Week of November 29, 2021

Message from the President

It's the last week of our 6th Annual Toys for Tots Drive. There is still time to donate. You can bring a toy to your school through December 2nd or drop it off at the Union Office. Or you can make a monetary donation through Venmo. Thanks to everyone for their support of this cause!

6th Annual Toys for Tots Drive

This year marks the 6th Annual Toys for Tots Drive sponsored by the Nashua Teachers' Union. The blue bins will return for drop off at your school/office. We will continue to have a drop off for new, unwrapped toys at the Union Office. We will continue to accept monetary donations. We will take all donations and purchase toys to donate to our drive or donate it directly to the local campaign here in Hillsborough County. Blue bins will appear in your schools the week of November 1st and we collect items through Thursday, December 2nd.

We will also accept donations by check. Make checks payable to the Nashua Teachers' Union and send to:

Nashua Teachers' Union

Toys for Tots Drive

7C Taggart Drive

Nashua, NH 03060

Happy Hanukkah!!!

To all of our Jewish colleagues and friends, Happy Hanukkah!!!

When: Monday, November 29th at 6:00pm

Where: Nashua High School North

Wear your NTU shirt or blue!

Know Your Contract

Contract Violations or Concerns from Members

We have been pretty fortunate that in many cases, administrators work to follow our contracts. Sometimes, it might appear they are not following that contract. If you feel that you contract has been violated, you should speak with your building representative. They will collect pertinent information, and if necessary, speak with the appropriate Grievance Chair. Together, they will work toward an acceptable solution. If one cannot be reached, the Grievance Procedure (Article III) will be used. If you have any questions, please speak with your building representative or an Officer.

AFT-NH Legislative Updates

What is Sketchnoting?

I wanted students to have some accountability for their reading, and I wanted them to engage with the text, yet I didn’t want to interrupt their “flow” of reading. I wanted students to have an opportunity to “stay with the text,” but also take a breather from reading without resorting to the same old journal prompts I’d used before. When I surveyed students to start the year, more than the usual number noted that they liked to doodle. I decided I’d take the leap into a topic I’d considered for some time: sketchnoting, bullet journaling, doodling—visual representations of student learning. I’ve always wanted to include this type of note taking, but I haven’t had a good way to assess it, and I’m also not a great artist by any means. I’d feel like a fraud if I proclaimed to know what I was doing!

So, in true “teacher-as-lead-learner” fashion, we watched sketchnoting videos together, trying out techniques and gathering a collection of “tools” we’d use as we read. Here’s the lesson plan. Learning some basic icons, lettering techniques, and the like made the process fun and gave all of us a little more confidence. Students did, in fact, struggle with the sustained silent reading, but I noticed that when they did take a break, they’d work on their sketchnoting, which kept them engaged in the task at hand.

https://sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/sketchnoting-400113

Have an idea for the Just for Fun section? Send it to Adam (president@nashuatu.org).

Thanksgiving Would You Rather

No surprises...almost everyone would prefer a snow storm to a power outage on Thanksgiving.

Just for Fun

I grew up in a house that if I were cold, I was told to put on a sweatshirt. We weren't allowed to touch the heat, and if we did, my dad seemed to know it, even before we touched it. The heat never came on before November 1st and was set at what it was all winter long. My thermostat can be set and change at specific times. But my kids know not to touch it...get a sweatshirt! I know it's almost December, but as I write this, I'm at home, and my thermostat is set to a weekday setting, so I'm considering turning up the heat. Do you have set rules about the thermostat at home?

For the NTU calendar, click here

For the BOE calendar, click here

For the BOE agendas and minutes, click here














Upcoming Events

  • November 29th

      • BOE Human Resources Committee, 5:30pm, Nashua High School North (agenda)

      • Board of Education, 6:00pm, Nashua High School North (agenda)

  • November 30th

      • NTU President/Superintendent Meeting, 9:00am, Central Office

  • December 6th

      • Teacher Negotiations, 9:00am, Central Office

  • December 7th

      • NTU President/Superintendent Meeting, 9:00am, Central Office

      • Food Service Negotiations, 2:00pm, via Zoom

      • Executive Board, 4:00pm, via Zoom

  • December 8th

      • Early Release

      • Internal Secretary Negotiations, 4:15pm, Union Office

  • December 13th

      • Internal Para-Educator Negotiations, 4:00pm, Union Office

  • December 14th

      • NTU President/Superintendent Meeting, 9:00am, Central Office

      • Board of Directors, 4:15pm, via Zoom

  • December 20th

      • BOE Human Resources Committee, 5:30pm, Nashua High School North (agenda)

      • Board of Education, 6:00pm, Nashua High School North (agenda)

  • December 21st

      • NTU President/Superintendent Meeting, 9:00am, Central Office

      • Executive Board/Superintendent Meeting, 4:00pm, Central Office

  • December 24th - January 2nd

      • No School

      • Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!

      • Happy New Year!

Questions? Comments? Need Assistance? Contact a member of the Executive Board

Trying to email Adam? Make sure to use president@nashuatu.org