Weekly Hot Topics:
Welcome to the month of June! It is hard to believe that we have already arrived at the final month of a great school year! This month there are quite a few exciting end of the year events and happenings planned. As always, please be sure to consult the Nishuane family calendar (
available here), as well as the “Important Dates” section below. These end of year events will include the
Second Grade Moving Up Celebration on the morning of Monday, June 12th, as well as the
Pre-Kindergarten & Kindergarten Production scheduled for Friday, June 16th. We very much look forward to you joining us for these exciting events!
This past Thursday our second-grade learners had an opportunity to visit Hillside. The second graders had a wonderful time exploring the school and meeting some of their new teachers! This past Thursday evening our very own Maria Martire was honored at a special celebration as Nishuane’s recipient of the 2023 MFEE Judy Weston Award. Please join us in congratulating Ms. Martire on achieving this amazing honor!
Throughout the month of June, Nishuane will celebrate Pride Month. Please see below to learn more regarding how we will celebrate this special month.
On
Thursday, June 8th, we will have our
final SATp General Meeting at 7 pm. This meeting will be facilitated in a hybrid format (In-Person: Nishuane Library/Virtual: Zoom). We hope that you join us for our final SATp meeting of the 2022-2023 school year!
As a reminder, school will be
closed for students on
Tuesday, June 6th for the Primary Election. Additionally, we will have an
abbreviated school day with a 2:10 pm dismissal on Thursday, June 8th due to Curriculum Thursday.
Pride Month at Nishuane
Our school wide celebration will be centered around the theme “Be You, Be Proud”! We want to thank both the School Action Team for Partnership’s Cultural Infusion committee and Nishuane Staff for planning developmentally appropriate read-alouds with lesson plans and discussion questions to be used in the classroom. Through read-alouds students will learn what the colors of the flag stand for, that there are many different types of families, and to feel good about who they are! Here are the objectives that will be shared and a link to our “Be You, Be Proud” digital library. The read-alouds selected can be shared at home with families who would like to extend the concept beyond our discussions in school. We ask that you preview the books before sharing them with your child to be sure you are prepared for the questions your child may ask.
WEEK ONE
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Day 1: What is PRIDE?: Pride month is a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community and it is celebrated across the globe. It is a time to celebrate love, show acceptance, promote equality, and be proud of who you are. Many of you might have seen rainbow flags around Montclair. This flag shows support for this community. Today, we will learn about the man who helped create this flag and the movement he created.”
○ Kdg. - Gr. 2 Read:
Pride~The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders
○ Pre-K Read:
My First Book on Pride by Michael Genhart
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Day 2: Families Are Different- students explore the definition of a family and to understand that there are a variety of family structures. Students will also explore what makes their own family special to them and the importance of their family in their daily lives.
○ Read: A Family is a Family is a Family by Sara O’Leary
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Day 3: I Am Special-students explore the gender and/or identity box we are often placed in. Students will explore what makes them special and that their feelings are valid.
○ Read: Red~A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall
WEEK TWO: Read-Alouds
● The Boy With the Rainbow Heart by W.S. Mason
● Lovely by Jess Hong
● Jamie is Jamie by Afsaneh Monduvian
● Bling Blaine by Rob Sanders
● Annie’s Plaid Shirt by Stacy Davids
Nishuane News!
Please click here to view the final version of the Nishuane News published by the students in Mr. O’Connor and Ms. Polzella’s CI course this past cycle. Enjoy!
Second Grade Moving-Up Celebration, Monday, June 12th
We are excited to share that Nishuane’s Second Grade Moving Up Celebration is scheduled to take place on
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 9:45 am. The ceremony will take place in the
Nishuane School auditorium. Please
click here for the invitation that was sent to the families of all second grade caregivers on May 1st. We very much look forward to you joining us for this special day of celebration!
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Siblings of Second Graders Attending the Moving Up Celebration: All Nishuane students attending the Moving Up Celebration in grades other than second must come to school with their caregivers and enter the building with all other guests. These students should not arrive as usual as we will be unable to locate them/bring them to the auditorium the morning of the celebration.
Pre-Kindergarten & Kindergarten Production, Friday, June 16th
We are excited for our Pre-Kindergarten & Kindergarten production, How to Catch the Nishuane Spirit. Our learners and teachers have been working hard preparing for the big showcase of talent! The Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Production and Cast Parties will take place on
Friday, June 16th. Please
click here for the letter that was sent to all Pre-Kindergarten & Kindergarten families this week regarding the Production. Additionally, four tickets will be sent home in backpacks to all Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten families.
Hillside Juneteenth Movie Night June 9th
Join SATp on
Friday, June 9th at 6:30 pm for a movie under the stars! We will kick off Juneteenth with a playdate on the playground and viewing of The Karate Kid movie. Hadez Food Truck and Urban Cone will be for food and ice cream purchase. The first 90 students to sign up will receive one complimentary ice cream. Please
click here for additional information.
https://qr.page/g/5tD8D95Ct2a
Important SchoolSafety Reminders!
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Car Line
● 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.
● Families are encouraged to use the carline during drop off as a safe option.
● Always stop when you see a bus stop sign. The Montclair Police Department enforce all traffic laws pertaining to busses and traffic.
● 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.
● 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.
● The Montclair Police Department will support with ensuring safety protocols are followed at all times.
As always, thank you for your cooperation in following these very important safety guidelines!
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Parking In or Near School Driveway
Please do not park in the Nishuane faculty and staff parking lot located off of High Street. Please also do not park in or near the entrance to the main parking lot. This guideline pertains to inside or outside the driveway.
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Pets on School Grounds
As a reminder,
pets are not permitted on school grounds. We have noticed during both arrival and dismissal that pets are sometimes on the premises. This poses a safety concern for students, staff, and caregivers. Please do not bring your pet on school grounds. As always, we greatly appreciate your support with keeping our school community safe!
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Item Drop Off During School Hours
All items dropped off during school hours must be left in the bin located outside of the Main Entrance (Door A). Please clearly label all items with your child’s name and homeroom. We will check the bin regularly and deliver the items to your child.
NAACP & MPS Juneteenth Event
Please join us at the
Children of the Sun FREEDOM & CULTURE through Literacy Series at
Nishuane School on June 16th from 5:30-8:00pm, a fun literacy-centered, arts and culture event aimed at inspiring children to read during the summer months. The Montclair NAACP, in conjunction with the Montclair Public School District, is uniting to host this event, and created by Montclair organization ICAP and See Do Be, Inc. Children will be able to engage two children's authors who will be our featured guests. We will have 200 author signed books that will be given away to the children in attendance. Also, we will have a community book swap where people are encouraged to share books for all ages and genres. There will be art, activities, and music for everyone to enjoy. We hope to see you at
Nishuane School on June 16th from 5:30-8:00 pm.
Nishuane Visitor Form & Protocols
Please click here to review Nishuane’s updated 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!
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]):
I hope that everyone is doing well. We are coming towards the end of the school year and all the medical records should be up to date. I have been calling and sending letters home.
Please return the required medical records as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
I wish everyone a great and safe Memorial Day Weekend!