Oak Middle School
Sunday, September 18, 2022
Dear Oak Middle School Families,
It was our first full week of school and it was action packed! We had our first school wide advisory meeting on Wednesday. We are using a program called Character Strong (video clip below) which focuses on social emotional learning. The goal of advisory is to develop relationships with students (adult-student AND student-student) in a supportive community. Everything in advisory is built on the foundation of relationships. In these smaller communities students and staff will engage in discussions, topics, activities that at times are difficult, complex, timely, and fun.
Our annual Curriculum Night is this week - 8th grade is on Wednesday 9/21 and 7th grade is on Thursday 9/22. All families should begin their night in the auditorium. We will start at 6:30 with a brief welcome from administration and the counseling staff. Afterwards, families will join your child's team for the remainder of the evening. The goal of the night is for families to get to know the team of teachers that work with your children and to learn about the curriculum and this upcoming year. This is not a night for conferences. If you would like to schedule a conference please reach out to the teachers to schedule a meeting. Just a reminder that this is a parents only event. We hope to see you this week!
Please reach out with any questions or concerns as our goal is to work together to make sure each and every child has a wonderful year at OMS.
In partnership,
Hallie Burak
Principal
508-841-1210
Anne Koertge
Assistant Principal Grade 7
akoertge@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us
508-841-1205
Scott Yonker
Assistant Principal Grade 8
508-841-1213
Important Upcoming Dates
Curriculum Night
8th Grade Curriculum Night
Wednesday, September 21 starting at 6:30
7th Grade Curriculum Night
Thursday, September 22 starting at 6:30
VIRTUAL PRESENTATION - KEEPING KIDS SAFE AND SECURE ONLINE: A PROJECT SAFE CHILDHOOD PRESENTATION FOR PARENTS
Tuesday, September 20, 2022 6:30 p.m. (log in begins at 6:15 p.m.)
Brought to you in collaboration by: The United States Attorney’s Office, Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Lunenburg Police Department
Please see attached flyer.
SCHOOL COUNCIL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We are looking for parents and community members to join our Oak School Council. As an advisory body, the school council works to provide ideas and opinions to help the principal. Each year, the group reviews/creates the School Improvement Plan and engages in SPS District Priorities. In this context, council members assist by:
- providing information and recommendations relevant to the educational needs of students;
- reading and discussing the budget with the principal to understand the implications for goals and activities in the school improvement plan; and
- participating actively in the process of analysis and planning that results in the identification of annual goals, activities, outcomes, and resources that will lead to school improvement.
Please email Principal, Hallie Burak at hburak@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us if you are interested in serving in this role. Elections will be held at Curriculum Nights in September.
Photos of the Week
Mrs. Bird's French class working on greetings/goodbyes
Mr. Zucchi's music class working on creating drum beats.
Ms. Packer's class science experiment - mixing colors!
Students learned how to read maps.
Students chose their preferences for pre vocational work.
8 Red Cup Stacking!
Team Building - 8 Blue
Mrs. Mulcahy (Math 8 Red) teaching kids transformations with dance moves!
Coding during enrichment class.
8 Gold Science Experiment
Enrichment - Egg Drop Challenge
Enrichment - Egg Drop Challenge
Enrichment - Egg Drop Challenge
Mandarin - Students singing a new song.
Oak Food Truck Night
I loved meeting all of the Oak School Dogs!
Oak Food Truck Night
School Pulse
As stated in our student handbooks, Shrewsbury Public Schools is excited to be launching a new initiative for our students at Sherwood Middle School, Oak Middle School and Shrewsbury High School. ‘SchoolPulse’ is a Positive Psychology tool that provides weekly inspirational podcasts, check-ins, and the best Positive Psychology skills available. This will be done through text, three times a week. Participation is voluntary. Your child’s responses are completely anonymous (meaning we do not have their personal cell number or any personal information). Some additional features include: This service is entirely voluntary, and students can opt in and opt out anytime. The child has access to an individual dashboard (accessed through their text), that shows their check-in responses in the moment and longitudinally. The school will receive a general electronic report demonstrating the overall emotional pulse in the school. There is no individual data available to the school or district. These texts are completely free. Data shows that students who utilize and interact with SchoolPulse improve their thinking and feeling, and those who improve their thinking and feeling, ultimately improve behavior and academic performance. You are welcome to participate as well. Simply text the word “Demo” to 78573, to see how SchoolPulse works. Enjoy! If you want to find out more about SchoolPulse, simply go to www.schoolpulse.org. Here is the video link that your children will see prior to the launch of the service at the end of September. Our goal is to make each and every one of our students believe the statement, “You matter. You belong.” School Pulse is a proactive approach to making this goal a reality.
8th Grade Trip to Teamworks
8th grade teams will be taking a trip to Teamworks in Northborough to learn how to cooperatively work together, think creatively to solve problems, and take safe risks. These skills are essential for a successful school year as a united team. It will be a highly active day and students are encouraged to wear gym attire including sneakers and layers as the weather is unpredictable. In addition, students must provide their own lunch (no glass please!). Please complete a permission slip HERE and send a $22 check made out to the OMS Activity Fund to your child’s homeroom teacher. If you would like to contribute to a scholarship, additional funds are welcome in your payment. If you need financial assistance please contact Mrs. Burak, hburak@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us.
Students will depart Oak Middle School by bus at 8:15 and return by 2:15.
Wednesday September 28th – 8 Gold
Thursday September 29th – 8 Blue
Friday September 30th – 8 Green
Tuesday October 4th – 8 Teal
Thursday October 6th – 8 Red
The Late Bus is Back!
We are thrilled to announce that we will continue to offer FREE late bus services for students at Shrewsbury High School, Oak Middle School, and Sherwood Middle School starting Monday, September 19th, 2022. Late buses will run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The buses will depart from SHS at 3:30pm and from the middle schools at 4:00pm.
This is a limited service with fixed bus stops. It is not intended to provide service to all neighborhoods due to financial limitations.
Please click the following link for all the details:
https://schools.shrewsburyma.gov/transportation/late-bus
Registration is open and the late bus service will start next Monday, the 19th.
Team Information
🎭🎨🖌️🎵Sports and Activities🏀⚽🏅🏈
Student Council
Calling on all student leaders to apply to join the Oak Student Council! The purpose of Student Council is for students to develop leadership skills and represent their peers. Representatives will organize spirit events, attend PTO and School Council meetings, meet with teachers and administrators and work to promote a positive student experience at Oak. Two students per team will be elected by their peers to serve on Student Council. The application can be found at this link and is due by Friday, September 23rd.
American Sign Language
Interested students can access the club's application posted on their team's Schoology Page. The application deadline is Friday 9/23.
😀😀 Unified Social Club 😀😀
The Oak Middle School Unified Social Club is an opportunity for ALL students to be included and hang out after school, play some games and make new friends.
Unified Programs at OMS promote social inclusion through intentionally planned and implemented activities affecting system-wide change in sports, youth leadership and whole school engagement at Oak Middle School. Oak Middle School is a safe school where EVERYONE belongs! If you are interested, apply HERE.
🎭🎭🎭The Oak Drama Club🎭🎭🎭
The Oak Drama Club is returning this fall under the Direction of Mr. Shoro! This season, we will be putting on 2 One-Act Plays, The Audition & Help Desk by Don Zolidis. The Audition is about a group of high school students auditioning for their school play and the social issues that come with it, and Help Desk is a collection of comedic scenes centered around characters calling in to a less-than-helpful Help Desk.
Auditions will be held Monday, Sept. 12th and Wednesday Sept. 14th until 4 pm. The Audition Monologues and the Fall Rehearsal schedule are both posted in the Oak Drama Club Schoology Group under the Resources tab. Any student interested in joining Drama Club, either on stage OR behind the scenes, are encouraged to join the Schoology group to receive all updates and information.
Please email Mr. Shoro to sign up - ashoro@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us
📚Join the Yearbook Committee!📚
Interested in leaving your mark?
Are you artistic?
Interested in photography?
Do you like designing things on a computer?
Join the Yearbook Committee!
What is it??
A group of creative students who build the yearbook from the ground up - as a member, you will…
take photos of team activities and events, sports games… around town, and at school - anything and everything Oak.
Learn to use design software, so you can build your team’s page and many others… as well as design the cover, the dedication… everything!
Help sell the yearbook, talking it up on team and designing the posters and flyers that will be all over the school as well as on our Schoology team pages!
This is your chance to help shape the memories your peers will have for years to come and create a scrapbook of what is shaping up to be a great year!
What do you need, to join?
Be available on Mondays, for meetings in the media center 2:45-3:30, and willing to go to events to take pictures, as well as design pages from home.
Be willing to be part of a team
Be flexible, creative, and willing to learn!
We are looking for 2-3 representatives from EACH TEAM. If more than 3 people from a team wish to join, there will be try-outs - we will have several criteria to determine who the representatives will be.
If you’re interested, talk to your homeroom teacher and fill out the survey below.
Click Yearbook Interest Survey or go to https://tinyurl.com/omsybc22
🗣️🗣️🗣️Latin Club🗣️🗣️🗣️
What is Latin Club?
Latin Club is for any student who wants to explore classical mythology and Roman culture. Some activities may be determined by student interest, but we will include mini-catapults, Roman holiday celebrations, certamen practice and competitions, and hands-on activities related to culture and history.
Members will have the opportunity to prepare for and participate in the Pegasus Mythology Exam, given in late February. Enrollment in Latin is not required, but any student joining Latin Club should have a genuine interest and willingness to learn; please check with Mrs. Sinacola if you are not enrolled in Latin.
Meeting Information:
We will meet every Wednesday in Room 307 from 2:45-3:45 pm. Our first meeting will be Sept 14
🤽🤾♀️🤽♀️Play It Out Club🎲🎯😄
What is it? We’re building time to PLAY into the day and we’re going to be as active as we can, weather permitting. Think of it as a “play-out” instead of a “work-out”.
Each session we’ll play games. The games will not always be the same. They will be a mix of activity levels: kick-ball, tag, hide & seek, building a snow-person, taking a walk, frisbee, card & board games, theater games, etc.
Reasoning: From adolescence on, we tend to focus more on work and less on play; however, research shows that humans are hard-wired to be playful. There are different types of play (physical play, social play, object play) and as we age, “play” can include activities that we do to unwind and keep ourselves healthy: bike-riding, taking a walk, joking with friends.
How does it work and what do you need? We’ll meet every week on Wednesdays from 2:45-3:30. Students need a good attitude, their water bottle, and they need to be ready to go outside most days (appropriate dress).
When and where does it meet? Meet every Wednesday in Room 427 from 2:45-3:30. Meeting dates—attend as you can:
- Sept. 14, Sept. 21, Sept. 28
- Oct. 5, Oct. 12, Oct.19, Oct. 26
- Nov. 2, Nov. 9, Nov.16, Nov. 30
- Dec. 7, Dec. 14, Dec.21
- Jan. 4, Jan. 11, Jan.18, Jan. 25, Jan. 31
- Feb. 1, Feb. 8, Feb.15
- Mar. 1, Mar. 8, Mar.15, Mar. 22, Mar. 29
- Apr. 5, Apr. 16, Apr. 26
- May 3, May 10, May 17, May 24, May 31
- Jun. 7
Questions? Please contact Senora Pierce in room 427 at Oak (spierce@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us)
To find out more about play and its importance, listen to this episode “You’re Never Too Old to Play” from the podcast Chasing Life: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chasing-life/id1501029683?i=1000576224609
🏫🏫Community Service and Leadership Club🏫🏫
If you are interested in helping others and giving back to our community consider joining the Community Service and Leadership Club. To learn more about the club please attend our informational meeting on Thursday, September 15 at 2:35 in the Media Center. Returning members will share about previous activities and we will begin to discuss possible projects for this year. Everyone is welcome.
The meeting will end at 3:30 so please be sure to have a ride home at that time.
Please see Mrs. McCarthy, in room 163 in the 7 Blue hallway if you have any questions.
Food Pantry for Families
The Community Service and Leadership Club is getting ready to open our 'Food for Families' food pantry again this year. If you are a family that may be struggling with food insecurity please consider taking advantage of the pantry. Details will be in next week's newsletter, but if you have an immediate need, please contact our school nurses at oaknurse@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us or call 508-841-1204. All information is confidential.
Once again, the OMS 'Food for Families' has been chosen to Stop & Shop to participate in their Bloomin 4 Good program. For each bouquet of flowers purchased with the Bloomin 4 Good logo on them, the OMS Food Pantry will receive $1.00. The display is located near the self check-out registers at our local Stop & Shop. Thank you to all of you who have participated in the past, we have received over $100 from this program to support our food pantry in the past year.
From the Nurse's Office
Water Bottles: Please remember to send your child in with a full water bottle each day. We have water bottle filling stations located throughout the school for easy access.
Breakfast: We will be offering breakfast from the school cafeteria as students arrive at school. This will be free for all students for this school year. The cafeteria is open from 7:30-8:00 in the morning.
Please reach out to us at any time with questions. We look forward to a healthy and happy school year!
Lisa Arteca, MSN, RN and Loreen Yearick, MSN, RN
Phone: 508-841-1204
Fax: 508-841-1227
We Are Hiring - Paraprofessional Support Staff
Shrewsbury Public Schools are seeking to hire paraprofessional support staff. We are very pleased that we are 99% fully staffed for teacher and other professional educator roles as we start the school year. Like in many employment sectors in the current economy, we are also working hard to fill certain open positions. If you or someone you know is interested in making a positive difference in the life of a child, please consider joining us as a paraprofessional in our schools. We are in need of: child-specific aides who work to support individual students with special learning needs; applied behavior analysis technicians who typically work to support individual students on the autism spectrum; and special education instructional assistants. Experience working with children is a plus but not required, and we will provide training. There are positions open at all grade spans, both full-time with benefits and part-time, and the hours are great for parents with children in school. For more information and to apply, please go to https://schools.shrewsburyma.gov/hr/currentopenings. Please forward this information along, including to local college students seeking part-time work and those considering a career change to education. If you have questions, please email Lindsey Stasiowski, Human Resources Manager, at lstasiowski@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us or call her at (508) 841-8483. Thank you!
Arrival/Dismissal Procedures
The school day runs from 8:00am-2:35pm.
Parent Drop off starts at 7:30 AM.
Students who arrive prior to 7:45 report to the cafeteria.
Breakfast is served in the cafeteria from 7:45-8:00 am.
Students who arrive after 7:45 report directly to homeroom (unless eating breakfast).
Students who arrive after 8:00am are tardy & need to enter the front of the building.
Students are dismissed at 2:35pm.
What should I do if my child will be absent or tardy?
Parents or legal guardians must call the school by 8:00 to report that the child will be absent. The phone number is 508-841-1200, press “1” when prompted and indicate the child’s name, grade, team, and reason for being absent or tardy. Students who arrive after 8:00 must check in at the main corridor QR Code to ensure their attendance is properly recorded.
Dismissing a Student Early
Please send a note from home with your child. They will bring it to the main office, and be given a pass.
In a last minute situation, you can call the Main office 508-841-1200 to dismiss.
PTO
SHERWOOD/OAK/SHREWSBURY APPAREL ORDERS
The PTO is offering Sherwood, Oak, and Shrewsbury apparel to purchase through October 3rd! We have t-shirts, hoodies, and 3/4 sleeve raglan t-shirts in various colors with Sherwood, Oak, or Shrewsbury logos.
Orders will arrive and be distributed directly to students at school in late October.
Place your order here: https://bit.ly/SMSapparel2022
**We are only offering online orders at this time.
**Credit Cards are charged by Spectrum Apparel Webstore - please make sure you note this so you recognize your credit card charge.**
FOOD TRUCK NIGHTS
Thank you for everyone who joined us at the Oak Food Truck night on 9/14! We will be planning 2 Food Truck Nights for late next spring and hope the weather cooperates next time for us to host both nights!
OCTOBER PTO MEETING
The October PTO meeting will be on Monday, October 3rd @ 7PM in the Oak Media Center.
We have many items to discuss and plan, and would love more input as well as volunteers to help make these happen!
Upcoming events and fundraisers include:
Sherwood Fall Night Out, Fair Trade Caravans fundraiser, Danielson Florist holiday wreath sales, Sherwood and Oak Spelling Bees, and much more!
https://www.facebook.com/events/519681450064176/
The SMS PTO serves BOTH Sherwood and Oak and we would love to have parents from grade 5-8 join us.
SMS PTO FACEBOOK PAGE
The SMS PTO does not send notices home with students as you may have been used to in elementary school. Instead, we provide info via the weekly newsletters from Mr. Kelly and Mrs. Burak, and we post info, events, and other items of note via our Facebook page. Please be sure to find us and like us to keep up with us!