Week of October 5, 2020
Message from the President
A week or so ago, I got an email from a teacher about desks. Honestly, I saw the subject line and I couldn't understand why someone was emailing me about desks. After reading the email, it made a lot more sense. Over the last few weeks, Elm Street teacher Dan Scarpati and Sunset Heights teacher John Barry have been building desks. The desks, costing about $30.00 a piece, are being built for students who do not have a work space at home. This awesome work was showcased in an article in the Union Leader and on WMUR (see below). Donations for these desks came from John and Dan and have since come over 70 staff members in the district. The Nashua Teachers' Union will also be making a donation to sponsor desks. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dan and John for their work on this project, those who are helping behind the scenes, and those who have made donations towards this project. This is just yet another example of how incredible the people of this district are.
To sponsor a desk or make a donation:
Make checks payable to Elm Street Middle School (please put "desks" in the memo)
Checks can be mailed to:
Elm Street Middle School
c/o Dan Scarpati
117 Elm Street
Nashua, NH 03060
NTU COPE
Know Your Contract
Grievance Procedure
All four contracts outline the Grievance Procedure in Article 3. For the most part, all four contracts share the same language with some minor exceptions - mainly where some of the Grievances are sent during the Step process. The first question you should ask yourself - "is this grievable? Was part of my contract or a POPPs policy violated?" If the answer is yes, or you are unsure, your first step should be to contact your Building Representative. We have a team that works together with the Building Representatives to make work with you, and to make sure the process is followed. For more information on the Grievance Process please consult your contract or visit the NTU website.
Happening Now...
In-Person BOE Meetings Delayed
On September 28th, the Board of Education voted to delay the return to in-person meetings at Nashua High School North. Originally, the Board had decided they would return to the Board Room starting with meetings in October. However, there were concerns about having a quorum in October. Several members were having/have had medical procedures that required them to stay home. In-person meetings require at least 5 Board members be present at North; those on the phone or on Zoom would not count towards that in-person quorum. An Emergency Order allowed for full remote meetings. There doesn't appear to be any language that allows a mix of the in-person rules and the remote rules. The full Board is scheduled to resume in-person meetings in November.
On A Positive Note
All comments/posts have been shared somewhere in Nashua about a staff member.
I just wanted to let you know you're doing a great job! This is a trying time for us all, and I can't imagine how much you've had to learn and change teaching when forced to teach remotely. So, thank-you for all your effort trying to make this easier. And thank you for modifying little things along the way, it's greatly appreciated! This year has already been a much better experience being remote than last year.
Once again Nashua Teachers stand up for their students. Thank You.
Halloween Candy
Candy is tied closely to Halloween and trick-o-treating. I enjoy a piece of candy, or seven during Halloween and throughout the year. This week's Just for Fun question: What is your favorite Halloween candy? Please answer the question below. Next week, we'll start the process to determine the top Halloween candy.
For the NTU calendar, click here
For the BOE calendar, click here
For the BOE agendas and minutes, click here
Upcoming Events
- October 5th
- Officers/Superintendent Meeting, 3:30pm, via Zoom
- October 6th
- Executive Board Meeting, 4:00pm, via Zoom
- October 8th
- NTU COPE, 4:00pm, via Zoom
- October 12th
- No School, Columbus Day
- October 13th
- Board of Directors Meeting, 4:15pm, via Zoom
- BOE Human Resources Committee Meeting, 5:30pm, via Zoom
- Board of Education Meeting, 6:00pm, via Zoom
- October 14th
- AFT Teachers Program and Policy Committee Meeting, 2:00pm, via Zoom
- BOE Finance and Operations Committee Meeting, 6:00pm, via Zoom
- October 20th
- BOE Curriculum and Evaluation Committee Meeting, 6:00pm, via Zoom
- October 21st
- BOE Policy Committee Meeting, 6:00pm, via Zoom
- October 26th
- BOE Human Resources Committee Meeting, 5:30pm, via Zoom
- Board of Education Meeting, 6:00pm, via Zoom
- October 31st
- Happy Halloween!
