff, nurses, special education paraprofessionals, self-contained classroom paraprofessionals, and custodians will be split equally amongst over 30 staff members. Collection link: https://bit.ly/4chXmyj
**Please Note: **Classroom collections for the teachers and paraprofessionals will be organized by the Class Liaisons. Please contact your Class Liaison to donate towards your class gifts.

2nd GRADE MOVING UP CEREMONY (Tuesday, June 18, 2024 at 9:45 am)
The celebration will take place in the Nishuane School auditorium followed by a brief reception. Please click here for the invitation that was sent to the families of all second-grade caregivers.

PreK, K & 1st GRADE CAREGIVERS NEEDED TO VOLUNTEER AT 2nd GRADE MOVING UP
The PTA is seeking Pre-K, Kindergarten and 1st Grade caregivers to volunteer at the 2nd Grade Moving Up on June 18th so that 2nd grade families can enjoy the day. Please sign up here https://bit.ly/4aKifAV

Kindergarten Production Video available for download:
The 2024 Kindergarten Production of The Empty Pot is now available for purchase!
https://2024-k-production-recording-digital-download-copy.cheddarup.com

1st DAY OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES (SY 2024/2025)
Nishuane PTA has once again partnered with 1st Day of School Supplies for beginning of the year supplies for Nishuane students & teachers. They are going to save us up to 30% over shopping at big box stores like Target, Walmart and Amazon. Providing us with only brand names you trust and respect like Ticonderoga, Crayola and Elmer's... And for each box purchased, money goes back to the Nishuane PTA. So, what are you waiting for? Buy early and save! Click here to purchase or donate a box. Order by July 1, 2024.

District-Wide Updates 

Montclair Public Schools
https://www.montclair.k12.nj.us/
Pre-Kindergarten: Information pertaining to the district’s Mini-Mounties Pre-Kindergarten program may be found at this link. This helpful webpage contains helpful resources pertaining to the Pre-K program in the MPS.

MFEE
https://mfee.org/
Toast a Teacher This Spring, Fuel Innovation All Year!
'Tis the Season for MFEE's Toast to the Teachers! These family-hosted parties, a long-standing tradition of the Montclair Public Schools, will be held from now through June 23, 2024. Ticket sales help raise critical funds to support Educational Excellence Grants, which allow teachers to pilot innovative projects, tools, and experiences for our children. This year, we’ve got backyard cocktails, piano bar sing-a-longs, and more in the works. Please visit MFEE.org for details on how to host or attend.

● SEPAC
https://montclairpta.org/sepac/
SEPAC Liaisons: Lynn Mendelsohn & Marisa Lazatin are the SEPAC Parent Liaisons for Nishuane. Please reach out to them directly by either emailing Lynn at [email protected] using this Google Form for any questions or concerns you have about Special Education at Nishuane.
Some celebratory dates to put on your calendar include:
Disability Pride Month - July

Community Events

Digital Backpack: Please click here to view community and organization events in town.
Housekeeping: Please check the district website for district policies and school procedures (In our Family Handbook on our website).

Our Vision: Nishuane School is a diverse school that develops creative, curious, and confident learners through academic exploration, healthy relationships, and exposure to the arts.



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