NSPS 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR IN REVIEW

OUR SCHOOLS

NSES

• Outstanding Achievement and State Performance:
  • Ranked 25 out of 258 elementary schools in Rhode Island for attendance; only 7% chronically absent, down from 11% in the 2023-2024 school year
  • Ranked #4 in the state for ELA growth 
  • Ranked #7 in the state for Math growth
  •  100% Family Participation in SurveyWorks 2024-2025
• iReady data growth:
  • Reading:  145%
  • Math:  121%
• Preschool, Kindergarten, Grade 4 “Ceremonies”: 2 sessions each
  • Grade 4 “After Grad” Party ~ All grade 4 teachers, administration, and multiple parent volunteers assisted over 90 students from 6:00 -7:30 p.m.
• Enrolled over 115 new students for Kindergarten for the 2025 - 2026 school year
• Called 304 families from September to June for Positive Phone Calls
• Awarded an Integrity Award, a Kindness Award, and 6 Book Awards to grade 4 students who exhibited excellence within their grade level
• Positive behavioral intervention support with new Behavior Passports, Kelso’s Choices, and Itinerant Star Awards
• Kelso’s Choice is taught to all classrooms four times a year with Dena Francescon, Dean of Students, and Cameron Benjamin (School Counselor)
• Increased community engagement by partnering with: Goodwin’s Farm, RISPCA, Community Care Alliance, North Smithfield Prevent Coalition
• Distributed dictionaries to the grade 3 students from the Lion’s Club of Burrilliville
• Participated in the Scripps State Spelling Bee
• Taught “Zones of Regulation” for emotional awareness
• Supported multiple displaced families with food, clothing, and community resources
• Collaborated with NSPD and Community Care Alliance for wrap-around mental health services
• Conducted 3 Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Data Weeks; Met with all classroom teachers and discussed student progress for all students K-4
• Hosted multiple summer onboarding activities for incoming kindergarten students (including: Peek at Kindergarten, Pops with the Principals, Playground with the Principals, Getting to Know K Camp)
• Facilitated multiple opportunities for our grade 4 students to transition to the middle school (field trip to the middle school, family night at the middle school ~ Thanks to the middle school administrative team, middle school speakers).
• Implemented the Morning Running Club for students who need an activity upon arrival at school
• Supported student mental health through “Greetings and Goodbyes” check-in program and Minute Meetings
• Facilitated book club with the NSPTO and NSES Staff. We read and explored The Anxious Generation and developed an action plan.
• Received a $2,000 Feinstein grant to enhance two outdoor classrooms
• Received a $1,000 Feinstein grant to develop a Student Leadership Team for our rising fourth graders
• Mentored 8 NSHS students for Senior Projects
• Partnered with PTO for multiple fundraising events
• Identified Open Circle as a new social/emotional program with training set to begin in August 2025. NSES was awarded a $10,000 wellness grant from RIDE.
  • Sarah Glover will be trained as an instructor for new hires.
• Held the following events for families:
  • Back to School Night
  • Family Community Night
  • Family Conferences
  • Winter Wonderland Activity Night
  • Family Literacy Night
  • Reading Week
  • World Read Aloud Day
  • NSES Art Show
  • NSES Health Fair
  • NSES Chorus Concert
  • NSES Field Day
• Shared Family Newsletters every Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. via email and Facebook
• Held 259 IEP meetings, 160 Evaluation Team Meetings, and 78 Family Meetings.

NSMS

• Outstanding Academic Achievement in ELA. Statewide performance:
  • Grade 5 - #1 in the state for growth 
  • Grade 6 - #5 in the state for growth
  • Grade 7 - #3 in the state for achievement
  • Grade 8 - #6 in the state for achievement
• Outstanding Academic Achievement in Math. Statewide performance:
  • Grade 5 - #1 in the state for growth 
  • Grade 6 - #5 in the state for growth
  • Grade 7 - #3 in the state for achievement
  • Grade 8 - #6 in the state for growth
• RICAS data show that our students continue to excel and exceed proficiency in greater numbers year-over-year.
• iReady data shows that student growth is accelerating in both Math and Reading.
  • 187% annual typical growth in Reading
  • 157% annual typical growth in Math
• Grade 8 Step-Up Ceremony and Dance were both beautiful events that families and students loved
• Valerie Carnevale - District Teacher of the Year
• PRIDE implementation/Awards were successful in increasing Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Dependability, and Empathy
• Family Engagement has significantly increased - Family nights, student showcases, guest speakers, positive notes, and phone calls home
• All of our teams ensured that our students had outside experiences, including Woo Sox, a STEM trip at Foxboro Stadium, a visit to the State House, Cinema World, Pulaski Park, and the planetarium, among others.
• Our music program had another successful year, winning the highest ratings at all competitions, including their Music in the Park event at Six Flags
• Olivia Kleyla, band director, performed at Carnegie Hall    
• 8th grade went to the Career Fair at the Convention Center   
• Spread the Word Day- fostering inclusion in our school  
• Best Buddies Club- mainstream students join our Life Skill students and make crafts, play games, and spend time together after school.
• NSMS ran approximately 30 clubs after school. These clubs were student-generated ideas, and our faculty/staff stepped up to ensure our students have somewhere safe and fun to be after school
• Positive behavioral supports- earning vs consequences (outside lunches at our donated picnic tables,  Student of the Month lunches, recognizing our students through our Core Values)
• Attendance continues to increase/Attendance incentives are successful 
• FACT presentation (Fostering Alternative Choices and Thinking) was a success
• Shout out from RIDE for SurveyWorks completion! 
  • 92.4% Family Participation rate this year, continually increasing year after year since 2020
• MTSS Advisory Block: Provides additional support to students with academic needs and has decreased failures significantly
• Continued Check In/Check Out to support students' social-emotional needs
• NSMS assisted many seniors with their Senior Projects.  Some of our faculty were mentors, and we helped them promote/hold their fundraisers and events with our families and students.  

NSHS 

• Outstanding Achievement and State Performance:
  • #3 in the state on PSAT10 in Mathematics
  • #5 in the state on SAT in Mathematics 
  • #6 in the state on PSAT10 in Reading/Writing
  • #6 in the state on SAT in Reading/Writing 
• Class of 2025
  • June 6th Graduation was an amazing night! It didn’t rain! 
  • 29 Academic Scholarships
  • 22 Graduates with CTE Honors 
  • 70 Commissioner’s Seals of English and Math Proficiency
  • 20 Graduates with a GPA of 4.0 or higher
  • 3 Graduates Earned a Seal of Biliteracy
  • College and Career Signing Day was held on May 21st.  All seniors celebrated future plans in the cafeteria.  
  • Senior Project Day on May 22nd was a success! Nearly 200 judges from the district and community
• All School Improvement Goals Met for the 2024-25 School Year!
  • Math Goal: To increase the percentage of all students meeting or exceeding expectations on the Math SAT from 41% to 46% by the end of SY 2025. (Spring 2025 SAT Proficiency = 49%)
  • Evidence-based Reading and Writing Goal: To increase the percentage of all students meeting or exceeding expectations on the EBRW SAT from 69% to 74% by the end of SY 2025. (Spring 2025 SAT Proficiency = 79%)
  • Attendance Goal:  To decrease the percentage of all students who are chronically absent from 16.2% to 14.7% by the end of the 2025 SY. (As of 6/13, the RI State Attendance Leaderboard predicts 12.6% on track to be chronically absent)
• Career Fair: On February 13th, NSHS hosted a Career Fair with a record 90+ representatives from the workforce and military
• CTE: 44 applicants for the 2025-2026 school year; 10 admitted to the programs
  • 22 CTE completers as part of the Class of 2025
  • All CTE students exceeded the minimum of 20 Work-Based Learning Hours for the year!
  • The Community Advisory Board met to connect industry partners with teachers
  • ACE Mentorship Program:  Representatives from the program met with Pre-Engineering Students, hoping to develop a more robust partnership and move the location to NSHS next year.
• Family Response Rate on Surveyworks has improved from 19% participation in 2022 to 77% participation in 2025!
• Continued our unique partnership with Bridge RI to build research-based MTSS interventions in math, reading, and SEL
• Multi-day school trips to New York (music), Washington D.C (We the People)., and Orlando (DECA)
• Mental Health
  • Through our partnership with Kyle Cares, students have applied for and received $5,000 in grant funding for our Mental Health initiatives at NSHS. 
  • The Active Minds Club hosted one event per month that focused on healthy relationships, connections, and positivity across the school community. 
  • Hosted an awesome full-school Unified “Green Out” basketball game vs. Burrillville 
  • Hosted the second annual Mental Health Awareness Week 
• Environmental Initiatives
  • NSHS earned the highest Eco-School designation - a Green School, improving from Gold School status last year.
  • Composting Initiative:  Partnered with Bootstraps Composting to reduce food waste in the cafeteria
  • Environmental Awareness Week: The Environmental Club organized the first-ever Environmental Awareness Week, including dress-up days, SAA outside, an Earth Day Pledge, an environmentally friendly craft during advisory, and participation in Clean and Green Day.

ATHLETICS

Fall

• Girls Volleyball Varsity Division 2 Sportsmanship Award
• Middle School Girl Soccer, Boys Soccer, Girls Tennis, Girls Volleyball, Football, and Unified Volleyball made the playoffs

Winter

• Middle School Girls Basketball, Boys Hockey, Girls Hockey, Boys Basketball, and Girls Basketball made the playoffs
• Middle School Cheerleading RICCA Small Division Championship 
• JV Cheerleading won the RICCA Division Championship

Spring

• Baseball Varsity Division 3 Sportsmanship Award
• Middle School Softball, Boys Tennis, Baseball, Girls Lacrosse, and Boys Lacrosse made the playoffs
• Middle School Unified Basketball had an undefeated season

MUSIC
 
NSHS

• RI-ACDA Choral Festival
  • Concert Choir - SILVER
  • Select Choir - GOLD
  • Chamber Choir - GOLD
• RIMEA Band Festival
  • SUPERIOR & Citation of Excellence
• National Band Association High School Band Symposium
• U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT
• RIMEA Jazz Festival
  • Jazz Ensemble - EXCELLENT
  • Jazz Choir - SUPERIOR
• RI - PAS Percussion Festival
  • SUPERIOR
  • WINNER of Ronald Stabile Outstanding Performance Trophy
• NYC Heritage Choral Festival
  • Select Choir - GOLD
  • Adjudicator Award for a score of 95 or higher!
• Chamber Choir - GOLD
• Adjudicator Award for a score of 95 or higher!
• Honors Credit Students for Band & Chorus
  • NdeyeAnna Dien, Andrea Nunez, Jayden Allard, Zachary Simpkins, Ryan Dellinger, Anna Aleksiewicz, Jada Para, Cameron Welch, Clover Slaughter, Isabella Rawson, Rachael Snyzyk, Amani Grant, Ethan LaFrance, Madelyn McNeil, Owen Priestley, Lucas Comeau, Jack Narodowy, Aayan Khan, Mia Remeika, Ryan Dellinger, Claire Grant, Madeline Prickett, Andrew Butler, Breille Ballargeon 
• URI -  Southern New England Honor Band Musicians, January 24-25
  • Adam Harrison, Mariah Joyal, Ethan LaFrance, Madelyn McNeil, Jack Narodowy, Owen Priestley, Wyatt Pullen
• Congratulations to the students who were accepted to the American Choral Directors Association’s National Honor Choir.
  • March 19-22, Dallas, TX: Andrew Butler, Zachary Simpkins, Madeline Prickett
• 2025 All-Eastern Honor Ensemble, April 24-27, Hartford, CT
  • Band - Owen Priestley - Senior Clarinet
  • Choir - Mia Remeika, Ryan Dellinger, Claire Grant 
• Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensembles (RIPYWE) for the 2024-25 Season!
  • Adam Harrison, Mariah Joyal, Jack Narodowy, Teagan McMahon. Angelina Parente, Louis Garneau  
• NSHS Music All-State Musicians
  • Jr. All-State Mixed Choir: Cameron Welch, Jayden Allard, Makayla LaFrance
  • Jr. All-State Treble Choir: Madeline Prickett, Pola Freitas
  • Sr. All State Mixed Choir: Alexzaindria Daviau, Amani Grant, Andrea Nunez, Andrew Butler, Brody Laliberte, Claire Grant, Clover Slaughter, Connor Reilly, Dylan Deroy, Emma Bryan, Jaxon Boyes, Layla Lanoie, Madden Keovongsavang, Ryan Dellinger, Samantha Thibeault, Sophia Gregory, Zachary Simpkins
  • Jr. All-State Band: Angelina Parente
  • Sr. All State Band: Lucas Comeau, Luke Fournier, Louis Garneau, Adam Harrison, Mariah Joyal, Aayan Khan, Ethan LaFrance, Madelyn McNeil, Jack Narodowy, Owen Priestley
  • Sr. All State Treble Choir: Anna Aleksiewicz, Brielle Baillargeon, Grace Aleksiewicz, Isabella Rawson Jada Parra, Leila Chmielinski, Mia Remeika, NdeyeAnna Diene, Rachael Snyzyk, Victoria Freitas
  • Sr. All-State Jazz Ensemble: Lucas Comeau. Ethan LaFrance
• Solo and Ensemble Festival
  • Instrumental: Melko Blacksmith, Janjira Caron, Lucas Comeau, Angelina Feliz, Brianna Fournier, Louis Garneau, Adam Harrison, Aayan Khan, Ethan LaFrance, Teagan McMahon, Madelyn McNeil, Jack Narodowy, Angelina Parente, Owen Priestley, Sophia White
  • Vocal: NdeyeAnna Diene, Andrea Nunez, Jayden Allard, Zachary Simpkins, Ryan Dellinger, Anna Aleksiewicz, Jada Para, Cameron Welch, Clover Slaughter, Isabella Rawson, Rachael Snyzyk, Amani Grant, Brielle Baillargeon
• 2025 RIMEA - Honors recital - Owen Preistly

NSMS

• 7th and 8th grade chorus - Superior Rating at the Rhode Island Music Educator Association Junior Choral Festival; 1st place Superior rating, and winners of overall best middle school chorus at the Music in the Parks Festival. 
• 7th and 8th grade band - Superior Rating at the Rhode Island Music Educator Association Junior Band Festival; 1st place Superior rating, and winners of overall best middle school band at the Music in the Parks Festival
• Jazz Band - Excellent rating at the Rhode Island Music Educator Association Jazz Band Festival
• 6th Grade Chorus - Silver rating at the Rhode Island Music Educator Association Elementary Choral Festival
• ALL STATE STUDENTS
  • All-State chorus: Dante Braga, Mia DaSilva, Olivia Majeau, Evelyn Phomsoupha, Ava Rawson, Arame Thioye, Chloe Welch
  • All-State junior band: Madeline Foley
  • All-State junior orchestra: Thomas DeCataldo
• SOLO AND ENSEMBLE
  • Maya Green and Olivia Majeau - Superior rating, vocal duet
  • Chole Welch - superior rating, vocal solo
  • Madeline Foley - superior rating, clarinet solo
  • Madeline Foley and Thomas DeCataldo - superior rating, duet
  • Emily Cartwright - Excellent rating, oboe solo