Panther Post 9/25/2026

Dear Nederland Panthers,

I am looking forward to next week! It’s a big week across the school and a great reminder of what makes our small community so special.

First, our 6th grade students are heading to High Trails Outdoor Education Center in Florissant for their annual week-long field trip. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend High Trails several times, and each time, I’m impressed by what a positive experience it is for our students. 6th graders have the opportunity to build friendships with their classmates, learn about nature, and grow through new experiences.  I’m always impressed by the great work our 9th–12th grade counselors do mentoring and supporting our 6th grade students. A special thank you to Ms. Kinczel, Mr. Mitrano, Ms. Jesse, and Mr. Epke for planning and attending this year’s field trip!

Second, and very importantly, next week is HOMECOMING WEEK!  Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. Find your friends, neighbors, and anyone else you know, and invite them to come out and celebrate with us!  Here’s everything you’re invited to:

Friday, October 2

5:00 p.m. — Homecoming Varsity Volleyball vs. William Smith — free entry!

Saturday, October 3

11:00 a.m. — Homecoming Parade through Town — route linked here

11:30 a.m. — Homecoming BBQ hosted by the PTA — purchase meals by cash or card

1:00 p.m. — Homecoming Varsity Soccer vs. Estes Park —free entry!

Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you next week!

Mr. DePaula

Our fall mountain weather has moved our Movie Night indoors tonight!

Come out and support the Junior Class tonight!  Bring the whole family to enjoy Shrek in the NMSHS Auditorium from 7-9pm!

Our indoor concession stand will be open with delicious snacks for purchase.  

See you there!

Homecoming is next Saturday, October 3rd!

All Panthers, young and old, are invited to join us!  Don't miss the Panther Parade rolling through Nederland, including floats designed by each high school class!  After the parade, make your way up to NMSHS for a cookout and some Panther Athletic Action. 

PTA Homecoming BBQ – October 3 | 11:30 AM–2:30 PM

The annual Homecoming BBQ is Saturday, October 3! The HOCO BBQ is a fun NMSHS tradition, and we’ll need volunteers to help make it happen. Please sign up to volunteer through Help at Schools: HOCO Volunteers

HOMECOMING BBQ — VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Join us Saturday, October 3 for our annual Homecoming BBQ at the NMSHS Soccer Field! The parade begins at 11:00 AM, followed by the BBQ from 11:30 AM–2:30 PM and the boys soccer game at 1:00 PM.

Come enjoy lunch, support our Panthers, and connect with other NMSHS families!

Volunteers are needed to help make this fun Homecoming tradition happen. Sign up here: Homecoming BBQ Volunteers

NEXT PTA MEETING: Thursday, October 1 | 5:00–6:00 PM | NMSHS Library

We’d love to see you there!

Athletics & Activities 9/25/2026

Cross Country Highlights:

We had a great day on Saturday at St. Vrain with the girls team finishing second and four PRs! A solid top finish from Amika in 4th, and Libby making the awards Top 20 in 18th.                             Well done to everyone! 

Middle School Flag Football:

MS Flag Football finished up their season with a double header against Summit Middle School yesterday.  They had a great season together as a team, growing in skill and communication from start to finish.  We look forward to another great season next year!

Homecoming SPIRIT Week is here!

Monday, September 28:  Color Wars - come dressed in your brightest colors!

Tuesday, September 29:  Glamper vs. Camper - show us how YOU go camping!

Wednesday, September 30:  Dress as an Extracurricular - what do you spend your free time on?

Thursday, October 1:  Ned Spirit - Wear your blue and gold, and Goooooo Panthers!

Friday, October 2:  HS Class Themes- dress like your National Park!

♦♦♦♦    High School Homecoming Dance, Saturday, October 3    ♦♦♦♦

7-9pm @ Nederland Community Center

Cost: $15.00  if purchased online by Fri. 10/2 (your student ID # is your access code)

$30 CASH if purchased at the door on Saturday, 10/3

The birthday crown is getting some good use! 4 birthdays on one day this week.

Crepes were on the plates this week in Food, Facts, and Fun! Delicious!

ILC went back out into the community this Wednesday and did some landscaping and learned about using a commercial kitchen when cleaning up after the Senior Luncheon!

Middle School hiking club went leaf peeping on Thursday!

Hello Parents of Juniors, 

This is a quick reminder that we will hold the PSAT/NMSQT for ALL JUNIORS on Wednesday October 7th, 2026 here at NMSHS in the Library starting at 9:30am.

Who? - ALL NMSHS Juniors

What? - PSAT/NMSQT Test

When? - Wednesday October 7th at 9:30am

Where? - NMSHS Library

Why? - The PSAT/NMSQT is the closest exam to the SAT that all Juniors take in the Spring. The scoring is the same as the SAT, meaning that it is the greatest predictor of how the SAT will go for you. This gives you time to prepare in areas that you did not feel successful in. The PSAT/NMSQT is also an opportunity to enter you into the National Merit Scholarship Program, which awards millions of dollars in college scholarships and prestigious academic recognition. 

Thank you to those of you who have paid for your student's test already! If you have not had the chance to pay yet, please use this link: Revtrak PSAT/NMSQT

Cost: $12

Due: 9/30/26

The test will take approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes. Classes will resume following the test. If your student attends Apex in the morning, I will contact Apex directly to excuse them.

If there are any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to me!

Kaitlyn May, kaitlyn.may@bvsd.org

It is time for our Fall STEP IT UP Challenge!  Those of you at the Elementary School participated last year in both the Fall and Spring Step Challenges, however this is a new adventure for the MSHS.

This year, we are uniting the Elementary and the MSHS into ONE AMAZING TEAM for the challenges, the PROWLIN' PANTHERS!!

This is a 4-week challenge is put on by the Health Action Council, and is a nationwide competition.  Last year, the BVSD Food Services team won!  Teams are scored by the highest AVERAGE step count- so every team member is important.  There are weekly prizes, wellness tips, and live leaderboard tracking charts.

Staff, Teachers, Administration, and Parents are allowed to participate. 

All the sign up information is on the poster below or can be accessed here.  Any smart watch, phone, or step tracker can connect directly to the app and all you have to do is sync your device and STEP IT UP!  

September 25, 2026

Apply to be in the BVSD Community Leadership Academy!

The BVSD Community Leadership Academy has extended its application deadline to Thursday, October 1st. This is an opportunity for parents, caregivers, and community members to deepen their understanding of our district and become more engaged in their children’s education and the broader BVSD community. We hope you’ll join us!

The Community Leadership Academy is designed to provide participants with the knowledge, The 2026–27 cohort will meet one Friday per month from October through April, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sessions will be held at the BVSD Education Center, 6500 Arapahoe Road, Boulder, CO.

A free lunch will be provided at each session, and Spanish interpretation will be available.

Apply today!

Reminder of Reporting Processes in BVSD

Our school community is committed to providing a safe educational environment where all members of our community are treated with respect.

As we continue to work on creating more inclusive spaces of belonging, we want to make sure our students and families know about and have access to BVSD's bullying, sexual violence  and discrimination reporting forms, including anti-Semitism and anti-Black racism.

These forms can also always be accessed under the "Make a Report" link located at the top banner on every BVSD webpage.

The Pop-Up Library is Back at NMSHS — and It’s Better Than Ever!

Guess who’s rolling back into NMSHS for its fifth awesome year? That’s right — the Nederland Community Library Pop-Up Library is popping up again, and we couldn’t be more excited!

Starting Tuesday,September 29th, and every other Tuesday during middle and high school lunch, students can swing by to:
Browse cool books
Grab graphic novels & manga
 Learn about the new teen prize box

No library card? No problem! Students can grab an application to bring home — just a quick form for parents to fill out, and they’ll be ready to borrow in no time.

Don’t miss out — reading just got a whole lot more fun at lunch!

Nederland Middle Senior High School | 597 County Road 130 | Nederland, CO 80466 | 720-561-4900