August 22, 2025

Dear Parents, Guardians and Families,

I hope all our families are enjoying the last few days of summer vacation.

Next week, we will welcome our 7th and 9th graders to the middle school and high school for their orientations, where they will tour the buildings and meet the administrators and staff.  The NHS Freshman Orientation is Tuesday, August 26th. The JHWMS Orientation is Wednesday, August 27th. We are excited to welcome all our students back to the buildings for the first day of school on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 for a single session day. Thursday, September 4th is also a single session day for students. A link to the 25-26 calendar can be found here.

We are excited to open the Nutley Early Childhood Center on Bloomfield Avenue to support the growth of the Raising Raiders Preschool Program. This expansion reflects our shared commitment to giving Nutley’s youngest learners the very best start to their educational journey. With these additional classrooms, we will be able to welcome over 130 additional three and four year-old children into a nurturing, developmentally appropriate learning environment that fosters curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning from the very beginning. Our dedicated early childhood educators are eager to provide enriching experiences that support both academic readiness and social-emotional growth, ensuring our preschoolers enter kindergarten confident, capable, and excited for the years ahead. A brief Meet and Greet will take place in all preschool classrooms the afternoon of 9/2. The Director of Early Childhood will reach out with details.

We are proud to share that the Nutley Public Schools have been awarded competitive grants from the New Jersey Department of Education in the areas of Climate Education and eSports. These grants will open new avenues of learning and engagement for our students. At the middle school, a new eSports club will provide students with opportunities to build teamwork, strategy, and digital literacy skills in a competitive, inclusive environment. Meanwhile, our Climate Education grant will deepen students’ understanding of our local environment, fostering a sense of stewardship and real-world problem solving through hands-on learning experiences.

Looking ahead, the district continues to advance its vision of transitioning next year’s sixth graders to middle school. With NJDOE approval secured, we are moving forward with plans to create additional classroom space in the media center. Final preparations are underway to ensure we have the facilities, resources, and support systems in place to make this shift smooth and successful for students and families.

At the high school, we are seeing continued growth in both dual enrollment and Advanced Placement (AP) participation and achievement. These programs are providing students with more opportunities than ever to challenge themselves academically, earn college credit, and develop the skills needed for success beyond graduation.

We are excited to welcome parents into our schools for the scheduled Open House nights this September. Buildings will communicate details soon.

We also look forward to greeting our students as they return to the classroom on Wednesday, September 3.

Sincerely,