Raising the Barr Newsletter - MOST CURRENT EDITION
A. MacArthur Barr Middle School
News & Announcements
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MESSAGE FROM FOOD SERVICES
Families,
All students need healthy meals to learn! The Nanuet School District offers healthy meals (both breakfast and lunch) every school day. All students are eligible for ONE breakfast meal and ONE LUNCH meal per day. A second breakfast can be purchased @ $1.65 and a second lunch can be purchased @ $3.00. Assorted choice of milk is included in breakfast and lunch meals; water must be PURCHASED separately, see monthly menu for a la carte item prices.
Families are encouraged to complete the 2025-2026 Household Income Eligibility form. To apply, please complete this form found in the summer packet (these forms are mailed home prior to the first week of school). We have also linked the form below.
These forms have benefits beyond free meals. The forms might allow eligible families to have the following:
-Fee Waivers for SATS & ACTS
-Fee Waivers for College Application
These forms also allow the district to apply for grants and classroom resources.
Upon completion, please return the form to:
-The main office of your child’s school
-Or mail to:
Ms. MaryAnn Gregor, Food Service Director
Nanuet School District
101 Church Street
Nanuet, NY 10954
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School to Home Communication System: Parent Square
The district uses a communication system called Parent Square to send alerts out to parents, guardians and the community. Follow this video to set notification and language settings in the app or website. The Parent Square app can be downloaded from your app store. Note: The Parent Square system is synced with our eschool system, so it is VERY IMPORTANT you notify the district if you have had any changes in address, phone numbers or primary/emergency contacts.
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Home Access Information
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Jamaica Relief Drive
We are launching a Hurricane Relief Drive to support communities in Jamaica affected by recent storms. From December 1st through December 12th, we will be collecting essential items such as non-perishable food, toiletries, school supplies, and gently used clothing. Donation boxes will be located in the lobby. Every contribution—big or small—makes a difference. Let’s come together and show our support.
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Parents and Guardians: Translation Support for Personal Cell Phones
If you need translation services for Meet the Teacher and Parent Teacher Conferences, one option is to download Microsoft Translator onto a personal device.
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Check out our 2025-2025 Welcome to Barr video!
On September 3rd, we launched our day with every homeroom viewing the "Welcome to Barr" video, created by our own students and staff, as part of our PBIS launch. Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports, or PBIS, is a framework for recognizing positive behaviors, making good choices, improving academic success and fostering an environment which is welcoming and respectful. This first quarter, our focus will be on building relationships, with students exploring ways to actively play a role in building and maintaining relationships.
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Principal's Welcome to the 2025-2026 Year Letter
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2025-2026 A MacArthur Barr Clubs Listing
Clubs for the 2025-2026 school year are in session! Please see the Clubs document below and check our Upcoming Events bulletin board just off the main lobby for more information. Students can join a club at any time during the year. A club is a great way to make new friends or explore an interest.
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Staff Contact Information on Website
The link to the Faculty and Staff directory, located on the bottom of the school web page, is currently not active. If you need to contact a staff member, please call the main office at 627-4047 and we will be happy to provide you with assistance.
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A. MacArthur Barr 2024-2025 Goals and Priorities Update Slides
On March 11, 2025, the Barr team presented an update to the BOE, specific to the goals and priorities of the 2024-2025 year. Our focus this year centered around communication and being literate across content areas, which are two specific areas found within the Portrait of a Graduate profile. Click the link below to view the presentation slides. You will also find a link on the last slide which takes you to a feedback form, which will be live until March 30, 2025. We hope you enjoy the glimpse into some of high quality teaching and learning taking place at Barr!
2024-2025 Barr Goals and Priorities Presentation at the 3/11/24 BOE meeting
A. MacArthur Barr Middle School
Upcoming Barr Events [CLICK CALENDAR BUTTON] ===>
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GRADE 6 WINTER CONCERT NHS 7:00PM
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BOE Meeting
7:30pm
Nanuet Union Free School District -
H.S. Second Quarter Progress Reports
Nanuet Union Free School District -
BOE Meeting @ NHS 7:30pm
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GRADE 5 WINTER CONCERT NHS 7PM
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First Day of Winter
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WINTER RECESS SCHOOLS CLOSED 12-22 --- 1-2-25
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SCHOOL CLOSED WINTER RECESS
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SCHOOL CLOSED WINTER RECESS
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SCHOOL CLOSED WINTER RECESS
A. MacArthur Barr Middle School
Message from Principal Michelle O'Sullivan
Left to Right: Assistant Principal Khris Arvanites, Principal Michelle O'Sullivan, Assistant Principal Latoya Oates
Dear Barr Middle School Families,
What a wonderful and uplifting month it has been at Barr! Our school has been buzzing with positive energy thanks to the many activities and events that brought our students, staff, and families together. Special thanks to our PTA, November included PTA Picture Day, PTA Family Bingo, and the always-popular PTA Book Fair. Our Grade 8 students completed their babysitting course, RED Club enjoyed a meaningful trip to Haverstraw Park, and our Quarter 2 PBIS assembly celebrated students while also launching our quarter 2 focus of "accepting others." Our guidance counselors conducted individual "getting to know your" meetings with each 5th grade students and are also facilitating DBT emotional regulation lessons with our 6th graders during their IE periods. We hosted parent-teacher conferences, partnered with the Clarkstown Police Department for a parent cyber-safety presentation, engaged students in Better Together assemblies, and wrapped up an incredible production of The Lion King Kids—a true showcase of talent and teamwork.
Our staff continued to grow professionally as well. This month we focused on specially designed instruction (SDI), strategies for facilitating high-quality classroom discussions, and integrating tools such as Magic School AI and GimKit to enhance teaching and learning. Our Barr Parent Compact launched with its first meeting centered on the theme of feedback, marking a strong commitment to our goal of continually strengthening home-school partnerships.
December is shaping up to be just as active and enriching! Our fifth graders will participate in a Navajo weaving experience and visit the Nanuet public library, our Chamber Orchestra will travel to Lincoln Center, and Better Together assemblies will continue for all grades. We are also excited for our Winter Concerts in grades 5–8, a highlight of every school year. The PTA holiday boutique will run during the week of December 8th. Looking ahead at our December professional learning, all staff will participate in a tier 1 classroom de-escalation with DBT strategies workshop, our 5th and 6th grade ELA teachers will continue building knowledge on the Science of Reading with Dr. Katie Cunningham and Amy Halpert and many staff members will join Dr. Brady in early December for a book club discussion of The Lion Women of Tehran.
We encourage families to stay informed by visiting students’ Schoology pages for classroom updates, checking the Parent Portal for current academic progress, and reaching out directly to teachers with any questions. Each Friday, our Digital Backpack is shared through Parent Square, and our Barr website continues to be an excellent source of school information, with links to the PTA website as well. As always, feel free to call the main office at 627-4040 if you have questions about events and the guidance office at 627-4050 if you have questions about the schedules, academics or social emotional needs of your child(ren).
As we approach the holiday season, we wish all families a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving. We also recognize and celebrate the many meaningful cultural observances taking place in December, including:
Hanukkah – Chag Sameach
Christmas – Feliz Navidad / Merry Christmas
Kwanzaa – Habari Gani?
Bodhi Day – Bodhi Day o-medetō
Las Posadas – Felices Posadas
May this season bring peace, joy, and togetherness to every Barr family.
Warmly,
Mrs. O'Sullivan
Resources
Raising The Barr Newsletter
At A. MacArthur Barr, we feel it is important for our families and community to feel connected to the rich learning taking place throughout the year. We love to spotlight a variety of learning experiences, athletics, accomplishments, students, faculty, staff and so much more! We encourage you to click the "Raising the Barr" newsletters below! If there is something you would like to see included in a future edition, please give the Main Office a call at 845 627-4040!
2024-2025
