Oak Middle School
Sunday, January 15, 2023
Dear Oak Middle School Families,
It was a quite the week at Oak Middle School. In addition to all of the amazing work that is happening in the classrooms, there were some extra special events this week. Thank you to the PTO and The Shrewsbury Cultural Council for treating the entire 7th grade to the Chamber Theatre Production of Encore! The students loved the plays. They were good audience members and after the plays many students could not decide which play was their favorite. The ASL club was on the WCVB Wake Up Call (please watch the video clip above). Students asked the very important question that many in New England would like to know - when is it going to snow? The Basketball Teams both won big games against Charlton in two nail biters! The Boy's Basketball Team won in the final 10 seconds of the game and the Girl's Basketball Team won in the final 30 seconds. However, the biggest highlight of the week was normalcy of the school day on Friday the 13th.
As a reminder, there is no school on Monday, January 16, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King is most remembered as a leader in the American Civil Rights Movement where he advocated for equality for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged, and all victims of injustice.
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
2023 Shrewsbury Public School K-12 Winter Art Exhibition (Virtual)
English Learner Parent Advisory Council (E.L.P.A.C.)
English Learner Parent Advisory Council (ELPAC) is a volunteer organization made up of English learner and former English learner parents, caregivers, and educators. Our goal is to increase communication with and between our diverse families.To learn more about an English Learner Parent Advisory Council (E.L.P.A.C.), please click here.
Our next ELPAC meeting will be held on Zoom on January 18, 2023 @ 6:30 PM. Please register using the link below to receive the Zoom link for the January meeting.
Link to register: https://forms.gle/wMdpJiSmWUCgmykW9
Team Information
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!
Save the Dates
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
1/26/23 - Cycle 4 Starts
2/7/23 - Early Release 11:35am Dismissal
2/13/23 at 6:30 PM at SHS - Informational Parent Meeting on Course Selection Process
Monday, February 20th- Friday February 24th: February Vacation
3/7/23 - Early Release 11:35am Dismissal
LAST CHANCE! 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.
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
FEBRUARY PTO MEETING
The February PTO meeting will be Monday, February 6th, @ 7PM in the Oak Media Center.
Join us as we look ahead to:
Our Power of Purpose fundraiser in March
A 7th Grade dance in March
An 8th Grade dance in May
Plans for Teacher Appreciation Week
**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!
📷📸📷📸Photos of the Week📷📸📷📸
7 Teal saying goodbye to a teammate
8 Green White Powder Lab
8 Green White Powder Lab
8 Green Reaction in a Baggie
8 Green Reaction in a Baggie
8 Teal Science Lab
8 Teal Science Lab
8 Gold Windmill Project
8 Gold Windmill Project
8 Teal Science Lab
8 Teal Science Lab
8 Green White Powder Lab
8 Gold Windmill Project
8 Gold Windmill Project
7 Teal Math Cards
7 Gold Formal Tuesday
8 Green Powder Lab
8 Teal Science Lab
8 Gold Windmill Project
8 Green White Powder Lab
Girl's Basketball Game
Girl's Basketball Game
Girl's Basketball Game
Girl's Basketball Game
Boy's Basketball Celebration!
Boy's Basketball Game
Boy's Basketball Game
Boy's Basketball Game
Team 7 Gold with Mr. Jordan, The Mindfulness Director
Chamber Theatre Production of Encore!
Chamber Theatre Production of Encore!
Chamber Theatre Production of Encore!
Chamber Theatre Production of Encore!
Chamber Theatre Production of Encore!
Chamber Theatre Production of Encore!
The Chamber Theatre Production of Encore! Crew with some students
Chamber Theatre Production of Encore!
Chamber Theatre Production of Encore!
Chamber Theatre Production of Encore!
Chamber Theatre Production of Encore!
The 7th Grade getting ready for the play!
The 7th Grade getting ready for the play!
The 7th Grade getting ready for the play!
Chamber Theatre Production of Encore!
Chamber Theatre Production of Encore!
The Poetry Wall
Students at Work
⛷️🎿Ski Club!⛷️🎿
🎭🎨🖌️🎵Sports and Activities🏀⚽🏅🏈
Spring Musical Auditions
Volleyball Club and Board Game Club
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
Dungeons and Drama Club
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.