Happy Halloween from your friends in the cafeteria!
New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education Meeting, Monday, October 23, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. in the MS/HS Cafeteria.
New Buffalo Middle School SADD students (Student Against Destructive Decisions) created a H.E.R.O. for Bully Prevention Month. H.E.R.O stands for "Help Everyone Respect Others." The pole is displayed in the MS entryway. When a staff member, or fellow student, witnesses a student going out of his/her way to help someone else, they receive a ribbon that is tied on the pole. Middle School SADD members also created a Monday challenge for students during October in recognition of bully prevention month. Monday, October 23rd's challenge is for students to wear a Jersey to remind everyone that we are all on the same team. Middle school SADD advisors are Jennifer Bauer and Hilary Cunningham. SADD meets every Wednesday during lunch in Mrs. Bauer's classroom. All middle school students are welcome to join SADD and attend these meetings.
Planned Unit Development Update 10.14.23
New Buffalo Area Schools has received 3 requests for qualifications for the Planned Unit Development. There is a committee formed that will be reviewing the request for qualification documents submitted to New Buffalo Area Schools. The committee is composed of school officials, Antero Group, NBAS Board of Education members, The Pokagon Fund, and Township of New Buffalo. Once a developer is selected, we will announce the developer at a Board of Education meeting. Interviews will be held on October 30th, with a decision to follow later that week.
The Board of Education has passed a resolution for the development. Please review the resolution in the images below.
Currently, we are receiving student input for a name on the development.
After the announcement of the developer, NBAS will invite the public to a presentation of the development.
This is when the PUD process will be engaged with the community. This process will have several components:
Execute a Development Agreement: This will be an agreement between the developer and NBAS as to the arrangement and expectations.
A Concept Plan Development Phase: This will be developed based on market conditions, NBAS needs, and the developer’s pro forma.
Preliminary PUD: The Township requires a Preliminary PUD approval process that lays out the schematic design of the site, including density and uses. We anticipate this process taking 4 months.
Final PUD: This phase includes final design and approvals needed to construct. This phase should take 4-6 months.
We anticipate identifying at least one parcel for the Building Trades program for the following school year.
Adam Bowen
Superintendent
New Buffalo Area Schools
New Buffalo Area Schools "True Blue" Newsletter, Fall Issue.
New Buffalo High School has earned a place on the AP School Honor Roll for the 2022-23 school year! The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools that have done outstanding work to welcome more students into AP courses and support them on the path to college success. It takes a significant schoolwide effort – dedication from teachers, counselors, administrators, students, and parents – to make AP access a priority. An inspiring achievement for our district.
Earlier this week our Elementary and Day Care students enjoyed Michigan Apples and started their day with a crunch!
Mrs. Bauer’s Skills for Adolescents classes took a field trip to the Galien River County Park. The trip served as the culmination activity for a unit on emotions. Mrs. Peters, the middle school social worker, led students in a mindfulness walk through the nature trail. Research shows that the simple method of being calm and quiet amongst the trees, observing nature around you, while breathing deeply, can help both adults and children destress and boost well-being in a natural way.
302 students and staff started today with a CRUNCH! In support of Farm to School month, the Food Service Department purchased fuji and gala apples from Sparta, Michigan for students and staff to participate. This collective crunch encourages healthy eating and local food initiatives throughout the state.
Michigan is the nation’s second largest producer of apples. There are more than 14.9 million apple trees covering 34,500 acres on 775 family-run farms in Michigan. With Michigan’s climate, proximity to lakes and nutrient-rich soil, growers discovered Michigan was the ideal place to grow quality, fruitful apples. (Source: Michiganapples.com)
Join us this Thursday, October 12th at 7:00 pm during Parent-Teacher conferences at the Performing Arts Center for a parent presentation, "Cyber Safety: What Parents Should Know" hosted by your New Buffalo Wellness Team and Allie Kibler-Campbell from The Children's Advocacy Center of SW Michigan.
Students at New Buffalo Area Schools are encouraged to LEVEL UP with school lunch! Our kitchen staff prepares a variety of fruits and vegetables, hot entrees, whole grains and serves ice cold milk every day! We're having a great time this year, not only because of Free Michigan School Meals but our students are worth it! National School Lunch Week is celebrated October 9-13!
The New Buffalo Area Schools Wellness Team is excited to be hosting guest speakers from The Children's Advocacy Center of SW Michigan and the Berrien County Prosecutor's Office, who will be sharing their presentation, "Cyber Safety: What Parents Should Know". Do not miss this informative and engaging presentation at 7:00 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center during Parent Teacher conferences on October 12th.
New Buffalo Board of Education Meeting, Monday, October 9, 2023 at 6:00 p.m.
Superintendent, Adam Bowen, giving his speech at the National Distinguished Principal program in Washington, D.C.
We are proud of you and your exemplary achievements.
Superintendent Adam Bowen, attending the National Distinguished Principal program in Washington, D.C.
Michigan Apple Crunch @ New Buffalo Area Schools
Food Service and Title 1 relationship to support NBAS students.
Video Link https://youtu.be/HJ-vLbq6dmk
We have had a great day at the University of Michigan. Thank you to the Pokagon Tribe for the generous grant to make this trip possible. We took 150 students, 9 chaperones, and 4 charter buses to Ann Arbor. We toured the campus and heard about the many majors and extra curriculars that U of M offers. We were also able to experience dorm life and eating in the quad cafeteria. It was a great day to be a Bison… Go Blue 💙💛
Michigan School Meals Program @ New Buffalo Area Schools 2023-2024
As New Buffalo and River Valley School districts continue to combat declining enrollment along with fielding sports teams, the Board of Education of both school districts voted unanimously on Monday, September 25th to combine all high school sports teams over the next four years.
Serious conversations around this topic started over the spring of 2023. There were Town Hall meetings in which community members could voice their opinions about merging.
The Cooperative Program Oversight Committee (CPOC) was formed, consisting of both athletic directors, staff members and coaches. The committee was responsible for answering MHSAA questions of the cooperative agreement in review. The answers were submitted to the executive team which was composed of the Board of Education members from both districts, both superintendents, both athletic directors, and teacher/coaches from both districts. The CPOC held discussions around but not limited to transportation, practice schedules, game schedules, uniforms, financials, lead schools, concession stands, coaches, how to evaluate coaches, a common handbook, a common eligibility standards, supervision of sports, insurance, athletic trainers, and athletic directors roles and responsibilities.
An outcome of the CPOC committee work suggested the following high school sports co-oping over the next four years.
2023-2024
Softball
2024-2025
Girls Basketball
Golf
2025-2026
Volleyball
Boys/Girls Track
Baseball
2026-2027
Boys Basketball/Cheer
Boys/Girls Cross Country
Tennis
Soccer
In the future, with the help of both communities, we will be asking for input on the name of the combined high school sports team along with the mascot. As of right now, the Red Arrow Raiders will be the name of the combined teams.
The work has just begun! We are excited and extremely optimistic about what the future holds with the combination of high school sports between New Buffalo and River Valley.
Adam Bowen
Superintendent
New Buffalo Area Schools
