Oak Middle School
Sunday, January 8, 2023
8 Gold Team Time - Partner Activities
Dear Oak Middle School Families,
It was a fast four day week! It is always fun to catch up with students and staff after a vacation. Everyone was happy to see one another and come back together as a school community. Students did a great job of getting back into their school routines.
I would like to highlight the Team Newsletters. It is a great way to learn what is going on with your student's academic team each week. There is a summary/preview of what students are working on in their core academic classes and important upcoming dates/reminders.
We have added three new clubs and activities over the past week. Volleyball Club, Dungeons and Dragons, and Boardgames. Please take a look at the clubs and activities section of the newsletter if your child is interested in joining!
The Winter Concert Videos (Band, Chorus, and Orchestra) are included in the Photos section of the newsletter.
Lastly, I would like to give the Oak Middle School Unified Social Club a shoutout! The received a wonderful write-up in the Community Advocate in December: Unified Social Club - Cookies and Camaraderie. Great job to all involved!
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
508-841-1205
Scott Yonker
Assistant Principal Grade 8
508-841-1213
IN THE NEWS: Oak Middle School Unified Social Club
Team Information
Lunch Menu Note
Menu change for Wednesday January 11th
Barbecue Chicken Sub and Garden Burgers will be offered instead of the Pasta and Sauce listed on menu.
Hot Soup $2.50 for 12 0z Serving
Soup will be available on Tuesday and Thursday beginning this week.
2023-2024 Preschool Lottery Application and Survey Now Open
The 2023-2024 Shrewsbury Public Schools Preschool Lottery Application and Survey opened on Tuesday, January 3rd. All students who will be at least 3 years old by August 31st, 2023 are eligible to apply. We encourage all age-eligible families to complete the form even if they do not plan to send their child to preschool with Shrewsbury Public Schools for the 2023-2024 school year, as this is valuable information for us.
Please click here to complete the form. The application closes at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 27th. For more information, please visit our registration webpage.
SHREWSBURY DAY @ RAILERS: 1/22/23
Join family and friends to cheer on the Worcester Railers on Sunday, January 22nd, at 3:05PM at the DCU Center, as the Railers take on the Trois-Rivières Lions from Quebec!
Tickets start at ONLY $17! When you purchase you will receive a unique link to share with family & friends. Everyone who buys from your link will sit with you at the game. Pay separately but sit together! Tickets will immediately be delivered to your phone once purchased.
Purchase your tickets here: https://www.railershc.com/shrewsburyday
***Reminder***
If your child will be dismissed early, please send a note in with them that morning. This helps us speed up the dismissal process. Thank you for your help!
Mental Health Services Research Study Sign Up
You are invited to take part in a research study that explores how the mental health services provided by schools relate to the well-being of students (e.g., life satisfaction, emotions, psychological well-being, mindfulness). The study is led by an honors undergraduate student at Assumption University, Angelina Davis, and her supervisor, Dr. Maria Kalpidou, a faculty member in the psychology department at Assumption University. This study is approved by the Institutional Review Board of Assumption University. The study is not in any way associated with Shrewsbury Public Schools.
The study involves the participation of one guardian (10-15 minutes) and one child (20 minutes). If you are interested in participating, you may click on the link below. The link will first bring you to a consent form with more specifics regarding yours and your child’s participation. If you consent, you will be brought to the questionnaires. Please note, there is one link for both you and your child. After you consent, you will be directed to your survey. Upon completion, you will be instructed to allow your child to complete their part. Your child will have the opportunity to consent before they are directed to their respective surveys. You may not exit the survey and return at a later time to continue, so your child needs to be present to complete their parts immediately following your participation. We ask that both you and your child respect each other's privacy as you complete your respective surveys. We hope you will decide to participate as both caregiver and student responses are needed for the project. Your participation is voluntary and does not affect your relation with the school. If you participate you will be given the opportunity to submit a family email address to be entered into a raffle for one of eight $25 gift cards. This will also enter your child into a raffle to win one of thirty $5 gift cards. The surveys are set up in such a way that your email address will not be linked to yours or your child’s surveys. Thank you in advance for your time and involvement in this important research!
Link to survey: https://aupsych.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8wEnsvoYzSR5wDs
Save the Date
1/9/23 - PTO Meeting
1/10/23 - Encore! Assembly for all 7th Grade Students
1/13/23 - No Homework Weekend
1/16/23 MLK Jr. Day - No School
1/20/23 - No Homework Weekend
1/25/23 - Cycle 3 Ends
2/7/23 - Early Release 11:35am Dismissal
Monday, February 20th- Friday February 24th: February Vacation
3/7/23 - Early Release 11:35am Dismissal
Vocational Technical School Update
Grade 8 Families who are interested in learning more about the vocational technical school application process can find detailed information on the Oak Middle School Assabet Informational website. The application deadline for Assabet is January 15th.
Sleep Health Advisory Committee Update
Sleep Health Advisory Timeline
The remaining timeline regarding this project, which could result in changing school start times for the 2023-2024 school year, is as follows:
January 18: Discussion of schedule change options and potential vote by the School Committee
January 25: Potential additional School Committee discussion and vote (if necessary)
February 1: Last recommended date opportunity for School Committee discussion/vote (if necessary)
Cell Phone Policy
Just a reminder that students are not allowed to use their cell phones during the school day. If a child ever needs to contact a parent/guardian they should come to the main office. We ask that parents/guardians not “text” or call students directly during the school day. Please call 508-841-1200 to have a message relayed to your child.
JANUARY PTO MEETING
The January PTO meeting will be Monday, January 9th, @ 7PM in the Oak Media Center.
Join us as we plan the Sherwood Winter Night Out being held at the end of January - an event we need lots of help for!
**The PTO is looking for members to join and help fill roles. including fundraising coordinator and communications, as we have current members leaving at the end of the school year.
The SMS PTO serves both Sherwood and Oak and we welcome parents from grades 5-8!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1340571766703443/
SHREWSBURY DAY AT THE RAILERS
Join family and friends to cheer on the Worcester Railers on Sunday, January 22nd, at 3:05PM at the DCU Center, as the Railers take on the Trois-Rivières Lions from Quebec!
Tickets start at ONLY $17! When you purchase you will receive a unique link to share with family & friends. Everyone who buys from your link will sit with you at the game. Pay separately but sit together! Tickets will immediately be delivered to your phone once purchased.
Purchase your tickets here: https://www.railershc.com/shrewsburyday
Winter Concert Videos
📷📸📷📸Photos of the Week📷📸📷📸
Students working on an extension French activity in the curriculum office!
Advisory
8 Blue Weather Models
8 Blue Science Whiteboards
8 Blue Science Whiteboards
8 Blue Science Whiteboards
CSLC Selling Snacks at the Basketball Games!
🏆🏆Fall Oak Cheerleader's Awards🏆🏆
Girl's Basketball Game
Girl's Basketball Game
Girl's Basketball Game
Girl's Basketball Game
Girl's Basketball Game
Students at Work - The Giver
7 Red Science Rockets
7 Red Science Rockets
7 Red Science Rockets
7 Red Science Rockets
7 Red Science Rockets
7 Red Science Rockets
7 Red Science Rockets
7 Red Science Rockets
7 Red Science Rockets
7 Red Science Rockets
7 Red Science Rockets
Mrs. Tay - 7 Red Science Rockets
7 Red Science Rockets
🎭🎨🖌️🎵Sports and Activities🏀⚽🏅🏈
Oak is pleased to offer two new after school classes starting in February. Registration is now
open through the parent portal.
Seats are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Payment is due at the
time of registration, and unpaid registrations will be automatically deleted. Classes cost $40 for
the six-week session. Class fees are non-refundable unless SPS has to cancel the class.
Class offerings include:
Volleyball – Thursdays, 3:00-4:00, starting February 9th
Board Games Club – Thursdays, 3:00-4:00, starting February 2nd
Please visit our website for complete class information including schedules and instructions on
how to register https://schools.shrewsburyma.gov/oak/after-school-activities-program
If you have any questions about the ASAP program, please contact:
Karen Isaacson, Director of Extended Learning
We Are Hiring
Daily Substitutes
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!
If you see something, say something!
The Locker
The Locker is a donation based program housed at Oak that helps families in the district that could use support with clothing and personal care items. We are happy to help you in the most discreet way possible, information will be kept confidential. It would be helpful to have as much information you can provide in what you are looking for and what will be most useful to your family.
We recognize that each student has their own preferences in what they would like to wear as far as styles and colors. If your child would be interested in helping us select items, we can arrange for them to come to the neatly organized closet and choose their own items.
Items can be sent home with your student if they are comfortable or pick up can be arranged through the health office.
Please complete this form if you would like help:
Questions? We are here to help!
Mrs. Hallie Burak
Ms. Anne Koertge
Mr. Scott Yonker
Helpful Links
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.