NPS Superintendent's Newsletter
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"By all these lovely tokens, September days are here. With summer's best of weather and autumn's best of cheer."
Helen Hunt Jackson
"September days have the warmth of summer in their briefer hours, but in their lengthening evenings a prophetic breath of autumn."
Rowland E. Robinson
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The Northampton Public School District is a community of learners committed to equity and the success of each student.
Building Communities of Engaged Students
Enabling Students to Reach their Potential
Nurturing Kindness, Empathy, and Inclusivity
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As I shared at the beginning of the school year, this year's theme is "Connect, Support, and Thrive: Building Resilience for All Students." This focus underscores our unwavering commitment to creating an environment where every student can not only learn but also flourish.
By breaking the theme down into five concepts—connect, support, thrive, build, and resilience—we'll dive a little deeper this month into what we mean by "connect."
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Connect
We want to be intentional about student outcomes. Each element of our district's instructional program—curriculum, resources, interventions, and assessments—must all work together seamlessly. It's important that we make these connections clear to both our students and their caregivers. Staff will continue to work together, using evidence-based practices and strategies to improve student academic outcomes.
Secondly, we want to connect with the students we teach. Our district is made up of a diverse group of students, and every student has the right to feel like they belong. Knowing our students helps to strengthen relationships, allowing us to be more empathetic and humane in our care.
Connecting and developing a strong partnership with your child's school and their teacher is a crucial way to support your child's education. Research consistently shows that parent involvement leads to a host of positive outcomes, including higher academic achievement, better social and emotional development, and increased student motivation.
Here are some suggested ways caregivers can connect with the school and their child's teacher:
Communication
- Reach out to the teacher at the beginning of the school year to introduce yourself and share a bit about your child, including their interests, strengths, and any challenges. This establishes a positive foundation for the relationship.
- Your child’s teacher by now has explained the best way to communicate—whether it's through email, our school-wide app, ParentSquare, a phone call, or a handwritten note.
- Please pay attention to newsletters, weekly emails, or class notifications. These platforms often contain important information about upcoming events, classroom activities, and curriculum goals.
- Please feel free to send a quick note to thank the teacher for their efforts or to share a positive anecdote about something your child enjoyed in class. This helps build a trusting relationship. Staff could use some encouraging words!
- Let the teacher know about significant changes or events in your child's life, such as a family illness, a move, or other personal challenges. This information can help the teacher understand any changes in your child's behavior or academic performance.
Support Learning at Home
- Ensure your child has a quiet, dedicated space for homework and study.
- Ask the teacher for specific ways you can support your child's learning at home. This might include reading with your child, reviewing flashcards, or using educational apps.
- Look for opportunities to connect with what your child is learning in school to the real world. For example, if they are learning about fractions, practice with them while cooking.
- Talk about school in a positive way. Ask open-ended questions like, "What was the most interesting thing you learned today?"
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Connecting
- Understand that you and the teacher share a common goal: your child's success. Approaching the relationship as a partnership, where you both bring valuable insights, is essential.
- If a challenge arises, work with the teacher to develop a unified strategy. A united front between home and school sends a consistent message to your child.
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Updates for Strategic Plan - Year 2
Net Zero Carbonization and facilities along with the Consolidation work groups will be meeting jointly in the next couple of weeks to continue their work discussing various configurations of school models.
Out-of-School Time – the staff will begin to develop a plan for the pilot program at Ryan Road for next school year. The plan will include logistics and operations, financials, staffing and program management.
*Please visit the links within the score card to learn more about the work that is occurring.
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Attendance
"Every day counts!" We want your children present in school. When your child is absent, they miss out on the opportunity to learn with their peers. Missing 10% or more of school for any reason impacts students' academic success in reading and numeracy. Chronically absent students may not reach grade level standards falling further and further behind. Also, there is a higher risk for falling behind in social-emotional development and executive functioning.
Help us help your child to be successful by sending them to school.
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Code of Conduct
Getting Help with a Problem
Bullying and cyberbullying, harassment and intimidation, hazing, and bias behaviors are unsafe and do not reflect respect for others as defined by the Code of Conduct, Character and Support. If you or someone you know is a target of one of these behaviors, you can report it using the Bullying and Harassment Complaint Reporting Form, available on the school website or in the main office or the counseling office of your school. You can also tell a staff member, who will respond quickly and provide a practical, private, and safe place to report.
If an administrator determines that one of these behaviors has occurred, the students involved will receive support from a school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker, pupil personnel worker, or school health staff person to be sure everyone involved feels safe and supported and understands how to avoid these situations in the future.
A Student Who is Being Bullied Should…
- Tell the person to stop…or say nothing and walk away.
- Tell someone — a caregiver, a teacher, a counselor, etc.
Here Are Some Suggestions for a Student Who Knows Someone Who is Being Bullied…
- If you feel safe, be an “Upstander” and,
- Tell the person to stop by saying, “We don’t do that at this school.” Or “That’s not right to treat someone like that.”
- Say words of support to the student being bullied—Be a friend!
- Don’t encourage the person using bullying behavior by laughing or joining in with them.
- Tell other bystanders how to help stop bullying.
- If it doesn’t feel safe…
- Tell an adult
- Encourage the bullied student to talk to someone
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Restorative Practice
We are in year 2 of implementation with the goal of training more staff to incorporate restorative circles within their classroom. Our counselors and administrators will use more intentional restorative practices to address conflict among students.
Additionally, YEA and Collaborative Resolution Group will host the first multigenerational community building circle at the Northampton High School library on Wednesday, October 22, from 5:30-7:30PM.
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To love all children, we must struggle together to create the schools we are taught to believe are impossible: schools built on justice, love, joy and anti-racism.
Bettina Love
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Immigration Enforcement and Its Effect on NPS Schools
As we enter the fourth week of school, we are on high alert regarding our immigrant students. Many districts across the nation are feeling the impact, which is causing trauma and affecting students' attendance. Although NPS has not been directly affected by ICE agents entering our school buildings, we remain vigilant and concerned for our families.
We have protocols in place at each of our buildings should ICE agents arrive, and our bus drivers also have procedures for drop-offs and pickups. Currently, the two largest teachers' unions (NEA and AFT) have filed a lawsuit to challenge immigration officers' presence on school campuses. We once again encourage our families to use the "know your rights" information from the Attorney General’s Office.
COPPA
Under the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the 3rd party websites or application operators must provide parent/guardian notification and obtain consent before collecting personal information from children under the age of 13. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), who oversees COPPA compliance, also permits school districts to consent to the collection of personal information on behalf of its students thus eliminating the need for individual parents/guardians to consent directly to individual website/application providers.
(Clarification 9/16/2025--Parents have the right to opt out of sharing their student's information with 3rd parties (not educational technology in general). COPPA provides protections over student's personally identifiable information (for students under 13); there are ways to use EdTech without sharing student information.)
Peace, Unity and Joy
Dr. Portia S. Bonner
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On Monday, August 25, keynote speaker Lynn Lyons spoke to NPS staff about "Helping Anxious Kids" as we kicked off the new school year.
Lynn Lyons is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist in Concord, New Hampshire. She has been in private practice for 35 years, specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults and children.
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NO SCHOOL - Monday, October 13 (Holiday)
HALF-DAY - Wednesday, October 15
Schools dismiss according to the following schedule:
- Elementary -- 8:00-11:30AM
- Middle School -- 8:30AM-12:25PM
- High School -- 9:00AM-12:50PM
HALF-DAY for conferences (ELEMENTARY ONLY)- Wednesday, October 22 and Wednesday, October 29
Schools dismiss according to the following schedule:
- Elementary -- 8:00-11:30AM
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Northampton Public Schools uses ParentSquare to communicate with caregivers. ParentSquare is a simple and safe way to connect and communicate with your child's teachers and school.
District-wide communication is shared via ParentSquare on a weekly basis. Register your account using the QR code below.
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On Wednesday, September 11, Director of Health Services Kirsten Kennedy-Alvarado accepted a brand new, state of the art AED machine for NHS. KEVS Foundation, which was established in loving memory of Kevin J. Major, generously donated the AED and has helped countless people/organizations in his name. Kev’s little niece, pictured left, smiled her way through the NHS halls.
The goal of KEVS Foundation is to educate and help prevent Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) in children and young adults. Their vision is to facilitate free youth heart screenings, help provide program resources for public access defibrillator programs and teaches the importance of early bystander CPR/AED education and awareness in our communities.
NHS is a large school with many people within it every day. Even though we have the “required” amount of machines for our building and population, an additional AED would be ideal and is best practice. This donation from KEVS foundation is helping NHS exceed compliance by providing extra medical safety and security to our staff and students.
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The transportation department wants to remind everyone of our traffic and bus safety rules to ensure a safe environment for all students and staff.
Bus Loops & Designated Drop-Off Areas
Please be aware that bus loops are reserved exclusively for school buses. There is no student pick-up or drop-off permitted in these areas. For information on safe and designated areas to drop off your student in the morning and meet them after school, please refer to the school handbook.
School Bus Safety: The Law
A friendly reminder that when a school bus or school pupil transport vehicle has its RED lights flashing and a stop sign extended, you are required by law to come to a complete stop. This law applies to all vehicles, regardless of which side of the road you are traveling on, and even within parking lots.
If the lights are flashing, you must not pass.
Your cooperation ensures the safety of our students.
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On August 25, many families participated in garden clean up day.
Bridge Street is the recipient of the Gateway Fiber community contest. Local residents voted for their favorite school and Bridge Street Elementary was chosen as a winner!
Bridge Street's "Welcome Back Picnic" was held on September 11. Gateway Fiber sponsored an ice cream truck and presented Principal Stern with a check. (images below)
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On August 28th, RKFRR gathered for their school tradition--to blow bubbles together as a school community to represent putting our hopes and dreams for the school year into fruition. |
All playground equipment is installed. Pouring of the rubber surface is being scheduled. We hope to be able to use the playground in October. |
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Leeds Elementary welcomes staff and students with their mascot during the first days of school. |
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A staff photo board graces the Jackson Street Elementary entrance. |
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Michelle Mallory asked for help painting a bus for the Tri-County Fair Bus Demolition Derby. Many staff and 6th-8th graders joined in this effort. The demolition bus theme this year was Crazy Runaway Train with music and individual student ideas incorporated. |
JFK's demolition bus won 1st place at the Tri-County Fair derby on Saturday, August 30. Thank you to Chris Denno for driving our bus. |
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JFK hosted their annual open house on Wednesday, September 17. |
Seniors had the opportunity to paint their parking spaces this year.
Senior leadership shared information about the front office.
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Bus drivers sort and prepare student bus passes for distribution. (picture left)
Pictured below are:
Students attending marching band summer camp start their day with a restorative circle.
The Principals held their annual retreat at Smith College.
The Administrative Leadership Team held their annual retreat on August 19 at the Hitchcock Center in Amherst.
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The Principals received updated safety information from the Police and Fire Departments during their retreat. |
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Welcome to the new program year with the NPS Early Childhood Center!
We are ready to walk in the woods with you on Saturday 9/27. We are ready to learn with you at Chrissy D'Agostino's parenting workshop on Thursday 9/25. And we are really ready to eat dinner and play with you at our Caregiver Cafe on Tuesday 10/7. To register for these programs and more, please click the link!
This registration link will stay the same for the whole school year. Please bookmark it and check back often! Programs added on a monthly and seasonal basis include parenting workshops, playgroups, family walks with Kestrel Land Trust, art events at Smith College, family Game Times at the Forbes, home visiting with Parent Child+ and so much more.
Did you know the NPS Early Childhood Center is a United Way Diaper Hub?
We are! If you have emergency diaper needs please call us. Sometimes we even have wipes in stock. Call 413-587-1471, text 413-341-9158 or email EarlyChildhood@Northampton-k12.us
- The Northampton Public Schools Early Childhood Center provides services to young children and families in our city. All families with children ages 0-6, and a little older too, are welcome to engage with the staff and programming we offer. EarlyChildhood@Northampton-k12.us
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Northampton Public Schools Considers Cell Phone Ban
As Massachusetts moves to join other states in banning cell phones in schools, Northampton is preparing to develop its own policy. The Northampton School Committee’s Rules and Policy subcommittee has been discussing the issue for the past several months.
The district has engaged with the nonprofit ReConnect Western MA, which presented to the School Committee on the social, emotional, and mental health effects of cell phone use on students. A caregiver forum was also held with Dr. Allie Baker, a psychiatrist and medical advisor for Wait Until 8th, to discuss the impact on youth mental health and provide data on the pros and cons of phones in schools.
At a recent meeting, the School Committee requested the formation of an ad hoc group to determine what a new "bell-to-bell" cell phone policy would look like. This group will include representatives from various stakeholder groups.
Current policies vary by school level:
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Elementary and JFK Middle School: Phones must be kept "off and away" and are not allowed during instructional time.
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Northampton High School: Phones must be kept "off and away" but are permitted during designated times.
The school district is committed to creating a safe and productive learning environment for all students and looks forward to the committee's recommendations.
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Key Purposes of the Ad Hoc Group
The primary purpose of this group is to:
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Gather Information and Expertise from diverse stakeholders, such as caregivers, teachers, students, administrators, and community members, to ensure all perspectives on the issue are heard and considered. This helps to create a comprehensive policy that addresses various concerns, such as academic distractions, social development, and emergency communication.
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Review of Legislation: The group will review the recommendations in the legislation and include those recommendations in the designing of the policy.
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Draft a Policy Proposal: The group will research best practices and existing policies in other districts to create a draft cell phone policy that is informed, effective, and tailored to the needs of NPS. This includes defining where and when cell phone use is permitted, how phones will be stored, and what the consequences are for not following the policy.
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Provide a Recommendation: The group's final deliverable is a formal policy to the School Committee. This document will outline the proposed policy and the reasoning behind its recommendations, allowing the School Committee to make an informed decision.
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Duration of the Group: This is a temporary group formed for the single purpose of creating recommendations for the School District. Once its task is complete, the group will dissolve. The expected timeline is to begin early-October 2025 and end with a presentation to the School Committee during its December meeting.
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Expectation is to conduct a pilot of the policy during the spring of 2026 with a full implementation of the policy for school year 2026-2027.
The Ad Hoc Group will be limited to fifteen (15) members and will serve from October to December. Potential number of meetings is estimated to be five (5) with a final recommendation to be presented to the School Committee during the December meeting. All interested persons are ask to submit your name, identification of stakeholder group, and a brief statement of why you are interested in serving via email to npscomments@northampton-k12.us by September 30. |
Do you have a skill you'd love to share with kids?
We're looking for passionate community members to teach after-school enrichment classes to our elementary students.
You could lead a one-hour class in anything from dance, music, or arts & crafts to gardening, coding, or creative writing—whatever you're good at!
This is a great chance to make a positive impact on young students and get paid for your time. Classes are one hour long and you'll be compensated $40 per class.
We can't wait to hear from you!
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Join the PTA/PTO: Becoming an active member of the Parent Teacher Association or Organization is an excellent way to get a broader perspective on school-wide initiatives, connect with other parents, and contribute to the school community.
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