@NipmucRegional
Keeping you informed on important dates and information
FAST 2022
Last Wednesday we hosted our annual tradition of FAST (Faculty & Students Together). It was a day filled with cheers, school spirit, and competition between classes. Motivational speaker and former NFL player David Holloway provided an inspirational message about creating and committing to a vision for success. Our day concluded with a pep rally and a FAST victory by our seniors.
Thank you Ms. Swenson, Mr. Cook, Student Council President Rebecca Tabakin, and the entire student council for putting together the event. We also wanted to congratulate Mrs. Blackburn for winning the most feathers and for being a great sport dancing in the turkey costume! You can find a video with some highlights from the day at the button below.
Safety Drill: Tuesday, 11/29
Please be aware that on Tuesday, November 29 at 1pm we will be practicing a school safety drill with our students and staff. We are announcing this in advance so that students and families know to expect the drill. The drill will run from 1pm until approximately 1:20pm.
During this time, we will practice our lockdown protocols as well as barricading some classrooms to further secure the rooms in the event of an intruder in the building. Additionally, we will practice a partial evacuation of part of our building. Our drills will be run with the support of Nipmuc School Resource Officer Ciara O'Connor and the Upton Police Department.
We recognize that these drills can bring out many emotions, even in a practice setting. Please don't hesitate to let us know if you have any concerns.
Congratulations to the John and Abigail Adams Scholars
Congratulations to the students listed below who received the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. In receiving this recognition, students earned a combined MCAS score that ranks in the top 25% of scores at Nipmuc. Through the scholarship, they receive a credit toward tuition for up to eight semesters of undergraduate education at a Massachusetts state college or university.
BVYLA Acceptances
Congratulations to the following freshman students on their acceptance into the Blackstone Valley Youth Leadership Academy (BVYLA) for the 2022-2023 school year:
- Kaitlyn Allington
- Rhys Cubberley
- Talia Schwartzberg
The BVYLA is an opportunity for students to build new relationships, explore leadership opportunities in the community, and help to build self-esteem, self-awareness, and self-confidence. To learn more about the program, please click here.
Nipmuc Students "Taking Off"
Mr. Gorman's Engineering 2 students were invited by bluShift Aerospace to a full rocket test fire in Brunswick, ME on Friday, November 11. The students had a great day and learned a lot about the rockets that bluShift is building and got a tour of the facility. The students and Mr. Gorman then headed out to the test area, where they assembled and deployed the environmental payloads, which sensed particles and CO_2.
Unfortunately, bluShift had some sensor malfunctioned, limiting the opportunity for a full test fire as planned. However, they ran 266 pounds of CO2 through the engine in 7 seconds. Their devices collected data on this run and will be put back on the engine for the full fire test. The devices will be put back to capture that data. This will make for a good data comparison between the tests. So now they are waiting for the data and devices to be returned.
Once they have the data, they will explore the best ways to visualize and analyze the huge volume of data that was collected by our sensors. Then they will report back to bluShift and work with them to determine the next best steps for the engine.
They will then work to develop the payload for the actual rocket launch in collaboration with the other high schools and universities taking the ride to Space with us. To test their device before the big launch, MaxIQ is hosting a high-altitude weather balloon launch for the spring. In Q1 or Q2 of 2023, the students have a spot for their CubeSat reserved on the first suborbital test fire! The students will present their project, which will be entered into the World Space Week 2023 MaxIQ Space competition.
Winter Wellness Week is Coming!
Winter Wellness Week is coming soon! The purpose of Wellness Week is to spread awareness of wellness practices, promote healthy lifestyles, and learn ways to cope with and decrease stress. Our hope is that spreading awareness of wellness practices will result in healthier minds and bodies for our Nipmuc community. Wellness Week is an opportunity to relax and have some fun while learning skills to improve individual wellness. Check out the calendar of events below.
On Tuesday, December 6, we will be hosting a speaker from Minding Your Mind, a non-profit mental health education foundation whose primary objective is to provide mental health education to adolescents. Through this program, Changing Minds: Stories Over Stigma, students will hear from Mallory, a dynamic young adult speaker with lived experience who will share an inspiring personal story about struggle, resilience, and hope. This evidence-based program is aimed at ending the stigma around mental health challenges while encouraging students to seek help for themselves or a friend as early as possible.
Our School Counseling Department will continue to be available to any student seeking support before, during, and after this presentation. Please let your child's counselor know if you have any questions or concerns.
Nipmuc National Honor Society Now Accepting Applications
BVExcel Spring Registration
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 spring registration. This spring, BVExcel is offering four classes: Manufacturing I/Intro to Welding, Manufacturing II/ Advanced Welding, Intro to Health Careers, and Robotics.
Any questions can be directed to the BVExcel coordinator, Laura Ingemi (lingemi@hopedale.k12.ma.us), or to your Nipmuc school counselor.
Attention All Sophomores
Are you a sophomore looking for a leadership opportunity? Consider the HOBY Youth Leadership Program! HOBY allows high school sophomores to explore their leadership potential through a series of inspiring workshops. These workshops take place over the course of three days at a local university with students from all over the state! There are also programs available virtually, if desired. If you are interested in making a difference in your community and learning new leadership skills, click here to learn more about HOBY Youth Leadership Programs. If you have questions please email Mrs. Miklavic at lmiklavic@mursd.org.
Junior Ellie Plano Featured on NPR’s “From the Top”
On Monday, November 28th, show 422 of NPR’s From The Top will air, featuring Nipmuc junior Ellie Plano! The program is “dedicated to celebrating the stories, talents, and character of classically-trained young musicians”. During the episode, Ellie performs a piece on the piano and is interviewed by Orli Shaham, a Juilliard professor.
You can download the podcast on your preferred podcast app beginning at 6pm ET today. Learn more about the show at this link.
Holiday Food and Toy Drive
Food Drive
Each year youth in Project 351 lead Fall Service Food Drives around the state, battling food insecurity in Massachusetts. The Mendon-Upton Project 351 team will run from November 28 - December 11. We will place collection bins at Nipmuc and Miscoe so that members from both Mendon and Upton will be inclined to participate.
Student representatives from Project 351 will run a bake sale again this year at Nipmuc on Tuesday, November 29 and Thursday, December 1 from 4pm - 5pm in the main lobby at Nipmuc. All food and monetary donations will go to the Mendon Food Pantry and United Parish of Upton Food Pantry.
Toy Drive
For the first time Mendon-Upton’s Project 351 team is participating in the Toy Blitz Toy Drive, a service project partnered with the New England Patriots and WBZ-TV to help provide children with the toys and gifts that will make their holiday season special. Our toy drive will be running from December 1-16, and we will collect at both Nipmuc and Miscoe.
Winter Sports
Class of 2025 Fundraiser
Take a look at Nipmuc's Class of 2025 holiday shopping fundraiser through Boon Supply. Their products are sustainable, durable, and highly recommended!
Check out our page at the above link or click here to get some shopping ideas! Anything you purchase supports the class of 2025 and you can purchase through December 16!
Thank you~
Nipmuc Class of 2025