Nipmuc Music Department Pasta Dinner

Included below is some information about a pasta dinner fundraiser to help the Nipmuc music department as they prepare for their April trip to New York City.

What:  This is an all you can eat pasta fundraiser for the Nipmuc Music Department.  We are travelling to New York City in April to perform and participate in clinics.

Where:  Rebecca's Place 3 in Upton

When:  This Saturday, January 28th, 2012

Times:  4:30, 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30

Cost:  $20 per ticket

Please contact Marsha Ledoux mledoux@mursd.org or Oliver MacFadden omacfadden@mursd.org if you're interested!  You can reach us by phone at 508 - 529 - 2130 ext. 2001.

Breakfast with Guidance

As a reminder, the Nipmuc Guidance Department would like to invite you to Breakfast with Guidance on Tuesday, January 24, 2012.  Please join us for:

Beginning the College Search:
This workshop is designed to provide an introduction for parents to the college search and application process. Parents of juniors are especially encouraged to attend. 

The workshop will meet from 8:00 to 9:00 AM at Nipmuc High School.  Please RSVP to Ona Moore at 508-529-2140 or omoore@mursd.org.

If you are unable to attend, please be aware that the guidance department will be repeating this presentation on February 6 at 6:30pm in the Nipmuc auditorium.

Thank you.

Postponed MMSI/Advanced Placement Study Session

Please be aware that Saturday's MMSI/Advanced Placement study session has been postponed until a later date. We will work with Marlboro High School and MMSI to determine a new date for this study session.

Also, Saturday detentions and the Winter Semi-formal dance have been postponed as a result of weather.

Postponed Winter Semi-Formal Dance

Good afternoon,

I am writing to make you aware that Saturday’s Winter Semi-Formal dance has been postponed due to the forecast of snow on Saturday. The dance has been postponed until February 4 at 7pm. The dance will still take place at the Milford Doubletree Hotel.

The safety of our students is always our first concern when making these decisions. Additionally, please know that we needed to make this decision today in order to comply with our rental agreement with the hotel. If we had waited beyond today to make this decision, we would have forfeited the opportunity to reschedule the event. With the weather forecast showing the strong potential for three – six inches of snow on Saturday, we elected to postpone the dance to February 4^th.

Any students who cannot attend on February 4^th can receive a full refund of the cost of their dance ticket. Additionally, tickets will remain on sale through Wednesday, February 1. Ticket sales and refunds are available in room 141 during morning breaks.

Thank you,

John Clements

Sad News

Good morning,
It is with great sadness that I get in touch with you, once again, to share news of another tragedy that has affected our school community. Last evening, Christopher DiLorenzo, a Nipmuc graduate from the class of 2010, passed away after being involved in a single car accident in Mendon. Christopher was the only person in the vehicle at the time of the accident.

As a recent graduate of Nipmuc, Christopher maintained strong ties to Nipmuc and our students. His loss will be felt intensely throughout our school and towns. Our thoughts and prayers are with Christopher’s family and friends as they deal with this tragedy.

Just before 11am, I spoke to our student body to share this terrible news. In addressing our students, I acknowledged the sincere sadness that we are already experiencing following the loss of Jack Street. I thanked them for the compassion and support they have shown throughout the past week. I also called on them, once again, to rely on the togetherness of our community to provide the strength that will guide us through the grief of these losses.  

Please know that our counselors are available and are working with some of the students who are most impacted by this loss. I am extremely thankful for their support and the role they are playing in helping our students. I am also grateful to our staff members, faculty, parents, and all members of our school community who are supporting us at this time.

Sincerely,
John Clements

Dealing with Loss at Nipmuc Regional

Good afternoon,

The past few days have been extremely challenging for our entire school community as we deal with the tragic loss of Jack Street. All of us – students, parents, teachers, and staff members – extend our sincerest sympathy to his family as they make their way through this time of grief.

Jack’s passing has been felt deeply at Nipmuc. Throughout the course of the past two days, I have been overwhelmed by the strength of our community and the sense of togetherness that is guiding us through this sadness. So many stories, memories, and reflections have been shared. It has been an important part of our grieving process to hear the many ways that Jack's humor, kindness, and leadership have impacted our lives. It is a wonderful testament to his memory.

Please know that all of the guidance counselors in the district joined us again this morning to provide support. I am so thankful for the care, insight, and compassion they have provided to our school. Additionally, this afternoon we are receiving some focused assistance from counselors at Riverside Trauma Center to offer support to those in need.

Please be aware that arrangements have been made for calling hours and a non-denominational memorial service as follows:

Memorial calling hours at the Williams-Pedersen Funeral Home, 45 Main Street, Upton are from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday. Following cremation, a nondenominational memorial service will be held Tuesday, January 10, at 11 a.m. in St. Gabriel the Archangel Church, 151 Mendon Street, Upton.

Students who are attending the funeral on Tuesday will be granted an excused absence/dismissal on that day. Any student attending the services will need to provide a parent note in order to be dismissed. Should you choose to allow your child to attend the services, please consider attending these services with your child. This support will be greatly appreciated.

Included in this message you will find some information from the Riverside Trauma Center which may provide some help to parents over the course of the weekend. We recognize that the sadness of this loss affects our entire community. Please feel free to reach out to us if we can be of any assistance.

Sincerely,
John Clements

Riverside Trauma Center Informational Materials:

Extremely Sad News

Good morning, everyone –

I am extremely saddened this morning to inform you of a tragic accident that took the life of one of our students. Yesterday, Jack Street, a senior at Nipmuc, passed away after falling from a ski lift at Ward Hill in Shrewsbury.

This is a horrible tragedy that impacts all of us at Nipmuc. Jack will be remembered as a bright and talented young man with a great sense of humor and a tremendous personality. His loss will be felt deeply by us not only today, but also in the weeks, months, and years to come.

As a school community we need to be able to rely on each other at this time of sadness. Please know that all of the guidance counselors in the district are available at Nipmuc throughout the day as a resource for students, staff, and faculty. Anyone who wishes to take advantage of this support may be excused to work with a counselor at any point today. In addition, we have been in contact with the Riverside Trauma Center who will provide additional help as needed for the members of our community.

If you would like to dismiss your child from school today, please know that this will be an excused dismissal. If possible, we ask that students being dismissed are met by a parent at the school.

We realize that this loss will affect our entire communities of Mendon and Upton. As a school, we are available to work with you to provide as much support as possible.

On behalf of our entire school community, I extend our sincere sympathy to Jack's family and friends at this time of mourning.

Sincerely,
John Clements

"WeAk without Art"

Senior art student Brian Mullen covers
one of our murals as part of our
participation in "WeAk without Art."

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and had a chance to relax with family and friends over the course of the past week. It is great to have our students back in the building as we begin our journey into 2012. The start of a new year provides an opportunity not only to set resolutions and take advantage of a fresh start, but also to consider all that we have to be thankful for. As our students filled our hallways for the first time in 2012, they had the chance to heighten their appreciation for one of the wonderful aspects of our school that we sometimes take for granted– our amazing student artwork.

In order to remind us of the powerful impact that student artwork has on our daily life, the Nipmuc Arts Guild is participating in a program called “WeAk without Art”. As part of “WeAk without Art” all of the murals and framed student artwork that adorn our halls have been removed or covered for an entire week. By removing the art from the walls, it gives all of us a chance to be reminded of the many ways that student art enriches our school. With over 65 student-produced murals and 100 framed works, the impact of a “WeAk without Art” is powerful.

Mrs. Alison Clish, one of Nipmuc’s art teachers, mentions that “The week without art creates a sterile and institutional feel throughout the building.  When the art returns it will again breathe life into our building.  You do not know what you have until it is gone.” Another Nipmuc art teacher, Mr. Kevin Campbell, added to this by saying, “Visitors to Nipmuc are always amazed at the sheer quantity of artwork on display.  They wonder how we can display murals and framed artwork without fear of theft or vandalism.  It's easy for us to take it for granted.  The "WeAk without Art" reminds us - teachers and students - how fortunate we are to have an environment where students respect one another's artwork and take pride in the school.”

Over the years, the Nipmuc art department has become one of the distinguishing features of our school. Events like the Travelling Art Show or the annual art show each May have become an important part of celebrating the achievements of our students. In addition, last year our art department was recognized for its tremendous work when it was named the recipient of the College Board’s Award for Excellence and Innovation in the Arts. As a school community, we are so fortunate to spend each day surrounded by award-winning art. So, while I appreciate that this week will remind us of the power of our students’ artwork, I can also say that I am looking forward to Friday afternoon when our art gallery returns.